GUYWIRE

JANUARY 2010

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.ve5nn.ca
The website contains RARA news, repeater lists, net
listings 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 Wednesday January 13th 7:30 PM in the Imax
boardroom of the Science Center. Take the elevator up to
the top floor and proceed past the Imax projection room.
There will be a presentation of "Tesla, Master of Lightning"


UPCOMING EVENTS

KLONDIKE HIKE

The 2010 Scouts Canada Klondike Hike will take place on Feb 6,
2010 around the lake at the A.E. Wilson Park which is located
near the R.C.M.P. training depot.
Registration for the Scouts will take place just south of the
Jack Hamilton Arena. That location is also were the first
team of radio operators will meet at 7:30 am.
The second team, from 11:30 to 3:00, will go directly to
their assigned check point. We will have master control
at the R.C.M.P. Hertage Centre, which is also the location
were the Scouts will finish up. Please see the attached
map of the area. I will need at least 22 amateurs fot
this event. Please email me at jsandercock@sasktel.net
This is a new location for this annual event with many new
features and procedures
Jim Sandercock (VE5CS)

NEW SASK. CELL PHONE LAWS WON'T AFFECT HAM RADIO

Here is the official word from SGI regarding the new laws.

The following are exempted from the regulations:

Electronic devices that are not cellphones, including but
not limited to:

GPS CB Radios Two way radios MP3 Players/iPods
Satellite radio

Note: Law enforcement still has the ability to charge
distracted drivers with driving without due care and attention
if they are putting themselves or other road users at risk.

NEW YEARS EVE INTERNATIONAL IRLP NET

The annual New Years Eve International Net once again was a
huge success. The net started with the arrival of the new
year in Australia and New Zealand and continued westward as
stations from South Africa and Europe joined when they brought
in their new year, ending as it swept across the Americas and
to Hawaii. Regina hams were among those extending greetings
to hams around the world using the IRLP system on the VE5WM
repeater via the Crossroads reflector 9200. Here are some
of the statistics:

5,205 transmissions across Reflector 9200
221 unique nodes participated
116 maximum connected at once
10.36 Mbps Peak bandwidth out of the reflector (5 minute).
All numbers above are new records!

There was also a draw for three radios and a power supply
which occurred around 9 pm Regina time. The winners
of the Icom 2200H radios were KB0WGM and SM6YRB from Sweden.
The Alinco 135T went to KD0AIV and the power supply went to
N7MRN.


VE5CTM UPDATE

In the last issue of Guywire we mentioned that Clay,
VE5CTM suffered a serious accident and was in hospital.
Here is an update on his situation from Clay himself:

"I was pinned in between 2 cars on oct.5th 2009 in the mid
afternoon and taken to the General hospital.
I spent a little over 2 months there and was in ICU and
almost died. I am doing alot better now and have been moved
from the General to the Wascana Rehab and I am in unit 3-2
room 206 on the 3rd floor."
-VE5CTM

Clay has a handheld and monitors the repeaters. He would be
happy to pass the time with anyone who will give him a call.

BANNER YEAR FOR NEW U.S. LICENSES

This past year was a banner year for new Amateur Radio
licensees. According to ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM,
the FCC issued more than 30,000 new ham radio licenses.
"In 2009, the demand for Amateur Radio exam sessions
remained elevated and is still running at a higher rate
than before the FCC's restructuring of the license
requirements in 2007," Somma said. "This high level of
exam session activity has produced an elevated influx
of new applications, far outpacing recent years."
-arrl

VIBROPLEX SOLD

Scott Robbins, W4PA, of Knoxville, Tennessee, told the ARRL
that he has signed an agreement to purchase The
Vibroplex Company, Inc from present owner Felton "Mitch"
Mitchell, W4OA, effective December 21, 2009.
"Vibroplex represents the great tradition of CW operation
in Amateur Radio going back many, many years," Robbins
told the ARRL. "I'm tickled to be able to continue the
more than 100 years of history that has gone into this company."

Robbins -- who has been employed with Ten-Tec Inc since
1995 (he has been Product Manager for Ten-Tec's Amateur
Radio equipment line since 1997) -- will leave his position
in mid-December to take over full-time management and
ownership of Vibroplex. "It's a great opportunity to
continue the more than 100 years of tradition that the
Vibroplex name represents," Robbins said. "I've known
Mitch for quite a few years and it was an important
consideration for both of us that Vibroplex continue
operation building quality products for Amateur Radio
long into the future. Mitch's experience owning the
company will be valuable as we proceed with a seamless
ownership transition over the next few weeks."

Robbins told the ARRL that he will move Vibroplex from its
present location in Mobile, Alabama to Knoxville, Tennessee
during the last two weeks of December, with a planned
opening date of January 5, 2010. Vibroplex's toll-free
sales line (800) 840-8873, Web site and e-mail contact
addresses will remain in continuous operation under the
new ownership, he said.

"My first Vibroplex paddle was given to me in 1980 by my
father, W2DR; when I left home to attend the University
of North Carolina in 1988, a rig, some wire and the key
went with me," Robbins said. "Close to 30 years later,
it's still on the table -- along with two Vibroplex
products I've purchased. I used a Vibroplex chrome
iambic to win the 2006 ARRL DX CW contest from Barbados
as 8P9PA and I will certainly be using one at the WRTC
2010 competition in Russia this July."

Robbins told the ARRL that he has enjoyed his 14 year
career at Ten-Tec, calling it his first "real job" when
he was fresh out of college: "I have met literally thousands
of hams over the years because of Ten-Tec -- all those exciting
years when we were designing new rigs and I was writing the
manuals for the Omni-VII and Orion; I'm really proud of what
has been accomplished there. I am sure that Ten-Tec and
Vibroplex will have some common ground in the future --
both companies already did one commemorative key together
back in 2002. Another one would be great!"

Vibroplex is the oldest operating business in the Amateur
Radio industry and has been in continuous service to the
hobby since founder Horace Martin invented the "bug"
semi-automatic Morse code key in 1904.
-arrl


WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Would you be a distracted driver with this setup?
see it at Distracted Driver
http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Images/distracted.jpg


It's back!!! THIS MONTHS PUZZLER

Who was the first documented person to set foot on the
Geographical North Pole?
1. Adm. Richard Peary 2. Dr. Fredrick Cook 3. A Ham Radio Opr.
Answer next month.




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R.A.R.A. Membership Application 2009­2010
(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 Assoc.
(VE5LAT) Box 153 Station Main
Regina, Sask. S4P 2Z6