Getting Started With EZNEC - - Steve Starns - K6OIK

ICOM D-Star - Digital Amateur Radio

Tim Barrett K6BIV, will provide a very informative talk to overview what the ICOM D Star system is. All repeaters are analog and mostly FM, but recently some are GMSK! Tim will discuss the various aspects and modes of D-Star operation and some of the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing this mode/system for amateur radio. He will also cover the current status of systems being coordinated in and around the Bay Area.

Tim is currently serving on the board of directors for NARCC, (www.narcc.org) and they are the coordinating body for all amateur radio repeaters in Northern California. Tim has been very active in D-Star since it first came out and was also responsible for launching and now a trustee of the K6MDD D-Star machine on Mt. Diablo 145.02 (C). We are planning to have a live demonstration using D-Star simplex, through a repeater and finally through a repeater-gateway-reflector system using digital voice (DV mode) on 2 meters.

This month we are pleased to announce our own President, Kristen K6WX will present

Propagation Physics

We’ve had this neat little thing hanging around for a while, but hadn’t published the link before, but with the relaunch of the PAARAsite, it’s time to bring it to your attention.

If you’re feeling thirsty while at your shack (or office desk), and need a container to put that black juice in, you can put it in your very own PAARA mug. This stylish mug with a red thunderbolt is the perfect companion to your morning cup of jolt.

Products are manufactured and shipped on-demand, so we’ll never run out. All you have to do is click on the Shop link in the menu at the top of every page, or go visit http://www.cafepress.com/paara.

Matt Ettus N2MJI - AMSAT Geostationary Project

On Friday, April 4^th, Matt will provide an overview of the current AMSAT project and describe some of the hurdles that will need to be overcome to get this huge effort off the ground. The payload will be discussed as well his proposal for the link design and how the ham community will benefit from this design.

Map & directions

The Palo Alto Amateur Radio Association meets on the 1^st Friday of the month at 7:00pm (19:00J) at the Menlo Park Recreation Center, located at 700 Alma Street, Menlo Park, CA.

Dennis Willson, KA6LSW, has relinquished his position as Webmaster, due to health concerns, so our long-planned custom database-driven site redesign has been placed on hold. Instead, we are now using the WordPress “semantic personal publishing platform”. WordPress can be upgraded with plug-ins that increase its functionality without requiring us to design and code custom solutions.

The key, however, to keeping this new site up-to-date, will be the participation of volunteers to edit its content. Our first new Web editor is Joel Wilhite, KD6W, who will keep us all posted on what the upcoming PAARA meeting lectures will be.

Amateur Radio Provides Lifeline During Disaster

This blog posting from December 2007 reports how Oregon hams helped the Red Cross respond to the December power outages, and relayed actual emergency medical requests when the phone lines were down.

Local PAARA members Stan Towle, WA6ZGI, (with his steady squeeze
Marilyn) along with Al Montoya, WB6IMX and his bride Wendy, KF6CCZ
will be away for over a week during August with the Quarter Century Wireless
Association west coast ham cruise. See below for a list of the frequencies that
they will be using on this maritime ham fantasy boat cruise. You should make a point of working them on this cruise to qualify for a neat QSL card.

The group will be travelling on the m.s. Veendam from 21 to 28 August 2005, and will be operating on these frequencies:

On-Board Ship HF Voice SSB Operations (MHz):
10M 28.300 - 29.300 Near: 28.335
15M 21.200 - 21.450 Near: 21.392
20M 14.150 - 14.350 Near: 14.273
40M 7.150 - 7.300 Near: 7.265

On-Board Ship HF CW Operations (MHz):
15M 21.000 - 21.200 Near: 21.140
20M 14.000 - 14.150 Near: 14.120
40M 7.000 - 7.150 Near: 7.125
80M 3.500 - 3.750 Near: 3.710

ITINERARY
21 Aug Sun. Depart Seward
22 Aug Mon. Cruising College Fjord
23 Aug Tue. Cruising Glacier Bay National Park
24 Aug Wed. Sitka, AK 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
25 Aug Thu. Juneau, AK 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
26 Aug Fri. Ketchikan, AK 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
27 Aug Sat. Cruising The Inside Passage
28 Aug Sun. Arrive Vancouver

Many years ago, at the July 1968 club meeting, a question of changing the club callsing from W6OTX to something shorter was brought up, and that is when the club was reminded of the history of its callsign.

I’ll repeat it here, becuase it is an important memory of Wilbur Lauridson, the original holder.
(more…)

I’ve recently been going through the dusty, musky archives that have been retrieved from the non-weatherproof PAARA trailer. I have discovered when PAARA and the Menlo Park CD Radio Club were joined at the hip (March, 1970), and when the first PAARA picnic was (1979 in Huddart Park).

More details, and perhaps some pictures, will emerge as I continue this historical research.