Northwest Amateur Radio Society
July '97 Newsletter
President's
Corner
by...
Jim Kirk - KJ5X
Well, Field Day and the big "YOHOO SHOOTOUT" of 1997 are over. It was great fun. For those who don't know, there was a contest between the NARS CW operators and the phone operators to see which could make the most contacts during Field Day. The losers had to drink a case of Yohoo Cola. The CW operators won, by a slight margin. So, at the appointed ceremonial time and like the noble warriors they are, the phone operators sucked down the ice cold chocolate sugar water and saluted the victors. Such rare nobility. In keeping with their high character, the phone operators would of course not point out how the CW folks had brought in a hired gun. Or how in the setup for field day a phone operator graciously assisted in the erection of a CW antenna when the CW guys couldn’t get it up. During the Yohoo ceremony K5ZTY, one of the CW ringleaders, in his best Clintonesque, said he could feel the pain of the sidebanders. Thanks a lot Bill. Next year.
In any case it was a good effort with much thanks owing to Walter KK5LO who coordinated it all. Murphy was there but he couldn’t stop us. With decent openings on ten, fifteen and six meters a lot of folks got to operate. Although there were no hard windy downpours as in many previous years, it was, as usual, very hot and humid. Perhaps we ought to invite some ARRL headquarters staffers to visit a field day effort down here to see what it’s like. Seems to me that any group doing an honest field day outdoors within 100 miles of the Gulf of Mexico ought to get bonus points for it. I personally drank over two and a half gallons of Gatorade in less than 48 hours. But I kept up my strength by eating more than my share of the finest fried turkey I’ve ever had, prepared on site by master chef Thom Holmes WA5RCZ.
Amateur radio, the ARRL and NARS got a lot of good local newspaper and TV publicity in connection with this year’s Amateur Radio Week and Field Day. This is the result of efforts by Harry Gage N5WIZ and Loyd Overcash KD5AIG. The video shot by Loyd at the field day site resulted in very well done newscast pieces on local ABC and CBS TV stations. Thanks guys for your fine efforts. There is one problem. One of the TV pieces used a full-face shot of KC5BAK. Not sure yet just how serious an image problem this creates for NARS.
Meeting Announcement
by... Keith Dutson - WD5DXL
July Meeting -
HL&P To Reveal Shocking Facts
Dan Robinson, from Houston Lighting and Power's Safety Department, will discuss power line safety at the July 18 meeting. Dan will bring with him equipment used in his department and will show the highly entertaining and informative video "High Impact Electricity." You will be a safer ham after you hear what this Mr. Robinson says about his neighborhood. Don't miss this one.
Soapbox
by...
Keith Dutson - WD5DXL
Field Day was an absolute BLAST! Walter KK5LO deserves a huge thank you from all of us for heading up such a grand event. And special thanks go to Bill W5SB and O J K1OJ for staging the exciting Phonies Vs Coders competition, and to Mike K5NZ for egging us all on to greater performance.
In the food category, accolades are in order for the fried turkeys provided by Thom WA5RCZ, the brownies and cookies baked by H. O.'s XYL, Anita, the empañadas prepared by Margarita, O J's XYL, and to all the others who provided a host of goodies to munch on.
And last but not least we owe the great photos and video to Bob KC5JZO, H. O. WA5MLT, and Loyd KD5AIG.
Sign up today as a NARS News reporter; see me for details. You do not have to be a writer or photographer, but it will help if you can do either.
DX News
by...
Bill Gary - K8CSG
DX Notes
-- Holidays should be like this,
Free from overemphasis.
Time for soul to work DX,
Before the world comes back to vex. . .
The promises and predictions of the Big Bend Sundancers began to take on more form and reality as the
new year grew older. Increased and better band openings, yielding more interesting QSOs in Asia and
Africa, reflected the sterling qualities of the Sundancers beating on the Big Bass Bongo in the barrancas.
The QRPers still wondering about when six meters would stretch out and become more open were left to
their own beating of their tiny bongos as the true DXers began improving long dormant beams and similar
antennas. Amplifiers placed in cold storage some years earlier were coming out and being fired up. With
each of the morning openings into Asia, the True Believers and Deserving DXers became more convinced
that the new sunspot cycle is truly underway. DX IS!
The SFI for early June was relatively modest, as were the A & K indices. The second week in the month
saw rotten DX conditions and a low solar flux index during the first part of the week. By midweek, the A
index was back down to 2, with the SFI still in the low 70s. Poor conditions persisted generally through
the middle of the month. To cap things off, as the last week of the month began the SFI fell back to 68,
despite our earlier thoughts that we had seen the last of the sixties for a cycle. DX conditions continued to
be poor, although a few signals continued to be workable.
DX Worked: ZL3BG, ZL1KP, & ZL2VS (New Zealand); KH0I (Saipan); 4F1JUX & 4F4IX (Philippines);
XU2A (Cambodia); VY1JA (Yukon Terr.); BV8BC (Taiwan); JA7AKH (Japan); DS1BHE (S. Korea);
BY5QE (China); BV4FH (Taiwan); KH0CE (Tinian Isl.); VK7KO (Tasmania); 5W1MH & 5W1PC (W.
Samoa); DU3BBY (Philippines); BV5GQ (Taiwan); 9M8FH (E. Malaysia); VK5QW, VK4BS, VK3CB &
VK4EFX (Australia); UA0ZBK/0 (E. Siberia); BV6DF (Taiwan); 4Z4UR (Israel); R1MVI (Malyj
Vysotskij Island); YB1XUR (Indonesia); VK2EKY (Australia); ZK1JD (Rarotonga, Cook Islands);
BV6DF (Taiwan); DU1COO (Philippines);VK2DD (Australia); EW2CR (Belarus); 9K2GS (Kuwait);
UT0MN & US1IDX (Ukraine); YL1XX (Latvia); EL2CY (Liberia); 9M2AA (W. Malaysia); YB5QZ
(Indonesia); CY0SAB (Sable Island); JA5LYS (Japan); JA1GKV (Japan); XU2FB (Cambodia); DS1BHE
(S. Korea); VS97SAR (Hong Kong -Last hour of operation under British Rule); CY9AA (St. Paul Island).
DX Heard: BV5GQ (Taiwan); SU0ERA (Egypt); 3D2SJ (Fiji Is.); XU2FB (Cambodia); A61AN (Dubai);
HV4NAC (Vatican City); SV1ACK (Greece); HL5KY (South Korea); VS97KM (Hong Kong); T32O
(Christmas Island, E. Kiribati); VK3CKY (Australia).
QSL Routes: SU0ERA via SU1ER;); 3D2SJ via Box 1354 Suva, Fiji Is.; A61AN via Box 53636, Dubai,
U.A.E.; 9X4WW via ON6TT; XU2FB via N4JR; R1MVI via OH5NE; ZF2MD/8 via K7JI; VS97SAR via
VS6XRW.
KJ5X worked 9V1UV for a new one on May 31. Dick Rooney (W5VHN) left town a day or so too soon.
Cambodia (XU), which is on his "needed" list, showed up and was worked in Houston right after he left on
two different days and two different stations. Jack, WA8GHZ, worked HB0/HB9LEY (Liechtenstein) for a
nice catch and said "This stuff is fun!"
QSLs from VK0IR (Heard Island) are appearing frequently, as W5PDW, W5VHN, K5NZ and others
report receiving their cards. After the NARS meeting on June 20, K5NZ was giving yours truly a bit of
egging about receiving his Scarborough QSL. You don't need to rub it in, Mike!
Hong Kong moved into its final month of separate existence after long domination by the British. As in
other parts of its former empire, the Brits have not left things in a vacuum. Even DXing is receiving some
special treatment from them. When Hong Kong returned to the Chinese at the end of June, it (in all
probability) lost its status as a separate DXCC Country. That is usually the fate of DXCC countries which
become annexed by others. All of which begs the question of what Hong Kong callsigns will become. No
problem. Some may have noticed a fairly recent showing of Hong Kong callsigns with VR2 prefixes.
Rumor says that with the handover of the crown colony, the long-held VS6 prefix will disappear along
with separate Country status, and the Hong Kong hams will all adopt VR2 prefixes. This presents another
DXCC problem -- for Pitcairn Island, VR6. If, as suspected, the Brits transfer their rights to the VR
prefixes to the new Hong Kong, Pitcairn will have to have a new prefix. What shall it be? Stay tuned. . .
Navassa has been a popular DXpedition destination for US and other nearby hams for several decades.
Since it has become more difficult to obtain landing permission, Navassa has become more difficult to
work. Rumor says that another group is planning a trip there sometime in 1998. That should generate a lot
of fun for many of the newer DXers as well as oldtimers who usually try to work everything whether
needed or not. One of the unique facets of making a trip to Navassa is the difficulty of landing equipment
since the only way onto the rocky island is by climbing a hanging steel "rope ladder" that reaches to just
above the surface of the sea from the top of the cliffs above.
Chris ZS8IR reports he has left Marion Island. Some changes indicate that it may become more difficult to
work Marion Island. Before leaving, the rhombic antenna and other resources were removed, indicating a
lessened level of activity from there. Not encouraging!
June has treated the world to another opportunity for working Malyj Vysotskij Island, an interesting DXCC
country better known as MV Island. MV island is owned by Russia, is leased by Finland, and lies at the
southern end of a Finnish canal in the Bay of Vyborg. The first operation from there a few years ago was
the first joint operation involving Russian hams, and hams from Finland and the USA. The island is
completely unpopulated by humans; there is no electricity or drinking water there. Hence, the only way to
work MV Island is when someone goes there for a DXpedition, of which there have been very few.
When first operated, the callsign was 4J1FS. Subsequently this has changed and the June operation used
R1MVI. The DXpedition crew had an array of problems. The original landing dock had become unusable
due to deterioration and rot, as had an old barracks building which had been planned for housing some of
the stations. An alternate landing site, considerably further from the operating site, meant that all of the
equipment had to be hand-carried, and tents had to be used to shelter the radio locations. Electric
generators have been a major problem, possibly due to contaminated fuel. Despite these and other
difficulties, the operation has proceeded. I worked them about ten PM one evening and called an old DX
buddy in West Virginia. A few minutes later I heard R1MVI saying "W8SET, you're five and nine." Ho
hum; another new country for him!
CY0SAB appeared on Sable Island on schedule and was worked on June 17. This was a working
DXpedition, not one especially put on for DXers, but many contacts resulted. The biggest problem with
this fellow is a seeming reluctance to provide return QSLs. Three previous 1990s QSOs failed to elicit a
return QSL, despite a variety of efforts. Not recommended as a good source, based upon my own
experience.
Some were startled to see P5/JA1BK show up on the DX cluster on June 23 PM. He was reported to be
working only his friends via a list. Nothing from that part of the world was readable on the given
frequency and one suspects the P5 was not real. If readable here in Houston some of us would have given
it the old college try nonetheless. It is the usual case of "work-first-worry-later -- if you can."
Contest Connection
by...
Bill Denton - W5SB
w5sb@juno.com
We were all at Field Day competing!
Check QST or NJC for up coming contest activities and read about them in next month's NARS newsletter.
Feature Article
by...
Bob Argo - KC5JZO
NARS Board of Directors Meeting - May 27, 1997
Treasurer's Report - The checkbook balance on May 31 was $5101.74.
Programs - July - HL&P RFI; August - Telephone Fraud
Node / Equipment / Location - No further contact or response from Frank Marshall
regarding the use of the Five Forks tower; Clusse DX Cluster software from Finland available
and will be reviewed.
Special Service Club Application - Sent in again, now waiting.
Fund Raising - Looking for suggestions; let Board member know of your recommendation.
VE Session Results
by...
Bill Gary - K8CSG
June '97
No VE session was held due to Field Day exercises.
Important Dates
by...
Keith Dutson - WD5DXL
July '97
NARS Breakfast
Many members meet for an informal breakfast every Saturday at 8:00 am at Victor's
Deli and Restaurant. Join us for informal ragchew, conversation, information
exchange, and usually a few tall tales. Victor's is located at 4710 FM 1960
West.
Monthly Meeting
Friday, July 18, 1997, 7:30 pm - NARS monthly General Membership meeting,
Spring Cypress Presbyterian Church,
6000 Spring-Cypress Road (1.7 miles East of Stubner-Airline) - Eyeball QSO's,
7:00 pm
Board Meeting
NARS Board of Directors meeting - Tuesday, July 29, 7:30 pm, Terra
Nova Club House, 5200 Woodville
Contests
July 12-13 - IARU HF World Championship
July 19-20 - North American QSO Party, RTTY
July 26-27 - IOTA (Islands on the Air)
August 2-3 - North American QSO Party, CW
August 2-3 - ARRL UHF
August 16-17 - North American QSO Party, Phone
Notice
NARS membership dues is $20 per year, renewable on anniversary of last
year's full payment.
NARS News deadline for articles to appear in NARS Newsletter - The last day of month.
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Copyright (c) 1997 Northwest Amateur Radio Society
Last Updated 15 June 1997