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the sPARC gap

  June, 2004

ith Field Day happening the next day, PARC's June meeting will take place Friday, June 25 at the Kelly Butte Park site.  We have elections of officers for the new term, and a program about Field Day on tap for the meeting, which will start at 7:00 p.m., instead of the usual 7:30 gavel time.  This is to maximize available daylight.  Please note that the time and place of the meeting are different from the usual ones.  Refreshments will be served.

The VE test session will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Field Day site.  Please contact n7xb@arrl.net or w7lt@arrl.net or call 503-257-7320 to assure a spot.

-W7LT

he Hellgate Amateur Radio Club invites you help it celebrate the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Independence Day on July 3 and 4, 2004. This message is being sent to other clubs along the Lewis and Clark Trail and hope you can join us.

This is our third Lewis and Clark Special Event, having previously operated W7PX from Lolo Hot Springs (2002) and Lolo Pass (2003), two other important bench-marks for the Expedition.

On July 3, 1806 the Expedition left Travelers Rest in two groups.  Capt. William Clark went south and east.  Capt. Meriweather Lewis took his group northeast.  Capt. Lewis' group camped that night along Grant Creek in present day Missoula, MT, before proceeding east on July 4, 1806.  The Expedition reunited 3 weeks later on the Missouri River near the present-day Montana/North Dakota border, before they headed home to St. Louis.

This year's Special Event will operate from the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.  If you or your members are in the Missoula vicinity, they can find us at the Fort, and the talk-in frequency is the 147.040 Mhz repeater.

On HF we will be on or near 28.360, 21.360, 14.260 and 7.260 Mhz SSB.  We will also take CW contacts on request.  For more details check our website http://pweb.amerion.com/k7vk/.

Bob Henderson, N7MSU

fter the Novice class license waned in its significance as the entry level to our hobby, the ARRL committee responsible for Field Day rules cast about to replace the Novice/Technician station as a part of club-based Field Day operations.

Their solution to the problem was to cater to non-hams and those who hold licenses but haven't used them much, if at all.  About 3 years ago, they instituted the Get On The Air station (otherwise referred to as GOTA) for the purpose of initiating people to the arcana of on-the-air operation.

It's also a great way to get kids interested in talking on the radio.  Who knows, the GOTA operation can lead to a new crop of licensees (and that was part of the general intent of setting it up). 

-W7LT