the official publication of the antelope valley amateur ... · and emergency services. ares...

November 2016 The official publication of the Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club

President’s Corner

Carol Humpherys AF6OV

While flying out to the East Coast

today, I started pondering issues

that amateur radio is facing. This

evening at the Embassy Suites in

Baltimore Maryland, I googled the

topic and stumbled across a short

list created by KB6NU. KB6NU

authors a Ham Radio Blog, focusing

on technician class videos and

material for prospective Technician,

General or Extra class applicants.

KB6NU’s list of Amateur radio

issues included:

Lack of on the air activity

Lack of technical expertise

Aging of amateur radio operators

Amateur radio technology

lagging state of the art

Amateur radio technology too

advanced for most hams

The high cost of amateur radio

equipment

R es t r ic t ive home owne r’ s

agreements

Wow!

A key concern is lack of interest by

the youth. It’s on a downward trend.

JOTA participation by the Scouts is

decreasing. Why should young

people play with amateur radio

when Facebook, the internet and

video games are at their fingertips?

Today talking with someone on the

other side of the world is no longer

a novelty.

What can be done? While we can’t

fully mitigate all concerns, we can

(Continued on page 3)

From The Veep Eugene Humpherys KG6SLC

Meeting Notice

http://www.avarc.club

Thursday, November 17, is the next meet-

ing of the AVARC at Antelope Valley First

Christian Church, 1702 East Avenue J, in

Lancaster. This is the same location where

the monthly VE sessions are held. Note that

the meeting this month is a week earlier

than usual, due to the Thanksgiving holi-

day. Talk-in is available on the Hauser Re-

peater (146.73 MHz. PL 100) if you need

directions. Eyeball QSO starts at 7 pm, and

the meeting starts at 7:30.

The new phone number for the club is (661)

265-6131.

Our speaker this month will be Donald

Sather. He is married to Dee and is father

to five children. Professionally he has over

30 years’ experience working with the

United States space community at The

Aerospace Corporation. The first 10 years

of his career consisted of designing, inte-

grating and testing radiation-hardened em-

bedded processing components and systems

for several different spacecraft programs.

For the last 15 years, he has been designing,

integrating, testing and upgrading individ-

ual ground systems as well as entire ground

facilities to support various satellite and

booster programs. He has served as the

Chief Engineer of the AFSCN and the

Launch Ranges. He also has experience as

a satellite operator and managed a telemetry

processing center. He is currently a Princi-

pal Scientist/Engineer in the Computers &

Software Division of The Aerospace Cor-

poration.

Donald Sather

Have you heard of “The 2017 Great

Radio Atmospheric Propagat ion

Experiment” or GRAPE?

There have been a number of experi-

ments and studies as to how radio

waves propagate. The basis for the

GRAPE experiment was conducted by

the OFCOM Radio Communications

Research Unit (RCRU) at the Ruther-

ford Appleton Laboratory in the United

Kingdom. With a partial eclipse on the

eleventh of August of 1999 they

performed a number of propagation

tests or experiments. They again

performed similar propagation tests or

experiments during another partial

eclipse that occurred on March 20,

2015. Dr Ruth Bamford and her team

summarized their findings of the 1999

eclipse in a report that is still available

today at OFCOM.ORG (the communi-

cations regulator for in the UK) as

RCRU Project 48. The Radio Society of

Great Britain (RSBG) coordinated the

activities for this event.

So, what are the experiments? Basi-

cally, Radio waves are observed and

quantified one hour prior to, during, and

up to three hours after the maximum

eclipse. For a standardized time

reference they will use the WWV or

WWVH time signal. Included in the

experiments are the following:

Experiment #1: WWV and

WWVH (2.5, 5.0, 10.o, 15.0 20.0 and

25.0 MHz

Experiment #2 WWVB (60

kHz)

Experiment #3 160 Meters

(1.800 to 2.000 MHz)


(3.500 to 4.000 MHz)


(5.330 to 5.403 MHz)

The Short Circuit 2

From the Secretary’s Desk AVARC General Meeting

October 27, 2016

AOpening: Carol Humpherys, AF6OV,

President

7:30 pm call to order

Flag salute

Welcome to members and visitors.

General business:

Minutes from last meeting submitted by

Dan Sherwood (W6DAS), and printed

in the Short Circuit. Any corrections?

Motion to approve as printed in Short

Circuit made by Frank N6FOD sec-

onded by Alan WB6ZYQ Approved?

Yes

Treasurer’s Report : Gary Barr

WA6TWT: Balance $4,179.40 (Inc cash

$98.00)

Membership Report : Gary Barr

WA6TWT: Members # 101, ARRL

members 79.21 %, Members present

tonight 39.

AVARC elections result:

President: Dan Sherwood

W6DAS Vice-President : George Becker,

KC6UVM; Margie Hoffman, KG6TBR.

George withdrew, Margie VP by accla-

mation.

Secretary: Pat Okawa, KG6CGI

Treasurer: Gary Barr, WA6TWT

Master-at-Arms: Gary Mork, WA6WFC

Board Members: Larry Mock, KI6BKP;

Matt Stewart, K6MES

Matt moved elections be closed. Vote

for VP only – all others proclaimed by

acclamation.

Local activity: Amateur Radio & Emer-

gency preparedness Campout & Picnic

at Saddleback Buttes State Park, Nov 11

-13. Seminars & demonstrations on a

variety of topics.

VP report: Eugene Humpherys: Nov:

Satellite program for the US govern-

ment. Donald Sather.

Margie Hoffman: Council of Clubs re-

port: Renewal submitted.

Tax filing: Matt Stewart K6MES In

progress.

Hauser repeater (tentative)

Web site update: Dan Sherwood & John

Isles

Frank: N6FOD – General election voting

possible at AVH next two weekends.

Brian: Talked about pico balloon experi-

mentation.

FD 2017: Vote taken to move it back to

Lancaster City Park. Passed overwhelm-

ingly.

Miscellaneous:

New Business:

Announcements: Next Board Meeting, Thursday, November

3, at the Humpherys QTH. Dinner starts at

6 pm. (Okay to come early!) Meeting starts

at 7:00 pm. All club members, and espe-

cially new board members, are invited.

Next VE Session at First Christian Church

on Monday, November 7 at 7 pm Address

1702 E. Ave J across from Wal-Mart. Ses-

sion is GLAARG with a $5.00 fee.

November club meeting Thursday, Novem-

ber 17.

December club meeting Friday, December

16. (Join us for the Christmas Party!).

Meal likely 6:30PM, TBD.

Break

Anchors Away activity

50/50 drawing won by N6FOD for $12.00

Meeting adjourned at 8:31

AVARC Board Meeting

November 3, 2016

Opening: Carol Humpherys, AF6OV,

President

Call to order by Carol Humpherys

AF6OV at 7:00 pm

Minutes from last board meeting:

Adrienne Sherwood WA6YEO. Any

corrections?

Motion to approve as printed in Short

Circuit Made by: Eugene KG6SLC,

Seconded by: Paul KD6SMC. Ap-

proved? Y

Treasurer’s report: Gary Barr

WA6TWT - Checking, $4,186.40

cash $279.00 & total $4,465.40.

Membership Report: Gary Barr

WA6TWT Membership 101.

Members present tonight: Carol

Humpherys AF6OV, Eugene

Humpher ys KG6SLC, Paul

L’Heureux KD6SMC, Gary Barr

WA6TWT, Gary Mork WA6WFC,

Matt Stewart K6MES, Keith Hoyt

K6GXO, Adrienne Sherwood

WA6YEO, Margie Hoffman

KG6TBR, Betsy Haslett KK6RHN

Old Business:

Congratulations to the new board

members!

Tax filing: Matt Stewart K6MES –

in progress.

VP report: Eugene Humpherys

KG6SLC.

Nov meeting - US Satellite pro-

gram. Donald Sather. Thursday,

November 17.

Dec: Annual Christmas party: Friday De-

cember 16 - Magic show. An honorarium

of $100 will be paid to Brian Hoffman.

Club will give $250 toward prizes. Matt

and Keith will contribute toward dinner.

LA Council of Clubs rpt: Margie

Hoffman KG6TBR – No report. Web site update: No report

New Business:

Dan Sherwood’s agenda items were

discussed:

All on track for use of the church

on 12/16 for the potluck.

Need to stress cleanliness and

care of the carpeted area during meetings.

First Saturday in January after VE test

session will be date for signing signature

card at US Bank

Dan will see if he can pass the key to

Gary Barr for the January meeting.

Dan will consider using classroom for

board meetings. Eugene and Carol are

willing to host some meetings at their

house in Palmdale.

Carol will contact city about using Lan-

caster City Park for Field Day 2017.

Also, Club will look into getting K6A

callsign for the GOTA station.

(Continued on page 3)

Respectfully Submitted,

Dan Sherwood W6DAS

AVARC Secretary 2016

The Short Circuit 3

choose to focus on what is going

well and expand on our strengths.

A strong link has been forged

between Amateur Radio operators

and emergency services. ARES

actively supports local hospital

communications in the event of a

telephone failure. ARES enables

hospitals to request supplies,

medicine and blood when

communications are down, thereby

avoiding a potential disaster.

CERT educates individuals on

disaster preparedness and trains

them on basic disaster response

skills, such as team organization

and disaster medical operations.

CERT individuals recognize

amateur radio as a critical part of

their communication toolkit. Both

ARES and CERT live the motto,

‘When all else fails - Amateur

Radio!’

HOAs have been notoriously

restrictive towards amateur radio.

That is changing. The amateur

Radio Parity Act is Federal

legislation that will ‘ensure that

every ham in the US, regardless of

the community they live in, will

have the opportunity to practice their avocation from their own

homes without breaking any rules

or fear of reprisal.’ In September

2016, the bill passed in the House

of Representatives and moved on

the Senate. This is a step forward.

What else can we do? We can

focus on the FUN of amateur radio.

(Continued from page 1)

Possibility of a club campout in April

or May.

Each board member to prepare a task

list.

Announcements:

Short Circuit Articles due Sunday, No-

vember 6.

Next Club Meeting: November 17 at

the First Christian Church. Address

1702 E. Ave J – Across from Wal-Mart.

Next Board Meeting, Thursday, De-

cember 1, location TBA. Meeting starts

at 7:00 pm. All club members are in-

vited.

Next VE Session at First Christian

Church on Monday, November 7 at 7

pm Address 1702 E. Ave J across from

Wal-Mart. Session is GLAARG with a

$5.00 fee.

November club meeting Thursday, No-

vember 17. December club meeting

Friday, December 16. Setup at

5:30PM. 6:30 meal served..

Meeting adjourned at 8:48 PM.


Secretary’s Desk…

Respectfully Submitted,

Adrienne Sherwood WA6YEO

President…

Let’s enjoy it! And invite others to

enjoy it with us.

This year the AVARC had a top

notch roster of speakers on topics

ranging from electronic warfare, to a

d e mo n s t r a t i o n o f a n t e n n a

propagation, to discussions of

amateur radio in Burma. Which was

your favorite? The presentations

were informative, engaging and

engrossing.

What could be more fun than an

amateur radio convention the desert?

In January 2017, the ARRL is

hosting QuartFest, a week long

specialty convention in the Sonoran

Desert just south of Quartzsite,

Arizona. From January 22-28,

individuals camp for free and

participate in a ‘one-of a kind ham

radio, camping, learning and living

event.’ Activities range from rock

hounding, to studying advanced

radio theory, to living off the grid

under the stars. Why not plan to

participate this coming year?

Let’s make the most of our hobby

and invite others to join us. Enjoy!

Nov: Satellite program for the US government

Dec: Annual Christmas party

The Short Circuit 4

QST QST QST QST

HAMCON 2017

LOGO DESIGN CONTEST

Sharpen your colored pencils, put new points on your favorite crayons, hone your computer graphic

skills, clean your watercolor brushes

Members of the 12 Clubs Participating in the Convention

Organization are Eligible to Enter ONE or MORE Logo De-

signs.

Winner Will Receive Acknowledgement, Free Admission

to Convention & Saturday Banquet Dinner Ticket

Logo Contest Rules: 1. Design must include the ARRL Logo (download from ARRL web site).

2. Convey Convention Theme “Radio for Everyone”.

(DXer, Emergency Communications, Microwave or Repeater Enthusiast, Experi-

menter, Antenna Designs etc.).

3. ANY shape is OK! (round, square, triangle, irregular).

4. Limit design to 6 colors (black and white are colors).

5. Avoid fine detail (design will be used on convention pin 1.5” dia. or 1.5” height &

width max).

6. Use only “sans serif” fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, etc.).

7. All entries must be submitted on 8-1/2” X 11” white paper as an E–mail attach-

ment.

8. All entries will become the property of HAMCON 2017 and can be used at the

discretion of the Convention Planning Committee.

9. Deadline for ALL entries is December 15, 2016.

Submit design to Convention Secretary, Brad Rachielles, as an E-mail

attachment to: [email protected]

The Short Circuit 5

Swap Shop

CUSHCRAFT BEAM FOR SALE

Cushcraft A-3 Three Element Beam -

New in the Box

10/15/20 Meters

Asking $400.00

Contact Frank Fedor N6SRZ

661-733-0789

The regular exam location is the First Christian Church of the Antelope Valley.

1702 East Ave. J., Lancaster, CA (Across the street from the Eastside Wall Mart).

Please enter parking lot off the end of the cul-de-sac 17th Street East, enter the class-

room annex, and look for the "FCC Exams" sign outside the correct classroom. Mon-

day Nights: Please do not disturb the A.A. group or other groups that may be using

the facilities.

Dates/times may be subject to change.

12/3/2016 Saturday 9am. ARRL

Experiment #6 4 0 M e t e r s

(7.000 50 7,300 MHz)


(10,100 to 10.150 MHz)


(14.000 to 14,350 MHz)


(18,068 to 18.168 MHz)


(21.000 to 21.450 MHz)

Experiment #11 12 Meters (24.890 to

24.990 MHz)


29.700 MHz)


54.000 MHz)


148.000 MHz)

Experiment #15 1.25 Meters (219,000 to

225.000 MHz)

Experiment #16 70 cm (420.000 to

450.000 MHz)


928.000 MHz)


13.000 MHz)

Experiment #19 Radio Flux

(245, 410, 610, 1415, 2695,

2 8 0 0 , 4 9 9 5 ,

8800, 15400 MHz)

Experiment #20 Geomagnetic Field (H,

D, Z, & F Components)

Experiment #21 S p a c e W e a t h e r

Conditions (Satellite Altitude Observa-

tions)

Experiment #22 R e v e r s e

Beacon Network (Point to Point Trans-

missions)

Experiment #23 Fixed Position Beacon

Network (Point to Point Observations)

Experiment #24 W S P R

Network (Point to Point Transmissions)

In each of the above, monitoring sites will

manually record the signal strength and

quality in one minute intervals unless

another protocol has been defined. RTTY

and data signals will be logged as either

usable or unusable. Voice signals will be

defined as either readable or unreadable.

Signal strength will be measured in db or

percent of full scale as indicated by the

receiver. Transmitter site power and


From the VEEP...

percent of modulation will also be

recorded at one-minute intervals.

Throughout the experiment the same

transmitter and receiver operators/

personnel will be used. There are also

receive only stations that will monitor

and record signal strength and quality

from their specific location throughout

the event timeline.

The project will combine data and

observations from the above experiments

to produce a final report that describes

the events as they occur in time sequence

and the measured effects upon radio

propagation before, during, and after the

2017 Eclipse.

For those that are interested you can learn

more about this project at sweoc.org. The

website has a pdf file (http://

w w w . s w e o c . o r g /

GRAPE_Experiment_Descriptions.pdf)

that identifies parameters for each of the

above experiments. It also states this

experiment condition is ideal for radio

clubs, schools, and new radio operators.

They further state that of particular

interest are communications between

stations with one station in the zone of

totality and one located outside the North

American Continent.

The eclipse discussed begins August 21,

2017 at 16:04:33.0 UT so there is still

plenty of time to decide if you want to

find out more about this project. The

website pdf file also contains other data

such as map detail as well as the start of

total eclipse, maximum eclipse and

when the total eclipse ends and when the

partial ends.

There really is something in amateur

radio for everyone... It’s great to be a

ham.

The Short Circuit 6

Place

Postage

Here

To ARS:

Amateur Radio is a National Resource FIRST CLASS

The Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club K6OX

Post Office Box 1011

Lancaster, CA 93584-1011

AVARC board meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month. All mem-

bers are welcome to attend, although they should let the president or another offi-

cer know that they are planning to attend, as the meetings usually include a pot-

luck dinner at the home of one of the officers.

The club net is on Wednesdays at 8:00, on the Hauser repeater (146.73 MHz PL

100). The net includes Amateur Radio Newsline, and all members and guests are

invited to check in.

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Master-At-Arms

Board Member

Board Member

Trustee

Ex Officio

Carol Humpherys

Eugene Humpherys

Dan Sherwood

Gary Barr

Gary Mork

Matt Stewart

Paul L’Heureux

Keith Hoyt

Margie Hoffman

AF6OV

KG6SLC

W6DAS

WA6TWT

WA6WFC

K6MES

KD6SMC

K6GXO

KG6TBR

722-4616

722-4616

264-1863

946-2717

948-8317

264-4629

305-1838

533-4025

297-6567

Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club 2016 Officers

the official publication of the antelope valley amateur ... · and emergency services. ares...

Documents