F  E  E  D  -  P  O  I  N  T

Autumn is here and frost is in the air. Color is creeping over the hills with the brightest foliage in the coolest spots.

On September 17th, Amateur Radio Awareness Day, I turned on my HF rig several times hoping to make contact with others using emergency power. Some times I heard nothing but static. Another time I heard voices clearly, but I could not be heard. Did anyone have better luck than I did?

Both of the club's repeaters have been checked well before the coming cold weather. Gil Daigle, N1JHD, talked a large number of his family members into going to Rocky Mountain on August 25th. Gil, N1JHD, Noella, N1ZBX, Cara, N1ZHQ, Phil, N1RDE, Curtis, N1PMU, Kris, Chalene, Chet, and Clarence, N1QWU cleared the road in, chain sawed four big trees that were across the trail, and used machetes on the brush on the trail. N1JHD checked the batteries and added needed water. He checked the connections and tested the batteries. The batteries were in good condition, he said. Each tested at 6.9, and together they were 13.8. Sandra, N1QMC, went along to supervise. What a great family endeavor. Our sincere thanks to all of them for doing that work.

On September 21st N1JHD took care of adding water to the batteries for 146.640. They took very little water. N1JHD checked the connections and got the readings on on the batteries. Each battery tested at 6.40. Together they were 12.80. There was not much solar charging in the two days before. N1FG replaced the Damp Rid again.

On September 25th I drove to Upper Kingsclear, New Brunswick for a General Meeting of the International Repeater Group.There was an introduction of members (30 present), a silent time for silent keys, and a discussion of the condition of the various repeaters in the linked system. There are 18 repeaters in their system. One of them (VE9IRG)is off line because of mouse damage to the wires and others parts of the system. Repairs are being done. A new repeater has been purchased for the Elm tree area. VE9GB, the secretary, told of an incident with wide publicity, including the Wall Street Journal, in which a Motorola Representative was quoted as saying the Ham Radio gear counted for nothing in the emergency communications in the aftermath of the two recent hurricanes. Someone from ARRL sent an e-mail to the Vice-President of Motorola to straighten out the charge made about ham radios. In fact, ham radios saved the day in many cases. An apology was received from the VP of Motorola, saying that the representative had been badly mistaken. We hope the apology and correction was as widely publicized as the original statement.

At the IRG meeting there was a discussion of the possibility of linking the IRG system with the Maine Linked system. Pros and cons were discussed centering around the difference in access in the two systems. IRG is linked but not always. The repeaters act as local repeaters. When a code is put in one or several or all can be linked and then disconnected by another code. The Maine system is permanently linked. Questions will be asked and a way to link only at times will be discussed.

The IRG holds weekly nets with all repeaters linked. The Sunday Night Net is on 145.130- at 20:00 Hrs Maine time. Another is held on Tuesday Night at 20:00 Hrs Maine time.

Membership in IRG is $15.00 a year. Membership cards have all the repeaters on them and the codes for opening each or/and all.

This e-mail received and responded to. Poor condition of the floor and the lack of people to do the work was reported

My name is Bill Cobb and I am from an organization called the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA). We are currently working with the Maine Forest Service and the Bureau of Parks and Lands to update our Maine Fire Tower inventory listings. FFLA currently assists in the preservation of Towers through grants, funding, manpower and many other aspects. For those towers that are not salvageable or are gone, we attempt to preserve the history of those towers and sites.

I just finished reading the last 8 years of your newsletters on your website. I must say, I am impressed with your club! I enjoyed reading them all. Being a HAM myself and a past commercial radio technician and towerman, I can certainly appreciate your challenges supporting your repeater sites and your overall club in Northern Maine.

My interest currently is Rocky Mountain Tower. Since you seem to be the most active group interacting with it on a daily basis, I am wondering if I could trouble you with some questions about the site? FFLA has not had an active member in the Northern Maine area in years since the passing of our Maine Director a few years back. Since then, the information stream on the condition of Maine Towers has stopped. I was wondering if one of your members could drop me an email as to the overall condition of the Rocky Mountain Fire Tower, the Cab, and steel work? In addition, the Watchmans cabin status would be nice as well as any photos of the site in the last 5 years.

I am not familiar with what agreement you may have with the Maine Forest Service, but in discussions with the district rangers, your group is considered a maintainer of the tower.

Again, kudos to you all up there in Northern Maine for running a fine club. If you could spare a few moments for a tower status or two, I would appreciate it.