PUTNAM COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

GREENCASTLE, INDIANA   

147.330 MHz

W9BJJ

Anyone who's been a Ham for even a short period of time knows that Amateur radio is a rich and rewarding hobby with a fascinating history. Ham radio has been around since the very dawn of wireless communications and has continually progressed along with technology. Whether it's old spark gap operations or satellites and computers, there has always been a strong association with amateur radio and new technology.

  New on-line Technician Class Course for Ham Radio Licensing  Tech , prospective hams can study for their ticket wherever they can connect to the Internet and on their own schedule. The course is offered through the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) program. Two new classes will open each month, and students may sign up anytime at  courses  or by calling the New Ham Hotline, 800-326-3942.  ARRL On-line Course Development Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, says the new on-line Technician course will include everything needed to successfully pass the examination plus help with getting a foothold in ham radio. "The on-line approach to learning provides students a way to prepare for the exam at their own pace over an eight-week period with 24/7 access to the material," Robins said. The assignment of a very experienced "Elmer" or mentor to all students is one benefit of the on-line learning method. Another is a post-graduation on-line support group that's only available to course graduates. "This group will provide Elmering as the new ham gets started, as well as help with equipment and antenna questions or anything pertaining to Amateur Radio,"  Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH, and Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, developed the class material. The Technician course takes 20-25 hours to complete, and  take their tests at:   Exam . Believed to be the first on-line Technician licensing class of its kind in the US, the course will closely follow the popular ARRL license manual Now You're Talking! The course fee--$99 for ARRL members and $139 non-members--includes a copy of the book. (Regular ARRL membership  join  is $39 per year, which includes QST, the official journal of ARRL--the national association for Amateur Radio.) Students taking the class will be introduced to everything from casual operating to emergency and public service communication and to radio technology. Students also will learn about the role of radio clubs and of the ARRL Field Organization. A course syllabus  and a list of student activities  student-activities  are on the C-CE Web site. The Technician Class Course for Ham Radio Licensing and the virtual ham radio campus are available through ARRL's partnership with the Connecticut  Consortium, a nonprofit organization that specializes in developing on-line courses for Connecticut colleges and universities. For additional details, e-mail cce@arrl.org.

Ham radio operators use two-way radio stations from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors to make hundreds of friends around town and around the world. They communicate with each other using voice, computers, and Morse code. Some hams bounce their signals off the upper regions of the atmosphere, so they can talk with hams on the other side of the world. Other hams use satellites. Many use hand-held radios that fit in their pockets. Hams exchange pictures of each other using television. We offer some actual ham radio operator photos and videos on this site. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios and antennas. A few pioneers in Amateur Radio have even contributed to advances in technology that we all enjoy today. There are even ham-astronauts who take radios with them on space shuttle missions and thrill thousands of hams on earth with a call from space! Listen to amateurs talking through an FM voice repeater in our Ham Radio Audio section (RealAudio). Using even the simplest of radio setups and antennas, amateurs communicate with each other for fun, during emergencies, and even in contests. They handle messages for police and other public service organizations during all kinds of emergencies. How would you like to talk all around the world, hear people from all around the world and still feel comfortable with children being in the same room then here's your invitation to a real friendly interesting, high-tech hobby that offers something fun for everyone! You can become an Amateur Radio operator no matter what age, gender or physical ability. People from all walks of life pass their entry-level exam and earn their Amateur Radio license (Also Known As HAM radio license). They all share the most diverse world of fun activities you can explore with amateur radio.

Rules for earning an Amateur Radio license starts with three license classes.

The name of the organization shall be the PUTNAM COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, referred to hereafter as the CLUB, or the P.C.A.R.C. The purpose shall be to promote friendly social contact among radio amateurs everywhere, to extend knowledge of the radio art, to advance the general interest and welfare of amateur radio in the community, and to encourage service to the public.  CLUB, or the P.C.A.R.C. The purpose shall be to promote friendly social contact among radio amateurs everywhere, to extend knowledge of the radio art, to advance the general interest and welfare of amateur radio in the community, and to encourage service to the public. 

  Full membership: Shall be open to any holder of a valid Amateur Radio License. Associate membership shall be open to any person having a bona fide interest in Amateur Radio. Membership is $5.00 annually. Ridiculous isn't it. Any one expressing a desire to learn more about amateur radio is most  welcome.  

President:  The president shall preside at all meeting's of the Club and the Executive Board. The Club  will meet the third Saturday of the month at the Jackson Family Restaurant in Greencastle at 10:00 a.m. Visitors are most welcome. The weekly 2-meter open net  is on Wednesday at 8:30 P.M. (147.330 +600 No Tones) This is a directed but informal, ragchew net. Do check-in !

2 meter Repeater: The 147.330 repeater is located at DePauw University. The repeater provides a range of, for solid contacts,  about 40 miles in all directions.

Amateur Radio Classes: There are no classes scheduled at this time. If you need help getting your license, please contact: W9BJJ . We will be glad to help you any way we can.

BULLETINS: Bulletins will be posted to our web site as needed to keep you informed of current business.  Please check frequently for updates.

Station Locator Service New for Field Day 2008

This year, for the first time, the ARRL has put together a Station Locator to help amateurs or those interested in Amateur Radio find a Field Day site near them. According to ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, many amateurs have been asking for something like this for many years.

If your group would like to be a part of the Station Locator Service, it's easy to get started. Just go to the Field Day Station Locator Web site and follow the instructions.

To help you out, Henderson has prepared a FAQ for the Field Day Station Locator.

Q) How does our Field Day site get listed on the map?

A) A club official or Field Day Chairman needs to go to the Web site. Once there, click on the link for "Add a Station" and follow the instructions.

Q) I put in the name of the park where we will be holding Field Day but got the message that the program can't find it. What do I do?

A) You should use a street address for the location. Unfortunately, the mapping program doesn't have a 100 percent complete database of park names and public site names. You may use a latitude/longitude -- enter the values separated by a comma (e.g. 42.345N, 85.445W) and set the city to NONE).

Q) I put in a street address but the map locator put me it in a wrong location on the street. What do I do?

A) While in the data input or edit screen, use your cursor to move the red "pin" to the correct location on the map.

Q) What if I put in the wrong information or something about our Field Day operation changes?

A) The person who input the data will be able to edit the entry. Simply follow the "Add a Station" link and then select "Edit this entry" next to the one to correct.

Q). I tried to enter my club's information, but I was denied access. What do I do?

A) To help ensure that only one person is managing a club's entry, you must be logged onto the site with your ARRL member ID and password. If you are not an ARRL member, ask a member of the club who is to be responsible for adding the club's information to the site.

Q) I am looking for a Field Day operation to attend. How do I use the site?

A) Begin by typing in the city and state where you would like to search, something like "Brooklyn, New York" or "Anaheim, California." Depending on the geographic location, the map will take you to the area you list. If a Field Day operation has been registered for that general area, a red "pin" will show on the map. If you click on the red pin, the details for that site will appear in the box on the right hand side of the screen. If you don't see a red pin, scroll out a level to find one near the location you listed. It is also possible to drag the map to other areas by holding down the left button on your mouse and then moving the map around. You can also scroll in and out using the +/- buttons on the left side of the map. You may also zoom in and center by double-clicking with the mouse near the red pin.

Q) I found a red pin near where I will be. Where do I find the information on that site?

A) Each entry has a contact person with either an e-mail address or phone number who should be able to help you. It will appear on the right side of the box when you click on the red pin for an entry.

Q) I found an entry with wrong information. What should I do?

A) Please contact the person whose name appears as the contact person for that site. ARRL HQ does not have detailed information on the site.

Q) I want to check on our club's information. What should I do?

A) Type in the call sign that will be used and you will be taken to the location and club information.

ARRL Field Day will be held June 28-29. For more information, please visit the Field Day Web page.           

Indiana Section News for January and February 2008

The following Amateur Radio Operators became a Silent Key during January and February:: Harold B. Hensley AB9JD, Indianapolis, January 12, 2006; Anna Arnholt-Taylor K9RXK, Elizabethtown, January 3; William A VanMatre K9OIM, Muncie, January 7; Ray Warren N9ARQ, Indianapolis, February 19; Jack Forbing K9LSB, Fort Wayne, February 29. Condolances to these amateurs who are a Silent Key. They will be missed.

The digital meter/Kit Building Experience put on by Brian KB9BVN and Marc KC9CCM of the Mid-States ARC has been reported as a resounding success! Packing over 3 dozen resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistors onto a small PC board was a challenge for over a dozen club members and two non-hams proved to be a daunting task. However, everyone who tackled this project is feeling a bit more confident in handling componets and soldering. Brian KB9BVN is looking forward to future building projects, including a building a dummy load, and putting together a QRP transceiver. Dedication to helping fellow hams in this manner deserves at least one "ATTA-BOY" for Brian.

FROM THE SOAPBOX: The FCC has been called about the on-the-air activities of a couple of hams here in Indiana! I received word a couple weeks ago about some less than honorable activity of a couple of hams here in Indiana. They were discussing on a local 2-meter repeater about going down to the local high school to buy some marijuana..... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!...Of all the frequency resources that we hams have, 2 meters is the last place to talk this kind of talk, even in jest. A local 2-meter repeater is THE most publically accessable frequency that we hams use. Please imagine, if you will, how many programmable scanners and monitor radios that the general public owns. And if the public uses them at all, the there is no telling who might be listening to the local conversations that are transmitted on your 2-meter repeater. Most amateur radio repeaters have a useable coverage area of 300-400 square miles. This is essentially the entire county where you and I live. A number of 2-meter repeaters here in Indiana cover several counties (over 1000+ square miles). During times of severe weather, the general public will tune in to amateur radio because the severe weather reports are more timely than the news media. So, even when there is no severe weather, you cannot possibly know who may be listening besides ham radio operators. Listeners may be the Mayor of your community, the County Sheriff, EMA Director, County/City Councilmen, Director of the Red Cross chapter, etc., etc.... There is no time, not even at 3:00am, that someone of the general public might not be listening to the local 2-meter repeater. Further,...the use of Amateur Radio to discuss or plan illegal activity is contrary to the FCC regulations. To even joke about illegal activity on the local 2-meter repeater, or any other repeater, shows exceptionally bad judgement. I would also suggest that there are three topics that it is good practice to avoid: politics, religion, and sex. So, keep it clean, and always above board, and you will avoid problems, both personal and legal. "Nuff said."

There are still a few SKYWARN sessions that you can attend to keep you spotter skills up to standard. There have been two "Advanced SKYWARN" seminars here in Indiana this spring. I hope you had to opportunity to attend one.

At the end of my current term as Section Manager for Indiana (June 30, 2008), I will have served as SM for 6 years. For health and personal reasons, I have decided not to run for another term as Section Manager. Prior to being SM, I held the appointment of Section Emergency Coordinator for 10 years. Prior to being SEC, I briefly held the appointment of Affiliated Club Coordinator, and District Emergency Coordinator. It is time for me to step aside from this leadership post. The December and January editions of QST have the information about petitioning for the Section Manager's job. For any individual who runs and is elected to the SM post, I am willing to provide a bit of mentoring as needed. I hope you will understand my reasons.

The following local Net Managers reported their net's activity for January to John Kinley KC9BHJ: WA9CWE, KC9BHJ, KB9URG, KB9JLF, KE9WI, WE9HTN, N9XVB,KF9EX, WB9RVN, KB9NTG, NA9L, WD9BKA, WB9NCE, WR9G, W3ML, W9THD, W9AU, and KA9QWC. The following local Net Managers reported their net's activity during February: KC9BHJ, KB9LOF, KB9URG, KB9JLF, KE9WI, WD9HTN, N9XVB, KF9EX, WB9RVN, NA9L, WD9BKA, WR9G, W3ML, W9THD, and KA9QWC. If your local Net Manager's callsign does not appear in either of these lists, then your net's activity is not being reported. Local Net Manager's: please send your monthly report to KC9BHJ. Reports can be e-mailed to him at kc9bhj@arrl.net.

Answers to Questions about the FCC "Morse Code" Proceeding

Repeater 147.330 MHz