The EARS WA4IWLetter

JUNE 2000

Publication of this issue of The WA4IWLetter falls between the two most patriotic dates in our country: Decoration/Memorial Day on 30 May and Declaration of Independence Day on 04 July.

The home where I grew up was located on the Decoration Day parade route and just one block from the cemetery that was the parade's destination. We would wait in anticipation of the salutes that would be fired to honor those who had served our country in her times of need. It is sad that such parades and observances are becoming fewer with each passing year as the veterans of yore are lost forever.

My dad was commander of Battery F, 176th Field Artillery, 28th Division, Pennsylvania National Guard prior to our entry into WW II. His battery, complete with trucks, caissons, and 75mm howitzers, marched in the last Memorial Day parade before the National Guard was activated. The field kitchen was set up in our oversized 2-car garage to feed his troops after the parade. Many young ladies from my home town held their own parade on the sidewalks around our home to the enjoyment of the boys in uniform. Who could help but be proud to be an American in those days?

Following that Declaration of Independence on 04 July 1776, to which the signers pledged "to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor", a Continental Army under the brilliant leadership of General George Washington overcame immeasurable hardships and adversities to gain victory for the former British colonies. Some 11 years later, on 17 September 1787, twelve states created a federal government. In the creation of said federal government, the states exercised the highest act of sovereignty and, if they so chose, could repeat the proof of their sovereignty by annihilating that federal government. Therefore, that union was subordinate to the sovereignties by which it was formed. That is, the states formed the federal government and that federal government was totally dependent upon the states for its existence and should be subservient to the states..

Well folks, times have changed--and not for the better. For example, Amendment IV (in the so-called Bill of Rights) states that "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized".

At this moment, the Bankruptcy Reform bill (H.R. 833) and the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation bill (H.R. 2987) both contain "Secret Search" provisions. The former bill is now in a House-Senate conference committee; it is expected that the latter bill will be voted on in the House in the near future. Under such "secret search" provisions, federal police could enter a person's home surreptitiously, conduct a search, and not tell the homeowner until months later. The police would not have to provide an inventory of "intangible" items which were taken in a search.

Does our Constitution mean anything anymore? Not if the duly elected members of both parties are even willing to consider such legislation! Isn't this a kick in the face of each and every one who served this country "to preserve liberty and democracy"?

What does this have to do with ham radio? Hey, listen up out there! Ham radio exists at the whim of the government--it's a "privilege"; just like a driver's license, pilot's license, taxes, etc. Amendment IV is a Constitutional RIGHT--not a "privilege". If this government can dismiss a Constitutional right with a law, think how easily that government can cancel your "privilege"!

73 de Jack, W4JS

The next EARS meeting will be held 16 June at the Englewood United Methodist Church, 700 East Dearborn St. Officers' meeting will be held in the church's library at 6 pm. The business meeting will start at 7:30 pm in Room 400. The program will be a video of a "1935 Tour of ARRL Headquarters".

The 7:30PM Friday EARS weekly net has given way to an informal roundtable session, open to anyone, on the WB0GUX Repeater, 146.700(-). Stop by and update us on what's new and/or exciting in your life. Or, just get on to blow the dust out of your rig!

President Jack Sproat, W4JS, called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag. There were no guests present, however, Bob Carstens from nearby Villages of Hidden Lakes became a new member and was welcomed into our group. Bob's license and callsign are yet to be issued as they are caught up in the backlog caused by the FCC rule changes in April. Also, we welcomed back Bert Van Houten, W3TPW, who inadvertently left our group for a short time.

Introduction of all attendees was dispensed with as we had a deadline to meet of clearing out the room by 8:45pm. Freeman Crosby, W1NPR, made a motion to forego reading of the minutes of last month's meeting. Seconded by Sel Kerrigan, WB1CYM. Motion carried.

Howard White, KD4MMY, gave the Treasurer's Report. Our balance for April decreased by $168.16, which resulted in an ending balance of $4892.58. A motion to accept the Treasurer's Report was made, seconded and carried. Subsequently, Howard explained that, due to an incompatibility problem between the older version of Quicken owned by the club and the newer version used by Al Parmentier during the first quarter, he could not carry out his responsibilities without the updated software. Howard moved that EARS authorize him to purchase the latest version for approximately $40. The motion was seconded by John Fogel, W1JF, and passed by the membership.

Correspondence for the month included a letter from Lemon Bay High School, thanking the club for our support of "Project Graduation". The club has supported this activity in the past as it promotes a safe and alcohol-free graduation party for the Seniors.

Jack, W4JS, urged the members to visit the new West Central Florida Section web site, which is at http://www. wcfarrl.org/ to see all that's going on in the ARRL's newest section. Jack also advised that a number of local hams have been certified as "Official Observers". Their charge is to give operators notice of improper operation in advance of potential official enforcement by the FCC.

SUNSHINE - Gene Fowler, KA1GCU, reported that a card had been sent to Al Stevens, KA9KAZ, who is recovering from heart surgery. If you know of any member who should be sent a card, please advise Gene or Marcia, KA1GCV, at 475-3299.

TRAINING - No report.

TESTING - Test sessions the third Saturday of each month by appointment only. Al Parmentier, KF4JIL, and Marcia Fowler, KA1GCV, both received their General Class licenses from the FCC during the week.

EOC - Frank Maren, W4VV, reported the Charlotte County Commissioners are issuing an official Proclamation, declaring the week of May 22nd as "RACES WEEK". Guice Johnson, WA4LHO, President of Charlotte ARS, will accept the proclamation on behalf of Charlotte County RACES members. Frank reported that he gave a presentation of RACES at Lemon Bay High School as part of the EOC's Hurricane Preparedness program.

Frank also reported that the K8ONV 146.865 MHz repeater is now operational, including autopatch and speed dial. For our informal Friday roundtables, we will use the WB0GUX 146.700 MHZ repeater at 7:30pm, and then switch to the K8ONV repeater to conduct coverage tests as appropriate.

Frank asked all RACES members to come to the West County Administration Building on San Casa Drive the last Thursday of each month at 9am and to participate in the monthly RACES drill.

FIELD DAY - Jim Hanushek, N4JBZ, is our Field Day Contact Person. All participants are asked to call Jim at 475-5811 and volunteer their help with setup, operation, and/or tear down.

OLD BUSINESS - John Fogel, W1JF, reminded everyone to contact their State Representatives regarding Amateur Call Letter License Plates. It appears we need to bring a lot more pressure on our representatives if we want to continue to have vanity ham license plates available.

NEW BUSINESS - None

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15pm.

PROGRAM - Jack, W4JS, presented an interesting color slide show of his travels in Indonesia, Egypt, and the Philippines.

Vic Emmelkamp, KF4VHX

Secretary

The EARS VE Team offers ARRL VEC license exams at 9:30 am the 3rd Saturday of each month at the Chamber of Commerce building, 601 South Indiana Avenue, Englewood. Two-day advance reservation is required--no walk-ins.

Candidates must bring:

(1) Original license and a copy of that license.

(2) Original CSCE's and a copy of each CSCE.

(3) FCC Licensee ID No. or Social Security card.

(4) Two forms of identification.

(5) A check in the amount of $6.65 payable to "ARRL VEC", or cash in the above amount.

For further information and reservation, contact Jack Sproat, W4JS, at 475-1929

Sel Kerrigan, WB1CYM, and Walt Johnson, N2BWM, were issued new Amateur Extra Class CSCEs and Mike Fox, KA1ZFO, was issued a new General Class CSCE.

The ARRL/VEC now has seven full-time, three temps, and eight volunteer staff members working away at the mountain of applications resulting from the FCC's license restructuring. ARRL/VEC received nearly 23,000 license/upgrade applications between 15 April and 26 May. (It may be noted that those who received upgrade CSCEs at the 15 April EARS VE session had their new tickets in hand the week of 15 May.) On 25 May alone, the ARRL/VEC submitted 1453 applications to the FCC. ARRL/VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, estimates it will take some six weeks from exam session to the time the paperwork is filed electronically with the FCC. FCC typically grants applications overnight. The status of test session processing is posted at http://www. arrl.org/arrlvec/status.html. Please do not call the ARRL/VEC regarding individual applications as this just slows down the process in Newington.

Jahnke has estimated that the first 30 days of the restructuring surge will yield 17,200 new Generals and 13,100 new Extras. (From ARRL Letter Vol. 19, No. 21)

What with over 30,000 attendees, it looks like this year's Hamvention/ARRL National Convention was the largest in history. Notable comments were offered by those in positions of influence, to wit:

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, discussed the parameters of "The Big Project"--his ham radio in the schools initiative that would offer a turnkey curriculum in Amateur radio as well as equipment for use in middle school classrooms. Haynie hopes to have the program funded by corporate and foundation grants in place by the end of 2001.

ARRL Executive VP dave Sumner, K1ZZ, noted that Ham radio's demographic peaks are in the 40s or early 50s, due to the "baby boomers" moving through the system. The ham radio entry age is no longer teenagers as it was 30 or 35 years ago. The Internet has stripped ham radio of its unique window on the world. Dave predicted a precipitous drop in the number of ham radio licensees in the USA, starting in 2001, when many licenses of those who had entered the hobby a decade earlier as code-free Technicians expire.

ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, cited the potential for involving younger amateurs in public service activity. One suggestion she offered was to get youth organizations--such as Scout groups and their leaders--involved. With restructuring, there are many new HF operators who could participate in nets and ARES. Experienced HF operators were asked to go after the new HFers and hone their skills. (From ARRL Letter Vol. 19, No. 21)

Over in Delray Beach, FL KR4GR has been sent a second warning notice by the FCC, stating it has information "that you have made physical threats against persons you suspect may have filed complaints against you. This is to caution you that such threats made over the air may jeopardize your Amateur license and lead to prosecution..." He had previously been warned about 75-meter interference with other hams.

W2GGI, also of Delray Beach, had been previously warned on 27 January about his conduct on the N4MOT repeater of the Motorola ARC. That warning alleged slander and physical threats by W2GGI. The FCC states it has additional information that he has engaged in similar conduct on the 75-meter band. "We repeat our warning that such operation will jeopardize your Amateur license and will not be tolerated."

Down in Miami, AE4ES has had his Extra Class license cancelled by the FCC. He was required on 14 February to re-take the Advanced Class exam under the ARRL/VEC, but failed to appear. The FCC stated "Continued operation of radio transmitting equipment would....lead to criminal penalties...."

Up in Palm Harbor, here on the Gulf Coast, KE4EJQ was advised by the FCC that on 04 August 1999, "...you were monitored on 14.305 MHz, transmitting from a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near St. Petersburg. This is to remind you that the operating privileges of your Technician Class license do not include the 20-meter Amateur band. Repeated operation outside the Technician frequencies would jeopardize your license and any attempts to upgrade."

(From 15 May 2000 W5YI Report)

Assistant West Central Florida Section Manager, Paul Toth, NA4AR, held a conference call on 10 May with Tom Joyce, Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to explore ways to resolve the impasse over the issuance of ham radio callsigns to non-amateurs on numerous Specialty License Plate series. DHSMV believes it is necessary to use the Class B, C and D amateur callsign combinations on non-ham plates to fill the need for unique alphanumeric combinations on Florida's 13.5 million plates.

Mr. Joyce did promise to consult with his counterparts in several other states to see how their agencies handle callsign combinations. Florida hams are encouraged to write their elected State representatives, advising that ham callsigns don't belong on non-ham plates. Links to all State Legislative addresses can be found on the WCF webpage, http://www.wcfarrl .org. (From 10 May 2000 e-mail to Club Presidents in WCF Section.)

The following operating tips are offered as advice to both newly-minted and old time HF operators--especially to avoid possible embarrassment by the self-appointed "policemen" who like to put down those who make the slightest blunder. Whether or not you're interested in DXing, these are good operating practices.

DX FREQUENCIES - You may have heard of the "Standard DX Frequencies" but have no idea what they are. Some of these frequencies go back to the pre-transceiver days when DX stations stayed below 28.5 and 14.2 and only listened for American stations who couldn't go below those frequencies when it struck their fancy. Common use of transceivers changed that practice and brought the DX up into the American part of the bands. Consequently, the "standard DX frequencies" remained near those band edges, and these "standard" frequencies are used by most DXpeditions and some of the more rare DX that show on the bands.

The Standard DX Frequencies for Phone operation are 28.495, 24.945, 21.295, 18.145, 14.195, 7.045, 3.795 ; while for CW, they are typically in the low region of the bands, such as 28.024, 24.894, 21.024, 14.024, 7.004, 3.504. Therefore, if you know there is a DXpedition operating, avoid using these frequencies for casual, domestic QSOs. It's also a good idea to avoid operating 5 kc above those frequencies under the conditions mentioned, for that's probably where the DX station will be listening.

WORKING "SPLIT" - The key is to LISTEN first, TUNE second and only transmit third. If you should hear a DX station--especially on one of the standard frequencies mentioned--but you can't hear any of the stations to whom he's giving reports, there's a 99% chance that he's working "split". Tune up the band at least 5 kc and listen for a pileup of stations calling, or maybe a few stations just giving their callsigns. That usually indicates where the DX station is listening.

Assuming you want to work the DX station, set your VFO B on his listening frequency. Return to your VFO A to listen to the DX. Engage "split" on your rig. When you transmit you will do so on the VFO B frequency, where he's listening, and you'll hear him coming back to you, or someone, on your VFO A.

Practice switching between VFOs, as you will want to fine-tune VFO B to where the DX is listening, or where you expect he may listen if he's tuning across 5 or 10 kc of bandwidth. However, always remember to return to VFO A before transmitting--otherwise you'll transmit on the DX station's frequency, and the "policemen" will be on your case in a flash! Working split, remember that you'll always transmit on the VFO opposite your listening VFO, so be careful!

QSLING - The days are long gone from when stations would almost automatically send a postcard QSL to stations worked for the first time. Increased postal rates, QSL costs and high demand for QSLs have all changed the QSLing ritual.

It is now standard practice--even for domestic QSLs for WAS, VHF Grid Squares, Worked All Counties, etc--to send your QSL in an envelope along with a SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope) for domestic returns, or a SAE (self-addressed-envelope) plus International Reply Coupons and "green stamps" (one-dollar bills) for international returns.. This practice does not always guarantee that you will get a reply, but the odds on a return are very favorable.

Often DX stations use QSL Managers to handle the requests for their cards. The DX station will often pass along that information during a QSO, or you may have to get the proper QSL route from any of the various DX newsletters, the "Go List", or other sources. Some managers will reply to cards received via their bureau--others will not.

The radio societies in most countries maintain QSL Bureaus, and that holds true here in the USA. There are two bureaus for the 4th District--one for single letter prefixes and one for 2-letter prefixes. However, they are only for callsigns with a "4" in them. Even though you live here in the 4th district, if you have any other number in your prefix you can only do business with the bureau or bureaus in that particular call district. Some bureaus work on a prepaid basis, furnishing the envelopes and telling you when they need more money from you. Other bureaus require that you have a supply of (commonly) 6"x9" prestamped, preaddressed envelopes on file with them.

One word about the QSL cards. Most QSLs are printed only on one side, however, many cards now have only artwork and the callsign on the front and the report form is on the backside. Always make sure that your card has your callsign--repeated if necessary--on the report form side. That allows the DXer or his manager to get all the QSO information off one side of the card, rather than having to flip back and forth between the callsign and the report form.

The BBC reported on 02 June that officials from British Columbia have contacted Microsoft about moving to Canada. BC has offered the company preferential treatment, including a loan to build a new headquarters. BC officials called Microsoft a "welcome asset"--quite in contrast to the attitude of Ms. Reno, who implied 01 June that Bill Gates was a "robber baron". (Investor's Business Daily, 05 June 2000)

From June 2000 Worldradio, June 2000 CQ and June 2000 QST.

EARS does plan to participate in the 2000 ARRL Field Day, 24-25 June. The Contact Person for this year's Field Day is Jim Hanushek, N4JBZ. Contact Jim in the evenings at 475-5811 or via e-mail at jimbo@ ewol.com if you can help set up, operate, take down or "do anything". Your help is needed!

Howard White, KD4MMY, has offered the use of his 5th-wheel mobile home and Ken Anderson, W4JQT, will be erecting antennas for this effort. We need radios and computers for logging, however. We will probably enter the 2A category, hopefully, with a VHF station in action for additional points.

The WCF Section Manager, Dave Armbrust, AE4MR, and Assistant SM, Paul Toth, NA4AR, plan to stop by all Field Day sites in the Section.

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must....undergo the fatigue of supporting it." (Thomas Paine)

The 2-meter Packet Cluster is useful in contests. Ken Gifford, WD4NKZ, operates an Internet gateway packet station in South Venice. Connect to FLGATE on 145.09. (First-time users have to register.) After connecting and seeing the menu, type in T 207.157.4.17. This is a telnet connection to W4LEE, the East Alabama ARC Cluster. First time users must register callsign, name, QTH and latitude/longitude in dd mm N(orth)/dd mm W(est) format.

After registering, type "sh/dx/15" and the last 15 stations posted will come up. You'll see the callsign, his frequency, short comments such as name/QTH/listening freq/etc, time posted and callsign of posting station. As new reports are posted, they will scroll down the screen.

The cluster will also give you the latest solar flux, A and k indices. NOTE: If there is no activity for four minutes, FLGATE will disconnect. Therefore, keep an eye on the time of the last posting and your clock. Hit "return" as necessary to avoid disconnecting.

Updated 03 June 2000, based on 05 June 2000 QRZ DX and 02 June 2000 The 59(9) DX Report.

Notes: NO = No opening forecast. ??? = Callsign not yet known. Long path bearings and opening times (if any) are underlined.

Solar Flux assumed at 170 and K-Index at 2 for all forecasts.

Considering that the A52A operation from Bhutan took place the first week of May, it was pretty amazing that QSLs were available for the Deserving DXers at the Dayton Hamvention 19-20 May. In fact some 2500 QSLs were distributed up at Dayton. (Locally, QSLs have been showing up in the mail from QSL manager W0GJ.) Glenn and his crew did a great job! (From QRZ DX, 29 May 2000)

This year at Dayton, the late Chod Harris, WB2CHO/ VP2ML (former publisher of The DX Bulletin and DX Magazine) and John Kanode, N4MM (DXCC Honor Roll Member and ARRL Vice-President from Virginia) were inducted into the DX Hall of fame sponsored by CQ. Larry Tyree, N6TR, and Walter Skudlarek, DJ6QT, were inducted into CQ's Contest Hall of Fame. (From The 59(9) DXReport 26 May 2000)

For short-term propagation forecasts, a measure of the current effects produced by solar particle radiation is needed. The arrival of these particles in the atmosphere result in ionospheric and magnetic storms which produce signal fluctuations, fading and noise. The K-index, measured every three hours at numerous observatories, indicates the effects of solar particle radiation on the earth's magnetic field. The K-index allows a wide range of geomagnetic activity to be expressed by a single digit. (From The Shortwave Propagation Handbook, 1st Edition, George Jacobs, W3ASK and Ted Cohen, N4XX, Cowan Publishing Corp. 1979)

The K-index is updated every three hours and a one-point change is very significant. The A-index is updated every 24 hours, and represents the average K-index for the previous day. If the K-index were 2 for all of the eight 3-hour periods of a day, the A-index for the day would be 7; but if the K-index was 3 throughout the day, the A-index would be 15. (From ARLP021 Propagation de K7WW, 26 May 2000)

An A-index less than 10 indicates periods when the ionosphere is quiet, while an A-index greater than 30 indicates disturbed conditions. Such disturbances are most pronounced on signals passing through the higher latitudes and polar regions. (Jacobs and Cohen, ibid)

May's Solar Flux averaged 184.6, however the A-index was < 10 for only 9 days. On 24 May, the A-index hit 73 due to a big geomagnetic shock. (A good day to read a book !) 10- and 12-meter DX openings were hard to come by during May. February's mean SSN was 98 and a SSN of 111 is forecast for June.

The June propagation forecast ("Propagation" by George Jacobs, W3ASK, June 2000 CQ) follows:

During June, there will be considerable DX on 10 meters to the southerly and tropical areas. Expect 12, 15 and 17 meters to open for DX shortly after local sunrise, remaining open well into the evening hours. These should be the best daytime DX bands.

The 20-meter band will be the best band for nighttime DX. While 20 will open for DX shortly after sunrise, conditions will be spotty until the late afternoon, when this band will come alive.

In spite of fewer hours of darkness and a seasonal increase in static levels, some excellent DX openings can be expected on 40 and 30 meters to many parts of the world. Signals on 80 meters will be weak and noisy.

Probable best DX days for remainder of month: 6, 18-20 and 25 June should be "Above Normal"; 7-10, 16, 21 and 29-30 June should be "High Normal".

Our beloved President shares our pain.... I was embarrassed to read that President Clinton and his advisors have said, "The older generation must learn to sacrifice as other generations have done." That is my generation. I knew eventually someone would ferret out the dirty secret: We've lived the "lifestyle of the rich and famous" all our lives. Now I know I must bare the truth about my generation and let the country condemn us for our selfishness.

During the depression we had a hilarious time dancing to the tune of "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" We could choose to dine at any of the country's fabulous soup kitchens, often joined by our parents and siblings..those were the heady days of carefree self-indulgence.

Then, with World War II, the cup filled to overflowing. We had the chance to bask on the exotic beaches of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa; to see the capitals of Europe and travel to such scenic spots as Bastogne, Malmedy and Monte Cassino. Of course, one of the most exhilarating adventures was the stroll from Bataan to the local Japanese hotels, laughingly known as death camps. But the good times really rolled for those lucky enough to be on the beaches of Normandy for the swimming and boating that pleasant June day in '44. UNFORGETTABLE! Even luckier were those that drew the prized holiday tickets for cruises on sleek gray ships to fun filled spots like Midway, the Solomons and Murmansk.

Instead of asking, "What can we do for our country", an indulgent government let us fritter away our youth wandering idly through the lush and lovely jungles of Burma and New Guinea.

Yes, it's all true; we were pampered, we were spoiled rotten, we never did realize what sacrifice meant. We envy you, Mr. Clinton, the harsh lessons you learned in London, Moscow and Little Rock.

My generation is old, Mr. President...and guilty; but we are repentant. Punish us for our failings, sir, that we may learn the true meaning of Duty, Honor and Country.

(s) Robert J. Grady, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret)

PS: The exotic sites in Vietnam were such a pleasure. Who of the "Baby Boomers" could ever forget "Kasahn" or the beautiful fireworks display of the 1968 Tet offensive, Plekiu, Ashaw Valley and other exciting sites of lush green jungles and modern day examples of "Organic Farming" with napalm and agent orange.

(s) Wayne Storey, AD2, USN (Ret)

(And, how about the ice fishing on the frozen Chosin Reservoir or the barbecues on Pork Chop Hill? My generation lost 54,246 Americans in Korea. JRS)

"I am going to read a list of different occupations. For each, please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields: very high, high, average, low or very low...." So went the preamble to a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll 24-25 May 2000. Here's how those surveyed rated various occupations "very high/high":

Scientists and teachers won the "very high/high" status from 75 percent of those surveyed, followed closely by ministers/clergymen. Farmers, doctors and engineers were next. Some 30 percent ranked journalists and federal government employees as having very high/high ethical standards. Only 25 percent felt lawyers, stockbrokers and union leaders had very high/ high standards. That's still better than the 16 percent who believed politicians had very high/high ethics

Prostitutes, however, with about 7 percent "approval" rating beat out car salesmen, who came in dead last!

(From Investor's Business Daily, 05 June 2000)

Over 8000 logs were submitted from last year's CQWW DX Contest, far and away a new record for that contest. More amazing, however, was the huge number of low power entries with relatively low scores. Why do these "little pistols" even submit a score, knowing they can't win a certificate, much less an operating category? Obviously, many operate just to work some needed DX. Others simply enjoy the operating event. Still others want to help out the serious contesters by handing out a few points. What's amazing is that this group also takes the time to submit a log and be part of the process. They are the unsung operating mass who make contesting work. (From "Contesting", John Dorr, K1AR, June 2000 CQ)

FOR SALE: Alpha 91-B 1500-watt linear amplifier. Asking $2000, which is well below original cost. Call Dick Dean, N4RD, at 475-2697.

AVAILABLE FOR REMOVAL: 40-ft. crank-up/tilt-over tower and 35-ft. guyed crank-up mast--both in Nokomis; FOR SALE: CDE-CD-45-11 antenna rotator at very reasonable price. Call Bob King, W9RKT, at 488-6818.

FOR SALE: Mosley TA-33 Junior w/rotator, $150 OBO. Call Larry Yacobeli, W4ERN, at 497-4247.

"The taxpayer -- that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination." (President Ronald Reagan)