TARC Newsletter

Robert "Bob" Green
6775 Belfast Avenue
Port Saint John, FL 32927
n3dmi@ij.net

Post Office Box 73 Titusville, FL 32781-0073	TARC NEWSLETTER MARCH 2004
	President: Bud Hughes	K4CWG 269-0779
	Vice President: Bob Keim	W4TAT 383-1509
	Secretary/Treasurer: Becky Lee	KF4HTB 267-9375
	Newsletter Editor: Bob Green	N3DMI 637-3469
	Meetings: 4^th Tuesday of each month, 1900 Hrs at the Jaycee’s Building, 405 North Singleton Avenue North of Garden Street. Talk-in 146.91 MHz
	Eatin Meeting: Thursday nights, 1730-1830 Hrs at a local restaurant. Contact Sherry Hughes 269-0779 or 146.91 MHz

SPECIAL MEETING FOR ALL ARES MEMBERS TUESDAY MARCH 23 AT 1830 HRS BEFORE TARC MONTHLY MEETING AT THE JAYCEES BLDG. PLEASE BE PROMPT. BRING YOUR CURRENT ARES BADGE

Those HAMS who want to become active in ARES are also encouraged to attend.

TARC MEMBER NOMINATED TO PRESTIGIOUS POSITION

Robert “Ozzie” Osband, N4SCY, has been nominated out of a field of 190 candidates to the PBS/NPR Radio Station WMFE Community Advisory Board. WMFE which serves greater Brevard County can be heard at 90.7 MHz on your FM receivers. Congratulations Ozzie!

PREZ’S CORNER

The city Titusville in which our club carries part of its name has a most humble beginning.

I would like to share just a few interesting milestones of this fine city of which many of us call home.

Titusville was founded in 1867 and was incorporated in 1887.

A Confederate Colonel named Henry Theodore Titus and his wife Mary landed at a place on the Indian River called Sand Point in the late 1860s or early 1870s. They came with ideas of building a town on the land owned by Mary.

Titusville was named after Colonel Henry Theodore Titus. However, did you know that we could have been living in a city called Riceville had it not been for the outcome of a domino game between Col Titus and Capt Clark Rice? These two gentlemen agreed that the winner of a game of dominoes would earn the right to select the name our city. With skill and maybe some luck Col Titus won the domino game and thus the site known as Sand Point was renamed Titusville in 1873.

Mary donated land for the 1^st courthouse, four churches and laid out many of the town’s streets.

Colonel Titus established a link with the outside world by connecting the Indian and St Johns Rivers with mule-drawn wagons.

The first US Post Office in the area was established in 1859. In the 1880s Titusville became the birthplace for commercial shipments of the famous Indian River Citrus from Dummitt Grove. In 1887 the Board of Trade (now called Chamber of Commerce) was organized. Also during that time period the first bank, two newspapers and a fishing industry was established.

Titusville’s first railroad station was constructed in 1892.

In the early 1900s focus was made on the construction of schools and roads. The first bridge was built across the Indian River giving the citizens access to Playa Linda and Desoto Beaches. A water system was installed, a fire department was founded and a second bank was established. The first permanent street pavement was accomplished and a storm water drainage system was installed.

In 1927 Arthur Dunn Airpark was opened.

During WWII several enemy ships were sunk off the nearby beaches. A Naval Fighter Field was established at what is now Space Coast Regional Airport (TICO).

In the 1950s and 1960s the towns of Whispering Hills and Indian River City were consolidated with Titusville.

If Colonel Titus was with us today I wonder if he would agree with me that should anyone of us wish to have a town named after us we should give serious thought to becoming proficient in playing the game of dominoes.

Credit for the information is extended to: “About our city” http://www.titusville.com

Best of 73s See you at the next club meeting … Bring a friend.

Bud K4CWG

BOB’s ERRATIC THOUGHTS

Well here I am trying to put together my editorial, easy you say? No such luck. I have so many erratic thoughts running amuck in the cranial cavity, I don’t know where to begin. By the way, for those of you who know me, you know that my cranial space is empty, so for those who aren’t sure, I am scheduled for a MRI on my brain after the meeting. So now there will not be any confusion as to the hollowness of my cranial cavity.

Lot’s of things have been happening these last few weeks.

Let’s start trying to bring together my erratic thoughts into an cohesive editorial, wait a minute, that will ruin my credibility.

FCC Part 97.1(a) defines the Basis and Purpose of the Amateur Radio Service as: “Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications”. Part 97.1(b) continues; “Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art”.

Well are we still sitting on our duffs enjoying all the benefits of being amateur radio operators and not doing anything toward the enhancement of amateur radio? What about your skills? Our proven ability was taking a test to prove that we met the requirements to be amateur radio operators. Well that test was how many years ago? What have you done to maintain competency in the art of amateur radio? Are your ready for that “emergency” that will put the test to the amateur radio service? Are your emergency skills at a level where you will be an asset to the community or are they a level where you may not be an asset to the community? Only you can answer these questions.

Why is it so easy to find time to go to the “eatin meeting” then it is to find time to take time to learn new or to improve skills, or to take time to meet with the club’s emergency communications coordinator to preplan what your emergency assignment will be. DO YOU KNOW WHO is TARC’s EMERGENCY COORDINATOR IS?

You don’t even have to leave your home to improve your skills. You can take FREE online courses from the ARRL in Emergency Communications. You can become active in traffic handling nets. The central Brevard EC is organizing a traffic handling training course, which will take place on April.17 Again the price is FREE, just a little bit of your time. Contact Roy Hill 453-4865 or e-mail him at: royw6qcm@cfl.rr.com for registration and information. The class is scheduled for 0900 Saturday April 17 and the Merritt Island Public Library on State Route 3.

Or you can be original and contact the TARC Emergency Coordinator and ask what you can do to help, but be careful you might have to call 911 because the EC just might have a heart attack, because no one volunteers to help the EC. Then there is BEARS, which TARC is a member. They need trained people to operate the emergency communications equipment. Again, they will train you, all it costs is a little time..

Another major concern of mine is the status of our club. It appears that we are fast becoming a social organization instead of a community asset. I am not knocking social activities, but I do not believe that this is not the purpose of the club. We are here to serve the public. We need to streamline the club administrative side. We have great officers, let’s make their jobs easier. Recently, the issue of club committees was placed before the club, there was a lot of conversation from the floor, followed by an effort by W4TAT to solicit more comments on the issue on the Mosquito Net Website. What kind of response did he get, well, it was very discouraging. Nobody cares, maybe the thought of change is scary. Whatever the reason, your complacency is not good for the club or the community. In the past TARC has had a wonderful reputation in the community. But now there is a new club in the neighborhood, are we going to continue to sit on our duffs and allow the club to fall into the wayside? It’s up to you.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a BEARS Mutual Aid Conference at the EOC. I am still awed by the overall atmosphere of the attendees. They were all in agreement in the fact that a Mutual Aid package is necessary and must be put into place as soon as possible. There were no “Turf Wars”.

I want to applaud the club officers for renewing it’s relationship with the ARRL. Are you aware that if you join the ARRL through the club, the club receives part of your dues? The ARRL is a wonderful resource for every HAM.

Last night (Tuesday 3/16) I was privileged to attend a dinner honoring individuals and businesses who had supported LESATS and the local ham community during the last ten years. I wish there were more community minded individuals and businesses that were supportive of ham radio. What is LESATS? It is an acronym for Launch Information Services Amateur Television System. A group of hams who are active in amateur television or ATV. Each of the BEARS Comm Vehicles are equipped to provide real time television images to the EOC during an emergency. Television images convey real time information to emergency officials.

Do you know that NASA, with all it’s resources depends upon LESATS audio and video broadcasts during launches? During launches you can monitor the 146.94 repeater for the audio and if you have an outside TV antenna you can monitor the launch on channel 59.

What have I been doing recently on the airwaves? I am continuing in my quest for working all counties and states. I have also been appointed net control for the Wednesday morning BEARS Net 0900 local 147.135 MHz. And I am being trained as a BEARS Net Control Operator at the county EOC in Rockledge. I am in the process of putting up my antenna farm, Bonnie has given me an ultimatum, finish the project or it’s the “junk” yard for the metal and the gators for me. I am also studying for my upgrade to Extra Class with the goal of passing the test before the end of the year. Yes I am enjoying HAM RADIO to the fullest extent.

Are you aware that Brevard County has regular sales of county surplus equipment at it’s Titusville location (700 S Park Ave)? You can get just about anything your “pea pickin” heart desires. Check out the website www.brevardcounty.us/assetmgmt. If you have trouble reading the small font Go to View,Text Size, Medium.

Hey guys and gals, lets support our club, it’s officers and ham radio, it’s the only thing to do!!

Bob Green

N3DMI

Abell’s Anecdotes. .

THE GREAT RAILROAD CANDY CAPER

By Pike Abell W4EPU

It was necessary to go way back in time to come up with this one. But, I feel it is well worth recalling and sharing.

It happened in the early ‘30s, in the middle of the Great Depression.

We lived on our family farm, five miles north of town by way of the Cotton Belt Railroad track. It was more like six miles to town by the road because the road formed two sides of a triangle, the railroad being the hypotenuse, or the shortest route.

It was in the fall of the year. School was recessed for the harvest season. Papa worked at the cotton gin in town. He walked to and from town, on the railroad track. My six brothers and I harvested the crops, mostly cotton. One morning my brother John and I had hooked up the mules to the cotton wagon in preparation to go to the field for the days picking and loading cotton. My other brothers were finishing up the morning chores.

Mama yelled at us from the house and said that Papa had just phoned from the gin and told her that, on the Burton hill there were tons of candy scattered along the railroad right of way. It had apparently spilled from a railroad boxcar. As we would learn later, he also reported it to the sheriff.

The Burton Hill was about a mile from our house. We tied the mules to the fence and ran as fast as we could down the railroad track to the location.

There it was, an unbelievable sight to behold. Cases of Baby Ruth, Mars bars, Three Musketeers, and many others were scattered along the right of way. Some cases were broken. Full and half empty boxes and single candy bars were everywhere. I grabbed a Baby Ruth and immediately consumed it. Eula McGowan and Elane Wright were seen carrying a case into the woods, where they hid it then went back later and retrieve it. Shirley Simon was struggling with a case all by herself. Herbie Sanders, who lived just across the road, was carrying case after case to his barn.

John and I decided to go back home and get the wagon to which the mules were already hooked up. That we did. We visualized taking home a wagon load of candy.

However, by the time we returned, Sheriff Pat Robinson and two of his deputies were on the scene and in complete control of the situation. Pat said to us “Boys, don’t touch a thing. This is a police matter”. We weren’t even allowed to pick up a single candy bar. We went home empty handed.

We were not completely left out, however, remembering that Herbie Sanders had lots of candy. A few days later we told Herbie about our disappointing plight. He gave us each a box of candy.

There are, no doubt, many morals to this story: “It doesn’t pay to be greedy”, “He who hesitates is lost” and “If you snooze you lose” are just a few.

73s es 88s

APRIL NEWSLETTER CLOSING DATE APRIL17, 2004

FEBRUARY MINUTES

By Becky Lee KF4HTB

After the opening ceremonies of Pledge, moment of silence and introduction of members and guests, Bill Eppley, N2SDB told the club about all the places he is playing to raise money for the Childrens Wish Foundation. He expects to donate $2000 in the near future. He then entertained members by playing sever tunes on his harmonica.

Stephanie, K4VMO gave a rundown of what is doing at BEARS. She apologized for not getting this information into the last newsletter.

The rest of the meeting was devoted to a discussion about whether or not to allow someone from another club to use the 91 repeater for Skywarn broadcasts. After much discussion members voted to not allow the use of 91 for this purpose.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Beginning Bal. $2101.09

Deposits 1130.00

Total Income $3231.09

Expenditures 409.54

Balance (2/19/04) $2821.55

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Total membership 171

125 regular

35 family

8 honorary

3 other

NEW MEMBERS

K5TLR STANLEY SCHEIBER

AF4LD GARY COMMER

RENEWALS

AA4HP HANK PHILLIPS

K4VMO STEPHANIE PHILLIPS

W5RAQ RON RICHARDSON

W4KEN JAN FURGESON

KG4KBQ BEAU GRANTHAN

KG4KVO ED WIRTH

W4EPU PIKE ABELL

KE4YQL CLARA ABELL

KC4TE GENE MANN

KE4AEB JO JORDAN

KE4MXF KAY JORDAN

MARCH BIRTHDAYS

MAR. 01 – NA4RS RICHARD STANTON

MAR. 04 -- AF4LD GARY COMMER

MAR. 06 – KD4DOT FAYE SKIDMORE

MAR. 06 – WB4LOE LARRY SKIDMORE

MAR. 08 – KD6EA DON HINDS

MAR. 11 – KF4BKY JOE HUSSON

MAR. 12 – KG4YNO BOB MEEKS

MAR. 13 – KD4EYR JUNE ROLL

MAR. 13 – WB4PXO JIM MORGAN

MAR. 20 – K4MVO STEPHANIE PHILLIPS

MAR. 23 – W4REN JAN FERGUSON

MAR. 24 – KE4TE GENE MANN

MAR. 29 – KS4BD DARWIN McCOMBS

MAR. 30 – K4ATD ANGIE DIMEO

The BEARS Report for March 2004

The winner BEARS IC-706, Fundraising Rafle: Theresa Chase, KI4EJL, a new Ham who is now studying for her General Class license. I hope she'll get a lot of use out of the rig. The BEARS want to thank you for your help and participation which contributed about $400 to our consortium's treasury.

Young Ham, Alex Fisher, KG4WMM, Boy Scout Troop #734, was recognized by the BEARS for his exceptional performance, technical skill and enthusiasm during the their Camp out and CERT training on February 1st, 2004, when he helped run the Training Net on K4EOC Comm 2. He was awarded a BEARS shirt and a Certificate of Appreciation. Don't forget that Alex runs a Youth Net on 146.850, around 7:45pm, Thursday evenings, after the South Area's ARES Net. He really is setting a wonderful example for all of us, young and old alike.

Big doin's on March 13th, at the County EOC: March 13, 2004---- "Central Florida Amateur Radio Mutual Aid Conference
The Emergency Operations Center at Brevard County, Florida was the scene for the Central Florida Mutual Aid Conference. ARES Emergency Coordinator, Ray Kassis, N4LEM and ARES members hosted representatives from 5 adjoining counties.

Brevard is the northernmost county in the Southern Florida Section and it is bordered by 2 Southern Florida and 3 Northern Florida Section counties. The county is 72 miles long and 20 miles wide. That's 72 miles of I-95 and over 100 miles of oceanfront. It's home to Patrick Air Force Base, the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Port Canaveral, numerous high-tech businesses, Florida International University, and 600,000 residents. ARES actually operates as 3 distinct areas within the county due to the size.

The Emergency Coordinators from all 5 neighboring counties, the Southern Florida Section Manager Sherri Brower, W4STB, Northern Florida Section DEC David Flagg, N4BGH and several Assistant ECs. The 32 participants discussed the need for mutual aid, security and clearance concerns, insurance coverage, the SEDAN network, frequencies on which to contact neighboring counties, contact and resource information to be shared, and how to work within the Section Emergency Plans and the State Division of Emergency Management plans to support each other.

The group will participate in an upcoming drill and will meet again later in the year for further discussions.

Participants were able to tour the EOC radio room and mobile communications vehicles from Brevard and Osceola counties." 73
Sherri Brower, W4STB
Southern Florida Section Manager

Plan on participating in the upcoming Ride for the Red, this April 24th. Come as a volunteer communicator or as a rider. Better yet, do both! I hope to do the 33 miles again this year with my ICOM IC-T2H, meter rig and Diamond 1/4 wave antenna. Come join me! I'll have details at the upcoming TARC meeting.

Make plans for a big drill on 05/05/04, State Hurricane Drill. Yes, that is a Wednesday, so for those of you who work but would still like to participate, let me know and maybe we can get you into the loop from your work location.

Special Meeting: 1/2 hour the TARC regular monthly meeting on 03/23/04, at the Jaycees building (our regular TARC meeting place,) for all you TARC ARES members and all other TARC members interested in EmComm.

Bob Farrington (W4YBI) has agreed to serve as Net Control for the SkyWarn nets. Recently, the Weather Bureau at Melbourne scheduled a practice tornado drill on February 25th, but had to delay it for two days because there was real hazardous weather in the area. Members of the Titusville Amateur Radio Club participated in a real SkyWarn Net during one 90 minute period of a severe thunderstorm warning for Brevard County. Two days later on February 27th, 17 stations reported in on the practice session. The lively net included vivid descriptions of imaginary storms, including one which left Bud and Sherry stranded on the St. Johns River. Roy Hill (W6QCM) has announced a special class in handling formal net messages during ARRL traffic nets and emergencies. The class is scheduled for 0900 Saturday April 17 and the Merritt Island Public Library on State Route 3. If you are interested in this two hour training session, call Roy at 453-4865 or send him an e-mail addressed to royw6qcm@cfl.rr.com.

Stephanie Phillips K4MVO

Bob Farrington W4YBI

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

The “Run for Life” group, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, made their annual run from Homestead to St. Augustine this month. Their purpose is to raise funds for women shelters, women in trouble pregnancies and otherwise protecting the unborn. Many thanks to Dan KE4MWY, Clara KE4YQL, Pike W4EPU and Matt KE4NYM, for providing the talk in communications for the runners on the Cocoa to Titusville portion of their journey. Also, thanks to Gail KF4FEZ and Bud K4CWG for checking in and being there on the side if/when they were needed. Way to Go!! ed

CLUB REPEATERS
CALL	FREQ Std. Offset	CUSTODIAN
K4SJC	146.91	Les Griner 267-1565
AF4EA	146.97	Warren Murray 638-5476
KD4HNW	146.775	Ken Denman 269-5711
WB4SIG	444.150 Tone 103.5	Mike Hensley 639-1553

CLUB NETS
DAY/TIME LOCAL	FREQ STD.SHIFT	NET NAME
Sunday 0600	7228 kHz	Red Eye
Monday 1000	146.91	Trader’s
Tuesday 0830	146.91	Friendship
Wednesday 1900	28333 kHz	Mosquito
Thursday 1000	146.91	VIP

SPECIAL MEETING FOR ARES MEMBERS 1830 3/23/04

BE PROMPT AND BRING ARES BADGES

CLUB MEETING 1900 3/23/04

ASTRONAUT HIGH SCHOOL AWARDED $2500 GRANT

ARRL Education & Technology Program Schools Get Best Buy Te@ch Grants

NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 16, 2004

Four ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program (ETP) participating schools are the beneficiaries of recent Best Buy Children's Foundation Te@ch grants of $2500. Winning grants were Iowa Street School in Fallbrook, California; Bloomington High School South in Bloomington, Indiana, Astronaut High School in Titusville, Florida, and Northside High School in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Astronaut High's Bill Canfield, W4RUN, says he and his students were thrilled to learn they'd won a Best Buy Te@ch grant. Integrating ham radio into his classroom has helped to provide his students with an understanding of radio propagation, he explains. "This has lead to the development of a new course at the school entitled Communications Technology." Students will earn a Technician ticket within the first nine weeks of the course and a General in the second nine weeks.

The concept got its start when he was teaching about the industrial revolution and the advancement of technology in his American History classroom. "I would bring in telegraph keys, old radios and radio tubes," he said. "This led to explaining how communication has advanced from Morse code to the digital communications of today."

Canfield says the grant money will enable the school to add a weather station to its ham station for use during Hurricane Watch Net activations. He also wants to expand the ham station's digital capabilities (VHF packet and PSK31) plus add features like satellite tracking and weather fax. Another project, Canfield says, is the addition of a solar power setup to the school's station.

Astronaut High teacher Bill Canfield says all of his students have constructed a code practice oscillator. "They are now working to convert a PC power supply into a 13.8 V, 20 A power supply,"

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS AT ASTRONAUT HIGH SCHOOL

What are you doing to support Amateur Radio?