To submit articles for the Squelch Tail, contact Dale, AEØS at the next club meeting!

The Central Missouri Radio Association is a not-for-profit Mo. Association. Check out our web site:http:// www.qsl.net/cmra If you have ideas for content, see Jim, WYØB.

If you have any changes in your mailing address or E-mail, send it to AEØS at: AEØS@arrl.net

CALENDAR FOR October

Each Monday evening (except the Monday preceding the meeting) join with the members at the club station on Worley.

Each Wednesday is Club Net at 9:00 p.m. If you’re interested or willing to volunteer for Net Control or if you have questions, contact WMØH, Dewey.

Hamfests:

16 October – Southside ARC, Grandview, MO

30 October – Saint Louis ARC (http://www.halloweenhamfest.org)

30 October – SW MO ARC

(http://www.smarc.org)

PLEASE PAY YOUR DUES 

KEEP  THE  REPEATER

RUNNING

If 2004 appears on your address label your dues have been paid for this year. 

To renew your membership for 2004, see the treasurer at the meeting or mail a check for $20.00, ($25.00 per family) to:

CMRA
P.O. BOX 283
COLUMBIA, Mo. 65205                  

Minutes:  September meeting of the Central Missouri Radio Association

Meeting opened at 7pm.

Minutes read and approved.

Treasurer’s report:

Checking $2768.90

Savings      2223.06

Old Bus:

December meeting will be held at

Country Kitchen so make plans now.

BCARES meeting on the 1st Tuesday of the month.

MEPN ready on 145.07

Hamfest report:  WØBUX said it appeared that attendance was down

from last year but have not gotten any figures from NØEG as of yet.

New Bus:

KBØTCR Robert has (had) some batteries that would be good for backup -call him.

WØBUX  talking about Echo link so if you would like please sent comments to him.

WinLink almost on line - for more info on this go to winlink.org.

Meeting adjourned at 7:25

Program was on weather given by Channel 8  weather man Eric Aldrich and a good one it was.  You should have been there.  I think almost everyone is now

looking for snow, YEA.

That's it for now so will be looking for you at the November meeting.

          Dewey  WMØH

Congratulations to Bill, KC0ACS, on his recovery.  Welcome Back, Bill.

From Radcom: Since this is leap year, a UK YL with the help of the local radio club - arranged for a surprise party disguised as a club talk on antennas.  At the party she proposed to her soon-to-be OM.  The meeting was described in the club journal as a talk on “the importance of mutual attraction and physical coupling.”  Later, after the wedding ceremony the bride and groom walked out under an arch of crossed mobile antennas held by fellow operators.

Need for Amateur Radio Back-Up communications:  An article in the newspaper recently reviewed phone systems’ vulnerabilities during the Florida hurricanes in August and September. 

Phone companies used to have “unparalled reliability records” when they had their own copper networks and a system of battery and generator back-ups.  As they move increasingly to fiber networks and dependence on commercial power their vulnerability has increased.

Key elements in the new systems are described as “fiber optics and devices known as ‘digital loop carriers’”.  These devices run on commercial power, backed up by batteries.  When the batteries are drained, phone and internet services go dead, unless a generator is available.  One phone company official was quoted as saying “it would be economically unfeasible to put a generator at all 65,000 of (their digital loop locations).”

Central offices are typically supported by back-up generators and batteries. When gasoline for the generators is gone (refueling pumps also run on commercial power) the batteries can typically keep the central office up for about eight hours.  

The same problem affects cell towers.  Ignoring the question of whether or not there is someone to talk to on the land-line system, if commercial power for the cell system is lost, the batteries and backup generators have gone down in as little as four hours under maximum demand situations - typical of emergency situations.

These situations are why ARES groups are needed in local communities..

However, ham radio operators also run on batteries in their hand-held radios and use batteries and back-up generators for emergency support of ARES call-ups.  However, ARES training suggests keeping reserve battery packs charged up and periodically tested.  Generators are to be kept with several fuel re-fills so they can run at least 24 hours.  Usually, relief supplies of fuel and repairs to the commercial power system within 24 hours will provide power and fuel to essential locations such as command posts or Emergency Operations Centers.

During longer periods of power outage, such as in Florida recently, ARES operations that continue to be needed have been given access to power and/or fuel through local authorities.

Kansas City Emergency Exercise:

On November 6 the Kansas City Metropolitan Area emergency response groups will be holding an exercise that will involve messages sent to other parts of the state, including Columbia.  The outgoing messages will go into the MARS radio system shortly after 8:00 a.m. and will be addressed to the local Red Cross Chapter.  The return messages are to go through the Missouri Emergency Services Net, which will be called up at 11:00 local time on 7263 and moved quickly to 7260 to avoid conflicting with a SATERN net operating on 7260.  One or more of the Columbia MARS and MESN operators will be needed to handle the Red Cross message traffic into and out of the Columbia Chapter.

Ham Radio History:

In the 1930’s and 1940’s, one of the most famous receivers used by commercial stations, the military, and (a few) amateur radio operators was the National HRO receiver in its several versions.  While it was not the only high performance used by the allied forces in WWII, it has a mystique that stays in the memory.  John, N0EG is the only local amateur that I know of who has a working HRO with its coil cabinets to provide band changing, but many amateurs “of a certain age” remember looking at HRO ads in ham magazines with longing and envy.

The name, HRO, comes from the very beginning of the radio’s design.  In  the mid-30’s, National received a government contract to supply a large number of the first HRO – in a very short time.

The company’s code name for the development project was “hell of a rush” – later shortened to “HOR.”  Since that acronym unfortunately sounds like another word with less desirable marketing connotations, the acronoym was changed to “HRO.”  Some have questioned the accuracy of this account, but it was verified, several times by the head of the National Radio Company at that time, James Millen.

(Tnx Radcom’s “Technical Topics,”  June 2004, several web sites.)

WØSMI Link Frequencies:

Columbia 444.425 pl 77

Jefferson City  443.175 pl 77

High Hill  444.025  pl 77

Foristel  444.475  pl 77

St. Louis  443.425  pl 77