During the March business meeting of the PARC board, it was decided that, beginning April 1, 2002, all PARC members are required to legally change their first name to ‘Elmer’. To set a good example for the rest of the club, several board members and general members have completed the legal process and are willing to coach other members. Volunteers include Elmer Burress KC7GFX, Elmer Rodabaugh W7PR, Elmer Kennedy KD7HDP, Elmer White K7RUN and Elmer Younglove WA7AXO.
Also during the March meeting, it was decided that any potential new members will be required to legally change their first name to ‘Elmer’ before being allowed to join the club. It’s really a small price to pay, said Elmer Burress, considering the amount of attention that it will draw to the club. After all, the club needs higher visibility in order to attract new members. When asked if the new requirement might be a deterrent to some people who are thinking about joining the club, he replied, No, most people that I’ve talked to have actually been looking for an excuse to change their name to Elmer.
PARC Mascot
Effective April 1, 2002, PARC has a new mascot. During the refreshment and attitude adjustment portion of the March PARC meeting, the members present unanimously chose the Giant Three-toed Sloth as the club mascot. We really need a symbol that we can all rally around, said Elmer Kennedy.
Even though there was some concern that many members had left the March club meeting before this motion was voted on, the benefits are thought to outweigh the slight breach of the rules of order normally followed at the club meetings. I think it will boost the club’s image, and also help people associate a compelling visual image with the club, kind of like getting a song stuck in your head, explained Elmer Rodabaugh. The mascot’s name has been picked: Elmer won 4-2 with 1 abstain.
In a late discussion, it was decided that future votes might need to take place when we’ve had more sleep.
K-9
Ham
PARC was able to claim the first licensed Technician Class operator of a species other than human. Max Zimmerman (now Elmer Zimmerman) received her license on Monday, April 1, 2002. Although she did need a proctor to help her take the test, she was able to pass it on the 53rd try. Skeptics criticized that it was just random luck, and that given enough tries, even a monkey on a typewriter could pass the test. However, it was shown that Max’s (Elmer’s) scores steadily increased over the course of taking the test 53 times.
Max (Elmer) did admit that she felt extreme pressure to pass the test before the impending change of the question pool targeted for July. When asked about the potential of upgrading her license class in the future, Max (Elmer) replied, [sniff sniff] [yawn ending in a squeaky noise] Woof!
It is important to mention PARC’s strong desire to increase the minority membership of the club. Max (Elmer) helps in two categories: female and dog. I feel confident that her license and her membership will stand up to scrutiny, said Elmer Burress, Max’s (Elmer’s) Elmer. She seems to have an interest in digital modes…that and chasing cats.
APRIL FOOLS!!! Now for the real newsletter!
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A question came up at the March general meeting regarding which is the best Linux. When it comes down to it, it’s a question of Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge vs. the Imports. Because so much of the development of Linux is an international effort, it’s difficult to place a point of origin on it. There are a multitude to choose from, all of them available free, and they are all better at some things and worse at others. It’s like saying which is better, a pickup, or luxury car, and it all depends on whether you want to haul dirt, or go out for a night on the town with friends. Red Hat is perhaps the most popular in the US, while Suse is probably the most recognized in Europe. Fine, I’ll install Red Hat you say…but wait, you’re going to need more. Start making a checklist. Word processor, image viewer, a spreadsheet program, and an appointment program. OK how much is this going to cost me? Well, if you have a current connection to the web (or a friend who does, and has a CD burner) the cost is nothing. If you need some good office tools as well, Corel makes a distribution of Linux that comes with a Corel Office application, and was available at Fry’s awhile back for $20 with a $20 rebate. Starting to get the idea? When it comes right down to it, most of the Linux distributions are basically equal. There is a difference however, mainly the support and documentation that comes with a distribution. The other difference is the location of particular files in the distribution. As Linux runs, it needs to grab specific files that it expects to be in a certain location to run. To put this in simple terms, say you’re making a cake. You need a cake pan to do the job, and a spoon. In some kitchens, the spoons are on the left side of the sink in a drawer, and the cake pan is under the oven. In other kitchens, the cake pan is above the range in a shelf, and the spoon is in a drawer on the opposite side of the kitchen near the pantry.
The same is true with Linux distributions. Some tools and drivers are located in one directory on one distribution, and in a totally different place in another. They all work the same, but your application needs to know where to look for all the necessary parts it needs to run.
Hams by nature are good experimenters, and Linux offers a new challenge for the adventurous. There are free programs to be had just for the looking. StarOffice is a program that does the Linux slant of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. While the look and feel is a little different, the bottom line is the same.The best thing is that StarOffice is free from Sun Microsystems. They give it away. They do a version for Linux. Solaris, Unix, and Windows. All of the versions will save in MS format so that your documents are compatible with users of MS Word. To get StarOffice, you can download it from:
Just follow the links to the free download, or if you have a friend with a fast web connection, get them to burn a copy on CD. (Continued below)
ARES MEETING Thursday, April 25th at Fire Station 2 4800 NE 122nd at 7PM
All hams are invited to attend!
(ARES is the Amateur Radio Emergency Service which provides vital communications during natural and man-made disasters.)
In This Issue:
PARC Frequencies
Voice: 146.840 -600 MHz
146.940 -600 MHz
Packet: 147.180 +600 MHz (PARC-7 repeater)
144.910 (W7LT PARC Node)
For those who want to look at digital images, do some clean-up work or image manipulation, and are familiar with the Adobe PhotoShop program, there is a solution when moving to Linux called GIMP. GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. The program is available for free download from:
Gimp gives you the ability to use a variety of painting tools like PaintBrush, Airbrush, Pencil, Copy, etc. You can split and merge layers, load and save animations, undo/redo; format conversion, etc. A pretty good tool if you’re preparing an image for fax or wireless transfer.
A future program at the general PARC meeting may be dedicated to applications in Linux for the Ham Operator if there’s enough interest.
The Portland Amateur Radio Club is planning to sponsor a booth at the Sea-Pac Hamfest this year. The booth will focus on history of the club, current events, Field Day operation, Membership, and activities. Volunteers are needed to help staff the booth, but we’re going to try to set this up to run itself as easily as possible with brochures, lots of display pictures, and some special handouts only available at SeaPac. For those of you attending, this will be a good chance to represent the club, meet some new folks, and have a nice place just to sit down (sometimes a tough commodity at SeaPac). Everyone is encouraged to stop by, and sign up to help. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to help with planning, setup, staffing or teardown. Ed kc7gfx@arrl.net.
For those of you who have been a long time member of PARC, I am sad to report that Ray Sytsma WA7ZQX became a silent key around 2 PM Sunday afternoon after a long battle with prostate cancer. Ray was 86. Ray was at one time an electrical inspector for the State of Oregon and wrote the electrical code for Oregon and taught many years at PCC. Ray leaves behind six grown children and was the Father of Bren W7EN, Lewis KA7ZPW, and Son-in-Law Pat Roberson, KG7HT
Also, I received a message from his son that Robert Berglund, K7OHU passed away, he was a current member of the club, and an Extra Class operator. All of us will miss him on the air.
Ed KC7GFX
Regular Club Meeting Friday April 19th
ARES SET Sat. April 27th
ARES Meeting Thursday, April 25th
Club Net Monday’s at 7PM
ARES/RACES Net Wednesday’s at 7 PM
Club Breakfast May 4th 9:00 AM
April Meeting:
A general discussion and demonstration of several home built antennas for HF, VHF, and UHF. I’m also planning to bring a little toy surprise that folks can play with…kind of a video demo of how to get started in other aspects of the hobby. Pretty low key, early dismissal, and maybe we can meet somewhere afterward.
- One Liberty Center
- 650 NE Holladay Street
- Portland, Oregon
(A few blocks SE of the Lloyd Center)
All hams are welcome to attend. Updates and changes will be announced on the PARC net, Monday at 7 PM on the 146.840 Repeater. All hams are encouraged to check in!
Radio Nets
Here is a Schedule of Nets for all interested.
All Nets are handled on the 146.840 repeater.
Sunday: Handi-Hams Net 7 PM
Monday: PARC Weekly Net 7PM
Wednesday: ARES/RACES Net 7PM
Thursday: Youth Net 7PM
All Hams are welcome to check in, listen, or become involved in any Net.
PORTLAND / MULTNOMAH COUNTY A.R.E.S. UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Greetings to all,
My name is Eric Stephenson, kk7ue. Some of you know who I am, while more of you may not. For the benefit of all, let me introduce myself. I have been a licensed radio amateur since April 1st, 1996, (exactly six years ago) with the original call sign of kc7qeb. With various upgrades here and there, I ended up with the Advanced call sign of kk7ue. As far as the reason for being with you here and now, this is to let everyone know that I have been appointed the ARES/RACES Emergency Coordinator for Multnomah County Oregon. I am very humbled and honored to have been appointed to such an important position in the local ARES structure. I look forward to your input or questions you may have about ARES. Anyone interested in aligning ones self with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service should contact any of the Assistants or myself. I would like to announce exactly who the Assistants currently are in Multnomah County ARES. The AEC’s for Multnomah County are; Bert wa7axo, our Training Officer; Perry kd7eym, our Portland Liaison; Twila kd7eyn, our Net Manager; and Pat kg7ht, our Liaison to East County. My thanks go out to these folks for their help in keeping me in line, and thanks to all the volunteers for your efforts on our behalf. Every SET or event has openings for various tasks to be filled. Don’t be afraid to step forward to come on out and play!
I have been asked why the founding ARES groups, Hoodview ARC, dedicated to Gresham and East County, and PARC, dedicated to the City of Portland, were combined into what is now called Multnomah County ARES. Let me attempt to clear this up. Primarily, having ARES groups formed on the county level helps follow the model in our state for ARES organization, and as used around the nation. It does not mean we are a part of county government; it is strictly a geographical consideration. This will enable the EC to coordinate efforts from all the clubs and other radio groups within the county more effectively. No more organizational infighting to keep turnout low. No one group dominating anything, but all participating in there own ways. Niches abound in life and ARES is no exception. While certain individuals and organizations may prefer to assist only one served agency in their role as emergency communicators, that is good. Being focused on one objective is OK and that will be cultivated. However, please remember that the world is a much larger place than just that one single served agency, group or club. Lots of people can benefit from our assistance and having all the energy going in only a single direction doesn’t seem very fair. Besides, my title in all this is ‘Emergency Coordinator’. Let’s not reinvent the wheel. Instead, let’s make it roll more efficiently. Different niches are good when they can be orchestrated together, under one banner for the benefit of all. Each club or organization does what it does and does it well. That aspect should never change. I simply am here to coordinate the efforts.
The times they are a changing indeed. It used to be that training in ARES revolved around the simpler, sometimes predictable threats of weather, seismic activity, fires, hazardous materials situations, and the like. September 11 changed all of that by adding a new facet to our national existence. Now, the most horrible things you could imagine as an accident could be set loose on purpose. It illustrates even better the need for a larger pool of trained people. It isn’t that we need a radio operator on every street corner; it’s the shift factor and having enough people for any given post or number of needed assignments. In the case of weapons of mass destruction (NBC), the equation then becomes raw numbers. The more useful communicators you have before hand, the better the odds are that enough will survive such an event. I personally think that the earthquake will get us here in Stumptown before the Al Qaeda will, but I also do not want us to be under prepared. I would suggest more people find their volunteer spirit before it is too late.
The past difficulties over the ARES identification cards issued by the state should not be the problem it has been before. Interestingly enough, security concerns are much higher on everyone’s lists nowadays. This makes the cards much more important in our ability to be of assistance because without a card, you will definitely be denied entrance. Not good if you are needed in a fire station! The database is being updated, and those of you that have expired cards or never got your card, please be sure I have your correct data and a current background check release form signed by you before the next batch goes in. I would like all of this fixed by Field Day. The next round of background checks will be sent in the first part of April. Current photographs would be nice and a digital system is slowly being implemented. Stay tuned for the details of the next picture party.
I would like to implement a training schedule in the near future. Your suggestions for topics will help determine the direction that training will take. Please contact Bert or myself with your ideas so they can be put in the mix. Or, we can keep doing packet….
In discussions I have with people from other areas about the ARES program, I have discovered a disturbing fact. The fact is that for a city of our population, turn out in ARES should be a lot better. I don’t mean the folks who register, show up for a meeting or two and you never see them again. Not enough of a resource there, but I am referring to the hams that come to most of the meetings, participate in some public service events and most exercises, and are trained in the system. To these individuals go a hearty ‘THANK YOU!! One of my goals as your EC is to get more hams to become trained and reasonably regularly participating with the group. There has been a growing need for help for more than just the Portland Fire Bureau, even prior to 9-11. Several agencies have indicated they would like to have amateur radio as part of their communications plans. More are knocking on the door. It seems we can barely staff our Fire Bureau commitment when everyone comes out. Then I wonder if we will have the resources available for the real thing? Getting our numbers of truly active hams to increase is a big focus for the foreseeable future. In response to this reality, there is an excellent idea put out there by the Neighborhood Emergency Teams. They have approached the Portland Amateur Radio Club for help with getting new NET recruits trained, tested and tagged as hams. NET hams. I completely support the idea, and look forward to seeing it being implemented. The NET teams need their own core group of operators to keep their interests protected and I am fully motivated to see that happen. Perhaps phone nets and formal traffic isn’t your cup of tea. Cool. If digital is your mode, there is plenty of room for you in ARES. I really want to see our packet, ATV, APRS and good old-fashioned Morse capabilities improve.
All it takes are folks with the gear and the drive to serve to make a big difference in our city’s preparedness. Contesters make excellent emergency net ops simply by virtue of the nature of their niche. Fast paced action, less than perfect operating conditions, knowledge of when worldwide propagation paths work on which bands, etc. I know most of you are out there reading this. This is your opportunity to help us keep your privileges and frequencies intact. ARES is the big reason we keep the bands we have, let’s use them and preserve the magic.
In the minds eye, I am already at the Portland Marathon this year. The post will again (2nd annual) have a modest HF station set up independent of the race network, acting as a special event station. Anyone that would like to be on the station handling the contacts and/or any interested control ops for the Technicians, contact me so we can get the HF free licensees on the air experiencing the thrill of being the ‘DX’. Oh boy ;-)
QST QST. There is another SET scheduled for April 27th 9 AM to Noon. This exercise is a statewide exercise to see how many different bands/modes will work between counties throughout all of Oregon and surrounding states. This SET has the following goals: contact as many other Oregon counties as possible using as many modes or bands possible, so operators will become more accustomed to each other. To test the existing VHF/UHF packet network. To test the viability of PSK-31 and other sound card based digital modes. To test and determine which HF bands work best with digital HF. This SET is more like a contest than a SET, and there is a points system. The winning county in our category will be awarded a certificate at Sea Pac. To see the entire plan, visit the arespacket.com website and click on the flag, then on the SET information icon. Listen in on the nets for updates and information about the SET. The more operators we have, the higher our points could go. To reserve a spot, contact me on net, at next months meeting, or on the ‘net’ at kk7ue@hotmail.com
That’s all I have for now. Thanks for your support. Take care, 73. Eric kk7ue, Multnomah County EC
January 1st was the renewal date for membership. For those of you who have been waiting, wait no longer, we would really like to see you staying with the club. In a time when everyone seems to be asking for your money (mine too), we in return give something back to you. Here are just a few of the things your dues help do for you and the club:
In addition to help supporting the club, having more members helps make this a more fun place to be involved in. So, I’m asking you as a favor to me, the rest of the club, and yourself, send in that renewal notice with your check, and help keep this club strong!
All the best/ 73 Ed KC7GFX
PARC seeking Net Control Operators
We
are actively seeking volunteer operators to act as Net Control
Stations (NCS) on Monday evenings at
7 PM PST for the weekly Club Net.
The requirements
are a 2 meter radio with a good signal to and from the 146.84
MHz repeater, a copy of the Net Preamble, and about 20 minutes
of time per week. Our desire is to establish a pool of operators
with or without experience as NCS operators. This is a great way
to learn skills and gain confidence in conducting a directed net,
which is the backbone of emergency preparedness for all amateur
operators. The club needs to rebuild and expand our active NCS
pool. Operators do not have to be active club members to volunteer,
we welcome guest operators.
The Preamble is read aloud and guides the NCS in directing the
net. Those operators wishing to be placed on the volunteer roster
now, or those desiring a copy of the Preamble for study before
making a decision to volunteer, may contact the acting Net Manager
by return E-mail or telephone as given below, or on the Monday
evening Net. The specific date assignments will be based on flexibility,
with limits on the number of nets any operator will be responsible
for. The goal here is to spread the opportunity for practice around,
not to saddle any one individual with the job. Special thanks
to Eric KK7UE, Tony KI7GA, and Max KB7TMH for all their effort
as NCS operators recently.
Thank you all for your continued support
for PARC and this net. We look forward to hearing from you and
will see you on the net. Remember September 11th, 2001.
73, Pete Rodabaugh W7PR W7PR@arrl.net
PARC Acting Net Manager 503-771-1773 message 146.84 or 146.94
License Test Sessions are held prior to the regular club meetings at 6:30. See April Meeting on page 3 for the address.
Prior to taking the test, please contact:
- Bruce McCain N7XB,
- brmccain@teleport.com,
office telephone, 503-257-7320
All test applicants need to make contact prior to the test session to allow Bruce to prepare test materials, and contact the Volunteer Examiners.
Saturday, April 20th 1 - 5 p.m. Hillsboro's Ronler Acres Fire Station NW corner of NW 229th Avenue and NW Evergreen Parkway, right across the street from the Hillsboro Stadium off HWY 26.
Follow the link below for a map.
http://www.arespacket.com/packet-training1.html
The talk in frequency is 147.32 repeater (backup of 146.90 repeater).
This will be a hands on training focusing on setting up the TNC
and radio. Setting parameters for different conditions,
beacons, connect messages, IDs, reading the "traffic",
nodes list and the heard list, using the TNC mail box, etc.
This will focus on Kantronics KPC3 and KPC 9612 with help on other
makes and models.
We will be using paKet 6.2 during the training. We will demonstrate basic setup, operation, message creation, sending messages and file transfers.
Bring your TNC
and radio for specific questions. If you have a
portable packet station bring it along too. (Setup starts at 12:00)
April 2002 Simulated Emergency Test
Oregon Section
ARES April Simulated Emergency Test
to be hosted by District 5. April 27th from 0900 to 1200 Local
Time
Check with your local ARES group for more details, or visit one
of the web sites. The Multnomah County ARES group meets on the
146.840 repeater every Wednesday night at 7PM for the purpose
of exchanging information about the group and upcoming exercises.
You can also get a handout on the www.arespacket.com
website listed below.
Well, I hope you all took that first page in the spirit it was intended. I’m sure that somewhere out there is a cat owner that’s preparing a lawsuit because we didn’t provide adequate coverage of the plight that cat’s face in today’s society, and that the chasing cats comment is genetically prejudice. We have 5 cats, and if one of them had shown even the slightest interest in radio…even laying on top of an old tube set to keep warm, I would have done an article about it.
I’ve talked to a few members of the club recently that have been taking advantage of some of the presentations to rekindle, or explore a new facet of ham radio. I was on the phone with two members just this week. One of them installing Linux on a second system! That’s taking the bull by the horns. The other member I talked with has been heavily involved in making PSK-31 contacts, and needs to receive just 3 more QSL cards to get his worked all 50 states in digital mode. After talking with Bruce McCain, our club’s VEC, he sparked such an interest that I had to go back and re-read Lea Ball’s article on PSK-31. I spent Sunday installing a Bert Younglove (WA7AXO) special loop antenna around the perimeter of the property, and actually checked in to the Oregon Emergency Network on 3980 KHz. Making contacts around the state on 5 Watts is a really interesting thing, and even though we do this every field day, it still never ceases to amaze me how well low power operations can work. I may just have to burn my life is too short for QRP tee shirt.
I have a personal message to all the members past and present out there. Thanks for continuing your support of the club, it really makes a difference. To those who haven’t gotten your renewal in, or if you’re reading this message for the first time, give the club a try. There’s a application card just to the right of my article (or somewhere else if you’re reading this online). Find it, clip it out or print it, add your check for $18 for a year’s membership, and send it in, I’d like you to be a part of what we’re doing in our club! If you look carefully, I took great care in making sure that there wasn’t enough room to fill in your phone numbers, just like the real membership cards look like in all the other clubs and organizations. If you really insist, you can write your information on the back, we’ll figure it out just the same.
Also, I would encourage anyone who hasn’t had first hand experience with Packet to attend the training session in Hillsboro. This is a golden opportunity to show up with your own equipment and have someone help you get it on the air. If you don’t have equipment, or have never been involved with the various aspects of Packet, this is something you won’t want to miss. Ken Wilhelmi, N7QQU has been around packet a long time in this area, and is one of the recognized names in the packet circles.
One other thing I’d like to start up. Some of the best lessons I am learning are from my 6 year old son. Every Tuesday is his sharing day at school. He’s told me many times how much he likes to share things with others. In thinking about that, I’d like to open that same activity up to the club members. If you have something interesting to share, bring it along. If you have a stump the expert type of question or technical problem you can’t seem to solve, drag it out in the open where we can look at it and take a crack at the solution.
73, Ed KC7GFX
PARC mailing address:
Portland Amateur Radio Club 4110 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. PMB #211 Portland, Oregon 97214