Arrow’s 9th Annual dayton Bus Trip – Now Taking Reservations
Great news!!! The Big Bus is Back!!!
The ARROW Communications Association, once again, is proud to sponsor a motor coach trip to the 2011 Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio. Started in 2002, this annual club activity has grown in size and reputation with Hams across Michigan. We have been host to over 300 Hams for this event. Last year was a sell out and based on early interest, we expect to sell out again this year!
Join us Saturday, May 21, 2011, when we depart from Ann Arbor at 4:30 am, arriving in Dayton around 8:00 am. On board, you can stretch out, relax, chat with other Hams and enjoy a continental breakfast with coffee as the coach takes you directly to the door of the country’s largest amateur radio event!
Please click here for more information, or to reserve a seat now…
Repeater Committe meeting announcement
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ARROW “Repeater Committee”
Meeting Announcement
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What: ARROW “Repeater Committee” meeting
When: Tuesday, January 18th from 7pm until 9pm
Where: Washtenaw Community College campus
Business Education building
Room BE-170
(first floor in the front-right corner of the)
(building as you face BE from the parking lot)
Who: Any ARROW member or Ham interested in the ARROW repeater systems
Purpose and Scope of this meeting:
(Further goals will be set in future committee meetings)
— To educate the membership to the needs of the repeater systems.
— To determine what the active membership would like to see the repeater systems evolve into (pie in the sky brain-storming).
— To ascertain any and all additional sites it will take to accomplish those goals.
— To ascertain any and all antennas and feedlines necessary to achieve those desired goals.
— To find ways to raise funding to support the installation of those antenna systems.
— To prepare manpower and resources to mobilize and install needed feedlines inside the ITC building (circa February)
NOTE: The “ARROW-Repeaters” Yahoo group will be used for most discussions and announcements. Please join that list, if you haven’t already, to participate in the online discussions. But for eye-to-eye discussions, please attend this comittee meeting. We welcome your input.
Thank You for your support!
— Jay Nugent WB8TKL
ARROW Technical Coordinator
General Meeting announcement & Presentation
The January ARROW General meeting will be held this Wednesday, January 12th at 7:30pm at the Red Cross chapter on Packard Rd. The usual eyeball QSO’s will begin around 7pm.
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The program for the January meeting will be about upgrading your license as easily and painlessly as possible.
Those with a Technician class license can upgrade to a General class license, and those with a General class
license can upgrade to an Extra class license. The General class license license has 35 multiple choice questions and the Extra class license has 50 multiple choice questions. The passing grades are 26 right for the General class license and 37 right for the Extra class license.
There are some good reason for upgrading:
1. Respect of your peers.
2. Don’t need to find an Extra Class operator in the middle of a hot run in HF contesting.
3. Cool 1×3, 2×2, 1×2 and 2×1 vanity call signs
There are many reasons and rationalizations given for not upgrading.
1. Not interested in HF work
2. Don’t need the extra allocations on HF
3. Don’t have the time to devote to learning the material
4. The math and the material are too difficult
Tonight I’d like to try and convince you that neither the math, nor the material is too difficult. The web has a large number of free resources to combat both the time and the difficulty, including classes, study guides, and practice examinations. Last year from February to May I studied for the Extra class exam by producing a study guide which I have posted on both the files section of the Yahoo group and also on the Arrow web page. I plan to discuss what I think is probably the most intimidating and difficult section from the Extra class question pool.
It is section E5C Impedance and Coordinate Systems, from that study guide. Go to either of the following URLs and download the PDF file “ExtraClassE5C.pdf”
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARROW-General-List/files/Extra%20Class%20Study%20Guide/
http://www.w8pgw.org/services/330-2/
Don’t forget to ask questions if anything is unclear or I lose you by fast talking.
Ready? Let’s begin.
Bruce, KD8APB
Formation of the “Repeater Committee”
I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce the (re)creation of the ARROW “Repeater Committee” as approved by the Board. The purpose of this committee will be to determine what our repeater systems need both now and in the future. To determine how those needs will be met, both technically and financially. And to perform the needed engineering required in the delivery of those systems and features.
This committee will be general in its scope, so as not to get bogged down within a too-narrow range of responsibility. It is charged with the task(s) to address any and all decisions in developing and engineering the best repeater systems that meet the needs, wants, and desires of the ARROW
membership.
Any and all ARROW members are invited to participate in this committee! Your input and expertise is what makes such projects as these, successful. Your ideas, and the open discussion of same, will help guide the ARROW’s interest in the repeater systems that we build and use.
We currently support 2 meter, 1-1/4 meter, and 70 centimeter systems, with intentions of “Linked” systems and multiple “Remote Receiver” sites across the county. There exists the possibility of including 900 and 1200 MHz systems, APRS nodes and Igates, 5.7 GHz data links, and the options go on… *YOU* get to help in those decisions! So please consider joining the Repeater Committee and help us determine what the ARROW’s needs will be for the next decade.
To join, send an email to:
arrow-repeaters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
A meeting date and location will be announced soon…
Thank You!
— Jay Nugent WB8TKL
ARROW Technical Coordinator
2-Meter Repeater Audio FIXED!!!
Sure sure sure, ya say. We’ve heard it before. But this time I *really* think we found the problem (or multiple problems). While atop Wolverine Tower today I replaced an audio cable that was partially shorted AND found that the IDC (Instantanious Deviation Control) on the Motorola Channel Element in the Exciter was partly to blame. A little jogging of the IDC control back and forth caused the audio to pop back up to normal levels. Obviously an intermittent pot that we will need to keep an eye on in the future.
The audio is now back up where it belongs! So jump on 146.96 (no PL required) and let’s hear some QSO’s!
443.5 Repeater On the Air!!!
It gives me great pleasure to announce that the ARROW 443.5 repeater is on the air atop Wolverine Tower!!! At approximately 2pm this afternoon (January 6th) the 443.5/448.5 came to life running just 5 watts into a 6-element Yagi pointed East. Sorry for the non-omnidirectional coverage, but we *DO* have plans for a 3DB gain OMNI antenna in the near future so you folks West of A2 can get better coverage – so hang in there.
The 443.5 has the capability of using 100Hz PL, but I have commanded that feature OFF in the controller as it is not needed – and also in keeping with my promise to run *clean* systems that will not require users to use PL. Carrier access rulz!
So dig out those UHF rigs and let’s see some activity on 443.5!!!
ARRL News- One Down, One to Go: The ARRL International DX Contest Gears Up for SSB
- Section Managers Winter Election Results
- Republic of South Sudan Assigned Prefix
- March Qualifying Runs
- Bill Simons, W9BB, Silent Key; Developed Shure Microphones
- Payroll Tax Bill Includes Provision for Amateur Radio Study
- The K7RA Solar Update
- WRC-12 Comes to a Close in Geneva
- Surfin’: Learning Circuits and Electronics Online
- WRC-12 Delegates Place Possible 5 MHz Allocation on Agenda for Next WRC