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The SELARC "Hamster"


*Serving Amateur Radio Since 1974*

Published Monthly by the Southeast Louisiana Amateur Radio Club Inc.
P.O. Box 1324, Hammond LA 70404
Visit our website: www.selarc.org

Vol. 45, No. 2       .........................       February 2018

*Due to Mardi Gras on 2nd Tuesday*


The February Meeting Will Be On
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 14th, VALENTINE'S DAY
7:00PM at Ponchatoula Community Center
300 North 5th Street
Talk-in 147.00 (-600) w/107.2 Tone
Elevator Access

Thanks for Making Our
*Hammond Hamfest*
A Success!

 

Click Here For Results

*** DUES...  DUES...  DUES...  DUES... ***

Annual Dues are now due and must be paid by the March meeting!! If you have not already renewed your membership or if you would like to become a member of SELARC, please print out and complete the application/renewal form and return it with your check to: P.O. Box 1324, Hammond LA 70404. Thanks!

 
 
Special Events, Hamfests & VE Sessions

THANKS to the following SELARC members who sold $100 or more of hamfest tickets to ensure the success of our Hammond Hamfest and earn a one-year dues credit:
Al Baker KF5IBW, Victor Beauvais KG5OPA, Sandy Blaize W5TVW, Carmen Bray KF5VXO, Jerry Burg N5GKJ, Ernie Bush N5NIB, Jimmy Hess AG5EJ, Ed Mason KE5GMN, Pat Mason KE5KMM, Dee Forrest K5XYL, David Mueller W5NPV, Russell Plyer AB6DS, Bob Priez WB5FBS, James Redmond K5QNT, Brenda Ricks KG5KBS, Keith Samrow KF5VLX, Ralph Shaw K5CAV, John Stout N5JHF, and Lyle Wales KD5JRY. All those who use the club repeaters are indebted to you!!

Orange Hamfest will be on Saturday Feb. 24th at the Orange County Convention & Expo Center (Exit 869 of I-10). For info This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Acadiana Annual Hamfest , March 9-10 at Rayne Civic Center with good food and events! Details at http://www.w5ddl.org/hamfest

Hammond VE Group - ARRL/W5YI tests are scheduled for the last Sunday of each month [with the exception of holiday conflicts] in Room "B" of the North Oaks Medical System Diagnostic Center at 2pm with $15 testing fee. Bring photo ID and any appropriate CSCE. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Find an Amateur Radio License Exam in Your Area.

Happy Birthday!!
February Birthday wishes go to David Catania N5QOX, Mary Melancon KG5ITF, Sandy Blaize W5TVW, John Guthans AA5UY, Pat Mason KE5KMM and Lyle Wales KD5JRY! If we missed your birthday please let us know about it.

 

Tyke's TidBits --
February is here, the GroundHog has seen his shadow and we have 6 more weeks of winter weather - what else does Mother Nature have in store for us? COLD and WET... no doubt about it!
To all the members who stepped up and sold tickets or came and helped out with our 2018 SELARC Hammond HamFest, I say... "JOB WELL DONE"! Your participation in helping put on this event is GREATLY APPRECIATED. Carol has been diligent in getting the figures ready for our upcoming meeting, so come on out and see how we did; and don't forget SELARC membership renewals are now due. You will have until the March meeting to re-new your membership or be dropped from the roster!!
For those of you who sold $100 worth of prize tickets for the HamFest, your dues are now paid for 2018! Thank you for supporting SELARC!
The Rayne Hamfest is in a few weeks, hope to CU there! And I am hoping to see you at the club meeting on 14 Feb, 2018 - 7:00pm, at the Ponchatoula Commuity Center.
Be safe es 73!

Tyrone Burns This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., President

 

VE Session Results...
Congratulations to the following successes from the January 20th Hammond Hamfest VE session.
Technician:
     Mark D. Norris - Brookhaven, MS
     Klaus Heyer - Metairie
General:
     Dan LaPorte, KG5WYV - Mandeville
     Charles Gill, KA5YKK - Baton Rouge
     Marliam Lee, KC5BMW - Jackson
Amateur Extra:  Gerardo Larocca, KC5JAV - Abita Springs

Congratulations to these successes from the January 28th SELARC VE session in Hammond.
Technician:
     Matthew Carl - Amite
     Matthew Davidson - Townley, AL
General:
     William H. Rogers, KG5TQP- Covington

Tyrone Burns, VE LiaisonThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
FOR SALE:
House Cleaning in Ponchatoula: HF, VHF, UHF Antennas - Receiving, Sweep and Transmitter TUBES - Amplifier Parts: Meters, Chokes, Transformers, Caps, Coils, Sockets, etc. and Misc. Parts. Two Meter Radios - 70CM Amplifier - Drake L4B Amp "MINT"! Also I'm looking to BUY an HF Amp that has 160 Meters! Call Ed K5AH at 985-265-0895 - I may have what u need?? I will donate 10% of Sales to the Club!

Yaesu G-450a antenna rotator -- will over-rotate 90 deg. past the 360 deg. north indicator. Comes with m metric mounting hardware to fit a Rohn rotor plate, no cable! Connectors are attached plus will include an extra molex style connector for control box. $150.00
Channel Master 3-wire antenna rotator and controller w/infrared remote and some cable - $60.00
Tyrone BurnsThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Donation Thanks!!

A big bundle of 'THANKS' goes to Hammond native Joe Locascio K5KT for his substantial, and much appreciated, donation to the SELARC treasury. As a teenager, Joe was first licensed in Hammond as K5CIT and then spent many years around the globe in service to his country. Now retired from the Air Force, he resides in California and continues to be active in DX'ing, holding the #1 listing in the 2016 ARRL DXCC Honor Roll with 354 countries confirmed, 352 Phone and 356 Mixed scores! He is always happy to get an HF QSO 'back home' and stays in touch with local ham activities through the SELARC "Hamster". Joe encourages everyone to support their local amateur radio clubs and activities!

Minutes of SELARC Meeting of January 9th (Ponchatoula Community Center):

Minutes Not Available

News from ARRL --

 

==> ARRL Suggests FCC May Need to Intervene to Ensure Effective Antenna Rights - Commenting in response to an FCC Public Notice (DA 17-1180) released last month, ARRL addressed the extent of Amateur Radio's response to recent hurricane disasters and efforts needed to expand the use of Amateur Radio services when it comes to planning, testing, and providing emergency communication. Amateur Radio not only has been "far more than a hobby;" it is a ubiquitous, infrastructure-independent communication resource that's always ready to deploy effectively whenever and wherever needed, the comments assert.
ARRL raised three areas where action by the FCC could ensure and enhance the ability of radio amateurs to provide emergency communication, including the current Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 (S. 1534), now in the US Senate. ARRL asserted that it "is critical to have stations located at one's residence in order to regularly participate in disaster preparedness training exercises and drills."

==> ARRL CEO to Retire -- ARRL's chief executive officer for the past 2 years, Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, announced his retirement as CEO, as the ARRL Board of Directors prepares to meet January 19-20. He will step down on March 2. Gallagher, who had earlier advised ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, of his intention to resign, expressed his gratitude to President Roderick and the ARRL Board for giving him the opportunity to help guide the organization. Among Gallagher's chief accomplishments during his tenure as CEO were creating an enhanced level of professionalism and efficiency in the organization that represents more than 150,000 US Amateur Radio operators. Gallagher also oversaw a significant turnaround in the organization's financial performance.

==> 3Y0Z Bouvet Island DXpedition Aborted over Safety Concerns - The 3Y0Z Bouvet Island DXpedition website still invites visitors to "Follow Our Story Here." But that story took a disappointing turn on February 3, when the long-anticipated and costly DXpedition was abruptly aborted -- even as the Betanzos, the vessel that had transported the DXpedition team from Chile, sat at anchor in full view of the remote South Atlantic island where they'd hoped to operate. The DXpedition team had arrived just a couple of days earlier and was awaiting the opportunity to transport the team and equipment to the island by helicopter. The cost of the 3Y0Z DXpedition approached $750,000, about half of that coming from the 20 team members -- top operators from several nations, with considerable DXpedition experience. In the planning stages for 2 years, the DXpedition had attracted contributions large and small from clubs and individuals around the world -- including $100,000 from the Northern California DX Foundation -- its largest grant ever -- as well as an ARRL Colvin Award and a Yasme Foundation grant. A dependency of Norway, Bouvet is the third most-wanted DXCC entity. The last Bouvet activation was 3Y0E, over the winter of 2007-2008.

==> Z60A Fielding Three Stations to Handle Huge Pileups for New DXCC #1 - The special Z60A activation to mark the addition of the Republic of Kosovo to the DXCC List has topped 50,000 contacts and counting. Pileups continue to be heavy. Z60A has said it will operate in this weekend's CQ WPX RTTY contest, while next weekend would showcase the most active locals, including Z61DX, Z61VB, Z62FB, and Z63DBB. The Z60A activation will culminate on Kosovo's 10th anniversary of independence, Sunday, February 18, the weekend of the ARRL International DX Contest (CW), and some "sporadic" Z60A activity is anticipated during the contest. Visiting operators will team up with locals to wrap up the project and salute the ARRL and the US contesting community, as credit for working Z6 now is accepted for ARRL awards.

==> USA ARDF Championships Set for June 13-17 in California - The 18th USA Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) will take place June 13-17 near Truckee, California, some 30 miles southwest of Reno, Nevada. The competition sites are at about 6,300 feet elevation near Donner Summit. An optional training day will be held on Wednesday, June 13. Thursday will be devoted to foxoring, a combination of radio direction finding and classic orienteering. Friday morning will be the sprint event, followed by a model event for equipment testing and a competitor briefing. The 18th USA Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) will take place June 13-17 near Truckee, California, some 30 miles southwest of Reno, Nevada. The competition sites are at about 6,300 feet elevation near Donner Summit. An optional training day will be held on Wednesday, June 13. Thursday will be devoted to foxoring, a combination of radio direction finding and classic orienteering. Friday morning will be the sprint event, followed by a model event for equipment testing and a competitor briefing.

-- The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League

 

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Stay Radio active -- See you at the Feb 14th Meeting
Come Share the Love!

"Happy Valentine's Day"

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