RADIO ACTIVE Newsletter of the Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club September 2006 Serving Las Vegas since April 1961 The next regular meeting of the LVRAC is Sept. 12, 2006. Leadership Message By Keith Lee, N0LSL LVRAC President The Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club is no different than other clubs, in that we all require volunteers to help keep the club running. Therefore, I would like to publicly thank Tom Petrakis, KE4ULL for his dedication in support of the Repeater Committee. Tom has decided to hand over the coordinator position and spend more time with family and friends. We will look forward to seeing Tom at our meetings and functions as his knowledge and input are always welcomed. If you feel that you have an interest in being the Repeater Committee Coordinator, please contact one of the Board Members listed on the last page of this newsletter. The elections of the LVRAC Officers and Board of Directors for calendar year 2007 are fast approaching. By taking on a Board position, you will gain a lot of knowledge of how the Board and club operate. There is an opportunity to make changes and to take an active part of the decision making. You can make a difference. Please take a hard look at where you are today and how your talents will benefit the leadership within the LVRAC. I encourage those of you who wish to run for the office of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Board of director, to please notify Howard Mark, K3HM of your intent or one of the current Board members. Our club needs volunteers and when you volunteer, it is appreciated. I want to thank Frank Drake, KL7IPV for doing an outstanding job with the newsletter. I find the newsletter very informative with information I can use. The changes that Frank has made, has made the newsletter more enjoyable to read, because now I can put a face with an article. Thank you again Frank for stepping up to the plate and taking on one the more important tasks of the club. I look forward to seeing you at the September meeting. 73, Keith The Silverman Triathlon Keith Lee - N0LSL Once again we have been asked to support the Second Annual Silverman Triathlon at Lake Mead National Park. The event is scheduled for November 12, 2006 starting at 6:30 AM. The race will be the same as last year with a 2.5 mile swim in Lake Mead, 112 mile bicycle ride to Echo Bay and back to the Henderson Multi-Gen center and then a 26.2 mile run around Henderson. We will be responsible for the communications during the swim and bicycle portion of the race. Lunch will be provided during the race. Frank Lowry, Race Director was at our June meeting and gave a presentation on this event. We need 25 radio operators for the event to go smoothly. There will be a sign up sheet at the September and October meetings. We also will need your T-Shirt size, and if you need fuel reimbursement. Please contact Keith Lee, N0LSL Coordinator at 247-6150 or email kblee4@cox.net Thank you for your continued support. ****************************************************************************** from the Editor's Desk... Frank Drake, KL7IPV I wrote to and obtained permission from World Radio Magazine to reprint some of their articles. So from this month on I will try to insert an article that I hope you find interesting. I have been a life subscriber to the magazine for many years and enjoy reading their diverse articles. I have written a few and felt pretty good when I found my name among the others. They recently took a poll to see if the readers wanted a "slick" magazine or preferred the way it is using newspaper instead. I voted along with a majority to keep as is. The difference is good! I hope you enjoy some of the articles as much as I enjoy the whole magazine. I have included some news items from other sources that affect our hobby that includes Dick Flanagan - K7VC, the ARRL Nevada Section Manager. Welcome to the new members of the club. Their pictures are shown here too. This is your newsletter. Tell me what you would like to see or if I am doing what you want. I want to make this a newsletter you look forward to getting, not one that just lines the trash can. See you at the meeting 73, Frank KL7IPV *********************************************************************************** LVRAC new member spotlight... Charles Finnila - K6AKV Mike Clark - KE7BYJ Mary Meiner - KE7HKL Jack Meiner - KE7CGL *********************************************************************************** Other News: Space Bulletin 006 ARLS006 From ARRL Headquarters Newington, CT August 22, 2006 To all radio amateurs SB SPACE ARL ARLS006 ARLS006 ISS crew, ARISS team troubleshooting slow-scan TV system The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), www.rac.ca/ariss, team is coordinating with Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, and ARISS-Russia's Sergei Samburov, RV3DR,to troubleshoot the slow-scan television (SSTV) system onboard the ISS. The SSTV system remains off the air for now. ''Photos of the current SSTV configuration that were downlinked to Earth showed several unanticipated results from the initial tests,'' ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, told ARRL. ''More extensive troubleshooting is being developed and could further delay permanent activation of the radio.'' He pointed out that Vinogradov is only able to work on the system in his free time. Vinogradov is also due to return to Earth in September. During the early stages of SSTV testing in late July, Earth station operators were thrilled to receive several pictures Vinogradov was able to transmit manually on 2 meters (the system has been using 144.490 and 145.800 MHz) using the RS0ISS call sign. Ransom says initial tests were run over Moscow, and then the system was left on for a few orbits. tests were run over Moscow, and then the system was left on for a few orbits. over Moscow, and then the system was left on for a few orbits. Plans call for Vinogradov to continue checking out the SSTV software, configure and optimize the radio and perform integration checks necessary. So far, the SSTV system has been unable to function properly in the autonomous ''slide show'' mode, Ransom said. Miles Mann, WF1F, who developed the SSTV system as an ARISS project, explains that slide-show mode will permit the crew to pre-load a directory of images that then will automatically transmitted to Earth. ''The crew will not need to keep pushing a button to send images,'' he said in a recent news release. ''In theory, the system can run for weeks at a time without crew involvement.'' The SSTV system is not yet configured to receive SSTV transmissions from Earth stations. ******************************************************************************* Articles By Phil Salas – AD5X ( AD5X@ARRL.net ) can be found here: http://www.AD5X.com ************************************************************* Clark County ARES – RACES By Charles Kunz, AA5QJ – Emergency Coordinator 1. The quarterly Clark County NV ARES/RACES meeting will now be held Sat Sep 30 at 9:00 AM at the Clark County Govt Center. 2. If you have packet capability, please check in digitally each week by sending an email via radio to cc-ar-net@winlink.org. You can connect to any of the Telpac nodes (AA5QJ-10, K7CCN-10, N7ZEV-10) on 145.05 with any terminal program and follow the instructions there, or use Paclink, being sure that the message is sent via one of the packet channels and not by telnet, and that you indicate it is a digital check in. 3. Your leadership is constantly talking to organizations about our ability to support their emergency communication needs. The rubber meets the road when we are called out on an incident. On Friday eve Jul 28, the propane fire in North Las Vegas could have been such an occasion. Can we get the response we need from you to be able to support one or more agencies? If called, would you have been able to respond for 4 or more hours between Fri night at 9PM and Sun eve? Into the next week? I need to know. 4. The Tactical Interoperable Communications exercise will occur on Wed, Sep 13 at UNLV. It will only last a few minutes starting in the morning, and no one other than Vern K0EGA is needed. 5. The Triennial Aviation Exercise at McCarran will occur during the day on Wed, Oct 4. This will also be our annual ARES Simulated Emergency Test. We need as many participants as possible, as we will be manning the incident site, EOCs, ECC, several hospitals and maybe more. Are you available? 6. The Red Cross would like to test our support of Red Cross shelter operations. Any time they activate a shelter starting immediately, they will page us. We will need at least 2 operators initially each time this happens. If you are interested in helping with this support, please let me know right away. 7. If you haven't sent your answers to me yet, please respond with your answers to 3, 5 and 6. Your responses are very important to our future planning, and ultimately the viability of our organization. It's time for you to consider your commitment to ARES/RACES and this very important aspect of Amateur Radio. We can't do it without you. Send your responses to aa5qj@arrl.net or call my cell 702-334-1196. *********************************************************************** ARRL Nevada Section Section Manager: Dick Flanagan - K7VC Nevada Section News Summary See the Nevada Section website at: http://nv.arrl.org for the complete, unedited stories. August 11, 2006 - ARES Monthly Report for July'06 SEC Summary - We're right in the middle of summer and with it fire season . I can only offer two comments on that. First, thank God that while we've had a lot of fires, that they have not consumed homes and property, having been confined to open range land instead. Second, that our communicators have been ready, willing and able to help should the call come. Thank you all for your readiness. Most of what we have seen is a lot of weather related call outs and provision of service to NWS at points around the state. You will read of our activations in the district reports. Thanks too for our DECs, ECs and AECs who are working hard to keep on top of these things. Please don't forget our weekly ARES HF Net, Saturday mornings at 0800 on 3965. Our Northeast DEC/ASM Joe Giraudo, N7JEH is net manager and does a fantastic job, but he gets lonely when there are only a few who check in. I have to admit that with car shows and vacations, I too have been unable to check in as much as I'd like, but that will change shortly. Since it's August now, we need to begin planning for our annual SET. I would like input from the DEC's for a scenario and how to embrace ALL modes of emergency operation this year, including HF, IRLP and packet. Hopefully we can design a great one that will teach us much in how to do our jobs better. Thanks everyone, and have a great month of August. Don Carlson, KQ6FM NV, SEC/PIC SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORT: A busy month here especially for Skywarn communicators. New efforts to improve paging coordination thanks to Jeff, KC7PK. Comms with Mohave County in Arizona improved. Activation plans using IRLP and other methods being developed especially between outlying areas and Las Vegas NWS. Members advised to monitor repeaters and be aware of surroundings when severe weather enters the area. Mosquito project finished in Pahrump. Activation for large thunderstorms in the area. Members checking on lightning strikes and potential flooding. Preparing for upcoming monsoon season. Esmeralda County monitors 7268.5 RV Net and Noon Region 7 Traffic Nets daily. Skywarn activated on July 7 and again on July 17 (by Vegas WFO for t.storms near Mojave), after Las Vegas WFO was struck by lightning and storms in forecast. KC7PK responding. Again on July 29 by Glenn Hale, KB7REO who acted as Net Control. Links were established and reports relayed from outlying areas. Two tests are planned this summer, one to focus on amateur radio's roll as backup for NWS, while the other will aim to improve coordinated Skywarn comms during an activation. Nice job everyone! Information submitted by Glenn Hale, KB7REO - DEC ***************************************************************************** "Classified Corner" and other stuff: From Art Shelton - K7ZE: FOR SALE: Yaesu FT920, very clean, Yaesu MD100A8B microphone, and Factory Manual. $875.00 FOR SALE: MFJ 969 Deluxe Versa Tuner. 6-160M rated at 300W, 4:1 balun, 300W dummy load, cross needle SWR/wattmeter. $125.00 FOR SALE: Yaesu FT 920 "with CW Filter". Call Art K7ZE @255-1074 From Frank Kostelac - N7ZEV: ATV'rs We have need of a trip to Hi Potosi to install an Omni direction 2.4G input antenna and the switching to change from the panel to the omni. Anyone available to haul equipment or do the tower work? Frank - N7ZEV @ 348-7072 *********************************************************************************** Secretary's Report By Kraig Knapp, KD7JSN Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club General Meeting August 8, 2006 – 7:00 PM Welcome – Bob, K7RJM Introductions: Visitors 4, Members 33 = Total 37 Reports: Secretary – Kraig, KD7JSN: Minutes of June meeting were approved. Treasurer – Dennis, KD7ZAL: June financial report was approved. ID cards are available. Repeater Committee – Tom, KE4ULL: No report Newsletter Editor – Frank Drake, KL7IPV Items listed for sale through newsletter must be submitted to Frank by third Friday after the previous regular meeting. Librarian – Mike, KM1KE: No report Communications Trailer Manager – Bob, K7RJM: No report Public Information Officer – A new PIO is still needed. Any volunteers? School Support – Sully, KC6GLD and Dave, WD6ZZY: No report. Silent Key Program – Bob, K7RJM: No report. Old Business: SSCC Lund to Hiko – Email Charlie at AA5QJ@aarl.net, September 16th & 17th. Speedway – Truck Race September 22nd & 23rd. There is a sign-up sheet tonight. New Business: The club needs someone to take charge of the generator and other equipment. Please consider volunteering for this. Announcements: Club Reminders – Bob, K7RJM: The Club receives commissions for new ARRL memberships and renewals. Please pay through the club! Recycling of inkjet and laser cartridges – Pick up envelopes for smaller cartridges; bring your laser cartridges to the monthly meetings. PROGRAM: The medic who was supposed to give tonight's presentation did not show up, so Frank Drake gave a nice impromptu presentation about PSK31. *(Short Break & Refreshments – Thank you Karen, KD7MGK!) Raffle – Don Jaster, KA7GRU MFJ-662 Simplex pocket repeater – Bryon, KD4JJH IC-V8 HT (2M) – Mike, KD7BYJ 2M/440MHz Yagi antenna – Art, K7ZE 128MB flash drive – Dave, no call sign SloScan Atomic Clock – Mike, KD7BYJ Electronic Soldering Station – Jim, W7JUAM FJ-281 Clear Tone Speaker – Bob, K7RJM 32 LED flashlight – Richard, AB7ZI Adjourned: 8:12 PM *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Articles and Pictures are needed for the newsletter. Submit your articles and pictures to Frank Drake, KL7IPV, our Newsletter Editor. Send them to: sirdrakejr@AOL.com *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Treasurer's Report By Dennis Barker, KD7ZAL No report sent this month. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Smithsonian's NN3SI to QRT During Museum Renovations: NN3SI, the Amateur Radio station exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, will QRT in late August while the museum undergoes renovations that will include the ham station. The museum is scheduled to reopen by the summer of 2008. Inaugurated in 1976 and supported by a volunteer staff, NN3SI occupies a corner in the "Information Age" exhibit on the first floor of the National Museum of American History, and it's been open daily for visiting radio amateurs to operate. -- submitted by Murray Green, K3BEQ Two Radio Amateurs to be Aboard Shuttle Atlantis: Mission Specialist Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper, KD5TVR, and Dan Burbank, KC5ZSX, will be the only US Amateur Radio licensees aboard the shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to head for the International Space Station Sunday, August 27, at 2030 UTC. The only woman on Mission STS-115, Stefanyshyn-Piper will be making first trip into space since becoming an astronaut 10 years ago. Burbank previously flew on Mission STS-106. In addition to Stefanyshyn-Piper and Burbank, the STS-115 crew consists of Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson and mission specialists Joe Tanner and Steve MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. This mission will mark the first time in nearly four years that a space station component will be added to the orbiting outpost, which is home to NA1SS. During three spacewalks, Atlantis crew members will install a second set of solar arrays on the space station -- doubling the station's ability to generate power from sunlight -- and the P3/P4 truss to support the arrays. No Amateur Radio operation from Atlantis is planned. The ISS recently did an orbital "reboost" to place the station at the correct altitude to support the rendezvous with Atlantis as well as September's Soyuz launch of the Expedition 14 crew. Source: The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 34 August 25, 2006 LAS VEGAS RADIO AMATEUR CLUB P.O. Box 27342 Las Vegas, Nevada 89126 Membership Application Please Print Legibly ? NEW MEMBER (Please attach copy of license) ? RENEWAL ? UPDATE INFORMATION Name_______________________________________________ApplicationDate ____/______/_______ M D YR Call Sign _______________ License Class ______________ Expiration Date ____/______/______ Address _______________________________ City ___________________ State _____ Zip ______ Home Telephone (____)___________________ Work Telephone (____)___________________ Cellular/Pager (____)______________________ E-mail: ________________________________ ? Family Membership Name _____________ Call _______________ License Class __________ Name _____________ Call _______________ License Class __________ Name _____________ Call _______________ License Class __________ ? ARRL Member Signature ___________________________________ Your preference in receiving the monthly club newsletter - Club Web Page w/email notification The club operates on a calendar year (January through December) with dues presently at $20 per year. Dues are the same for an individual or family membership. Please send check or money order payable to the Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club (or LVRAC) and mail to the club's post office box listed in the heading of this application or pay by PayPal at www.lvrac.org Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club P.O. Box 27342 Las Vegas, NV 89126 September 2006 issue Internet: http://www.lvrac.org/ Radio: 146.940 MHZ (K7UGE repeater) 448.500 MHz (K7UGE repeater)