GUYWIRE

DECEMBER 2007

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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IN PLACE OF THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING THE REGINA AMATEUR RADIO
 ASSOCIATION IS HOSTING THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS GET-TOGETHER.
 IT WILL BE HELD AT THE CLASSIC BUFFET, 100 ALBERT STREET 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 12TH. All hams whether members or not are invited to attend along with their wives and family.
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I have had a hard drive failure and may have lost some of my e-mail addresses. If you know of
 someone who didn't get their Guywire this month, please let me know. It goes out free to all
Regina and area hams as a service of the RARA. ...ed


PRESIDENTS REPORT

Seasons Greetings!

I would like to inform you that our Monthly meeting for December 12, 2007 will be replaced with a
supper social at Classic Buffet located at 100 Albert Street Regina. I have arranged for a couple of
tables off to the side. The Reservation is under Darrell Dickson and Regina Amateur Radio Association.
 Each person is responsible to pay their own bill. Supper Cost is $10.29 and does not include a drink.
 Depending upon what you have to drink it could cost you about $13.00 each person.

Just meet there about 6:00pm.
Spouses are encouraged to attend.
Come out and have a good meal and a good time.

If you have an idea for a club project or would like to make a presentation please bring your idea to the
January 2008 General meeting. If you have been building any projects we would like to see them, or if
they are too large to transport then bring along some pictures and show them at the next meeting.

Has anyone built a EH antenna?
If so please let us know how you would rate this antenna! Pros and Cons!

The January meeting presentation will be a show and tell of your smallest or least expensive build. This
could be a kit or a junk box build.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes in the New Year!!

Darrell Dickson
VE5SX

PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS

The 2008 Scout Klondike Hike will be held on Feb. 2/08 with an alternate date of Feb 9. Once again
I will organize this event and will require 22 Hams to work this activity. Please reply to
jsandercock@sasktel.net and indicate if you can work the 8:00 -11:30 or the 11:30 - 3:00 shift.

Jim Sandercock (VE5CS)


THREE RADIOS TO BE GIVEN AWAY

Don't miss the Around the World QSO Party, December 31st. Continuing this annual IRLP tradition,be
sure to stop by reflector 9200 on New Years Eve. This event will be in full swing by 1100 UTC Monday
 for for stations in New Zealand to roll into 2008, concluding at 1000 UTC on January 1st, 2008 when
the Hawaian Islands finally make it into the New Year.

Added to the party this year will be Ron McKay, VA7MWR's radio giveaway drawing at roughly 0300 UTC
 (January 1). For details on this drawing, check into the "Friday Night Net" on 9205 at 0100 UTC Saturdays
(friday night in North America) between now and then. A total of three radios will be given away. (Radio
giveaway sponsored by Ron VA7MWR, AlincoUSA and Burnaby Radio, Burnaby B.C.

To take part in the New Years Net from Regina, just go to the VE5WM
repeater. If the net is not already being heard on the repeater, just dial 9200. If the net is already on, just go
ahead and take part. To check into the Friday Night Net, just dial 9205.


EH ANTENNAS

For more information on EH antennas that Darrell referred to in his
presidents message, go to www.eh-antenna.com

THE ELECTRIC EYE

Oldtimers will remember the fascinating electric eye that was part of
many old time radios. Now there is an unique building project where you can build
your own Cyclops. The project is described at: http://www.oldradios.co.nz/projects/cyclops/index.htm

600 METER BAND PROPOSAL

On Nov 15th, WRC-07 considered its agenda for the next conference,
currently planned for 2011. The agenda contains an item to consider an amateur band around 500 kHz.
 The exact wording of the item Is:

"to consider an allocation of about 15 kHz in parts of the band 415-526.5
kHz to the amateur service on a secondary basis, taking into account the
need to protect existing services;"

The agenda was approved, and over the next few years, the ITU will be studying the possible
impact of a small amateur band at 600 metres.

-RAC

WRC 2007 APPROVES WORLDWIDE AMATEUR BAND AT 135 KHZ

The Canadian proposal for a new, worldwide amateur band at 135 kHz, passed second reading in
plenary on November 13th, and will come into effect as soon as the wording in the final acts is
published. It will likely be November 17th (the day after the conference closes).

A TRUE HAM STORY FROM ARIZONA???

Recently I made a 4 wheel drive trip in the Arizona desert near Globe. On one back road I saw a
sign in front of a broken down shanty style house: "Talking Dog for Sale." Well I needed a break so
I stopped to see what the deal was. I went into the backyard and see a nice looking Labrador retriever
sitting there.

"You talk?" I asked.

"Yep," the Lab replies.

Well after I got over the shock of hearing a dog talk, I asked "So, what's your story?"

"Ah shucks there ain't much to tell. Is that a W6AAQ screwdriver antenna on your Honda SRV out there?"

"How did you know that," I asked?

The Lab looks up and says, "Well, I'm a ham radio operator. I got my Ticket when I was a young pup and
in no time at all I had my 5 band DXCC in Phone and CW. The CIA heard about me and asked me to do
some spy work for them. I would hang around the communications centers and with my keen hearing I could
 copy the transmissions. Because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping, I was one of their most
valuable spies for eight years."

Copying high speed CW all day really tired me out and I knew I wasn't getting any younger. So, I decided to
settle down. I retired from the CIA (8 dog years is 56 CIA years) and joined the Globe ham radio club. In fact
 I won first place in the Arizona QSO Party two years in a row. Then I had a mess of puppies and got away
from Ham Radio for a while. I sure miss my radio. Why don't you buy me and I'll be your CW operator in the
Arizona QSO Party.

I said "let me see what I can do." I went in the house and asked the owner what he wanted for the dog.

"Ten dollars," the guy says.

"Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"

"Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff. He's just a No Code Technician."

-Thanks to Terry VE5TK


NEW DIGITAL VOICE MODE FDMDV

A new Digital Voice mode FDMDV has been announced on the N1SU.com website. It claims to be able to require
a bandwidth of only 1.1 kHz. The website says:

"FDMDV is the latest digital voice mode on HF - it caters to high quality digital voice under poor band conditions, in
only 1100Hz bandwidth !"


LAST MONTHS PUZZLER

If you had a piece of test equipment called a TDR, what would you have
and what would you use it for?

ANSWER: A Time Domain Reflectometer used for checking feedline problems
among other things.

THIS MONTHS PUZZLER

In what year was single sideband transmission patented? 1915 1937 or 1942

Answer next week.


R.A.R.A. Membership Application 2007– 2008
(Please write clearly and enter Y or N in boxes as required)

Name: _____________________________________________

Call Sign: ______________ Current RAC membership

Mailing Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________

e-mail Address: _____________________________________

Renewal or New Membership

Single Membership ($30) ____ Family membership ($35) ____

I have enclosed $____ for ____ membership(s) indicated above. Please include this application with your fee to club treasurer Allan Tidball or mail cheque to Regina Amateur Radio Association
(VE5LAT) Box 153 Station Main
Regina, Sask. S4P 2Z6