Zero Beat Dec 2013

The December Meeting is our annual Christmas party at Coletta’s. Coletta’s is on Appling Rd. just south of Stage Rd./ Hwy 64.

Each person attending is asked to bring at least one gift in the $5-10 range. We will have labels to mark if it is specific for a man or woman. Each person will get a ticket and we will draw until the gifts are gone. In years past we have gone through the list several times as folks have brought more than one gift each.

This year we have some special prizes that we will draw for at the end of the meeting. Mid-South Amateur Radio Supply has donated a special prize and the club has also purchased some special prizes. After we draw for all the gifts folks bring, we will put all the names back in the barrel and draw for the large special prizes.

Please Let me know if you are coming so we can give Coletta’s a head count. Email me at abrigno@comcast.net.

Repeaters.

We have been playing musical repeaters. We now have an ICOM IC RP4020 on top of LeBonheur. It has excellent coverage. I can work it with a 4 watt HT from my driveway in Bartlett. Michael Knight has put ECHO Link on it and we have had some fun testing it out. You can use it in conventional mode or ECHO Link mode. We are in the process of deciding about a permanent Link. The repeater is putting out just under 50 watts to the duplexer and about 30 watts out of the duplexer to the Diamond dual band antenna at 150 ft on the south east side of the KNO tower.

The original Kenwood repeater we tried on Lebonheur was working great but had a much lower duty cycle so we moved it to WKNO to replace the MOTO 443.250 machine. The 2 meter and 440 are no longer linked until we can make a cable for the Kenwood. We’ll keep you posted. I plan to check out the Moto 443.240 machine as we haven’t messed with it in several years. It can probably use some TLC.

The 6 meter machine on LeBonheur continues to “honk like a goose”. Try it out when you get a minute. It is 53.450 with tone of 107.2

Jackson MS. Hamfest January 24 and 25, 2014

A Trip is planned to the Jackson Hamfest, January 24 in Jackson MS. We plan to take Vanna which can seat 6 comfortably. We have 4 going now so if you want to go let me know. We plan to leave Friday around noon and return Saturday around 5-6 pm. Gas should be in the $15 range and hotels in the area are in the $50 per night range. You will have to make your own hotel reservation.

FreeFest 2014 Saturday April 12

The FreeFest mail out to vendors will go out in early December. It will also go out to this mail list. Linda Ware has done an outstanding job of compiling an Email list of ARRL clubs in a 150 mile or so range. This is how we get word out as mailing has gotten expensive.

I could use some help getting this Email list on the MARA Google web site so those of you who are computer literate please consider helping. As soon as the vendor letter goes out I will have my hands full. In years past we have been 50-60% full in the first couple weeks.

Please start passing the word any way you can. Use nets and Echo Link and as you travel, talk it up.

New Officers for 2014

President Dennis Foster

Vice-President Roger Schlichter

Secretary Tony Brignole

Treasurer Rick Kanschat

Board Lance Morris

Board Ron Rubin

Board Jeff Krause

Condolences to those elected.

Sincere thanks to John Parish who served as treasurer for at least the last 10 years. John has done a fantastic job keeping our books straight and filing the necessary forms to the Federal and State agencies. Thanks John for a job well done!!!!!! John will be helping Rick assume these duties.

Misc. Items for 2014

Program for January is Budget for 2014 and program on a solar power system. Tentative program for February is on ECHO Link and how to get set up and use it.

This year we have options for Field Day. So far we have reserved the Clubhouse in Country Club Estates for Saturday and Sunday and the Pool for Saturday night. We also have St. James church reserved and Pat says we can use WKNO if need be. All we have to do is decide where we want to go.

Renew your dues now!!! John and Rick will have the paper work at the next few meetings. A clarification on dues is needed. The prorated dues are for new members who join during the year only. If you are an existing member and wait till mid year to pay your dues you still owe the full amount.

St. Jude Marathon

The St. Jude Marathon is Saturday December 7, and there is still time to volunteer. See Vice President Roger Schlichter at the meeting or contact him via email at WR4R@bellsouth.net.

If you did not get an opportunity to pick up your T Shirt at the Friday breakfast Roger will have them at the meeting at Coletta’s.

Holiday Greetings.

In Robert Bolts play “A Man For All Seasons”, he quotes Thomas Moore as saying;

“God made the angels to show him splendor as he

made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity

but man he made to serve him wittily in the tangle of his mind”.

We have our work cut out for us in 2014.

We wish all of you a holy, happy, and merry Christmas.