F E E D - P O I N T
| September, 2006 | Vol. 16 No.9 |
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Leaves are swirling from maple trees on windy days and the ground is becoming
littered with enough leaves to be able to scuffle them with your shoes,
releasing the odor of drying leaves. Potato tops are dead, harvest has started,
and potato-filled trucks are rolling on the highways.
On September 23rd WA1YNZ, KA1CQX, G4PYQ, N1WRX, K1VOR arrived at my QTH. We had a tour of the gardens, greenhouse, garden shed, and workshop before the rain started. Inside we talked a lot about the windmill project on Mars Hill and other things, toured the house, and Stan explained the building technique for constructing our home (using jacks to raise the plank walls after the roof had been put in place when the walls were only three feet high). We enjoyed their visit. G4PYQ is visting KA1CQX. The Presque Isle group left to head for Lakeview Restaurant to join our SJVARA Harvest Get-Together. Stan and I and N1PMS followed. N1JHD, N1QMC, N7GLR, KA7VNR,KA1SJV, WB1FTK, N1EVO, and KB1EBE completed the group of sixteen seated in The Other Room. Katie Flagg was our cheerful waitress. We all enjoyed the good food. | KA1CQX showed some of us his album of photos taken when he and his XYL visited G4PYQ in the UK this summer. They had a wonderful time. KB1EBE brought the Desk Buddy Antenna he recently constructed, plus copies of the detailed instructions for building one. (More about this on page 3.) The next morning, September 23, N1EVO, N1PMS, and N1FG assisted with the Guy Paradis Cancer Fund running races. Five miles and 12.5 miles. N1EVO was Net Control at the Frenchville Community Center. N1PMS and N1FG were mobile. N1FG supplied FRS radios for the bike riding followers. N1FG and N1PMS relayed their messages to Net Control via simplex or 146.640. Gale Flagg 108 Franklin School Rd Fort Kent, Maine 04743 Phone: 207-834-6670 E-mail: galeflagg@sjv.net Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 10, 6:00 PM Nadeau Hall, UMFK, Alumni Conference Room |
| Schedule of Coming Events | ||||||
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| Date | Event | Place | Contact | Sponsor | Time | Freq |
| SUN | Net | NB | VE1PIN | IRG | 2000 | 145.130 |
| MON | Net | Fort Kent | N1FG | SJVARA | 1900 | 146.64 |
| MON | Net | Presque Isle | WA1YNZ | AARA | 2000 | 146.73 |
| Page 2 | Feed-Point, September, 2006 |
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Start Time: 18:02 Members and guests present: N1FG; N1JHD; N1QMC; N1PMS; N7GLR; KA7VNR; KA1SJV; WB1FTK, Secretary’s Minutes: N7GLR moved to accept minutes as posted. Seconded by WB1FTK. All present voted in favor. Treasurer's Report: N1FRX
Old Business: 1. Rocky Mt.: Still silent. The new charge controller arrived today and was given to N1JHD. A different model than previous one. N1JHD asked for assistance. N1FG will contact N1EVO to help. Two suggestions for help were to go on line and/or contact N1NXU of the AARA for help. Should install the new controller soon, so we will know if that was the only problem. N7GLR asked if anyone knew what a new repeater costs. N1JHD thinks it would be about $500. N7GLR said if we buy a new one it should come with a warranty. The group agreed that would be important. 2. 146.64 Report: 13.92 volts at 15:40 hrs on September 12. N1FG reported a good net on Sept. 11. She also mentioned that KA1OOW and XYL, N1UYB, use this repeater quite often as KA1OOW travels the back country trapping Flat Tails (beavers). 3. Tour De La Valley: Sunday August 20. The cycling event coverage. The net controller never showed. N1EVO stayed in Fort Kent as net control, while N1FG headed out ahead of the 100 milers. N1PMS trailed behind the 40 milers and also the 100 milers. The event went well. |
For the event 146.640 was used, as was 145.130(with permission from VE1PIN) when 146.640 could not be reached in a few spots in Madawaska and on the way to Van Buren. There was a silent area along Long Lake. 4. Other: None.New Business: 1. Aroostook Adventure Race:N1FG said the race went very well. She was in a hollow and her trusty roll up J-pole antenna came to the rescue, allowing her to reach the AARA's portable repeater. The repeater had problems near the end, and the switch was made to 146.730. The portable repeater needs new cannisters. AARA members voted to donate money instead of raising money via a raffle. $50 was the amount sought from each member. 2. Harvest Supper: Where? Suggestions: Hotel Levesque in Canada; Two Rivers Restaurant in Allagash; German Restaurant in Canada; Italian Restaurant in Presque Isle; Tang's Restaurant in Presque Isle; Napoli Pizza in Caribou; Riverview Restaurant in Fort Kent; and Lakeview Restaurant in St Agatha. The group chose Lakeview Restaurant in St Agatha for Saturday, September 23, at 6:00 PM. N1FG said she would email all the members, asking for a quick RSVP, since it would be held in 2 weeks. KA1SJV volunteered to call the restaurant and make the reservation for the group. 3.Other: N7GLR announced the Calais Ham Fest this Saturday, September 16. N1FG said she might attend. N1FG asked for 2 volunteers for a Sunday, September 24 event, but none of the members present volunteered, so she said she would check with some of the other club members. Program: DVD "Phantoms In Space". A black and white movie taking place back in the 1940's about the FCC's involvement with an Alien from Outer Space sighting. Very amusing! Next Meeting: October 10, 2006, Nadeau Hall, UMFK, 6:00 PM Adjourned: 19:45 Submitted by KA1SJV |
| Happy Birthday | |
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| Hopkinton, New Hampshire Hamfest: Sponsors: Hosstraders. Friday, October 6, 9 AM, to October 7, 5 PM. Old-fashioned tailgating and swapfest, VE Sessions. Hopkinton State Fairgrounds. | Leland Rioux 10-19 Danny Marquis 10-19 Cecile Marquis 10-30 |
| Page 3 | Feed-Point, September, 2006 |
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KB1EBE first showed me his Desk Buddy antenna at the Aroostook Adventure Race. He used it at a couple of checkpoints. It worked very well. He constructed it himself. It is quite compact. He brought it to the Harvest Supper, and several of us looked it over carefully. Dave said it was not difficult to construct. He had printed the directions for construction. It would be interesting to compare it to N1FG's roll up j-pole, which she has used on numerous occasions with good results. The roll-up j-pole can fit into a pack easily and is very easy to transport. If there was no tree to put the j-pole on, the Desk Buddy might be a good alternative! To find the link to the Desk Buddy instructions, go to the project page of
the AARA's website: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7sp2j/
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Below is WB1FTK's response to N1FG's query about HF contacts, especially the Baffin Island one. Not much to really report on Baffin Isl, just a quick sig report. The band was dead when I contacted him but grew to a LARGE pileup immediately after the sig report!! My interesting contacts for September: VY0ICE, Steve, Baffin Isl Nunavut, 20m 1736UT ... Good reading on QRZ.com4Z5ML, Alex, Israel, 20m 1852UT OH0JFP, Walt, Aland Isl, 20m 1537UT 73, Don WB1FTK Do look up VY0ICE on QRZ. Interesting reading. Perhaps you will be able to contact him.(N1FG)
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Heavy duty 40' galvanized steel tower, 16" X 16". Includes mounting hardware. Best Offer. N1FRX. | Written by Science Students. Collected by Richard Lederer |
F E E D - P O I N T September, 2006 |
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| Published by the St. John Valley Amateur Radio Association |
| and distributed free to members and friends of Amateur Radio. |
| President: Gale Flagg N1FG |
| Vice President: Sandra Daigle, N1QMC |
| Secretary: Diane Elrich, KA1SJV |
| Treasurer: Charles Zafonte, N1FRX |
| Public Information: Charles Ames, N7GLR |
| Technical Advisor: Carl Pelletier, N1EVO |
| Editor/Publisher/Printer |
| Gale Flagg - N1FG / Stan Flagg 834-6670 |
| Associate Editor/Web Edition |
| Charles Ames N7GLR |
| Membership Information (Annual Dues): |
| Regular Membership $ 12 |
| Associate Membership $ 6 |
| Articles may be submitted by anyone with a good idea, and may be re-printed |
| only in their entirety and with credit going to this newsletter. |