Morgan Amateur Radio Newsletter

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Edgar Adrian Richards
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1 Morgan Amateur Radio Newsletter November, 2017 Vol. 1, No. 6 Introduction This newsletter of the Morgan Amateur Radio Club (MARC) is distributed at no cost every other month to members of the club and others with an interest in ham radio. Please feel free to share it with others but without altering the content. We hope the newsletter will inspire more hams to come join us in our activities and inspire others with a passing interest in ham radio to follow up on their interest and become licensed. All are welcome to attend our meetings. Our club is focused on radio for emergency communications and support of community activities needing radio communications. We gather on the third Wednesday of even numbered months at the Morgan Search and Rescue Building to learn new ideas about all forms of radio communication and have a fun time visiting and discussing radio topics. Learn more about Morgan Amateur Radio Club at Editor's Notes on 2017 As we wrap up 2017 it is good to take stock of what has been done relating to ham radio in Morgan county during the past year. This newsletter was new in 2017 to provide information about ham radio in Morgan County. We continue to have successful Sunday evening net calls which provide us all a chance to verify that our radios are functioning properly and which give us an opportunity to share being net control. Serving as net control gives us a chance to become comfortable using our radios to prepare for emergency situations. I hope everyone will take the opportunity to learn by serving as net control several times a year. We had five presentations during the year which helped us to learn new skills and polish up on others. Those presentations included topics on our local repeaters, Morse code, antennas, radio go kits and an update on repeaters and other ARRL items by Mel Parks. We helped with communications for several bike rides through the county. We hosted the Wasatch Back Tri County Amateur Radio Group eyeball. We had a radio club table at the North Morgan Stake emergency preparedness fair to help people learn more about ham radio. We conducted the North Pole net in December. A separate write up of it is elsewhere in the newsletter. Overall it has been a successful year for MARC and for for all those who have participated and contributed. We look forward to 2018 for opportunities and events that will take place. Please consider helping to make it a great year. December MARC Meeting December is when we have our annual elections, a pot luck dinner and fun visiting and getting to know everyone better. No technical presentation is planned, but if anyone has questions about radio, it is a good time to find someone who can help. Please consider running for office for 2018 or nominating someone you have asked to run. Your

2 support is always welcome and needed. Remember to bring cash or check for your 2018 membership ($10 single member or $18 family membership). Membership form is on last page of this newsletter. Please invite anyone interested in ham radio to come join us on December 20 th at 6 PM at the SAR building for a fun evening. If your better half is not interested in radio, bring them anyway to join the evening of fun and food. Remember to bring some food to share. North Pole Network Report by Dee Dostaler (W7DEE) What is the North Pole Network (NPN)? Santa Claus wants every child to have an opportunity to visit with him. So, in 2012, some research was made into a California project that brought Amateur Radio into hospitals, nursing homes, shut-ins, etc. to give children of all ages a chance to talk to Santa at the North Pole. The Morgan North Pole Network was created to provide that service to similar facilities in Morgan and Weber counties. It was/is comprised of a small group of Hams who offer their skills, time and radio equipment to allow those children (of all ages) who would not otherwise be able to visit Santa Claus to talk with the jolly old elf using amateur (ham) radio. Consistent with the wishes of Santa Claus, the spirit of Christmas and the service oriented nature of amateur radio, the Morgan North Pole Network is provided free of charge. This year s North Pole Network was provided at two facilities in Weber county. The first was at the George Whalen Veteran s Home. The group met in the lobby and then proceeded to the selected location to set up. Over the next hour or so, 13 elderly veterans proceeded to talk with Santa telling him some of their memories of Christmas past and letting him know what would give them pleasure to receive this coming Christmas day. Once all those who wanted to talk had had their chance, the group reassembled and a few hours later repeated the service at the Rocky Mountain Care Clearfield facility. Here 9 of the long term residents were also given the opportunity to visit with Santa via Amateur Radio. Once again there were tales of Christmas past and memories of the special gifts they had received as children. When everyone who wanted to had had the chance to speak with Santa, the group packed up their gear and headed for home, the service reminding them of what the spirit of Christmas is about: the giving, not the getting Participants: Forrest Terrell, KG7NJF; Marcie Terrell, KG7QNR; Annette Laughter, K7ALL; Sue Cogger, K7SUZ; Steve Weaver, KF7LLN; Joanna Weaver, KF7LLO; Dee Dostaler, W7DEE and MaryAnn Dostaler We want to thank the hams and representatives of the facilities involved for helping us have the NPN again this year. It was a fun and rewarding project for the residents of the facilities and for each of the hams participating. October Meeting Review Forrest Terrell (KG7NJF) presented information about radio go kits or things to pack with you if called out to provide radio communication support. Some members brought their radio go kits and showed them and explained what they contained and why. Mike Petz (W7DNI) brought a tool box with a radio and reflective vest. Steve Lyon (KN7OYL) brought a very compact case containing a radio, multiple antennas, power leads and a battery. Lanny Jolly (K7LPJ) brought a kit containing a radio mounted on a wooden block, power leads, mag mount antenna and a suprise support operator (a large rubber spider!) to liven up the meeting. Grant Laughter (K7GL) brought a 72 hour backpack with items needed for providing for existing for 72 hours and containing a computer, a radio, two HT radios and antenna setup equipment and needle nose pliers to represent the additional items in a tool kit in his car. We also discussed how to prepare different types of kits depending on the type and duration of a potential call up for service. It was a fun and informative evening. Thanks to all who brought kits and kit ideas to share. We all learned from this.

3 Our club is an ARRL affiliated club and our hams could be called upon to help in the event of an ARES or RACES emergency communications need. ARRL membership information can be found at: News Changes to Roster Our roster and preamble to our Sunday net has changed in order to remain consistent with the changes made in the Morgan LDS Stakes. Three stakes were created from the two existing stakes. There are now the Morgan Stake, the North Morgan Stake and the West Morgan Stake. Within the West Morgan Stake the numbered wards designations have changed. The Morgan 4 th Ward has been renamed to the Grand View Ward. The Morgan 6 th Ward has been renamed to the West Porterville Ward and the Morgan 8 th Ward has been renamed to the Canyon Creek Ward. Please check the MARC web site to download the latest net preamble and roster. These changes have come about because of the growth in the area and the need to better accommodate more people. That growth should eventually result in more people interested in ham radio and emergency communications in the area. Watch for opportunities to encourage more people in ham radio and invite them to join us. News KC7VTE now SK Dave Corpany, a long time member of the Morgan radio community passed away on November 19, He will be remembered for his service to Morgan County and to the radio community. He served for more than 20 years as a leader in Morgan County emergency communications. We will all miss Dave's friendship, service and his voice that was made for radio. For those not familiar with the term SK it comes from Morse code and means silent key or when a radio operator has signed off for the last time. Although KC7VTE may not have been a Morse code operator, we honor him and others when they pass away with the designation of SK. The Ifs If you have any ideas or news for the newsletter or topics for future MARC meetings please share those thoughts with any of the MARC leadership. If you need help with a radio matter, check out the list of Elmers on the MARC website. If we don't know the answer, we will help find someone who does. If you would like to write a short article for the newsletter, on a ham radio topic, please contact one of the MARC leadership. We would love to hear from you. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter as an , respond by or contact any of the MARC leadership and ask to be dropped from the list. Their contact information can be found on MorganARC.net. Upcoming Morgan ARC Meetings Meeting topics for 2018 have not yet been planned. If you have a topic you would like to learn about or someone you have heard give a presentation, just make a suggestion and we will try to make it happen. If you have researched a topic and would like to share what you have learned, please share it with others in the club. Even if you are not an expert, you still can share what you have learned. When you come to the December meeting please bring your ideas and suggestions for future meetings.

4 Calendar of Events Please continue your support of the weekly nets, or begin if you have not participated. Also please look at the list below of upcoming events and consider participating in some of them. That is an important way to improve your radio skills and knowledge. Hope to hear you on the radio soon! - Forrest (KG7NJF) December 20 th MARC meeting 6 PM at SAR Building. Topic: Club elections and pot luck Christmas Party. January MARC will conduct the WBTC group net calls Thursday evenings during January February 7 th VE test session 6 PM at Weber County Sheriff's office. Testing for all license levels. 10 th WBTC AR Group eyeball in Wasatch County 21 th February MARC meeting 6 PM at SAR Building. 24 th Utah VHF Society swap meet Recurring Events --Morgan ERC net. Sunday 9 PM on Morgan repeater on MHz. Visit for more information. --Wasatch Back Tri-County net. Thursday 9 PM Lewis Peak repeater on MHz. Visit for more information. --Utah State RACES VHF net, third Thursday of even number 8:00 PM on an intertie repeater you can reach. --Utah State RACES HF net, third Saturday of odd number 8:00 AM on MHz To join or renew membership with the Morgan Amateur Radio Club, please fill in the application on next page and bring it with appropriate dues to a club meeting or mail it to: Sue Cogger, 73 North River Cove Circle, Morgan, UT 84050

5 Name: Call Sign: License Class: Address: City, State, ZIP code: Home Phone: Work Phone: Cell Phone: Address: Check bands and modes that you can operate or are interested in: MODE HF 6M 2M 222 MHz SSB CW FM DATA PACKET Other modes (specify below) Mobile Operation 440 MHz Others Are you a member of the ARRL? Yes [ ] No [ ] Can your home station be operated without commercial power? Yes [ ] No [ ] Are you interested in emergency preparedness/communications? Yes [ ] No [ ] What subjects would you be interested in learning about? Is there a topic you could share info about or elmer (help) others on? I am applying for membership in the Morgan County Amateur Radio Club and agree to abide by its Constitution and Bylaws. (Current annual membership fee is $10 single or $18 family) Signature Date FOR TREASURER S USE: 1Yr 5Yr Single Family Pro-Rated Date Paid Amount Cash Check # Initials

Happy New Year Just the Beginning ~ John Dyer, KM6DXY. Annual Christmas Party (2017) ~ John Dyer, KM6DXY

January 2018 In This Issue Happy New Year The Official Newsletter of the Tehachapi Amateur Radio Association Volume 2, Number 1 Happy New Year Just the Beginning Annual Christmas Party It is incredible