In This Issue President's Message Note from the Treasurer Page 2- Ham on a Hot Thin Island by Steve, AA1IZ, Part 2 Page 3- Tubes Available! See W1VIV's Latest Article... and more... Thursday, Jan 7 This Month's Meeting This talk won't be low on facts. This months meeting will feature Peter, KA1AXY as he talks about his QRP adventures. Submitting Material to the Circuit Material may be submitted for publication by sending it directly to the editor. This can be done by phone, by US Mail, or via the Internet (preferred). The deadline for each issue is the Wednesday, one week before the monthly meeting. by phone Home: (508) 435-2055 (before 9:00PM please!) College: (508) 910-5296 Ham on a Hot Thin Island small pileup. The equipment seemed to FARA Thanks... be OK. The voice keyer was getting by Steve, AA1IZ mixed reviews - modulation seemed by Peter, KA1AXY Part 2 distorted to some people. Also I thought I could hear a slight feedback in my We wouldn't be able to A James Bond taxi ride through headset, but I wasn't sure. After an hour accomplish a lot of what we the streets of Athens brought us to of operating I felt I had spread the word manage to get done at the club our harbor side hotel. A quick enough for people to know I would be without the donations. You know supper and to bed. One problem - on during the contest and it seemed all what I mean, the people who the heat required that we open the was OK with the equipment. come by and drop off stuff we windows. The social custom of Friday morning we headed off for the have said we're looking for. So, in Athenians is that they go out to eat last leg of our voyage to Elafonisos. We this season of giving, I thought it around 10pm and those who party had been sailing south to reach the would be nice to thank some stay out hours more. Around two bottom of the Peloponese and now it FARA members for their o'clock we finally fell asleep. was time to turn the corner and head generosity. Around seven o'clock the ever west to our chosen island. This section Ed, W1NXC for answering all present city construction workers of water can be very rough due to those phone calls about License in lit off their compressor and within locally heavy summer winds and we a Weekend minutes we were serenaded by were prepared for a good bounce. Dick, K1KTK and Marsha, jackhammers. Oh well, we Although the winds came up they were K1NGI for the thermostat, the wanted to grocery shop early not too bad and by mid day we were filing cabinet, and all the stuff anyway. The family shopped alongside the concrete dock used by the Dick didn't want to move while I walked over to the marina fisherman about a tenth of a mile from Sharon, KC1YR and Lee, to check out the boat. After town. By now Costas had a full KA1USL for the TNC, amp and waiting an hour the marina offices understanding of what I needed: power, cash to help pay for the freon came to life. Seems that not space for the equipment, a platform for recycling everyone wakes up early. Finally the beam, poles for the wire antenna, Danny, T93M for being our man I met Costas. We sat down to and a clear shot to the north west back to on the "inside" when it comes to discuss the trip. "Why are you Europe and the US. So in the mid-day antennas choosing to go to Elafonisos?" sun we walked into town and first Anne, N1ECI and Paul, N1DGT Patiently I explained again the checked with the local police force to for the new shack computer, laser contest, and the strategy that had announce our presence. Again the printer and web maintenance brought us to the decision. "Do official letter smoothed all ripples. Bev, N1LOO for the mailing you have a place lined up?" "Not From police headquarters (and also the labels and the new hot water pot yet, but I have friends working on chief's home) we walked another 100 Jim, N1XAS for the TNC, and the it" "Resourceful", I mumbled to yards to the northwest side of the radio myself. island. As we walked along the narrow Jim, W1EQW for the storage Soon a van arrived with our food, beach road we looked at the small, space in his barn luggage, and radio equipment. tightly packed two and three story Dennis, KE6DPL for maintaining My wife had convinced the market concrete homes that were facing the the repeater owner to include our personal water. Finally we found one with a Martin, AA1ON for the space in possessions in with the free food room to let. Up the narrow outside the garage, and allowing us to delivery. We loaded everything stairs to the third floor mini apartment. invade his personal life whenever aboard, bought six bags of ice and It was perfect. A small kitchenette, a the node goes down another few gallons of water and bathroom, a bedroom, a small terrace Bob, W1RH for the radios, the finally got under way. The looking out on the water, and best of all, drill, the foam and for having the temperature on the water cooled to the roof of a two story house under best junkbox in the club about 95 from the 100 plus that we construction abutting part of the terrace. Robert, N1UVA for his truck and had been experiencing in the city. Costas negotiated for a two-night stay his muscles, and the great job he Water was consumed by the liter and an understanding that we would not does on the Circuit as everyone did their best to cool interfere with the neighborhood. It was Peter, W1VAB for the freezer and off. time to get organized. the relays By Wednesday we were well on We walked back to the boat and while I George, N1XAN for the relays, our way south to Elafonisos. moved everything up on deck Costas resistors, and taking one last crack Costas had been proving his skills inflated our rubber dinghy. "Much at the amp each day with his ability to sail easier than carrying everything to the All the people who bring food! ...Continued from first Tubes Available! QSL Card page FARA has a large supply (several spring.) hundred) of vacuum tubes available. The two CQWW contests also Mostly receiving type of unknown showed us that our link to the quality. We got them from Marlboro, PacketCluster network was who doesn't want them back. unreliable. After discussion with Boatanchor fans, listen up! We want the YCCC Sysops Association them out of our storage area. You (YSA), we changed our network have to take all of them. They're connection from KB1H to K1EA "sorta" sorted. Come and get them in mid-December. This link is before they get trashed! much more reliable. The acid test will be the two parts of the See W1VIV's Latest Article on the ARRL DX contest, coming up in February and March. Internet Dear Rob: For various reasons, we also A few weeks ago two great members of replaced both TNCs, thanks to Sumner Weisman, W1VIV, has FARA: Julie Hoffer and Sumner donations from Jim, N1XAS and published a new ham radio article. It's Weismann worked for several hours Pete, W1VAB. not in QST, but in the December 15th putting up a new dipole for me at The temperature problems led us edition of the ARRL's new Members Heritage in Framingham. They did a to seek an equipment enclosure Only Internet Magazine. The article is great Job - for which I'm eternally that would stabilize things. What called "Hams and their Antique grateful. I'm 97 and can no longer do we needed was a large, well- Automobiles" and shows more than such jobs for myself. Julie (W1DL) insulated cabinet with shelves. one FARA member in beautiful color. supplied all the material and would not Pete, W1VAB, stepped forward To check it out, go to let me pay for it. and offered us an unused, www.arrl.org/members. You have to I am hard of hearing but competent in vertical freezer... just the ticket. be a member of ARRL, and will have the Morse code as I was a seagoing Peter, KA1AXY, picked it up to register if you haven't done it sparkgap pro in my early days. CW is and arranged for the freon to be already. therefore a real life saver for me. I have drained in an environmentally- trouble understanding callers on LL, so sound manner. Next, he removed Signing onto the FARA email when Julie phones me I tell him to fire the compressor and brought it in reflector, FraminghamARA- up his rig on 7035 and we have FB copy. for recycling. K1KTK and [email protected] I think this is a good argument for K1NGI donated a thermostat, keeping CW alive, at least for me -and which Peter is using to control The email reflector works like an I'm sure there are others who benefit in two muffin fans. Each of the air email repeater. Whatever you send to the same way. holes and cable penetrations are [email protected] gets Better late than never: Holiday being mouse-proofed. We will rebroadcast out to everyone else who Greetings to all -and a healthy and have a "General Electric" has signed up. You can set the prosperous 1999! PacketCluster node when we're reflector to send you each message as 73s and CW forever through! it comes in, or to batch them all up Fred Rosebury -KA1GEN Get the idea this is a team effort? into a "digest" and send you one of There are countless other ways those a day. To sign up, send a that people have contributed; message to: there's not enough space to cover [email protected] with contents them all. All this has led to a "subscribe FraminghamARA-L". great system. Please encourage (Without the quotes, of course). The your friends to check us out! subject can be left blank, the server The Circuit is in need of QSL only looks at the contents of the cards!!! message. You'll get back a READ THE CIRCUIT If you would like to share your confirmation, follow its instructions ONLINE... SAVES PAPER exactly, then you're on the list! favorite QSL card, which could AND POSTAGE be your own, with the club, email [email protected] and we'll set you up! please send it my way! A