Don't Forget! HARC MARCH MEETING Place: Columbia Inn on Kapiolani Time 0900 Sat March 20th
Table of contents:
Here we go again John D. Peters K1ER President HARC I guess I should consider the February HARC Newsletter a success since I did get a response from THREE members. A pessimist would say 3 of 75 is bad, but I'd say it's a start.
A very concerned Warren Munro KH6WM sent me lots of Email to defend the "value in the January 1999 QST" and "ARRL Membership". His Email did show me something that Brad Wyatt needs to consider. I did NOT know about several ARRL services to MEMBERS ONLY. Perhaps because Joan and I travel a lot, or perhaps I just missed it. Did you know you could have your Email as callsign@arrl.net ? They forward the mail to your real ISP but it's a neat address for a gung ho ham. You can find ME at k1er@arrl.net.
Also do you know about the ARRL Members Only Web Page? With on line articles and news in addition to QST. And the option to receive the ARRL bulletins and announcements you choose via Email. They are trying to provide more value to members. But as I told Warren, my critical comments were directed to the NON members, specifically the over 60% Tech and Tech+. My point was that the reason the ARRL membership was down, and the Tech/Tech+ who joined to protect the bands, (in the opinion of Rick) did not renew; was the lack of value to that group in ARRL membership. When the vast majority of licensed US Amateurs do NOT join the national Amateur Radio society, it is NOT serving their needs. Okay why? Perhaps the Code vs No Code position of ARRL is strongly biased in favor of the minority of US Amateurs with a license including exam Element 1. Perhaps the ARRL is not perceived as having any significant influence on the U.S. Government and FCC. Perhaps the non members (and the members) do NOT know all the ARRL could provide. Perhaps the ARRL does NOT serve all U.S. Amateurs equally well. Is there a reason for the perception that ARRL is a CT based publishing company using a Membership cover story to gain a tax exempt advantage over other publishing companies? Who knows? I think the ARRL needs to do what Proctor and Gamble would do with under 30% market penetration. Sample and learn who the non members are and what they want. Change the product or change the packaging and advertise to reach the target customer set. If the product is priced wrong, change the price. Lower the unit price and sell more thereby inproving overall. If something is not working, change it. Change the people if necessary, but make the product what the buyers want.
NEWSLETTER After getting (LITTLE) feedback from the February HARC Newsletter, I've added columns by other writers. You'll find an ARRL column by (Brad, Lee, Warren). A MARS column by Ray Thompson. A ARES column by Mike Wiley.
USS MISSOURI (BB-63) The Battleship Missouri had it's opening ceremony on January 29, 1999, the 50th anniversary of the ship. VADM Kihune USN (ret) told me they want to restore the radio room. (That would be Main Radio. 01 level between the stacks.) If you want to see the Iowa Class BB main radio take a look at the USS IOWA webpage where there are lots of photos. http://www.ussiowa.org all the BB look the same. I expect to have permission SOON to form the Battleship Missouri Radio Club and obtain a club station license. We'll need lots of help from people who have period Navy radio gear which can be installed in the MO radio room. If we can get the vintage gear working, so much the better. But even merely display equipment is desired. Let me know if YOU want to join the BB MO radio club. The Navy League of the United States has donated full stations of modern radio equipment. So we'll have vintage and modern stations on the Missouri. The modern stations will be in the public area and available for visiting amateurs (with license) to operate. There are "museum ship" days when an attempt is made to get all the historic ships on the air. With both modern and vintage equipment. The Missouri still needs lots of work. You'll notice all the antennas were stripped when the ship was decommissioned.
HARC again. If you know other hams on Oahu that are not members of HARC. Invite them to a meeting, show them the Newsletter. Invite them to join. ARRL again. HARC is now an ARRL Affiliated Radio Club again. I see in my files that I filed out the forms back in the 1960s, but it was allowed to lapse in 1992. Merely a failure to fill out the annual form. But We're Back! (Happy Warren?)
73 John K1ER
Brad Wyatt Pacific Division ARRL Director
Welcome, HARC, back into affiliation with ARRL. I am sure that all the paperwork will be in order and in my hands shortly. HARC had been an ARRL affiliate for many years.
On a different topic, I hope that you all have seen the current story about the FCC action to close down the K7IJ repeater complex in the San Francisco Bay Area and to warn various control operators and users for various illegal practices. All the details are included in the ARRL WWW site, the ARRL Bulletin and ARRL Letter for Feb. 26.
I believe that this action by FCC is very significant in that it attacks forcefully one of the major enforcement problems -- repeater jamming -- plus it is the first such action in the western part of the US in many years. It certainly seems that the FCC is back in the enforcement business nationwide big time!
I hope to visit HARC in the next few months on my trip to the Islands, but right now I do not have a schedule -- but I will let you know. HARC -- good luck and best wishes for 1999!
73, Brad Wyatt K6WR ARRL Pacific Division Director
The Military Affiliate Radio System is a Department of Defense sponsored program, established as separately managed and operated programs by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The program consists of licensed amateur radio operators who are interested in military communications. They contribute to the MARS mission providing auxiliary or emergency communications on a local, national, and international basis as an adjunct to normal communications.
In November 1925, the Army Amateur Radio System (AARS) was formed by a few dedicated pioneers in the United States Army Signal Corps. This organization continued until the start of World War II when operations were suspended. Army amateur radio was authorized to resume operations in 1946 and the Army Amateur Radio System was reactivated and functioned as such until 1948 when the Army and Air Force established the Military Amateur Radio System, later renamed the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS).
In 1962, the Navy-Marine Corps MARS program was launched making MARS a joint service program to: Provide Department of Defense sponsored emergency communications on a local, national, and international basis as an adjunct to normal communications. Provide auxiliary communications for military, civil, and/or disaster officials during periods of emergency. Assist in effecting normal communications under emergency conditions. Create interest, and furnish a means of training members in military communications procedures. Provide a potential reserve of trained radio communications personnel. Handle moral and quasi-official record and voice communications traffic for Armed Forces and authorized U.S. Government civilian personnel stationed throughout the world. Conduct an appropriate Amateur Radio program as a part of the annual celebration of Armed Forces Day.
The applicant must: Be 18 years of age or older. Be a United States citizen or resident alien. Possess a valid amateur radio license issues by the FCC. Have digital capability, i.e., Packet, Amtor, Pactor, or G-TOR. Possess a station capable of operating on MARS HF frequencies.
MARS members must agree to operate in accordance with the rules and regulations governing MARS as follow: A Minimum of 12 hours participation per calendar quarter with 6 hours in their primary HF assignment.
Add to the enjoyment of your, amateur radio hobby through the expanded horizon of MARS. Become part of the Air Force MARS worldwide communications system. Increase your communications skills and capabilities. Selected correspondence courses in communications-electronics subjects are available free to MARS members from their respective affiliated service after completion of six months active membership. Operate on specially assigned military radio frequencies in voice, teletype, PACKET and other digital modes of communications. Join a group of dedicated fellow radio amateurs participating in meaningful public service. Gain a feeling of being associated with a military mission and contributing to the welfare and preparedness of the nation. Participate in regulated, disciplined radio nets with structured lines of organization and very specific operating rules. Participate in the MARS Excess/Surplus Equipment Program after 6 months active membership. Issue of equipment is based on availability of equipment, and possible assigned mission of individual activity.
The granting of MARS membership to an individual or activity does not in itself convey an automatic right or entitlement of the recipient to receive or demand MARS property.
MARS members stations meet periodically in scheduled networks on military frequencies outside of the amateur bands. There are various types of networks and each accomplishes a specific goal. For example, administrative networks to take care of much of the day-to-day management of the program; traffic networks which exist solely to pass third party traffic; and of course, emergency networks which are established to provide for communication needs during periods of emergency. There are also technical nets and training nets. MARS nets operate in different modes. Although high frequency (HF) single sideband (SSB) voice is predominant, there are RTTY, VHF, PACKET, other digital modes and even slow scan TV nets.
You may not join or belong to more than one MARS service at the same time. To join, send a request for application forms to:
Chief Air Force MARS HQ AFCA/GCGS (MARS) or call Hawaii SMD (Or talk to him at the HARC Meeting) 203 W Losey St, Room 3065 Ray Thompson Scott AFB, IL 62225-5234
AFF8HI/AFA8DE 456-0981 MUSEUM SHIPS ON THE AIR, both Surface and Submarines The time and date you REALLY want to be listening is the weekend of April 24th and 25th. They hope to have 20 submarine memorials on the air for the commemoration of the 99th year of submarines. All subs will either QSL or have a certificate. Be sure you send a large envelope SASE. The sponsor will issue a top quality certificate for those who work (or hear) at least four subs. The certif. will illustrate the 25 memorial submarines that will/might be on the air. (I lost the name of the sponsor, but if you need it, ask me. I'll find it for you.) Frequencies are: 3.843, 7.243, (and 7.279 from 1730 to 2030CST), 14.243, 21.343, and 28.343. All frequencies not within ( ) are +/- 20KHz. Daily nets are: 1100CST on 14.243 and Saturday net is 7.243 1900CST.
What do YOU want HARC to do? What would YOU like to do in HARC? I need material for this Newsletter. Do you want me to copy material from the Pacific Division ARRL Newsletter? ARRL Bulletins? Why don't YOU write something and send it?
FCC Webpage at http://www.fcc.gov Did you know that all the comments made in response to the FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) 98-143, to completely restructure Amateur Radio can be read on line? Did you know that only 1824 hams or groups cared enough to even comment on the NPRM? I and 1823 other people are deciding for YOU since you didn't comment. I only found two comments from Hawaii (but I was told that a 3rd local sent in his comments....wonder why I didn't see them) both members of HARC. Our discussion at the HARC meeting did find it's way into my seven pages of comments on the NPRM.
HARC MARCH MEETING Place: Columbia Inn on Kapiolani Time 0900 Sat March 20th Breakfast and ham topics. Discuss what you like.
Breakfast Meeting Denny's on Pali Momi 0800 Every Tuesday Gathering of Hams, about a dozen
Breakfast Meeting Columbia Inn on Kapiolani 0800 Every Thursday Old Timer's Breakfast Group
President John Peters K1ER 484-9748
Vice Pres Dan Greeson KH6P
Treasurer Phil Preece NH6SA
Secretary How About YOU
Directors: Francis Blatt KH6KH
Ted Chernin KH6GI
Peter Demmer KH6CTQ
Lee Wical KH6BZF
http://www.arrl.org http://www.arrl.org
http://www.fcc.gov http://www.fcc.gov
Shortie Cagalawan NH6UW Skywarn h 540-6888
Joe Esprecion WH6CYB REACT h 836-1627 bigjoe1058@aol.com
Fred Fortin KH7CR ARES/Red Cross h 531-4046 ffortin@hmsa.com
Ron Hashiro AH6RH State RACES h 533-7530 rhashiro@gte.net
Charlie Lum Kee KH6AB HealthComm h 373-3932 clumkee@usa.net
Mike Wiley WH7T ARES/VOAD h 941-2794 mwiley@lava.net
Bev Yuen AH6NF Oahu RACES h 262-2845 bevyuen@hawaii.rr.com
Call Mike if you have a question or want to get involved. You may want to save this list of Email and phone numbers so you have it when the next storm hits Hawaii.
If we have your address correct on the mailing label , then you only need to check the box if you're an ARRL member, and mail a $15.00 check to HARC.
If your address has changed please complete the form: Name Callsign Address City State/ZIPCODE ARRL Member? ( Yes ) ( Life) ( No). Dues for 1999 are due and remain $15
Mail to: Phil Preece NH6SA HARC Treasurer 2049 St Louis Drive Honolulu, HI 96816
HARC, John D. Peters K1ER k1er@arrl.net.
98-1547 Akaaka Street
Aiea, HI
96701-3051
HARC home page
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