Inside..
-
NIMS / ICS
-
ICM Going out of business
- Alkaline batteries OK for Landfills
-
Survey Question
-
Getting this Newsletter
-
Moving Forward
-
My Final
************
NIMS / ICS
Training
Hey
Gang, I’ve got new numbers to show off to all of you.. Here’s the latest count we have on everyone..
Members in the database 674. Members
completing all 4 required NIMS courses 454.
Total Number of the Courses taken by everyone in the database 4423,
Here’s the link so that you can find out if your name is on the
list.. http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/special/nims_roster.html
Why
are these courses so important? The simple answer is this - without these
courses, you are not trained! Without the training, you can’t be used!
Now,
get those oh – so important ICS certificates in to me and to your Emergency Coordinator, and don’t forget to include your call sign!!
Here’s
where you can get all of this information
http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/training.html. This page
contains a lot of information about what is needed. Each course takes about an
hour or so to take, that’s really not much to ask now is it? You spent way more
than that to get your Amateur Radio operators license!
I
also highly recommend that you get used to looking at the Ohio Section
Website.. http://arrl-ohio.org as it changes all
the time. You’ll also want to visit the Ohio Section Emergency Coordinators
page frequently too http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/default.html
************
International
Crystal Manufacturing Going Out of Business
(from
ARRL Bulletins)
International
Crystal Manufacturing (ICM) of Oklahoma City
has announced that it will be going out of business, probably at the end of
May. Royden Freeland Jr., W5EMH, son of the company’s founder, posted
a letter this week on the ICM website.
“We
will be honoring all orders that we have already taken and will be able to fill
a limited amount of new orders dependent upon raw materials available,”
Freeland said. “We would like to thank you for your past business. The success
of ICM over the previous 66 years has been largely due to its amazing customer
base.”
International
Crystal produces RF control devices — quartz crystals, oscillators, QCM
crystals, filters, TCXOs/VCTCXOs, and precision crystals.
Royden
R. Freeland Sr. founded International Crystal in 1950, at first operating out
of his garage. One of his first contracts was to produce crystals for Collins
Radio. The elder Freeland and his wife died in a 1978 air crash, and his son
took over the company, which expanded into the production of other electronics
in the 1980s.
In
the 1990s, though, it sold off some of its equipment and distribution business
to concentrate on its core enterprise — the manufacture of crystal and
oscillator products.
The
announcement caught some manufacturers off guard, and they are seeking to
source the products they had been buying from ICM, one of the few remaining
US-based manufacturer of crystal products. Radio amateurs requiring crystals
for projects or as replacement parts for older equipment also will have to look
elsewhere.
Ironically,
International boasts on its website that it’s “a proud supplier to RadioShack,”
which, for the second time in 2 years, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy this
week.
************
Alkaline batteries
OK for Landfills
(from
the Monday Morning Message)
When
taking a load of batteries to the recycle center recently, I was told that they
are no longer accepting Alkaline cells. Their reason is that alkaline batteries
are now approved for the landfill.
Being
the skeptical sort, I checked further, and found that since 1993, Duracell has
discontinued the use of Mercury in their batteries. The cells manufactured since
are approved for the landfills.
According
to their website, “you should recycle rechargeable, lithium, lithium ion, and
zinc air batteries.”
************
Hey
Gang,
There’s
a NEW survey question on the website. I think you’ll find this question really
interesting. You’ll find it on the left side of the main page.. http://arrlohio.org Don’t forget, once you’ve voted to go back
and take a look at how your answer stacks up with everyone elses..!!
************
Are you getting
those emails
from me? If not, all you have to do is to “Opt-In” to receive them.
Heck,
just send me an email: n8sy@n8sy.com and let me know
that you want to be added. It’s really just that easy. Please, if you know of
anyone that would be interested in this information, feel free to pass it on to
them. You don’t have to be an ARRL member or even a ham to receive these emails.
You
can always “Opt-Out” at any time if you feel this is not what you
were expecting.
Also..
are you viewing the Ohio Section Website on a regular basis? You should, it
changes all the time. Here’s a link to it.
http://arrlohio.org
************
Moving Forward
(from
Tom Sly, WB8LCD and the Radiogram)
Sometimes
we get stuck. We can't move forward. It can happen in our job, it can happen in
our relationships, it can happen in our hobby. The whole key to moving forward
is to remain engaged – in other words: Don't just sit there – DO Something!
But, what are you going to do? If you're feeling a bit unmotivated, uninspired,
unable to get going, here's some things to think about doing that can help you
get back in gear, help you get moving forward again.
Teach
a Class: Help someone else get their license and get involved in the hobby.
You'll be amazed at how much you forgot about Amateur Radio, and at the same
time you might just be amazed at how much you remember. New hams are vital to
the continuation of the Amateur Radio Service – and you could be an important
part of its overall survival. Teaching the General or Extra class might just
give you an opportunity to learn some things you never understood before!
Become
a VE: Test sessions happen all the time, and VE's are important to their
success. Work with all the clubs in your area to make their test sessions a
success. Volunteer at the local hamfests. Look for opportunities as schools,
with the Boy/Girl Scouts.
Build
Something: Work to your level of competence. Even building a crystal set can
give you a sense of accomplishment and bring back some of the awe and amazement
of how radio works, even in its simplest forms. (get yourself a grandkid,
niece, nephew or young neighbor and include them to open their eyes to radio!)
Work from a kit. Rejuvenate a piece of old gear. Try a new antenna. Maybe even
build a new operating desk – get everything neat and tidy in the shack and you
might feel better about sitting in the chair and getting on the air!
Chase
Awards: Already Worked All States? That was easy. How about DXCC? Want a real
challenge? Try Worked All Counties (there's 3077 counties in the US). You might
have to learn some efficient operating habits, some propagation science, and
some ERP boosting techniques. Set a goal, then get on the air and complete it.
DXpedition:
You don't have to spend $100,000+ to go somewhere freezing cold to operate
from. Remember those 3077 US counties? Some of those are sparsely populated and
you could be a real hero for activating them. Like working from the Ohio State
Parks (especially during OSPOTA)? Other states have them too! (A number of
years ago, I had a ball working portable from Chimney Rock State Park in North
Carolina) Check out “Summits on the Air” (SOTA) and you'll find a lot of neat
places to operate from. Use your imagination here, come up with something
unique and get the word out about it ahead of time. Working the pile-ups is a
lot of fun!
EmComm:
Get involved with your local ARES® / RACES or other emergency communications
groups. Emergency communications is a lot more organized now than what it may
have been in the past. Ham Radio is actually more highly regarded as a more
important component in the overall emergency response plans both nationally and
locally. There will be lots of new stuff to learn and you'll do lots of public
service in the guise of training. If ever needed, you'll be providing a
valuable public service.
************
My Final.. Yes..
It’s Monday.. BUT…. Go have FUN..!!
73,
Scott,
N8SY..
eof..
