TARC Testing - 03/07/2020, FIVE New Licenses Earned

It was a wonderful day for TARC and a beautiful weather day also. We will soon have more friends on the air.

Today, 3/7/2020 we had 5 local candidates test for licenses and all 5 candidates obtained a new license.

The new licensees are as follow:

Shelia Shortell    Technician

Dan Pritchard     Technician

Gary Ferguson    General

Matthew Rogers General

Dillon Grahn       Extra

Special thanks for the club support today with Mike Kittredge, John Wheatley, Tom Trojnar, Brian Williams, and Glen Romero.

See you all at the Wednesday meeting, 3/11/2020. Remember the 4th Wednesday 19:00 informal net.

The next ARRL test is 6/13/2020, but we can do W5YI 1-off tests if anyone gets sick of studying and has to “get it over with” and take the test.

Seems I forgot to take a picture this time of licensees holding certificates. The return packet is all prepared and will go into the mail Monday a.m.

73, W5TNM

Tim Henson


TARC Meeting Minutes February 12, 2020

TAOS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

Meeting Minutes: February 12, 2020

The meeting was called to order at 6:04 PM by President Mike Kittredge, at the Taos County EOC.

Welcomed guests: Brian Papworth, Earnest Martinez, Shelia Shortell

Club members: Mike Kittredge, Gary Ferguson, Dillon Grahn, John Wheatly, Glen Romero, Tim Henson, Stephen Pace, Brian Williams

Tim Henson summarized the minutes from January 8, 2020, the minutes were accepted, Stephen Pace made the motion, Glen Romero 2nd,

President’s report:

We need club members to gain experience with club HF equipment. There are some procedures with the equipment that require specific knowledge to operate. It was mentioned perhaps a Saturday session sometime.

Mike reminded us that the TaosARC Net is on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM. Tune in to the Picuris repeater and join in.

ARRL license testing will be March 7, 2020. Future sessions are June 13, and November 14, 2020. It was mentioned becoming an ARRL VE is easy if you are an W5YI VE, there is an instant approval form.

New Business:

We had radio show and tell. Mike brought HT examples, cheap and better than cheap, plus a 10W station. Glen brought a 25W Triband with a battery and antenna setup with about $140 invested. Mike encouraged club members to discuss with others before making significant purchases.

Also discussed equipment suppliers, mentioned MFJ, Alexon, DX Engineering.

Mike explained the Mickey repeater at Holly Cross Hospital. You can get on the repeater and dial a local phone number that will identify you as Holy Cross Hospital. The access pattern to dial is 5419 770 1961 (Tim’s cell example) and to hangup dial 540. Make sure you hang up.

Treasurers Report:

Glen Romero gave the report, we have $2,626.38.

Glen Romero made a motion to adjourn at 7:45 PM, 2nd by Brian Williams, unanimously approved.

It’s never too late to upgrade! Next exam - March 7

TaosARC will be hosting our next exam on March 7 from 10:00-12:00 at the Taos County EOC. We hope many future hams will come and wish them good luck!

The Latest Story from ARRL:

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George “Buck” Miner, K6RFE, of Sun City, Arizona, has been an active ham since earning his first license in 1956, upgrading to a General-class license 10 months later. It wasn’t until January 26, however, that he upgraded to Amateur Extra — at the age of 94.

Miner began losing his sight at a young age and became totally blind when he was 27. That never slowed him down, however. Over the intervening years, he repaired TVs and sold, repaired, and installed two-way radios. He even managed a 200-acre ranch on the northern California coast, where he fished and dived for abalone.

Miner was a local celebrity, too, producing and hosting a live radio show in Eureka, California — “Chuck Star and his Rambling Guitar” — on which he told stories, sang, and played guitar. To survive living alone, he learned to cook for himself and has produced several “Buck’s Miracle Kitchen” YouTube videos that humorously demonstrate how he cooks without sight.

Miner has written several books, including an autobiography, My Darkness under the Sun. He’s also composed hundreds of songs, including “CQ Boogie,” and he continues to play his guitar and sing for fun and profit. — Thanks to Bob Ringwald, K6YBV

New Hams?

If you have questions about how to get started in ham radio, On the Air has the answers. On the Air, ARRL’s new bimonthly magazine for beginner and intermediate hams, is here! All ARRL members can access the digital edition through the new ARRL Magazines app (see details below). 

In the first issue of On the AirJanuary/February 2020, you'll get:A guide to buying your first handheld radioStep-by-step instructions for building simple antennas for VHF and HFA full-page infographic that explains how the ionosphere makes long-distance radio communication possibleAn “Up Close” Q & A with Jeremy Hong, KD8TUO, who reveals his favorite resources for new hams.        …and much more!Download the NEW ARRL Magazines App!The perfect companion for members on the go! The new ARRL Magazines app replaces the QST app. Use the app to access current and back issues of On the Airmagazine and QST, ARRL’s monthly membership journal. The ARRL Magazines App is available free for download in Apple’s App Store and Google Play, or visitwww.arrl.org/ota for more info. If your device is setup to update apps automatically, the ARRL Magazines app will replace the QST app.Comments. Share your feedback about On the Air magazine. Go NowForgot password? Go to www.arrl.org/forgot-password to reset your password.Not a member? Join today and get access to the current digital edition now.

Need help? Visit the digital edition help page for frequently asked questions.

Need more help? Contact Member Services by telephone 860-594-0200 or 888-277-5289 (US only) or email circulation@arrl.org.

Go Green! Go Digital-Only.
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ARRL Commemorates 98th Anniversary of Transatlantic Contact

December 11 marks the 98th anniversary of the success of ARRL’s Transatlantic Tests in 1921, organized to see if low-power amateur radio stations could be heard across the Atlantic using shortwave frequencies (i.e., above 200 meters). On that day, a message transmitted by a group of Radio Club of America members at 1BCG in Greenwich, Connecticut, was copied by Paul Godley, 2ZE, in Scotland.

While the first two-way contact would not take place until 1923, the 1921 transatlantic success marked the beginning of what would become routine communication between US radio amateurs and those in other parts of the world — literally the birth of DX.

To commemorate this amateur radio milestone, Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be on the air through the day on December 11 with volunteer operators. The goal is to encourage contacts between radio amateurs in the US and Europe while showcasing the significance of the transmissions that pioneered global communication and laid the groundwork for technology widely used today. The event will run from 1300 until 0000 UTC. Some details are still being worked out, but operation will focus on 40 and 20 meters (SSB).

November Testing

Exciting news!

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Testing for new Hams and those wanting to upgrade licenses should resume in November.

Dave Raskin, W5TYL, our Contact Volunteer Examiner has renewed his W5YI certification.

Testing to beheld Saturday November 23’ at 10:00 AM.

Testing will be held at the Taos County Emergency Management Center, 6 Miranda Canyon Rd. See map to meeting location . Please RSVP to taosarc@live.com to be certain of a test. Fee is $14.00 check to Taos ARC.