SYNTOGRAM -- April 1999



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Joint Synton/Twin Cities ARC 2-meter net Thursdays at 9 p.m. local 146.76 MHz (-600 kHz transmit offset) Champaign repeater

Please advise Tim, KM4KS, km4ks@uiuc.edu, if you are receiving duplicates of this newsletter, or would like to be added to our e-mailing list.

PRESIDENT'S LETTER



Hi Syntonians!

As the weather warms up and the first solid cases of spring fever start to spread around, most of us are trapped inside by the need for a strong finish for the semester. Make some time -- even if it's only a short time -- to relax with a hobby for a few minutes each week. It does wonders to keep the brain stabilized and restore the frayed edges of your attitude.

The month of April will feature a Synton-sponsored "new ham" class on Thursday nights. Thank Debbie, N9DN, for setting this up and getting it going, and our instructor corps for donating their time as well. Class meets Thursday evenings in April (except for April 1st -- no fooling!) from 7 to 9 p.m. at 335 Grainger Library. This class already has an enrollment of 11 students, and the classes will follow the excellent ARRL study guide "Now You're Talking!" which is available from the league and in local bookstores. With good luck and some study from our students, I will have the pleasure of reporting 11 new hams in the community after their exam session in early May. Good luck to all who are participating, and Synton welcomes you to the king of hobbies.

I am very pleased to see our Friday evening "open house" at our Physics House III shack have become part of the Synton routine. With W9YH operating, this is an excellent way to rediscover the magic of the hobby while helping along those who are new or just plain curious. I've also discovered a side benefit ... meeting hams on campus and in the community who discover our open house was exactly the excuse they needed to come see us and what we're up to.

And finally, a word on safety. With warmer weather in the Midwest comes the threat of thunderstorms and lightning. The watchwords are simple: disconnect or ground antennas from equipment not in use. We have been very lucky at Synton to have suffered no major lightning casualties, and I am very anxious to make sure this year is not the first for this unwanted signal! Please take that extra moment to make sure that all antennas have been disconnected before you leave either of our facilities. I will be posting signs shortly in both PH III and 330D Everitt Lab as reminders, and would encourage members and friends to be extra vigilant. If you hear some thunder or skies look threatening, poke your head into either of our facilities and give them a quick check to make sure we will survive a lightning strike.

Have an excellent April. Good luck in wrapping up the semester's work. See you around the shack or around the bands.

73,

Tim, KM4KS
Synton ARC President


SYNTON NEWS



License Examinations Twin Cities Amateur Radio Club (TCARC) will be holding ARRL-VEC license examinations on Sunday, July 18, 1 p.m., at the Fire Service Institute Building.

ARES Training The local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group will hold a Spotter Safety Seminar on Wednesday, April 7th, 7 p.m., at the ESDA building in Urbana. Those who attended the National Weather Service storm spotter training are particularly urged to attend, as are all other hams interested in staying safe during severe storm events.

QEX We have renewed the subscription to the League publication "QEX" by popular demand, as it has a good "shelf life" and the articles are well-written and useful. Should we be subscribing to any other ham magazine? Let us hear your preferences ... and take time to check out the latest issues in 330D Everitt Lab.

Handbook Sales Now down to two copies left -- and more can be ordered. Spread the word to other hams in the area that the '99 RAH is on sale at Synton for $30 -- a two dollar savings over the cover price.

New Ham Class With 11 enrollees, the ham class is a "go". Class time will be Thursday evenings, 7-9 p.m. with the first class on April 8th. Classes will be held in 335 Grainger Library, and there is plenty of parking in the "B-1" lot adjacent to the library. Experienced members are welcome to sit in (and brush up on some of those fundamentals we might have forgotten since our last upgrade!)

Antenna Workshop We'll target one of our Friday evening "open houses" for "The Night of the J-Pole". Keep an eye on the newsgroup and mailing list for the night for building this simple but effective antenna ... particularly for 2-meter or 70 cm band use.

70 cm Repeater We're still looking for ways to activate our 446.5 MHz repeater. Pass along on what you'd like to see with this project.

...AND ON THE BACK BURNER...

Guest Speakers Who would Synton most like to invite as a guest speaker? Pass along those ideas.

ARRL Affiliation QSL to four Syntonians on their league status. Are any other Synton members also members of the ARRL?




SYNTON CALENDAR



TREASURER'S REPORT



Debbie, N9DN, will have this for us next month.


OFFICER LIST



President: Tim Shy (KM4KS)
Vice President: -- Vacant --
Treasurer: Debbie Fligor (N9DN)
Secretary: -- Vacant --
Station Manager: Torsten Clay (N4OGW)
QSL Manager: Chris Bochna (N9RQW)
Public Service Manager: Mark Belding (N9GPA)
Engineering Council Representative: Tim Shy (KM4KS)
Advisor: Prof. Jim Coleman (KA6A)
Last modified: Monday, April 19 1999