The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
March 2016
MEETING INFO
Meeting was run by President Ed N1KGN
11 members were in attendance. No other information is available at press time.
A Treasurer's report was given by Treasurer Connie KB1UJX.
(Details not discussed in this newsletter).
The Secretary's Report was given by Treasurer Connie KB1UJX
(Details not discussed in this newsletter).
MS Bike-a-thon
GBARC will support the MS Bike-a-thon on June 12. No other information is available at press time.
WINTER FIELD DAY 2016
Our WFD scores were submitted on 2/6/2016 and WFDA has confirmed they have received our log. Additional pictures from Winter Field Day are below. What a blast!
Larry AB1JC and Mike KA1EOU building the beam.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
From left to right: Michelle WA1DDD, Jay W0JAY, Bill N1AKF, Douglas
WA1SFH, Gary WE1M, Ken NE1CU, Marianne AB1RK, Mike N1PLH, Mike's first harmonic Jack, John WE1JR and Kevin N1KGM at Winter Field Day site.
Mounting the beam to the pole on the tower section.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
Larry AB1JC, Dave KA1TLW and Ken NE1CU
Andrew KC1ETJ working hard making Q’s
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
Ken NE1CU working but looking mighty cold!
MA5B against the evening sky.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
KB1LTW’s 2 meter Quad
ERRATA
Andrew KC1ETJ’s call sign was incorrectly listed in last month’s issue.
SRI for this typographical error.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
BALLOON
Larry says that the next balloon to be sent aloft will be sent up this month
(March) sometime. Launch is tentatively set for the Discovery Museum.
Contact AB1JC for details as they were not set at press time.
It was reported at the February GBARC meeting that the Univ. of
Bridgeport is sending up a large payload on a balloon scheduled for launch in September. The launch will take place in Arizona with hopes of reaching 150,000 feet. The Discovery Museum is playing a part in it too with GBARC member Larry AB1JC as chief consultant. Congrats Larry!
More info as it becomes available.
SUMMER FIELD DAY
Summer Field Day package is on the ARRL website. The rules have changed this year, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the changes.
Larry AB1JC has confirmed that he has reserved the Rec. Center.
Summer Field Day is June 25-26.
UPCOMING CONTESTS
 Mar 5-6, ARRL DX Phone Contest
 Mar 26-27, CQ WW WPX SSB
(Mar 25 is Good Friday & Mar 27 is Easter Sunday)
 April 17, ARRL Rookie roundup phone
 May 28-29, CQ WW WPX CW
 June 11-13, VHF Contest
 June25-26, ARRL Field Day
 July 9-10, IARU HF World Championship
 July 16 -17, CQ WW VHF Contest
 Sept 24 -25, CQ WW RTTY DX
 Oct 29-30, CQ WW DX SSB
 Nov 5-7, Sweepstakes CW
 Nov 19-21, Sweepstakes Phone
 Nov 26-27, CQ WW DX CW
 Dec 4 -6, ARRL 160 meter contest
 Dec 12-13, ARRL 10 meter Contest
TECH CLASS & EXTRA QUESTION POOL
Gary WE1M, Larry AB1JC and Ken NE1CU are in the process of setting up a Technician class to be held at the University of Bridgeport. The start date has probably been pushed back until the middle of March or
April. The actual details will be printed when decided. As an FYI, the
Extra class question pool has now been updated. The new Amateur
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
Extra class license examination question pool is effective from July 1,
2016, through June 30, 2020, is now available at the National Conference of Volunteer Coordinators (NCVEC) website.
HAMFESTS
 March 19 -Dayville Fleamarket
 March 20 – Southington Hamfest (Palm Sunday)
 April 16 – Gales Ferry Hamfest
 May 21 – Goshen Hamfest Fleamarket.
 May 20-22 – Dayton Hamvention
 Sept 9-11 - Boxboro Hamfest (note new dates)
Get ready for the 2016 Dayton Hamvention. It’s only a few months away.
SKED
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
GBARC PIZZA PARTY MAY 3
If you like pizza, and who doesn’t, this is a great party to attend. Make your reservations now.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
SOME HELFUL THOUGHTS FOR NEW HAMS
OR How Not to Sound Like a LID
1. Try not to use Q signals on VHF/UHF unless you must
2. Do not use "hi-hi" as a laugh. It was invented for HF CW and should remain there.
3. Do not use alternative vocabulary, for example: "destinated" or
"negatory." This is CB talk and CB talk is not used on ham radio.
4. Never ID by saying your callsign and then “for I.D." This is redundant.
Just give your call sign. That’s sufficient. Repeaters are usually set to
ID every 10 minutes. When you hear the repeater ID, just say your callsign on your next turn.
5. Only use phonetics on FM if you must and use standard phonetics.
6. Be careful you don’t use the wrong terminology.
Example#1: Do not use "modulation" when you mean "deviation" and visa-versa.
Example #2: A two-meter FM amplifier is a Class C type amp, and thus not biased for linear amplification, so don’t call your amp a "linear", call it your amplifier.
7. If someone asks for a break, don’t say "acknowledged" and keep talking. Turn it over right away. Asking for a “break” in ham means emergency. To ask to use the repeater for non-emergency use, wait for a conversation break, then give your callsign and wait for them to turn it over to you. Remember, they have the repeater so you shouldn’t “take it over”. Make your call and that’s it, or join the conversation if they invite you.
8. If anyone is trying to sign out, let them sign out. Don’t ask them any more questions.
9. If you hear someone on the repeater giving directions to a visiting
Amateur, keep out of the conversation. Resist the temptation to add your own spin to the directions.
10. Use the repeater for short times only. If you want to use it longer, pause occasionally for others to be able to break in. Likewise, most repeaters help mobile operators get distance. Give mobile stations priority using repeaters during work day commute times.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
11. Do not use CB radio lingo on ham radio. Phrases like: "Roger on that", "10-4", "I'm on the side", "Your making the trip", “five by five”, and
"Negatory on that" will alienate you from everyone. Hams pride themselves on NOT being CBers. You are a ham operator. Sound like one!
12. Do not use excessive microphone gain. Your gain should be enough to sound clean and clear, like you are sitting next to someone and no more.
13. Do not start every transmission with the word "Roger" or "QSL".
Unnecessary on FM. Do not call CQ on a repeater. It’s a faux pas!
14. When you are listening to a repeater, say you are listening by giving your callsign followed by "listening" or "monitoring". Do it once, do not do it multiple times.
15. If you want to talk to someone, call them using their call sign first and then your callsign. If you hear someone you wish to talk to, do not say you are listening and then hope they will call you.
Call them then start having fun. If you call someone and they don’t answer, there is no need to “clear off”. Just stop calling.
“Clearing off” is CB lingo, not ham radio.
16. Don’t give out signal reports to people you’re talking to on the repeater. Remember you are listening to the output power of the repeater, not their station power.
17. When using a repeater, do not say "over" or “back to you”. Courtesy tones (those beeps the repeater makes when you unkey) are designed to let everyone know when you have unkeyed. “Over” is not necessary. It serves no useful purpose. If the repeater doesn’t have a courtesy tone, wait for the squelch tail when it stops transmitting.
18. Say "My name is ....." Never use "The personal here is ..." or "The handle here is..." This is CB lingo. Only suitcases and software windows have handles.
19. Use "73" and "88" correctly. There is no need to add an "s" by saying 73s or 88s. Both are already plural. A lot of hams say Seven
Three.
20. Do not refer to yourself in the plural sense. When you're in conversation and are alone at your radio, say “I” or “I am”. Saying
"we're" or "we've" makes you sound as if there are multiple people involved or it sounds just plain stupid. Everyone knows you are alone.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
21. Test repeater functions sparingly. No one needs nor wants to hear you playing with repeater functions all day or all night long. To test a repeater function, wait until no one is using the repeater, then give your callsign first, say you are testing and then go ahead. When done, give your callsign and say you are done testing. This is perfectly legal and uses proper etiquette.
22. If you hear someone calling another station and you wish to talk to them, do not call them right after they unkey. This is interrupting their call- and is very rude! Let them call the other station at least twice then wait. After waiting and no one answers, if they don’t call the other station again, then you can call them. How do you properly call someone? Remember your Technician class, give their callsign first then your call sign.
23. After a while you will find you continuously use the same convenient, favorite repeater or repeaters. It is a common ham tradition to contribute money to help support the repeaters you use the most.
Remember repeaters are put up by individuals or clubs for everyone’s convenience and cost a lot to maintain and keep running. The individual or club has foot the entire bill: the cost of equipment, maybe site rental, electric bill, phone bill and spare parts. They also put in plenty of time setting it up, fixing it, and keeping it running smoothly too. If the repeater is owned by an individual, talk to them off the air and ask if you can send them a contribution. Large or small it will be appreciated. If the repeater is owned by a club, then join the club. You don’t have to go to club meetings unless you wish to. Your yearly dues will be combined with other club member’s dues and will go a long way in helping pay the repeater bills and keeping your favorite repeater running. Find you use the GBARC machine? Join GBARC. Find you use the 441.700 machine?
Give a contribution to N1KGM. Use the 146.610 machine as a backup?
Join SCARA.
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The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
GBARC INFO
The Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Inc (GBARC) is a volunteer group of trained communicators dedicated to helping provide vital emergency communications in the greater Bridgeport community.
GBARC, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of Connecticut and has 501(c)(3) status with the United
States Government. All donations to GBARC, Inc. are tax deductible.
President Ed N1KGN
Vice President Kevin N1KGM
Secretary Mariane AB1RK
Treasurer Connie KB1UJX
Region 1 DEMS EMD Robert
Stratford EC Mike KA1EOU
Monroe AEC Rich KB1IWX
Red Cross Liaison Larry W1LAG
Sgt at Arms Ken NE1CU
Bridgeport EMD Scott
CT Region1 SART Sheldon KB1QPT
CT Region 1 EMD Emeritus Rich KC1ASY
Red Cross MDR R1 Steve Webmaster Larry W1LAG
WA1RJI Trustee John WE1JR Newsletter Editor Gary WE1M
Website www.gbarc.net
Facebook www.facebook.com/gbarcbpt
GBARC Repeater WA1RJI/R 146.445 +1MHz offset, PL77
Linked to N1KGN/R 441.700 +offset, PL77
Linked to WK1M/R 145.190 – offset, PL77
Echolink node 441700
Newsline every Monday night 8 pm.
Meetings are the first Tuesday of every month at the
Bridgeport EOC,
581 North Washington Ave.
Bridgeport, CT
The club call sign is WA1RJI.
QSL WA1RJI via WE1JR, WE1M, eQSL or Bureau.
Interested in joining GBARC? Send email to membership@gbarc.net
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