Vol. 15 No.1 April - 2005K.C.R.A. Newsletter "Michigan's Northernmost FM Voice Repeater" SPRING MEETING: MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Our Spring, 2005 meeting was held the third Tuesday of April. April 19, 2005 at the Keweenaw Pines Apartments Community Building ********************** ATTENDANCE: The President (KC8DYG) and Secretary-Treasurer (W8FWG) were the two officers present, 4 other members and one guest (Alan Olson) were present. *********************** 12 DISCIPLES: At the hearing for Gary, K8YSZ held on Oct. 26, 2004, the Zoning-Planning Commission of Keweenaw County at Eagle River, MI, the board showed "no need for a permit" for Gary to put up his amateur radio tower. There were 8 "hams" present and 4 others who supported Gary and Dianne Hansen. We were grateful for the 12 that showed up in support. FEATURE STORY LAKE SUPERIOR AMATEUR COALITION: LSAC: "LSAC has repeaters from the MN. Canadian border down the western shore of Lake Superior down to Duluth MN./Bayfield WI. A couple interior repeaters in Brainerd MN. to as far west as almost Grand Rapids MN. LSAC 1 consists of eighteen (18) 2-meter repeaters linked via UHF Hub in Bayfield WI. LSAC 2 consists of twelve (12) mainly 6-meter repeaters linked via UHF Hub in Duluth, MN. The only reliable (24/7) means I have to talk with my friend KB9WCK (Dave) in Hazelhurst, WI. is through LSAC 1. He can shoot North and get into the Bayfield repeater and I can shoot across Lake Superior and get into either Silver Bay, Two Harbors, or Grand Marais. I usually use the Grand Marais repeater. The neat thing about this is I am getting into a repeater about 90 miles to my NW and I am talking to a Ham about 125 miles to my south. WOW! Just a note: I should be able to talk to Dave via the CCRAA 67 repeater. He can point his stacked beams at 67 and get into it OK but he can't hear it. I can hear him but because the 67 puts out such low power, he can't hear me. LSAC 2 : Most of the time I can't get into LSAC 2. I only have a 1/2 wave Vert. Ringo for a 6 meter ant. and it just doesn't have the gain. Also, 6 meters is a noisy band. I get about a S5 of background noise. I have gotten into it a couple of times in the spring when conditions were good. I think If I had a better antenna I probably could get into LSAC 2. Some Interesting Facts: I can ALWAYS get into LSAC 1 via the Grand Marais repeater using 10 watts. During good conditions I can get in using 500 milliwatts on my HT." WEBSITE: http//www.qsl.net/n0elb/lsac/ lsac.html (Submitted by Mark, KC8YDU) MINUTES OF THE APRIL-2005, KCRA MEETING The April 13, 2005 meeting of the KCRA was called to order by President Lee Royce, KC8DYG at 7:00 pm EDST with 2 officers and 4 members present. One guest (Alan Olson) was present. Self introductions was followed by acceptance of the previous meeting minutes and a Treasurer's report was given. No Engineer's Report was given and no Technical/Advisory committee members were present. Under correspondence we learned that Gary, K8YSZ became the new EC (Emergency Coordinator) for Keweenaw County and he also received an ARRL appointment of "OO" (Official Observer.) It was decided to resend the SPECIAL REPORT that went out last fall, as very few responded to the president's request. This report will go out via USPS on Friday, May 6, 2005. Under new business, we have this report regarding our teaching efforts at the South Range Elementary School: Thanks to Gary (K8YSZ), Lee (KC8DYG) and George, W8FWG) for their efforts in bringing a course of instruction to the 5th grade students at the South Range Elementary School. The students built "AM" radios from a kit, and got to keep them, and yes, they all worked, when the students finished them. Our thanks to Mrs. Gretchen Bergan, for starting this project. Thanks too, to Gretchen's husband Joseph for providing some additional parts for the students to practice with. A 10 week course ended in mid April-2005 with a positive look to the future. We are told that starting in the fall of this year, Mr. Benda at the Jeffers High School will be starting a curriculum in Amateur Radio! An alumnus of Jeffers (Harold B. Vincent, Class of 1938, and a ham, KA8FEW of Williamsburg, MI) has provided the school (at no cost) with a complete amateur radio station! Club members and Painesdale residents hope to help with putting the station together at the school! We also wish to thank all of the teachers at South Range Elementary for their help, providing a "one-on-one" aided instruction to the students. Special Thanks goes to our President, Lee Royce, for obtaining all of the kits and tools required to start such a project. Incidentally, all three "hams" (K8YSZ, KC8DYG and W8FWG) also hold membership in the CCRAA. Also: The Daily Mining Gazette carried the story in its Tuesday, April 19, 2005 edition, entitled "Making Radio Waves." I've heard from hams across the country who saw the article, so lots of Copper Country subscribers to the Gazette, saw South Range put on the map! We can't forget the students themselves either! You did a great job, and we are the radio clubs are very proud of you, and your work. KCRA MEMBERSHIP LISTING - 2005 74 Members Anderson, Brandon N8PUM Ishpeming Anderson, Frederick N8BTS Marquette Anderson, Walter W8ERB Houghton Baker, Frances KC8FUR Lake Linden Baker, James KE4ZRN Lake Linden Bekkala, Harold N8IMU Laurium Brumm, Douglas K8LHM Hastings, MI Burgan, Roland KB8XI Hancock Carlborn, Scott N8WGS Hancock Clark, Steven KA8UZI Laurium Crider, Cecil WE8D Laurium Davis, Jon N8HXP Eagle Harbor DeLoughary, Kevin KB8PLQ Marquette Djerf, Edwin WB8CBA Calumet Ekdahl, Glenn WA8QNF Hancock Englund, Vickie N8PIX Lake Linden Gedvillas, Jerry KC8WOG Houghton Gedvillas, Brigitta Assoc. Houghton Grabig, Paul KB8UDD Calumet Hanner, Richard KC8VMV Weidman, MI Hannula, Clifford N8XLI Laurium Hansen, Gary K8YSZ Ahmeek Hanson, Gregory KI8AF Marquette Hewlett, Roger K8ZZA St. Clair, MI Isaacson, Brian N8JAB Mohawk Keck, Jack W8ZKV Houghton Kemppainen, Paul KC8FLK Hancock Konczel, Mark KC8YDU Hancock Koskiniemi, David KC8BSN Calumet La Muth, Stanley WB8QJZ Lake Linden Lienau, James K9ANU Green Bay, WI Martinmaki, Ronald W9EOA La Crosse, WI Meyers, Marjorie KC8LRP Vulcan, MI Meyers, Robert WA8FXQ Vulcan, MI Mischica, Rodney KC8BSR Calumet Moyle, David N8KME Calumet Murphy, David AA8OX Calumet Narhi-Clark A.J. KC8PDV Pelkie Nopola, Gerald N8CSE Watton Odgers, Dale W8DAO Dollar Bay Odgers, Judy N8XJP Dollar Bay Olson, Carl N8PIT Painesdale Peltoniemi, Roy WB8ZYL Dollar Bay Peterson, Helen N8XJJ Kearsarge Polzien, Douglas N8KSO Calumet Polzien, Joanne KC8BST Calumet Powers, Richard KA8L Copper Harbor Racine, Paul KB0P Ishpeming Reid, Robert W8UXG Ontonagon Royce, Dennis K9GIR Eagle Harbor Royce, Lee KC8DYG Mohawk Samuli, John N8JS Edgewood, NM Savolainen, Aleda KC8EKX Lake Linden Savolainen, Charles WB8FCY Lake Linden Savolainen, David N8PJB St. Paul, MN Savolainen, Dawn KC8EKY Lake Linden Schoos, William N8GWO Hancock Skoglund, Denis KB8THD Houghton Smigowski, Heather KB8ZTB Calumet Smigowski, Judi N8PIZ Calumet Smigowski, Paul N8ILY Calumet Somero, Henry WA8ICV Laurium Strangle, Stanley K8NYT Bruce Crossing Swiatkowski, Michael AA9VI Exeter, RI Swift, Jack N8WAV Houghton Thurner, Charles N3AKQ Mechanicsburg, PA Thurner, George W8FWG Laurium Thurner, Virginia Assoc. Laurium Trainer, Alfred III KC8OCK Ontonagon Vuorinen, Risto N8BYR Dollar Bay Yarroch, William KC8EKZ Hancock ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Is ham radio going "downhill?" We tend to think so. In this 21st century the kids now-a-days have many other diversions to hamming. There are computer games, they can use at the press of a button or insertion of a "games" diskette into a computer. The "plug-n-play" theme seems to prevail. Echo-Link , while still in its infancy provides linkups all over the world by licensed hams (so you do have to be a ham to use this system!), and there is no problem with "skip" or time of day or night, you can connect, leave a message, and expect a reply at the will of the recipient at the far end. We, in the V.E. department (Volunteer Examiners) notice a definite decrease in the amount of people taking amateur exams. We are hard put to run a 10 week radio course these days, as there are so many outside interests for everyone. I personally have seen a class of 35 dwindle to where only 10 people took the exam at the end of the course. The reason? "We don't have time to sit there for 2 hours, a week for 10 weeks!" The answer? Shorten the course to weekends, compressing the time by having "pre-study" periods at home......still this doesn't seem to work out very well. We're still hearing...."Why are there three classes of license?.....I only need ONE license to drive a car!" Are older people going in for a ham license? Not many! So, it is the young people who we have to prepare........that's why the KCRA recently put a lot of time and effort in helping the youngsters get started at the South Range Elementary school system (Adams Twp.) What can we do as a club, or as licensed radio "hams" to help bring ham radio back to where it was 10, 20 or even 50 years ago? Put out efforts into Education. Our sister club, the CCRAA has a video tape series, that seems to be very successful.....they are using the ARRL video tapes for the Technician and General Class licenses. They can be obtained from Jack Swift, N8WAV at the Swift Hardware store in Houghton for a small fee. (The fee is refunded when the tapes are returned) The success rate is in the 90% + area using these tapes. There are four of them.... (in the Technician class series)....and three in the General Class ).approximately. Each tape contains approximately two hours of viewing and one should not try to run the full eight hours at one time! By this study method (ARRL video tapes) we find this to be the best compromise to learning and digesting the information needed to pass an amateur exam. The ARRL publication called "Now You're Talking" is also recommended along with the "FCC Rule Book." Access the ARRL home page at www.arrl.org and check them out. You'll be glad you did. George R. Thurner, W8FWG grt@pasty.net (General Use) w8fwg@arrl.net (Radio Hams)