The Greensboro Amateur Radio Association Providing

Volume 18, Number 9September, 2009The Greensboro Amateur Radio AssociationProviding Amateur Radio news for the TriadBrian Wilson, KJ4LKY, Editorwww.w4gso.orgShelby Hamfest (in Dallas?)by Brian Wilson, KJ4LKYI thought for a change of paceand instead of writing my ownarticle on the Hamfest in Dallas,NC, which everyone calls the“Shelby Hamfest,” since it used tobe held in Shelby, I would perusethe internet and see what othershad to say about this event. Whatfollows are quotes from the variousweb sites that people have writtentheir opinions and experiences withthe Hamfest over theLabor Day weekend.I hope you enjoy:The WX wasperfect all three dayswith temps in the80s, lots of sun andlow humidity. Thiswas the first time forall of us at the ShelbyFest. It is a very goodone. It is quite largeand there seemed to be a higherboat anchor quotient than manyother fests. Check outthe photos in this postand the followingones too. It was well worth the tripand I highly recommend the fest. Iplan on attending next year.As Steve said, the Shelby‘fest was GREAT! Reminded mea lot of the old Hosstraders ‘festsat Deerfield when they filled theentire fairgrounds. It just wenton and on and on. We had a spotreserved for us in Boat anchor Rowby Nick K4NYW but didn’t bringstuff to sell this time. There wasstuff galore, an amazing amountof equipment, parts, cables, wire,tubes. pretty much everythingyou could imagine and more. Andwe got there ‘late’ since we arrivedFriday. The ‘fest officiallystarts Saturday morning,but folks start arriving Tues Shelby HamfeWed, and Thursday-Fridaystarebig days apparently. FB State ARESMeetingas this year was mainly a Grant to Orescouting mission so we’regon Hamsbetter prepared for next year.In This Issueinfo@w4gso.orgNEXT MEETINGSeptember 28The next meeting of the GreensboroAmateur Radio Association will beSeptember 28, at the Golden Corral SteakHouse, 4404 Landview Dr, Greensboro,NC 27407, off Wendover Ave. nearSam’s Club.Shelby was a blast this year!I made it down about 2:00pm onFriday and set up. Friday nightwas a little bit of a challengethough as there was not much of abuffer between me and the ground;sleep was rough and verylittle. Tent camping forolder people does requirean air mattress or cot!However, as the sun grewa little brighter and afew stopped by to chat,my crankiness wore offand it turned out to be agreat day. The sunburnpain has diminishedsomewhat also. Boatanchor stuff was good this year too.The amount of CB gear was NUTS!Geez, where did all that come from!You can’t really rule out ALL of itbecause some of the stuff does havesome really nice usable parts for HBstuff. I managed to score a decentshape ARC 5 tx for 5 bux. I did alittle trading with WA7LYO for aBC-342 (am I in trouble here?),Acquired another HQ-120 (my 5thone in the collection), and founda Cannon plug for my ART-13. As(Continued on page 6)

Feed Linewww.w4gso.orgGARA Meeting MinutesRegular Meeting MinutesAugust 24, 2009The Greensboro Amateur Radio Association held itsmonthly on August 24, 2009, atthe Golden Corral restaurantnear I-40 and Wendover Ave. Themeeting started at7:15pm with ChrisThompson, K4HC,asking everyoneto identify themselves. Chris introduced Allen Bradley, KD4IUN, whospoke about GARA’s public service support of the GreensboroYouth soccer association and theupcoming Labor Day Shootoutsoccer tournament.Ernie Wall, NC4EW, gavethe treasury report. He said,The GreensboroAmateur RadioAssociationPresident Chris Thompson, K4HCVice-President Will Ravenell, AI4VETreasurer Ernie Wall, NC4EWSecretary Greg Spencer, KG4UQVFinancial Al Allred, K4ZKQEngineering Chairman Jesse Lindley, N4BFDOperations Roy Smith, N4BYUMember at Large Clark Doggett, KG4HOMMember at Large Dave Touvell, KN4ZOAppointed Positions:Webmaster Tom Forrest, N4GVKNewsletter Editor Brian Wilson, KJ4LKY“The Feed Line” is 2009 by the Greensboro Amateur RadioAssociation and published monthly. Our address is P.O. Box7054, Greensboro, NC 27417. The purpose of the newsletteris to provide the club and prospective members informationabout the club and amateur radio in general. Material andinformation should reach the editor by the first Friday ofthe month for the next edition of the newsletter. Opinionsexpressed in “The Feed Line” do not necessarily representthe views of the officers, directors, editor or members ofthe Greensboro Amateur Radio Association. Material maybe reproduced, provided proper credit is given to GARA.September, 2009org/dstar .Chris said that the D-STAR“Bills are paid, money is in the repeater is working with the gatebank and the checkbook is bal- way, but it has had some outagesanced.”periodically due to a computerAl Allred, K4ZKQ, problem. These problems shouldsaid that income is ahead be resolved soon. If you have anyof forecast and expens- questions about D-STAR pleasees are below forecast. ask someone who has a DSTARClark Doggett, radio or check the GARA webKG4HOM, said site.the picnic willJohn Strandberg, AJ4BT,be on September spoke about the open house26, at 6:00pm which will be held at Hinshawat the Doggett Memorial Methodist Church,Compound located in located on High Point Road nearDoggettville, NC (Summer- Merritt Drive on October 31,field). Please contact Clark at from 10:00am until 4:00pm.g4hom@hotmail.com if you areChris said we need a nomicoming, so they will know how nating committee for Boardmany to expect.members and asked for volunKen Weeman, WB2RFK, teers to help serve the club.thanked everyone who helped atWill Ravenell, AI4VE, inthe bike ride in High Point last troduced Rob Wittner, WG5Q,week.who gave an exGreg Spencellent programcer, KG4UQV, “Digital Smart on building ansaid that he hasElecraft K2Technologiesthree Icom motransceiver.bile radios forRoy Smith,for Amateursale. For moreN4BYU, made aRadio”information,motion to closeplease contact Greg via email at the meeting, and Wayne Herrick,kg4uqv@arrl.net.K4JO, gave a second. The meetTom Forest, N4GVK, has ing closed at 8:30pm.Respectfully submitted by Greg Spenput up a D-STAR web page. Acer, KG4UQV, GARA Secretary.link to this page can be foundon the GARA home page,ww.w4gso.org or at www.w4gso.D-STAR Page 2

Feed Linewww.w4gso.orgOregon Governor’s 250,000Grant to Amateur RadioFrom ARRLThis month, Oregon ARES by Amateur Radio operatorsmembers will complete the state- in providing communicationssupport, thewide installationradio operators g o v e r n o ro f Wi n l i n k ,thanks to awere “tireless in a l l o c a t e dfunds for the 250,000 granttheir efforts toinstallation of afrom GovernorkeepthesystemsWinlink systemTed Kulongoski.to integrateconnected.”In 2007, theAmateur Radiog o v e r n o rwas impressed by the hams’ with the Internet.The equipment will beability to handle emergencycommunications when severe installed in the Emergencywinter storms wreaked havoc on Operating Center in each ofOregon’s North Coast and flooded Oregon’s 36 counties. Once thethe City of Vernonia, knocking monies were distributed, ARES out 911 services, Internet and members researched and purchasedphone service for an extended the equipment that would beperiod of time. The Oregon Office needed, formalized and signedof Emergency Management contracts between the state,said that during the storms, the counties and ARES ,radio operators were “tireless in and allocated space totheir efforts to keep the systems install the antennasconnected.” When even state and equipment withinpolice had difficulty reaching e a c h E O C . T h esome of their own troops, ham project is scheduledradio worked, setting up networks to be completed inso emergency officials could time for the 2009 ARRLcommunicate and relaying lists of Simulated Emergencysupplies needed in stricken areas. Test (SET) scheduled for“I’m going to tell you who October 3-4.“Using Winlinkthe heroes were from the verybeg catches the worm. Ifyou’re looking for a “good deal,”better be there at sunrise or earlier,because by 9:00 AM, the good dealsare long gone.(response) I didn’t find that tobe the case. There were PLENTY of“goodies” right on up thru Sunday.And people were making those lastminute deals right on.For those who “complain”about this or that, or don’t like thenew location, I remember peoplegriping when the ‘fest moved fromCedar Park to the fairgrounds!Change is inevitable! ToSeptember, 2009www.w4gso.orgME, BiggerstaffPark is WAAAYmore nice thatthose HOTfairgrounds!!!As Guy Fieri(sic?) of“Diners Driveins & Divessays, “this isMONEY” whiledescribing aparticularlygood dish.Those SHADE TREES are worthmoney!!!! Do people ever complainabout Dayton being “spread out”?Well, what if this hamfest expandsso that you need a golf cart to coverit. (I’m talking about a young fellowin reasonable health) This park is soHUGE, it could happen!!!!!!!This year it spread over ontothe other side of the park. Therewas definitely MORE “goodies”available. If you haven’t BEEN inthe last two years, you don’t knowwhat you are saying. And just likethe fairgrounds, the facilities willget better and better, the Shelby clubwill get better and better at runningthe hamfest in the new place!A n y w a y, t h e p a r k i sBEAUTIFUL!!!!It is undeniable sowith rolling, grassyknolls, lakes andPLENTY of roomto expand. If youwant to come nextyear, don’t think,“well, by the timeI get there, all thegood spaces will betaken. NOT SO! Ijust can’t see how you can’t have agood time. If you are a camper, orRV’er, lots of hookups and gettingmore and more. Tent camper?Two other local hams andI made the 120-mile trip onSaturday. We were not disappointed.Attendance reminded me of ‘festslike Gaithersburg in their heyday.Dealer/vendor participationexceeded our expectations. Therewas a fair number of HF rigs for salein the tailgate area, and very little inthe way of old, unidentifiable junk.But why do dealers and tailgatersstill try to sell CRT-type computermonitors at these events?Only two complaints/suggestions. The tailgating areawas far too spread out and shouldbe consolidated. And there were toomany golf carts. One of the guys Iwas with was almost run down by agolf cart whose driver was scanningthe tailgate displays instead ofwatching where he was going. Golfcarts should be only for those whoare mobility-limited. I expect I’ll beback again next year.Page 6

Feed Linewww.w4gso.orgAlpha Radio Products Now RF ConceptsFrom ARRLOn September 15, MichaelSeedman, AA6DY, announced thathis company, RF Concepts, www.rfconcepts.com , had purchased Boulder, Colorado-based Alpha RadioProducts www.alpharadioproducts.com .Seedman explained in a pressrelease www.rfconcepts.com/dearalpha customers.asp that when hecontacted Alpha to purchase a newamplifier, he was “disappointed toSeptember, 2009learn that I would not receive it formonths.” He was told that as eachamplifier is made by hand, there wasnot enough shelf inventory to send anew one right away.Working with Alpha Productspresident Molly Hardman, W0MOM,“we created a way to capitalize thecompany in order to put amplifiers ininventory for immediate availability.Customers will no longer have to waitweeks or months to add an Alphaproduct to their station.” Seedmansaid that RF Concepts “will focus onshipping our backlog of Alpha amplifiers and building sufficient productto ship from stock.We will honor our existingcustomer commitments - includingwarranties, customer and technicalsupport and repairs - and keep ourextensive parts inventories to supportthe more than 10,000 Alpha amplifiers in the market.” Hardman will bestaying on as Vice President of Salesfor RF Concepts.Page 7