F E E D - P O I N T
| May | Vol. 15 No. 5 |
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At last, no more snow visible from the house. Snow patches in the woods have shrunk a lot. May has been extremely cool and gray. The Farmer's Almanac really missed the mark this year. April and May were supposed to have been mild and May sunny and warm. There is one thing this wet weather has been good for and that is planting trees. The area next to Jalbert Park, where the town garage used to be, is being planted now by school classes and interested members of the community. We hope to finish by May 27th. Radio conditions have been a little quirky during the last few weeks on the Preque Isle repeater. People who can usually get into it have not been able to a few times. Our repeaters may have been affected by the same conditions. The season has arrived for being aware of weather forecasts for thunderstorms. It is always a good precaution to disconnect antennas and computers and phones during times when lightning strikes are possible. People in the southeast have had to do it for several weeks. | In the May QST the "It Seems To Us...." column is by ARRL secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ. He urges us to "Get Out Of The House!" to operate from hilltops with portable equipment. A small Yagi on a short mast will give you a couple of hundred miles. The VHF QSO Party on the second weekend in June is at a time when 6 meters opens and could be a lot fun. Contesters might consider you in a rare grid. On the first week of August, a UHF contest will be looking for "rovers", portable and mobile stations operating from multiple locations in a 24-hour period. K1ZZ suggests combining this one with a family outing. On the second weekend in September another VHF QSO Party will favor the higher bands over 6 meters. David says "Try it! You'll have fun and the serious competitors will really appreciate your participation." Gale Flagg 108 Franklin School Rd Fort Kent, Maine 04743 Phone: 207-834-6670 E-mail: galeflagg@sjv.net Next Meeting: Tuesday June 14th, 2005, Discussion of Surveys, N1FG's "Arizona Photo Show" or Video. Nadeau Hall, UMFK Alumni Conference Room |
| 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, May,2005 |
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Start Time: 18:00 Members and guests in attendance: N7GLR, KA7VNR, N1PMS, N1FG, KA1SJV, WB1FTK, KW1C, N1QMC Secretary's Minutes: N7GLR made a motion to accept minutes as entered on internet. WB1FTK seconded. Passed. Treasury Report: April Balance $1286.28 + $32.00 Dues= May Balance:$1318.28 Old Business: 1. Rocky Mt.: 14.24 volts at 14:30 Hrs May 10th. This is high. 2. 146.64 Report 13.92 volts at 14.30 Hrs May 10th. Intermittent Interference discussed. N7GLR reports hearing data at the end of transmissions. Still waiting for Pioneer to come. 3. Discussion of Surveys No copies available at the time. N1FG could not open. N7GLR will reformat and resend. Surveys will be discussed at next meeting. New Business: 1. Hams Wanted For June 5 Senior Class Canoe Trip This will again be from the American Dream to Riverside Park. Volunteers: KW1C and N7GLR at Riverside Park. N1FG will follow with car and report to Riverside via mobile radio. |
2. Bangor HamFest June 4. This actually is in Hermon. 3. W1TCF License expired If not renewed will it still be good for the two year grace period. N7GLR will check with the ARRL about our using Finn's call sign on 146.640 during this time of expiration. N7GLR informed us that repeater call and echolink call should be the same. 3 Aroostook Amateur Radio Association May 5th. Attended by N1FG, who reported that two new hams were mentioned. Arnold Thibodeau, formerly of Fort Kent, KB1MGY. Other one info not available. Field Day June 25-26 will be held by AARA at UMPI. We would be welcomed there. Also, AARA will again help with the Aroostook Adventure Race. Any of our members would be welcome help. N1FG has helped for two years and says it is a fun event.The race will be in August. Program: Video could not be seen due to a locked VCR. Next Meeting:Tuesday June 14 6:00 PM, Alumni Conference Room, Nadeau Hall, UMFK Adjourned: KW1C made a motion to adjourn at 6:55. Seconded by N7GLR. Submitted by: N1QMC |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
| Ham Radio Reference Freeware Ver 3.0b, a package of ham radio-related
data and info for the Palm PDA, can be downloaded
at http://www.qsl.net/kb7atv/software.htm.
Includes antenna data, operating material, and basic electronics.
|
| Sam Barrett 06-06 Russ Beaulieu 06-19 |
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| Page 3 | Feed-Point, May, 2005 |
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Total number of USA Licensed Amateurs by Class
As of May 14, 2000:
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Notes:
* I have made a decision concerning the time period of this report.
I will be posting it monthly instead of every other week. I think that
the monthly period illustrates the trends more fully.
The base totals are from implementation of the then new licensing changes in
May 2000. September 6, 2004 is the date I started measuring the changes.
The peak number was in April 2003. We discussed the expiration of the W1TCF license at our May meeting.
N7GLR called the ARRL and found that we could not use the repeater without changing
the call sign. If used, N1FG, must call it the N1FG repeater until license
renewal. This situation was the reason for the cancellation of the May 16 net.
N7GLR visited W1TCF and took care of the license renewal.The new license
has been granted, so we are all set on using the repeater. Thanks , N7GLR N1HPU sent N1FG a photo of a tower trailer he made. He bought a tower
and an antenna. Then he found out he would need a building permit and
a variance to erect the tower
on his property in southern Maine. Now he has built the trailer for the
tower, and it can be transported for field day use or emergencies.
|
Heavy duty 40' galvanized steel tower, 16" X 16". Includes mounting hardware. Best Offer. N1FRX | English Gives Me A Headache sent by N1FRX "We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes. One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese. You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice." |
F E E D - P O I N T May,2005 | 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: Sandra Daigle, N1QMC | Treasurer: Charles Zafonte, N1FRX | Public Information: Charles Ames, N7GLR | Technical Advisor: Marty Bernstein, KW1C | 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. |
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