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
MAY 2000
FIELD DAY JUNE 24-25
Plans are developing well for Field Day at the airport terminal. We’ll have lots of indoor room for eating and off-duty relaxing, and still have a nice, shaded outdoor operating site. Tables for operating have been reserved. It was decided to buy dipoles or other wire antennas in order to enhance operations at the second station, as opposed to K0BJ’s mobile Spider. A volunteer antenna fund has been established and Wayne Wiens, Gregg & Kathy, Mike, Bruce, and Jim Robison have contributed to date. If we go with a G5RV or windom-type antenna we will need to have an antenna tuner as well, which can probably be borrowed. The problems in the past of clutch slippage on the TH3 rotator will be a thing of the past at least for this FD, because K0BJ’s standby Ham IV brake wedged- rotor will be available.
One unfortunate turn is that the EMS Nine-Run-Run event has been scheduled for 9AM Saturday morning. This has been a great public service and fun event for us for many years, providing runner times at checkpoints. It’s still possible we could do this Saturday morning, but would demand lots of setup logistics Friday evening. This will probably be a topic of discussion at our May meeting, to see if we should attempt to help with Nine Run Run this year or concentrate on FD setup.
TROJANARC REFLECTOR
A reminder that the TrojanARC listserv that Gary N0XNK has set up, has been very beneficial in facilitating club business and discussion online. With continuing efforts by ISPs to filter out spam emails, it’s becoming more convenient all the time to send this newsletter, etc. only via the TrojanARC@onelist.com reflector. If you’re not already enrolled, you’re encouraged to subscribe at http://www.egroups.com/trojanarc/subscribePACKET RACKET de Mike K0FJ – The BBS has had a couple problems recently. The computer fan went out and casued some problems which were easily solved. Then we lost any traffic throughput. That seemed to be an easy fix by defeating an overly hungry McAfee Virus Scan, but still no throughput. Turns out one of Jim K0JJV (Hays) nodes was and still is acting up, and we haven’t had an outlet on input path. For a while that was being solved by Jim emailing file attachments via the internet. Now the node is partially reliable, so we’re getting messages both by normal means and occasional file attachments. Just some of the interesting twists in BBS operating life….
BANDSCAN
Jake KB0ZIA is now in Colby, and in fact is just a couple blocks west of Tom N0XNO on W. 8th Street. BT Congratulations to Kevin KC0FEH, who is pictured on page 74 of the May QST displaying one of the neat N0A certificates from the highly successful NWS on-air event last Nov. that KB0WPY and he organized. BT Butch WA0VJR is a real hero to Toby, KB2XL. Wallace County was the last county of the USA’s 3074 that Toby, of Manahawkin NJ needed. A 20m sked arranged via twisted pair did the trick. BT Many Trojans remember Dean Strain WA0DAV of Brewster, now a Silent Key. Dean gave us the TH3 we use at Field Day, and a left-handed ‘bug’ keyer that went for $100 at our first hamfest. Dean’s widow Lora Lee is living in Gardner, and enjoys being a mentor for school kids there. Much like Irma Lee Fleckenstein, Lora Lee is a bit of a ‘saint’ for putting up with the antics of her practical-joking OM. Some Trojans remember the ‘before’ photo of Dean showing Santa his wishes from the Heathkit catalog, and the ‘after’ shot with Dean pointing at Santa with his hand at "half mast". BT Jim KG0PI was a little surprised to find a hoard of Altoids boxes in his mailbox at the Methodist Church. Seems K0BJ’s sister had a collection she wanted to dispose of, and caught wind of how the boxes are coveted by QRP homebrewers. Jim, Sharon and Bruce got a chuckle over that little setup. BT Gregg KB0MBT is the newest proud owner of the MFJ SWR Analyzer. This slick little transmitter/SWR meter is super handy for checking and tuning antenna/feedline systems, and can be used to measure coax electrically and locate faults. BT Congratulations to host K0FJ and ops KG0PI K0BJ KB0WPY KB0YUL KB0LGX. They snagged the elusive Clean Sweep in Phone Sweepstakes last November and are now relaxing in their operating chairs enjoying drinks from those cherished Clean Sweep mug/trophies. BT Jim KC0HBR is the glad recipient of a number of old bound issues of QST, which his uncle gave him from an estate out east of Denver. Now you can see how the old timers played radio, Jim. BT Gerry KB0LGX and Lori are getting settled in their new home on West 3rd. Unless you want to load that new siding for an antenna, you should get the tower planted and watered soon, LGX! BT KC0HBR, KG0PI K0BJ K0FJ and N0OXP all attended the national opening night of the movie Frequency at the downtown theater Feb. 28. KB0ZIA attended the late show after hearing reviews from the early shift. Despite a pretty fanciful plot and some improbable comms such as full duplex on HF simplex, this was a fun movie and cast our hobby in good light. The FJ/BJ twins set up a display in the theater’s counter opening with TS820, QSLs and maps, as well as info brochures. Maybe we’ll root out some new prospects from this movie. BT Jake KB0ZIA traveled to Stratton NE for a Field Day shakedown with the NOMAD group. They’re gonna operate from a rest stop nw from Swanson Lake this year. BT Mike K0FJ will be attending his first Dayton Hamvention this year. He and K0BJ will travel to Salina and join contesters K0WA AB0S and others for the trek to ham radio mecca May 19-21 BT Congratulations to recent upgraders who benefitted from exams taken before the resturcturing changeover April 15. Allen K0MXU passed Extra the old-fashioned way (including 20wpm code); Jim KG0PI and Butch WA0VJR made it to Extra in a paper conversion session April 29. Making it to General the same way were Gary KB0ASI, Tim N0QAT, Jim KC0HBR and long-time area ham and VHF nut Darel WA0GBN. Way to go guys! BT The Goodland 2m repeater continues to have problems. The current ones are at audio level, and are affecting the readability of signals. WA0GBN and WA0VJR are working on it. BT Jim KC0HBR bagged Indonesia less than 24 hours after becoming a General. K0BJ was working YB0ECT on 15 and was the guy’s first Kansas. He asked if Bruce had any friends that wanted to work him and when BJ called on .82, HBR was only 2 miles away on patrol! A few minutes later the QSO was in the log. That’s ONE way to work DX with no HF rig or antennas. BT Tom N0XNO has served his ‘jail time’ after blood clots and is back at work.MINUTES OF APRIL 13 MEETING
No formal minutes were kept at this working meeting, but it was agreed that we should buy some wire antennas to increase our Field Day flexibility, and in order to preserve the treasury, voluntary contributions would be sought.NEXT
MEETING MAY 11 7PM CDT – This working meeting will be held at City Shop - 195 N. Sterling for tower check & repair. FD Antennas and what to do about the Nine Run Run conflict will be discussed.