Christmas Party 2012 was extra special. Good food, great company, and an excellent "Year in Review Presentation by our president Patrick were the highlights of the evening.
There was a surprise raffle this year. The prize was a beautiful Christmas quilt, complements of Joan Haynes, and the lucky winner was Gabby Monllor.
Among the guests I counted two little angels, two does with antlers, (all reindeer does have them), and an elf who crashed the party. I think the elf is a friend of Rich Kennedy.
Last but not least, a special thanks to Peggy KK4KYL for helping out with the picture taking.
Click Here For Pictures
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Christmas Wishes 2012
It is time to dust off the wreath and hang it on the blog once more.
Christmas Party
December 18
6:00 PM
at the regular meeting place
bring a desert.
See you there!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Mann Appointed To Water Board
Article by: Tom Palmer, The Ledger
Lakeland Polk City resident George Mann has been named to the Southwest Florida Water Management Districts Governing Board.
Lets all congratulate one of our own on his new position.
Lakeland Polk City resident George Mann has been named to the Southwest Florida Water Management Districts Governing Board.
Man, 62, will succeed Neil Combee, who resigned from the
board in May to run for the Florida Legislature. Combee was elected Tuesday.
Mann is a retired business development manager at Treatt
USA, which processes citrus products.
His appointment is to fill the remainder of Combee’s term,
which will expire March 1. Man is eligible for reappointment.
The seat is one of two on the 13-member board reserved for
Polk County residents. Paul Senft of Haines City, the current chairman, is the
other Polk member.
Mann is currently serving as a board member of Anchor House
Ministry. Previously, he served on the Florida Citrus processors Association
Committee and the Editorial Advisory Board of Citrus & Vegetable magazine.
He is a graduate of Florida Southern College.
Board members, who set policy for the 16-county district,
receive no pay. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida
Senate.
Lets all congratulate one of our own on his new position.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Mike Sinclair from Microsoft Addresses LARC
The club was very fortunate to have Mike Sinclair from
Microsoft speak on his area of expertise, MEMS. MEMS is an acronym that stands
for Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. Anyone who has played with a relay knows
what a macro electromechanical system is. Shrink this functionality down to a
size less than the thickness of a human hair and you are talking MEMS. During
his presentation, Mike showed several fascinating examples of MEMS. The good
news is that they are available on the Internet for you to watch over and over.
You can find them at: http://www.mmnt.net/db/0/0/ftp.research.microsoft.com/Users/sinclair/MEMS/MUMP%20UserGroup
Complementing his work as a research scientist for Microsoft, Mike is an avid
hobbyist, who likes to work hands on. One of his projects, of considerable
interest to some of us, is his work with the Silhouette Cameo, a device used by
scrap bookers and fabric artists. Mike has re purposed this device to create
circuit boards. This is a work in progress, and for those interested, there is a Yahoo Group dedicated to this
topic. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/message/30642
Mike's site:
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/papercutterpcbs/default.aspx
Mike's presentation:
Mike's email address:
Mike's site:
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/papercutterpcbs/default.aspx
We owe a special thanks to Al W4ZSC for arranging to have his old friend and former student join us.
There is more good news to report. Bill Paul KK4LYQ is now General, Kevin Murdoch KF5OIK Extra, and Kelly Reese also Extra. Kelly came within a point or two of scoring 100% on all three tests, which he took at one sitting. Clearly he was prepared. Make sure you congratulate Bill and Bob, new club members, and don't forget to say hello to his wife Virginia KF5ORO.
Last but not least, we need to thank Gary KS4JI for doing such a great job on the programs this year. I think you will agree that he has set a new standard in this regard. It is easy to take for granted the work that goes on behind the scenes. Be sure you let him know that you appreciate his efforts, past and in the year to come.
Last but not least, we need to thank Gary KS4JI for doing such a great job on the programs this year. I think you will agree that he has set a new standard in this regard. It is easy to take for granted the work that goes on behind the scenes. Be sure you let him know that you appreciate his efforts, past and in the year to come.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
October 20-21 Jamboree- On-The Air
Sky Warn Class Lake Alfred
The National Weather Service in Ruskin, and the Lake Alfred Fire and Parks &
Recreation Departments have teamed together to offer a Skywarn Class to the
citizens of Lake Alfred. The class will be held on Thursday, November 8th from
7:00pm until approximately 9:00pm in City Hall. The course will be presented
by Dan Noah, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the NWS.
National Weather Service SKYWARN Severe Weather Spotters help keep people safe
by reporting hazardous weather in their community. Amateur radio operators, emergency
response officials, and the general public are the backbone of this voluntary program. SKYWARN has evolved to include smart phone Apps, pictures, and streaming video. Come to the training to find out how you can help keep your community safe from the ravages of severe weather.
This is a free class that is open to all residents of any age, however, one must be 18 or older
to receive an ID card.
For more information about this event call the
Lake Alfred Fire Department at 863-291-5202
Lake Alfred Fire Department at 863-291-5202
Or visit the Skywarn website at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/skywarn/
to learn more about Operation Skywarn
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
New General And Another Great Program
Christopher Costine, K4CLC, earned his General License this evening.
He is pictured here shaking hands with Patrick KI4CDY, with his son Chris Jr looking on. Ernie KG4YNI is on the right. Thanks to Christopher, the club now has a presence at the South Pole. Also present but not shown were VE's Mike KT2T, George KI4NBE, and Bill KI4ZMV.
Patrick addressed several items of interest before the main speaker. These included the following.
He is pictured here shaking hands with Patrick KI4CDY, with his son Chris Jr looking on. Ernie KG4YNI is on the right. Thanks to Christopher, the club now has a presence at the South Pole. Also present but not shown were VE's Mike KT2T, George KI4NBE, and Bill KI4ZMV.
- A 40 cup coffee pot was purchased for the clubs use during meetings and events.
- The Kathleen Historical Society will hold its annual fall event Nov 3. Club representation this year has not been confirmed. If you would like to man a booth for the club, please contact Rip AA4HT aa4ht@tampabay.rr.com
- The Boy Scouts of America are looking for support for Lake Wales Jamboree. Please contact Charlie, KI4CRI for more information. ki4cri@arrl.net
- MARS is looking for new members. Patrick has more information if you are interested.
- There will be Sky Warn classes held at Lake Alford November 8th from 7 to 9pm.
- The Christmas party will be held Monday, Dec 17. The cost will be same as last year, $9.00 per person, and deserts are welcome. Note, the Christmas party will take the place of the monthly meeting for December.
- We will be collecting food for VISTE at the November meeting. Peanut butter and tuna fish are good suggestions if you wish to participate, and clean plastic bags are always appreciated.
- The board is actively pursuing the interests of the club's younger members and will form a committee seeking their suggestions.
- Roger and Ren reported on the need for candidates for one or possibly two positions on the board. If you are interested in serving on the board, contact either Roger or Ren.
- The speaker at next month’s meeting will be Mike Sinclair from Microsoft. More on this to follow.
- Tom Evans took names for a course on digital electronics that he plans to teach to club members next year. If you are interested, but were not present, you can contact Tom on Yahoo Groups.
At the end of his presentation, several interested hams gathered round to see what fifty pounds of gear looks like.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Picnic On The 29th, 2012!
We will be monitoring our repeater for assistance.
For More Information please contact Patrick at ki4cdy@arrl.net
*burger appearance may vary. Offer not good where prohibited by diet. Always contact your doctor before engaging in any serious eating event. If you experience drowsiness lasting for more than four hours you should seek professional help.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Labor Day Meeting, A Labor Of Love
Radio interference is a very sensitive issue for anyone having to deal with it. When the club got an email from Cecil Erdly asking for help with a radio interference problem, Ernie KG4YNI was first to respond. He offered several suggestions, and by the time Bill KI4ZMV contacted him, Cecil he had the problem narrowed down to one specific street lamp, and even supplied the light’s pole number.
Fortunately for hams, and non-hams alike, we have Mark KJ4IRD. Mark works for the Lakeland Electric Company. One of his responsibilities is tracking down and remediating electrical interference that may be related to the power company. From the information I relayed to him by phone, he was able to dispatch a crew to the area and replace the offending lamp in a matter of hours. Great work Mark! Problem solved.
I was very curious why Cecil would contact the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club for help with radio interference. Cecil was kind enough to come to our meeting and share his story with us. He explained that when he was a youngster, he made the acquaintance of an older gentleman on his paper route. This man happened to be a ham radio operator, and like most hams, was happy to take the time to explain what the hobby is all about. Cecil was impressed with the fact that this man was knowledgeable enough to build his own radios. This must have made quite an impression on Cecil, because fifty years later, when he asked himself who would know about radio interference, ham radio operators came to mind first. For a Radio Club whose mission is Service, Education, and Comradary, I can’t think of a better complement.
Chet’s presentation was not only historical. It also covered the utility as well as the math associated with decibels. Some knowledge of logarithms is required to fully understand the concept and Chet was kind enough to review those dreaded logarithms we had to deal with in high school. These days we find logs on calculators, but back then, the closest thing to a calculator was a slide rule.
During his presentation Chet made clear the importance of logarithms when it comes to representing large numbers. It is a lot easier to represent something as 26, than as the number 1 with 26 zeros after it. In addition to their ability to represent large numbers, logarithms are particularly useful for representing the intensity of sounds and brightness of light. The human ear and eye respond logarithmically. That is, the log of the intensity of sounds and brightness of levels of light appear to us more evenly spaced. It is the way we are built. Our sensors are not linear.
Keep in mind that decibels are logs of power ratios, or Power out divided by power in. Chet made clear that 3 db, or 0.3 bells represents a doubling or halving of power or intensity. Photo buffs, familiar with adjustable f-stops and shutter speeds deal with this all the time. It turns out that f-stops represent log intensity changes of 0.3. If you halve the exposure time, you must open the lens one stop to maintain the same exposure. If you double the exposure time, you must close the lens down one stop.
One might be tempted to suggest that S-units are in increments of 3 decibels also, but we would be wrong if we did. In terms of power, each S-unit represents a 6 db, not 3db power change. (There are reasons for this. It is on the extra exam.)
Chet’s presentation contained many excellent visuals. One in particular was a chart depicting the relationship between frequency and reactance. Though mostly obsolete, now that we have calculators and spreadsheets, it is still helpful for getting a ballpark idea of the levels of capacitance and inductance needed to achieve resonance at a given frequency. Get your copy here.
Here is Chet, delivering his presentation to a captivated audience, which included three teen hams who now have an even better understanding of why we need to study all that math in school. It is so we can become better ham radio operators! :-)
Fortunately for hams, and non-hams alike, we have Mark KJ4IRD. Mark works for the Lakeland Electric Company. One of his responsibilities is tracking down and remediating electrical interference that may be related to the power company. From the information I relayed to him by phone, he was able to dispatch a crew to the area and replace the offending lamp in a matter of hours. Great work Mark! Problem solved.
I was very curious why Cecil would contact the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club for help with radio interference. Cecil was kind enough to come to our meeting and share his story with us. He explained that when he was a youngster, he made the acquaintance of an older gentleman on his paper route. This man happened to be a ham radio operator, and like most hams, was happy to take the time to explain what the hobby is all about. Cecil was impressed with the fact that this man was knowledgeable enough to build his own radios. This must have made quite an impression on Cecil, because fifty years later, when he asked himself who would know about radio interference, ham radio operators came to mind first. For a Radio Club whose mission is Service, Education, and Comradary, I can’t think of a better complement.
Cecil is pictured here with an image of the radio he used to listen to as a child. Cecil, you are welcome to drop by any time.
The main speaker for this evening was Chet AB4XK, who delivered his well-polished presentation on decibels. He included many historical facts, and some humorous bending of others. Did young Alexander’s dad really call him young Aleck as a toddler and later smart Aleck as a teen? :-)
During his presentation Chet made clear the importance of logarithms when it comes to representing large numbers. It is a lot easier to represent something as 26, than as the number 1 with 26 zeros after it. In addition to their ability to represent large numbers, logarithms are particularly useful for representing the intensity of sounds and brightness of light. The human ear and eye respond logarithmically. That is, the log of the intensity of sounds and brightness of levels of light appear to us more evenly spaced. It is the way we are built. Our sensors are not linear.
Keep in mind that decibels are logs of power ratios, or Power out divided by power in. Chet made clear that 3 db, or 0.3 bells represents a doubling or halving of power or intensity. Photo buffs, familiar with adjustable f-stops and shutter speeds deal with this all the time. It turns out that f-stops represent log intensity changes of 0.3. If you halve the exposure time, you must open the lens one stop to maintain the same exposure. If you double the exposure time, you must close the lens down one stop.
One might be tempted to suggest that S-units are in increments of 3 decibels also, but we would be wrong if we did. In terms of power, each S-unit represents a 6 db, not 3db power change. (There are reasons for this. It is on the extra exam.)
Chet’s presentation contained many excellent visuals. One in particular was a chart depicting the relationship between frequency and reactance. Though mostly obsolete, now that we have calculators and spreadsheets, it is still helpful for getting a ballpark idea of the levels of capacitance and inductance needed to achieve resonance at a given frequency. Get your copy here.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
New Tech
Congratulations go out to Darren Matteson on passing the Technician's test, and with nearly a perfect score!
Darren is on his way to Colorado, and we wanted to make him comfortable before his arrival, so we placed him there in the photo. That cool dry crisp air will be a welcome change from the high temps and humidity of Florida.
Darren is on his way to Colorado, and we wanted to make him comfortable before his arrival, so we placed him there in the photo. That cool dry crisp air will be a welcome change from the high temps and humidity of Florida.
Left to right, club president Patrick KI4CDY, Darren Matteson, and former club president Ernie KG4YNI. Also present, but not shown was VE Bill KI4ZMV.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Peggy Lang Passes Her Tech
After joining us for field day with her close friend Rich N4ESS, Peggy thought to herself, “this looks like fun. I’ll bet I can do this.” After studying for the test, and getting a good deal of help from friend and Elmer Rich, she proved she could. In fact, she did very well on the test. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Peggy and Rich in the near future when she takes her General.
Left to right Club President Patrick KI4CDY, Al W4ZSC, Peggy Lang, Rich N4ESS, and Bert KG2G. Also present for the testing but not shown were VEs Bill KI4ZMV, Mike KT2T, and George KI4NBE.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Extra Today, Boot Camp Tomorrow
Natalie KK4KEG has been working hard. During our field day session she passed her Tech. Then, before our last club meeting she walked away with her General. Saturday, in a special VE session, she passed her Extra!
You might say that Natasha is a girl on a mission. She left for Fort Jackson SC Sunday. After boot camp she will go to school to learn Mandarin. Natasha is already somewhat of a polyglot having mastered both Russian and French, in addition to her native English. I am sure the military intends to make good use of her linguistic talent in the not to distant future. We wish her well.
Left to right: Patrick KI4CDY club president, Natasha KK4KEG, and Ernie KG4YNI, former club president. Also present, VE Bill KI4ZMV.
Oh, and the machine shop? This is where Ernie turns out parts, and occasionally, when needed, hams. J
Saturday, July 28, 2012
WB8VLR Is Now An SK
RUTH HODAPP
RUTH
HODAPP, 66
Parole Officer
LAKELAND - Ruth Hodapp, 66, died July 24, 2012 of multiple sclerosis.
She was born in Red Wing, Minnesota. She worked for Polk County Government as a parole officer.
She is survived by her husband, Herman Hodapp, a son, Herman Hodapp, Jr., her mother, Betty Sutton, grandson, Michael "Dent" Hodapp and step-sister, Virginia Sutton.
A service will be held Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 10:00 am at St. Josephs Church.
Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.heathfuneralchapel.com/.
Ruth was a former club member WB8VLR.
RUTH Parole Officer
LAKELAND - Ruth Hodapp, 66, died July 24, 2012 of multiple sclerosis.
She was born in Red Wing, Minnesota. She worked for Polk County Government as a parole officer.
She is survived by her husband, Herman Hodapp, a son, Herman Hodapp, Jr., her mother, Betty Sutton, grandson, Michael "Dent" Hodapp and step-sister, Virginia Sutton.
A service will be held Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 10:00 am at St. Josephs Church.
Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.heathfuneralchapel.com/.
Ruth was a former club member WB8VLR.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Field Day Wrap Up from Fred K1DU
Field Day 2012
I just want to take a moment and thank every one for their efforts this field day. I could not believe the amount of people that took part in the event. As I had mentioned at the club meeting field day started as a way to bring out your radios and antennas and test them in the field in case of emergency, and as the ARRL says it is the biggest operating event of the year. Yes it is a contest, but a friendly one to test your skills in setting up your equipment and operating and the points they are a measurement of how well the club did in those category’s. I dare anyone to tell me when Dec. QST arrives with the field day results that you don’t go with club pride to see how well we did, nothing wrong with that, that’s part of field day. You know, its not the only part of field though, its getting together and learning new things,its teaching new hams the hobby, its having young hams make their first contact, its about testing new hams so they can join our ranks, its about learning new modes of operating, its about making new friends, its about getting reacquainted with older friends, its about letting other people and agency’s know who we are and what we are about, its about sitting down and having real fine meal together and last but not least its about getting to know each other a little better which makes our club a nice to be. YES YOU DID ALL OF THE ABOVE! And you should be real proud of it ! I know I am !
Good Job Everyone !!!
Contacts and Points:
Our best year was in 2010 with 649 contacts and 3,268 points and this year we just blew that away. With 1,137 contacts and 4,394 points and that was despite tropical storm Debbie ! Which shows we can function in adverse conditions.
Special Thanks:
Bill Busbin KF4Q for bringing out his trailer and beam and taking it down in the rain and for also helping Ansel make his first hf contact. that was amateur radio at its best!
Rip AA4HT for sending out all those messages on cw for extra points.
George Mann KJ4UW for doing all the public relations and invitations to officials and there were many.
Tom Evans KJ4WFS and Mike Oliver KT2T Tom for setting up a nice looking and running station and contest operating skills as well as Mike and his operating skills. For showing everyone how its done. 600 contacts! WOW! also for helping a lot of new hams make their first contact.
Gary Lee KS4JI for his fine demonstration of PSK-31 .I would like to run that station next year.
Robin Retzloff AF1RE for his fine demonstration of satellites and I hope he will try again next year.
George Gafford KI4NBE for the fine Job he did on the 40 meter phone station.
Rip AA4HT and Bob Foxworth K2EUH for putting in extra long hours on the cw station because we were short handed.
Patrick O Neil KI4CDY a special thanks for heading up the food this year the meals were real good and to Ren Monllor KG4BAS for helping him.
I wish to thank everyone that helped set up and tear down and brought batteries , coax or rope the outpouring of help was enormous, truly a fine club effort and it made my job easy. As I mentioned, you should all be real proud of yourselves!!!
73,
Fred K1DU
I just want to take a moment and thank every one for their efforts this field day. I could not believe the amount of people that took part in the event. As I had mentioned at the club meeting field day started as a way to bring out your radios and antennas and test them in the field in case of emergency, and as the ARRL says it is the biggest operating event of the year. Yes it is a contest, but a friendly one to test your skills in setting up your equipment and operating and the points they are a measurement of how well the club did in those category’s. I dare anyone to tell me when Dec. QST arrives with the field day results that you don’t go with club pride to see how well we did, nothing wrong with that, that’s part of field day. You know, its not the only part of field though, its getting together and learning new things,its teaching new hams the hobby, its having young hams make their first contact, its about testing new hams so they can join our ranks, its about learning new modes of operating, its about making new friends, its about getting reacquainted with older friends, its about letting other people and agency’s know who we are and what we are about, its about sitting down and having real fine meal together and last but not least its about getting to know each other a little better which makes our club a nice to be. YES YOU DID ALL OF THE ABOVE! And you should be real proud of it ! I know I am !
Good Job Everyone !!!
Contacts and Points:
Our best year was in 2010 with 649 contacts and 3,268 points and this year we just blew that away. With 1,137 contacts and 4,394 points and that was despite tropical storm Debbie ! Which shows we can function in adverse conditions.
Special Thanks:
Bill Busbin KF4Q for bringing out his trailer and beam and taking it down in the rain and for also helping Ansel make his first hf contact. that was amateur radio at its best!
Rip AA4HT for sending out all those messages on cw for extra points.
George Mann KJ4UW for doing all the public relations and invitations to officials and there were many.
Tom Evans KJ4WFS and Mike Oliver KT2T Tom for setting up a nice looking and running station and contest operating skills as well as Mike and his operating skills. For showing everyone how its done. 600 contacts! WOW! also for helping a lot of new hams make their first contact.
Gary Lee KS4JI for his fine demonstration of PSK-31 .I would like to run that station next year.
Robin Retzloff AF1RE for his fine demonstration of satellites and I hope he will try again next year.
George Gafford KI4NBE for the fine Job he did on the 40 meter phone station.
Rip AA4HT and Bob Foxworth K2EUH for putting in extra long hours on the cw station because we were short handed.
Patrick O Neil KI4CDY a special thanks for heading up the food this year the meals were real good and to Ren Monllor KG4BAS for helping him.
I wish to thank everyone that helped set up and tear down and brought batteries , coax or rope the outpouring of help was enormous, truly a fine club effort and it made my job easy. As I mentioned, you should all be real proud of yourselves!!!
73,
Fred K1DU
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Don Does Etchings
What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by getting that Amateur Radio license. It is the only passport you will need to travel to any country over the airwaves.
First the new Techs.
Left to right, club president Patrick, new Tech Andrew Stevens, Former club president Ernie, and new Tech Darrin Heard
Next we have three new Generals.
Once again left to right, Patrick congratulates Mike Martin KK4JTB and Ernie congratulates Dr. Ron Case. Ron passed both the Tech and General in one sitting. Great job! Not pictured, Natalia KK4KEG, also passed her General. In Natalia's case you might say that makes two Generals in the same family. :-)
After a few timely comments from Patrick, Gary took the floor, as is our custom, with some interesting facts about amateur radio, and a few test questions from one of the Amateur Radio exams.
Seen here, Gary counts off some of the many famous people whose lives were changed by becoming Hams.
Next, Fred shared some field day numbers with those present. We did good! Much better than last year, in no small part due to many helping hams supplying equipment as well as expertise. Look for Fred to give a full report in an upcoming blog.
Finally,
the main event of the evening,
Don Jeering's presentation on “Making Your Own Circuit boards."
Don started with a brief introduction to the process, and gave some suggestions on producing the art work for the circuit board you want to produce. The success of this process is very dependent on your choice of paper.
Before we go any further you should be aware that the artwork has to be reversed, or flopped, as a printer might say. Also, this process works only with toner type printers. It will not work with ink jet printers. Lastly, it is absolutely important that the blank copper clad board be clean. This is accomplished by scrubbing a blank board with an SOS pad.
After printing the artwork with a laser printer it is cut to the size of the board you will use.
Don is shown here cutting the image of the circuit to the size of the circuit board he will make.
Next, the photo copy must be transferred to the board. This is done through the application of heat.
Here Don demonstrates how to “iron and press” the photo copy in order to transfer the laser printers toner to the board.
After ironing and pressing Don soaked the board in plain water to soften the paper. Then, very carefully he pealed the paper away, leaving only the toner image on the board. Because the original was wrong reading or flopped, the image transferred to the board is now right reading.
The next step is etching. Before we can etch we have to mix two chemicals that will become our enchant. The first is ordinary Hydrogen peroxide, the second is hydrochloric acid. Both are readily available. You can find the acid in pool supplies, and the peroxide in the pharmacy section. Always add acid to water, never the other way round. Also, wear eye protection, work in a well ventilated area, and wear gloves. Safety first. OK, with all that in mind you will want to mix the peroxide and acid in the ratio of two parts peroxide to one part acid.
With chemicals mixed we are ready to etch the board. All the copper not covered by the toner image will be dissolved away, leaving a board ready for drilling and mounting parts.
Here Don shows his etchings to some onlookers.
Finally, here is everything you need to make your own circuit boards, with the possible exception of a very tolerant wife.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
A Very Special Field Day
Although the weather forecast suggested otherwise, Field Day 2012 was an unqualified success in just about every measurable way. The Lakeland Amateur radio club is all about Service, Knowledge, and Comradery, and all three were present on this occasion. Field day is all about being prepared in case of an emergency in order to serve as communication support where needed, regardless of the weather. There was training on PSK-31, a relatively new form of digital communication. Finally, judging from the turnout in the face of a grim weather forecast, it is obvious that a little rain can’t dampen this clubs spirit of comradery.
As in years past, both the Lakeland Police Department as well as the Polk Sheriff’s Department were represented. Bill LePere, the new City of Lakeland Communications Director was present. Also representing LPD was Officer Farley. The Polk County Sheriff was represented by Captain Andy Ray. Outgoing County Commissioner Sam Johnson came by, as well as candidate for County Commissioner Richard Castret.
This year was a first in many ways. One of those was our providing testing during Field Day. I am happy to report that four of the four candidates passed their exams. The Amateur Radio community now has two more Extras and two more Techs. Congratulations to all of you.
One of our graduates is from Jersey; not the New but the Old, so we picked a British theme for this months graduates. Pictured from left to right are Natalia Globa (new Tech), VE George KI4NBE, Fay Barber (new Tech and also from Jersey), Patrick KI4CDY (club president), and Bill LB3CCJ (new Extra). Also present but not pictured were VE and former club president Ernie KG4YNI, VE Bill KI4ZMV, and John KK4EBR (new Extra).
And last but not least, here are the pictures of you and your fellow hams at Field Day 2012. I did my best to include everyone at least once in the ninety plus images. If I missed you, I apologize.
The Lakeland Amateur Radio Club will have Field Day at Hunt Fountain Park, 2020 Duff Road, Lakeland, Florida.
http://www.polk-county.net/subpage.aspx?id=1964&menu_id=52&nav=res
Setup will begin at daybreak! We will be operating from 2pm, Saturday, June 23rd to approximately 2pm, Sunday, June 24th, 2012.
There will be food, and your family is invited. Please let us know how many members of your family will join us for Saturday's picnic at 6:00 PM, and Sunday breakfast at 9:00 AM. so that we have sufficient food on hand, but avoid waste. Email me with the number for each meal at: ki4cdy@arrl.net
Our Club will supply the hamburgers and hot dogs for this event along with the buns and condiments. All we ask is that each family bring a covered dish to share with everyone and drinks for there family. Baked beans will be provided this year.
Fred Delaney, K1DU, is our Field Day Leader and is responsible for the event. If you have not scheduled radio time during the event, or would like to help with this event in another capacity, please contact Fred at k1du@aol.com or call him at (863) 816-0507. Fred can still use some help on the "graveyard" shift and on Sunday morning. We will start to gather at the site at day break on Saturday to assemble the antenna system. Please let Fred know if you can join us.
There will be special events this year that won't want to miss. At 2:30pm on Saturday, we plan to have demonstrations on PSK31, satellite communications, and a natural power demonstration. This year we will be operating a station with PSK31.
There will be a raffle this year. Raffle tickets will only be available at Field Day and are one dollar a ticket. The drawings will begin around 7:30pm.
Also, if anyone would like to take an exam, please let us know, we need to coordinate VE availability. This will be our last chance to give the expiring Extra exam.
See you there,
Patrick O'Neil
KI4CDY
Images From Field Day
More Images From Field Day
Even More Images From Field Day
As in years past, both the Lakeland Police Department as well as the Polk Sheriff’s Department were represented. Bill LePere, the new City of Lakeland Communications Director was present. Also representing LPD was Officer Farley. The Polk County Sheriff was represented by Captain Andy Ray. Outgoing County Commissioner Sam Johnson came by, as well as candidate for County Commissioner Richard Castret.
This year was a first in many ways. One of those was our providing testing during Field Day. I am happy to report that four of the four candidates passed their exams. The Amateur Radio community now has two more Extras and two more Techs. Congratulations to all of you.
One of our graduates is from Jersey; not the New but the Old, so we picked a British theme for this months graduates. Pictured from left to right are Natalia Globa (new Tech), VE George KI4NBE, Fay Barber (new Tech and also from Jersey), Patrick KI4CDY (club president), and Bill LB3CCJ (new Extra). Also present but not pictured were VE and former club president Ernie KG4YNI, VE Bill KI4ZMV, and John KK4EBR (new Extra).
And last but not least, here are the pictures of you and your fellow hams at Field Day 2012. I did my best to include everyone at least once in the ninety plus images. If I missed you, I apologize.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Field Day
The Lakeland Amateur Radio Club will have Field Day at Hunt Fountain Park, 2020 Duff Road, Lakeland, Florida.
http://www.polk-county.net/subpage.aspx?id=1964&menu_id=52&nav=res
Setup will begin at daybreak! We will be operating from 2pm, Saturday, June 23rd to approximately 2pm, Sunday, June 24th, 2012.
There will be food, and your family is invited. Please let us know how many members of your family will join us for Saturday's picnic at 6:00 PM, and Sunday breakfast at 9:00 AM. so that we have sufficient food on hand, but avoid waste. Email me with the number for each meal at: ki4cdy@arrl.net
Our Club will supply the hamburgers and hot dogs for this event along with the buns and condiments. All we ask is that each family bring a covered dish to share with everyone and drinks for there family. Baked beans will be provided this year.
Fred Delaney, K1DU, is our Field Day Leader and is responsible for the event. If you have not scheduled radio time during the event, or would like to help with this event in another capacity, please contact Fred at k1du@aol.com or call him at (863) 816-0507. Fred can still use some help on the "graveyard" shift and on Sunday morning. We will start to gather at the site at day break on Saturday to assemble the antenna system. Please let Fred know if you can join us.
There will be special events this year that won't want to miss. At 2:30pm on Saturday, we plan to have demonstrations on PSK31, satellite communications, and a natural power demonstration. This year we will be operating a station with PSK31.
There will be a raffle this year. Raffle tickets will only be available at Field Day and are one dollar a ticket. The drawings will begin around 7:30pm.
Also, if anyone would like to take an exam, please let us know, we need to coordinate VE availability. This will be our last chance to give the expiring Extra exam.
See you there,
Patrick O'Neil
KI4CDY
Images From Field Day
More Images From Field Day
Even More Images From Field Day
AGNES DOROTHEA SIEGEL
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LAKELAND - Agnes Dorothea Siegel, 101, died June 6, 2012 at her home due to natural causes. She was born April 30, 1911 in Belleville, New Jersey.
Mrs. Siegel graduated from the American Institute of Banking and Insurance of Chicago in 1931. She later became a nurse and had a second career in the medical field. After retirement, Mrs. Siegel moved Margate, Florida and then to Lakeland in 1995 where she attended Compass Point Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Herman Siegel. Mrs. Siegel is survived by her son, Robert Siegel (Diane) of Lakeland, sister Eleanor Orson of Clifton, N.J. and brother Lawrence Lukowiak of Mt. Pocono, Pa. Also surviving are 6 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 15 at 11 A.M. in the chapel of Lakeland Funeral Home.
SIEGEL, 101
LAKELAND - Agnes Dorothea Siegel, 101, died June 6, 2012 at her home due to natural causes. She was born April 30, 1911 in Belleville, New Jersey.
Mrs. Siegel graduated from the American Institute of Banking and Insurance of Chicago in 1931. She later became a nurse and had a second career in the medical field. After retirement, Mrs. Siegel moved Margate, Florida and then to Lakeland in 1995 where she attended Compass Point Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Herman Siegel. Mrs. Siegel is survived by her son, Robert Siegel (Diane) of Lakeland, sister Eleanor Orson of Clifton, N.J. and brother Lawrence Lukowiak of Mt. Pocono, Pa. Also surviving are 6 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 15 at 11 A.M. in the chapel of Lakeland Funeral Home.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
A New Extra And Two New Techs
It is nice to get away from the heat once in a while. Patrick thought a trip to the mountains might be nice, especially for those who have never experienced snow.
Mike Martin and Joe Alderman passed the tech exam. Great job guys. We encourage to go for that General and Extra next. In the mean time, we hope to see you at the club meetings. Seen here, Al W4ZSC is congratulating Mike, while Patrick KI4CDY does the same for Joe.
Finally, congratulations to Dave KI4WRX on his upgrade to Extra. Great job Dave. You did good! Dave center, is recounting his harrowing experiences on the slopes earlier in the day to Mike and Joe.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A Perfect Score!
Congratulations to Ronald Smith on passing his Tech Exam. Not only did he pass, he got a perfect score! A testament to his good study skills. Welcome to the fold Ron!
Ron is flanked by our own two world travelers, Patrick KI4CDY to the left and George KI4NBE to the right. Also in attendance, but not shown, were Mike KT2T and Bill KI4ZMV. Sorry about that camel. He seems to have wondered by during the shoot. There always seems to be someone trying to ham it up. :-)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Hurricane Awareness Tour
Please note, this event will be on the Sun and Fun side of the airport. Start at the Sun and Fun Museum and follow the signs. Click here for Google Map
For more information you may email: jennifer.colson@noaa.gov
For more information you may email: jennifer.colson@noaa.gov
Saturday, April 28, 2012
March For Babies
Patrick KI4CDY was net control for this event.
With the help of the club repeater he
maintained constant contact with all the dedicated hams
giving their all for a good cause.
Marven KI4CDZ kept a careful eye on the stores by his
station. One package of cookies per person!
Don KI4EFL does his best to control the walkers.
It can get dicey at events like this.
You have to watch your back, and be ready
for the unexpected.
Finally, at mission end, it is time to debrief.
Actually, we all got t-shirts to mark the occasion.
Left to right, Marvin KI4CDZ, Tom KJ4WFS,
Larry KI4DNO, Trudy KI4OFV , and Mike KT2T.
Also present but not shown was Bill KI4ZMV.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Pat KJ4AFB Is Now General Pat
Congratulations to Pat KJ4AFB for passing her General exam earlier this week. She has the distinction of being the only General XYL in the club. Good going Pat!
Sam Gardner N4MCW Passes
LAKELAND - Samuel A. Gardner passed away on April, 17, 2012 at the age of 92 in his home from natural causes related to age.
Sam was born on July 4, 1919 in Brooklyn NY. After working as a chemical engineer for Shell Oil for a number of years. Sam came to Lakeland in 1972 with Davy Power Gas and was in charge of many projects globally for the company until his retirement.
Sam was a veteran and served both in the US and overseas as a Major in the Marine Corps during WWII. Sam had a very inquisitive nature and as such had a wonderfully diverse life. Sam was an avid reader, handball player, runner and swimmer. Sam was also over the years a member of the computer club and Ham radio club in Lakeland. Sam was also a charter member of the Imperial Polk County Obedience Club (IPOC) and was a nationally certified and recognized dog judge for a number of breeds as well as obedience and tracking. Sam also had the singular experience of being on a plane that was hijacked to Cuba in 1969.
Sam was preceded in death by his wife Margaret Gardner (2003) who was by his side for over 50 years. Sam will be missed by the many friends whose lives he touched over the years with his unique personality, and also by his Golden Retriever companion CJ.
Sam was born on July 4, 1919 in Brooklyn NY. After working as a chemical engineer for Shell Oil for a number of years. Sam came to Lakeland in 1972 with Davy Power Gas and was in charge of many projects globally for the company until his retirement.
Sam was a veteran and served both in the US and overseas as a Major in the Marine Corps during WWII. Sam had a very inquisitive nature and as such had a wonderfully diverse life. Sam was an avid reader, handball player, runner and swimmer. Sam was also over the years a member of the computer club and Ham radio club in Lakeland. Sam was also a charter member of the Imperial Polk County Obedience Club (IPOC) and was a nationally certified and recognized dog judge for a number of breeds as well as obedience and tracking. Sam also had the singular experience of being on a plane that was hijacked to Cuba in 1969.
Sam was preceded in death by his wife Margaret Gardner (2003) who was by his side for over 50 years. Sam will be missed by the many friends whose lives he touched over the years with his unique personality, and also by his Golden Retriever companion CJ.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Making Tech - Like A Walk In The Park
Preparation is everything. When you study hard, taking the test is like a walk in the park.
In this case, Central Park!
Left to right, Club President Patrick KI4CDY, Laura NO4OO, our new Tech Arthur Jaccobowitz, and George KI4NBE. Also present but not shown were Bill KI4ZMV and Mike KT2T.
In this case, Central Park!
Left to right, Club President Patrick KI4CDY, Laura NO4OO, our new Tech Arthur Jaccobowitz, and George KI4NBE. Also present but not shown were Bill KI4ZMV and Mike KT2T.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
March For Babies
A Message From The President
On Saturday, April 28th, 2012, the local chapter of the March of Dimes will have there annual fundraiser called the March for Babies. The walkers get donations for there six mile walk around Lake Hollingsworth and Lake Morton.
Our Club always supports this event and this year is no different.
Please contact me via e-mail ki4cdy@arrl.net if you can help support this event. We will meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive at 7:30am. Assignments (locations to monitor) will be given out at that time. The walk starts at 8:00am. We are usually finished by 11:30am. We will be utilizing the Lakeland repeater for this event, so bring your HT.
This is one of our main support events for the year. I know in the past that I have enjoyed this event very much.
Thanks for your support,
On Saturday, April 28th, 2012, the local chapter of the March of Dimes will have there annual fundraiser called the March for Babies. The walkers get donations for there six mile walk around Lake Hollingsworth and Lake Morton.
Our Club always supports this event and this year is no different.
Please contact me via e-mail ki4cdy@arrl.net if you can help support this event. We will meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive at 7:30am. Assignments (locations to monitor) will be given out at that time. The walk starts at 8:00am. We are usually finished by 11:30am. We will be utilizing the Lakeland repeater for this event, so bring your HT.
This is one of our main support events for the year. I know in the past that I have enjoyed this event very much.
Thanks for your support,
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
April's Meeting -- Extra Special
April's meeting had much to offer. First, Bert KG2G, key collector extraordinaire and avid CW enthusiast, showed off some of his more interesting keys, while educating us on the history of the first digital mode.
Bert is the kind of guy who always has time to help a fellow ham, whether it is solving a difficult electronic problem, or encouraging him or her to learn more about the hobby.
Bert is the kind of guy who always has time to help a fellow ham, whether it is solving a difficult electronic problem, or encouraging him or her to learn more about the hobby.
Before the meeting got underway, we held a testing session. The result, three new Generals and two new Extras!
Left to right in the back row we have Donald KK4HKQ and Patrick KI4CDY. Seated in the front row are Kevin Logue who passed both the Tech and General this evening, and James Johnson KK4FEK who passed his general with a perfect score!
And next the Extras!
Congratulations Gene, KC0YIM. You did extraordinarily well. Not too many get a perfect score on the extra exam. Enjoy your stay in the sunny South before returning to Kansas.
And, with a nearly perfect score, congratulations are in order for Al W4ZSC who also upgraded from Advanced to Extra.
And if that wasn't enough, we all got to view the video "The Last Big Field Day."
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