m.a.r.a. newsletter—winter 2018 vol 27 issue 1 the open...
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M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
It’s been freezing cold in this new year...but I don’t have to tell you that! Good Wx for antenna work,,,,right! )Kidding of course.) An exciting New Year awaits us all as new rigs appeared under some trees as well as some an-tennas made it up before the big freeze. In my case (K9BOJ), I was reminded what happens when one gets crazy with labeling antenna coax feedlines. Shockingly, I worked Italy and some other DX on what I had labeled as the UHF/VHF quad Beam! I came to a quick realization that I was on the “lost” feedline to the Hex beam. My resolution this year to slow down and be more thorough when testing and identifying antenna feedlines.
In upcoming events, please note the Annual “after Christ-mas” dinner will again be at the 5th Street Hall Saturday, January 26, starting at 6PM. Catering again by “That Polish Girl”. Reservations need to be in to Treasurer Jerry Wittkoski by Jan 10 Meeting. Reservations are $13.95 per person. There will again will be a “White Ele-phant” gift giving. Bring a Men’s Gift and Ladies gift. Any-thing will do!
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April 21, 2017
MARA Repeater
145.230 Mz PL 94.8
WiresX
W8USA
Node 30382
Room 40382
Echolink Node
296185
The Open Feedline
MARA
Annual Dinner
Saturday, January 26th @ 6pm
701 5th Street NW, GR
M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
MARA Meetings & Breakfasts
MARA meets every 2nd
Wednesday of the Month
Meeting are currently at Plain-
field Township Fire Department
Training Center
Meetings start promptly at 7:30
PM
Currently MARA members
meet Saturday Mornings for
Breakfast at New Beginnings
Restaurant on Intersection of
Beltline and Plainfield. (8:00
AM) All are welcome.
Minor changes for 2018 Board and Current Officers.
President Corey Grahn KD8SZZ
Vice President Dan Markowski N8NIJ
Secretary Mike Eilers K8OOK
Treasurer Jerry Wittkoski W8MSK
Field Day Chairperson Gale Scholten N8GS
Net Director Mike Hood KD8JB
Awards Manager Under Committee (Mike, KD8JB and Paul, K9BOJ)
Club Trustee Gale Scholten N8GS
Membership Director Mike Eilers K8OOK
Education Director Larry Dells KC8KVR
Bereavement Director Jerry Wittkoski W8MSK
Webmaster Erin Ammonds KD8NSU Retiring—New Pending
Newsletter Editor Paul Hummel K9BOJ [email protected]
Current Net Director is Mike Hood, KD8JB. You can usually find Mike on the MA-RA Repeater: 145.230 Mhz, -600 PL 94.8 and/or he has been known to frequent 6 meters on 50.4 Mhz AM.
MARA Repeater News W8USA
MARA Meeting—Wednesday, Jan 10, 2018 Plainfield Township Fire Department Training Center—5 Mile and Plainfield Avenue
Since January 7th 2016, the MARA net’s time
was shifted 30 minutes to a starting time of
7:30 pm every Thursday evening on the MARA
repeater.
MARA has tried many ways to keep the Net
interesting, and fun to participate in, but
they’ve found that the best way is to have
different folks be Net Control. To help make it
easier for you to be Net control, we’ve includ-
ed just about everything you’ll need on the
club website at:
http://w8usa.org/interact/2-meter-net/
In the website you will find the latest MARA 2
meter Net operation script, which is a PDF
file. We also have a simple Net Log to help
you keep track of who checked in. (Print 2 of
them-if you run out, you’ll have one handy).
“Don’t know what topic to use?” We have a
suggestion page to help you create your very
own. If you have questions, you can contact
our Net Director Mike Hood, KD8JB , and he’ll
help you out further. You’ll have fun with your
Ham friends, and also learn how to operate a
Net.
Please contact Mike to schedule yourself as
Net Control.
Immediately following the net is an Informal 6
Meter AM net on 50.4 Mhz. Please check
your mode to be sure you are on AM before
checking in. The 6 Meter net also meets on
Sunday Mornings at 8 am, and many Holidays
at 8 am as well.
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M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
W8USA Web Page Moving
The Web server currently hosting
the W8USA web page is in the
process of discontinuing hosting
gratis Web sites as of January 2018.
A New website host is currently
being considered and the Webpage
will move to a new chosen site once
the board approves of the subscrip-
tion contract. Our Domain name
registration of W8USA.ORG contin-
ues with a renewal scheduled for
July 2019. Along with the change of
the web host, arrangements will be
made to inform the Domain regis-
tration authority of the new Trustee
for the Domain name.
The decision on a Website host will
likely be made during the next
meeting on January 10. If any mem-
ber has any suggestions for a Web-
site host, please bring your infor-
mation to the Jan 10 Meeting.
Per Erin, KD8NSU, the current site
runs Wordpress, so it needs a host
with both PHP and MySQL capabili-
ties. It would be a bonus if the new
host uses cPanel/WHM as its
hosting platform. The W8USA.ORG
site is currently using 500 MB.
About 83MB is consumed by up-
loaded files (eg, meeting minutes
and other PDFs), and 270MB are
pictures in the gallery. The rest is
the Wordpress website application
itself + database (which itself is
about 9MB). Prudent planning is to
get a host that will allow expansion
up to 1000MB (1 Gig) total space.
The site hasn't grown all that much
in the last few years however it
would be best to have that room to
grow. E-mail capability is not re-
quired as the site uses re-direction
for key emails.
MARA Past Events—2017 MI QSO Party
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W8USA.ORG IMPORTANT!
Jerry W8MSK, operating CW in a Club effort on the 2017 Michigan QSO Party
Larry, KC8KVR operating in the 2017 Michigan QSO Party
M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
Ham Radio Swaps.
Lots coming up in 2018 with the
Dayton Hamvention announcing
major improvements to its new
venue in Xenia, Ohio. K9BOJ had a
talk with the Hamvention representa-
tives this fall and they are planning to
make the flea market more accessi-
ble and making provisions to reduce
or eliminate the mud! They also
recently announced a new building is
underway to eliminate some vendors
having to be in tents.
And the new Major Hamfest in Michi-
gan at the Michigan International
Speedway in Brooklyn, MI is also
announcing its second year with
logistical and other improvements in
the plan. One of the key improve-
ments planned (according to former
SCM Larry Camp, WB8R) is more
participating Vendors. Last word was
that Yeasu was an early requester for
space in 2018. More information on
this venue as time moves on!
Hamfest Happenings! Results and improvements.
Hamvention will be held held May 18, 19 and 20, 2018 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center Xenia, OH. News Release December 20, 2017 We are pleased to announce The Greene County Commissioners and the Greene County Fair Board have approved the construction of a new building at the Fairground/Expo Center. Greene County officials have decided to move forward with construction of a new building as it will continue to expand their presence in the region as a world class Exposition Center! Hamvention certainly benefits from the decision to expand the Expo Center footprint. Construction is planned to be complete ahead of Hamvention 2018 and will be used for the event. Additionally, another building on the property previously known as Fairgrounds Furniture, is being vacated and will be available for use by Hamvention 2018. More details regarding the building sizes will be forthcoming but Hamvention is told the floor space added will cover an area larger than the tents Hamvention used in 2017.
The newest ma-jor Hamfest in our region de-buted October 7/8, 2017 at Michigan Inter-national Speed-way.
The Hamcom attracted a large group of Hams for Sat-urday and Sun-day, The forums were well at-tended, but the dealer turnout was disappointing. On the plus side, many of the flea market vendors sold out! I talked with one of the officials and they noted they are working on ma-jor exhibitors now to get them
on the schedule for next year...logistics and MI tax laws were cited to prevent Major vendors at the 2017 premier event, The campsites were ex-cellent!
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Sunday morning at Hamcon Fleamarket
Hamvention 2018—May 18, 19 and 20, 2018
M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
Support Your Local Hamfests - Don’t Forget the “Get out of the Cabin” Dinner Feb 3, 2018 2 PM at the Pizza Ranch on 289th—See Flyer on Last Page
45th Annual Swap & Shop
Traverse City
02/10/2018 Start Date: 02/10/2018 End Date: 02/10/2018 Location: Immaculate Conception Elementary School 218 Vine Street Traverse City, MI 49684 Website: http://cherrylandarc.com Sponsor: Cherryland Amateur Radio Club Type: ARRL Hamfest Talk-In: 146.86 (PL 114.8) Public Contact: Joe Novak , W8TVT 201 South Spruce Street Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: 616-947-8555 Email: [email protected]
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2018 Michigan Crossroads Hamfest
HAMFEST/CONVENTION
03/17/2018
Start Date: 03/17/2018
End Date: 03/17/2018
Location: Wings Event Center
3600 Vanrick Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
Website: http://www.w8df.com/hamfest
Sponsor: Southern Michigan Amateur Radio Society
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 147.000 (PL 94.8)
Public Contact: Jay Jarrett , N8ARR
5103 South 36th Street Climax, MI 49034
Phone: 269-589-8649
Email: [email protected]
M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
MARA
Michigan amateur radio alliance
MARA
P.O.Box 670
Comstock Park MI 49321-0670
Webmaster Pending
Newsletter Editor PAUL HUMMEL
K9BOJ [email protected]
Write us by contacting our
Webmaster or log into W8USA.Org
and send your message from the
home page to the Webmaster.
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Annual dues to MARA are $20. Family memberships are an
additional $5. Persons aged 70 and over - $20.00.
Membership is free to students under 21. Memberships
expire on December 31st, and club dues are due on January
1st. MARA membership is open to all interested persons.
Please send change of address information and membership
applications to the club secretary.
Membership Information
M.A.R.A. Newsletter—Winter 2018 Vol 27 Issue 1
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