ISSN 1067-0262, CODEN AAOVE3. ©Austin Amateur Radio Club, Inc. and/or the Austin Repeater Organization. Published monthly by the Austin Amateur Radio Club, Inc.

Viewpoints expressed in the AARCOVER do not necessarily reflect those of any club, or of its members, directors, or officers. Material quoted from the ARRL Letter is supplied by American Radio Relay League, Inc.

Members and other readers are encouraged to submit material for publication. Mail to Mitch London at the address shown for KD5HCV on QRZ.com, or the contact means shown above. FAX available on schedule. Submissions may be edited for publication. Deadline is the 15^th of the month. Material may be used in a later issue. Unless otherwise noted, permission is granted to reprint AARCOVER articles, provided you credit the author and the AARCOVER.

 

The meeting place for AARC is at the ARL facilities.
The ARL Auditorium is located at 10100 Burnet Road at the Pickle Research Center. The building is located at the intersection of Rutland and Burnet Rd. This is just across from Jack-in-the-Box.

There is very little parking along Burnet Rd. You may enter a larger parking lot just north of the building where the meeting is held. Enter the next road north of the building. The guard shack is usually unmanned at night. Turn left after the guard shack. There is a walkway that leads to the front of the building. You must enter the building from the Burnet Rd side of the building.
 

Meeting Location for ARO is Marimont cafeteria.
Austin Repeater Organization (ARO) meets at Marimont Cafeteria located at the corner of 38th & Guadalupe . The meetings will be in the style they have always been, i.e. business meeting and presentation.

If any of this information changes be sure to check out the austinhams.org website for the latest.

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See a copy of the AARCOVER as it went out in the mail in a easy to view.pdf format. Click HERE!!

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Table of Contents

Next Meeting Topics         Upcoming Exams       Calendar of Events
News & Stories            New Members
Peridodic Events          Exam Results        Letter From the Editor

AARC Speaker – June 8th

The program will deal with various aspects of Field Day 2004, come by to hear the latest.
 
 
 

Upcoming Amateur Exams

  ARRL VEC   - June 5th & July 10th- 9a.m. at Murchison Middle School - Take Far West Blvd. From MoPac (Loop 1) west to Hart Ln. (turn left). Then right on North Hills Dr. Enter school from South (North Hills Dr.) entrance. Contact Joe Makeever, W5HS (345-0800) or Joe Thiel, N5SMN (832-0450) for information. $12 examination fee.

  W5YI VEC - June 19th & July 17th  21- 2p.m. in room 109, Fleck Hall, St. Edwards University. Contact Jim Greenwood, AB5EK@arrl.net, (327-6184), http://texasparadise.com/w5yi-austin for more information. $12 exam fee.
 
 

June 3-6 Republic of Texas Biker Rally at Travis County Expo Center MSET-TX looking for volunteers to help with comms,
handle traffic w/EMS, Security, and event staff ray@mset-tx.org

June 18-19 Arlington Ham-Com West Gulf Division www.hamcom.org  Barry WA5KXX chairman@hamcom.org
     214-361-7574 or 972-596-4669

June 12VHF QSO Party Anderson High (Field Day shakedown) 9AM-tropo ending Joe Fisher K5EJL@arrl.net

June 25-27 Field Day setup and operating weekend AARC/ARO/many other clubs at Anderson High Stuart Rohre K5KVH@arrl.net
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

June        July            Austin Meetings/Happenings
1             6                 ARO Meeting, Marimont Cafeteria         7:00p.m.
12           10               Austin QRP Club, Owens on I-35 N       11:30 a.m.
8             13               AARC Meeting, ARL Auditorium            7:00 p.m.
15           20               ATV Club Meeting, Marimont                  7:00 p.m.
19           17              QCWA Meeting Owens Restaurant         11:30a.m.
28           26              Travis Co. REACT  Denny’s on Burnet     7:00 p.m.
No          27              Travis County A.R.E.S., Marimont            7:00 p.m.
 
 

* These Clubs meet at ARL Auditorium.
Visitors are welcome whether they are licensed hams or not. Other meetings or activities are listed under the headings for Calendar and for Periodic Events.
 

YOU are vital to Field Day.
Some or most of you probably were at AARC for the FD survey. John, KG5O presented some results at Tues. AARC/ ARO
officers meeting. There were plenty of offers to help set up( and we hope they come back to take down Sun.) Fewer offered to operate.Committee needs to talk to people and see what we can get them to operate. WE may need trainers other than rig owners to handle teaching logging, paper records, etc.

Many offered equipment, but if it will operate on whatever power we get, remains a question.(A TS 2000 is not a Field Day station for example.) Someone needs to see what people have vs. battery drain of it, and make a list.Also check on state of CW filters, etc.Would not hurt to have backup rigs. We actually already have enough HF rigs, and have a plan for improving the CW filtering for the TS 140 Red Cross loans to FD.

Officers accepted Joe Fisher's suggestion of an added activity and FD warm up check out.operate ARRL VHF QSO party, and check out VHF UHF antennas and all rigs with chance for ops to come learn how they work.Set up one or more HF antenna at Anderson for this rig check out/ learning opportunity.club antenna trailer for easy up HF and VHF/ UHF. If contest is not 24 hours, we just need be there one day. This will be  June 12th at 9am at Anderson High School. This would also be a good time to at least have one logging  computer set up, and if possible test network. Also train all in back up logging which will be log sheets, dupe sheets and W5SIO pads. (scratch pads made by folding a sheet of paper in thirds, listing stations heard and worked top to bottom of each column. Check those worked.) Those give scorers a cross check of lapses in log and dupe agreement. One BIG question, how do we insure everyone who comes to operate on FD can do so when they are there?

History:We tried in past years to schedule every hour.Poor pre FD sign up for that.year sked was in 2 hour blocks for that reason.suggested  we put up schedule chalk board at each station.can sign in, and when someone comes up and sees the op has already been on an hour, we will have a rule they yield the station for another op.It is an appealing idea to try. Likely, those who feel that way are not dedicated contesters-who are going to stay on air once they had a taste of it. Maybe our rates would be better if each person worked as op one hour and switched off to logging or took a break?

Part of the pre sign up is for planning how many are going to be there for meal, for how many stations to set up, how many cokes and ginger ales to bring etc.large overnight crew, it would be nice to have a breakfast or at least donuts and coffee. It is really hard to plan if ops and attendees do not commit to the date early on!

Joe Fisher is head of BBQ and has passed the tests thereto! Now, several signed survey to help and he will need that worker list.

We need several chairs of various aspects. Mike Albritton has agreed to serve on antenna group, and I hope Bob Morgan will as well. And Jim W5SIO. Jeff has most of the VHF antennas; so hope he will serve in setting up club trailer tower. Joe, Bob and I, will have to work out with Red Cross getting gate opened on a Sat. for 12th. We need REACT to have a chair for publicity tables/ tent, and soft drink supplies and ice.pot and supplies.

We need someone to handle getting story in Austin Statesman and neighborhood papers like NW one. Maybe get a pre FD story in Anderson school paper before school is out, same for LBJ's school paper. Other schools? Need media person to hand out news releases to TV and radio, and NEWS 8. We have
sample story and will prewrite news release, just need foot soldiers to take these around and glad hand real people at papers and stations. They could be locating contact people now.

We need to try to get station captains.thinking is to adjust the number of stations to 3 or more HF, one VHF/ packet, depending on interests, ops sign ups. There have not been enough packet contacts to make having separate station in parallel for packet alone, so would ask packet and voice VHF to give each other time slices to try to work stations.they often co locate that should be coordinated easily. Still use a jump kit, if not tied up on logging duty.

We need a traffic chair, someone to oversee 10 messages sent out and 10 received in NTS format., need to send a message to SEC, and SCM Ray Taylor. Georgetown club exchanges messages with us.I have had a request however they not all end up Sat. night at N5OUJ's station, so need someone to put them on CenTex traffic net. This is a bonus points duty.

We need someone to copy on site by RTTY or voice/ CW the ARRL Field Day msg for bonus points. Each bonus is 100 pts.

The question of an EOC station entry for FD seems to have overlooked the lock down at City Co. EOC and the fact Red Cross key holders will be at Anderson site along with Red Cross reps.This is one of those ARRL attempts at something new that forgot about Homeland Security issues.to Red Cross station, a number of the rigs, jumper coax, antenna tuners, are needed at Anderson, so that station will be partly stripped. The space constriction there pretty much is one VHF op and one HF op at a time, anyway so not too practical.EOC entry does not seem feasible there. Plus there are security issues, as that is an alarmed facility, and the Police in that neighborhood consider anyone there after late dark a trespasser.whole ARRL EOC entry has to use a pre existing EOC set up, antennas, rigs, etc, and emergency power, which Red Cross site does not have since those batteries come out to Anderson in some cases. There is no mobile provision.

IF we get station captains, should they furnish everything, or is it better to do as we have done, and use best field rigs, borrow tents  from a variety of sources, use the club antenna kits, and let captains concentrate on the time and people operating problems?club equipment and antenna inventory is good; so I would encourage Captains to be logging and people supervisors to insure all, (most) hours are covered when bands are open.

We have a tremendous investment in Field Cases containing complete antennas, spare feed lines, accessories such as tent stakes, guy and support lines, club tri band dipole, club masts, and have a ready member source for VHF/ UHF beam, HF beam, and enough wire antennas to support a 5 or 6 station HF
operation.greatly speed up set up, as they are marked and packed ready to load From Red Cross station;and you work out of them during set up and take down club has tool chest that travels with the kits.

Our biggest need is for batteries, and my suggestion is to not fool with old noisy generator but rent the quiet small Honda type(s) like Lew Thompson owns.

BTW, Lew's turnkey station for a 100 watt set up will again be available (and he for its set up). This is tent, G5RV, all band 40 to 10 vertical and generator for that site, and his Band Pass filters for each band station that he might cause QRM to. He operates on one club call, and the other stations group operates on other club call.

Historically, ATV club sets up a satellite station and we have again asked them to do that.Satellite is a grim situation with an ailing AO 40, but there is hope it may recover.is at least one VHF/ UHF satellite in low orbit that might be working. ATV and Glenn Curry have been asked to take on demo station of an 803.11 type part 97 set up.

Glenn has also taken on looking at logging programs and gathering hardware to wirelessly network logging stations. Lee Cooper is looking to get permission to use ARCHES jump kit PCs and we need help for him to insure inverters for 24 hour power off AC, as batteries in kits are only for VHF radios.

We need someone to be committee to make up 5 or 6 flat back screen shields to go around lap top screens so they can be seen in bright summer light of June!would be hoods of foam board painted flat black on side toward screens to improve contrast.

Jeff, N5MNW hopes to have a keyboard CW controller working at Field Day. Jeff, remind me to see what key input connector the TS 140 has.

We need a volunteer photographer for set up day Fri., and all day Sat. and Sun. Could be several people. But, need them to take a list we have of specific needed photos for proofs of our set up and bonuses we get for solar charged battery, batteries powering stations, Hospitality/ publicity table, etc. The demo and satellite stations have to be photographed for bonus credit.
We have to take pix of banners and signs at site.establish public place.

After many years of service we need to honor Joe Canfield's request to be relived as Power manager. We need someone to get gas and oil and keep generators stocked, to recharge and swap batteries as needed with pool batteries, to make sure we have a solar charged battery prepared before FD, and to drain oil and gas from generators and change oil before returning, or as instructed by rental co.

We have need of soft drinks and ice on Fri. set up day, and noon sandwiches for workers on Sat. Also snacks for overnight, fruit, plenty of bottled water all day and night. Sun. mornings used to have Breakfast crew, volunteers?jacks and donuts?

It is late but I must mention GOTA. This is a station that must be manned and erected by hams new to FD or who have not done field day in several years.year, it did not pan out, for the experienced but FD inactive ham who volunteered to chair, had to go on business out of town at last minute and we had no co chair.technically have almost no one of regular club members who can do this, as they must not have been to last two field days. Does anyone think of someone who might have the Captain's ability to lead new Techs in a HF station set up?only get bonus points if they make a certain 400 contacts, but it is a "free" station independent of our classification.As A Club, we will have class of x number of stations followed by "A".The 100 watt station will have "1A" and be separate entry.Since last year it used W5KA, this year we will switch and it will use W5TQ, and battery entries will use W5KA.Actually, I should hasten to add officers and committee can determine if this 100 watt entry is wanted, but since Lew offered to do all the work of it, and he has few die hard 100 watt ops, I would say, why not.

A word about class entry. IF we entry again as battery for KA, it multiplies our score.More benefit and less gas and oil used. (With Honda, I could not say less noise).A is most populated class, so not easy to compete without contesters skilled in art there.3A is pretty busy. 4A is easier to score in high standing, and 5 A and up gives you a top ten in class almost even if you do not man 5 stations 24 hours., class is maximum number of HF and VHF stations you have on at any one simultaneous time. You could do 5 as we have during day, and a couple over night., demo and GOTA are "free"; i.e. do not count against your total entry.But every QSO from them counts My suggestion: get ops committed and see how many would operate HF on Sat. afternoon and determine class from that.

Well, there are some points of reminder and thought.contact me with comments, questions and offers to Captain something from this long list of needed duties.Let me know what I forgot. Let me know new ideas of motivating people. Can't do cash prizes but door prizes??? Prize for most contacts on a band?Most ops on a station?Most modes by a station?IDEAS?If we had a bell, we could keep up pace by ringing it every 50 contacts.(Each log page holds 50).Anyone for bell duty?

Thanks and talk up Field Day!
Stuart Rohre
K5KVH
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Since its founding in May of 1914, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) -- the national  association of  Amateur Radio -- has worked to foster Amateur Radio communication in the United States and  beyond.

   The founders and early members of ARRL were on the cutting edge of wireless communication in their time, ninety years later, Amateur Radio is still around. We enjoy it, and it gives us a chance to help our communities  during times of disaster.

   There are more than 2000 ARRL affiliated clubs around the country. Along with public and emergency service activities, many clubs hold regular operating events, lend support to school radio clubs and share Amateur Radio technology with newcomers. Some people think that the Internet and other forms of communication would have replaced ham radio by now, that's definitely not the case.

   Today there are nearly 700,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the United States and more than 2.5 million worldwide. For more information, contact on the Web at www.arrl.org.
 
 

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/austinhams/
You can chat with others, send e-mail to the group, upload photos, get e-mail about important items, participate in polls and much more. This is a private group so not just anyone can join, you must be a member of the AARC or ARO to join.

Smokey's Korner
By Smokey Wiley, K5RDJ

 
If you’re going to operate CW, you will need away to compress what you are saying into text that is smaller in size than what has been said. By abbreviating words, you can greatly decrease the text that you have to send or receive without changing the meaning or intent. For instance, OM means Old Man. After you learn the abbreviations, you still have the Q codes to fall back on. Example: QRX means wait, QTH means your location, etc. The following list is just a partial listing of some common abbreviations. Care should be used not to over use the abbreviations on an operator of unknown experience.
AA – All after           AB – All before          AB – About          ADR – Address
AGN – Again           ANT – Antenna          BCI Broadcast Interference
BCL – Broadcast Listener                          BK – Break           B4 – Before            BN - Been
BUG – Semi Automatic Keyer                   C – Yes                 CFM – Confirm      CK - Check
CL – I am closing my station                     CLG – Calling         CLD - Called          CW - Continuous Wave
CUL – See you later                                 CUD – Could          DE – From          DX – Distant Station
ES – And               GA – Go Ahead           GB – Good Bye      GBA - Give Better Address
GND – Ground       HR – Hear                  HV – Have              HW – How
LID – Poor Operator                                 MSG – Message      N – No               NIL – Nothing
NR – Number           OC – Old Chap          OM – Old Man       OP - Operator
PSE – Please            PWR – Power              PX – Press            RCD – Received
RFI – Radio Frequency Interference           SKED – Schedule    SSB - Single Side Band
SRI – Sorry             TFC – Traffic             TKS – Thanks          TT – That
TX – Transmitter     WKD – Worked          WX – Weather         WUD - Would
XCVR – Transceiver  XTAL – Crystal        XYL – Wife              73 – Best Regards

The next thing I want to discuss is “Q” signals. “Q” signals can and do have two meanings. The difference is that a “Q” sent alone is the operator of station no. 1 telling operator of station no. 2 some information. If no.1 is asking no.2 something, he will send a question mark after the “Q” signal. I hesitate to give a complete list of “Q” signals because they seem to develop slightly different meanings as the years go by. Incorporate “Q” signals in your QSO as needed  after you fully understand their meaning.

Let us talk now about Readability, Strength and Tone.  Consult your own documentation for the meanings of R1 through R5, S1 through S9 and T1 through T9. After RST on CW you might see an X for the steadiness of crystal control. If you get an RST report followed by a “C” this indicates you have a chirp in your signal. A “K” means there is a click present. RST is used on CW contacts and if nothing is wrong with your signal there will be nothing after the report. If however, you receive an “X”, that means you are sending an exceptionally clean sounding signal. Most QRP rigs deserve an “X” because they use crystals to control the frequency of the transmitter.
When using phone, readability and strength is all that is used and you will not get an “X” “C” or “K”. As you can see, a lot of information can be sent in a short while, by compressing your text with abbreviations, “Q” codes and RST without distorting the meaning or intent of your QSO.

73, Smokey

   Chapter 67 celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 15th at a great party held at the home of Hal, W5MDL, and Lois Henegar.  There was more than enough Rudy’s bar-b-que for everyone.  Two special amateur radio operators who have been licensed for over 50 years were also honored at the party.  Mr. Pete Jordahl, K5GM, and Mr. Charlie Fancher, W5TTF received the QCWA Gold Award from the National Headquarters.  Congratulations!

   The June meeting of Chapter 67 will be held on June 19th at Ryan’s Restaurant at Parmer Lane and Metric Blvd. The meeting starts at 11:30AM. This is a new meeting location so please try to get there early so we can get organized and settled in!

   Always check the QCWA Chapter 67 web site at www.qcwa.net for meeting location and times. Remember, you don’t have to be a member to attend. This is a great opportunity for folks to come together. There is also an Austin QCWA e-mail reflector at Yahoo Groups under AQCWA. Or, just call Keith, K5WX, at 258-7169 or e-mail to K5WX@QCWA.net if you have questions.
 
 

http://yoshi.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=5328     Disposable computers?

http://www.utexas.edu/admin/utpd/atm.html     A new way to steal information from your PIN and  ATM cards

http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/03/19/1/?nc=1     For all OMs and OFs, here is the current skinny on what rules.

http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects/    Meteor Impact Crater Calculator

http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/   This link contains a photo essay about riding a motorcycle through the abandoned area near the former Chernobyl nuclear plant.
 
 
 

Nothing this Month
 

KD5PNO - JENNIFER EMMONS - AUSTIN

KE5ASU - BILL EASTMAN - AUSTIN

WL7MD - RICHARD LESTOR - AUSTIN

KE5AQD - ROGER BANKS - AUSTIN

AD5OO - DAVID RIVENBURG - AUSTIN

KD4FBF - BILL BUSH - ELGIN

KD5VRU - PAUL KINNEY - ELGIN

We're glad to have these folks aboard.  When
you have the opportunity, talk with them and
make them welcome.

Sun     6:45 p.m.                     Bastrop ARES net                              145.35-(114.8)/443.75+ MHz
Sun     7:30 p.m.                     Travis ARES net                                 147.36 MHz+ (131.8)
Sun     8:00 p.m.                     Travis ARES Packet                           145.73 MHz-
Sun     8:00 p.m.                     Williamson ARES net                          145.13 MHz-
Sun     9:00 p.m.                     ARO Swapnet                                     146.94 MHz-
Sun     (After Swapnet)           Newsline                                             146.94 MHz-
Mon    6:45 p.m.                     Hays ARES net                                  147.10 MHz-
Wed    8:00 p.m.                    Code Practice                                     146.78 MHz
Wed   11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.         Travis County ARES lunch @ Jim’s Restaurant, Burnet and 183. Call 837-1119
Thu     11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  Lunch @Waterloo Ice House, 8600 Burnet Rd.     444.1 MHz+
Sat     7:00-8:30 a.m.              Breakfast Waterloo Ice House, 8600 Burnet Rd.      444.1 MHz+
Sat     9:00 a.m.                     Chapter 67 QCWA QSO Net.              3.920 MHz LSB
Daily CTTN Central Texas Traffic Net, 6:30 p.m. 147.14 MHz+

ARO Meeting, May 4, 2004

The meeting was called to order at 7:15pm by President Jeff Schmidt, N5MNW, at the Marimont Cafeteria on 38th at Guadalupe.

Visitors: Bill Morgan, N6XGX, and his XYL, Beverley.

Monthly Drawing Winner: Leigh Jared, KD5SPZ, won the door prize, a PC power distribution box.

Minutes: The April 2004 ARO meeting minutes were approved as published in the AARCOVER.

Treasury Report: Treasurer Roger Wines, W5WIA, reported a bank balance of $3084.72. Roger announced an incentive plan to boost club membership. Sign up a new member and get a credit. Get 4 credits and have next year’s dues waived. Details will be announced at the AARC meeting next week. Roger also announced that the final modifications to the 501c3 application are to be mailed in.

Technical Committee: President Schmidt said that the interference on the 146.94 repeater is most likely due to the amount of RF energy on the hill where the antenna is located.

Old Business: None.   New Business: None.

Web Site: Nothing to report.

Ham of the Month: President Schmidt nominated John Meaker, KR4AH, as Ham of the Month for organizing and running a hand-on GPS training exercise and picnic. The membership approved to thank John.

Equipment Loaner Program: The club’s MFJ259B antenna analyzer and FT530 HT are available. Contact Lori Schmidt, KM5MQ, to reserve equipment and make suggestions for new equipment.

Announcements: Smokey Wiley, K5RDJ, said that Jeanne Burroughs, K5JZX, was back in town for a short while. A get-together to wish her well on her foreign assignment will be held on Sunday, May 9, at 3pm at Rudy’s BBQ on Loop 360.

Smokey announced that the informal ARES lunch that’s held each Wednesday at Jim’s on 183 will now be called the “Give Your Spouse a Break Day”.
Smokey also announced that the QCWA will celebrate their 30th anniversary with a barbecue at Hal Henegar’s house on Sat. May 15. Hal, W5MDL, lives at 901 Hollybluff St. Bring a yard chair and $5.

Lori Schmidt, KM5MQ, is taking orders for Field Day t-shirts. The t-shirts are $15 each. The order needs to be submitted in the next 2 weeks.

Stuart Rohre, K5KVH, mentioned that the ARRL sent another reply to the FCC regarding BPL. Stuart asked all to send an email to President Bush regarding the President’s misunderstanding of BPL, to point out that BPL will interfere with emergency communications.

Smokey Wiley asked for information for a presentation on cross band repeating. He was looking for the “Do’s and Don’t’s” that were presented a couple of years ago.
President Schmidt thought that he had the lists at home.

Rick Kirchhof, KD5ABM, announced that the next “Hands-on Hamming” program at the May 11 AARC meeting will look at contest logging software. Please bring information on programs that you have used or know of.

The business meeting was adjourned at 7:55pm.

Program: Roger Wines gave a colorful slide show of his Field Day adventure in Maui last year. Roger was on a business trip with his wife Jeri and found that he could also enjoy hamming while there. After the business portion of the trip, Roger & Jeri checked into Sea Q Maui (www.seaqmaui.com), a ham-friendly bed and breakfast on the island. Since it was Field Day weekend, Roger operated W5WIA/KH6. He got many contacts and had several pile-ups to work with that call.
The photos of Maui were enjoyable. The photos of the QTH-away-from-home were very interesting. The stories that Roger told were amusing.
Submitted by John Suchyta, KG5O - ARO Secretary
 

AARC Meeting, May 11th, 2004
The meeting was called to order at 7:15 pm by President John Suchyta, KG5O, at ARL Labs, 10000 N. Burnet Road, Austin Texas

Visitors:  KD4FBF,KE5BCJ, and  WB5WAF were visitors and KD5VRU became our newest member.

Monthly Drawing Winner:  We had three winners for our door prizes this month (We had to catch up a couple of months!) Stuart, K5KVH won a package of tie wraps. Bill, KE5ASU won an exacto knife and Roger, W5WIA won a pair of medical scissors. Congratulations Folks!

Minutes: The March 2004 ARO meeting minutes were approved as published in the AARCOVER.  The motion to approve was made by Jeff, N5MNW and seconded by Lew, W5IFQ.

Treasury Report: Roger gave a detailed officers report this month. The current balance is $3061.94. In the last 30 days the following expenditures were made:
Bulk Mailing Permit   $150.00
QWCA Transfer        $  30.00
Mailing Labels           $  43.17
Newsletter Printing     $170.00
ARRL memberships   $  72.00
Copying                     $    1.35
Telephone /Patches    $  31.22
New Checks              $  15.85

                        Total   $513.59

Technical Committee: Jeff, N5MNW reported the autopatch was down on the 146.78 machine. The problem is the controller card. There is a temporary substitute on the machine that requires a different method of use. With the current card, you need to key up, * up, UNKEY AND LISTEN FOR A DIAL TONE, Key up again and enter your number and unkey.  It is still a # down sequence to disconnect.

Committee Reports:
Field Day committee announced that there will be a FD “shake out” at Anderson High School on Saturday June 12th. It will be a chance to get familiar with some of the equipment and the computer logging software.  There may be some food too!

Radio Roundup committee announced that the Radio Roundup swap meet will be on Saturday November 6th. There will be a Friday night banquet with guest speakers, BBQ &  other activities on the 5th.

501c3 – The paperwork has been resubmitted and we hope to hear on it soon.

Membership committee - The membership committee announced a membership drive contest. The contest will run for the next four months (end of August).  The idea is to get current members to sign up new, or renew old members (That have lapsed for at least 2 years), and get them to fill out a membership application and put their name on it also. New members must attend the club meeting the night they become a member. Bring in 1-3 new members and get an honorable mention in the AARCover. Bring in 4 or more members and get your membership paid for the next year Bring in 8 or more new members and get your membership paid for the next two years.

Announcements:  Lee, W5LHC announced that May is the 90th Anniversary of the ARRL and the 83rd anniversary of the Austin Amateur Radio Club.  Lee sent out press releases to all the local media outlets.

Lori, KM5MQ announced she needed the money for any Field Day T-shirt and Pin orders that night. She needs to send in the order to ARRL.  Shirts are $15 each.

Travis County ARES will be holding a Net Control class on Saturday May 15th at Seton NW hospital. All interested in Net Control operations are invited to attend.

Smokey reminded folks of the Wednesday Ham lunch at Jim’s 183 & Burnet road from 11:30 until about 1:00 PM.  All Welcome!

Mitch London, KD5HCV, needs articles for the newsletter.

Old Business:  None      New Business:  None

Web Site: The website, austinhams.org, has current information, the latest Swapnet and the current AARCover online. Check us out.
Meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM

Program: Rick Kirchhof, KD5ABM, presented a discussion on computer logging software that is being looked at for Field Day.  He presented three programs the W3IKM,
Getlog 5.39 and the N3FJP FD Netlog 2.0 for consideration.  After review and general discussion it was decided that we would use Netlog for this years FD logging.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Central Texas DX and Contest Club (CTDXCC)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Letter from the Editor
Mitch London, KD5HCV

    Well, Belton has just come and gone and there was a lot to see and buy, I would be very surprised to hear of anyone goingt o Belton and going away empty handed. I am especially glad to have gone this year cause I picked up a couple of neat items, and a couple of cool door prizes. There was the Red Cross vehicle there which had quite a number of antennas on it including a microwave dish and satellite capabilities. Even the best of us had to be impressed by this display and as I know I did I am sure others did a quick calculation of just how much money went into that little beauty, I stopped counting after $20,000!

    Field Day is rapidly approaching and I hope everyone will take the time to go out and volunteer some time to this great event. It is always an adventure, even those that have done it many times. Stuart Rhore, K5KVH is the one to get in touch with if you would like to help, and I am sure he would be more than happy to have you help out. Set up is Friday June 25th around 1pm and Field Day starts at 1 pm the next day.

    Until next time, see you all at Field Day 2004!
 

    See ya next time!
—The Editor
            Mitch, KD5HCV