Published by the Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society, Inc. September 2016 Page 1 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016 The Rip Van Winkle Meeting is September 19th, at 7 pm at the Churchtown Fire- house RVWARS Club President and Secre- tary positions are open. CHURCHTOWN—At the September 19 th meeting, the membership will be asked to consider filling the positions for Pres- ident and Secretary of the club. These positions have recently become vacant. Anyone interested in these positions can place their name as a candidate (contact Marty N2LDR) up-to and during the Sept. 19 th meeting. If the membership agrees, we will have a Special Election at that time. If no one comes forward, the Club will ask for a nominating com- mittee to be formed to find one or more candidates for each of those two positions if still open. At the October 17 th meeting the membership will vote to accept a candidate for the open positions of President and Secretary. Hope- fully the vacancies will be filled by that time. Until the President’s position is filled, Vice– President Carl J. Verderber WA2UJX will respond as “acting President”. Carl cannot take this position because of health prob- lems, time constraints and QTH location (2o miles from the club’s sphere of influence). We know this situation comes at an incon- venient time but we are sure the club mem- bership will step up to the challenge.—Carl Verderber, President, WA2UJX Shelly also served as the historian for the club, so this position is also vacant and available to any member who is willing to serve to preserve our history. The club currently has several documents and photographs from the years the club has been in existence. The club has a long and colorful his- tory and maintenance of these records is an im- portant task.
Transcript
Published by the Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society, Inc.
September 2016
Page 1 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016
The Rip Van Winkle
Meeting is September
19th, at 7 pm at the
Churchtown Fire-
house
RVWARS Club President and Secre-
tary positions are open.
CHURCHTOWN—At the September 19th
meeting, the membership will be asked
to consider filling the positions for Pres-
ident and Secretary of the club. These
positions have recently become vacant.
Anyone interested in these positions can
place their name as a candidate (contact
Marty N2LDR) up-to and during the
Sept. 19th meeting. If the membership
agrees, we will have a Special Election
at that time. If no one comes forward,
the Club will ask for a nominating com-
mittee to be formed to find one or more
candidates for each of those two positions if
still open.
At the October 17th meeting the membership
will vote to accept a candidate for the open
positions of President and Secretary. Hope-
fully the vacancies will be filled by that
time.
Until the President’s position is filled, Vice–
President Carl J. Verderber WA2UJX will
respond as “acting President”. Carl cannot
take this position because of health prob-
lems, time constraints and QTH location (2o
miles from the club’s sphere of influence).
We know this situation comes at an incon-
venient time but we are sure the club mem-
bership will step up to the challenge.—Carl
Verderber, President, WA2UJX
Shelly also served as the historian for the club, so
this position is also vacant and available to any
member who is willing to serve to preserve our
history. The club currently has several documents
and photographs from the years the club has been
in existence. The club has a long and colorful his-
tory and maintenance of these records is an im-
portant task.
Rip Van Winkle ARS picnic 2016 —
A hot day in the park!!
Members of Rip Van Winkle ARS, along with family, enjoy food, drink and conversation at the club’s annual picnic.
CLAVERACK—Several members of the club spent a steamy August afternoon on Sunday
the 14th to partake in food and conversation at the annual picnic.
By noon time, the temperature at the Claverack Town Park had already climbed in-
to the 80’s with high humidity, as the group started to congregate at the site. Soon, the hot
dogs and hamburgers were on the grill, and everyone was appreciative of the ice-cold
drinks, as the temperature continued to climb.
The group had several interesting discussions, both ham and non-ham related as
the afternoon wore on, and temperatures continued to climb, albeit with a pleasant breeze
wafting through the pavilion at intervals.
The temperature was touching 92 degrees, when the group broke up around 3 pm,
heading home to the relief of air-conditioners and fans.
Page 2 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016
HF Operations Interrupted
By: Carl J. Verderber WA2UJX
How could I have known? What made me agree? Why didn’t I do my homework? These
are the things that make me upset and wonder how this situation got so out-of-hand.
It all started about six months ago when my son Jon asked if I wanted to up-grade the TV
located in my living room. I said “No” because the TV I have does all the things it need to
do. It is a 32 inch diagonal flat screen and I am satisfied with it.
Jon said “well Dad I have a 50 inch flat screen that I can swap with you and remember Big-
ger-is-Better”. I still said “No”!
Now remember - I didn’t bring my wife Karen into the dialog because I am and have been
the “house technical advisor” and a unilateral decision on my part has been good enough
for 49 years! Well what a surprise when I came home last Friday and found a beautiful 50
inch TV tuned into Steve Wilkow Show (my mother-in-law loves this show).
First thing I said to Karen (What the h--l is this!) to which she said “ It’s a lot bigger and
newer and you know bigger-is-better!. I thought about this for a while … she sounds ada-
mant … maybe I should keep my mouth shut. “OK “ I said. Just because I make all the
technical decisions, that doesn’t mean Karen doesn’t have a say in most household areas
and family matters. I didn’t want to start a war.
I asked “Where is the other set?” and her answer mirrored Jon’s as a swap that he can put
on his bedroom dresser. Our 32 inch screen seems to fit his dresser better.
I spent the next two days busy with projects other that working the HF bands but when I
did – Oh Boy! I was shocked! All I could hear was the deafening sound of a raspy switch-
ing supply (or maybe 5 or six supplies) coming from my new/old 50 inch Samsung Plasma
TV and on all bands at that!
Now I have a dilemma. My wife is very happy with this new TV yet while it is on I can’t be
a HAM. I can’t hear anyone. I can’t operate unless the TV is off.
What makes this situation even worse is I have only one TV and it is my 92 year old moth-
er-in-law’s babysitter! So I am stunned.
I scanned the internet for solutions for RFI from plasma TV’s none of which seem too ef-
fective.
So if you hear me operating on HF ands it will be after 11 PM for now. Listen for me and
don’t laugh because I’m crying.
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the
new year in. A pessimist stays up to make
sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan
Page 3 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016
Happy Birthday
Next Meeting
Sept. 19
Churchtown
Firehouse
2219 Cty 27
Hudson, NY
All are Welcome
Please join us on the Tuesday night for the
ARES Net on 147.210 at 7:00 PM. ALL
ARES members are welcome!
Use the EchoLink (K2RVW-R) if need be.
Your dues are important to this club! We sup-
port the operation of the repeater at between
700 and 800 dollars per year just in electric
bills. We are always upgrading and improving
and maintaining the system. Some of this ex-
pense is covered by our members. Our insur-
ance is $320 per year. Food alone for Field Day
and the picnic is over $300. We purchase some
kind of snack for each meeting at probably
around an average of $15 per month and about
another $100 plus for the goody fest. Other than
dues our income is sparse. The only substantial
income has been the fall tag sale and the goods
to sell are running out. The income from the
raffle is not a lot. Our paid roster so far in 2016
is only 45 members paid. About $600 income
from dues so far. A rough estimate is about
$1600 expense and about $600 income leaving
us in the hole for $1000. At the current rate we
will be broke in two years! I know that several
more members will pay their dues soon, but if
you could pay sooner it would make it easier to
plan. These figures are obviously a rough esti-
mate but I think you can all see the potential
dilemma looming. Please consider helping to
maintain your club. Not only dues but your at-
tendance at the meetings and your donations
toward the fall tag sale and other needed sup-
port.
Thanks, your treasurer...
Club Business ...
Carl-WA2UJX
Lee-K2HAT
Carl-KE2EB
Pete-NX2X
Tom-WE2G
Len-N2LEN
Page 4 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016
Wanted: Newsletter Editor If anyone in the club who would like to indulge your cre-
ativity, we are currently looking for someone to assume
the responsibility of providing the club members with
amateur related club news. I enjoy the task, but have
enough to do with the Treasury and Website mainte-
nance.
If you are interested, please contact Marty Miller,
N2LDR. Thanks.
Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society Repeater Operation Rules
The Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society maintains several repeaters for the use of club members as
well as for all amateur radio operators. Operation and use of these repeaters shall comply fully with the Am-
ateur Radio Service (Part 97) regulations of the Federal Communications Commission's Private Radio Ser-
vice, and the following rules of the Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society:
1. The repeaters are provided for the purposes of contacting and passing information between fellow ama-
teur radio operators, and providing service to the public as a voluntary, noncommercial communication ser-
vice, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
2. In the spirit of the Amateur Radio Service, users shall respect and support each other in a courteous and
positive manner.
3. Due to the significant usage of repeaters by mobile users during commute hours; 6:00--9:00 AM and
4:00--7:00 PM, the length of QSOs must be kept to a reasonable maximum. Conversations should be limited
to 20 continuous minutes to permit others to use the repeater. During QSO's, operators should always pause
before transmitting, to allow other stations to break in. As the 147.210 repeater is the main frequency for the
Rip Van Winkle ARS, users should consider using one of the other repeaters or simplex for longer discus-
sions.
4. Operators shall announce their call sign before transmitting any touch-tone commands, at the end of each
communication, and EVERY TEN MINUTES OR LESS during a communication.
5. There shall be ABSOLUTELY NO communications containing obscene, indecent, or profane words, lan-
guage, or denigrating inference. Discussion of political or potentially sensitive social issues should be
avoided. If such discussion is undertaken, it must be conducted in a respectful manner and not be provoca-
tive or angry in nature.
6. No person shall cause, or condone, malicious or intentional interference to anyone communicating via the
repeaters.
7. Control Operators designated by the Board and/or the Repeater Trustee are required to turn off a repeater
to terminate improper operation or use.
8. The Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society officers and repeater trustee reserve the right to forbid the
use of the repeaters by anyone who repeatedly violates these rules, or anyone who facilitates or encourages
others to violate these rules.
Page 5 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016
2016 dues are
$25.00 per indi-
vidual $30.00 for
family $5.00 for
students and
active Military
are free.
Page 6 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society September 2016
RVWARS WEB PAGE The Web Page has been updated! We
added some info on the main page to try
to keep folks aware of events. Comments
and suggestions are welcome. We will
keep Dave Clappers design at least for
now. Let me know what you think.
www.rvwars.com
Newsletters back to
June 2006 on the web
site and
Click on “newsletters”
Join our Yahoo Group at the bottom
of our web page. Www.rvwars.com
Simply enter your email address.
SOME FUN 147.210 REPEATER DTMF CODES
Site Info:
228-Outdoor Temp >
229-Indoor Temp >
230-DC Volt Bat 1 >
231-AC Volt read >
232-DC Volt Bat 2 >
**********************************
450-To check your input to the repeat-
er. Key up and type 450, when it says
“ready” QUICKLY key up and record
your short message , un-key and it will
play it back as it heard it.
WEATHER RADIO
310-ON
325-OFF
These codes will work on 449.925 as
well as 2 Meters.
I would like to add a basic weather sta-
tion sometime as well so we could ac-
cess wind speed etc. up there.
Feel Free to try them!
Resets at
1:00 AM
Daily
Daily High/Low
900
910
930
920
940
FYI RVWARS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
corporation. As such all monetary
donations are tax deductible and do-
nations of equipment are deductible.
Please consider donating your idle
equipment to the club for our use or
for sale at the annual tag sale or auc-
tion.
New DTMF codes for the New Vantage Vue Weather Station: 500-Wind Speed & Direction
501-Outside Temperature
502-Indoor Humidity
503-Outdoor Humidity
504-High Wind Speed (since mid-
night)
505-High Outside Temperature (since
midnight)
506-Low Outside Temperature (since
midnight)
Hopefully a Rain reading will be add-
ed soon. But these are what is availa-
ble at this point. The system is in-
stalled and ready to use. Please feel
free to try the codes and see what is
going on at the repeater site at Forest
Lake. (the outside temperature from the new system
is different than that from the controller. They are
different sensors.)
TO USE THE BELOW CODES SIMP-LY KEY UP AND ENTER THE CODE
Page 7 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society August 2016
Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society, Inc.
Treasurers Report
August 14, 2016
Balance Fwd. Checking Acct $2993.75
Rcpts: Dues $25.00
Donations $13.00
Total $38.00
Exp: Cumb. Farms (Field Day food) $7.67
Stan Engel (Reimburse—parts) $30.39
NYSEG $62.70
Total $100.76
Checking Bal $2930.99
Petty Cash $ 50.00
Total RVWARS monies $2980.99
WIRES-X Operating! WIRES-X is an interface to the world wide internet. It is digital work-
ing with the Fusion system. I have made a couple of contacts with it
and they are awesome audio quality! In digital mode it far exceeds the
audio quality of Echolink and DStar, The software is upgraded and
working through the repeater. You will however need a digital
UHF radio to use it. And if the WIRES-X is in use it will tie up the
repeater. I will email basic operating procedures to members as
soon as I figure them out. There are rig specific WIRES-X manuals
on the Yaesu.com web site. Some of our members have used it and
seem to be impressed. Another interesting fun mode of Amateur
Radio. And some rooms are very active.
If you have a Yaesu Fusion radio go to the Yaesu web site and down-
load the WIRES-X manual for your radio. It should walk you through
making a connection on the system available on the 449.925 repeater. I
usually have the system running while I am here. I turn it off when I
leave because I don’t know enough about it and don’t want to make a
mess.
2016 Dues
Mail to:
Rip Van Winkle ARS
PO Box 163
Ghent, NY 12075
Attn: Martin Miller, Treasurer
Or bring with you to
meeting
Make checks Payable to
RVWARS
Page 8 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society August 2016
Directions to the Rip Van Winkle ARS
meetings.
Directions from the north to Churchtown fire-house… Take exit 12 off of I90 onto route 9
south. Travel 4.6 miles to the traf-
fic circle and take the first right out
of the circle (not the mall) onto
route 9H. About 11.5 miles you
will come to a traffic light intersec-
tion of 9H and route 66. Go straight
through that light for about 3.6
miles to the next traffic light at 9H
and route 23. Again go straight
through that light for about 1.1
miles to a left turn off of 9H onto
County Route 27. It is marked.
Stay on route 27 for about 2.5
miles and the Firehouse is on the
right with a sign out front. Park in
the lot just before the building.
Firehouse from RVW Bridge and 9G.
From the intersection of 9G and
Route 23 take 23 about 2.7 miles to
the traffic light at the intersection
of Route 9. Go straight through the
traffic light and travel about 2.7
miles on route 9 to the next traffic
light at the intersection of 9H and
82. Turn left at that light onto
Route 9H about 2.8 miles to Coun-
ty 27. Stay on route 27 for about
2.5 miles and the Firehouse is on
the right with a sign out front. Park
in the lot just before the building.
For your information...
We have the antenna and have the cables and switches for the HF station in the Churchtown Firehouse. We should have a station set up and working soon so that we might do some operating on meeting nights.
THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS DOCUMENT IS UNDERGOING A
MAKEOVER. IT WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE MEMBERSHIP WHEN
FINISHED!
Join the RVWARS Yahoo Group. Go to the
www.rvwars.com web site and scroll to the bottom of the
page and simply enter your email
address into the box.
The new computer needed to upgrade
the system is in place and working
properly.
Thanks again Barry.
The repeaters are as follows:
The 147.210 repeater is unchanged! Using
a MTR-2000 with no PL tone required.
However there is a tone encoded at 110.9
Hz if you want to set up Tone Squelch on
your receiver.
The 449.925 Fusion repeater now requires
a PL tone of 110.9 Hz and also encodes that
tone for the use of your Tone Squelch.
The 224.280 repeater is completely un-
changed and works like a champ.
The NEW 147.015 Fusion repeater does
not require a PL tone but also encodes a
tone at 110.9 for the use of your tone
squelch.
The new 147.015 antenna is 80’ lower than the 147.210 antenna but seems to work
just as good as the 147.210…
There are some scratchy’s on our signals when the wind blows hard on the hill. That
apparently is just the nature of the Super Stationmaster antennas. We have talked
about changing them but that would be expensive and we would have a problem find-
ing a tower climber that is qualified by Insite Towers Company.
RVWARS REPEATER
CHATTER
Page 9 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society August 2016
The Meeting
room in the
Churchtown
Firehouse is
HUGE. Bring
yourself and lots
of other folks.
RVWARS ON
FACEBOOK!
There is now a group on Fa-
cebook for the Rip Van Win-
kle Amateur Radio Society.
Just search for the above.
There are currently 13 mem-
bers since Tom started the
group about a month ago.
Please join in!
ARRL has just published anoth-
er PowerPoint Jeopardy-type
game for instructors to use in
exam-prep classes for the Gen-
eral-class test. The game was
produced by our own W2XM.
The new game, and several old
ones, can be found at http://
www.arrl.org/instruction-exam-
practice-and-review.
Join us for our next Meeting
At the Churchtown Firehouse
Maybe we could add an
elected position to the club
as a “Reporter” to gather
some news so that I have
something to print each
month. I NEED NEWS
FOR THIS NEWSLET-
TER!
We are making badges for member that pay their dues. The purpose of the
badge is so that we will know that you paid your dues and also show that you are
a voting member of the club.
If you have paid your dues please pick up your ID badge at the meeting.
Page 10 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society August 2016
From the West RVW Bridge or 9G take Rt 23 to the 9H intersection and either go North to School House Rd and to Churchtown
Firehouse or go through the light and take Bells Pond Road to the Firehouse. From the North or from Hudson go south on 9H, from
the traffic light in Claverack, about 1 mile, to County Route 27 on the left then 2.4 miles to the Firehouse.
Park in the lot to the right of the Firehouse and enter through the Main Entrance. Someone will be listening to the repeater and will
help you if need be. “FIREHOUSE” is indicated on the right side of the map.
It’s right here,
Please join us!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Churchtown Firehouse
Please consider adding content to our Newsletter: Any Ham Related articles, particularly those re-lated to the Rip Van Winkle ARS or other local clubs are greatly appreciated. Please include pictures and images if possible. We would also like to hear your opinions about what is happening with the club. Please submit any material for inclusion to the Newsletter to: [email protected]
FOR SALE
For the news letter
Anyone interested it this package.
MFJ 962 tuner
Ten-Tek HF rig
Forty foot crank up tower
CDR rotor & cable
Coax cable
Tri Beam Ant
You have to take it down
Price total-----$550.00
Wa2uyy
Ron Coons Sr.
518-945-3731
If your ad is no
longer valid please
let me know.
Page 11 Rip’s Report — Rip Van Winkle Amateur Radio Society August 2016
