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 Previous: SATERN Ends World Trade Center Support Operation |
 Next: Would-be King of the World Contester Foiled by
Murphy |
Oct 24, 2001
(In alphabetical order:
)
Amateurs assist with American's United Flag Run: "American's United Flag Run"--a grass roots effort sponsored by American Airlines and United Air Lines employees--is seeking help from the Amateur Radio community to provide short-range communications as the run progresses across the US along a southerly route. "This event is to honor the crew and passengers killed on September 11, to show the American Spirit and to raise money for relief funds already established," said American Airlines Captain Bill Lokes. Runners started in Boston on October 11 and are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles November 11. Recently, hams in Georgia contributed their services to the cause as the flag run passed through that state. Georgia ARES--under the leadership of Section Emergency Coordinator Lowry Rouse, KM4Z, provided communications for the organizers from the South Carolina to the Alabama borders. Hams using FM voice and APRS provided communication en route from the control RV to various checkpoints across the state, Donahue said. Mississippi section leaders were said to be actively recruiting operators in that state as well. The flag run Web site has a map, anticipated itinerary and more details about the event. The flag run is running 24/7 and covering some 120 miles a day, Lokes said. Amateur Radio clubs or groups are invited to contact Bill Lokes, 610-767-9246; blokes@fast.net, or Gene Atwell at 215-348-1594; atwell@mindspring.com.
ARRL honors its own for long service: Each year, ARRL takes time to
recognize employees who have attained at least 10 years' service as Headquarters
staff members. Eight people were honored this year.
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Perry Williams, W1UED, surprises K1ZZ, with a QST cover from October 1972 that showed a youthful David Sumner at his rig. |
Three retired ARRL HQ staffers enjoy a good story at the October 18 celebration dinner: (L-R) former Washington Correspondent Perry Williams, W1UED, former ARRL Communications Manager George Hart, W1NJM, and former QST Associate Technical Editor Gerry Hall, K1TD (ex K1PLP). Recent retiree Paul Pagel, N1FB, also attended. |
The honorees--back row (L-R): Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, Mike Tracy, KC1SX; front row: David Sumner, K1ZZ, Steve Mansfield, N1MZA, Berta Hould, and Joel Kleinman, N1BKE. [ARRL Photos] |
Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, took top honors, marking his 30th year of service to the League. Not far behind were three 25-year honorees: QST Managing Editor Joel Kleinman, N1BKE, ARRL Building Manager Greg Kwasowski, KB1GJF, and Assistant Mailroom Supervisor Berta Hould. Four people qualified for 10-year recognition: QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Legislative and Public Affairs Manager Steve Mansfield, N1MZA, Lab Test Engineer Mike Tracy, KC1SX, and Marketing Coordinator Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R.
Bell Labs develops organic transistors: According to Electronic News, scientists from Lucent Technologies Inc's Bell Labs have announced that they have created organic transistors with a single-molecule channel length. The researchers say they believe this development will prompt a new class of high-speed, lower-cost carbon-based electronics. The size of a transistor's channel--the space between its electrodes--influences its output current and switching speed. Bell Labs said its scientists, Hendrik Schon, Zhenan Bao and Hong Meng, have fabricated molecular-scale transistors that rival the performance of silicon transistors. The transistors are about a million times smaller than a grain of sand. For more information, visit the Electronic News Web site.
Bhutan forms Amateur Radio club: October 26 marks the inaugural day for the Bhutan Amateur Radio Club. Its primary purpose is to foster Amateur Radio interest among Bhutanese youth. The Bhutan Telecommunications Authority assisted in establishing the Club. Director of the BTA Ministry of Communications, Thinley Dorji, is President. Honorary founding members are Yasuo Miyazawa, JH1AJT/A51A, and Glenn Johnson, W0GJ/A51B. An anonymous donor provided seven complete stations, ICOM donated an IC-756PRO, Bob Heil, K9EID, of Heil Sound, donated several headsets and accessories, and the A52A team and Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, have provided several antennas. To celebrate the formation of the club, A50A will be active October 27-28 as a multi-multi entry in the CQWW SSB Contest. Bhutan is not set up to handle bureau cards. For QSL information, write Bhutan Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 88, Thimphu, Bhutan.
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Bicycle Mobile Hams of America founder Hartley Alley, NA0A, SK: ARRL recently learned that Bicycle Mobile Hams of America (BMHA) founder Hartley Alley, NA0A, of Boulder, Colorado, died on May 29, 2001. He was 82. An avid cyclist since 1965, Alley was introduced to ham radio in the early 1980s by a friend who enjoyed getting on the air while riding. BMHA got its start in 1989 after Alley placed a "Stray" in QST seeking other ham radio/bicycle enthusiasts. According to information on the group's Web site, BMHA has more than 500 members in the US. The club puts out a quarterly newsletter, holds regional gatherings and organizes an annual bicycle mobile forum at the Dayton Hamvention. One of Alley's most unique accomplishments was his 1987 cross-country bike ride to attend his 50th high school reunion in Lynn, Massachusetts. Alley turned 68 during the trip from his home in Colorado to the doorstep of his boyhood home in Massachusetts. Alley worked variously as a professional musician, magazine photographer, and university professor and also ran a mail-order business for cycling equipment. He co-authored three travel picture books. Alley's survivors include his wife Jean, N0EOX, and a son, Hartley D. Alley.
Disneyland special event reset for December: The Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service has rescheduled its special event on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth. Special event WD6MM will be on the air December 5-6. Suggested frequencies are 14.275, 21.375 and 28.475 MHz plus 146.94 FM. A certificate is available. QSL to Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service, ATTN: Will Michael, 800 Sonora Ave, Glendale, CA 91201. This event was postponed from September 30-October 1 weekend. Walt Disney World in Florida also will be operating a special event station.
FCC Commissioner Copps says FCC has "a larger job to do": FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said October 15 in a speech before the Federal Communications Bar Association that he believes the FCC has "a larger job to do in the months and years ahead" than was thought five weeks earlier. "If September 11 was about anything other than evil, it was about communications," Copps said. "Communications from hijacked airliners and doomed buildings to loved ones on the ground; communications between emergency care, law enforcement providers and public safety workers; communications between the leaders of our federal, state and local governments; communications among our military forces around the world; communications by the media to viewers around the globe; and desperate outreach from each of us as citizens to find out what was going on, where our loved ones were, what other threats were coming our way." While not mentioning--or possibly overlooking--the role of Amateur Radio in the relief and recovery efforts, Copps said that in the wake of the terrorist attacks, "our telecommunications and media industries performed well and even nobly." Copps went on to say that the FCC does not merely have the directive to consider the public interest in its decisions--it has the statutory obligation to take only actions that are in the public interest. "The events of the last month demonstrate very dramatically that concepts like the safety of the people and the public interest are not mere abstracts, not just theories to endlessly debate," he said.
Four-band module now available for Elecraft K1: Elecraft has announced a new four-band module for its compact K1 CW transceiver kit. In addition to the two-band version, the popular QRP rig is now available with a single bandswitched module that covers 40, 30, 20, and either 17 or 15 meters. The four-band module also be ordered as an option (KFL1-4) to upgrade existing K1s. No hardware or firmware changes are necessary to use the four-band module, and the current drain remains the same. The four-band module is the same size as the dual-band unit, and the transceiver will recognize which is installed. The four-band module works with all K1 options, and Elecraft says it only takes a couple of minutes to swap in a two-band module. The four-band K1 (K1-4) is priced at $349. The four-band upgrade module for existing K1s (KFL1-4) is $129. Both are available now. Prices of the original two-band K1 and additional two-band option modules remain unchanged at $279 and $59, respectively. For more information or to order, visit the Elecraft Web site or e-mail sales@elecraft.com.
Hams undertake a random act of kindness in Florida: It had very little if anything to do with ham radio Saturday, September 21, when the Dade County Amateur Radio Public Service Corps organized a group of active hams in Southern Florida to spruce up the Flight 592 Memorial. Many of the hams involved had helped provide communication in the aftermath of the 1996 ValuJet crash in the Everglades.
[Kevin Scanlon, K4PCS, Photos] |
The amateur volunteers put in some 40 work hours pulling weeds and grubbing out their roots, killing ant colonies, applying herbicides, cutting grass, sweeping, refilling missing sand, re-leveling brick walkways and piling up the debris--mostly natural overgrowth. Participating in the clean-up project were Ray Vaughan, KD4BBM, Kevin Scanlon, K4PCS, Jason Swift, KE4KYY, Virg Salisbury, K4VSC, Jason Foster, N3PRZ, John Vecchio, KF4ACN, Matt Ginn, KG4LGO, Wendy DiBean, KG4OXT, Daniel Colcher, KG4LYE, and Roger Swift (KE4KYY's dad). "These folks do this kind of thing without request, but because there is a need to care," said ARRL Southeastern Division Vice Director Evelyn Gauzens, W4WYR. "This group of amateurs are very special people with hearts as big as the whole world." Family members of Flight 592 victims also expressed their appreciation for the effort. This comment was typical of several posted on the Flight 592 Memorial Web site: "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did. It was a wonderfully selfless act and greatly appreciated. Those of us who live too far away and are unable to see to the care of the memorial are greatly touched by the generosity of strangers. Thank you again and God bless you." Additional information and photographs are available on the South Florida FM Association Web Page. Said Ray Vaughan, "To everyone who helped, we did make a difference. Let's do it again."
The Hallicrafters HA-1 T.O. Keyer. |
James B. "Jim" Ricks, W9TO, SK: Jim Ricks, W9TO, of Lake Forest, Washington, died October 20. He was 86. Well-known in high-speed CW as well as in engineering circles, Ricks, designed the popular Morse electronic keyer that Hallicrafters marketed as the HA-1 T.O. Keyer (six vacuum tubes and a multivibrator; it was reviewed in the Nov 1960 issue of QST).
CFO Number 1, Jim Ricks, W9TO, (a-k-a "Big Bird") in his younger days, circa 1931. [Photo courtesy CFO] |
He was also founder of the high-speed CW group "CFO"--Chicken Fat Operators--(recognized on the air by the dit-dit-dit . . . di-dahhhhh signature, which is meant to sound like a chicken clucking). Ricks fondly referred to the CFO as "the ultimate disorganization" and was considered CFO Number 1 and dubbed "Big Bird." Ricks also wrote "A Useful Formula for a Solenoid Inductor," published in May 1947 QST. At the time of his death, he was living in a retirement home and was not active on the air. He is survived by his daughter, Carter Ricks Hawley, and a son James Benjamin Ricks III.--thanks to Perry Ballinger, W8AU
John Abbott, K6YB, SK: John Abbott, K6YB, of Newhall, California, died October 5. He was 68. An ARRL Charter Life Member, Abbott is perhaps best-known for his book, Ride the Airwaves with ALFA and ZULU, a Technician license study guide aimed at youngsters. He also produced many Amateur Radio training aids that featured games and cartoons, written to simplify the experience of studying for a license. "He was certainly one of the most dedicated persons I have known as far as providing ways for young people to get interested and involved in Amateur Radio," said ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program Coordinator Dan Miller, K3UFG. Abbott's wife Teri, honoring her husband's wishes, donated the remaining stock and manuscript of this book to ARRL.
Library of Congress releases on-line Morse collection: The Library of Congress has released an online collection of the Samuel F.B. Morse Papers. The collection is on the Library of Congress American Memory Web site. The on-line presentation comprises some about 6500 items documenting Morse's invention of the telegraph, his participation in the development of telegraph systems in the US and abroad, his career as a painter and his interest in photography, his personal life and more. The collection includes correspondence, diaries, maps, drawings and other materials dating from 1793 to 1919. Among the memorabilia is the original paper tape containing the first telegraph message, "What hath God wrought?" sent on May 24, 1844.--thanks to T.E. "Doc" Drake, W5TB
Morse Code to be featured on upcoming X-Files episode: Rob Ginkowski, WA6CW, of Hollywood, California, served as a technical adviser to The X-Files star Robert Patrick for an upcoming episode. Patrick's character, John Doggett, was in a hospital bed, paralyzed, and was required to send a Morse code message by tapping his index finger. WA6CW (who also works as an actor) taught Patrick how to tap out the message at about 5 WPM. "He was a fast learner," Ginkowski commented. No word on what the message was, but it might be, "The truth is out there." The episode, entitled "4-D," is scheduled to air Sunday, December 9, on the Fox TV Network.
YL2GVO seeks patience: Aleks, YL2GVO, asks hams who have contacted him
to be patience if they are still awaiting a QSL card. Robert, W7RR, reports
YL2GVO is in his 80s and in poor health and recently underwent surgery.
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