THE LOCAL OSCILLATOR - March 2006 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/LO0602.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 PRESIDEBT'S CORNER FIELD DAY TECHNICAL CLASS QRP GROUP LEARN CW MARCH PROGRAM ARES UNCLASSIFIED ADS MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 2006 BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 2006 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING 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 March 4 Breakfast 8:00AM Club House March 4 Business meeting 9:15AM Club House March 8 1st Wed after 1st Sat Directors at Club House 7:00PM March 9 Technical meeting Club House 7:00PM March 11 Run Old Mesilla March 23 Technical meeting Club House 7:00PM March 26 Bataan Death March April 1 Horse Race April 2 Triathelon April 4 Club House Clean-up Day Apr 21-23 General Class Club House Apr 30 Bean Feed Club House June 9=11 Rocky Mountain Hamconvention www.hamconcolorado.org June 24-25 Field Day Sept 8-10 Technician Class Club House Oct 27-29 General Class Club House PRESIDEBT'S CORNER N5PK Well, as all who were there know, we had a record attendance for our club facility at our February meeting. Cash did his usual great job with breakfast, our business secession went well, was productive and those who stayed for the program enjoyed that as well. I believe there was forty two or three folks in attendance. Let's keep this going! John Beakley and crew are in the process of removing Lee Kingsley's towers, one 78' and the other 68'. You will be seeing these Rohn 25 tower sections, fourteen or fifteen of them around our storage shed soon. Peter Percell, who recently moved to our area has purchased the property and is donating the two towers, a Th-7 beam and two other VHF or UHF beams for their removal. So, our thanks to John and crew. George Kopp submitted his resignation from the MVRC board of directors, citing personal reasons. George served us very well as Director of Communications. We shall miss the attention to detail and thorough manner in which George went about performing his duties. Take time to let George know how much we appreciate him. I have appointed John Beakley to complete the term vacated by George. John has much experience in this are and will be a great asset to the MVRC. With John's approval, I've enlisted David Hassell as the second person on the committee to act as John's right hand and to be responsible for our field day effort. So, I ask that each of you to make a special effort to support these two men as they direct the communications activities. The Lord willing, I will be out of town for the 4th of March meeting. Tres, our great Vice President will preside over the meeting so come to the meeting prepared to support Tres as if I were there. I will miss not being there and greeting everyone. A brief reminder concerning club dues. If your dues aren't received by April 1st, you will be placed on the in active list until dues are received. As I mentioned last month, our added expenses will require additional moneys if we are to continue as we have planned for this year, so let's pay our dues promptly, FIELD DAY WA5DJJ I am trying to start getting organized for this years field day Operation on June 24th and 25th of 2006. I am trying to setup for operation in the 3A class. This will allow us to have an All Band SSB Phone, an All Band CW, and a All Band Digital Station along with a VHF/UHF Station and a GOTA (Get on the Air) Station. This means we are going to need a lot of operators and loggers. It will be an easy task if we can get 12 operators and 12 loggers for each station because that would mean that you work your 2 hour shift and go home. I am also going to need 5 campers or motor homes to house the stations. I am going to need about 7 generators for the operational units and two spares to take care of the "UNKNOWN" contingencies. The Club has a nice antenna suite for field day and we will need some extra antenna crew members at the beginning (Saturday morning at 8:00 AM June 24th) and at the end (Sunday Afternoon at 12:00, June 25th). I would also like some extra members during the daylight hours to act as tour guides to show visitors around our operation and answer questions, guide them to the GOTA station where they would be invited to operate an Amateur Radio Station for themselves, and show them our visitor displays. The main object of Field day is to prove to ourselves that we really can make contacts and keep our amateur radio station on the air under emergency conditions for a 24 hour period. For some unknown reason, that always seems to be much harder than it sounds. We have to plan for power, computer, radio antenna and other failures to creep in and challenge our ability to adapt and overcome a failure to keep our station on the air. The contacts we make are counted and are a measurement of how well we have planned and executed our field day operation. It takes a tremendous amount of people, skill, and equipment all working together as a team to make a field day operation a success. So, start planning now for your contribution to the Messila Valley Radio Club's field day operation. I am starting a operator and logger reservation chart for all three stations. (I think the PSK-31 Station will only need one person to operate it as the program has it's own logging program built in.) Since we are a club station and operated under an Extra Class License, Technician Class operators are invited to operate both the VHF/UHF station AND the HF Phone, CW or PSK stations. I will be your Controll Operator. This is our great challange for the year - To be the Top Station in New Mexico. If you have any questions, comments, or want to sign up for a particular operating position, help out with equipment or be part of an antenna crew, you can contact me at 505-532-1351 on the phone or e=mail me at dhassall@zianet.com. Let's get started now to make this the best field day ever. TECHNICAL CLASS N5PK Hello All, the Tech class for this spring has been canceled. Somehow we've not been getting the word out as we should or there is really no interest within our community. I believe there is a need however, so we just must do a better job of reaching out. This will require all members of the Board of Directors as well as all members of the MVRC to get the message out there. I'm excited about the enthusiasm being seen within the MVRC and believe good things and good times lie ahead. QRP GROUP K5DI The first meeting of the QRP Group was a complete bust. Dave Hassall and I had a great 30 minute chat about many things and we waited until 7:30 PM with hopes that someone would show up late. But no luck. Therefore the QRP Group which was talked about in the last Local Oscillator and the last General Meeting is canceled and will not be held. I will instead ask those I know in the city who are now QRP Operators to form a Las Cruces QRP Club and meet elsewhere in town. LEARN CW K5DI It seems certain that the FCC will not make the No-Code General a fact this year. So if your waiting for this to happen and don't mind waiting another year do nothing.It WILL happen, sometime. If your looking for a quicker way this can also happen. I plan to offer the Chuck Adams CW class which uses a CD-Rom with 32 MP3 sections that contain Morse code at the start of about 15 wpm. But it's just two characters. It goes on adding things as you progress. There is an answer sheet which you all will have on the CD-Rom. The class start March 6 and will meet daily Monday through Friday for about an hour where we will do most of the learning. You will write down what you hear in a spiral notebook which will be provided. The class will be held in Mesilla Park at a location to be determined.The cost will be $10.00. You will need to buy a MP3 player that uses a regular CD-ROM. Wal Mart has these for around $15.00. In 3 weeks I expect you all to be able to copy 10 WPM. Then you can take the General Class and pass both the Code and the Written and be a General that same day! I need 5 people to take this course or it will not happen. MARCH PROGRAM KD5HZI The presentation for March will be on Echolink. The presenter will be Rod WK5I. Rod is active with this type of communications and will be able to show us all how to get set up, what type of equipment and software is needed. Should be interesting for all. ARES WM5Z DACARES (Dona Ana County Amateur Radio Emergency Services) holds their meetings every second Tuesday of the month. The next meeting will be held on March 14th at 7:00 PM MST. The location is at 361 S. Motel BLVD. This is just south of I-10 on the E. side of the road. If you would like to have dinner with us, dutch treat, arrive earlier. The Dona Ana ARES (DACARES) has a yahoo group set up to publish information relative to ARES and RACES in this location. Go to . This is an informal group open to anyone interested in ARES and RACES in Dona Ana County. Anyone interested in serving in ARES should contact Steve Friis, WM5Z or Val Woosley at 526-3570. UNCLASSIFIED ADS K5DI reports the fellow who bought a Ham's home wants to give away two towers which have antenna's on them. The towers are about 65 feet and 70 feet. Contact Peter Tresall at 496-8865. Call for directions and further info. MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 4, 2006 BUSINESS MEETING W5JRD The MVRC met at the clubhouse on February 4, 2006 for the regular business meeting. The meeting was called to order by President Jack Lemons (N5PK) at 9:15 am. Reports: Judy Davis (W5JRD) Secretary – Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved with two corrections. Sandra Hempfling (KJ5Q) Treasurer – There is a total of $13,181.88 in all accounts as of January 31, 2005. We had a total of 45 members at the start of the meeting. Tres Campbell (KD5ZHI) Vice President – The order for the club mugs has been submitted. The wholesale price will be $!.95 each. It was decided to sell them for $5.00 each. Pre-orders are now being taken. Club shirts can still be ordered. Anyone with ideas for programs for the meetings should contact Tres Cash Olsen (KD5SSJ) Special Events – Official sanction from ARRL has been received for the Bean Feed. George Kopp (KD5OHA) Communications- Upcoming races are as follows: Super Bowl Race – February 5, 9:30 am. Old Mesilla Run – March 11 Bataan Death March – March 26 Horse Race – April 1 Triathlon – April 2 Volunteers are needed for Wednesday night net control Joe San Filippo (WZ5R) Education – Tech and General level classes will be held if at least 6 people register for each class. Dave Hassall (WA5DJJ) – Elmering sessions will be held February 9 and 23 starting at 7:00 pm. The CW classes will no longer be held. QRP classes will be held instead on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 pm. Marnie Leverett (KA2FVO) reported on the annual audit of the club books. No discrepancies were found. Brad Sacca (KC5SKE) reported that outdated items are available from the county and volunteers are needed go through the items before the Bean Feed. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 am The program consisted of a display and discussion of various typed of radios. MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2006 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING W5JRD Board members in attendance were: Jack Lemons (N5PK) Tres Campbell (KD5ZHI) Sandra Hempfling (KJ5Q) Judy Davis (W5JRD) Bob Bennett (AD5LJ) George Kopp (KD5OHA) Cash Olsen (KD5SSJ) Alex Burr (K5XY) Reports: President Jack Lemons called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. The minutes were read by Judy Davis and approved as read. Sandra Hempfling read the treasure’s report - The club as $13,181.88 in all accounts as of January 31, 2006. There are now 64 paid members. The report was approved as read. Jack Lemons announced that the Bean Feed still needs volunteers for kitchen crew, clean-up crew, sign painters, item pricers. More donated equipment is needed for the Bean Feed sale. George Kopp - Communications - Upcomming races will be Old Mesilla Run, March 11, Bataan Death March March 26, Horse Race April 1, and Triathlon April 2. Tres Campbell – Vice President – Mugs will be ready for sale at the Bean Feed and Field Day. An order for 144 mugs has been submitted. Cash Olsen - Special Events. – A receipt of $82.50 for purchase of a duplexer was submitted. It was approved and paid. A program on amateur radio has been requested for a class at Hermosa Heights elementary school. Volunteers are needed to support this program. The exact date will be announced later. The Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm. INCOME/EXPENSE KJ5Q Mesilla Valley Radio Club January 1 through January 31, 2006 Beginning Balances MVRC Checking Account 7117.12 MVRC Savings Account 4107.99 Education Fund Account 2523.13 Cash on Hand 50.00 Balances Total 13798.24 Income Breakfast & Drinks 78.50 Contributions 350.00 Dues 855.00 Newsletter$ 10.00 T-shirt sales 45.00 Interest Income 1.05 Total Income 1339.55 Balances + Income 15137.79 Expenses Education Classes 32.10 Utilities Electricity 83.92 Telephone 26.32 Water 11.17 Capital Exp-repeater 1802.40 Total Expenses 1955.91 Balances on hand, Jan. 31, 2006 13181.88 Ending Balances MVRC Checking Account 1531.81 MVRC Savings Account 9109.04 Education Fund Account 2491.03 Cash on Hand 50.00 Balances Total 13181.88 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 John Beakley WK5C 522-7078 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?