Relay, May 2013 by David Smith

Volume 41, Issue 05

Mike & Key Amateur Radio Club – Seattle

May 2013

From our Club President...

If you are brand new to HF, start out at the GOTA (Get‐On‐ The‐Air) station. But at any of the stations, there will be a band chair or other hams who will be glad to show you how to operate and can serve as control operator if you don’t have the requisite license privileges. There have been plenty of open slots for people wanting to operate in recent years. Our May program will be the Field Day orientation, so come learn about the whole operation, then make your plans to attend. See you on the 18th!

For The Newer Ham/Member: Get Radio Experience With Public Service & Field Day By Robert Grinnell KD7WNV, President

It is customary around this time of year to be encouraging members to get involved in helping out with Public Service events, and to be discussing preparations for Field Day, but I want to devote this column to describing the particular benefits of those activities for the newer hams and/or members. The Public Service season really ramps up in May, and there will be many and various events in the coming months. For the inexperienced ham, especially a Technician licensee, these events provide a great opportunity to use your radio, get to know other hams, and gain practical experience. The events all use VHF and/or UHF FM, so Technician privileges are entirely adequate, and you can get started—and be active in many roles—with minimal investment, a handheld transceiver. If you are uncomfortable with just jumping on a repeater and talking to someone you don’t know, Public Service events provide more social context. At an event, you are a member of a team, and you will typically get to meet your fellow hams before, during and/or after an event. You will learn about the operation of your radio, and there are experienced hams around to help with questions or problems. Working with these other hams and the net controllers will help you develop good radio practices, as well as an understanding of net procedures. This is especially useful if you have an interest in emergency communications. There is more to cover to help you get started—too much to relate here. I gave a presentation on this subject at a Club meeting a couple years ago, and am arranging to have the PowerPoint file made available on our website. It delves into types of events and assignments, resources and getting connected, equipment, and some procedures and protocols, so go check it out. As if designed as a complement to pick up where Public Service leaves off, Field Day provides the opportunity to experience several aspects of radio beyond V/UHF‐FM. These include field station setup; HF stations, antennas, operations and propagation; CW; weak‐signal work above 50 MHz; and contesting. The key here, as with Public Service, is that there are many experienced hams available to teach and support you. We will have eight stations in operation.

Opening Day Windermere Cup Races By Dick Radford WA7NIW

This year's Opening Day crew races went very well with outstanding performance from the competitors, organizers, and the Ham Radio crew that aided with Timing and Course Safety. The weather was fabulous for this annual event, and since it happens in early May, there can be just about any kind of weather that is possible with the exception of snow – sometimes all in the same day. This year started out warm and then got warmer. The Hams that worked this event were about half Mike and Key members, which demonstrates our club's commitment to Public Service. Thanks to all who participated.

IN THIS ISSUE: From our Club President – Robert KD7WNV 1 Opening Day Windermere Cup Races – Dick WA7NIW 1 M&K Club Contact Information – K7LED 2 M&K May Activities – George AE7G 3 M&K May Door Prizes – Jim N7MU 3 M&K Membership Committee Report – Kathy KB7QMO 3 Let’s Celebrate Our May Members – Dave KB7PSN 3 M&K FD’13 at Beautiful Ft. Flagler St. Pk. – Rita KD7CNU 4 SA – Postal Food Drive – May 11 – Dave KB7PSN 4 Mary Lewis W7QGP (SK) – Memorial – Mike N7WA 5 Catching Up… Emails – Fred W6TKV, Lee KE7NBN 5 PNW – Hamfairs & Events – Lynn N7CFO 5 M&K-ARC Elmer Contacts – Jim N7MU 6 Contest: 7th District QSO Party – Mike N7WA 6 7 M&K Photo’s From the Club‘s April Meeting – Dave KB7PSN Stopping in Cold November Fog – Bill KL7BB 8 M&K April General Meeting Minutes– Ivy WA7IVY 9 M&K May Board Meeting Minutes – Ivy WA7IVY 10 M&K Reference Lending Library – Tim K7ANE, Toku AD7JA 11 Ham Radio Nets & Events – May / June / July 12

May 2013

K7LED Relay

Postal Address: P.O. Box 4234 Renton, WA 98057-4234 K7LED Repeaters: 146.82 output / 146.22 input (PL 103.5) Tiger Mountain 224.120 output / 222.520 input (PL 103.5) Tiger Mountain

Web Site: www.mikeandkey.org

Send dues to: Mike & Key ARC P.O. Box 4234 Renton, WA 98057-4234

Email: info @ mikeandkey.org

Send newsletter submissions to: Gary Bryan, Relay Editor 34033 33rd Ave SW Federal Way, WA 98023-7724 Reflector: glbryan @ att.net http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/mkarc

Club Contacts President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Activity Mgr Radio Officer

Robert Grinnell Kathy Martin Ivy Nelson-Groves Dave Smith George Thornton Hal Goodell

KD7WNV KB7QMO WA7IVY KB7PSN AE7G N7NW

r-grinnell @ comcast.net klsmartin1 @ gmail.com ivy @ wa7ivy.com kb7psn @ yahoo.com GTLAW @ seanet.com n7nw.hal @ comcast.net

425-398-1466 253-631-5370 425-269-3259 425-235-5095 206-920-7072 253-549-4178

Trustees -No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 (CoB) No. 5

Gary Anderson Kathleen Weiss Jim Monson Gil Drynan John Marthens

KF7TBC KF7MUD K7JGM W7GIL NU6A

gary5440or @ msn.com kf7mud @ live.com jgmonson @ earthlink.net gild @ seanet.com nu6a @ arrl.net

253-631-5376 425-283-6545 206-245-8485 425-392-1668 206-444-6444

VE Testing

Scott Robinson

AG7T

ag7t @ arrl.net

425-788-0452

Logo Committee

Jim Aigner Dan Humphrey Dawn Humphrey

N7MU N7QHC KC7YYB

jimaigner @ comcast.net n7qhc @ arrl.net

253-630-2752 206-243-0163

Club Library

‘Toku’ Okumura

AD7JA

ad7ja @ msn.com

206-772-2450

Webmaster

Jim Etzwiler

KD7BAT

kd7bat @ arrl.net

425-788-7887

Mike & Key Online – The following Club resources are available: On the Web – The Club's site at www.mikeandkey.org includes extensive information about Club activities and events, such as: VE testing, membership, past editions of the Relay and more.

Reflector – The Club's public message board offers an easy and free way to converse with Club members. To sign up, visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/mkarc .

E-Relay – Help the Club save on printing and postage, send Email the Relay Editor: glbryan @ att.net .

May 2013

K7LED Relay

M&K Club - April Activities

M&K Membership Committee Report

By George Thornton AE7G, Activity Manager

By Kathy Martin KB7QMO and Gary Bryan KG7KU

The Membership Committee met at the Cedar River Smokehouse restaurant in Renton following the April General Meeting. In attendance: Robert Grinnell KD7WNV, Ivy Nelson‐ Groves WA7IVY, Rita Danielson KD7CNU, Kathy Martin KB7QMO, Ryan Martin N7TNI, David Lee KC7FSR, Dave Smith KB7PSN and Gary Bryan KG7KU.

APRIL MEETING PROGRAM TO FOCUS ON FIELD DAY

The May meeting will be devoted to Field Day event planning and preparation. Mike and Key continues to present one of the best organized and most successful Field Day operations in the nation. Whether your interest is in operating HF under ideal conditions, or whether you just want to have a fun getaway with some HAM friends, it is all good. The June meeting will be within a week of Field Day. I am planning a short presentation that will help us hone our HF contesting skills. We will also deal with last minute Field Day details. In July we will return to our regular programming. I have several ideas in mid, details to be announced. The Door Prize fund is making slow progress. We will be adding one or two donation items to the pot this month. We are about halfway to our yearend goal of a major prize along the lines of the Elecraft KX3 we gave out last year. We can still get there if people participate. Remember, every dollar spent on a ticket goes to purchase new prizes. Nothing is held back and donations only increase the value. If you have something you would like to donate to the door prize fund bring it to the meeting.

Items discussed:  Construction at the Salvation Army continues to have an impact on parking at the General Membership meetings. Be sure to arrive a few minutes early to offset any short walk this introduces.  On‐going – Membership Greeters (Ivy, Gary, any others) – be sure to meet & welcome visitors… make it a pleasant experience for all. Renewals (Rita). Photos of new members (Ric K7RIC).  In the short term there are no specific committee projects.  Field Day – Gary suggested that perhaps a small refreshment area could be set up where the tubs of ‘cookies’ usually appear… in a relatively central area of the Operations field. Gary will pursue this experimental new idea – the light duty of its setup and the modest offer for those who operate throughout the night.  Holiday Dinner(s) – The Committee will be in review of upcoming events… considering options on times and locations as they unfold. Your input and involvement in the Committee is always welcomed. If you are unable to meet with us, you can give us your thoughts and suggestions: mikeandkeymembers@gmail.com .

M&K May Door Prizes Prize List & Photo by Jim Aigner N7MU

Among the door prizes this month are a used coax switch and another LA Police Gear Go Bag. Here’s the complete prize line‐up for May:  Radio Go Bag from LA Police Gear, Black  Panavise Mobile Mount for Cell phone, GPS, or Radio Remote Head  2013 Field Day Hat  2013‐2014 ARRL Repeater Directory  DAIWA CS‐201 2‐Position Coax Switch (used)  Insulated bag ‐ for Lunch? or Antenna Analyzer?  (2) RG8 Coax Jumper Cables with PL259s  Solid Copper Ground Buss Bar

Let’s Celebrate Our May Members! By Dave Smith KB7PSN, Treasurer As of May 2013, these have been Mike & Key members for the number of years stated. Congratulations to all of you, and thanks for your participation & service: Michael Dinkelman N7WA 28 Years * Eric Snyder N7DLV 24 Years Calvin D. Doss KC7IYP 17 Years Atsushi Sasaki W7KN 14 Years Mark Huffstutter KB7WAL 9 Years Frank Tate NA7O 9 Years Steve Rehnstrom KE7KRT 6 Years Andrew Lengenfelder W7ATL 4 Years Dale Tongue AC7NP 4 Years Gene Budbill N7QLT 3 Years Liz Budbill N7ZXH 3 Years Fran Underwood N7FWZ 3 Years Gary Anderson KF7TBC 1 Year Stephen Marth WB7AAV 1 Year Jim Mitchell KJ7QT 1 Year Charles Parrish KF7TTC 1 Year Steve Stout KB7AF 1 Year Robert Swann N7RVC 1 Year Nicholas Tarbox W0NCT 1 Year Michael Walsh KF7VCW 1 Year * Life member = 25 consecutive years or more

May 2013

K7LED Relay

M&K—Field Day at Beautiful Fort Flagler State Park – June 22‐23 By Rita Danielson KD7CNU This year as in years past we have the Wagon Wheel reserved for those that enjoy RV camping and/or tent camping. For those of us that think Motel 6 is roughing it, we will have the Camp Wilson retreat center available for us. There were nineteen (19) who made reservations at our April general meeting. As I write this, there are ten (10) beds remaining. The Wagon Wheel has been reserved for Monday, June 17, through Monday, June 24. Camp Wilson has been reserved for Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 24. Due to the layout of Camp Wilson, we do not have single rooms available. We have rooms for couples/families. All single men will be sharing a room with other single men. Each room has bunk beds, dresser and a closet of sorts. IF you snore, please bring ear plugs for your room mates. IF you use a breathing machine, please bring it so all can get a good night’s rest. I’ve been asked what you should bring. Besides your clothing and personal toiletries, bring bedding for a twin bunk bed, or a sleeping bag. Bring your radio, flashlight, batteries/charger unit (there are electrical outlets in each room) snack foods, soda/water and food for your lunch. Breakfast and dinner will be provided. Layer your clothing, can’t guarantee what the weather will be, only that we will have some. So dress for warm and cool, wet or dry. You can be sure the wind will be blowing, so bring a kite if you’d like. There’s a great field for flying kites right outside the door. Bring your camera. The wildlife likes to pose for cameras. There are great hiking trails, and bicycles are welcome, please wear your helmet. Now, since this is a State Park, you will need a pass. The club will be given passes for those staying at the Wagon Wheel or Camp Wilson. I will be giving a copy of the Camp Wilson reservation form to those staying with us. IF you have the Discover Pass, you will not need a copy of the reservation form. I would like to encourage all of you to get the Discover Pass. It’s only $30.00 and it’s good for a year. Each day at a state park is $10.00. If you have any questions about the Wagon Wheel, please see Dick Radford, WA7NIW. See me if you have any questions about Camp Wilson [a.k.a. Barracks or Mike & Key Bed and Breakfast]. You can call me at 425-359-3764, after 7 PM please during the week, anytime on Saturday. Or e-mail me at gamatoad24@comcast.net. For those wishing to mail your deposit of $10.00 per person, per night, my address is: Rita Danielson, 9311 11th Ave W, Everett, WA 98204. See you at the May General Meeting. May 18, 10:00am. 73s and 88s

Salvation Army: Help ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Annual Food Drive By Dave Smith KB7PSN

A few Club members helped out at the Salvation Army today [Saturday, May 11], volunteering for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive, which is an annual event. On occasion, trucks would arrive from the Renton Fairwood and Renton Highlands Post Offices. Pictures attached. Web site for this Annual Event = http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/.

May 2013

K7LED Relay Mary Lewis, W7QGP, SK – Memorial By Michael Dinkelman N7WA

Mary Lewis W7QGP, SK

I am sure many of you know that Mary Lewis W7QGP passed away on March 12th. Her memorial was held in April, the same day as our Club meeting, down in Lacey. Diane KB7DNE and I travelled down to pay our respects. Fellow Mike and Key member Chuck Stroeher WA7EBH also came down from Port Angeles. There wasn’t much of a crowd considering the long‐term influence Mary had in this region’s Ham Radio affairs. It was good to see both the Western and Eastern Washington Section Managers make it. We got a chance to talk to [son & daughter] Gary WA7BBJ and Diana K7ETY and get an update on Harry Lewis W7JWJ who was also there (see Photo). Harry is not doing too well. On top of losing his wife, he’s had a number of health issues and has (l-r) Mark Tharp KB7HDX,

Harry Lewis W7JWJ lost a lot of memories. He still remembers the early days of when he met Mary but more recently memories and Jim Pace K7CEX have been lost. He’s no longer able to get on the radio despite a desire to do so. I did chat with Harry a bit. I’m not sure he remembered who I was. I wish I would have thought to whistle some Morse code to see if that would create a spark. With him being one of the top code copying champions in the world, it’s hard to believe all those brain pathways are gone. Rest in peace Mary. Be at peace Harry.

Links contributed by Dave Smith KB7PSN— The Society of Broadcast Engineers web site carries an article with photo’s ‘In Memorium’ http://sbe16.com/?p=1949. The Seattle Times online: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=mary-e-lewis&pid=164243455#fbLoggedOut

Catching Up… Emails Received… Received on Email— Fred Roberts ‐W6TKV Gary‐ Thanks for the invitation [to the M&K Awards Banquet], and wish we could be joining you… Please give everyone our best wishes. You might be interested in passing along just how I came to be a member of the very best club I have ever known. In 1995, our daughter who lives in Seattle had her first baby just before Field Day. My XYL, Ann, and I were anxious to see our new granddaughter, but I also really wanted to enjoy Field Day. So, I decided to search the 1994 ARRL Field Day Records, and was prepared to check all 2,000 contest listings for a Seattle club. But, rd th I found that, the 3 or 4 club on the ARRL’s list was the M&K. And that’s how I found the very best radio club I could have ever hoped for. By the way, that same granddaughter is getting ready to go college this coming fall.

Received on Email— Lee Sherry‐ KE7NBN Hi Gary, I was on the Quarter Century Wireless Association website and noticed that we may lose our 70 cm frequencies because of House Bill: H.R.607. This may be something our club members would be interested in. Here is a link to the QCWA article with a sample letter: http://www.qcwa.org/hr607.htm . 73's Lee Sherry KE7NBN

Pacific Northwest Hamfairs & Events Source: PNW Hamfair webpage at http://www.n7cfo.com/amradio/hf/hf.htm. (Used with Permission) May 17‐19, 2013, Pateros 14th Annual Ham Radio, Campout/Potluck. Pateros WA. Free "dry" camping along the Methow River at Pateros. http://lakechelanradioclub.com/ Always the weekend prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Buy sell swap old ham stuff, no charge. The main potluck is Saturday the 18th at 1300 hours. DContact Roger W7CH w7ch@arrl.net (509)687‐3919. May 31‐June 2, 2013. Sea‐Pac Hamfest and ARRL Northwestern Division Conference. Seaside Convention Center, Seaside, Oregon. This is an ARRL sanctioned event. Registration open Feb 16th. Early bird tickets by April 15th SEAPAC@seapac.org . www.seapac.org/ . June 8, 2013. Port Ludlow ARC tailgate swap meet. Port Ludlow, WA. This is an ARRL sanctioned event. http://www.n7pl.org/ June 7‐9, 2013. 44th Annual Wenatchee Hamfest. Apple City ARC. Dryden Gun Club. Dryden, WA. This is an ARRL sanctioned event. http://www.qsl.net/w7td/ . Flyer in PDF. (217K) For information, contact Judy, KA7ZNA ka7zna@msn.com or Rich, N7PZT rich8102@gmail.com June 8, 2013. KARS Hamfest. Kootenai Amateur Radio Society. Post Falls, ID. This is an ARRL sanctioned event. Always the 2nd Sat in June. For information contact Bonnie, KG6QQM, 208‐683‐2939 or KG6QQM@ARRL.net or John, n7ju@arrl.net July 20, 2013. Coos County Radio Club Hamfest and Swapmeet. North Bend, Oregon. This is an ARRL sanctioned event. Contact: zane.albertson@gmail.com (541)404‐6908 July 13‐14, 2013. SalmonCon. Pacific Northwest QRP Group annual weekend outing. Contact Wayne NB6M@Comcast.net . July 19‐21, 2013. 4th Annual KUH Pig Roast & Campout. Springdale, WA. Contact Ray, (509)258‐7078 cdknray@wildblue.net Flyer in PDF (700K) Driving Instructions in PDF (28K ) July 20‐21, 2013. Glacier Waterton International Peace Park Hamfest. Glacier Meadows Campground, 13 miles west of East Glacier on MT Hwy 2. Flyer in PDF. (180K) www.gwhamfest.org . July 27, 2013. KRARA 35th Annual Meeting and Picnic. Valleyford Park, Valleyford, WA. Flyer in PDF. (580K) July 27, 2013. Chehalis Valley ARS 13th Annual Swap. Lewis County Fairgrounds. This is an ARRL sanctioned event. Contact John Ellingson, K7OSK. k7osk@boatanchor.com . http://www.cvars.org/ Flyer in PDF. (262 K)

May 2013

K7LED Relay Mike & Key ARC – Elmer Contacts – By Jim Aigner N7MU

Area Stations, Equipment Beams and Towers Contesting CW Digital Modes D-STAR Emergency Comm HF Operation New Members QRP VHF / UHF Operation

Elmer Coordinator John Robson, AC7LK Alan Hughes, KB7SVU Mike Dinkelman, N7WA Mike Dinkelman, N7WA Curt Black, WR5J Curt Black, WR5J Tim Kane, K7ANE Dale Tongue AC7NP Dick Radford, WA7NIW Frank Qualls, AB7HA Hal Goodell, N7NW

Phone

Description

253-984-6709 Station setup, eq’t selection, antennas, digital kb7svu@juno.com 253-840-4947 Beam antennas and towers, safety mwdink@clearwire.net 253-631-3756 Contest operations mwdink@clearwire.net 253-631-3756 Learn CW, operating proficiency wr5j@westseattlearc.org 206-755-4541 Digital modes, software, TNC’s wr5j@westseattlearc.org 206-755-4541 D-STAR technology and operation k7ane@arrl.net 206-251-7467 CERT, ARES, organizations & Eq't dale.tongue@gmail.com 425-432-4254 Eq’t, Antennas, best HF operating practices wa7niw@arrl.net 425-828-9791 Getting started, Eq’t selection and operation franklin_qualls@hotmail.com 425-802-1837 Low power operation, design & construction n7nw.hal@comcast.net 253-549-4178 6 meters and up; moon bounce, meteor scatter robson.j@comcast.net

Contest: Seventh District QSO Party By Michael Dinkelman N7WA

I've had a lot of fun ‘mobiling’ through Eastern Washington the past couple of Salmon Runs. This year, I decided to add the 7QP to the mix ‐ it's become a popular test thanks to the hard work of the Central Oregon DX Club. The 7QP endeavors to put every county in the 7th FCC District on. They haven’t succeeded yet (there are a lot of empty counties out there), but they come pretty close thanks to mobiles, rovers, and expeditions. This trip, Chuck N7BV came along to share the driving duties and to operate SSB while I handled the CW side. It was dicey even getting Chuck on the road when his hot water heater broke down a couple days before the test. He made it but I still think Murphy must have followed him over from Port Angeles. We headed east for Yakima about 4:30PM on Friday after I got home from work. As we came upon the Tiger Mountain Pass, about 15 minutes from home, I realized I had left my vest with wallet and cell phone back at home. We gotta go back…. sigh! A half hour later we were back at the pass with my wallet in hand and only 45 minutes behind schedule. The rest of the trip to Yakima was pretty uneventful with a great dinner in small bar in downtown Cle Elum. We made it to my step‐sons place in Yakima as the sun set, and after a few minutes of visiting it was time to crash. 7QP starts early in Washington (6AM / 1300UTC) and ends at midnight local time. Graphic Source: We actually made it on the road on time and the first contact went in the log at 1302 UTC. We started out Central Oregon DX Club— http://ws7n.net/ on 40M and activity was decent as we worked the west coast. Checking 20M, it was open and there was activity into the mid‐west and even some JA activity. We headed for Klickitat County and got stopped for some road work. It wasn't a bad delay (I figure 15 minutes) but enough to be irritating. I know Murphy was riding in the back of the pickup. At Satus pass in Klickitat, after 50 CW Q's in the log, it was time to try SSB. I guess I can't really blame lackluster SSB results on Murphy. It's tough enough to be heard as a mobile. Doing it on phone is a real challenge. Non‐the‐less, Chuck kept up the effort as I drove us back to Yakima County and through to Benton where we switched back. And that's essentially how it went. One of us would work phone and one would work CW. Murphy was doing his thing too ‐ the battery level indicator on the computer was dropping despite the 12VDC charger that was plugged in and a glowing LED that indicated it was supposedly operational. Somewhere in Walla Walla County, the computer was finished and we got to practice our handwriting skills. Me, I also had the pleasure of sending CQ manually innumerable times over the next 12 hours. (We had a Winkeyer but those things are a pain to program manually, especially bombing down the road.) We wound our way through SE Washington, then back up towards I‐90 where we had dinner and had to make a decision. Either head back west on I‐90 (and a decent bed time) or keep heading north to US2 before turning west. We choose the latter. I'll admit, I forgot how dark it gets out in rural Eastern Washington. Plus the towns close down ‐ even the gas stations. It was like driving down a lonely dark tunnel for most of the way to Wenatchee. It would have been nice to stop and check out the stars in the clear sky but fatigue was setting in and you just want to get it over with. Our last county was Chelan as we reached Wenatchee. Even though there was another hour left to the test, I just said "forget it". All I cared about was getting home. I think there were plenty of other guys giving out Chelan and Kittitas throughout the day so our lack of participation was no big loss. Major takeaways: 1) No more SSB. Just isn't worth the effort and extra complexity in the mobile setup. We could have done more time on 15/40/80 CW with the time instead. 2) Make sure you have the CORRECT computer power supply BEFORE getting on the road. 3) Reduce the complexity of the cabling. I thought I had done that after the last Salmon Run but it still needs work. Getting rid of SSB will help. In the end, we worked 385 Q’s into about 46 states/provinces/countries. Many of those we worked multiple times at each county crossing. About 90 of those Q’s were SSB which was a testament to Chuck’s perseverance. (I would’ve tossed that mic.) We worked into Japan and Europe and all over the US. It was a nice weekend to be travelling the back roads of Eastern Washington but 900 miles in 20 hours (we got home at about 1:30AM) is a long haul.

May 2013

K7LED Relay M&K Photos From Our April General Meeting By Dave Smith KB7PSN & Gary Bryan KG7KU

Morgan Pasquier KF7YGS is our ‘newest’ member, although she has actually been active with the club for several years in Family membership with her parents Richard N7MER & Jennifer KF7YGR.

Robert Grinnell KD7WNV gets the General Membership Meeting underway.

Craig Baker KF7LLA gave an excellent presentation, along with a team to demonstrate the HSMM‐ MESH technology and it’s practical application. Afterwards, members interact as the Team has more time to answer questions and show the Mikrotik RB750 Routers (Below).

Dick Radford WA7NIW gets assistance with a cup of coffee… which is now located inside the Meeting hall due to construction at the Salvation Army building west wing.

Awards Banquet 2013 – A Back Story to MDA By David Smith, KB7PSN

After the Membership Committee identified the Old Spaghetti Factory (OSF) as the place to hold the Club’s Annual Awards Banquet, I went to have dinner there to see how much the place changed (my last visit was 2 years ago). While there, it was noticed that the OSF was one of the local restaurants participating in the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)’s “Shamrocks Against Dystrophy®” St. Patrick's Day promotion. Here, various restaurants, bars, retailers and businesses hold a month long fundraiser to help people with neuromuscular diseases and ending on St. Patrick’s Day. For each Shamrock purchased, a coupon for free Sicilian Garlic Cheese Bread would be given out. Noting that this would be one of the appetizers provided for the Banquet, 15 ‐ $1 Shamrock coupons were purchased for free cheese bread. When checking out, 5 of these coupons were used – the final bill was lowered. As we were leaving OSF that night, a couple of coupons were picked up by club members who will be going back. At the May Club Meeting, the remaining free cheese bread coupons will be available for pick‐up by attendees wanting to go back to OSF for dinner. These coupons are good through May 31.

May 2013

K7LED Relay Stopping in the Cold November FOG of Seattle By Bill Balzarini KL7BB

Ham Radio Volunteers have a unique awareness beyond the present – ‘everything is normal’ – situation. For instance, imagine having to STOP in the FOG. The attached pictures are from the 2012 Seattle Marathon up on East Madison St. at approximately Mile 23. The Cold morning FOG is a real bone chiller if you are not moving and having your body producing heat. If you had to stop along this stretch of the course, Shelter and Heated space are very sparse. The Seattle Number 11 Metro Bus comes along there about every 30 minutes or so, and it has only limited room to pick up just a very small number of Runners if the Race were stopped for any reason.

Be Alert!... Look around you!… Think!… Plan! Also in another picture, note the very limited Shelter Space for the Medical team and any runners needing a warm place if the Race for any reason needed to be stopped. In Anchorage Alaska the Annual Walk For Hope is held during the first of May each year. It includes both adults and children. Their worst race fear is that it will start to rain and then they have to deploy many standby buses to get the thousands of walkers off the course and back to a warm shelter.

Know what resources are at your disposal! How close did The Seattle Marathon come to shutting down in November of 2009… when a home in the Leschi area of Lake Washington was a chosen hiding location for an armed fleeing felon. I was at the Seattle Marathon race Leschi-check-point, just blocks away from where all of the later police and SWATTeam action took place in a capture attempt. Remember to be vigilant and hone your awareness skills. 73 de Bill KL7BB - Milepost 23 for the 2012 Seattle Marathon.

May 2013

K7LED Relay Standing Committee Reports: Strategic Planning: Kathleen KF7MUD: no report. Facilities & Publicity: John NU6A: discussion about the parking. Education: Jim K7JGM: Jim talked about Comm Academy last weekend and shared some of what he learned. Public Service: Robert ND7WNV: Robert has the public service booklets and folks can get them from him. Robert also pointed out the upcoming events in May. Anyone interest in supporting the Rainier to Ruston race on June 1, contact Alan KB7SVU. Mention of the Boston Marathon and the things that can happen on local public service events. The ARRL has an article of the participation of Hams in the Boston Marathon. Dave KB7PSN mentioned that April is Volunteer Month. Technical and Special Interest: Gil W7GIL: no report. Other Committees: VE Exams: Scott AG7T: 6 people attended exams last month: 4 Technicians; 2 Generals; and 0 Extra licenses were awarded. Logo: Jim N7MU: not present. Dan N7QHC and Dawn KC7YYB have badges for members to pick up. Membership: Gary KG7KU: Gary recognized the committee and spoke about the Awards Banquet. He presented the Outstanding Service Award to Tim K7ANE. By Laws Review: Dave KB7PSN: The draft of the new bylaws will be presented to the next Board meeting, and will be presented to the membership after that. Flea Market: Hal N7NW/Mike N7WA: The deposit for the next Flea Market has been sent in; 7‐8 March 2014. Field Day: Ivy WA7IVY: 62 Days till Field Day Setup! We have had one position open up for a band chair. Ivy has the band chair notebooks. Robert KD7WNV will be taking orders for Field Day shirts. Picnic: Hal N7NW: no report. Old Business None New Business None Good of the Order: Alligator Award: Michelle WA7PVE still holds the award. The next Mike & Key Board meeting will be on the first Wednesday of the month, May 1st at 7:30 pm, location TBD. The next Mike & Key General Membership meeting will be on the th third Saturday of the month, May 18 at 10:00am at the Salvation Army in Renton. Gary KF7TBC made a motion to close the meeting, seconded by Tim K7ANE. The motion was passed. Meeting adjourned at 11:10 am. 11 guests; 63 members; 57 ARRL members.

M&K General Meeting Minutes By Ivy Nelson-Groves WA7IVY, Secretary General Meeting Agenda – 20 April 2013

Meeting was called to order at 10:00 am by the President, Robert KD7WNV. Pledge of Allegiance. Announcements: The Mike and Key ARC is affiliated with the ARRL, which members are encouraged to join. Everyone, including visitors, should sin the rosters. Visitors are reminded not to vote on membership matters. Member Introductions Officer Reports: President: Robert KD7WNV: His report was in the Relay. Secretary: Ivy WA7IVY: no report. Treasurer: Dave KB7PSN: The club’s books are in good order. Activities Manager: George AE7G: Today’s program is Wireless Mesh with NW‐MESH. Chairman of the Board: Gil W7GIL: Gil thanked the committee that reviewed the bylaws and submitted to the board. The board meeting room will be changing to Wednesday, and this month will have to be in a different room. Gill will communicate the location by email. Radio Officer: Hal N7NW: The repeater is doing well. Hal reports that he can’t get to the site quite yet, and when he can get there, he will be addressing the minor noise problems on 2m. Quorum present. A motion was made to approve the minutes of the previous meeting as printed in the Relay was made by Gil W7GIL, seconded by Steve KD7IQL. Motion passed. Vice President: Kathy KB7QMO: Kathy gave out certificates from the awards banquet to those in attendance. The following prospective members were voted on by the membership: Morgan KF7YGS; Seth KF7YGP. They were approved by the membership. Editor Reports: Relay Editor: Gary KG7KU: Gary thanks everyone for their contributions to the Relay and encouraged folks to submit articles. Webmaster: Jim KD7BAT: The website is being updated with the current public service booklet. Some folks from outside the club have sent in some updates, and these have been updated on our website.

Attested: Ivy Nelson‐Groves, WA7IVY, Secretary

May 2013

K7LED Relay Relay Editor – Gary KG7KU: Gary thanked everyone for their Relay articles. Webmaster – Jim KD7BAT: not present. Standing Committees: Strategic Planning – Kathleen KF7MUD: Not present. Facilities – John NU6A: No report. Education & Training – Jim K7JGM: No report. Public Service – Gary KF7TBC: Robert KD7WNV reported our last outstanding check for the Public Service Booklet. Crew races this Saturday, Tour d’Cure next weekend. Some of the parades and bike rides are gearing up. SeaFair is looking for someone to be their ham radio communications person for their emergency group. This is different than the SeaFair Marshals. Technical – Gil W7GIL: No report. Membership – Kathy KB7QMO: Gary KG7KU reported that the committee met and discussed other ways that they can help promote the club and aid the membership. One item that was discussed was the possibility of having coffee available on the Bluff during the duration of Field Day set up and operation. Logo – Daniel KL7WM: no report. Field Day – Ivy WA7IVY: We have had a volunteer for our 15 meter chair. Picnic – Hal N7NW: Dave KB7PSN reported that the picnic will be on August 17th at Gene Coulon Park, shelter 2, from 8:30am to 1:30pm. We then have 2 hrs for cleanup. The next reservation comes in at 3:30pm. The club meeting will start at 10am and we will have the potluck immediately after. Old Business: No old business New business: By Laws. Dave KB7PSN presented the bylaws to the Board. Modifications were discussed through section 6.02, D1. This discussion will be continued at the next Board Meeting. Good of the Order: No Good of the Order. There being no further business, the President adjourned the meeting at 10:50 pm. Attested: Ivy Nelson‐Groves WA7IVY, Secretary 

M&K Board Meeting Minutes By Ivy Nelson-Groves WA7IVY, Secretary 1 May 2013

Officers present X President Robert Grinnell S Vice President Kathy Martin X Secretary Ivy Nelson‐Groves X Treasurer Dave Smith Activities Manager George Thornton Radio Officer Hal Goodell Trustees present X No. 1 Jim Monson A No. 2 Kathleen Weiss A No. 3 Gary Allen Anderson X No. 4 Gil Drynan X No. 5 John Marthens Other officers (non‐voting) X Relay Editor Gary Bryan Webmaster Jim Etzwiler Visitors Michael Hansen James Wraalstad

KD7WNV KB7QMO WA7IVY KB7PSN AE7G N7NW K7JGM KF7MUD KF7TBC W7GIL NU6A KG7KU KD7BAT KG7MX WQ7H

*S=Kathy Martin KB7QMO was present via Skype connection. The Chairman of the Board called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Minutes: A motion was made to approve the minutes as published was made by Dave KB7PSN and seconded by Robert KD7WNV. Motion passed. Reports: Chairman of the Board – Gil W7GIL: No report. President – Robert KD7WNV: No report. Vice President – Kathy KB7QMO: Membership applications for consideration: Charles Anderson, KG7AXM; Susan McQuarrie, KG7AXK; Jeff Ellis, K7GDE. They were approved. Secretary – Ivy WA7IVY: No report. Treasurer – Dave KB7PSN: The Club’s books are in order. The audit for the flea market books will be in June. Activity Manager – George AE7G: not present. The May presentation will be on Field Day. Radio Officer – HAL N7NW: not present.

May 2013

K7LED Relay

M&K-K7LED Club Library By Tim Kane – K7ANE Library open 8:30 AM to 11:15 AM ( at Salvation Army – M&K General Meeting). M&K Library Shop open Tuesday thru Saturday (www.skywaytv.net). Library location: 11818 Renton Ave So., Seattle WA 98178. (Phone 206-772-2450).

Four new books have arrived for the Club Library. Based on suggestions from the members, we’ve acquired the ARRL’s excellent set of three books on the basics of electronics, radio and antennas, along with the newest ARRL book on Software-Defined Radio (SDR). These four new books will be available to checkout at the general meeting in May: – Understanding Basic Electronics, 2

Edition, 2010, by Walter Banzhaf, WB1ANE

– Basic Radio, Understanding the Key Building Blocks, 2006-12, by Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR – Basic Antennas, Understanding Practical Antennas And Design, 2008-09, by Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR – The ABCs of Software Defined Radio, 2012, By Martin Ewing, AA6E

The Basic Electronics book discusses the basics of electricity, electronics, and simple circuits. Chapters cover components, DC and AC electrical circuit concepts, basic analog and digital circuits, series and parallel circuits, problem solving and applied math (by hand and calculator), frequency, active devices, semiconductors and integrated circuits. The book also takes a look back at vacuum tubes and their applications. A good glossary of electric and electronic terms is also included. Basic Radio looks at the development of radio from the simplest crystal sets, early simple receivers through modern superheterodyne receivers. It then looks at the parallel development of transmitters, from earliest CW sets through the evolution of voice transmission from AM to SSB. Chapters also cover power amplification, wave propagation, transmitting and receiving antennas, radiolocation and radionavigation systems, and another glossary of relevant terms. The author also looks into his crystal ball to see what the future might hold. The appendix includes several build-it-yourself projects. The third book in the series, Basic Antennas, looks at a wide range of communications antennas, starting with the venerable diplole, and continues through both verticals and horizontals, arrays, surface reflector antennas, yagis and log periodics, and loops. Also discussed are microwave and vehicle-mounted antennas. The author discusses antenna measurements and modeling, using EZNEC software. Instructions for some easy-to-build antennas are also included. The Software Defined Radio publication is really more of a pamphlet than a book, and thus somewhat disappointing. It discusses the application of digital electronics and the road that has led to this new metamorphosis of radio and computers. However, it covers the basic concepts and suggests where the future of this new technology may take amateur radio. We’ve still got some of our annual budget left for the library, and are always anxiously seeking good suggestions for editions to add to our shelves. Get in touch with me if you have a good idea. We’ll order some more new books later in the year.

May 2013

K7LED Relay

Ham Nets & Events – 2013 – May / June / July SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

1900 – NWWA-LDS Net

0545 & 1645 – Weather Net

147.34 (Weekly)

145.33 (M-F)

2000 – King Co. ARES Net 147.08 (Weekly) 2200 – NW Astronomy Net 145.33 (Weekly)

1830 – WA Emerg. HF NetARES 3.985 (Weekly) 1900 – Seattle ACS Net

2000– American Red Cross /SeattleTeam Net 147.080 (Weekly) 2000 – Snohomish Co. ACS/RACES Net 146.92 (Weekly)

146.90 (Weekly) 1930 – PSRG Net 146.96(Wkly)

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

18 0900 – WA State Emerg. Net (WSEN) ARES HF Net 3.985 (Weekly)

1900 – M&K Public Service Net 146.82 (Weekly)

1000–M&K Club Meeting, Renton 1230– M&K Ham Radio Exams, Renton. Contact: Scott—ag7t@arrl.net

01 – JUNE –

Public Service:

May31-Jun02. WA Spec Olympics. JBLM. Contact: John KC7OLB caverlyj@gmail.com

Public Service: Capitol City Marathon, Olympia Contact: Lee KI7SS ki7ss@arrl.net

27 Have a Safe…

Memorial Day

Public Service:

M&K Board Mtg

May31-Jun02. WA Spec Olympics. JBLM. Contact: John KC7OLB caverlyj@gmail.com

Salvation Army Bldg Renton, 7:30 pm

Relay Articles Due 23:59:59

Public Service: Flying Wheels Century Ride, Marymoor Park, Redmond. Contact: Alan KD7KUS AlanBJones@frontier.com

15 1000–M&K Club Meeting, Renton 1230– M&K Ham Radio Exams, Renton. Contact: Scott—ag7t@arrl.net

Public Service: Strawberry Festival Parade, Marysville.

Contact: Liz N7ZXH hamsignup@seafairparademarshals.org

21 M&K Field Day 22 — Fort Flagler (Setup & Dinner)

23 —M&K Field Day— 24

(Operations)

29 Public Service: Rotary Auction, Bainbridge Island. Woodward School. Contact: Craig AC7BV CraigH@Blarg.net

Fort Flagler (Ops & Tear-down)

—M&K Field Day— Fort Flagler

02 – JULY –

M&K Board Mtg Salvation Army Bldg Renton, 7:30 pm

05 th

Happy 4 !

06 Public Service: Wallingford Kiddies Parade, Seattle

Contact: Liz N7ZXH hamsignup@seafairparademarshals.org