Amateur Radio From Loudoun County VA

=>=>NO MEETING IN DECEMBER!!!<=<=

NOTE: Next Meeting, January 17, 1998, 8:30 at the El Rancho Plus

November Club Meeting Report

We had a good turnout at the November meeting. The first excitement of the meeting occurred before the business meeting could begin or even breakfast started! We all adjourned to Tony’s parking lot with HT’s in hand to listen for SPUTNIK Jr. to pass overhead. Everyone was able to hear the distinctive “beep beep” as the satellite passed from northwest to southeast.

Norm, AI2C, presented his idea to have an annual 10-meter DX contest just for LARG club members. The club unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed his plan. The contest starts January 1, 1998, and the rules and a sample of a sample log sheet that you can copy and use for the contest are included with this newsletter on a separate sheet. (For starters, the ARRL 10-meter contest this month will give you a good rehearsal as to propagation and general band conditions for next year.)

The club appointed Charlie, K4LJH, and Ray, K4AJA, as a nominating committee for 1998 LARG officers. If you would like have your name on the ballot or want to nominate someone else, give Ray (338-7297) or Charlie (338-4152) a call.

The club discussed incorporating LARG and would like to pursue this, but we need someone to step forward to follow up on the steps required to incorporate. Contact one of the officers if you would like to take on this chore. As usual, we all enjoyed the mini hamfest; many great bargains were found and lots of “valuable” electronics exchanged hands.

January Club Meeting Notes

Gary, NC4S, has volunteered to organize a LARG effort in the Virginia QSO Party this year. This event is the weekend of March 21 and 22, and we need as many club members as possible to participate. Gary will be explain the contest rules and getting information to everyone interested in helping the club to move up to the top of club scores for 1998. We finished in third place last year, and from looking at the other scores LARG stands an excellent chance at second place and even first, if we get a good turnout.

We will have nomination and election of officers for 1998 at the meeting. Remember, you have to attend the meeting to vote, but you don’t have to be present to be elected to an office!

Gary and Tom, WB9RXJ, are working on a club QSL card and may be presenting some ideas at the January meeting.

Paul, N4PD, will give his final report on the novice/tech course that LARG taught this past fall at Ida Lee and will discuss having another license course this spring. In brief, we now have 5 new Technician class hams in western Loudoun; two more passed the novice written exam and two others have yet to take the tests. Look for Craig, KF4UUU; Earl, KF4UUX; Mark, KF4UUW; and Mary, KF4UUY on the air and welcome them to the great world of Amateur Radio!!

Club News

We had 4 LARG members active in the CW portion of the CQ WW DX contest at the end of November. Norm, AI2C, John, W4AU, and Paul, N4PD, were joined by Mike, W0YR, who was home from Hungary for Thanksgiving. We will be sending in our combined scores as an entry in the club category. Charlie, K4LJH, has been hammering out a distinctive CW tone with his 1929 Hartley oscillator in the Antique Wireless contest for pre-1930 vintage transmitters. It was a pleasant surprise for a few of us to chat with Jack, W0PLX, on the WA4TSC repeater when he was up this way a while ago; Jack was one of the founding members of LARG. Speaking of Jack, Dale, KD4LSL, journeyed to Charlottesville earlier this month to pick up a tower that was generously donated to the club by Jack; now we will have even more options for antennas at Field Day. Gary, NC4S, now has his tower adorned with a new triband beam and is finding all sorts of new DX to work. It’s nice to have Temp, W4HZV, back on the local scene after his sojourn to the southland in his new RV and mobile HF shack. John, W4AU, learned that his windom really does have a signal on the “top band, 160-meters, and had a good time in the ARRL 160 Meter Contest. We were amazed to be able to work 34 ARRL/CRRL sections with low power and a marginal antenna

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