CLUB MEETING:
The April Meeting will be held at the Sacajawea Middle March 1st.
The meeting starts at 7 PM.
The program for the April meeting is a demonstration of a tracking system, similar to APRS, by Tele-Tech.
Presidents Column
Jim Hall, AA8Y
With the warmer weather we are having it makes me thing that its time for all of us to start thinking about any antenna work that needs to be done and any new antennas that we have planned for this Summer.
The GHRC Hamfest will be held this year on Saturday, October 13
th, at Sacajawea Middle School in Bozeman.Don Wilson, KC7EWZ, has agreed to take the job of hamfest chairman again. Don will need lots of help and support from all of us.
The next VE Exam session will be held a week later than it normally, June 16
th, would because of the SW Engine Academy to be held June 9th and 10th. I attended last year and want to attend again this year.We need to finalize where we are going to have Field Day and start working on how we are going to operate and what other activities we will have ( pot luck ) etc.
The second chapter of Don Wilson's. KC7EWZ, GPS notes are in this edition of the newsletter and as to be expected from Don are really good. The information is good for those of use (me for one) who are a little shaky with the gps.
Don KC7EWZ also wrote an article about the rescue of a young ham who was out hiking and got himself in trouble.
Meeting Minutes
Minutes of March 1, 2001 Meeting – submitted by KD7FVR, Ron
The March meeting was held at Sacajawea Middle School. President Jim AA8Y called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. 17 members were in attendance.
Minutes of the February 2001 meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter.
TREASURER'S REPORT
Harley KI7XF reported that the club balance is approximately $1355.00. Treasurer's report was accepted by unanimous vote.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Doug KK7VC announced that there will be no program tonight. Next month Tele-Tech will present a program on APRS.
Jack N7ODN said that the Technician Class is going well. There are 15 students in the course. There will be 20 – 25 candidates for the exam on March 3rd. New tapes are not yet available. If they become available by April he may be interested in holding a General class in late May for the June exam. It might be preferable to wait for fall to put on the class for the September session or the Ham Fest exam.
Jeff AA7GK announced new packet digipeater in Helena. The 145.00 machine is on Hogback Mountain. Helena also has an APRS repeater on Hogback. Jeff is the Sky Warning Coordinator for Bozeman. Communications for the Blue Angels Air Show on July 21st and 22nd will be headed up by an ex Marine Colonel. Jeff is unsure at this time how much involvement the hams will have in the communications.
Fred KE7X announced the SW Engine Academy June 9th and 10th in Big Sky. The ops chief would like hams to organize and run communications for the Academy. The helicopter from Helena will require flight following communications every 15 minutes. Fred suggested positioning hams at each of the different events to track and report on tasks. Approximately 150 people and 24 engines will be in attendance. The next organizational meeting is 7:30 PM, March 28, at the Belgrade training Center.
OLD BUSINESS
Jim AA8Y asked for suggestions for a location for the next Field Day.
Suggestions for locations included:
Battle Ridge Campground
Close to town – Invite Public to Observe
Gallatin or Bozeman Ponds
Sacajawea Park – Livingston
Pete W7OW offered his place by Livingston
The next Hamfest is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 13. Vivian K7CUB will check into the availability of Sacajawea Middle School.
Jim AA8Y would like to compile an inventory of the club's equipment. Please let Jim know what club equipment you have.
NEW BUSINESS
Darrell Thomas, N7KOR will be retiring soon as Montana's ARRL Section Manager.
Walt WB7USV inquired as to how to get involved in helping with communications for fire fighting. It was suggested that Bill K7MT in Helena is receiving his "Yellow Card."
Jack N7ODN suggested moving the June exam session a week later so as to not conflict with the Big Sky Engine Academy.
Harley KI7XF gave a brief presentation on the Agemir phenomenon. (Inverse of mirage.)
The meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.
Upgrade Honor Roll
This column honors all who receive or upgrade their license through the GHRC in 2001
Congratulations to all who upgraded
Technician Class
Karen Cremer KD7MFC
Robert Grupe KD7MFD
John Hiscock KD7MFE
William Hiscock KD7MFF
George Hunyadi KD7MFG
Steven Jepsen KD7MFH
Charles Klankelborg KD7MFI
David Klunpar KD7MFJ
Brian Larsen KD7MFK
James Lenard KD7MFL
William Michno KD7MFM
Brad Norman KC0KAO
Michael Obland KD7MFN
Gerald Schaefer KD7MFO
Avinash Shantaram KD7MFP
General Class
Robert Solomon K7HLN
Extra Class
Pat Sands N7SVI
Note:
The next exam session is June 16th Rather than the usual first Saturday after the club meeting due to SW Engine Fire Academy which will be held the weekend of the 9th and 10th of June and some of us are planning to attend, helping with communications. Normal examination schedules will resume with the September Exams
Please note the above change.
VE Test Sessions
Test sessions are held at 9 am in room 632 at
Cobleigh Hall on the MSU Campus the first Saturday AFTER the first Thursday during the following months: December, March, June, September. This schedule may be revised. Make sure to check your newsletter each month for any changes to the VE Testing Schedule.For more info: Contact Jack, N7ODN
2001 Schedule
March 3rd
June 16th
September 8th
December 8th
Happenings Page
| Apr. 3rd – 146.88 net at 8 PM |
| Apr. 5th – Club Meeting 7PM at Sacajawea Middle school |
| Apr. 7th – – Ham and eggs at 4 corners café. |
| Apr. 10th – 146.88 net at 8 PM |
| Apr. 14th – – Ham and eggs at 4 corners café. |
| Apr. 17th – 146.88 net at 8 PM |
| Apr. 21st – Ham and eggs at 4 corners café. |
| Apr. 24th – 146.88 net at 8 PM |
| Apr. 28th – Ham and eggs at 4 corners café. |
| May. 1st – 146.88 net at 8 PM |
Sun
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri SatMon Tue April 2001Wed Thu Fri SatSun
|
Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
|
1 |
2 |
3 146.88Net at 8pm |
4 |
5 Club Meeting |
6 |
7 Han & Eggs @ 4- Corners
|
|
8 |
9 |
10 146.88Net at 8pm |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 Ham & Eggs @ 4- Corners |
|
15 |
16 |
17 146.88Net at 8pm |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 Ham & Eggs @ 4- Corners |
|
22 |
23 |
24 146.88Net at 8pm |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 Ham & Eggs @ 4- Corners |
|
29 |
30 |
|
Hamfests & National Amateur Radio Events
CONTESTS
April 7-8, QCWA QSO Party, See Apr 2001 QST pg 109 for details
April 14, QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party, CW, See Apr 2001 QST pg 109 for details
April 21, TARA PSK31 Rumble ( The Spring Wakeup), See Apr 2001 QST for details
Hamfests
GHRC Hamfest, Saturday, October 13,
Sacajawea Middle School, Bozeman Montana
NET CONTROL
Apr 3 KD7FVR
Apr 10 KC7EWZ
Apr 17 KI7OJ
Apr 24 W7OIQ PLEASE HELP OUT
BY VOLUNTEERING!
May 1 N7ODN
May 8 KC7EWZ
May 15 KC7BLO
May 22 N7ODN
May 29 KD7FVR
Jun 5 K7CUB
Jun 12 KC7BLO.
Jun 19 KC7EWZ
If you have not signed up as a net control operator yet, Please do so! As members of the GHRC, each of us should take a half an hour from time to time to run the net. This is a small sacrifice in time which greatly enhances the quality of our net and our club.
If you have never run a net, contact Don, KC7EWZ for information on running the net. It’s really easy! Running the net is a great experience which will help prepare you for participating in emergency communications.
The net meets every Tuesday evening at 8 PM 0n 146.88
NORTHERN ROCKIES WEAK
SIGNAL GROUP
TUESDAY EVENING AT 8:30PM ON 144.200 USB.
FORMAT IS CASUAL ROUND TABLE.
NET CONTROL IS BOB N7CZ AND JIM N7YO IN GREAT FALLS.
Ham Radio Proves A Valuable Asset In The Rescue of Hiker
When John Stuker (JL) (KD7KRY) took off on a day hike from Sypes Canyon to Baldy Peak in the Bridger Mountains, he didn’t plan on getting stuck on a cliff in snow up to his waist unable to go up or down. JL started calling on his HT about 6:30 p.m. Sunday night March 18th. He reportedly tried several different repeaters before Jim Hall AA8Y heard him and responded. Don Godward N7FLT also heard him and got him hooked up with Fred Cady KE7X. Fred initiated the search and rescue unit from the Gallatin County Sheriff department. Because JL was communicating with ham radio frequencies, Don Wilson was asked to come out to assist with communication between the searchers and JL.
JL had a flash camera with him that he had been taking pictures with. Since he radioed that he could see the searcher’s headlights below, they asked him to fire his flash. They used this as an indicator of his position. Using the flash from his camera as an indicator, three different fixes were taken on his position. Wilson, with the aid of a laptop computer and moving map software was able to triangulate his position, which was then communicated to the rescuers. The triangulated position was less than five hundred yards from JL’s actual position when found.
The rescuers approached JL from two different positions. One team approached from below, traveling up Cottonwood canyon. The other team followed his trail from Sypes Canyon up to the top of the ridge and approached from above. Eventually the team coming up from below got into snow that was too deep to get through. The team from above (Scott Gill and Doug Chabot) who are members of the Alpine Hasty search and rescue team, found JL’s tracks, followed them to his position and used ropes to rappel down the nearly one hundred foot cliff to a more stable position. It was decided that a helicopter would be the safest method in getting out, as there were major avalanche chutes in the area right under the cliffs. Mark Duffy, who works on-call with search and rescue, flew into the area of avalanche chutes and cliffs at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning. He made two trips to take out the two rescuers and JL. In the end, JL suffered some minor frostbite on his toes and the pulled muscle in his groin from the deep snow. There were no other injuries, which is the primary goal of any search and rescue.
As JL waited for the rescuers to get to him, communications were maintained on the ham radios from the incident command by going through ham radio operators KE7X and KC7EWZ.
In this writer’s mind this incident proves the value of ham radio and reminds the rest of the ham community to be listening to the radios in case of incidents like this. It doesn’t do any good to call on a radio if no one is listening.
Don Wilson KC7EWZ
GPS Notes, Chapter 2
Submitted By Don Wilson, KC7EWZ
Using your GPS by itself in Navigation
Last month I talked about the basic settings on the GPS and how to set it up for use. In this article I would like to discuss how a person might use a GPS to help navigate from place to place without a map.
Probably you are using your GPS as a backup navigation tool and never expect to get lost. I’m sure most people don’t go out in the woods or up on a mountain hike for the express purpose of getting lost! Because we never expect to get lost, it is hard for us to think of doing a few simple things to prepare for an emergency. So bring that new GPS along with you on your next outing and follow these simple steps to help ensure that you don’t become lost when unforeseen events take place on your outing.
To use a GPS without a map there are two basic operations:
1. Storing position fixes as waypoints and
2. Obtaining the distance and direction to those locations
The field equipment you will need for navigating with out a map using your gps is:
GPS Receiver
Spare Batteries
Compass
Altimeter (Optional)
A GPS becomes much more useful if it has waypoints stored in memory. If you are out hiking and want to use your receiver to find the way back to your car, it doesn’t do any good if you didn’t store the position of the car in the receiver before you left. In order for the GPS receiver to tell you how to get to your car it needs to know where your car is. If you have not stored any waypoints in your receiver all it can tell you is your position on the surface of the earth. What you really want to know is the direction to your car and how far it is.
Some examples of using a GPS in hiking.
When you leave your vehicle at the trailhead, store the position as a waypoint. Be sure to label it so that later you will know what it means. If you allow the receiver to name the waypoint with a number, use a small notebook to describe what the number means. I once had a friend who had 50 waypoints identified by number only. He had only a very general idea what they were for.
As you travel, occasionally store a waypoint so that you can backtrack if necessary. Pick a junction, saddle, ridge, lake or some other distinctive feature for these intermediate waypoints. It is a good idea to make notes occasionally in your notebook about your direction of travel if the waypoint involves a junction.
If you have done the above during your walk and it comes time to head back out and you find you know the way, no problem. You have had a great time. However, if during your hike, an accident occurs which delays you till after dark or a storm rolls in changing the appearance of the landscape you may find yourself unsure of the direction of travel. At this time, having the waypoints in the receiver and the notes about those waypoints will help get you back to your vehicle safely.
To use the waypoints you have stored in your receiver during the hike, you simply need to "GoTo" function in your receiver and have it direct you back along your path. In order to do this it is important that know the order of the waypoints. If it is not obvious by their name be sure that you have them notated in your notebook. Most GPS receivers record the time in the comment field when you save the waypoint. These times can also be used to make sure you are going to each waypoint correctly. As you pass each waypoint on the way back to the vehicle, pick the next one and "GoTo" that location.
Practice makes perfect:
Try the following exercise to practice using your GPS in navigating with out a map. On a long walk in your neighborhood, mark waypoints at appropriate intervals. For practice purposes every 10 to 15 minutes is about right. Turn your receiver off between waypoints to practice conserving batteries and to eliminate the possibility of following a "track" back. Note your direction of travel at each waypoint in your notebook. When you are ready to reverse course, use your GPS receiver to guide you from waypoint to waypoint back to the beginning. Even though you know the way, follow the GPS receiver. This is also a good time to practice the use of the compass. Use your GPS to tell you the distance and direction to the next waypoint but use the compass to give you the bearing. Remember that you must be moving for the gps to tell the direction you are going. With selective availability turned off, GPS receivers are able to pick up a direction at slower speeds; it is still a good idea to practice with the compass.
This practice exercise will serve a number of useful purposes. You’ll learn how to store your position as a waypoint, you’ll get familiar with using a compass and noting directions, and you’ll learn how to select stored waypoints as "GoTo" destinations.
The GPS is an amazing instrument to help a person find their way from place to place but it is of no use if you do not practice using it. See you next month for more GPS Notes!
Don Wilson
Kc7ewz@arrl.net
An interesting new sport
That uses your GPS
Check out www.geocaching.com for a fun way to use your gps and learn about new places to visit.