The Monitor

On the evening of May 1^st, 22 members had an opportunity to tour Brantford’s new Fire Station. After dividing up into two groups, we were led off by a firefighter. Our first stop was the communications room where we all met Judy the dispatcher. She has been with the Department for 27 years and she demonstrated the new computer and software system recently installed called "CriSys". In front of her were three large computer screens. The left screen displayed an overall map of Brantford. The middle screen was used for data input regarding the caller and the incident. The software would immediately tell her which Fire station and related equipment should be dispatched. The right screen would zero-in on a map of the incident and display detail on the address including house number, cross-streets and the closest fire hydrant. In front of her sat the communications radio, which is activated by a foot switch. On the far left sat a console of buttons used to open and close the garage doors and to control the traffic lights at the intersections on Clarence Street.

Next, we were led into the training room where the firefighters take a mandatory one-hour class of training on a different subject each day. I found it interesting that they do not take any actual fire-fighting training in the fire tower anymore. Most of their instruction seems to be in the classroom.

Upstairs, we toured the administration offices, fire prevention, boardroom and EOC (Emergency Operations Centre). The EOC is where the city officials would congregate during an emergency and there were workstations for the Social Services and various city departments. A glassed enclosed room took up one corner where the police and fire dispatchers would sit along with the Amateur radio. In the centre of the EOC sat a horseshoed shaped desk where the Emergency Coordinator(s) would sit to oversee the incident.

Back downstairs we saw a couple of rooms reserved for maintaining their equipment such as a fire hose dryer and facilities for filling oxygen tanks. In the garage, we had a thorough tour of the fire engines and the equipment these fire fighters rely on. Gone are the days of a fire fighter with a blackened face holding an axe. Today, they not only rely on an axe, but a variety of powered tools as well. It was interesting how oxygen packs were built into the backs of the seats in the fire engines. The fire fighter while seated, could strap on a harness and when arriving at the scene, get up and have his oxygen pack already strapped to his back, saving precious minutes. These men and woman work 10 hours on day shift and 14 hours on night shift with 4 days on and 4 days off.

The tour certainly gave you a deeper appreciation for the service that these folks provide for our city and was impressed with our guide’s knowledge, answering all the questions we posed to him. I’m glad we went!

On April 22^nd, members of the club gathered at the Sherwood Restaurant for a breakfast of bacon/sausage and eggs. Then it was off to our stations to provide communications for this year’s event. The weather cooperated nicely and made for an enjoyable day outside. I don’t know how many years the club has participated in this event, but the Rotary Club invites us every year so they must be pleased with our service. All our members seem to enjoy this event as we usually get a lot of participants also. This year, we were approached at the last minute by Ken VA3DDB to utilize APRS with the race. The plan was to put trackers in the lead vehicles to indicate to the race organizers where the front-runners were on the course. There were glitches with some of the equipment but I think with more time to prepare, the glitches could be ironed out. It was a good experiment, and it’s something that we should seriously consider for next year.

Thanks have to go to Ebe VE3EBH and Paul VE3IUA for attending the Rotary meetings and for organizing the members for this event, and thanks to Peter VE3NIX for aptly providing Net Control.

As most members are aware, Gerry VA3AAG moved to the Bruce Peninsula at the end of April. On April 17^th, at Gerry’s last meeting with us, he was presented with a certificate from the club. Gerry is a tough member to lose as his help with club events was really appreciated. He has served on committees in the past and his advice was immeasurable. I’m sure he’ll get active with a club up north once he gets settled into the new QTH. We wish Gerry and his XYL all the best and he promised us that he would keep in touch…so it’s not goodbye, but so-long from your friends.

Welcome to Tom Geall, VA3THG from Port Dover who joined the club on April 24^th. Tom was recently licensed and we hope you become a regular. We also had a visitor from Port Dover to that same meeting who passed his Basic license April 12^th. His callsign is pending. Hello to Brian Venuti.

April 22nd was Canada's biggest day ever in space - Chris Hadfield hooking up the new Canadian-built robot arm on space station Alpha.

At the conclusion of the seven-hour spacewalk, Mission Control congratulated Hadfield and his U.S. spacewalking partner, Scott Parazynski.

``We're real proud of your work up there getting Canadarm2 operational,'' said Steven MacLean, a Canadian astronaut working in Mission Control. ``And if you turn around and look down, I believe you're right over Newfoundland.''

The new arm will serve as a high-tech construction crane throughout the lifetime of the space station. With a hand on both ends and seven joints along its length, the arm is designed to move across the space station like an inchworm and perform chores wherever needed.

A move is underway to encourage all Canadian astronauts to get their Amateur tickets before they spend any time on the space station.

via rac.ca

Like it or not, space tourism is now a reality. Ham radio has been handed a real opportunity to shine here. We have the world’s first space tourist in the person of Dennis Tito and novice ham radio operator with the callsign of KG6FZX and the news media is following his every footsteps.

Radio Amateurs of Canada would like to invite Canadian amateurs with an interest in HF Radio Contesting to participate in a Canadian Headquarters entry in this coming July's 2001 IARU HF World Championship. Participants are welcome in any part of Canada, and we will be using various official RAC call signs.

Complete contest rules can be found in the April 2001 issue of QST magazine, or at www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/rules-iaru.html .

Interested parties can contact Derrick Belbas, VE4VV, at ve4vv@rac.ca, or by telephone at 204-224-2641, prior to 10 June 2001.

http://www.waterw.com/~weidner/arlhs/index.html

The only society devoted exclusively to maritime & ham radio, lightships, and lighthouses. The purposes for which this society is formed are:

-To promote public awareness of the role ham radio and light beacons have played in assisting and maintaining safety at sea.

- To preserve the heritage and history of lighthouses and lightships.

- To aid in preserving those lights in danger of destruction or decay.

- To recognize the keepers of the lights as maritime heroes.

- To foster camaraderie within the ham fraternity.

- To provide fellowship amongst members of the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society.

This organization conducts several contests and special events during the year and a complete calendar of events can be found on this website as well as some links to lights and maritime communications.

Hammondsport, NY: Keuka Lake ARA, KV2W, 1400-2100Z May 12, commemorating the birthday of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtis from the grounds of the Glenn Curtis Aviation Museum. 3.900 7.250 14.250 28.400. Certificate. Send an SASE to Roy Koehler, KB2WXV, PO Box 451, Avoca, NY 14809.

Newport News, VA: Peninsula Amateur Radio Club, W4MT, 1000Z May 12 to 1700Z May 13, operating at the Airpower Over Hampton Roads Air Show at Langley Air Force Base. 14.260 145.23. Peninsula Amateur Radio Club, 494 Pamela Dr, Newport News, VA 23601-1723.

Dayton, OH: Dayton Hamvention, W8BI, 1400Z May 14 to 2300Z May 20, celebrating the 50th Dayton Hamvention. 7.270 14.270 21.370 28.670. Certificate. DARA, W8BI, PO Box 44, Dayton, OH 45401.

Camden, NJ: The Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station, NJ2BB, 1500-2000Z May 26, commemorating Memorial Day and the commissioning of the battleship New Jersey. General-class bands. Certificate. Joe Cramer, PO Box 43, Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734.

Belleville, MI: Yankee Air Force Museum, W8YAF, 1200-2000Z May 28, during Memorial Day at the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport. 7.270. Certificate. Frank A Nagy, N8BIB, 24315 Waltz Rd, New Boston, MI 48164-9165

Tupelo, MS: Tupelo Amateur Radio Club, KK5K, 1200Z June 1 to 2200Z June 3, to honor Elvis Presley. 80 40 20 15 meters. Certificate. Wayne Cox, 116 Rd 1708, Saltillo, MS 38866.

Mississauga, ON: Mississauga Amateur Radio Club, VE3MIS, 1400Z-2000Z June 2 and June 3, during the 29^th Streetsville Founders Bread & Honey Festival. 7.230 14.240 28.340. Certificate. MARC, c/o Michael Brickell, 2801 Bucklepost Crescent, Mississauga, ON L5N 1X6, Canada.

Baltimore, MD: Historical Electronics Museum ARC, W3GR, 1400Z June 2 to 2100Z June 3, commemorating the role of radio in the D-Day invasion of Europe. 7.115 14.250 21.245 28.440. Certificate. HEMARC W3GR, PO Box 746, MS 4015, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Hutchinson, KS: RCKARA, WØC, 1500Z June 2 to 0300Z June 3, promoting Amateur Radio at the Cosmosphere and Space Center. 14.250 21.350 28.400. QSL. RCKARA, PO Box 273, Haven, KS 67543.

QST April 2001

BEACONet. Dust off your packet radio TNC and use it to identify band VHF openings.

WORKING SPLIT: WHAT’S THE SECRET? Master this technique and you’ll add more DX contacts to your log.

CQ April 2001

VHF/UHF HANDHELDS. A market survey with pricing and features.

THE PATCOMM PC-500. A review of this hot new dual-band transceiver.

Annual Spring Hamfest and Fleamarket. Sponsored by the Skywide ARC on May 12^th at the Westway United Church in Etobicoke 9:00 AM.

Dayton Hamvention. The Mecca of Hamfests in Ohio May 18^th to 20^th.

Field Day. See Bob VE3AVU if you are interested in participating this year on June 23^rd & 24^th.

Ontario Hamfest 2001. Sponsored by the Burlington ARC on July 7^th at the Milton Fairgrounds 9:00 AM.

VHF/UHF Spring Sprint, 50 MHz – 2300z 12 May to 0300z 13 May.

CQ WW WPX Contest – 0000z 26 May to 2400z 27 May.

ARRL June VHF QSO Party – 1800z 9 Jun to 0300z 11 Jun.

The next World Radiosport Team Championship--which some characterize as the "Olympics of Amateur Radio"--will be held next year in Finland.

WRTC 2002 will be jointly organized by Contest Club Finland and the Finnish Amateur Radio League (SRAL). The on-air competition will take place July 13-14, 2002, in conjunction with the IARU HF Championship.

Last held in Slovenia in July 2000, the WRTC involves on-air contest-style competition among two-person teams operating from the same geographical vicinity at stations having equivalent capabilities. All operation is done at 100 W with modest antennas. Participants from all continents will be selected based on their track-records in past contests.

Two Canadian amateurs have reported contacting Susan Helms at Amateur Radio Station NA1SS on the International Space station. There are probably others who have not reported. Canadian hams should send ISS QSL's to RAC headquarters.

Bill Greene VE7WFG reports a contact with Susan Helms at NA1SS on 4-20-01 at 21:50 UTC. He used a Yaesu FT-736 R running about 8 watts connected to a KLM 22 C VHF antenna mounted to a set of Yaesu G-5600B Rotators. BIll says: "Her signal was Q5 and my report back from her was a "great signal into the International Space Station from Armstrong British Columbia " .

Jack Tenant VE3AHZ reports contact with NA1SS Op Susan Helms KC7NHZ on 4-20-01 at 2201 UTC on VHF FM up 144.490 down 145.800 rig Alinco 45W ant 9 ele yagi. Signals clear.

A missionary from Michigan, killed after the plane in which she was a passenger was shot down last week in Peru, was an Amateur Radio operator.

The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, identified the dead as Veronica "Roni" Bowers, 35, and her infant daughter, Charity, seven months. Roni Bowers was KD4CKM, a Tech Plus licensee.

The Cessna 185 float plane ditched in the Amazon River after being fired upon. Bowers' husband, Jim, and their son, Cory, 6, were not seriously injured in the incident. Jim Bowers is KD4CKN, a General licensee. Pilot Kevin Donaldson was shot in the leg in the incident but survived.

Several dozen Amateur Radio Emergency Service members turned out to help in the wake of an F4 tornado that ripped through the small Central Kansas town of Hoisington April 21. The surprise twister left one dead, dozens injured and millions of dollars in damage. A weather-spotting ARES net active prior to touchdown had received reports of a funnel cloud at Hoisington, but the National Weather Service had issued no tornado warnings.

Mahatma Gandhi as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, and produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him what?......................

A super callused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis.

Contributed by Bill, VA3WRC

Some authors refer to any Morse man as a brass pounder but a brass pounder was as different from a professional telegrapher as a hill-billy fiddler is from a professional concert violinist, state some dispatchers.

This view point is shared by many roadmasters, trainmasters, dispatchers, telegraphers, and so on. The telegrapher, not the brass pounder, of 50 years ago, could read a newspaper, carry on a conversation, and copy a train order all at the same time. Although he might fall far behind the dispatcher in his copy, he was ready at the end with the correct 'OK COM' order.

But the brass pounder was slow. He could neither read nor receive fast enough to keep from breaking while copying an order. The expert can copy just about anything from anybody and he sends smoothly. The brass pounder sounds like what the words imply - as a rule, he sends slower, jerky, uneven, and has a heavy fist.

On the disagreement side, a brass pounder does not imply a lack of proficiency, and it was a common term used by most telegraphers referring to everyone who operated a key.

Another dispatcher has stated that the term applies to telegraphers in general but especially to broken down ops or those with operators' paralysis - and if they have a 'glass arm' they tended to pound the key.

Yet another chief dispatcher claims that a brass pounder referred to an expert of the old school who manipulates a hand key with great dexterity.

And the origin of the term brass pounder - no ones knows for certain.

These arguments were penned in 1917!!!