QCWA Peach State Chapter 49 November 2007 Newsletter MEETING NOTICE: SATURDAY December 8, 2007 High Noon Good day Ladies and Gents, Well, I guess I will not be the first one to greet you with: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Buy in our store only etc. They add something extra each year that has nothing to do with the season. Well, this is the Annual Gift Swap and Christmas Party and what ever other celebration you would like to add. Just stuff some good ham item/items in a box for swap. Usually what the XYL said get rid of, got it in a Green Elephant Sale at the Hamfest etc. Another ham may treasure your gift and the XYL will let you sleep inside for the rest of the year 8-). It will be at the normal place in the same ‘ole room, (Close to the food) which is important!!! Do not forget to eat a very LIGHT breakfast and eat desert first! It is more important and tastes better. On the Hammy side of things: We are now in the antenna season. Described as when you can see the top of the trees, the Yellow Jackets and Wasps are sleeping!! (real important). You can use assorted launch apparatus for getting your Sky Wire up into the ether, so your signal has less distance to travel. Just be careful if you climb a tree or use a ladder to get up into a tree. Make sure you TIE THE TOP OF THE LADDER to the tree!! None of us were equipped with wings the last time I looked. I have had one of those Airborne experiences in my life at around age 15 and will NEVER forget it!! I tried to hold onto the trunk and that did not do too well with all the sharp/rough bark. I then bounced off of the ladder I used to get up into the top of the tree. Then like a leaf, I floated to the ground and made s very sudden stop!! It sure came up fast. I was pretty well torn up for about 2 weeks and will never do that again. It took me a year to get up the courage to go back up in that tree and finish putting the antenna up at the 60 foot level. The antenna did work well. I worked Australia with 25 watts on 75 Meter AM!!! Around 7 A.M. on a school day. Had to cut it short to go eat breakfast 8-). Sure had a rough time concentrating on school work after a contact like that! If anyone would like to share any of their stories, send them in to John or me. I will be looking forward to seeing each of you at the party at 12 NOON on Saturday December 8. If your XYL wants to come, we do have an XYL swap too. This is a family affair. Jerry Lofstead W3CDE, President October Meeting: We met at the usual time and usual place on October 27th. Unfortunately the speaker on Scarborough Reef (Jerry, W3CDE, our intrepid president, worked ‘em with 5 watts!) cancelled at the last minute and so we had a long and glorious rag chew on a number of topics: old rigs with big old tubes that glow in the dark and the even bigger power transformers that run them, VHF contesting, DXCC Slow Scan (Guy, W4GBU, has Mongolia!), 6 meter DX to Europe and last put not least Susan, AF4FO, brought up the greatest of all Star Trek episodes The Trouble with Tribbles. There were other conversations around the table to numerous to detail. All in all, everyone had a rousing good time. On a serious note Charlie, KJ4TY, spoke on the importance of having some kind of an estate plan for all our radio gear. Most of our spouses haven’t a clue what all that “radio stuff” is worth or how to dispose of it. Written directions help as well as a contact knowledgeable in ham radio. Guy, W4GBU, pointed out that the SE DX Club will appraise and sell gear with proceeds to the spouse. Maybe not the happiest of topics but a necessary one to consider. John Kludt K7SYS, Secretary QCWA PEACH STATE CHAPTER 49 Web address: www.qcwa49.org 2006-2007 CHAPTER OFFICERS President Jerry Lofstead W3CDE 770-979-5500 w3cde@arrl.net Vice President Mike Swiderski K4HBI 770-449-0369 k4hbi@arrl.net Secretary John Kludt K7SYS 770.891.8091 johnnykludt@earthlink.net Treasurer David Bruse W4DTR 770-623-0149 w4dtr@arrl.net Director Frankie Womack W4BJT 404-767-5382 w4bjt@mindspring.com Net Manager Jerry W3CDE using the K4VN Chapter 49 Club Call: Chapter 49 QCWA VHF Net Wednesday 2000 145.410-MHz ( MATPARC repeater) Chapter 49 QCWA HF Net Saturday 0900 3.8575 Mhz. November 2007 Newsletter John Kludt K7SYS Newsletter Editor 11165 Highfield Chase Dr. Duluth, GA 30097