Club Newsletter

    The Voice Of 76
And The Santa Clara Valley

Santa Clara Valley Repeater Society
P.O. Box 2085
Sunnyvale, CA., 94087-2085
PHONE- 408-247-2877

Meeting Place: San Jose Red Cross
Cross Streets: North First Street and Plumeria- In No. San Jose
When: Third Friday of Each Month
Time: 7:30pm

MARCH 1997

To All Members:

DUES ARE PAST DUE!

        If the top line on your label says "NON-MEMBER 97", it means that your 1996 membership has expired. You must renew or this will be your last newsletter. If you have sent in your payment, then our records will be updated by the next newsletter. If you require the autopatch codes, which will be changed in April, these fees must be included.

Please look at the second line of your mailing label. If it says "non ARRL" it means that you are NOT a member of ARRL or our records are incorrect. If our records are incorrect, please advise the treasurer so that our database can be corrected. In order for the Santa Clara Valley Repeater Society, WB6OQS, to maintain it's ARRL affiliation and insurance, we have to maintain more than 50% of the membership belonging to the ARRL. We need more of you to join the ARRL so that we can maintain our level well above the 50% required. The ARRL is the only organization that Ham's have which can lobby for Ham Radio frequencies and protect Ham Radio as a service community. The FCC can auction off our frequencies to commercial users as you've noted most recently. Please join, if you have already ;joined, please advise the treasurer so that our records can be updated.

        Have you decided which office you want to fill for 1997? Remember, this is a volunteer organization and we need your help to keep us going forward. Just a few people can't keep it organized, provide direction for the group, maintain and upgrade the system on the hill.

        We still need a volunteer for our Newsletter Editor.  In order to make the job easier, members will have to send in some articles, "letters to the editor" or to the membership[no dissertations please], "off the record",  humor and "stuff", preferably on disk  in P/C format as ASCII text or by e-mail. In this way the editor won't have to type in the information or "fake it " with each printing. The editor can't do it alone so please send in some articles.  The information should be to the editor ASAP or at least three weeks before the meeting night. In this way there will be time to  get the newsletter printed, stamped, stapled, labeled and mailed. Hopefully it will arrive before our next regular meeting. It's hoped that there will be a regular newsletter, monthly or bi-monthly so that you members will be informed of activities and monthly meetings will increase in size.
 
        If you have a simple construction article that will fit on one 8.5x11 page, describe it, add a sketch and send it in so that it could be included in our newsletter. Please include your name, address,  call sign and phone number on each document, especially sketches. In this  way,  people can contact you if there are any questions.

        As for speakers, YOU can be one! Yes, once your knees stop knocking, we will be able to hear your presentation. It need not be on Ham Radio. Maybe you've got another hobby or interest you would like to share with others. Talk it up at a meeting and on the Monday night net. "It pays to advertise". If you know of any speakers that you've heard at other club meetings, let the officers know how to contact them and one of the officers might be able to have them speak at our meeting.
 
        Included in this month's newsletter is a questionaire. Please fill it out and send it back, with any comments. This info will be used by your "new" club officers so that "your" club meetings might be made more interesting. Any clubs receiving this newsletter are free to use it in any form.

        Many 440 users appear to be using "rubber duck" antennas when trying to access the autopatch. Please be advised that many times, this antenna is generally insufficient to "reach" the system with a "communications quality" signal. Just because you get the repeater's attention(called kerchunking), is no guarantee that you have a signal of "communications quality".  As with many repeater system, you need a good signal source, be it more power, a longer antenna or an outside antenna to hold a "clean" conversation. This is true, especially when mobile because your location and signal propagation changes as you change positions.

        For those of you who are using the autopatch, here's a review of our procedure:
        1. Key up the system and identify that you want to use the autopatch "if there is no emergency   traffic". It's adviseable to include these words. Then let the repeater drop, to see if there is any traffic.
        2. Key up the system and dial your number
        3. Terminate the patch and listen for the system to drop
        4. Key up the system again, identify and indicate that you are finished or "clear" of the autopatch.
        Now everyone will know the system is back to normal.
        Many 2M, 220 and 440 users are not identifying when terminating the autopatch. It's necessary so that anyone monitoring will know that the system is ready for general use. You must identify both when accessing and exiting the autopatch.  If you have not been to a meeting and been given proper instructions for autopatch use, please attend soon.

        Regular new users of the 2M, 220 and 440 systems should be encouraged to join and support the Santa Clara Valley Repeater Society, it's officers and those who maintain the radio systems on Mt. Loma Prieta. If you know of a "new" ham that is using the repeater, encourage them to join. If you need an application, contact the Treasurer, John-KA6LWC.

        Our repeater is NOT an "open" system. Truly "open" systems have no membership requirements or membership assessments for maintenance.  A "mysterious" benefactor takes care of "everything". Our system is a "controlled" system, one that is owned by a club, has member support and is maintained through the physical efforts and monitary contributions of club members. If you find a machine that you "like", join the club that owns the machine and give them support.

        This will be my last note. I will go back to my menial task of Treasurer. I've attached Part 1 of  2 parts of some history of the WB6OQS repeater system. The "new" editor will send Part 2 with the next mailing. Please start composing your articles, notes and concerns so that they can be published in our newsletter. It will give members something to discuss at the meeting each month.

        Cheers and 73's
            John, KA6LWC
            JohnB435@aol.com