Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society
News
September 25, 2023
MARS Raffle
MARS has chosen a Yaesu FTM-500DR dual-band 2 meter/440 + C4FM transceiver as this year’s Christmas Raffle prize. Tickets are 5 dollars each or 20 dollars for 5 tickets—a bargain!
The drawing will be held on December 14 during our Christmas Party. Go now the the RAFFLE page to buy your lucky tickets.
The awesome FTM-500DR
National Traffic System
At the September 14 meeting, Korky Kathman, KG5NNA, gave us an overview of the National Traffic System. Korky is the Manager of the DFW Metroplex Traffic Net.
You can view or download his presentation here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-epQhAlILc4XKyIMzHijDicqAqm-l8vY/view?usp=drive_link
YouTube also has a lengthy online tutorial about the NTS here:
Logbook #2
This is so weird. I’m cleaning up the mess in my shack and I run across a 3-ring binder labeled, “Ham Radio Log.” Well, cleaning can wait. Inside the binder, there’s a spiral ARRL logbook labeled “Book #2,” dated 9/12/1972, with the spiral removed and the pages hole punched.
In the fall of 1972, I lived in the suburbs of Washington DC. I was a junior in high school and I had just received my General Class ticket (from an in-person FCC examination downtown). There’s a bunch of DX100 CW entries in the log. There’s a few DX60 CW entries and there’s my novice rig, a converted AN/ARC-5 transmitter running 50 watts input on 40m CW. Then there’s a hole in the log corresponding to my family moving to Minnesota. There’s a few contacts from my senior year in high school. Then a bigger hole in the timeline.
The log changes to a sheet of notebook paper dated 25 June 1977—Field Day. I was a junior in college working a summer job on the east coast. The club out there had a bunch of really good CW operators. I should have spent time learning from them. The log shows I’m on 15m SSB logging about 12 contacts an hour using a tribander beam. I don’t remember the beam (I don’t even remember getting on the air), but I remember that Field Day. It was at a clearing back in the woods. There were three large Army tents: one was our mess hall; one was for the two SSB stations; and the other was for the two CW stations. There was a big noisy generator down the hill. I remember sleeping in my tent listening to that generator all night long.
I remember being in the CW tent listening to guys making high-speed CW contacts at rapid fire pace, copying call signs and signal reports in their head and manually logging them in a paper logbook. I didn’t even ask to operate CW. Those guys were in a different league.
I don’t remember getting on the air but there are two pages, in my handwriting, logging SSB contacts. Two call signs yell at me from the page. K9IU/9—that’s Indiana University. I went to Purdue—rivals. The other call sign of note was K5RWK/5 in North Texas—The Richardson Wireless Klub. You never know what you might find in an old logbook.
I don’t remember the last time I saw my first logbook. I’m afraid it may have been the victim of too many moves. But I remember what it looks like. Maybe someday I’ll be cleaning and get distracted again wandering through my past in my first ham radio logbook.
—73 Ron Reeves, NN5R
Next Regular Meeting
Thursday, October 12, 2023 • 6:30 PM
“Hunting the Fox”
Go to the EVENTS page for details.
Play Day
Play Days are usually on the third Saturday of each month. The next Play Day is October 21, 2023.
Go now to the EVENTS page for more details.
License Testing
Allan Batteiger, WB5QNG, will have an in-person test session on October 21 at the Library. Check the EVENTS page for details. Allan continues to offer remote testing sessions as well. Please visit https://wb5qng.org/ to learn how to sign up.
Carrollton
Farmers Branch
Addison
ARES/RACES
Next scheduled nets
ARES® Training
October 8, 2023, 8:00 PM CT
145.210 Tone 110.9
RACES Training
October 15, 2023, 7:45 PM CT
145.210 Tone 110.9
Trivia: “H” is for Ham
Back in the day, there were some famous radio manufacturers cranking out excellent gear for amateur operators. Interestingly, their names began with the letter “H.” Below are four logos. Can you ID the manufacturers? Look for answers on the EVENTS page.
Support MARS When You Shop
A percentage of your purchases can be donated when you visit Tom Thumb, or Kroger at no extra cost to you. Please go to the SUPPORT page to learn how.
“ARES®” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service®” are registered service marks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.