HOLIDAY DINNER JANUARY 13 at SIRLOIN STOCKADE Some conflicts came up and the Christmas party was cancelled. Actually KG0PI and Carol showed up; nobody called them (oops). So we’re meeting from 6-6:30pm next Thursday at the Stockade and will eat at 6:30. Come and join in good fellowship and enjoy a little less hectic time than during the holidays.

DUES ARE DUE Treasurer K0FJ reports that many of our out-of-towners have already paid up, (thanks!), but most of the locals still haven’t got their $10 in to Mike. You can pay up at the holiday party, or mail to Mike (address at bottom).

2000 OFFICERS / QUARTERLY MEETINGS Due to postponement of the party, we still haven’t run the railroad through on this slate. We’ll make it formal at the party. Nominations from the floor will be accepted if anyone wants to make this a horse race. Here’s the slate so far:

Kathy Lindberg N0XNJ for Pres

Jim Robison KG0PI for VP

Mike Albers K0FJ for S/T

Bruce Frahm K0BJ for Prog Dir.

REMINDER: Due to light attendance, Kathy and other officers have proposed we go back to quarterly meetings. We could have work nights or social meetings in off months. We’ll take a preference vote at the meeting.

HAM PRESENCE AT COLBY HIGH SCHOOL? Mike K0FJ has been working with CHS math and computing instructor Wayne Wiens and NWS Goodland on establishing a wx station at the school that would report via UNPROTOed packet to Goodland, similar to the setup at Hoxie. NWS is quite interested in this project and would donate the weather instruments and rig. Our club (or someone) might need to come up with a TNC for the station. More info will be presented at the holiday party. More good news – Wayne sounds interested in getting licensed, and might introduce some additional ham activities at the high school.

VE TEST SESSION Jan. 11 Next Tuesday at 7pm there will be an amateur radio test session at Colby City Hall in K0FJ’s upstairs office. We’ll only be able to test Tech and Tech Plus. Walk-ins are welcome; please give K0FJ a shout if possible ahead of time though. Access is through the ‘Fire Dept’ door on the east side of the building, then upstairs.

BANDSCAN K0BJ and K0FJ continued work on Bruce’s SB-220. The high voltage caps have been showing signs of age (arcing), and a replacement bank ordered and installed. Turned out to be a shorting, hidden bleeder resistor but the guys figured the old electrolytics (25+ years old) were surely nearing the end of their useful life anyway. BT Jim KG0PI has been eyeing an empty upstairs room ever since Michaela QSYed to college. Well, the move is complete and he likes the new digs. One side benefit – if his rotator indicator fails, Jim can now eyeball his yagi from the operating table. BT Condolences to Tom N0XNO and his XYL Vicky. Her sister just died from cancer. BT Bruce K0BJ enjoyed operating in the 160 meter cw contest the first weekend of December. BT KB0MBT and N0XNJ have moved their ham shack. Gregg is making a 2-tier desk that will let one of them play on the radio while the other plays on the computer – what a marriage! As Gregg says, it’d be nice to have a rig now! BT The big news on the air is FCC’s Report and Order changing the license structure effective April 15 to Tech, General and Extra Classes only. 5 wpm will be the top code speed tested for, in the General. Novice and Advanced licensees will be able to renew their licenses indefinitely. BT Further to the above, Darel WA0GBN, as a pre-1987 Tech, will be able to become a General after April 15 by showing evidence of being licensed then. Congratulations Darel! Also Jim KG0PI will be cracking the books and hoping to pass the 35 question Extra written, before it becomes a 50 question test in mid-April. We’d then have a ‘full-service’ Volunteer Examiner crew living in Colby. BT Bruce K0BJ will be in Memphis Jan 20-22 at the ARRL BoD meeting. The new license structure will be a big topic, and Bruce will be introducing new Midwest Division Director Wade Walstrom, W0EJ. BT We have some new hot prospects. Calvin Peck continues to study but took time away from the book long enough to get married recently – congratulations! Jim Engle is hoping to test for the Tech soon.