AUGUST MEETING...

Don’t forget the August meeting to be held on August 10^th, at 7pm, in the cafeteria of BAMC in Menominee.  Last month we were one short of a quorum (we need 12 members), so no official business was conducted. Let’s hope for a full business meeting this month, so please make every effort to attend this meeting of your club Thanks.  See you there.

 

SPECIAL PROGRAM…

Following the meeting Tom, N8LHB, will take all interested members on a tour of the local telephone switching facility.  Because of security precautions, only club members are invited to join the group.  This should be an interesting tour for those wanting to see how your local and long distance phone calls are handled.

  

AGENDA ITEMS…

(a) Repeater fund/situation
(b) Final Summer picnic update
(c) Special event station weekend plans
(d) Nominating committee report
(e) Future VE session?
(f) Emergency government director news
(g) other business as may come up

SUMMER PICNIC ...

August 13th is the date this year for our annual picnic.  Lake Nocquebay Park is the location.  For those unfamiliar with the park, take Highway 180 out of Marinette to County Highway G, then follow G through Loomis to the park.  Or, alternatively, take Hwy 64 west out of Marinette, to county W, then follow W to Hwy G, and follow the signs to Marinette County Park. Remember, the county charges $2 per vehicle for entry into all county parks, unless you have an annual sticker.  All reservations were to have been made by  July 31st, but if you forgot, just come and pay at the site. Social at 12:00pm, food at 1pm.

SPECIAL EVENT STATION/CORN ROAST...

Mark September 16^th on your calendars!  Our Year 2000 special event station/corn roast/swapfest/picnic/many things will be in full swing. All activities will be at the same place as in previous years... Green’s Acres, located just west of the Peshtigo River bridge on Highway 64 going west from Marinette. The special event station will be in operation from noon until 6pm, as advertised in the September issues of both CQ and QST magazines, so many will be looking for us.  Setup will  probably start on Friday evening and be completed on Saturday morning.  We need operators, so come on out and have a day full of fun, as well as enjoying some good food, and ham related QRM. 
Jim, AA9PB, will again take charge of the corn, and word is that anyone camping out will be treated to a delicious grilled turkey dinner on Sunday.  That also includes a Packer game on TV.  There will be more information at the August and September meetings, and in the September newsletter.

REPEATER FUND GROWING...

Thanks to those of you that took advantage of the donation form in the last newsletter.  We received over $150, and are in very good financial shape with those added into all of the previous donations. 

 

REPEATER STATUS…

Jim, KC8DOA reports the new commercial antenna has been ordered out, but will probably take a month or more to be manufactured and shipped.  The repeater has been sounding pretty good during the past few weeks, even with the old antenna.  A reduction in output power cleared up much of the receiver noise that had been plaguing us. The plans at this time are to replace the existing antenna with the new commercial model when it arrives.  The Diamond dual-band will be installed at the 200 foot level for the 440 repeater and backup use on 2 meters. Stay tuned to the Sunday net for further developments.

 

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES...

A reminder that club dues can be paid at any time now for the next calendar year, (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30)  They are still $15 per person, or $22.50 for family membership.  Also, if necessary, you may update your membership information with Jim K8IR.  We would like to have dues complete by Dec. 1, for inclusion in the official club online roster.

 

CODE TESTING REVISED...

The National VEC group has approved a change in future Morse code testing, effective July 1, 2001.  The only options that an applicant for a 5wpm endorsement have are:
  (a) having at least 25 consecutive correct characters, or....
  (b) answering correctly at least 7 out of 10 written questions on the code test.
No longer will an applicant have the option of answering multiple choice
questions as a means of passing the code element. Individual VE teams have the option of implementing this sooner, but as of July 1, 2001, all code tests will only allow the two options listed above.

 

ON FCC, ULS, AND CORES, OR LONGING FOR THE DAYS OF FORM 610…

While many of us are still trying to figure out  the FCC's Universal Licensing System, the FCC is now coming up with a new system called CORES, for Commission Registration System. It's supposed to eventually make it easier to conduct licensing and payment (!) activities with the FCC.  You may have recently received a letter from the FCC with a new FCC Registration Number (FRN) of your very own from the CORES database, which will be needed to access the ULS system. Confused? Yes, me, too.  Here's an article from a recent ARRL Letter that further discusses this topic:

FEWER THAN ONE-FIFTH OF HAMS ARE ULS-REGISTERED

The FCC has confirmed that fewer than one-fifth of US Amateur Radio licensees--including club stations--are registered on the Universal Licensing System. The FCC deployed the ULS for the Amateur Service just under a year ago, although registration has been available far longer.

During his comments at the Dayton Hamvention FCC forum, Linn encouraged amateur licensees to register with ULS to "lock in" their FCC records. ULS registration, he said, "protects your call sign within the system" and could prevent it from inadvertently being deleted or reissued due to a filing error.

All amateurs must be registered with the ULS in order to file applications with the FCC, even for such routine matters as a change of address or a license renewal. Registration requires that licensees supply a Taxpayer Identification Number, or TIN--a Social Security number for an individual. Some amateurs have protested that requirement citing privacy concerns, but the FCC has maintained that it's bound by the Debt Collection Improvement Act to require it.

Last month, the FCC announced that it has begun implementing the new Commission Registration System, or CORES. Registration in CORES eventually will replace ULS registration, although the FCC has not indicated just when the switch will occur. CORES registration also will require registrants to
supply a TIN. Those already registered in ULS need not register again in CORES, however. The FCC says the ULS will continue to be the primary Amateur Radio licensee database and the only means to file applications and updates.

The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau recently announced expanded hours for ULS technical support. ULS users may now reach the FCC Technical Support Hotline, 202-414-1250, from 7 AM to 10 PM weekdays. Weekend service is newly available. On Saturdays the Hotline will be available from 8 AM until 7 PM and on Sundays from noon until 6 PM (all times Eastern). Users
also may contact tech support via e-mail at ulscomm@fcc.gov.

For more information, to access the ULS or to register, visit the FCC's ULS
site, http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls.

 

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES...
Congratulations to the following couples who are celebrating wedding
anniversaries in August....
  Bob & Margie Schrader, Aug. 3
  Jim & Joan Callow, Aug. 17
  Dwight & Connie Bossellman, Aug. 22
  Bob & Carolyn Johnson, Aug. 23
These people are observing birthdays...
  Shannon Sievert, Aug. 11
  Lisa Haskell, Aug. 13
  Dwight Bossellman, Aug. 22

  Nathan Luthardt,  August 15.
  Gary Luthardt, Aug. 24
  Maxine Drees,Aug. 27

CREDITS…

Thanks to Peninsula Office Equipment of Menominee for printing the hard copy version of The Ground Wave.