(page numbers are as they appear in the printed version)

For the November club meeting we are planning a live demo of the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS). Mike Little (KB2CCD) will explain how the system works and what is needed to receive and display these reports. The demo will show how APRS displays the locations of participating ham stations, and how it can be used to exchange message data. Free software will be distributed to attendees who are interested in using this mode.

Also to be presented is a report on how APRS was demonstrated by the Air Force and the ARRL as a back up method for aircraft to report an emergency and its position when primary systems are not working (Ed - see article elsewhere in this edition).

As always, we invite your ideas for future programs, and if you have something interesting to present, please let us know!

Russell Brown, Program Director

The last club meeting was held on 2 Oct 2002 at the County’s Cooperative Extension Office located next to the Oneida County Airport. Our president, Dave Muscarella (K2YE), conducted the meeting and the minutes were recorded. In brief, the major items of business included a talk by our county’s emergency coordinator, Frank Reynolds (N2FHR). Frank discussed ARES efforts in this county and the Simulated Emergency Test (SET) that occurred on the weekend of 5 & 6 Oct 2002. Thank you Frank for an informative presentation!

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

TREASURER

PROGRAM DIRECTOR *

NEWS LETTER EDITOR *

CLUB EQUIPMENT CUSTODIAN *

REPEATER TRUSTEE *

* Appointed Position

The Madison Oneida ARC VEC conducts examinations on the third Friday of each month at the Madison Oneida BOCES complex on Spring Rd in Verona NY. Contact Bill Mayers (KG2DI) for more information.

All Frequencies are in MHz and Times are Local (Eastern)

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) jointly held two Precision Emergency Automated Position Reporting System (PEAPRS) flight test during the week of June 3-8, 2002 as part of Team Patriot. The test involved an Air Force Aero Club aircraft with a simulated emergency flying over upstate New York. The purpose of the test was to demonstrate that the Automated Position Reporting System (APRS) or an APRS like system could be used to supplement the current communications that an aircraft, either commercial or private, has to convey that an emergency is in progress. APRS is a form of Packet radio, where packets of digital information are sent via HF, VHF or UHF radio across the country and around the world using digital repeaters (digipeaters). The packets in APRS contain position data, weather data and sometimes a text message.

The emergency simulated could have been a simple mechanical or electrical one that would have had the pilot making an emergency landing, a catastrophic disaster, or a terrorist hijacking. In any of these cases, the primary communications, generally VHF or UHF airband radios and IFF transponders, could be intentionally or unintentionally inoperative. PEAPRS is a low cost supplement to these standard means of communications. The PEAPRS emergency beacon could be triggered by the pilot or someone else on board pushing a button or by having a sensor indicate that the emergency is in progress and automatically engaging the PEAPRS equipment.

The flight paths for both flights had the aircraft simulating the emergency as it flew south between 3000 and 8000 ft from the Watertown, NY area towards Oneida, NY. The PEAPRS system was operated under Amateur Radio Station Call Sign WA2ZXS. An APRS emergency beacon was transmitted with the text stating "Test Emergency Test".

Reports from over 200 Amateur Radio Operators from across the country and from around the world were received via telephone, APRS message, and e-mail. Hams copied the emergency beacon via APRS packets received directly from the aircraft, digipeated by local repeaters, or relayed via the Internet through the many Igates located across North America and on the Internet using one of many APRS sites such as www.findu.com.

For both flights, the first reports came in within one minute of the transmission of the first emergency beacon. Amateurs from the US, Canada, Spain and Greece sent in signal and position reports. The data is being analyzed and a detailed report will be published.

The National Traffic System consists of four levels of net: Local (i.e. OCTEN), State/sectional, Regional and Area nets. These nets meet in an orderly time sequence to provide a flow pattern for traffic from origin to destination.

The NTS is there to handle routine traffic as well as all types of emergency traffic when disasters occur such as hurricanes, tornados, ice storms and the like.

OCTEN handles traffic for Oneida and all surrounding counties. It meets daily at 6:30 PM on the 145.450 - rtr (145.170 backup) and daily at 9:30 PM on the 145.170 - rtr (145.450 backup). No PL tones needed.

For more information on OCTEN contact the Net Manager (NM) Jack KA2ZNZ or George W2PII Ass't NM.

Section News

Public Service

Our club has a long history of being a special service club. In the past, we have supported the Honor America Days Parade, the Drums Along the Mohawk, the race in Westmoreland, and the Pumpkin Patrol (just to name a few). The Shriners Circus was held during the first week of October and one Rome Radio Club member (KB2CCD) helped out with communications for it. A big thanks from Pat Daily (N2DKB) for helping.

Up coming Public Service Events in our area are:

EC Corner

If you are not an ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) member, please consider joining. ARES is our front line in any communication emergency. Whether it’s caused by an ice storm or blizzard, a tornado or other natural disaster, a terrorist attack or some other bad event, we can provide a unique and necessary capability to keep information flowing to support the rescue and relief work force. For more information, or to get an application to join, contact Frank Reynolds (N2FHR).

Homeland Security Grant Training Set to Start September 1 (Aug 16, 2002) -- Amateur Radio emergency communications training supported by a $181,900 federal homeland security grant will begin within a few weeks instead of next year as reported initially. The grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) special volunteer program was announced July 18. During its first year, the grant will reimburse the cost of Level I ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course training for up to 1700 volunteers. More details can be found on the ARRL Web page, or contact Frank (N2FHR).

Also, don’t forget to check into both the Oneida/Madison Emergency Net (OMEN) and the Central District Emergency Net. These are good places to practice your emergency skills and to gain new ones that may help save lives in the future.

Random notes about the membership:

• There are about 40 paid-up members in our club. A complete listing is available on request from our Treasurer.
• Most of our members are ARRL members as well. To remain a ARRL affiliated club, at least 51% of our club members must be ARRL members. If you do not belong to the ARRL, consider joining.
• Memberships are due for renewal on January 1^st, 2003. The annual dues are $10.00 for a regular membership. Additional family memberships are $5.00 each. In the past there was a $3.00 surcharge for getting The Gazorche (club newsletter). This cost has been eliminated for those members getting the newsletter delivered via e-mail or downloaded from the web site. More on this subject at the November meeting.

• November 6 - Club meeting
• December 4 - Club meeting
• January 1(?) - Club meeting
• February 5 - Club meeting
• March 5 - Club meeting
• April 2 - Club meeting
• May 7 - Club meeting
• June 4 - Club meeting
• June 28/29 - Field Day
• July 2 - Club meeting
• August 6 - Club meeting
• August 9 - RRC Hamfest - Details to be announced.

Last month I suggested that we change the name of the Newsletter from "The Gazorche", which had not been published for over two years to something else that would help signify a new beginning for the newsletter and the club. I proposed, as one candidate the name "The Copper Wire". Since then, I’ve gotten verbal feedback from a few club members, and at least one non-club member. All the feedback has been positive for a name change, but there has been no consensus on what that name should be. I hope we are able to take 5 minutes (and not much more) of the Nov meeting to discuss this topic. Till then, I will continue to call this paper the "Rome Radio Club Newsletter".

Please continue to give me feedback on the newsletter. Last month’s edition had a number of typos and errors. Most of the errors were corrected on the copy that was posted on the club web page.

This month’s "From Our Past" illustrates how active a club we used to have. Let’s see if we can revive some of the activities that are outlined in the letter to prospective members.

As always, please pass this newsletter on to anyone whom you think can benefit from its content.

73, Mike KB2CCD

Dear Prospective Member:

Thank you for your inquiry about our club. I will try to give you a brief rundown.

Meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM at Strough Jr. High School, Laurel Street, Rome, NY. No meetings during July and August or when meeting night falls on a school holiday. On those Wednesdays when there is no "in person" meeting, on the air meetings (informal) are held on the 146.28/88 repeater at 7:30 PM.

Dues are $10.00 per year, each additional family member or any student is $5.00 per year. Dues of newly joining members are prorated by quarters of the year in the year that they join. Dues are due on January 1, of each year. With an additional $3.00 per year each member can receive the monthly news bulletin, the Gazorche.

The club operates the 146.28/88 open-repeater located northwest of Rome near Point Rock. We also maintain a closed autopatch repeater for members on 147.84/24. It is on Holland Patent telephone line with Rome, Utica, etc., available. Not being located in a very high spot, its coverage is more limited than the 146.28/88 machine.

Public service activities include providing radio coverage on the Honor America Days Parade, the Family Y Triathlon, the American Lung Association Bike Trek, Drums Along the Mohawk Drum and Bugle Pageant, furnishing operators to help at the Empire State Games and the taking part in the annual Emergency Preparedness Drill involving area hospitals and other emergency organizations. In connection with the latter type of service, the club has installed permanent antennas at the area hospitals and Red Cross headquarters to insure good VHF communication.

Every June, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day Events which the club members participate in setting up radio gear to handle messages. This practice could prove a great value should a real emergency arise. This event includes fun times, good food and the meeting of old and new friends.

Club sponsored classes designed to teach the material necessary to pass Federal Communications Commission tests are regularly taught by knowledgeable members and have resulted in many newcomers getting on the air for the first time and have helped many who already held licenses to upgrade to a higher class ticket.

License tests are conducted locally by a volunteer examiner team made up of fully accredited club members under the sponsorship of the ARRL.

We have an auction at a club meeting in the fall where anyone can bring unwanted gear to be sold with the club benefiting by a 10% commission. Two meter hidden transmitter (Bunny) hunts are held in the spring and fall, the winner being the hidden operator at the next hunt.

The annual Harvest Dinner (Covered Dish) in October is always an enjoyable get-together of hams and family members. There is always a program such as travel slides or other interesting presentation.

I hope this letter has answered some of your questions and that you will be able to join us soon. Attached is a membership application for you to join the club.

73, Jack R. Roux, Jr.

Secretary, KB2TXR

Notes: 1 - Auto-Patch; 2 - off the air; 3 - linked to 10m; 4 - linked to 6m; 5 - ARES/RACES repeater (P - primary, S - secondary)

Listing compiled from multiple sources; including KC2HSU, KB4CMF, nf2g.com, KB2CCD - corrections and additions should be directed to the editor