Syntogram for September, 1997
A Note From the Editor...
Welcome back for the 1997-98 school year! We're off to a great start with the pizza
meeting we had this week at the regular Synton lunch. Synton wishes you the best
in the upcoming semester, and we're hoping you have some time to spend enjoying the
Amateur Radio hobby. Please send newsletter suggestions (content, format, anything you
can think of) to Fligor@uiuc.edu .
Letter from the President (Tim Shy, KM4KS)
:
Hi Syntonites!
Well. So much for our summer plans, as September has arrived with the soft gentleness
of a Monday morning alarm clock! This is the moment I've dreaded ... because this
is when people who have done so much good work over the summer see their time swallowed rapidly by academic demands and stiff competition for what few leisure hours are
available.
In this spirit, please know that each hour spent with Synton this autumn is appreciated.
Even if it is only one hour a month, let's make it a good, productive hour. Most
importantly, let's make it an enjoyable hour ... which is what our hobby is all about.
Make this a time to welcome any new hams in the university community, and let them
know we are here. Debbie (KA9JYI) has done an excellent job on our web page, and
I can see this is a major path for newly-arrived hams to get to know us. Invite
them along to our Wednesday lunches (noon-1 p.m. at 330C Everitt Lab), as we would be glad to
see them.
I'm making arrangements now to stock up on 1997 ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbooks, and
we'll begin selling books as the semester starts. Keep an eye on our newsgroup,
web page and mailing list as we set up our sales times. Feel free to lend a hand
at the sales desk if you can spare a lunch hour sometime during the week.
Some updates on our projects ... we're a handful of cables away from having a packet
station operational in 330C Everitt Lab, as we have everything the cables connect
to! I'm pricing some SWL/scanning receivers, and we should have word on this soon.
We've got some interior decorating ideas for 330C Everitt Lab as well ... one is to start
hanging up some of our many awards that Synton has received over the years.
There was some interior decorating in 330C Everitt Lab which wasn't planned, unfortunately.
Thursday evening, August 21st, our old Hallicrafters general coverage receiver caught
fire and burned, filling Everitt Lab with smoke. The old rig appears to be pretty much a loss, and we can be very thankful that no one was injured, no other equipment
was damaged, and the firefighters were able to get the fire controlled without chemical
foams.
In the embarrassment I've gone through talking to the Fire Chief, our office neighbors,
and others in Everitt Lab, there is a big positive. We will make our facilities
showplaces for fire safety. I'll be walking through 330C Everitt with the Fire Chief
in the days to come to take advantage of his expert opinion on how we can prevent another
incident like this.
Here is one tip right now ... if you're operating older equipment, are you making
sure there is enough ventilation? Are you making sure you're nearby when it's on?
Older equipment may give off more heat than it was originally designed to handle.
More heat means it needs more ventilation in order to keep operating temperatures stable.
Make sure cabinet vents, or chassis fans, are not blocked or covered up. And be
sure you're close enough to tell if something is going wrong with the old gear.
In general, properly functioning equipment doesn't give off nasty smells, thick smoke and flame.
Be sure you're around to heed these early warnings of trouble.
Have a great month ... and I'll be looking forward to seeing you on Wednesdays for
sure!
73 Tim
Synton ARC President
Club News:
here's a recap of last months election results for those of you just joining or returning
to town.
Synton Election Results:
Officer Positions:
President: Tim Shy (KM4KS)
Vice President: Still Vacant
Treasurer: Wayne Wagner (AA9DY)
Secretary: Debbie Fligor (KA9JYI)
Appointees:
Station Manager: Torsten Clay (N4OGW)
QSL Manager: Chris Bochna (N9RQW)
Public Service Manager: Mark Belding (N9GPA)
Engineering Council Representative: Tim Shy (KM4KS)
Handbook Sales:
10 handbooks are left. If I recall correctly from the meeting today, they are selling
for $25. Get them while they're cheep, when the 1997 versions come in, we'll be selling
for cover price again.
Proposed
- change to uiuc.org.synton. Our newsgroup is functional, but doesn't attract anyone
just 'surfing' for Amateur Radio related information. Most people don't know that
syntony means resonance and was the basis for our club name. In an attempt to catch
more people's attention, we're thinking about changing the newsgroup name to uiuc.org.w9yh
in hope that more people will recognize w9yh as a callsign and find the club. If
you have any strong feelings on this either way, please mail them to debbie <Fligor@uiuc.edu>.
Treasurer's Report
:
Financial figures for July 30, 1997:
CHECKING: $857.28
SAVINGS: 463.15
VOUCHER: 412.62
---------------------
TOTAL------->$1733.05
Club Activities
:
Anyone interested in a fox (hidden transmitter) hunt? Champaign County Amateur Radio
Emergency Services (ARES) will be holding a foxhunt on 9/10, 9/24 and 10/1. If you
are interested in foxhunts or finding out more about ARES please contact Debbie (KA9JYI) for details.
Is there interest in a Synton-sponsered campus-based fox hunt? they've been lots of
fun in the past. let me know if you would be interested and whether Saturdays or
Sundays would be better for you (we typically hunt around 2pm).
The big upcoming ham fest is Peoria the weekend of Sept. 20th. the TCARC auction
will be in October, and TCARC license exams will be in October as well (on the 3rd
Sunday at 1pm).
Picnic!
The Twin Cities Amateur Radio Club will be sponsoring their annual picnic on Tuesday
September 9th starting around 6:30pm. The picnic will be held at Pat (N9GOC) and
Donna (N9KVE) Curtin's house in southwest Champaign. All Synton members are invited
to attend, TCARC will be providing burgers, please bring a dish to share.
73 de ka9jyi