NORTH SHORE REPEATER ASSOCIATION An ARRL N E W S L E T T E R Special Services Club *Electronic edition* Spring Edition - March 1994 Editor: Ken Smith AA1DR [This Newsletter is printed on recycled electrons] Mail: 505 Paradise Rd., Suite 115 Swampscott, MA 01907 Packet: AA1DR @ K1UGM.MA Internet: ken.smith@channel1.com MARCH MEETING NOTES Guest Speaker to talk about ARRL's Official Observer Program Dave Potter K1MBO will be talking about the league's Official Observer Program and how we can get involved in this important program as a club. As we know when Vincent Kajunski from the FCC was speaking at one of our meetings this year the FCC works with the league and their OO's to help eliminate interference from non hams or hams who might be abusing their privileges on the air. Sounds like an interesting meeting to attend. Also we will hear from candidates present about their aspirations for the NSRA in the following year. Please make the meeting if you can and bring a friend along. --- INSIDE NSRA Sunday Night Net - Check in to the net and help support the club. Pg.2 Local V.E. Sessions - Get that upgrade you have always wanted Pg.2 Stand Up and Be Counted - Nominations are open for the next year, please get involved with club and activities. pg.3 My Kitchen Crashed - The "smart-home" is coming soon, get ready pg.4 Profile of Candidates - Some background info on some of the candidates pg. 5,7 Bylaw Amendment Proposal - Membership Chairperson to be a voting member of board. pg.6 Renewal Form pg.9 --- CLUB OFFICERS President: Eric Cottrell WB1HBU 617-599-8572 Vice President: Dave Crawford KA1LSJ 508-745-8183 Director: Ken Smith AA1DR 617-581-9812 Secretary: Joe Carty KA1EXZ 508-744-1514 Treasurer: John Graves WB1EHL 508-526-1400 TRUSTEES 145.09 Node: Dave Carnevale KA1USI 508-927-5875 145.47 Danvers: Mark Hannon KA1LQX 508-774-5534 224.38 Danvers: Tabitha Carty N1IEQ 508-744-1514 442.80 Danvers: Herb Ryan W1KVQ 508-468-2780 146.88 Salem Chuck Bergman KA1KFQ --- NSRA SUNDAY NIGHT NET Be sure to check into the NSRA NET for the latest news and comments from other members. It is an informal net where you can ask questions, disseminate news, and list ham radio items that you have for sale. You do not have to be a member to participate. Usually there is a topic of discussion chosen near the beginning of the net so check in early to suggest an interesting topic. The NSRA Net features NEWSLINE, a 10 minute recorded amateur radio news update. Newsline is heard weekly all over the country.... and now including 145.47 on Sunday nights at 8:30! When: Sunday nights at 8:30pm Where: 145.47 Danvers Repeater --- HAVE YOU RENEWED? If you have not already replied to the renewal notice, please use the form at the end of this electronic edition to renew your membership in the NSRA. Just print it out, fill it in, and mail it along with your check to the address given. We hope to make this a year to remember and your support will help make that possible. --- ATTENTION READERS OF THIS ELECTRONIC EDITION If you are a reader if the Electronic Edition and would be interested in receiving the hard copy edition on a regular basis (printed on a laser and much nicer looking....sometimes we even use pictures!) please consider joining the NSRA. It's inexpensive and your support will be a great help. For a complimentary hard copy please call 617-581-9812 and leave your address. If you enjoy reading this Electronic Edition, we would like to hear from you. Send a note, packet message, or Internet e-mail to the Editors address(s) listed at the beginning of this issue. --- LOCAL VOLUNTEER EXAMINER SESSIONS From the KY1N Memorial List, Chick KC1OX Editor (KC1OX @ WB1DSW.NH) MARCH P 2 Acton\Boxboro MA Dave K1MBO 508-263-3712 7 Cambridge Lotus MA Bob N1KDA 617-593-1955 9 Billerica MA Bruce W1LUS 508-851-2886 P 12 Marlboro MA Bob KD1GG 508-485-7006 13 Gloucester MA Rick WZ1B 508-283-2278 19 Melrose MA Scott WB1F 617-322-7654 20 Westborough MA Bob W1YRC 401-333-2129 23 Cambridge MIT MA Nick KA1MQX 617-253-3776 APRIL 4 Cambridge Lotus MA Bob N1KDA 617-593-1955 P 6 Acton\Boxboro MA Dave K1MBO 508-263-3712 P 9 Marlboro MA Bob KD1GG 508-485-7006 10 Framingham MA Dick WA1KUG 508-877-0563 10 Gloucester MA Rick WZ1B 508-283-2278 13 Billerica MA Bruce W1LUS 508-851-2886 16 Melrose MA Scott WB1F 617-322-7654 20 Cambridge MIT MA Nick KA1MQX 617-253-3776 21 Salem NH Denise ----- 603-434-4490 "P = PREREGISTRATION MANDATORY = P" PLEASE CHECK WITH CONTACT PERSON AS SOME DATES ARE TENTATIVE --- STAND UP AND BE COUNTED The NSRA is a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of Ham Radio. Hams and non hams alike join the NSRA for various reasons: some for help in furthering their expertise, some for social reasons, some to ease a guilty conscience for using the repeaters, and some for public service. These are only some of the many reasons. In order for the membership to have a good organization, we need membership that does more than come to meetings or get on the air on the various repeaters. It isn't enough to pay your dues once a year. The organization needs people to "run" the club. Each year we have an election of officers and appointments to committees. Each year it becomes harder and harder to get participation. It's easy To sit back and let "Joe" do it or to say, "I don't want to get involved", but you as a member owe something to the club besides your annual dues. We have the following positions up for election: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Director, and Secretary. We also have the following committees to be filled: Field Day, Technical, Membership, Education, Program, Awards, Budget, and Audit Committees. Out of approximately 250 club members we certianly should be able to find about 25 people (10% of the membership) who would be willing to help. We'de like to mix old timers and newcomers, young and old, to give new life to the NSRA. Don't leave it to the old "f---s" and then sit back and "b---h" about the way the club is run. Step forward and offer to help. Running the club doesn't take a lot of time, one club meeting and one board meeting each month. Nominations are open until the March meeting. Nominations may also be made on the floor at that meeting. Elections are held at the April meeting. Committee positions are open year-round. Come on.....step up and be counted! Herb Ryan W1KVQ Chairman, Nominating Committee. --- LIST OF CURRENT NOMINEES President Ken Smith AA1DR Dave Crawford KA1LSJ Vice President John Graves WB1EHL Tony Penta WA1MWN Treasurer Tom Dimilla W1VGZ Director Dick Calderone KX1N Secretary Al Prudhomme W1DUW --- THE YEAR AHEAD Do you have some good ideas? Do you think you could make a difference in the NSRA? Do you want to see the NSRA go places this year? If you answered yes to ANY of these, then please contact Herb Ryan W1KVQ about serving on the Board of Directors or on one of our very important Committees. Herb can be reached at 508-468-2780. --- MY KITCHEN JUST CRASHED! TCI, the nation's largest cable television Company, is in talks to launch a unique pilot project in conjunction with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Microsoft Corporation to design a "smart home". The home automation industry is expected to triple in size, from $1.7 billion this year to more than $5.1 billion by the year 2000. November 28, 1995 - Moved in at last. Finally, we live in the smartest house in the neighborhood. Everything's networked. The cable TV is connected to our phone, which is connected to my PC, which is connected to the power lines, all the appliances and the security system. Everything runs off a universal remote with the friendliest interface I've ever used. Programming is a snap. I'm, like, totally wired. November 30 - Hot stuff! Programmed my VCR from the office, turned up the thermostat and switched on the lights with the car phone, remotely tweaked the oven a few degrees for my pizza. Everything nice and cozy when I arrived. Maybe I should have the universal remote surgically attached. December 3 - Yesterday, the kitchen crashed. Freak event. As I opened the refrigerator door, the light bulb blew. Immediately, everything else electrical shut down - lights, microwave, coffee maker - everything! Carefully, I unplugged and replugged all the appliances. Nothing. Called the cable company (but not from the kitchen phone). They refer me to the utility. The utility insists the problem was in the software. So the software company runs some remote telediagnostics via my house processor. Their expert system claims it has to be the utility's fault. I don't care, I just want my kitchen back. More phone calls. More remote diagnostics. Turns out the problem was "unanticipated failure mode" - the network had never seen a refrigerator bulb failure while the door was open. So the Fuzzy logic interpreted the burnout as a power surge and shut down the entire kitchen. But because sensor memory confirmed that there hadn't actually been a power surge, the kitchen's logic sequence was confused so it couldn't do a standard restart. The utility guy swears this was the first time this has ever happened. Rebooting the kitchen took over an hour. December 7 - The police are not happy. Our house keeps calling them for help. We discover that whenever we play the TV or stereo above 25 decibels, it creates patterns of micro-vibrations that get amplified when they hit the window. When these vibrations mix with a gust of wind, the security sensors are actuated and the police computer concludes that someone is trying to break in. Go figure.... Another glitch: whenever the basement is in self-diagnostic mode, the universal remote won't let me change the channels on my TV. That means I actually have to get up off the couch and change the channels by hand. The software and the utility people say this flaw will be fixed in the next upgrade - SmartHouse 2.1, but it's not ready yet. December 12 - This is a nightmare. There's a virus in the house. My personal computer caught it while browsing on the public access network. I come home and the living room is a sauna, the bedroom windows are covered with ice, the refrigerator has defrosted, the washing machine has flooded the basement, the garage door is cycling up and down and the TV is stuck on the Home Shopping channel. Throughout the house, lights flicker like stroboscopes until they explode from the strain. Broken glass is everywhere. Of course, the security sensors detect nothing. I look at a message slowly throbbing on my PC screen: "Welcome to HomeWrecker!!! Now the FUN begins....(be it ever so humble, there's no virus like HomeWrecker....)". I get out of the house. Fast. December 18 - They think I've digitally disinfected the house but the place is a shambles. Pipes have burst and we're not completely sure we've got the part of the virus that attacks toilets. Nevertheless, The Exorcists (as the anti-virus SWAT members like to call themselves) are confident the worst is over. "HomeWrecker is pretty bad," one tells me, "but consider yourself lucky you didn't get Poltergeist. That one is really evil". December 19 - Apparently, our house isn't insured for viruses. "Fires and mud slides yes," says the claims adjuster, "viruses, no. "My agreement with the SmartHouse people explicitly states that all claims and warranties are null and void if any appliance or computer in my house networks in any way, shape or form with a non-certified on-line service. Everybody's very, very sorry but they can't be expected to anticipate every virus that may be created. We call our lawyer. He laughs. He's excited. December 21 - I get a call from a SmartHouse sales rep. As a special holiday offer, we get the free opportunity to become a beta site for the company's new SmartHouse 2.1 upgrade. He says I'll be able to meet the programmers personally. "Sure", I tell him... -Author unknown Submitted by Derek Buchler, a fellow user of the Channel1 BBS in Cambridge, MA. --- PROFILE....DICK CALDERONE KX1N CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR Interview by Ken Smith AA1DR Dick is a resident of Danvers who has been a ham for a number of years. He has held various callsigns starting with WB1CLK, then KA1NV, and changed to his current call, KX1N, in 1984. Dicks career as a teacher started in 1957. He was an English teacher and then a Guidance councilor at Marblehead High School for 32 years. Dick has always been very dedicated to education and has served on the Marblehead School Committee and the North Shore Regional Organizing Board. He is active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and serves as Jr. Vice Commander as well as editor/publisher of their newsletter. According to Dick, "We are not alone in the lack of participation and enthusiasm that we are experiencing in the NSRA. The situation is much the same in the VFW. We need motivation. We need new blood." What do you propose to help motivate this club? "I would like to put more into setting up good programs for the NSRA meetings....more interesting speakers. Programs about ham radio and not just the 2-meter aspect of it." What are your other interests? "Well, I dabble with gardening and my newly acquired hobby of computing." --- PROFILE... TOM DIMILLA W1VGZ CANDIDATE FOR TREASURER I have been a member of the NSRA for many years going back to the early days when the club met in a room at the Danversport Yatch Club, prior to moving into the bar area. I have been licensed since 1951 and am active on the VHF bands, mostly mobile from the auto, and packet. During the past several years I have been one of the people working in the kitchen serving coffee and doughnuts at meetings. --- SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT BYLAW AMENDMENT PROPOSED The following proposed amendment of the NSRA by-laws would make the 'Membership Chairperson' a voting member of the Board of Directors. Currently this position has no vote on the Board. This motion has been approved by the Board of Directors and will now go to the general membership for approval. This vote will take place at the NSRA April Election meeting. Please be sure to attend this meeting to cast your vote for Board of Director Elections as well as to vote on this amendment. It has been proposed that the By-laws of the North Shore Repeater Association be amended as follows: Article III Government Paragraph 2 Board of Directors [After member at large, "Membership Chairperson", to be inserted.] Add Paragraph 8 Membership Chairperson The Board of Directors shall appoint a Membership Chairperson for a term to be concurrent with the Associations fiscal year. The Membership Chairperson shall be responsible for New Members; shall actively solicit new members; shall send membership applications to all who request them either directly or through the Board of Directors. All completed membership applications will be given to the Membership Chairperson who will maintain a log of submitted applications, and forward dues and applicable information to the treasurer. The Membership Chairperson will send new members their membership card, access codes for the repeaters, Association Roster, and a copy of the Membership Handbook. In conjunction with the treasurer, the Membership Chairperson will prepare and maintain the official Roster of the Association. --- NSRA RESOURCE LIST Below is a list of members who can help you with your questions. Their specialties are listed in bold print. If you would like to be added to the NSRA Resource list, please call Ken AA1DR at 617-581-9812. Eric Cottrell WB1HBU Satellite, packet radio Packet: WB1HBU @ K1UGM.MA Internet: eac@world.std.com CIS: 76327,515 Phone: days 617-926-4900 x258 eve 617-595-1986 Jim Cavanaugh KD1FW NTS, RACES Packet: KD1FW @ K1UGM.MA Phone: 508-531-1934 after 5PM Dick Calderone KX1N Russian DX Packet: KX1N @ K1UGM.MA Phone: 508-774-2716 Ken Smith AA1DR Packet and voice communications, PC configuration, Direction finding, Technician Classes, NSRA Public relations Packet: AA1DR @ K1UGM.MA Internet: ken.smith@channel1.com Phone: 617-581-9812 --- S P R E A D THE WORD... Explicit permission is granted to reproduce or distribute by electronic or other means, in whole or in part, any material appearing in this newsletter provided credit is given to the author and this publication including issue date. --- NEW 610 FORM EFFECTIVE MAR 1 The Federal Communications Commission has announced the availability of a new 610 form. This new form will remove the area on the back where three VE's (General or above) used to sign, and adds a few new items. One of which is an area for Morse code physician waiver information. This new form went into affect on March 1 and replaces all current versions. All older 610 forms will no longer be accepted. The NSRA is now in the process of obtaining these new forms. If you are in need of one, please contact the club Secretary. --- PROFILE... KEN SMITH AA1DR CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT I have been a ham for 7 years and a member of the NSRA for just as long. For a number of years I sat back as a spectator. Then a few years ago I figured that the club might benefit from my active participation. I feel that it has and I hope to continue helping the organization by serving as your President. I have been the editor/publisher of the NSRA Newsletter for 2 years and have served on the Board of Directors in the position of Director for the last year. I see where our weakness' exist and I have some ideas. Others have come to me with excellent suggestions and I plan to use these recommendations. I want to help make this a more active club, with your help. Exciting programs, more social events, more educational programs, and a club station are immediate needs. For these to materialize we need enthusiastic people to come forward and help. This club needs motivation. I hope you will join me in turning this organization around. Little by little, I know we can do it. --- PROFILE... TONY PENTA CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT WA1MWN, Tony Penta Lynnfield, MA Advanced Class, first licensed 1969, ex-calls WN1MWN,EI4VQA President Patriot DX Association, Beverly, MA Member of, NSRA, BARC, YCCC, Chairman 1994 DX Convention&Dinner, ARRL Life member, 10-10 #2126, DXCC, ex-ARRL official phone and vhf station. I welcome this opportunity to run for an office in the NSRA. I have been to all board and regular meetings this last year and would like to help work with the club in its forward direction for the next years. We are very fortunate to have a club in the North Shore with such a large membership and the use of 4 repeaters that cover a wide area. I feel we need more support from our membership in club activities and meetings. Also we must have more input for our committees so that we can we can do some new and exciting activities with our club and new technical achievements with our repeaters. More tech fairs and some good guest speakers are a couple of items I would like to see acted on as soon as possible. Let's make this field day a great club event for members and their families. 73 de <> --- Message from our current Vice President It is my belief that in January we started to change the NSRA into a club for all of our members. Our members include those not present. Please come and Vote at this April's meeting Thanks and 73 Dave Crawford KA1LSJ Vice President --- DAYTON 94 April 29,30 & May 1 The Dayton Hamvention is our country's largest amateur radio gathering. We are invited to meet and hear outstanding authorities on all facets of amateur radio. Exhibitors will be showing their latest equipment and will be pleased to answer any questions about their wares. If it's not at Dayton, you will never find it. The Flea market will have a total of 2,406 spaces including 128 spaces under tents. Loads of good stuff to rummage through. There will be over 500 exhibitors inside the hall, showing all the latest goodies. Their will be a test bench set up by Marconi Instruments and Communications so you may check out your purchases. For Lodging information send a sase to Lodging, Dayton Hamvention, Chamber Plaza, 5th&Main streets, Dayton, OH 45402 or call (513)223-2612 Delta Airlines is offering special discounted meeting fares. Contact Delta through your travel agent or direct. America West also has many flights to Dayton . Also their are many non-ham activities for you and the xyl. A few places you might want to visit are Air Force Museum with a great presentation in their IMAX theater, International Women's Air & Space Museum, Dayton Art Institute and Museum of Natural History,Wright Brothers Memorial and many more interesting sights. I think all hams should try to get to Dayton just once during their ham career and experience the grandeur of it all. It shows that ham radio is a multi faceted hobby with many interests. --- REPUBLICANS VS DEMOCRATS 1. Democrats buy most of the books that have been banned somewhere. Republicans form Censorship Committees and read them as a group. 2. Republicans consume three-forths of all the rutabaga produced on this country. The remainder is thrown out. 3. Republicans usually wear hats and almost always clean their paint brushes. 4. Democrats give their worn out clothes to the less fortunate. Republicans wear theirs. 5. Republicans employ exterminators. Democrats step on the bugs. 6. Democrats name their children after currently popular sports figures, politicians and entertainers. Republican children are named after their parents or grandparents, according to where the money is. 7. Democrats keep trying to cut down on smoking but are not successful. Neither are Republicans. 8. Republicans tend to keep their shades drawn, although there is seldom any reason why they should. Democrats ought to, but don't. 9. Republicans study the financial pages of the newspaper. Democrats put them on the bottom of the bird cage. 10. Republicans raise dahlias, Dalmatians and eyebrows. Democrats raise Airedales, kids and taxes. 11. Democrats eat the fish they catch. Republicans hang them on the wall. --- PLACE YOUR AD IN THE HARDCOPY EDITION OF THE NSRA NEWSLETTER! The NSRA newsletter is now accepting advertising! To help offset the cost of production and distribution of this quarterly newsletter, and to better serve our membership, we are now accepting business card sized advertisements for the hard copy version of the newsletter. The ads must be ham or electronic related or can be a professional ad from a club member. This newsletter has over 300 readers, based mostly on the North Shore. The North Shore Repeater Association is a nonprofit organization with many goals and principles, one of which is "To encourage participation in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the Civil Defense organizations and any other nonprofit services where quality communications will result in benefits to the community and amateur radio." The cost of a single (3.5" x 2") ad is as follows: Single issue $15 One year (4 issues) $50 All our advertisers, who are not club members, will receive a copy of each newsletter in which their ad appears. For more information please contact Ken Smith at 617-581-9812 --- MEETINGS The NSRA meets on the second Monday of the month at the Cy Tenny Club in West Peabody. Doors open at 7:00pm and the meeting starts at 8:00pm. Come and see the faces behind the microphone, participate in our prize raffle, and enjoy some refreshments and good conversation. As always, you do not need to be a member nor a Ham to attend. Talk-In: 145.47 Danvers Repeater. See you there! --- North Shore Repeater Association Application for membership Date: __________ __ New __ Renewal ARRL member? Y N Callsign: _________ Class: ___________ Year first licensed: _________ Name: _______________________________ Name on air: _____________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________ State: ___ Zip: ________ Phone (home): ___________________ (work): _________________ Your capabilities (bands, modes etc.): Other hobbies and interests: Referred by (if any): ____________________ Type of membership requested (check one): __ Full __ Student (fulltime) __ Associate (additional family member) If Associate, callsign of the Full member in your houseold: _____________ If FULL or STUDENT, will you need a personal speed dial number assigned to you? Y N Full = $15 Student = $5 Associate = $1 New members add $5 one time initiation fee. Amount enclosed: Please mail your check or money order to: NSRA Membership PO BOX 3724 Peabody MA 01961-3724 This has been the North Shore Repeater Association Newsletter Electronic Edition. Editor: Ken Smith Packet: AA1DR @ K1UGM Internet: ken.smith@channel1.com Tel: 617-581-9812 *******************************END***************************