THE LOCAL OSCILLATOR - December 2005 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/LO0512.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 RACES CW GROUP CHRISTMAS DINNER IRLP NODE NEW MEXICO QSO PARTY INCOME/EXPENSE BACK PAGE COMING EVENTS Sun CW net 7.142 MHz 4:00PM M-F 6 m FM net 52.540 6:00AM Mon YL Rise & Shine 449.9 8:30AM Mon WTRA Swap net 146.88 8:00PM Wed Net 146.64 6:45PM M-F round-table 52.525MHz 8:00PM MWF Informal get together Wal-Mart W (Valley) 10AM TTH Informat get together Wal-Mart E (Walton) 10AM Nov 24 Turkey Trot race Dec 3 NO Breakfast 8:00AM Club House Dec 3 NO Business meeting 9:15AM Club House Dec 3 NM QSO Party Contact N5KEV@msn.com Dec 5 Club Christmas Party Chilitos 6:30PM Dec 7 1st Wed after 1st Sat Directors at Club House 7:00PM Jan 7 Next Club Meeting PRESIDENT'S CORNER N5PK We are nearing  the end of a good year for the MVRC.   We accomplished a lot in 2005, we went a long way towards putting our club back on solid  ground financially once again, we responded to every opportunity given us to perform public service, we've continued our desire to provide training  for the development of quality volunteer radio operators, we've had fun times at the bean feed,  field day, and at all activities we have supported.  A big plus that I've seen is that we are  be coming more friendly and a closer knit group than in the recent past.   These things, we have accomplished together. A special thanks for those members of the board of directors and officers who so unselfishly served with me as leaders in our club.   For me, it has been an honor serving you, the members of the MVRC and I'm looking forward to working along side you for another term.   We've done very well this year, but together we can do better!. For several weeks now,  we've had an on going antenna party.   We began with Ken Wright, NT3W, a past member who may be leaving the area  permanently very soon now.,   Next we moved out to the west mesa to assist in the removal of N5JHV's towers and antennas, this has been a three or four trip project but lots of fun   Many  thanks to the crew of John Beakly, Rod Davis and Richard Johnson for their labor of love for the MVRC and Amateur Radio.  Oh yes, they let me help them some provided I would stay out of their way! A short reminder or two.   Make plans to attend the Christmas party, see details elsewhere in the L.O., also there will be a board of directors meeting in December to finalize the proposed budget for 2006. God Bless you all as you and your families celebrate the coming holiday season. RACES KD5OHA On Oct.31 sixteen local amateur operators got together to cover the MVTC annual 26 mile marathon race. It started at the field of dreams. Not only did we keep track of the position of the participants, but we were also helpful in directing the water vendors to the appropriate sites. We also helped coordinate communications between race officials and other volunteer organizations. On November 12 some of these same operators and others helped with the annual Baylor Pass Run. Both events were very successful with no major casualties. I would like to thank everyone that helped. The next event we have is the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot race that starts at 8:30 on Thanksgiving day. CW GROUP K5DI We had a fine meeting in November and we found the 20 meter beam working and the 40 meter wire was very good. We worked several people. We are looking for people who are interested in becoming more active in Amateur Radio. We plan to set up a mentoring service wherein a person knowing nothing about HF radio can learn and get on the air. If you are interested, we meet the First Monday of every month at 7 PM at the Clubhouse. CHRISTMAS DINNER KJ5Q First alert about Christmas dinner Monday, December 5 - 6:30 pm Chilitos on Foothills Road Will have choices from limited menu - 3 American & 3 Mexican Price will be about $10.00+- per person More details in December LO (Unfortunately the LO has no more details.) Tres will have club shirts to distribute -- $22.50 per shirt. IRLP NODE K5XY There is a new IRLP node accessible from Las Cruces. An IRLP node is a radio connection to the internet which allows communication between two amateur stations utilizing the internet. The new node is a repeater located on Caballo Peak with an output frequency of 448.500 MHz and an input frequency of 443.500 (100 Hz tone). The repeater is usable from most of Las Cruces. It is controlled by touchtones. Some of the touchtone control codes are given below. IRLP Node 3409, Echolink Node 249171 *69 - Star69 - Plays IRLP connection history ** - Check Internet Link Status *ABC - Speaks the current time 73 - Disconnect Node *#12 - Play announcement IRLP Quick Connect Nodes - Prefix with *; For all other IRLP Nodes just enter Node Number 1) 3097 - N5FAZ 5) 4494 - KC6HUR 2) 3676 - KB5GAS 6) 5410 - MB7IKE 3) 3979 - NO5DE 7) 7370 - KJ6VU 4) 3887 - N5IMJ 8) 3672 - KH6FV-3 Echolink Nodes - Prefix all Echolink Nodes with # There are two main systems for linking amateur radio to the internet, IRLP and Echolink. Both are available from this new repeater and have been recently described in QST. More information on IRLP can be found on the Internet at www.irlp.net. Information on Echolink can be found at www.echolink.org. The IRLP number of this node is 3409. The echolink number is 249171. The repeater and all the auxiliary equipment has been assembled by N5BBD An example QSO is given here. I keyed my 443.500 fm transceiver for about 1 second to allow the tone controller to pick up. I then entered 3097 (the IRLP number of an El Paso repeater) to connect the Caballo repeater through the internet to that repeater in El Paso. My voice then went out over the air and I was answered by WB5LJO. We had a 10 minute QSO. I then sent two tones (73) to break the connection. The actual connection was more complicated than given here, but the end result was as if we were both using the same repeater. My general impression is that the systems are not heavily used, are technically sophisticated, require no equipment except the ability to use a 70 CM repeater, and offer the possibility of communicating at repeater quality with a wide variety of stations in a wide variety of places. If there is interest, more details can be given here. For details and the answers to questions see the above listed web sites or contact N5BBD at pjohannik@starband.net NEW MEXICO QSO PARTY Kevin, N5KEV,is gearing up for a New Mexico QSO Party. This will run from 0000Z until 2359Z, December 3, 2005, CW and phone, 160 to 10 Meters. Contact Kevin at for detailed information about power, points, multipliers, etc. INCOME/EXPENSE KJ5Q Mesilla Valley Radio Club Income/Expense October 1 through October 31, 2005 Beginning Balances MVRC Checking Account 3298.94 MVRC Savings Account 4106.25 Education Fund Account 2523.13 Cash on Hand 49.47 Balances Total 9977.79 Income Breakfast & Drinks 86.00 Dues 80.00 Equipment Sales 25.00 Total Income 191.00 Balances + Income 10168.79 Expenses Breakfast 47.29 Field Day 48.15 Insurance 950.00 Utilities Electricity 29.10 Propane 171.73 Telephone 26.32 Water 14.36 Total Expenses 1286.95 Balances on hand, Oct 31, 2005 8881.84 Ending Balances MVRC Checking Account 2202.46 MVRC Savings Account 4106.25 Education Fund Account 2523.13 Cash on Hand 50.00 Balances Total 8881.84 UNCLASSIFIED ADS WANTED: New Mexico ham radio callsign license plates for 1961 (undated, red on white), 1962 (’61 with 1962 sticker), 1963 (’61 with 1963 sticker), 1989, and 2003. Will pay $50 each for 1961-1963, $25 each for 1989 and 2003. Bill Johnston, K5ZI, 382-7804. FOR SALE: as a package. 1) Icom 735 HF rig with hand-held IC-HM12 mic. The mic. has frequency up/down buttons. 2) Pyramid "Phase III" 12 volt, 35 amp power supply 3) MFJ model MFJ-941C +Versa Tuner II 4) Akigawa model PM-3HV lighted swr/power meter (requires +12 Vdc). This meter has full-scale ranges of 20W, 200W, 1000W Price: $450 for the package Contact WZ5R 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 k5xy@arrl.net. The club has a web site maintained by WA2NIJ at http://www.zianet.com/mvrc. OFFICERS Pres Jack Lemons N5PK 526-9428 n5pk@zianet.com VPr Tres Campbell KD5HZI 373-2008 trscam@netscape.net Sec Judy Davis W5JRD 522-6833 judy@davis-domain.com Tres Sandra Hempfling KJ5Q 373-1166 kj5q@arrl.net BOARD Communications George Kopp KD5OHA 525-1956 geokd5oha@yahoo.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 Clubhouse Bob Bennett AD5LJ 382-0148 rbennett@zianet.com Repeaters Brad Sacca KC5SKE 382-4380 shiekyerbouty@msn.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 ($35 single, $45 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?