Term Expires May 31, 1999  KC1FZ – George Davis  10 Sanborn Rd.  Hingham, MA. 02043

Term Expires May 31, 2000  N1NTZ – Ed Meehan  19 Corcoran Rd.  Brockton, MA. 02401

Term Expires May 31, 2001  K1BZD – Walter Dolson  208 Auburn Street  Whitman, MA. 02382

Meeting Schedule:

Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at the Cardinal Spelman Center located on School Street, in Whitman next to Holy Ghost Parish. Members gather at 6:00 p.m. to socialize. The business meeting is conducted at 6:30 p.m. Talk in will be on 147.225 +

From the editor:

All items to be submitted for the Spectrum must be received by the editor by the 19th of the month for it to be included in the next issue, send all items
                 to::
                 Jeff Tracy N1SOM
                 240 Washington St Apt 1
                 Norwood, MA. 02062-1548
 

This past winter has been crazy, first it gets warm than turns bitter cold the next day, but that is expected in New England. Speaking of crazy, bad weather this months newsletter has a special section thanks to “The Bruce” NI1X. It is on the Mt. Washington DXpedition on June 13th, 1998, Chris N1WWI is sending out the certificates to hams who made contact with WARC that day. Enjoy the special issue

    73’s Jeff N1SOM

WHITMAN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

SECRETARY’S NOTES OF THE MEETING OF JANUARY 20, 1999.

(Meeting notes were taken by "The Bruce" NI1X - for Charlet N1VQZ. Thanks Bruce.)

OPENING: The members started to gather at 6:30 at the Cardinal Spellman Center, located in Whitman next to the Holy Ghost Church. Club Treasurer, Jeff N1SOM opened the meeting at 6:57 P.M.

ATTENDANCE: The total attendance was 10 and included 1 of the elected officers and 1 member of the Board of Directors.
 

Jeff Tracy	N1SOM		Bruce Hayden	NI1X
Bruce Beaman	K1HTN		John Coombs	WQ1L
George Davis	KC1FZ		Bob Johnson	WA1OFR
Jeff Lehmann	N1ZZN		Tom Lehmann	N1ZZM
Jim Gilbert	W5IRW		Roy Logan	KB1CYV

Jeff N1SOM announced that he is collecting dues at this time.

HEALTH AND WELFARE

George KC1FZ reported that Joe N1FEE was spending some time with his daughter down south where he would be retrieving some of his radio gear that had inadvertently been shipped south when his daughter moved.

MEETING DONATION

The Bruce NI1X made a motion that the club gives a $25 donation to the church for the use of the room. The motion was seconded by JimW5IRW and approved by all.

NEXT MEETING

After some discussion it was decided to hold the next meeting on February 10th, the second Wednesday of the month. The church facilities were not available on the third Wednesday.

FOX HUNTING

The past weekend Gene N1EH was hiding at Long Pond in Plymouth and the team of Jeff N1ZZN and Gil WA1GDJ came in first.

Two weeks ago Gil WA1GDJ was the FOX. The good news was that Gil WA1GDJ hiding on Pine Street in Raynham on a dead end road up against Rt. 495 exactly one (1) mile from the Bruce's NI1X home QTH. The bad news was that The Bruce NI1X had headed for Halifax to team up with George KC1FZ and was no where near the Fox’s Den to start. The good news was that the team of The Bruce NI1X and George KC1FZ homed in on the Fox and came in first.

Three weeks ago Ed N1NTZ and John WQ1L were the Foxes and hid at the Plymouth Airport overlooking the runway. Gene N1EH and Mark KB1COB had just finished breakfast at the airport and left without seeing Ed N1NTZ and John WQ1L in the parking lot. They soon turned around, retraced their steps and came in first.

OLD BUSINESS

MT. WASHINGTON SPECIAL EVENT

The QSL manager plan is coming together. Chris N1WWI had volunteered to design the Special Event certificate, using his computer, and had reported they were ready to be printed. Charlet N1VQZ had volunteered tohelp print them in color. At the meeting The Bruce NI1X along with Jeff N1ZZN and Bruce K1HTN volunteered to complete the mailing of the certificates along with the newspaper article and photos of the Special Event crew.

PLIMOTH PLANTATION

Chris N1WWI had reported that he was working on a revised Special Event certificate to be computer generated.

MARCONNI SPECIAL EVENT

Jeff N1ZZN reported on his participation with the Marconni Special Event Station held on Jan. 18, 1999 at the location of the original Marconni Station in Wellfleet Mass. The crew operated as W1AA/cc. Jeff N1SOM reported that he worked with Carl N1FYZ, Pi K1RV, Tom K1TH and Whitey K1VV. The team had two R-5 verticals tied to cars and two ICOM 706 transceivers all working mobile from the parking lot.

NEW BUSINESS

PROPOSED CUB SCOUT SPECIAL EVENT STATION

Tom N1ZZM proposed a Special Event station be operated out of the Club House on Pine Street in Whitman to introduce the Cub Scouts of Pack 34 in Hanson to Amateur Radio. After some discussion it was agreed and the initial volunteers were Tom N1ZZM, Jeff N1ZZN, and "The Bruce" NI1X.

The action items included:

(1) Tom N1ZZM will go back to the Scout Pack 34 in Hanson to see if there is interest from "Dens" other than the Den Tom's N1ZZM son Keith is in. The expectation is that the full Pack would want to attend. This might involve separate times for each of the small "Dens".

(2) An antenna party would be held at the clubhouse to install a G5-RV or other suitable dipole antennas for use with a Club Station. A Sunday antenna party was proposed. Date to be announced.

(3) A work party would be held to clean out the clubhouse. Bob WA1OFR volunteered to sort out the equipment that might bring revenue at the club flea market on Memorial Day. Sunday clean-up party was proposed. Dates to be announced.

SCUTTLEBUTT

The Bruce NI1X reported he is working on a 30 Meter 5 watt QRP transceiver kit made by Oak Hill Research of Michigan. Progress is slow.

It was reported that Ed N1NTZ had picked up a used Kenwood TS-850 with filters and was last seen "on the road again" headed for Arizona in his Airstream Hilton.

It was reported that Steve W1WSN is having a blast with his newly acquired ICOM-706 Mark II mobile rig with dedicated HAM stick antennas. Steve W1WSN has been heard talking about his efforts to work all States from his car.

It was reported that Paul N1VTI is into making his own 4/1 balun coils for use with his 20 meter folded dipole. John WQ1L helped locate and secure the necessary "magnetic toroids".

Bill N1SOM has been enjoying making mobile contacts with his Radio Shack HTX202 - 25 watt 10-meter mobile transceiver.

It was reported that a regular schedule is being held between club members and Bill N1FRE in Jay Maine at 8 P.M. on 80 meters. Other members have reported they’ve been listening in.

ADJOURNMENT:

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 P.M.

There is a Hummerland receiver that Bob WA1OFR has and wants to sell on the Internet. No word yet if it has been sold or offers made yet.
 
 

Radio amateurs around the world joined in morning the recent death of Jordan’s King Hussein, JY1. Hussein, 63, died February 7. The Middle East’s longest – reigning ruler, he’d been Jordan’s king for 47 years, taking the throne when he was just a teenager. His son, Abdullah, 37, succeeds him.

Hussein had earned a reputation as a catalyst for peace and as a conciliator in the Middle East. President Clinton was among the head of state from around the globe who gathered in Jordan February 8 for Hussein’s funeral.

Hussein had been active in recent months from the US while seeking cancer treatment at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic. A QSO with JY1 was considered by many hams to be both an honor and a privilege. His elegant QSL card was prized.

Hussein was a life member of the ARRL. ARRL Exective Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, called him " an enthusiastic radio amateur whose support was invaluable to us in obtaining new amateur bands at the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference." Sumner recalled that in May 1979, International Amateur Radio Union President Noel Eaton, VE3CJ, was invited to Amman to meet with King Hussein.

"Jordan’s support of the Amateur Service was much evidence at the conference that fall, and was a crucial element in our success." Sumner said. The WARC – 79 resulted in Amateur Radio’s gaining the 30, 17, and 12 – meter bands. That same year, JY1 was featured in the film, " The World of Amateur Radio." Hussein regarded his 1983 contact with Owen Garriott, W5LFL, on board the Space Shuttle Columbia, as a high point in his Amateur Radio activity.

King Hussein also participated in the historic 1995 joint Israel – Jordan JY74X operation on Mt. Nebo, where hams from both countries participated in a Field Day – like operation. The King put in appearances both on the air and in person, much to the delight of the participants and those waiting to work him and JY74X.

Hussein’s friend Bruce "Blackie" Blackburn, W4TA/JY9BB, of St. Petersburg, Folrida, called him "one of the world’s most respected amateurs" and recounted many stories about King Hussein as a person and an avid Amateur Radio operator. Blackburn said King Hussein "promoted Amateur Radio to the hilt in Jordan" and saw to it that Amateur Radio classes were instituted in elementary schools. King Hussein also dropped in on meetings of the Royal Jordanian Radio Amateur Society in Amman. King Hussein also was involved with early satellite experiments.

Former US Ambassador to Lebanon and Iran Armin Meyer, W3ACE, also recalled Hussein February 8 in a letter to The Washington Post. Meyer said JY1 "has for decades been promoting peace and good will among quite ordinary people." As Meyer put it: "For the king, ham radio was a different world, a community of diverse people."

All members of the Jordanian royal family automatically have Amateur Radio privileges in Jordan. Although the new king does not appear to have a call sign, King Hussein’s widow- the American – born Queen Noor – is JY1NH. King Hussein’s brother, the former Crown Prince Hassan, is Jy2HT, while his cousin, Prince Raad, JY2RZ, is chairman of the Royal Jordanian Radio Amateur Society.

---ARRL

The DX community wasted no time in mounting a full – blown DXpedition to the newly minted DXCC entity of Palestine. The E44DX operation commenced February 16 at approximately 1200 UTC, shortly after the call sign was released to the Palestine Wireless Society by the Palestinian National Authority’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT). During its first 48 hours, E44DX racked up more that 10,000 contacts. The team also got to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who expressed his support for ham radio and sent his regards to the worldwide amateur community.

After the Dxpedition ends, the E44DX call sign will be assigned to the newly formed Palestinian Amateur Wireless Society. Arrangements are being made to leave equipment behind for the new club station, assuring continued Amateur Radio activity from E4.

Led by Martti Laine, OH2BH, the international team includes QST DX Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, as well as Pekka Kolehmainen, OH1RY, and Pekka Holstila, OH2TA. They are working in cooperation with Ali Yashruiti, E44A (formerly ZC6A) and Sami, E44B (formerly ZC6B), using two stations from the Palestine Hotel equipped with Yaesu FT – 1000MPs and FET amplifiers. Antennas are dipoles and verticals.

Initial operation was on SSB only, concentrating on 3795, 14, 195, and 21.295 kHz, but the team took to 40 – meter CW early on February 18 and planned to concentrate on 40 CW for the next night as well. The team has been using 7005 or 7010 and listening up – sometimes way up. Some stations reported success only after several hours of calling. E44DX was to be active all day February 19 on 15 – meter CW as well. The Dxpedition also got on 40 SSB (7061 kHz) early on February 18, working many US stations.

Before concluding the DXpedition February 23, the team will provide additional bands when the current activity begins to thin. Frequencies will be announced later. Totten said the team decided to not participate in this weekend’s ARRL International DX CW Contest. During openings to North America, E44DX will focus on SSB, particularly 20 and 15, as well as CW on (400 W or less) for the most part, Totten says, due to an interference problem with the hotel telephones.

Totten is setting up a "simple" E44DX "DXpedition to Gaza City, Palestine" Web site at http://www.n4gn.com/e44dx/.

Almost a week before E44DX was even authorized, some stations reportred working a station identifying as "E4DX" on 40 – meter CW. That station appears have been pirate.

Palestine formally will be added to the ARRL DXCC List effective October 1, 1999, but contacts made with E4 stations after February 1, will count torward DXCC. QSLs for E44DX go to OH2BN – thanks to Tim Totten, N4GN.

---ARRL

The FCC office in Gettysburg reports it has processed vanity call sign applications received through January 14. On February 3, it granted 172 applications. Another 198 landed in the work –in – process, or WIPs, stack. The FCC reports it received a total of 12,152 vanity applications during 1998. It picked up another 1417 in January, attesting to the program’s continued popularity within the amateur community. The vast majority of applications were filed electronically. The FCC reports that fewer than 20% of last year’s applications arrived on paper.

--- FCC

Four new Technicians join the ranks of Amateur Radio operators after attending Bob KA1PGU’s, fall classes held at Stoughton High School.

Sara Prenarveau of Easton, Joe and Peter Rozecki (father and son) of Brockton and Ted Haskell of Bridgewater are congratulated on their success. 73 for many years of pleasure to come.

Spring classes start on Tuesday March 2, 1999 in room B204 at the Stoughton High School.