F E E D - P O I N T
| February | Vol. 15 No. 2 |
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Brilliant sunshine produces dark shadows on glittering snow as I write. Once again the snow has an icy crust covered with a thin layer of snow. Today I hope to get up to the tower one way or another to check inside the building. I think I had better take the lock thawer. During the net on February 14th the 146.640 repeater was very noisy. Loud static while the tail was dropping. Stan thought it might be moisture, N7GLR though it might be intermod. Today on the 17th the noise is still there, somewhat intermittent,but actually covering up the audio, which it was not doing on the 14th. Please try the repeater. If you have any suggestions about the cause of the noise, please let us know. Plans for the Can-Am Communications change frequently! From having a nice surplus of operators, the number is being whittled down by health issues and a family member death. By the way, if anyone can house any out of town hams during the races, please contact me.
| The January issue of Feed-Point had a problem with printing it. Stan has now solved this problem for us. If you tried to print Feed-Point you found that pages 2 and 3 did not fit on one page. The corrected version has been posted. Wedding vows used by Al, WB4L, and Susie, WX2L reflected their love of Amateur Radio. WB4L:"....my love for you is more solid than a soldered coaxial connector and will withstand the test of time more surely than gas-filled hardline (and it doesn't get better then that!).." WX2L:"I promise to always zero-beat your frequency, to pick only your signal out of the pileup, and when the band opens up you will always be my first and only contact. My devotion to you and to us together is more powerful than our combined signals from W1AW.." QST 1/05 Gale Flagg 108 Franklin School Rd Fort Kent, Maine 04743 Phone: 207-834-6670 E-mail: galeflagg@sjv.net Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 9th, 2005 Medical Library 6:00 PM Northern Maine Medical Center |
| Schedule of Coming Events | ||||||
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| Date | Event | Place | Contact | Sponsor | Time | Freq |
| SUN | Net | NB | VE1PIN | IRG | 2000 | 145.130 |
| MON | Net | Fort Kent | N1FG | SJVARA | 1900 | 146.64 |
| MON | Net | Presque Isle | WA1YNZ | AARA | 2000 | 146.73 |
| Page 2 | Feed-Point, February, 2005 |
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Start Time: 18:05 Members and guests in attendance: N7GLR, KA7VNR, N1PMS, N1FG, N1QMC, N1JHD, WB1FTK, KA1SJV Secretary's Minutes: N7GLR made a motion to waive reading of the minutes. N1PMS seconded. Passed Treasury Report: Balance $1109.27 N1PMS motioned to accept. N1QMC seconded. Passed Old Business: 1. Rocky Mt.: 12.75 volts at 08:23 Hrs Feb.8th During the cold days in January N1FG had to use the repeater to keep the batteries from overcharging. 2. 146.64 Report 12.33 volts at 08:23 Hrs Feb. 8th. We will want the Echolink turned off the week before the race and continue until March 8. N7GLR wants to be reminded. 3. The SJVARA website we have will cost $40 a year, rather than the $25 we expected. This is still a good deal. 4. Other: The possibility of raising dues was brought up. Further discussion at the March Meeting. Dues are the same as 15 years ago. A lot of inflation since then. |
New Business:
1. Flea Market: Algonquin Radio club Flea market Feb. 19th at the Marlboro Middle School in Marlboro MA. 2.Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Races March 5-8: A1XD and KB1JDN in Fort Kent Jan. 28th to check the layout at Lonesome Pine. The plan is: A.To put up our regular antenna; B. AA1XD will place a beam on his portable tower for Rocky Mountain. C. Search and Rescue will also be putting up an antenna. The antennas will have to be placed to minimize interference. N1FG's Kenwood TMV7 will be used for one frequency and AA1XD will have a radio for the other frequency. Once again we will attempt to lock in the frequencies to prevent past troubles. 3. March Meeting: (Can-Am Banquet the 8th) KW1C, who will present our program,
has chosen Wednesday March 9 or Monday March 19th. Those present decided on
Wednesday March 9. Meeting place to be determined by KW1C.
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| HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
| N7GLR reported on February 17th that www.sjvara.org has had its 200th
visitor. The website was set up on Dec. 16th. We are definitely getting more
vistors since we got our own website
| Sandra Daigle 03-20
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| Page 3 | Feed-Point, February 2005 |
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The Fastnet Force 7 ARRL video is about a DXpedition to the rocky island the the Fastnet Kighthouse is on. The island is in the Celtic Sea off the coast of Cork, Ireland. The island is 100 X 150 meters.The lighthouse is 54 meters tall. It is made of 2000 hand carved granite stones. When finished it was only 1/16" off perpendicular. The light can be seen for a range of 25 miles. Ten years before the DXpedition, two of the hams had discovered two copper mushrooms beneath the sea close to the rock. They had been part of a telegraphic system between the rock and the Irish mainland. The mushrooms had anchored copper cable. The planning for the DXpedition took 18 months. The group had to get permission from authorities and make sure there would be no interference with the electronics at the lighthouse. The video covered the planning and the moving of the equipment by helicopter to the rock. Interspersed were interesting segments on the sea birds, including a pesky pigeon in the kitchen, and the underwater creatures. There was a carpet of sea urchins and sea squirts in colonies like a carpet of starry flowers. | Radio gear included Kenwood, Icom, and Yaesu tranceivers. There were vertical antennas, a VHF beam, and a wire antenna stretching from the derrick at sea level to the balcony up on the tower. There four operators working voice and CW. A highlight was 2 meter long distance contacts to 10 countries during Aurora Borealis. The amateur operators took time to walk around the rock, and got
a chance to see tall ships passing by in the Fastnet Race from Cornwall, UK.
Directions to get to the March Meeting: Enter the hospital at the main doors,
go straight down the hall past the reception desk. The library is part way down
the hall on the right, across from Marty Berstein's office. Marty, KW1C, will be presenting
a program. Please remember to bring your dues or send them suring the month of March.
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Heavy duty 40' galvanized steel tower, 16" X 16". Includes mounting hardware. Best Offer. N1FRX | Collected from Schools
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F E E D - P O I N T February 2005 |
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| Published by the St. John Valley Amateur Radio Association |
| and distributed free to members and friends of Amateur Radio. |
| President: Gale Flagg N1FG |
| Vice President: Sandra Daigle, N1QMC |
| Secretary: Rotating |
| Treasurer: Steve Boomhower N1CHF |
| Public Information: Charles Ames, N7GLR |
| Technical Advisor: Steve Boomhower, N1CHF |
| Editor/Publisher/Printer |
| Gale Flagg - N1FG / Stan Flagg 834-6670 |
| Associate Editor/Web Edition |
| Charles Ames N7GLR |
| Membership Information (Annual Dues): |
| Regular Membership $ 12 |
| Associate Membership $ 6 |
| Articles may be submitted by anyone with a good idea, and may be re-printed |
| only in their entirety and with credit going to this newsletter. |