GUYWIRE

MARCH 2006

Editor VE5SC sewert@sasktel.net

The online publication of the REGINA AMATEUR RADIO
ASSOCIATION is published monthly except July and August
and is distributed free of charge as a service of RARA
to all licensed hams in the Regina Area who have e-mail addresses. Anyone NOT wishing to receive future copies should send an e-mail to the editor and your name will be removed from the mailing list.

The RARA WEBSITE can be found at
www.sarl.ca/rara
The website contains RARA news, repeater lists as well as
links to other amateur resources.
Club meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month,
with the exception of July and August, at the Science Center.

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NEXT MEETING MARCH 8TH 7:30 PM SCIENCE CENTER
IMAX Boardroom Use IMAX entrance.

Bill VE5EE will give a presentation on CANWARN
Bill is also the Nominations Chairman and is looking for volunteers to serve on the Executive for the coming year.


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SASKATCHEWAN HAMFEST

This year the Saskatchewan Hamfest will be sponsored by SARL. and will be held at the Manitou Beach Resort, just north of Watrous Sask. on July 8th starting at 10 AM. Admission is free for SARL members and $5.00 for non members. There will be a Flea Market and the good news is that tables are FREE! If you would like a table, you must still book it through Val VE5ACJ. Contact her at valve5acj@sasktel.net


REPEATER MOVE COMPLETE

The old McLean repeater VE5REC on 146.64 is now operational
at Balgonie. By all early indications, it is working very well. Royce (VE5RWW) can operate it will full quieting with 0.5 Watts on his HT from is home in Davin. Brian (VE5BJM) can work the repeater with a little noise with 0.5 Watts (?) from his home in Bethune.

The repeater has an output of 32 Watts into the transmission line. All the equipment is mounted in one cabinet, so the installation looks very professional. In fact it is the most professional looking equipment in the building!

The repeater uses an existing antenna system for a repeater belonging to the QV School Division. VE5REC is connected to this antenna via a custom made coupler which was designed and constructed by Ralph, VA5RO at DCI Inc. The design pre- sented a challenge because the two frequencies used by the school division repeater were located just outside the upper and lower limits of the 2 meter band.

Thanks to Terry VE5TLW for the information.


In other repeater news, the Melville repeater will be off the air for about a month due to a fire.

The Canora club is now called the Parkland Amateur Radio Club.

10 CODE ON ITS WAY OUT IN U.S.?

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
(APCO) International has released a statement that "renews its assertion that plain speech communications over public safety radio systems is preferred over the traditional 10-Codes and dispatch signals used by a majority of law enforcement agencies across the country." This position is shared by the Department of Homeland Security's National Incident Management System. Since APCO is a large and well respected organization, its position carries significant weight.

GLOOMY FINANCIAL OUTLOOK AT RADIO SHACK

RadioShack Corp. said fourth-quarter earnings fell 62% on
a large inventory write-down and weak sales, as the company announced plans to close as many as 700 stores and its stock price plummeted.... In a research note, Credit Suisse predicted more trouble, with RadioShack's cash-flow outlook pointing to "a company in a virtual state of collapse." - Wall Street Journal

DXCC ON UHF AND VHF

US astronaut Bill McArthur KC5ACR the current commander of the International Space Station, made a few contacts before and after last week’s EVA, and has now exceeded the 100 countries needed for his DXCC award. He adds this to his awards for Worked All States and Worked All Continents on both UHF and VHF, which he completed earlier in this expedition. - Credit RAC

NEWSBRIEFS

Great Britain has gone to lifetime amateur radio licences.
It is also eliminating paper licences - all documents will be available on-line.

Industry Canada has published a list of the submissions
they have received regarding BPL regulations. There were many submissions from ham clubs as well as from RAC, Nav Canada, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the CBC. Most groups urged IC to move with caution on this important matter. The submissions from all the responders can be viewed at links on the RAC website.

ONE MILLION DOLLAR FINE PROPOSED

The FCC has proposed to fine Behringer USA $1,000,000 for marketing various audio devices - such as mixers, amplifiers and digital effects processors ("digital devices") - without having properly considered their RF interference potential, and for continuing to import and market "substantial numbers of these unauthorized devices for more than a year after the Enforcement Bureau initiated an inquiry into Behringer’s compliance." - CEG

DON'T FORGET THE LOCAL NETS

Saskatchewan Evening Phone Net 3744 kHz 7:00 pm nightly. Avonlea Net 147.06 mHz 9:30 pm nightly 2 Meter Provincial Net locally on 146.88 mHz Mon.-Fri. 9:00 pm

SOLAR CELLS JUMP IN EFFICIENCY - "SPRAY-ON" PROCESS CITED

 From National Geographic comes word of significantly
more efficient solar cells thanks to their ability to convert infrared as well as visible light into electric power.

Memorable quotation: "If we could cover 0.1% of the Earth's surface with [very efficient] large-area solar cells, we could in principle replace all of our energy habits with a source of power which is clean and renewable." - CEG


WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Here is an interesting site with amateur radio news and sound bites.

www.arnewsline.org

LAST MONTHS PUZZLE

What minimum mark is necessary to pass the Basic Amateur Exam?

ANSWER: A pass mark of 70% is required. A mark of 80% will gain the applicant Basic plus Honors status.

THIS MONTHS PUZZLER

If a transmitter has a 1 watt power output in the Low power position and 16 watts in the High position, by how many decibels does the power increase when switching from low to high power?

Answer next month