September Meeting

                Planning for the December Holiday Dinner/Meeting were commenced with Tom W9TJ offering to contact The Lantern Restaurant about possible arrangements for a meeting on Wednesday December 8^th at 1930 local.

BPL News

                In a heartening development, several utilities have abandoned their BPL trials claiming that the technology isn’t “commercially deployable”  However other systems have been the source of numerous interference complaints and have been asked by the ARRL to be shut down, so far without success.  On October 14, the FCC will hold an Open Commission Meeting with BPL as agenda item numero uno to consider a Report and Order to change the rules regarding BPL.  This meeting will be available as a Realplayer webcast.

Help Wanted

                The Illinois State Police, Communications Services Bureau, has several openings for FCC licensed Radio Technicians, known as C.E.T. or Communication Equipment Technicians.  The openings exist in State Police District's 1, 5, 8, 17, and 19.  The first four listed Districts are in the North-central part of the State and D19 is in the SE section of the State.  A State exam is required for the position and if you take the exam, it puts you on the call up list for an interview.  Your exam status remains for two years and the higher your score the better chance of being called for an interview. You must also have an FCC General Radiotelephone License or equivalent (APCO approved) before taking the State exam for the position within the Communications Services Bureau, Radio Network Service Section.  If anyone is interested, please call Gene (WA9TZL) Kramer’s  office at the Illinois State Police, District 11 at 618-346-3664.  There are three levels of CET, i.e., CET I, CET II, and CET III.

Member News

                Bob Parrish, W9BP, enjoys chasing DX.  He recently had his application for 5-Band DXCC approved by the ARRL.  He also qualified for the 30,17, and 12 meter endorsements which gives him 8 bands of DXCC…quite an accomplishment.  QSO’s used were from 1994 to 2004 and antennas used were a Gap Challenger vertical as well as an attic mounted G5RV.  Bob says that over 95% of the contacts were made barefoot at 100 watts or less with the remained, primarily those on 80 meters, being made with the assistance of a 500 watt amplifier.  Congrats to Bob!

Contest Calendar Highlights

Illinois QSO Party                1800Z, Oct 17 to 0200Z, Oct 18          http://my.core.com/~jematz/ilqso04.html for rules

Jamboree on the Air            0001 local Oct 17 to 2359 local Oct 18               http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html for info

CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB                      0000Z, Oct 30 to 2400Z, Oct 31

ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW                     2100Z, Nov 6 to 0300Z, Nov 8

ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB                     2100Z, Nov 20 to 0300Z, Nov 22

CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW                       0000Z, Nov 27 to 2400Z, Nov 28

Fox Hunt

                The K9GXU Foxhunt was held (sort of) on October 9.  Charlie N9BPK and Lou KB9UEF were the hiders with the assistance of Bob KC9AEC.  Harry Saunders W4KJ (SCARC past-president) and his YL Penny also showed up at Mel Price Park along with your humble editor, who had not planned to hunt.  Unfortunately, Harry and <name> also elected not to hunt but to rather check on Ted, K9HUH who had worried us by being unreachable Saturday by either radio or telephone.  Seeing as no other people were even theree, much less hunting, Mike KB9WQJ begged the loan of Bob KC9AEC’s yagi and attenuator so that someone would be hunting the fox.  Bob drove under Mike’s direction and was careful to give no clues.  Mike eventually found the fox and a nice picnic was held with KB9UEF, KC9AEC, W9BPK, and KB9WQJ and others in attendance.

                Your humble editor thinks this sort of poor turnout reflects rather poorly on the club and urges all amateurs reading this to get on out at the next fox hunt whenever that gets scheduled.  If you’ve not hunted before, try it and see what fun it is.  If you have hunted before, keep your interference-finding skills sharp (we may need it…see BPL News above).  If you think you’re pretty good, come out and prove it!  Nothing on the line except braggin’ rights.