TROJAN ARC HARMONIC

MEETINGS 2nd THURS MAR/JUN/SEP/DEC 7:00PM CT

PIONEER MEMORIAL LIBRARY

WØWOB REPEATER

146.22/.82

K0FJ BBS 145.01

 

FEBRUARY 2000

FEB MEETING AT KG0PI’s QTH Our plan was to go to quarterly meetings with work nights between. However President Patti N0OXP will be at Jim Robison’s house, 140 N. Garfield Feb.10 at 7pm and we can conduct any necessary business. That will be followed by a work night to get Jim’s sound card and software ready to run digital modes on his IC751. K0FJ has pre-engineered the necessary cabling, so it will be primarily an interfacing job, and if things go as hoped, we should be able to demonstrate both the older and new, more exotic digi modes on HF and admire Jim’s new upstairs shack.

PACKET WX AT COLBY HIGH SCHOOL The NWS in Goodland purchased an Ultimeter 2000 with precision rain gauge and Temp & Dew point sensor. The Club, K N Communications and
K0FJ are providing the antenna, 2 Meter Packet radio, KPC 3 ver 8.2 TNC, cabling and installation. The School is providing the PC, software and mounting equipment. We’re hoping that as the wx station gets used, we might be able to entice some students to maintain a webpage for the club – worth a try anyway.

RECENT PACKET HAPPENINGS de Mike K0FJ -- I have installed and configured the new CLBY node chip in the node TNC. Thanks to Butch, WA0VJR for allowing us to continue to use his MFJ TNC for the node. I have also installed the new Version 8.2 Chip in the KPC 3 TNC.
I have sent a message to Kantronics regarding new commands that are not listed in the old manual Allen K0MXU had. We can purchase a new manual for $ 25.00, but I am hoping they will email me the info. The KPC 3 has a mode that should allow us to connect it directly to the
Ultimeter 2000 and send APRS data to the Clby Node without using a PC to
interface between them.

Packet update - I have available a very nice FREE packet program, compliments of Buck Rogers
K4ABT. It will run from a floppy disk on an XT class machine with 640K of
memory... It has documentation and is a slit screen program that is very
easy to use. I also have available a shareware program called Winpack. It
is a 32-bit windows program and works great on Win95 computers. It has lots
of bells and whistles that make packet radio fun to use. If you don't
register this program, you receive one advertising screen on startup. Other
than that, it is a fully operational program. I also have a nice DOS
program called Lan-Link. It does a lot of what Winpack does, but in DOS
mode. I have a nice DOS program that will format and transmit ARRL messages
in a real time network for emergency use.

The BBS is running great. I am using the Windows version of FBB Software.
Thanks to Jim, K0JJV and Allen, K0MXU for help getting it going in the past
few months. I have installed the Y2K updates to the program to correct
message BID problems. The BS has over 1100 messages at this time. If usage
starts to increase, I can set it to retain messages longer. For those that
were on Packet several years ago and can hit the BBS direct in Colby, you
will notice much improvement in the speed. This is due to not needing to
use the CLBT node to access the BBS. Old laptops and cheap TNCs and radios
make this a good mode devoted to Ham Radio and Emergency Management.

AMATEUR LICENSE RESTRUCTURING The word has been on the streets but in case you’re not in the loop, as of April 15 there will be only Tech, General and Extra tested for. Novice and Advanced can continue to renew, however. There will be ONE code speed of 5wpm for Tech +, General and Extra. The ARRL website www.arrl.org has details. For now the important thing to know is if you have an Advanced or Tech Plus, it'’ probably worth your while to pass the Extra or General before April 15. The Extra is shorter and easier than it will be after April 15, and the General may change a little. To get your privileges you will also have to show up again after April to process the pertinent CSCEs. Also, Darel WA0GBN and any other Techs licensed before early 1987 will be able to upgrade to General without testing after April 15 by going to a VE session and showing proof of that license. This is because they have already taken the General written exam and a 5wpm cw test.

UPCOMING VE TESTING In regard to the above, we need to know when anyone is ready for VE Testing. It will take a little time to coordinate 3 Extra Class VEs for the higher level exam sessions. We are hoping to have two sessions prior to April 15, and at least one shortly after that
time. If you are one of the hams involved in the above discussion, or wanting to test for ANY exam elements, please coordinate with Mike, K0FJ, or contact VE. Get that 5wpm taken care of and hit the books, and you’re on the HF bands!

FIELD DAY AROUND THE CORNER Several of us have talked about looking for a new Field Day location. It is only 4 short months away. The Airport in Colby has been mentioned. Permission from the City and FAA will need to be cleared it we choose that site. We need to scout that site and also look at anything else that might be good. Phillips Park is certainly convenient but also suffers well-known drawbacks as a RF launch point. The popular Field Day pin program is being continued and we should also decide if the club will continue to buy the pins or if we should chip in our own $5 for them.

BANDSCAN Jim KC0HBR called up HRO in Denver and is now the proud owner of a micro Yaesu dualband radio. Pretty amazing what they’re coming out with these days. BT Dave N3HQ is in the process of moving himself and his parents to La Hacienda in Colby from the central business district of Park KS. Welcome to Colby Dave; hope you get an HF rig on the air soon. BT Bruce K0BJ successfully bid on an old Bunnell continental code-type sounder on eBay. Nice brass unit like you’d have seen in railroad depots. Maybe he’ll be trying smoke signals next…?

NEXT MEETING FEBRUARY 10 KG0PI 140 N. GARFIELD COLBY

Field Day discussion, update on treasury, CHS packet. Program is work night on KG0PI’s digi system and possible demo.

The Trojan Amateur Radio Club is a general interest educational and public service ham club. We maintain a 2M FM repeater and a station at the NWS in Goodland. Dues are $10/annually, payable to Mike Albers K0FJ, 140 E. Cherry, Colby KS 67701. Material from the Trojan Harmonic may be freely copied; attribution is appreciated. News and free email subscription requests to KØBJ, PO Box DX, Colby KS 67701 or bfrahm@colby.ixks.com