GARS: News Archive

Feb 2004 Meeting pictures Elections and a great presentation by Bill Carter, KG4FXG, on NTS, the origin, awards, learning the ropes and memorabilia. Carl, WB9JSW, read the draft scholarship proposal which was tabled until the membership had a chance to study the plan. Rich Armstrong, WM9X, is moving to Salt Lake City, and will not be able to continue with the newsletter. Rich explained some of the fun of working on the Newsletter.

PRESIDENT: David Adcock, KA4KKF
VICE PRESIDENT: Earl Whatley, AF4FG
TREASURER: Dan Koehan, KF4YSU
SECRETARY: Ken Dalton, KI4BQS
ACTIVITIES CHAIRMAN: John Davis, WB4QDX

I would like to give you a preview of the presentation that will be at the next club meeting. The title is NTS, but that is not entirely correct. Please allow me to explain.The presentation will not teach you about the Radiogram or how to send a Radiogram. The presentation will not be boring and dry but you may feel the clock has been turn back to only an era that only Howie can remember, Hi. You have some questions? Thanks at the end of the presentation you should be able to answer the following questions…. When did the Titanic send SOS? Is Hiram Percy Maxim responsible for antenna covenant restrictions? NTS formed in what year? Does Telegraphers Liniment really work? GTN has 70+ on its Roster! Who is Ben White (Hint 1938) Where were you in 1938? Who is Rouser, Hambone, and Kennel 1 and Kennel 2? Royal order of ARFERS? Did I hear you correctly? How to get free bencher paddles with engraved dust cover.

Cherokee Rose Cluster Dog Show

GARS and Gwinnett ARES provide parking fee collection at the parking lot entrance and parking services for the Cherokee Rose Cluster Dog Show. There is usually a donation for these services, and this is shared between GARS and Gwinnett ARES. The dog show is just off the Jonesboro Rd Exit from 285. Go East at the exit and take a left at the first intersection.

Shifts are from 6am to 10am and 10am to 2pm. There are shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The on-site frequency is 146.505. The site is out of range of the GARS repeater.

We need about 15 members per shift. To sign up for the dog show event, please contact Dan (kf4ysu@arrl.net ) or David ( ka4kkf@arrl.net ) or sign up at the January club meeting.

This is a very significant event for our club's budget, so it is important to provide the services expected.

Tech Fest!

Get the Crock Pot Ready! Look up that recipe for the best chili in town. It’s time for the GARS Tech Fest and Chili Cook-off.

Mark you calendar: Saturday January 24^th, 2004 at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville. (directions)

The idea of Tech Fest was first tested 6 years ago when Kevin Berry, KF4RMA expressed interest in an event who's primary function was to expose members of the community to the many facets of Amateur Radio. Unlike Field day, this is not a contest or race. It is a chance to experience parts of our hobby that we might never have seen. It's a chance to hear the truth about radios and antennas, without the flashy spin that a salesperson might put on it. It is an event that encourages the free exchange of ideas and knowledge. Watch the GARS web site for the latest information on this year’s Tech Fest. Tech Fest is an inside event, so unless there is some really strange weather, it should take off as scheduled.

If you have a special interest in some mode of amateur radio or electronics and would like to share your equipment and experiences with the community, please give David a call @ 678-467-1140 or email him at ka4kkf@arrl.net to arrange for a table to showcase your demonstration. Space is somewhat limited, so go ahead and reserve a table. This is also a good time for our Elmers to show up and share some tales of HAM radio history.

We’ll do setup around 9:00 and start at 10:00 and serve lunch along with the Great GARS Chili Cook-off around noon. Last year we were a little short on chili, so this year we need additional entries in the Cook-off. We could us a volunteer to coordinate the Cook-off.

We hope to demonstrate fellowship, HF, VHF, UHF, QRP, digital communications, CW, antennas, portable operations, electronic gadgets, Club and Ham Services, our association with the ARRL, great chili and hamburgers.

Be sure to invite your non-ham friends. This should be a great family experience and a time for some of our younger citizens to become interested in the Magic of Amateur Radio.

^Textbook:^{The
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©
2002-2003 The American Radio Relay League, Inc. (ISBN: 0-87259-865-9)
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Christmas Party!

We all had a great time at the Christmas Party. The banquet hall at the Church of Latter Day Saints on Sugarloaf Parkway was a great

place to host the party. The officers went to a lot of trouble to decorate the room and the meal was a seated dinner complete with salad, main course and dessert. Music was managed by a disk jockey.

David, KA4KKF was a great Master of Ceremonies, and somehow he managed for

everyone to take home at least one door prize. Dan, KF4YSU, wins for the best dancer on the floor.

Thanks GARS officers and specifically our holiday party chair people, President, Carl, WB9JSW and Mavis, N9FWG.

11/4/03 November Meeting Program is "Sounds on the Air"
Our November 11th program should prove to be interesting to everyone. David Adcock, KA4KKF, will bring some recorded sounds from the HF and VHF bands, and we’ll learn where some of these odd sounds originate. No, it’s not Ron, WE5O, doing a CW over FM practice, or Mike, K4HBI, yelling across the room. There is actually an explanation for some of these sounds.

10/25/03 Science Night at Berkeley Lake Elementary School
All those participating in the Science Night at Berkeley Lake Elementary School were appreciated and enjoyed demonstrating aspects of amateur radio and the electronics related to our hobby/service.

We were set up in their media room/library and operated HF, VHF, CW, EchoLink and QRP.

I'm told that the event attendance was greater than 700. A lot of those attending toured, touched, and talked with our members.

This was a great public service and those of you that could not attend missed watching a lot of young future HAMs being awed by some of our members.

2003 Christmas Party

The GARS Christmas Party will be held on

December 6th at the

Church of Latter Day Saints

3355 Sugarloaf Parkway

Lawrenceville

Doors open at 6:30, and dinner served at 7:00

Door Prizes from several vendors and a grand prize.There will be a catered meal and we hope to have some music.

The cost is $5.00 per person, and reservations are required.

Send your reservation and check to the GARS PO Box,

or contact one of the club officers.

Reservation deadline is November 24. Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society P.O. Box 88 Lilburn, GA 30048

Come on out and have a good time!

Elections to fill vacant positions of President and Activities Chairman will be held at the October Meeting.

GARS Monthly club meeting is the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM. We meet at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville. (directions)

9/8/03 Technician Class
The GARS Amateur Radio Technician Class begins Wed 9/17 and is held each Tuesday evening for 7 weeks. More Information:

8/11/03 August Meeting Tomorrow Night!
The Program will be a county hunters briefing by our own Carl Plotz, WB9JSW. Carl is our VP and among other HAM activities, Carl is active in ARES, the GARS nets, and most of the our volunteer activities.

It's about time for one of our largest fund raisers. We would like to remind everyone that we need volunteers for working at the dog show on Friday Aug 22 and Saturday Aug 23. The Dog shows are by far the largest of any fund raiser we have, its easy to get to, volunteers can work one or both days. Its easy just keep cars from parking in the wrong place or take up money at the gate and talk on the radio once in a while.

8/11/03 Need a Current Club Roster?
Rosters are always available at each GARS meeting. See John Davis (WB4QDX), Membership Chairman, at the meeting to get a printed copy. If you would like to request a current roster by email, send a message to John at wb4qdx@arrl.net. Emailed rosters are available in Adobe PDF format (same as the electronic GARZETTE) or in Excel format.

7/29/03 Executive Meeting Scheduled for 8/12/03
We will meet at 6:45 PM to 7:30 PM in room G33 of FUMC bottom floor on August 12.

Mike, K4HBI appointed club Technical Advisor
Working on Tech Fest Chair
Working on moving Win, N1TWX to FUMC for his classes on Technician.
Working on next years schedule with FUMC for club meetings
Working on schedule with FUMC for our executive meetings

Howie Gould, W9HG
President GARS

7/10/03 Pictures from the July meeting!
Here are some pictures from the July meeting, thanks to Norman Schklar, WA4ZXV.

7/10/03 Pictures from Field Day 2003!
You can see pictures from Field Day 2003 at the GARS Yahoo Group.

6/18/03 CQ CQ CQ all radio amateur operators
Field Day 2003 is 11 days away. I just want to remind everyone to plan on having a good time. You will meet new people and see a lot of different operators in action. There will be different rigs on site for you to use too.

Oh, did I mention the food? There will be plenty to eat and plenty of people to socialize with. The field day t-shirts will be on sale too.

Come help setup Friday evening about 6:30 and Saturday morning about 9:00. (June 28th and 29th.) You'll be amazed at all the fun you can have and learn something at the same time. Hope to see you there.

6/10/03 GARS Meeting Tonight!
GARS Monthly club meeting is tonight at 7:30 PM. We meet at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville. (directions)

You're invited to join a group gathering for dinner at O'Charley's (Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road) at about 6:00 on the evening of the meeting.

As most of you know, Bill, AB0KF, will be relocating to Arizona and has passed the gavel to Carl, WB9JSW. Carl will be presiding at this months meeting. A special election will be announced soon. We will need to elect a President, and an Activities Manager. If you are thinking about volunteering for the Activities Manager job, this is a good time; Ron, WE5O has worked out a plan and has most of the next few months programs planned.

"All about FIELD DAY" is the program for this months meeting. GARS Field Day is a fun weekend project. Along with all the official stuff, there's food, a lot of stories to be told, and plenty of time for some good operating. If you have never attended a Field Day, make this your first. If you've attended in the past, come on out again. There is plenty to be done for set-up on Friday evening and Saturday morning and tear down on Sunday Afternoon. So even if you aren't an operator, there's plenty to keep you busy.

5/29/03 Dacula Memorial Day Parade
We had the best weather of any year for the 2003 Memorial Day parade in Dacula this tenth year. This brought out more spectators, more entries for the events (over 85), and 19 amateur radio volunteers. This year started as usual at the Waffle house at 7:00 and over to Hebron Baptist Church at 8:00. I think the parade was finish by 11:30.

The early riser of GARS, Doug was at Waffle House and shortly after David was there too. Then the rest of us less early breakfast eaters arrived. The Swiderskis, Carl and Doug went straight to their usual parade positions. As many of the group got breakfast then moved over to the line-up in the Hebron Baptist Church parking lot for final maps, line-up lists and instructions. We are now meeting in the lot across Hebron Church Road from the church front. All parade parking is here for the second year.

The participants were now ready to be told where to go and GARS did a good job of directing. The Grand Marshall's car was a HUMVEE that did not show up this year so I offered to help by driving the little BMW Z3 convertible as a replacement at five minutes to parade start. The radio was an ICOM Z1, for trivia fans.

Our Grand Marshal this year was Ron Young. Ron is the Army helicopter pilot who returned as a POW from IRAQ. Which explained all those extra reporters, media, and security this year. They just wanted to capture some small town Memorial Day spirit. Our group of volunteers answered all questions and moved traffic.

A little parade history: This was Marvin Atherton's idea noting metro Atlanta did not have a memorial day parade. Rick Morris KD4VOJ had just moved to Dacula and wanted the parade as a scout and amateur radio service. Rick and I agreed to coordinate this with GARS. I have been beating the parade radio service drum in Dacula ever since. I left the volunteers open to all but really called the hams close to Dacula some years looking for that last volunteer. Next year we need a new GARS liaison to take my place. This has been my favorite parade ever. The two of ten years I could not be at the parade David KA4KKF was there to take over. Thanks David.

Notes for next year: The portable repeater that Eddie supplied seemed to work fine for all but the Gazebo area. We need to talk to Marvin about letter cones A to F to start each row. We had some similar before. The GP truck was back with one truck and should be added to the line up with that one truck only.

Thanks this year to: Aaron Klinect, KG4UJM; Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM; Bill Ahls, ABØKF; Bill Carter, KG4FXG; Bill Cherepy, WB4WTN; Bill Van Duynhoven, KE4TVA; Buddy Menshew, KE4YZS; Carl Plotz, WB9JSW; Charles Parkhurst, K9CMP; David Adcock, KA4KKF; Doug Kregel, KB6RRX; Earl Whatley, AF4FG; Marvin Atherton , KG4FHB; Mike Swiderski, K4HBI; Ross Hevener, KG4VJZ; Scott Hartlage, KF4PWI; Sharon Carter, KG4HKO; Steve Back, WB2OGY; and Susan Swiderski, AF4FO.

5/13/03 GARS Meeting (Pictures)
If you missed this months meeting, you missed a good time. Thanks to Carl, WB9JSW, for standing in for Bill, AB0KF, at the podium.

First, we're looking for an Activities Manager. This important elected position needs nominations or a volunteer.

After the normal business and announcements, for the program, we asked each member to expand on their amateur radio experiences. We shared information like: what got you interested, when licensed, equipment, antennas, operating experiences. There were a lot of interesting tales. Next time we try this, we'll need to put a time limit on the presentations. We were there until after 9:30. Greg, AF4RZ, took pictures of each member as they were speaking.

David, KA4KKF, had a short Field Day meeting after the regular meeting. Thing are going great in the preparations. Don't be afraid to be a part of this great annual event. There is something (we have food) for everyone. If you haven't attended a GARS Field Day, don't miss this one. There's everything from helping setup, to talking about how you would have done it, to food, to operating, to food preparation, to packing up.

Brandon, NB5E, has been busy keeping the web site up to date with the latest information, so be sure to look often.

4/30/03 Even Two Makes a Class
The Technician class is off to a good start at Central Gwinnett High School. Win Jackson, N1TWX is traveling during most of this course season so Carter Wood, AG4LK is standing in as instructor.

Registration is a little weak with only two students currently enrolled. Maybe its the spring season or maybe we need to find a new way to promote the course offered through the Gwinnett County Community Schools program.

We'll be listening in to nets while we are on break on Tuesday evenings. Visitors are always welcome. Come share your experiences in the hobby with our soon-to-be Technician class operators.

Field Day is coming on fast guys. We would like to remind you that we will have a short meeting after the club meeting on May 13. We have volunteers for some of the meals, but need others to help and / or get the other meal times squared away. As always the more people we have helping the more fun and less work to be done by the few, the proud, the radio amateurs of GARS. OK, so I borrowed a quotation. We need help. Please schedule time now so you can have a good time and not worry about it later. There will be a lot of field day sites around the metro area. Please visit any or all if you like. BUT we hope you will choose to help GARS or come by and have a good time even if it is for a couple of hours. Looking forward to seeing you there.

I am the 20 meter CW Band Captain for Field Day this year and I have a particular request. My friend, Vlad, is coming for Field Day this year from Moscow with his wife, and his friend, Vlad. We have told them all about our Field Day and what a wonderful time we have with our GARS "family". Vlad and Vlad have worked many contests together during their years together as friends and fellow hams. Vlad and Vlad both have ICOM 756 Pros and are intimately familiar with them. Therefore, I am requesting that anyone who has an ICOM 756 or ICOM 756 Pro to loan it for the 20 meter CW station for Field Day. If you are planning on using it for another station, I would be delighted to exchange it with our Yaesu 990 for the weekend. I know this is asking a lot, but I assure that Vlad and Vlad would literally treat it as their own. They want to man this station for 24 hours on Field Day, taking turns sleeping/resting/taking restroom breaks, with one of them being *on the air* for the entire 24 hours. I don't think I need to remind anyone that CW contacts count double. On top of this, both Vlad and Vlad are seasoned rabid contesters. Vlad (UA3BS) understands a good bit of English, but Vlad (RZ3AM) does not. Therefore, trying to help them work another type of radio could be difficult and time-consuming. Again, I would gladly offer the use of my Yaesu in return for the weekend. Thank you.

Operators are needed to support the Dacula Memorial Day Parade on May 26. Normal times are between 7:30AM and noon. If you would be interested in volunteering for this event, please contact Bill Ahls, AB0KF.

Race starts at 8:00 AM and is completed by 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Six to eight operators are needed with portable/ handheld 2M capability to handle water points, major turns, and the finish area during the event. Operators would need to be in downtown Buford by 7:15 AM and positioned on the course by 7:45 AM. We will plan on using the portable repeater again. Event Tee-Shirts are available for volunteers. To ensure correct sizes, names must be given to the event planners by May 20. If you are interested, please contact Eddie Foust, WD4JEM.

5/9/03 Next Meeting Coming Up!
Join us at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville this Tuesday 5/13 at 7:30. We plan to do a “get acquainted” meeting. Each member will have a chance to say a few words about their amateur radio experiences. You can even bring a "show and tell" if you’d like. Some information we might share:

Date: Saturday May 3rd at 5:00 PM Place: Captain Billy's Fish House (Downtown Lawrenceville)

The next Meet & Eat will be at Captain Billy's located at 422 East Grogan Street Lawrenceville Georgia and their phone number is 770-237-9100.

You may choose Buffet or menu. The buffet is, (Salad, Main, Desert) and the price is $11.99. The main bar has country vegetables, fried and baked fish and chicken I believe. It is all you can eat.

This does not include Crab Legs. If you eat Crab Legs the adults add $9.00 to the buffet price. Kids buffet increases with Crab Legs too, not as much. They also have a regular menu with very reasonable prices that you can order from if you choose.

Entertainment later will be Sherry singing that great "CW" stuff into the Heil Microphone. I always knew CW and Mics went together?

If you have any specific questions regarding the menu please shoot me an e-mail and I will try to have it answered.

So come on out, bring that rare QSL card, Display that new mobile install and lets have some fun!

Field Day
There will be a Field Day meeting this Saturday 4/19 at 9:00AM at Golden Corral on Riverside Dr. We need a few more people to help volunteer to help out with the preparations. You are cordially invited to join us for breakfast around 8:00, and the meeting will start at 9:00. Contact David Adcock, KA4KKF.

CW Net
Last week saw the end of the CW training series. We will start over tomorrow night at 8:00PM with the first lesson of the series. Tune in and have fun learning the code. Contact Ron Langston, WE5O.

Operators are needed to coordinate this event between 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM. Tee-shirts are available for those who work the event. If you would be interested in coordinating this event or being Net Control, please contact Bill Carter, KG4FXG.

Directions from Lawrenceville…

85 North
I-985 North
Friendship Rd/Lake Lanier (GA-347) exit #8
Turn left on Friendship Road/Holiday Road
Continue on GA-347
Turn left on Holiday Road

New Webmaster
Our illustrious webmaster, Michael, KG4QDH, has moved on to bigger and better things. Our thanks go out to Michael for his hard work and dedication in the past, and we wish him the best.

Please bear with me over the next few days/weeks as I get my hands around everything and update the site. Then, as I begin to get a little more adventurous and add some content, please don't hesitate to give me feedback on what you see. Also, any and all ideas on look-and-feel or content would be greatly appreciated, so don't hesitate to give me your input.

The only input that won't be appreciated is any type of less-than-enthusiastic response to our new colors, Texas A&M Aggie Maroon! No, just kidding...Hey, webmasters need to have some fun, too, you know.

Executive Committee Meeting
The next Executive Committee meeting is March 6, at 7:30 PM, at the Gwinnett Justice Center (GJAC), in the Board Room. All officers and committee chairmen are asked to attend, and as usual, all are welcome.

Next Club Meeting
The GARS March Meeting will be Tuesday, March 11, at 7:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrencville (directions). The program will be DC Connections led by Scott Hartlage, KF4PWI.

Satellite Demo
Anyone interested in seeing a demo of amateur satellite communication is invited to attend an event at 5:30 PM on Thursday, February 13, 2003, prior to the Alford Memorial Radio Club meeting at 7:30 PM.

Steve Diggs - W4EPI will be doing the demo and attempting to make contacts on the AO-40 satellite.

The Alford meetings are held at Annistown Road Baptist Church 4554 Annistown Rd, Snellville, GA 30039. (directions)

Tech Fest
The GARS Tech Fest will be held Saturday, January 25, 2003, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The purpose of Tech Fest is to allow us to exchange the knowledge that we have with regard to the many facets of amateur radio.

We also hold our annual Chili cook-off where attendees bring their favorite chili. For non-chili eaters, we will have burgers, dogs, and all the fixings.

GARS Technician Class Starting Soon
The next session of the GARS technician class begins Tuesday, February 4th. There is no age limit to attend, and no Morse code is required. The class will prepare you for your technician test.

The class runs every Tuesday from 7-9 pm at Gwinnett Central High School in Lawrenceville. There is a fee of $25.

GARS News Archive

Cherokee Rose Cluster Dog Show

Tech Fest!

Christmas Party!