The sPARC gap
Newsletter of the
Portland (Oregon)
Amateur Radio Club
(c) PARC, 2003
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| Volume 21 | December, 2003 | Number 12 |
| Past Issues Index |
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ecause of the holidays at the Winter Solstice, PARC traditionally holds a
banquet in lieu of the December General Meeting. This year is no exception, as we return to
Shenanigans at Swan Island on Saturday afternoon, December 20. The program for this year's banquet will be on the Friendship Radio-sport Games, the birth of which PARC attended in
Khabarovsk, USSR, in September, 1989.
Above: Lenin Square,
Khabarovsk, Russia. The 2004 Friendship Radiosport Games will take place in this city on the Amur River, just downstream from the Chinese border. The Games got their start here in 1989.
The Games were the brainchild of Evgeny
Stavitsky, UAØCA (formerly UWØCA and RWØCA), who put out messages to amateur radio clubs in the various Sister Cities of
Khabarovsk, soliciting participation. We accepted his offer with a delegation of 5 hams, 4 of whom were PARC members. The other foreign team to
participate was a 2-member squad from Niigata, Japan. The U.S. delegation included Dick Fredrickson,
WAØDIM; Kevin Hunt, WA7VTD; René Berblinger, KX7Z; John White, K7RUN (who also brought his family); and Dave Wright, N7MYO, of Woodinville, Washington.
The teams that met in Khabarovsk in mid-September, 1989 competed in events of Direction Finding, Telegraphy, and a 2-hour mini-contest. From Portland, there was a brief conversation between Mayor Bud Clark and the Mayor of Khabarovsk that took place on 20 meters. PARC also fielded a VE team that conducted the first-ever US license exams on Soviet soil. From that session came 2
successful candidates: Misha Zavarukhin, UWØCN, earned an Extra-class license (AA7CH), while Gennadi
Shulgin, UZ3AU, passed the 13 WPM code and Elements 2 and 3A; which issued him a Technician-class license (KB7JAW).
Above:
WA7VTD operating, with K7RUN and UWØCA/KB7LJW reading the mail.
In the background: UWØCN/AA7CH, N7MYO and KX7Z; at the
first Friendship Radiosport Games in Khabarovsk, September, 1989.
Also from these Games came the genesis of the Friendship Amateur Radio Society. FARS has taken over the administration of the Games since then; which have been staged in Portland (1991 and 1999), Victoria, BC (1993 and 2001), Khabarovsk (1995), and Tokyo (1997). The 2003 games ended up being moved from Beijing to Khabarovsk and postponed until the summer of 2004, due to global economic conditions.
Above:
The Amur River, near Khabarovsk, Russia. The Chinese border is not far upstream from
Khabarovsk.
Greg Hodsdon, K7KJ, and René
Berblinger, KX7Z, will be presenting the program. Other participants in the Games may also join in. This should be of interest to hams and non-hams alike. There will be a club program following the FRG presentation.
There will be a drawing for one free Banquet dinner for those attending who have paid their 2004 dues prior to or at the
Banquet. Nonmembers are welcome to attend.
Entree choices with the gratuity and everything else included follow. Please specify your meal choice(s) with your RSVP:
1. Mediterranean Brochette of Beef $18.25
2. Smoked Salmon
Fettuccine $16.50
3. Pasta Primavera (vegetarian) $14.25
There will be a no host bar for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. All other beverages are included with dinner.
RSVP (or for more info) to Pete
Rodabaugh, W7PR, by calling 503-771-1773 (message) or reply to W7PR@juno.com . Reservations must be received by Wednesday, December 17th at noon to advise Shenanigans. For inquiries after the cutoff date please contact W7PR directly and we will help.
The dinner will be in the Channel Room in Shenanigans Banquet facility, which is the building just to the east of their main restaurant. Go through the main entrance portal and bear to the left. Hope to
see you there!
-W7LT