 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
|
|
 Previous: New Amateur Satellites in the Offing | ![Next (later) Story](/images/sty-up.gif "Amateur Radio Titan Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, SK"){kind=small} Next: Amateur Radio Titan Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, SK |
August 2, 2000
(In alphabetical order:)
President Haynie and Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN. |
ARRL picnic a hit: More than 200 ARRL Headquarters staff members, former staffers and retirees, and members of the ARRL Board of Directors gathered Saturday, July 22, for a traditional "company picnic" on the HQ grounds at Newington. Board members had only just concluded their July meeting. The get together came at the urging of ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, after he noted there had not been an ARRL picnic since 1995.
Showing off her face painting is Hayley Durand, daughter of ARRL Information Systems Manager Don Durand. |
One of the League's newer staffers, Brennan Price, N4QX, chats with his boss, Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. |
What's a picnic without something for the kids? |
West Coast ARRL telecommuter and staffer Dean Straw, N6BV, and his wife, Rayma--who shows that not only the kids enjoyed the face painting. Dean was in town for one of his infrequent visits to HQ. [ARRL Photos by Rick Lindquist, N1RL, and Joe Bottiglieri, AA1GW] |
 |
Canadian balloon launch set: On Saturday August 5 at approximately 8 AM local time, the Edmonton (Alberta) and Area Balloon Experiment Group will be launching its Balloon Experiments with Amateur Radio BEAR-2 helium balloon package. This event originally was set for July 15 but was cancelled due to the relief efforts at the Pine Lake tornado. For more information about the first flight BEAR-1 and updates on BEAR-2 check out http://members.home.com/jewen/.--RAC
Hams assist with 2000 Mount Rushmore Trail Run: Nearly two dozen hams helped provide communication for the 2000 Mount Rushmore Trail Run July 29-30. The annual 100-mile endurance event includes 15-mile, 50-k, 50-mile and 100-mile events.
Melanie Tollefson, KC0ETG, handles net control duties from the Northern Hills Amateur Radio Club during the recent Mount Rushmore Trail Run. [Northern Hills Amateur Radio Club photo] |
The course used is the 100 mile Centennial Trail, which crosses four counties and covers some of the most rugged and remote terrain in South Dakota's Black Hills. Seventy-six participants started the run while 22 amateurs provided run communications across 21 checkpoints and net control. Net control functions were performed from the City of Lead Emergency Operations Center, which is the home--and responsibility--of the Northern Hills Amateur Radio Club, KC0BXH. This arrangement allowed direct communication and coordination with the various law enforcement and emergency service agencies deployed in support of the run as well as immediate access to the latest weather information. The two-day event involved operation on two repeaters as well as FM simplex.--Don Sanders, W0KTL via Jerome Harvey, N0ZBR
HQ information technology upgrade under way: Hot on the heels of ARRL Board approval of up to around $1 million for an information technology upgrade, Information Systems Department personnel were installing new heavy-duty equipment. Ready to go on-line pending development of updated database software are two Compaq Proliant 5500 servers, each containing four Pentium Xeon processors.
Andy Shefrin of the ARRL Information Systems Department installs new Compaq servers for the ARRL Headquarters information technology upgrade. [ARRL Photo by Rick Lindquist, N1RL] |
Shefrin points out the four Pentium processor cards in one of the new servers. [ARRL Photo by Rick Lindquist, N1RL] |
Each server has 1 GB of memory, four 18.2 GB hard drives, and a 1 Gb network card. The new computer software and hardware not only will enhance the ARRL's e-commerce capabilities but update membership information and accounting systems. It also eventually will enable such services as electronic QSLing, member Web access to DXCC records, nearly real-time updates of DXCC listings, and expanded, detailed contest results. The Board also agreed to provide additional financial support for the popular ARRL E-Mail Forwarding Service.
 |
ITU takes lead in World Summit on Information Society: The International Telecommunication Union Council has announced that it will take a leadership role in a World Summit on the Information Society. The ITU Council has agreed to proceed with preparations for the summit, to be held in 2003 under ITU's leadership in close cooperation with interested United Nations agencies. The aim of the summit is to develop a common vision and understanding of the information society, drawing up a strategic plan of action for its concerted development. "There is little doubt that the emergence of the information society poses new challenges for governments, the private sector and civil society," said ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi. Noting that new technology can empower individuals, Utsumi said it's important to clearly define the challenges and agree on shared approaches "as society moves from a machine-based to a knowledge-based society." Switzerland and Tunisia already have indicated interest in hosting the event. The location will be decided before year's end.--ITU
Microwave Update 2000 set for September: The Mid-Atlantic States' VHF Conference--Microwave Update 2000--will be held September 28-30 at the Holiday Inn Select, Bucks County just north of Philadelphia, with the Mt Airy VHF Radio Club "Pack Rats" as hosts. Anyone wishing to present and/or submit papers equipment design, construction, and propagation at frequencies above 900 MHz for inclusion in the printed copy of the Proceedings should contact Conference Chairman John Sortor, KB3XG, at johnkb3xg@aol.com. The deadline to submit papers is Monday, August 7, 2000. Activities are planned for nonamateur family members. The Microwave Update will include the traditional surplus tour and evening flea markets at the hotel (the Pack Rats' Hamarama hamfest follows on Sunday, October 1 at the Middletown Grange Fairgrounds in Wrightstown, Pennsylvania). Noise figure testing will be provided as well as an equipment tune-up clinic. Advance Registration is $40 with forms available at the Packrats Web site. Send registration to Microwave Update, PO Box 682, Hatboro, PA 19040. Hamarama and dinner tickets will be available at the door. A block of 100 rooms is being held until September 7 for Microwave Update. Contact the Holiday Inn Select, Bucks County, 4700 Street Rd, Trevose, PA 19053; 215-364-2000; 800-HOLIDAY. For more information on Microwave Update 2000, contact John Sortor, KB3XG, johnkb3xg@aol.com or visit the Web site.--Harry Brown, W3IIT
 |
Mir to be permanently manned: AMSAT News Service reports that MirCorp's board of directors recently approved a permanently manned operation of the Russian Mir space station beginning next year. The announcement signaled a major milestone in the company's plan to use the unique facility as the world's first commercial orbital space station. A schedule of privately financed MirCorp flights begins with the launch of an unmanned resupply spacecraft to Mir this fall, followed by two long-duration missions with cosmonauts in 2001. The implications for Amateur Radio operation from the station remain unclear.--Florida Today/ANS
Outgoing QSL Service marks a million: On July 28, the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau topped one million cards sent so far this year. QSL Service Assistant Tammy Krauss, K1TLK, says the year-to-date total is 1,103,535. That number is ahead of the same date last year by 22,215 cards.--Tammy Krauss, K1TLK
Rival contesters convene: Old Troy Park in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, recently was the site of what promises to become an annual gathering of Amateur Radio contesting rivals from several eastern states. Some 100 members of the New England-based Yankee Clipper Contest Club and the Pennsylvania-based Frankford Radio Club--as well as a sprinkling of representatives of the Potomac Valley Radio Club--turned out for the social occasion July 29. For years, the YCCC and FRC have had an ongoing rivalry to outdo each other in the club contest-score rankings. The first joint club picnic was judged to be a huge success. "Everyone had a great time and we are planning to repeat same event, with the added invitation of PVRC next July," said FRCer Alex Aimette, W2OX. The two clubs shared expenses for the occasion.
Storm damage spells QRX for Ohio VHF-UHFer: Tom Whitted, WA8WZG, of Port Clinton, Ohio, reports he suffered extensive damage to his station because of high winds on July 14, which he described as "a microburst or overhead tornado."
WA8WZG before the storm. |
WA8WZG after the storm. The vehicles also were damaged. [WA8WZG photos] |
Whitted said plans to start rebuilding his station as soon as he settles insurance claims. He had been set up for 6 meters through 70 cm "and most bands above that up to 24 GHz, plus EME." Visit Whitted's Web site.
This is big, really big: Thursday, July 20, marked a major milestone in the current sunspot cycle. On that day, the sunspot number reached 401--a rare, high number in any solar cycle, and the biggest so far in cycle 23. Solar observer Tad Cook, K7VVV, reports a cursory examination of the data shows that the sunspot number has not been this high since August 23, 1991, when it was 478. Sunspot numbers over 400 suggest that we may be nearing the cycle peak. The latest projection for cycle peak is from the July 4 Preliminary Report and Forecast of Solar Geophysical Data from the NOAA Space Environment Center. It shows the smoothed monthly solar flux peaking in August or September, but smoothed sunspot numbers peaking next January or February.--Tad Cook, K7VVV
Jay Davis, KE5RW (right), and Ron Lancaster, KB5VDB, chat with a visitor to the Tulsa Repeater Organization's information and emergency field communications booth at the National Night Out Pre-Party. [TRO Photo] |
Tulsa Repeater Organization takes part in crime prevention activity: The Tulsa Repeater Organization recently participated in the Crime Prevention and Safety Awareness Pre-Party for the 17th Annual National Night Out, sponsored by the Metropolitan Tulsa Citizens Crime Commission. This year's "pre-party" on July 28 in Tulsa's McClure Park was held to heighten awareness on the important safety issues and promote citizen and neighborhood involvement for the August 1 National Night Out observance. For the past 17 years, the first Tuesday in August has been the day the City of Tulsa asks citizens to join the mission for crime prevention and promotion safety by turning on outside lights, and by visiting and getting to know their neighbors.--Mark Conklin N7XYO
UK warning schools about excessive mobile phone usage: The British government is writing to every school in the UK, warning teachers of the potential dangers of excessive use of mobile phones. The government's circular to schools, to be read by teachers on their return to school next month, will ask them to discourage the use of mobile phones by students younger than 16. In addition, schools located near wireless towers will be advised to contact the carrier to help ensure that its "beam of greatest intensity" will not cover the school grounds. The flurry of activity is a result of the government-funded Stewart Report, which detailed possible ill effects of mobile phone use. The report last May concluded that significant further research is needed to assess whether there are any effects on health from mobile phones and their transmitters. The report drew media attention because of its key recommendation that the widespread use of mobile phones by children for nonessential calls should be discouraged.--reported by Newsbytes
W1A to be on the air from New England Division Convention: Special Event station W1A will be activated again in conjunction with the ARRL New England Division Convention, August 25-27, 2000, in Boxboro, Massachusetts. Operation will be on 80 through 10 meters. QSL via Ken Caruso, WO1N, 20 Forest Park Ave, N Billerica, MA 01862 and include an SASE.
| Previous: New Amateur Satellites in the Offing | Next: Amateur Radio Titan Lew "Mac" McCoy, W1ICP, SK |
