THE LOCAL OSCILLATOR - October 2004 NOTE: An HTML version is available at www.mvrc.qzxservices.com. A pdf file of the web edition is available at www.mvrc.qzxservices.com/pdf/LO0410.pdf. It will be easy to print that edition. If you do not have the free pdf reader you can get it at www.adobe.com TABLE OF CONTENTS COMING EVENTS PRESIDENT'S CORNER TRANSMITTER HUNT MEETING TIME VOTE USE OF CLUB STATION TECH CLASS UNCLASIFIED OPINION BACK PAGE COMING EVENTS Week days 6 m FM net 52.540 6:00AM Mon WTRA Swap net 146.88 8 PM Wed Net 146.64 6:45PM round-table 52.525MHz 8 PM Weekdays Informal get together Mon Wed Fri Munson Center 10AM Tue Thur Wal-Mart E Oct 2 Breakfest 8 AM Club House Oct 2 Business meeting 9:15AM Club House Oct 11 Social Meeting (2nd Mon) 6 PM Golden Corral Oct 13 1st Wed after 2nd Mon Directors at Club House 7:00PM Oct 15 - 17 Tech class Club House Oct 31 marathon Nov 11 Baylor Pass run PRESIDENT'S CORNER KD5SSF School has started. In October MVRC will hold classes for the Technician class license. One of the draws of Amateur Radio is the continuing education that it provides. Anyone who is active in Amateur Radio is learning. One of the differences between the meetings that we have and that of many other groups is that we have a session for learning in nearly every meeting. Even our periodicals are full of articles that teach. This is good on many levels. Not only does learning make us more informed it helps us stay healthy and keeps our mind working better. Learning people contribute more to society. Let's keep learning and continue to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. TRANSMITTER HUNT KD5SSF Following the meeting on October 2 we will be having a transmitter hunt. You will need a radio (or scanner) that receives in the 2-meter band (144-148 MHz). A directional antenna for will also be useful. Maps of the area of the hunt will be provided. You may want to bring a compass for orienting the map. If you have questions, contact Tim Linn (KD5SSF) at 521-0486. MEETING TIME VOTE KD5SSF At the general membership meeting at 9:15 AM on Saturday, October 2 the board of directors will be presenting a proposal to change the membership meeting to the evening of first Tuesday of the month. If you have preferences either way on this issue, make sure you attend so that your vote can be counted. USE OF CLUB STATION KD5SSF After the general membership meeting on Saturday, October 2 members will be available for anyone who wants to practice on or learn to use the radios at the club house. The club has two HF rigs and several VHF and UHF rigs will be available for use by those who are interested. TECH CLASS WZ5R We will be hosting a class leading to the Technician license. The class starts at 6 PM on Friday, October 15 at the club house. It runs through the day on Saturday and Sunday morning. The test will take place on Sunday afternoon about 12:30 PM. If you have any questions contact Joe San Filippo, WZ5R, 521-8215 UNCLASSIFIED FOR SALE: Butternut 6 band vertical with the 17 and 24 meter kits. Everything is there along with the instruction books. The antenna is up now and is working well on all but 20 meters. The asking price is $100.00. Call Fritz N5IAC. INFO REQUEST K5XY I would like two pieces of information. If you cannot be at the club meeting on Oct 2 to vote on the meeting time, please send your preference to K5XY (k5xy@arrl.net) at once. Does anyone in the club own a MFJ-259B or similar antenna analyzer. If so, please email me. (k5xy@arrl.net). OPINION: ARRL Nomination Process KC5NZR Many of us were surprised to hear that our Rocky Mountain Division Director, Walt Stinson W0CP was stepping down from his post. It was also announced Division Vice-director Rev Morton WS7W had filed a petition for nomination to fill the vacant director’s post. Also, Brian Mileshosky N5ZGT filed a petition to replace Morton as Vice-director. Both of these petitions were filed as per ARRL rules and procedures; the deadline for filing was the first week of August. Both individuals filing petitions are unopposed; they will be our next division leaders by default with no possible opposition. No one was able to challenge those petitioning for office because director Stinson's intention not to seek another term remained unannounced until after the date for filing a nominating petition had passed. No announcement was made of any petitions filed before the cut off date for nominations. Mileshosky filed a petition for a post in a division in which he will not reside for at least the current academic year. Was there collusion among the division leadership to push through this slate of nominations by default? Who knew of the director’s intention to step down and when did they know it? It is time for a more open process in choosing our division level leadership. Incumbent office holders should be required to make public their intentions to step down well in advance of nominating petition deadlines. Those intending to file petitions should make their intentions known publicly well in advance of nominating deadlines. Let your section and division leadership know your position on this issue. BACK PAGE The newsletter is always looking for articles and notes of interest to the members of the Mesilla Valley Radio Club. Please send them to Alex. F. Burr, K5XY, Editor, MVRC Local Oscillator, 695 Stone Canyon Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88011. Small personal ads from members will also be published. It would be helpful if submissions would be made in a machine readable form. MSDOS disks are welcome. Files can also be sent to the Internet address aburr@aol.com. The club has a web site maintained by WA2NIJ at http://www.zianet.com/mvrc. OFFICERS Pres Tim Linn KD5SSF 521-0486 kd5ssf@arrl.net VPr Bob Deal KD5PPP bob-verna@zianet.com Sec Carleton Talbot KC5MRM (915)877-3538 kc5mrm@zianet.com Tres Charlie Welch W5TLU 524-3412 cwwelch@usa.net BOARD Communications Karl Larsen K5DI 524-3303 k5di@zianet.com Education Joe San Filippo WZ5R 521-7574 sanfilippo@zianet.com Special Events Cash Olsen KD5SSJ 382-1917 KD5SSJ@zianet.com Newsletter Alex Burr K5XY 522-2528 k5xy@arrl.net Repeaters Brad Sacca KD5SKE 382-4380 sheikyerbouty@msn.com Facilities Bob Bennett AD5LJ 382-0148 rbennett@zianet.com JOIN THE CLUB To join the Mesilla Valley Radio Club, renew your membership, or to support the repeaters, please complete the form below and send it with dues ($25 single, $35 family per year) to: Treasurer, MVRC, Box 1443, Las Cruces, NM 88004. Name: Address: Call: Class of License: Phone: E-Mail Address: ARRL Member? Yes? No?