Watts News

April 2002 Edited by George Lanning  KB6LE

Table of Contents

 From the V.P.'s Point of View

 Treasurer's Report

 OARS Net check-ins

 Northwest DX Convention 2002

 Potato Exercise Program

 FCC proposes to raise vanity fee

 OARS Directory by Call Suffix

 OARS Cross Reference by Name

From the V.P.'s Point of View

I taught the second half of another OARS-sponsored Technician class yesterday morning, and the testers that used to spend every other Thursday at the Ft. Lewis club helping us upgrade came en masse and gave, in total, 39 exams to 29 people in the afternoon. There must have been about nine or ten of them, and we owe them a huge Thanks for giving over their Saturday for (yet another) test session. 

There were, I think, about 25 new licenses or upgrades issued, including an Extra and one to a close friend of mine who I've been pestering to get a license for awhile. 

Wow! It is so much fun to see so many people come out with that CSCE--and a huge smile--in hand; it's almost an addiction, like a drug, calling me to create a new class. Only a few people left empty handed, and they didn't miss by much. So, I'll teach one toward the end of July! And I'm moving my planned "Radio Camp" to late August (if schedules work then -- the student's schedules don't make the June time frame I'd hoped for work very well). 

Rick, WB7TT, led the testers yesterday, and confided that they're still looking for a reliable and satisfactory permanent location to routinely offer tests again. So if you know of a facility that could be scheduled regularly, I know Rick would really like to hear from you. The space needs to include at least two rooms for testing and a "waiting" area outside where those who have completed their tests can pace nervously, have toilets, parking, easy access, etc. It can't cost much; there's no money in testing. 

Today I received confirmation on the program for our upcoming meeting. Clint Hurd, KK7UQ, will drive down from Pt. Orchard to deliver a one-hour slide show on the general theme "Computer Interfacing for Transceivers." Clint markets (or more exactly, almost gives away) a PCB that you can populate, that makes connecting your PC to your computer a breeze. Check out some of his information at http://www.waypoint.com/users~discobay/.

The ARES group met at the EOC last Thursday evening. Among the topics discussed was the upcoming mock search, put on for us by Pierce County SAR. The general timeline is the weekend of May 3/4/5 -- so plan to come help! And if you're really into helping with SAR stuff, you might plan to attend the annual SAR conference the Skamania County Sheriff's Office is hosting this year. It'll be the weekend of May 18th. Check their web site for details.

The Capitol City Marathon is May 19th; plan for it, too. And plan for Field Day the fourth weekend of June!

We have the beginnings of a real legislative effort toward a more effective antenna ordinance, for which Al, K7PUC, is doing yeoman duty defining plans for the work to be done. Perhaps, with a real plan to guide us, we can be more successful than some earlier efforts have been. It will be important for us to "buttonhole" our legislators and make sure they understand our issues; your help will be vital in this work. 

A recurrent comment about hams at events is "I don't see them -- are there some Ham's here?" I suspect that's because we wear street clothes and carry tiny radios and look pretty much like anyone else. We need to change that. We need visibility. The cops, military, more sophisticated store personnel, etc., all wear distinguishing clothes to help them get credibility. It makes their work easier. Is there someone with a real, practiced skill at defining appearances, who could help me come up with a "set" of clothing we could become known for wearing? What I'm thinking is that we should buy and wear hats, jackets (in the cold), tee shirts (in the warm), and perhaps some really high visibility "jogger" mesh-type outfits, all emblazoned with a clear, non-trick message like "Ham Radio Communicator" or something. Lets talk about it! 

Don't forget the Tuesday night nets: ARES, OARS, and Youth nets! I'll listen for you, and see you at the OARS meeting. Until then, 73! 

-- Lee, KI7SS 

Treasurer's Report

As of 3/31/02
 

GENERAL FUND (checking account)

Previous balance     $ 2,692.62
    Income               393.16
    Expenses             685.84
Ending balance         2,399.94

REPEATER / PACKET FUND (savings account)

Previous balance       $ 938.86
    Income                 5.88
    Expenses               0.00
Ending balance           944.74

OARS Net check-ins

The following stations checked in on the OARS General Information Net on one or more of these dates: March 12, 19, or 26:
 

The net meets at 7:30 every Tuesday evening on the 3 linked OARS repeaters: 147.36, 224.46, and 441.40 MHz. All Hams are invited to check in.

Northwest DX Convention 2002

The following invitation to all OARS members was received by email:

On behalf of the Willamette Valley DX Club, I'd like to invite you and all members of the Olympia Amateur Radio Society to the Northwest's premier DX Convention which will be held August 2 - 4, 2002, near Portland, Oregon. Following are the details that we have confirmed so far:

• •Dates: August 2 - 4, 2002

• •Place: Monarch Hotel, 12566 SE 93rd Ave. Clackamas, OR 97015 (800) 492-8700

Friday night, we open up registration, and there will be a Hospitality Suite.

On Saturday, we have a full day planned! Don't know the order yet, but here are some of the presentations: Be among the first to hear about WRTC-2002 from Ward, N0AX. Discover the latest happenings at the ARRL. Learn about sloping antennas for 160 meters from Rudy, N6LF. Listen spellbound to Lew, W7EW, as he talks about the trip to VP8GEO and VP8THU. Of course, there will be dinner, a dinner speaker, and a hospitality suite.

The convention wraps up Sunday morning after breakfast and the final presentation. As always, there will be PRIZES throughout the convention. 

Full details and a registration form will be on our website ( http://www.wvdxc.org/convention.htm ) shortly. Any questions can be addressed either to me or to the Convention Chairman, Al Rovner, K7AR, k7ar@arrl.net or (360) 256-7437.

Please pass this invitation on to the rest of the Olympia Amateur Radio Society.

-- 73 Lisa Zeug, K7UQT, 2002 Pacific Northwest DX Convention Publicity Chairman

Potato Exercise Program

Exercise program for those of us on the high side of 39!

I thought I would let you in on a little secret I've found for building my arm and shoulder muscles. You might want to try doing this just 2 to 3 days a week at first. (You wouldn't want to over do things as you're just getting started.)

I start by standing outside behind the house and hold a 5 pound potato sack in each hand. I extend my arms straight out to my sides and hold them there as long as I can. At first a minute or so was all I could do, but I started working up to where 5 or 6 minutes was manageable. 

After a few weeks I moved up to 10 pound potato sacks, then 50 pound potato sacks and finally I got to where I could lift a 100 pound potato sack in each hand and hold my arms straight out for 10 minutes! 

Next, I started putting a few potatoes in the sacks. You want to be a little careful when you get to this level of intensity. You won't be able to hold your arms straight out anywhere near as long, and you might even throw somethin' out of whack if you're not careful.

Good health and better muscle tone to you all!

-- submitted by Dave LeFevre, KC7FEC

FCC proposes to raise vanity fee

The FCC has proposed raising the regulatory fee it charges vanity call sign applicants from $12 to $14.50 for the 10-year license term. The FCC included the proposed new fee in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (MD Docket No. 02-64) released March 27 to set Fiscal Year 2002 fees.

The effective date will be announced in the Report and Order that terminates the proceeding. If it's approved, the new fee likely will become effective sometime in September.

The FCC has estimated that 8000 applicants would apply for vanity call signs in FY2001. Applicants for Amateur Vanity Call-Signs will continue to pay the $12 regulatory fee per call sign (per 10-year license term) until the FY2002 fee schedule becomes effective. The vanity fee is paid at the time of application for a new, renewal or reinstated vanity license.

Comments are due April 23; reply comments are due May 3.

-- ARRL Bulletin ARLB023

Prefix Name                  Call     Address City ST ZIP                                   Phone

       Curt Danell                    1708 Ann St Olympia WA 98506                          360-951-3848
       Celia Nightingale              2423 Woodfield Lp SE Olympia WA 98501                 360-491-1280

AKL    H.J. Motomatsu        WB7AKL   PO Box 206 SilverCreek WA 98585                       360-866-7975
ARY    George Carle          N7ARY    1809 Centerwood Dr SE Olympia WA 98501                360-943-3536

BNS    Chris Chambers        KA7BNS   908 Narnia Lane NW Olympia WA 98502                   360-866-0800

CEZ    Mark Hannigan         K7CEZ    2409 Morse Rd SE Olympia WA 98501                     360-352-9189
CKM    Rex Richardson        WL7CKM   1616 Gov Stevens Ave SE Olympia WA 98501              360-352-1233
CKO    Larry Watkinson       KC7CKO   1405 9th Ave SE Olympia WA 98501                      360-943-4352
CZM    Jim Elder             KD7CZM   6007 LaVista Ct SW Olympia WA 98512                   360-459-4307
CZN    Gerald Julian         KD7CZN   4417 Clar Mar Ln SE Olmpia WA 98501-4711              360-943-7009

D      Dora Anna Fill        NI5D     3 Fair Oaks Dr Conway AR 72032                        501-327-0337
DFL    Daniel Crane          KB7DFL   4310 Glen Terra Dr. SE Lacey WA 98503                 360-459-1564
DHE    Sharon Campbell       N7DHE    9101-24 Steilacoom Rd. Olympia WA 98513               360-491-6460
DOY    Rick Damitio          W7DOY    7023 Mullen Rd SE Olympia WA 98503                    360-491-2587

FEC    David LeFevre         KC7FEC   3737 Golden Eagle Lp SE Olympia WA 98513              360-456-7825
FEE    Charles Scovill       KC7FEE   6625 Bellevista St NW Olympia WA 98502                360-866-1961

GAQ    Gard Forester         KF6GAQ   PO Box 8721 Olympia WA 98509                          360-438-9860
GE     Jeff Withers          W3GE     6010 193rd Ave SW Rochester WA 98579                  360-273-8614
GGX    Paul Leach            N7GGX    2030 Cardinal Lane Lacey WA 98503                     360-438-5777
GHA    Mike Johnston         KA7GHA   6335 103rd Ave SW Olympia WA 98512                    360-236-1319
GMC    John Moore            N7GMC    2407 Tyndell Circle SW Tumwater WA 98502              360-357-6234
GZM    James Belluomini      KD7GZM   9101-186 Steilacoom Rd SE Olympia WA 98513            360-491-3766

HCT    Clark Main            N7HCT    5509 Thornbury Dr SE Lacey WA 98513                   360-923-1300
HKI    Gary Ernest           N7HKI    2718 24th Ave. SE Olympia WA 98501                    360-352-2503
HRY    Kenneth Smith         W7HRY    7627 Cooper Point Rd. NW Olympia WA 98502             360-866-2507
HTG    Jim Ryan              KD7HTG   10505 Ryan Ln SE Olympia WA 98513
HTX    Lois Cox              KB7HTX   4818 Belwood Dr. NE Olympia WA 98506                  360-357-6256

IC     Bill Fill             KD5IC    3 Fair Oaks Dr Conway AR 72032                        501-327-0337
IIF    Ruth Barber           K1IIF    4316 Chambers Lake Dr. SE Lacey WA 98503              360-438-5921
ISO    John Kennedy          KD7ISO   PO Box 5556 Lacey WA 98509
IVM    Ben Bennett           N7IVM    1212 Tabitha Ct NW Olympia WA 98502                   360-705-8533

JDL    Helen Hannigan        KB7JDL   2409 Morse Rd SE Olympia WA 98501                     360-352-9189
JHJ    Robert Goodnow        N7JHJ    4017 Indian Summer Dr SE Olympia WA 98513             360-456-2427
JSK    Keith McDonald        N7JSK    10337 Carney Dr. SE Olympia WA 98501                  360-352-2514

KIP    Kip Stilz             K7KIP    4625 Norcross Ct SE Olympia WA 98501                  360-456-4949

LA     Paul Taylor           KC7LA    3720 Wesley Loop NW Olympia WA 98502                  360-866-0683
LE     George Lanning        KB6LE    4129 Green Cove N.W. Olympia WA 98502                 360-866-2185
LMQ    Pete Judd             KD7LMQ   147 Hokanson Rd Elma WA 98541
LVV    Mark Tyler            KD7LVV   2247 Sapp Rd SW Tumwater WA 98512                     360-352-5990
LWB    Jon Bennett           W7LWB    7132 Hawks Prairie Rd NE Lacey WA 98516               360-459-0697
LYY    Dan Conrad            KD7LYY   2629 Ballantine Dr SE Olympia WA 98506
LZA    Phil Norris           KD7LZA   205 Shadow Ln NE Olympia WA 98506                     360-491-1873
LZE    Don Sander            KD7LZE   8113 Mazama Ct SW Olympia WA 98512

MHC    Marc Cote             KD7MHC   2105 Wedgewood Dr SE Olympia WA 98501                 360-753-2276
MND    Jesse Tyler           KD7MND   2247 Sapp Rd SW Tumwater WA 98512                     360-352-5990
MNM    Marie Chambers        KC7MNM   908 Narnia Lane NW Olympia WA 98502                   360-866-0800
MNM    David Nightingale     KD7MNM   2423 Woodfield Lp SE Olympia WA 98501                 360-491-1280
MNO    Kim Skoropinski       KD7MNO   1902 80th Ave SE Olympia WA 98501-6852
MX     Ken Elfbrandt         AA7MX    918 Corral Lane SE Tumwater WA 98501                  360-357-4447

NE     Rollo Shaw            AB7NE    1809 Sawyer St SE Olympia WA 98501                    360-754-9682
NMU    Chris Kennedy         KB7NMU   3842 74th Ave. SE Olympia WA 98501                    360-491-2819
NN     Ron Hill              W7NN     10624 Zephyr Ln SW Olympia WA 98512                   360-352-7779
NV     Don Shields           KJ7NV    1872 Circle LN SE Lacey WA 98503                      360-438-5066

OH     James Elliott         AA7OH    3455 Martin Way #18 Olympia WA 98506                  360-456-5571
OQJ    Brett Taylor          KC7OQJ   3720 Wesley Loop NW Olympia WA 98502                  360-866-0683
OQM    Kathy Watkinson       KC7OQM   1405 9th Ave SE Olympia WA 98501                      360-943-4352

PJS    Jan Skoropinski       KD7PJS   1902 80th Ave SE Olympia WA 98501-6852
PNX    Lisa Withers          KB7PNX   6010 193rd Ave SW Rochester WA 98579                  360-273-8614
PRT    Jack Barber           W1PRT    4316 Chambers Lake Dr. SE Lacey WA 98503              360-438-5921
PS     Sara Lyon             AB7PS    7734 Nottingham Ct SE Olympia WA 98503                360-459-9263
PT     Bill Phillips         AB7PT    1111 Archwood Dr SW #279 Olympia WA 98502             360-754-0271
PT     David Palmer          AC7PT    2413 Woodfield Lp SE Olympia WA 98501
PUC    Al Williams           K7PUC    706 Frederick St NE Olympia WA 98506                  360-753-1328

QHK    Ruth Bolstad          KC7QHK   929 Trosper Rd SW Tumwater WA 98512-6961              360-754-7433

RDJ    Bob Campbell          WA7RDJ   9101-24 Steilacoom Rd. Olympia WA 98513               360-491-6460
RHK    Kathleen Moore        KC7RHK   2407 Tyndell Circle SW Tumwater WA 98502              360-357-6234
ROZ    Duane Bradford        WB7ROZ   204 Shadow Ln NE Olympia WA 98506

SAR    Keith McIntosh        K2SAR    PO Box 788 East Olympia WA  98540
SAY    Allan Jones           W7SAY    2752 Stratford Ln SW #3532 Tumwater WA 98512-6029     360-352-7516
SS     Lee Chambers          KI7SS    908 Narnia Lane NW Olympia WA 98502                   360-866-0800
SSD    Sharon Kinder         N7SSD    502 S. Edison St. Olympia WA 98501                    360-943-6187

TAG    Ken Dahl              K7TAG    1120 Palomino Ct SE Tumwater WA 98501-8633            360-534-9357
TPT    Ghery Pettit          N6TPT    3131 Leeward Ct NW Olympia WA 98502

UUO    Wallace Music         W7UUO    5305 Stikes Ct. SE Lacey WA 98503                     360-491-0354
UXU    Finch Johnston        KA7UXU   6335 103rd Ave SW Olympia WA 98512                    360-236-1319

VNY    Morgan Chambers       KC7VNY   908 Narnia Lane NW Olympia WA 98502                   360-866-0800

WIC    Isabel Ernest         KA7WIC   2718 24th Ave. SE Olympia WA 98501                    360-352-2503
WW     Ed Fitzgerald         N7WW     5006 Lacey Blvd. SE Lacey WA 98503                    360-491-2289

YD     Robert Lyon           AA7YD    7734 Nottingham Ct SE Olympia WA 98503                360-459-9263

ZOW    Ray Ferris            W7ZOW    2318 Boulevard Ct. SE Olympia WA 98501                360-357-2219
ZPS    Dorothy Ferris        W7ZPS    2318 Boulevard Ct. SE Olympia WA 98501                360-357-2219
ZTU    Mick Bush             N7ZTU    1003 Surrey Trace Dr. SE Olympia WA 98501             360-956-3312
ZWN    Kristopher Chambers   KC7ZWN   908 Narnia Lane NW Olympia WA 98502                   360-866-0800
 

-- back to OARS home page