W4AP - Montgomery Amateur Radio Club

June ARES-Update published!

Mike Watkins - WX4AL - has published the June edition of the ARES Update.

The Word format is available here.

And the PDF format is available here.

MONTGOMERY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB D-STAR 101

Date: Monday, June 16, 2008

The Montgomery Amateur Radio Club will hold a brief overview of the D-Star system, will have demonstrations of both RF and DV-Dongle use, and will show you all you need to know when it comes to making contacts over the Digital Gateway.

Learn what D-Star is, it's origin, and how popular it is today.

See what it is like to talk over the gateway as we demonstrate the use of the radios and the Dongle.

Sign Up to be registered on the gateway so you CAN use the system.

Have your radio programed with the active gateways around the world. We will bring the software and cables to program the IC-91AD, IC-2200, and the ID-800H.

Take Home the knowledge of how to add systems as they come online, and how to make the contacts you want to make.

Our seminar will be in conjunction with the normal W4AP club meeting and will be held at the Red Cross. We look forward to seeing you there!

Rick - KG4PNL

May ARES Update Published!

Mike Watkins WX4AL has published this months edition of the ARES-Update. We have it hosted here for you in both Word and PDF formats.

Click HERE for Word.

Click HERE for PDF.

If you have an article you would like to publish related to emcomm orrelated equipment, public service events, Skywarn or ARES events, Mike would like to hear from you and highlight your group's efforts. Email him at watkijm@auburn.edu.

2008 Kid One Bike Race A Success!

The 2008 Kid One Bike Race was again a success largely due to the efforts of members of the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club. This annual charity event is held at The Waters, a small community located in southeastern Montgomery County, and offers riders a choice three routes of up to 62 miles in length. MARC members KC4LCW, K4GDW, KV4N, KB0OLA, KE5GDK, and WB5NMZ provided effective communications between the two rest stops and the start/finish line, as well as providing "saggin' wagon" support for the cyclists (thanks Payton!).

W4AP Gateway Online!

It has been a long time coming but the W4AP D-Star Gateway is now online. The gateway brings more to the table than the ability to talk with users with D-Star transceivers outside the Montgomery area, it brings the ability to see who is using the system, send data to users around the world, and communicate with users on the DV Dongle.

W4PRF suggested that we have a "D-Star 101" session to not only tell others what D-Star is and what it offers, but how to use it. We are listening and thanks to D.D.'s suggestion, a few of us digital geeks are going to put this session together. It is planned to be separate from a normal club meeting but will still be held at the Red Cross. When the date for this session has been decided upon, we will send out a message via the Marc-List.

In the mean time, if you would like to see who has been heard on the Montgomery Gateway, visit the D-Star - Last Heard link to the left!

Happy Hamming!
Rick - KG4PNL

MARC (and Mark) in the News.

Recently, Mark Wintersole, President of the MARC was intervied byt the Troy University Public Radion Station (FM 89.9) for their Noon Report. They loved him so much that they asked him back for a second spot. And once again, we have been able to get a copy of the interview and are able to host it for your listening enjoyment.

Click here to listen.

File size is 3.14MB and runtime is approximately 14 minutes. File size is 9.6MB and runtime is approximately 15 minutes.

2008 Technician Class Graduation

Please join Mark, WB5NMZ and I, W4SPA, in congratulating the MARC Technician Class of 2008.

This year's class members are:

Ken Kohnke, KJ4CJP, Ken earned his technician ticket a couple of weeks before the class began. He attended in order to gain some additional practical knowledge. James Morris, KJ4ALV, James was previously licensed as a technician also, he attended to gain some practical knowledge and to support his wife Barbara. Barbara Morris, KJ4DHK, Barbara tested with CAVEC just before our class ended and as now a technician. Les Amidon, Callsign Pending, Les passed his element 2 examination and is waiting for his technician grant. Randy Crowder, KJ4DVS, Randy tested with the ARRL team in April and earned the technician ticket. He also passed element 3 last Thursday and is now a General class licensee pending license grant. Anida Wishnietsky, KJ4DVT, Anida also tested with the ARRL VE team in April and passed both elements 2 and 3 at the session. She's now a General class licensee. Michael Ford, Callsign Pending, Mike passed his element 2 examination and is waiting for his technician license grant. Stephens E. Wiggins, Callsign Pending, Steve passed his element 2 examination and is waiting for his technician license grant. Jerry Vogel, Callsign Pending, Jerry passed both elements 2 and 3 examinations and is waiting for his General class license grant. Robert Whatley, Callsign Pending, Robert passed his element 2 examination and is awaiting his license grant.

To say the class was a success is an understatement. The fact is everyone passed their element 2 examinations and 3 of them have earned their general class licenses.

So, congratulations again to the members of the MARC 2008 Technician Class!

Scott Poole, W4SPA

Alabama A.R.E.S. April Update Published!

Mike Watkins, WX4AL has published this months Alabama ARES Update. Here it is in PDF format.

Happy Birthday Pete!

On 10 April 2008, our most senior member, Pete Sides (W4AUP), celebrated his centennial. A special party to commemorate this milestone was sponsored by the Alabama Historical Radio Society and held on 12 April in the Alabama Power Building here in Montgomery. This top-notch affair was attended by his son and over 50 of Pete's closest friends. Many pieces of historical radio equipment (including a spark gap transmitter) -- all built by Pete -- were on display. Besides the usual birthday cake, he received special recognition from the ARRL for 72 continuous years of membership, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club.

Contgratulations!

You Might be a Ham Operator if�

- A friend remarks that you have a lot of CBs in your vehicle, and it turns into an hour-long rant on how ham radio is not CB.
- Your cell phone ring tone is a Morse code message of some kind.
- You have accidentally said your Amateur Radio call sign at the end of a telephone conversation.
- The local city council doesn't like you.
- You actually think towers look good.
- Your HF amplifier puts out more power than the local AM radio station.
- You refer to your children as your "harmonics".
- You have pictures of your radio equipment as wallpaper on your computer�s desktop.
- Every family vacation includes a stop at a Ham radio store.
- The first question you ask the new car dealer is: "What is the alternator�s current output"?
- You buy a brand new car based on the radio mounting locations and antenna mounting possibilities.
- You have tapped out Morse code on your car�s horn.
- You always park on the top floor of the parking deck, just in case you might have to wait in the car later.
- When house hunting, you look for the best room for a radio shack, scan the property for possible tower placement and check for CCRs.
- The real estate agent scratches his head when you ask if the soil conductivity is high, medium, or low.
- You have Ham radio magazines in the bathroom.
You have found yourself whistling "CQ" using Morse code.
- You really start to miss people that you've never met.
- You walk through the plumbing section at the hardware store and see antenna parts.

...Author Unknown