Dixie Amateur Radio Club
E‑Newsletter

In This Issue:

Please help support the club!

Dues for 2006 are now being solicited. Dues are $15.00 per member ($20.00 per family for multiple ham families). Check the Club's membership ROSTER to see that you are shown as current. We will even accept your tardy dues for 2005 if you feel the slightest bit of guilt.  If you know you were negligent in 2005, you are on the honor system.  To pay your membership dues, please make a check or money order payable to "DARC" and bring it to the meeting or mail it to the club address:

Dixie Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 422
Santa Clara, UT 84765

The Club Callsign of the Dixie Amateur Radio Club is:

• Emergency Communications Committee
• Technical/Repeater Committee
• Educational/Volunteer Examination Commitee
• Public Affairs Committee
  

There will be a ARRL Volunteer Exam Session held at 6:00 P.M. at the same location as the Club Meeting.

If you are a person desiring to take an Amateur Radio test or a currently licensed ham wanting to upgrade this month, or are a Volunteer Examiner who would like to help out at a session, please contact please contact V.E. Coordinator Ron Sappington, WI7Z, via e-mail or telephone (435) 673-4552; or Board Member Dan Farwell, W8EQA,  via e-mail or telephone at (435) 668-1609. Please contact no later than Tuesday, January 17, 2006.

Where Are Amateur Radio Operators in An Area Located?

A special thanks is sent to Club Member Leila Horne, KF7HW, who sent along a link to a web site owned by a Los Altos Amateur Betty Chang, KE6UZM.

This site uses Google Maps in conjunction with the FCC License Database to visually see where ham readio operators are located, based upon the street address in the database. It is really kind of neat. Thanks Leila, for the heads up on this cool site.

What an exciting time to participate in Amateur Radio.  The technology continues to expand and open new avenues for communication and experimenting.  The greatest challenges appear to be the protecting our spectrum from the efforts to whittle it away and the decline in the number of radio operators.  We have a great legacy in the local area with numerous efforts to expand the Amateur Radio way of life.  We are indebted to many of those who have taken their time and resources to provide repeaters, to educate, to donate and to in many ways mentor the growing ham community.  I extend my personal thanks to all of those who have made these efforts.  

My interests in radio communication began when I was six years old.  I stayed with a family whose son was in the Navy.  In his room was a world of radio equipment:  Mysterious and interesting with many knobs and meters.  When I was thirteen I met Thurmer Jacobs, N7TJ and worked cleaning his shack and workshop.  He normally paid me in electronic parts (which were more valuable to me than money) which were quickly disassembled to find out how they worked.  Later, I met Dean Cox, NR7K who became my best friend.  He introduced me to the wonders of the ham radio.  I was fascinated how you could sit in the parking lot at Denny’s and hit the repeater in Vegas or watching him talking with stations from all over the country.  I tested and got my Novice License, WN7BXU which was shortly changed by the FCC to WB7BXU.  This license expired while I was in Europe. 

Advancing the clock 25 years, I decided Amateur Radio was something I wanted for emergency communications and preparedness.  I met Ron Sappington, WI7Z who told me about the test times and locations.  I passed my General License test and was underway again.  I studied and passed my Extra Class in July of 2005.  I am active on HF nets as work allows and also on the local VHF nets.  I work in Mesquite for Bulloch Brothers Engineering, Inc., and have been active in assisting the Virgin Valley Amateur Radio Club grow.  Bulloch Brothers Engineering, Inc., currently hosts their meeting location in Mesquite. 

I see our greatest challenges will be met by organizing our emergency preparedness (Emcomm) communications, allowing the public to see our efforts and abilities, and actively seeking to bring new members into the radio community. 

My goals for this year include:
Organize and train with DARC in Emcomm
Assist in the development of a Virgin River Corridor Emcomm Coordination Plan
Train and recruit new radio operators for the DARC
Establish committees to organize the DARC and create events and activities.

I appreciate the efforts each of you make in the club and enjoy knowing you.  There is so much talent and knowledge in the DARC...it is a wonderful resource!!  Thank you all!

  
Hal K. Whiting
Bulloch Brothers Engineering, Inc.
750 West Pioneer Blvd.
Mesquite, NV 89027
Phone 702-346-5100
Fax 702-346-5102
hal@bullochbrothers.com