Dear Fellow Ham,     
Hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather that September has brought us.  We have had more sunny days than we had all summer. The farmers could not have asked for better weather for the harvest. 

On September 26th I drove to Bathurst, NB for the semi-annual meeting of the International Repeater Group (IRG). From St. Leonard to St. Basel and over to Bathurst, the fall foliage was at peak color. In the bright sun the colors glowed. My trip was slow because I kept slowing or stopping to see exceptionally bright trees. At the meeting it was noted that I was the only attendee who made the meeting truly international.

The IRG maintains a large number of linked repeaters. They are considering incorporating APRS. There also was a request by VE9DAN to use the linked system for slow scan TV at appointed times.

The repeaters are not linked unless a code is used to link them.  Each repeater in the system functions as a local repeater.  They are all linked for nets on Tuesday and Sunday nights at 20:00.   The membership cards have a list of the repeaters and the codes for linking to one or several of the repeaters in the system. 

I arrived a bit early and was greeted by VE9VL and VE9BRL. I asked how far we were from the Bay of Chaleur. I wanted to see it.

They offered a place for me to sleep, so I could see it the next day. When I said I had to go home that day, VE9BRL told me to go with her, and she drove me around to the Bay of Chaleur. It is huge. The Gaspe coast was a shadow on the horizon. We went down to a sandy beach and Beatrice  asked for my camera and took a photo of me with the bay behind me. What a nice thing for her to do. I really wanted to see the Bay of Chaleur because I always hear about it in Maritime forecasts.

The club picnic was not held until August 29 because of a weather postponement. Our September Meeting was scheduled for September 14th. Because they were so close together, I decided to combine August and September Feed-Points. 

We have decided to skip the October Meeting and replace it with a Harvest Get Together  October 10th  at 11:00 AM  at  the elegant brunch at the Levesque Motel in Rivere De Loupe.   Please join us for this outing. It is a beautiful drive and a fabulous dining experience.
    
Address comments, questions or suggestions to:
Gale Flagg,  108 Franklin School Rd., Fort Kent, ME 04743
Phone: 207-834-6670, email: galeflagg@sjv.net

Next Meeting: TUESDAY, November 9, Alumni Conference Room.,
Nadeau Hall, UMFK ,  6:00 PM.   

Called to Order: 12:26; 18:15 hrs.

Treasurer's Report: No report available at either meeting

Old Business:                                                                                                      1. Rocky Mountain Report: 8/29 Water needs to be added to the batteries. Trail needs chain saw work. 9/14 Water added to the batteries on Sept. 13. Thanks to N1JHD, N1PMU, and N1RDE. N1JHD reported we need a crew to clear the trail. Any volunteers? Also, he mentioned that when the floor of the cabin starts to rot, we should tear down the building and build a small enclosure for the repeater at the base of the tower.

2.  146.64 Report: N1FG replaced the Damp Rid on 9/10. It was totally saturated and the cup below full. The cabinet itself was dry. 9/30 The building is nearly done. Cement block walls are up. N1JHD brought his cement mixer over on 9/22 and helped mix the cement for Stan to pour down the blocks with rebar at the corners and mid-sides. Thanks, Gil. Walls have been treated with Dry-Lock. Stan put together trusses and they are in place along with strapping. The metal roofing and door should arrive tomorrow. There is a lexan window on the south above the blocks. Stained T-111 paneling  with a vent is filling each gable end. Digital photos available.

New Business:                                                                                      

1. Pioneer Update: 8/29 Stan agreed to put in a wire from our house to the tower. No one seemed able to figure out the solar panel battery requirements for them. 9/14 Stan cleared a direct route from house to

tower. A back hoe dug the trench. We put the underground cable in, and the back hoe covered it. We spread hay in crucial places to keep hurricane rains from washing out the new work. We expect Pioneer to install their equipment tomorrow, 10/1. 9/14 EchoLink discussion: other programs running sometimes interfere.

.2. G0LDK Contribution: KW1C changed the £60 English at his bank and gave the club a check for $105.26.  9/14 Radio Appreciation Day September 18th

3. Aroostook Adventure Race Review:  N1FG took part in the communications at two checkpoints. The PI club set up a repeater just for the race. It worked well. Most interesting: Racers were given a dozen raw eggs to carry through biking, canoeing and hiking, and then had to catch them after they were dropped from a bridge at the finish. Two teams actually finished with all dozen eggs unbroken!

.4. 8/29 N7GLR was asked to update club information on ARRL web site, as N1FG has no internet now.

5. .64 and .715 link, any progress? Can-Am: We need hams with S&R,  or a ham to relay from forestry.

6. 9/14. Skip October meeting. Harvest Get-Together: Levesque Hotel  11:00 AM  The brunch is worth the trip. Nice motel rooms if you want to go Saturday.

Programs: 8/29 Putting together a Static Diffuser 9/14 Grand National Steeplechase video from G0LDK.

Adjourned:  8/29  13:04   9/4   20:10 hours.

Submitted by: Gale Flagg,  N1FG

Answers from Elementary School Children: