Daily Events Planner 

for Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Next Club Meeting:  

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Mesa Utilities Office, 640 North Mesa Drive, Mesa, AZ

Arizona Time:  9:51 am  MST (UTC -0700) Watch this space for upcoming meetings and nets!

NET tonight on 147.12 at 8:00 PM with Newsline.   

Membership

Membership in the Superstition ARC is open to anyone with an interest in amateur radio.  This page will outline the details and provide a membership application form you can download, print and mail.

Membership Chairman Gene Wilson

Gene Wilson, WA8TSG, is the Membership Chairman for 2007.  He may be contacted through the President via the Contact page on any Site Menu.

Each year, the Club Treasurer assumes the role of Membership Chairman.

Membership Application and Renewal form

A Membership Application and Renewal form is available for your use.  Please print it and mail the completed form with your membership dues.

The club mailing address, which is on the form, is also on bottom of any major page on the site.

The dues

A one-year Membership in the club follows the calendar year, beginning on January 1 and coming due the following January 1 and delinquent on February 1.  New members joining during the year will pay a pro-rated amount through the end of the first year.

Dues categories

• Single Membership:

  $15.00 per year.

• Family Membership:

  $15.00 for one, plus $5.00 each additional club member in same household.  Typically $20.00 for family of two.

• Student Membership:

  $8.00 per year (Student through 12th Grade, for persons not already qualifying for Family Membership)

• Single Life Membership:

  $150.00

• Family Life Membership:

  $200.00

A copy of the Constitution and ByLaws, and a copy of the club newsletter, when published, and a copy of the General Meeting Minutes when provided by the Secretary, are provided on this Web site.  Arrangements can be made for members without Internet access to the site.

A hardcopy of the Membership Roster is available after the March meeting from the Membership Chairman.  The Roster is not published on the Web site.

Revised Tuesday, May 01, 2007

April 15, 2008 Meeting Highlights

Previous club meetings are posted here, but I decided to post the current meeting here as well, and on the front page.  Saves the bother of copying it from the front page to paste it here later.

April Club Meeting Notes

Club Picnic

With Ron, AJ7T Presiding, the meeting was called to order at about 7:00 on the evening of April 15.

The Picnic was announced for Saturday, April 26, and was put together by a committee of volunteers who wanted the club to have a successful picnic, and who made it happen.  I did not get the names of all of the committee members, but they included Judy, K7JLF and Jo Wilson (OM K8WQ).

Let's use this picnic as a membership drive.  It is open only to paid-up members and their families because the food is free, subsidized by the club.  We encourage those who are not members and whose membership is not paid up-to-date to bring your membership with you to the picnic.

The picnic is located at Red Mountain Park, under the ramada closest to the restrooms.  We get the facility from 10 am till 2 pm.  My notes are a bit short on this point:  "Second entrance from Brown."  Perhaps should read "second entrance from Power on Brown."

Drinks include Crystal Lite, soft drinks and water.

We will also be celebrating KD7VK-Harold's 80th birthday.

Pledge of Allegiance

The flag is located at the back of the room, and Ron was not going to try moving it to the front after it fell apart in January's meeting as he picked it up to move it back to its original location -- it dumped the sand that weighs down the base of the flag support mast.  So we just turned around to face the flag.

Introductions

Everyone introduced themselves, and there were over 30 people present.

Arizona Near Space Research program presentation

James, AC7ZT, presented a multimedia video show describing ANSR's launches that lift experiments to the edge of space about 19 statute miles above the surface of the earth.  (Calculator:  100,000 feet divided by 5280 equals 18.93 miles.) 

He showed data tracked by the balloons as they rise, being blown first one direction by surface winds and then another direction by winds in the upper atmosphere.  Temperature measurements usually indicate a dropping temperature as the balloon rises, then a short temperature rise before the temperature falls to around 70 degrees below zero.

Experiments include atmospheric data collection probes and microprocessor-controlled devices, a crossband repeater and sometimes a fast-scan television camera.

The repeater sometimes reaches some impressive distances.   It is possible, not common, for New Mexico stations to contact California stations through the repeater over Arizona.  ANSR holds the top seven records in the Greatest Two-Way QSO Repeating/Transponding Great Circle Distance category, found a long way down the W0RPK Records page, ranging in distance from 777 miles for first place, down to 567 miles for 7th place.  Communications are via earth-balloon-earth propagation, with QSL-card proof of QSO required, together with the latitude-longitude coordinates of each station.  To achieve these distances, the repeater has to be above 80,000 feet (about 15 miles) elevation.

To hear the repeater audio during a launch, you may listen direct on 445.525 MHz'/ whenever the repeater is above your horizon.  You can listen to the repeater from anywhere in the world over your local IRLP repeater, set to node 9255.  See www.kd7lmo.net for a detailed description of the process.

The repeater takes input on 145.56 MHz, with a 162.2 Hz tone access.

Arizona Near Space Research (www.ansr.org), with club call sign KA7NSR, is also putting on a membership drive.  Anyone interested in supporting the group's work should visit their site and consider becoming a member.  James provided the email address ac7ztmail at gmail.com, along with www.ansr.org and www.kd7lmo.net.

For high altitude ballooning links, please see this page from W0RPK.  (ANSR section updated June 11, 2008)

Break and Meeting Business

Jeff, N7JJK has donated a laptop computer to the club for meeting Minutes.  Thank you Jeff!

Treasurer's report was given by Gene, K8WQ.  Minutes were read by Jon, KD7VCF (I'm glad I have these names already on the site with their call signs, because on this day, Friday, April 25, I am drawing a blank!)

Mary, KD7ZBC reported from the back of the room on the upcoming programs for the coming months' meetings.  I'm sorry I didn't catch them in my notes to be able to report the meeting programs here!

In need of repeater donations for some upcoming projects, and the club share of the 50-50 pot goes into the repeater fund.  However, Dianne, KD7DJE said we need to get our insurance in order before we go out to get more equipment.  That requires an inventory and photographs be submitted to the insurance company.

ARRL Membership through the club:  It is important that the club have at least half of our membership as ARRL members in order to retain our ARRL affiliation, a point not brought up in the club meeting; however, there is insufficient monetary benefit to the club to have the Treasurer process ARRL renewal membership paperwork.  The club Treasurer, Gene, K8WQ, requests that you file your ARRL renewal directly with the League, as he feels his time is worth more than the buck-fifty that we realize after pasting a postage stamp to the application. 

The club, however, does receive a $15 contribution for each new ARRL membership filed with the club Treasurer, at no added cost to the applicant, and you are encouraged to both join the League and run your application through the club Treasurer.

A new Technician class will start in August, with registration deadline set in early August.  TO DO:  Scan and post the flyer, and update the class page on the site.

-- Notes by Larry, WB7CRK

There was no report for February and March meetings...

January Meeting Notes

My notes are a little cryptic this month, and between restoring the computer to working order and getting my DSL connection squared away, it has been a while since I have made these notes.

Membership Dues Due in February

Ordinarily they would have been due in January, but we had no Treasurer on hand to collect the Dues and make change.  Gene, K8WQ was at the hospital visiting his dear wife, Jo, who is our doughnts and coffee person, so we had no food either in January.  Jo had a triple bypass surgery done, and is doing well in that regard, but she is not breathing well.  She needs to step up and work with Physical Therapy and do her exercise routine to help herself along.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and Gene at this time.

AJ7T, President Ron's first meeting didn't go as he had hoped, considering that he had no food vendor at the hamfest and now no food at his first meeting, he cracked.

Pledge of Allegiance to the sand on the floor

You know things ain't going your way when you pick up the American Flag to move it to the front of the room, only to have the base let go and dump its sand on the floor!  We had our Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag anyway, to open the meeting.

Actually, come to think of it, the flag let go AFTER the Pledge, when we tried to move it back to the side!

Guest Speaker Topic:  Mars Rover explorers

Dr. Steve Ruff, PH.D, gave a very titillating report on the Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were slated to last 3 months five years ago.  These solar-powered vehicles can only operate on and near the equator because the sunlight gets very dim away from the equator, and if the solar panels get dusted up they don't work very efficiently, as well.

Dr. Ruff has been with Arizona State University ever since his post-graduate work in 1990 and his PH.D. in 1998.

General Meeting Business

Everyone identified themselves.  Our youngest member, Andrea, KE7OPV, and her Dad, Tom, AD7PM, who can both be heard on the DriveTime Net on 147.12, on Andrea's way to school, were present, as were many other members that we hear on the radio.

Secretary Jon, KD7VCF read the Minutes from the November meeting, and the members approved.

Ron had about 5 orders for shirts and jackets.  He said prices were going to be up a couple bucks this time around, and would take orders in February's meeting for delivery in March, if he can come up with at least 13 orders.  Jackets may be about $45 and shirts about $24.  Check with Ron on the Wednesday Night Net or on the DriveTime Net on 147.12 for specific prices.  Be prepared to pay at the February meeting.

Ron paid Larry, WB7CRK out of his pocket for the club web site, and will recover the cost from the Treasurer.  Larry owes $1.50 back to the club because there was a small discount due to an earlier due date this year.  The site comes due again on December 1.

Because Jo and Gene were absent, there was no 50-50 drawing, and no tickets for a drawing.  So we auctioned off this month's door prize, a $40 ARRL Handbook.

November 20 Meeting Highlights

Meeting was called to order shortly after 7 PM, Brian, KC5CAY presiding and all Officers present.  With a heavy agenda, the customary introductions were limited to the half-dozen new faces in the crowd.  The Pledge of Allegiance was performed, then Hamfest fliers were handed out for distribution. 

Roger, W9NCQ promoted the January 12 WestFest his Thunderbird ARC is putting on, now inside an abandoned hangar at Thunderbird School at 59th Ave and Greenway.

Junque Auction

Steve, KY7W performed as Auctioneer, with Gabe, KI9GC fetching the equipment off the Junque tables.  The auction netted the club $75.

Treasurer's Report and Minutes

Following a doughnut break, a Treasurer's report was given by Gene, K8WQ and approved, and the Minutes were read by Jon, KD7VCF and approved.

Old Business

The Ham TV demonstration was called off at the Hamfest, as reported up in our Breaking News, because the amateur television repeater could not be reached from the parking lot at MCC.  The TV operator said he would come better prepared next year.

Ft Tuthill vs Williams

W9NCQ reported to the club on the ARCA vote that our club is asked to cast at the December ARCA meeting.  ARCA was going to have to come to the six key clubs, of which this club is one, asking for $1,000 from each club to pay for the Ft Tuthill hamfest in Flagstaff, whereas ARCA could afford the cost of Williams without our financial support and could offer free admission too.

Roger indicated his club received a diviend check from ARCA from its Williams Hamfest last year.  Larry, WB7CRK explained that if people volunteer on ARCA's behalf at the summer hamfest in the name of their own club, ARCA would tally the total profits, divided by the total hours worked and pay each club according to the total hours put in by that club's members.  And that is where the check to the Thunderbird club came from.

Further discussion alledged that if we pay a thousand dollars toward the cost of Ft Tuthill, we very likely would never get any of our seed money back.  In the end, the club voted to support Williams.

A couple of notes about the Coconino County Fairgrounds:  The out buildings surrounding the lot are on the list of state historical buildings, and the barn that served to house the vendors is home to an endangered species of owl, and therefore the county cannot renovate it.

ARCA Delegate

We have had no delegate for the last few years to attend Amateur Radio Council of Arizona meetings.  Myrna Cross, KN7M is our alternate delegate.

W7W and Lost Dutchman Marathon

Work is getting under way to do the W7W special event station out of the Superstition Mountain Museum again in February, and also to work with MCECG to man the Lost Dutchman Marathon checkpoints.  Harold, KD7VK wants to help with W7W, but he cannot run the operation.

Election

A ballot was passed out with one candidate per position and write-in spaces.

Election Results:  Officers

1. President:  Ron McKee, AJ7T
2. Vice-Pres:  Mary Simmonds, KD7ZBC
3. Secretary:  Jon Simmonds, KD7VCF
4. Treasurer:  Gene Wilson, K8WQ

Election Results:  Directors

1. Jo Wilson
2. Paul, KD7GWD
3. Judy, K7JLF
4. Tony, K7AJF
5. Jeff, N7JJK
6. Harold, KD7VK
7. Ray, K7RAM

-- Larry, WB7CRK's notes