ARRL Hudson Division
 November 2002
 Hudson Division Beacon - e-mail edition 
By Frank Fallon, N2FF, Director, Hudson Division, ARRL
 30 East Williston Avenue, East Williston, NY 11596
 (516) 746-7652
 n2ff@arrl.org
 Hudson Division Home Page - http://www.hudson.arrl.org
 
ARRL Members
 
Please continue to spread the word to others that may want to receive
this information that they will need to access the ARRL members only web
site. After becoming a member they must edit their profile and elect to
receive bulletins from the Section Manager and Director. If you are
already a member on the ARRL site (http://www.arrl.org) from the
"Members Only" box click on "members data page" and then under email
notification options set "Division/Section notices" to YES. You will
receive the next bulletin sent.
 
ALERT: The CQ WW CW Contest is the weekend AFTER Thanksgiving this
year! Hamfest are over until next year. The first event will be HRU2003
on Sunday January 19, 2003.
Have a GREAT Thanksgiving!
 
> DIVISION CABINET AND CLUB PRESIDENTS MEETING DECEMBER 7th
 
A reminder in case you misplaced snail mail sent in October: the Hudson
Division Cabinet and Club President's Meeting will be held on Saturday
morning, December 7th at the Paramus Congregational Church from 9 AM to
2PM. There will be coffee, donuts and bagels in the morning and pizza
for lunch. It should be an interesting exchange of information and
ideas. The meeting is open only to club presidents and members of the
Hudson Division Cabinet. Should you not be able to attend, please send
a club officer or director in your place. 
 
Paramus Congregational Church Enter basement at side of church.
205 Spring Valley Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
 
 From New York City GWB to NJ. Take Route 4 West to the Paramus area.
Exit at the Spring Valley Road Exit (go right, toward Oradell/River
Edge). Go through the light and the church is the second one on the
left almost across from the Middle school. Entrance is the basement on
side of the church.
 
 From Route 17 North and South, Take the Century Road Exit and go East
toward River Edge. Go up hill thru light, down hill to next light and
turn Left. Paramus High School is on your left. Go to second church on
the left. 
 
mapquest.com has good directions if anyone is confused. Just plug in
the address of the church. 
 
> HUDSON DIVISION AWARDS DINNER HONORS THREE
 
A capacity crowd of almost ninety Amateur Radio Operators, family
members, and elected ARRL officials filled the banquet room of Biagio's
Ristorante, in Paramus, NJ, on November 9th, for the third biennial ARRL
Hudson Division Convention Awards Dinner. Convention Coordinator Joyce
Birmingham, KA2ANF, began the evening by welcoming those in attendance
and was then joined by Dinner co-Coordinator Gerry Agliata, W2GLA, for
the evening's presentations. Both are Hudson Division Assistant
Directors.
 
"At Awards Dinners such as this, we get a chance to honor those
important volunteers who stand above the rest of the crowd," stated
Frank Fallon, N2FF, Hudson Division Director, "Amateur Radio and ARRL
work because of these volunteers." In his speech Director Fallon
pointed out, "All our award winners have at least three things in
common. They all love Amateur Radio; they are all volunteers, and they
have all enriched our collective experience of Amateur Radio simply be
being part of this great hobby. That's why we need to recognize them
and thank them."
 
The Hudson Division Convention Awards Dinner, instituted six years ago
by Director Fallon, is currently held every two years and this year it
was hosted by the 10-70 Repeater Association. The 10-70 Officers are: 
President - Frank Occidentale, N2ZNF; Vice President - Joyce Birmingham,
KA2ANF; Secretary - Paul Beshlian, KC2CJW; and Treasurer - Carollee
Ognibene, W2NLX.
 
Tom Carrubba, KA2D, received the Amateur of the Year Award. As the ARRL
NYC/LI Section Emergency Coordinator, he coordinated the out-of-area
response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks,responding to thousands
of e-mails and telephone calls from hams wanting to help out and he
interfaced with the surrounding sections. His leadership in emergency
communications and response has had an impact well outside of the New
York City Metropolitan Area.
 
He was the keynote speaker at the ARES Forum at the Dayton Hamvention in
May, 2002, where he urged all ham operators to be prepared in the event
of an emergency and to join ARES. He was also named to the prestigious
"Top Gun Award", in 2002, sponsored by the Kenwood Corporation.
 
The award was sponsored by the Order of Boiled Owls of New York. Other
award nominees for the Amateur of the Year included: Paul Beshlian,
KC2CJW; Michael Adams, WA2MWT; Murray Braverman, K2KJC; and Jeff
Schneller, N2HPO. 
 
Dave Watrous, WD2K, of Schodack Landing, NY (ENY Section) was chosen for
the "Grand OLE Ham" Award, for lifetime contributions to the Amateur
Radio Service. Even though he is handicapped from contacting polio as a
youngster, he has been active in providing communications for public
events.
 
He has been chairman of countless field days, and is active in both ARES
and RACES. He has been an Elmer to many new hams, and has been acting
manager of the Capital District Net and active in NYS CW and ESS nets. 
Dave has been known to go to out-of-the-way places that were not
handicap accessible, making sure that there were enough VE's available
to administer the various examinations.
 
Due to health reasons, Dave was unable to attend but Eastern New York
Section Manager, Pete Cecere, N2YJZ, spoke eloquently about Dave long
service despite his handicap as a result of polio as a boy.
 
The other nominee for the "Grand OLE Ham" Award was Richard O'Brien,
NJ2J, and the Award was sponsored by the 10-70 Repeater Association and
the family of Andrew Birmingham, WB2RQX SK. Mr. Birmingham was a
long-time president of the 10-70 and extremely active in many facets of
Amateur Radio.
 
Tom Marin, W2RN, was the recipient of the Hudson Division Technical
Achievement Award, for unselfish contributions of his technical
expertise to the ham community. Employed by NBC News in their
Electronic Engineering Department, he provides all of the equipment and
technical oversight for the W2RN/R, 443.750, one of the premier UHF
repeaters on the East Coast.
 
But more important than his material contribution is his unselfish
devotion to helping other amateurs, who do not possess his background in
the technical aspects of ham radio. Many an "old-timer" and "newcomer"
have been helped by Tom to bring a rig or repeater back from the dead
Mario Karcich, K2ZD pointed out while introducing recipient Tom.
 
The North Jersey DX Association sponsored the award. The other nominees
for the Technical Achievement Award were Richard O'Brien, NJ2J; and
Forest Gehrke, K2BT. 
 
Other guest speakers included Assemblyman Matthew J. Ahearn, KB2PNN
(D-38), and Lawrence M. Lutzak, WA2CNV, President of the Metropolitan
Coordination Association. Assemblyman Ahearn spoke fondly of receiving
his license at the age of 15 and then achieving an ROTC Scholarship, to
Rutgers University, after impressing the scholarship committee with his
knowledge of non-traditional high school subjects - Amateur Radio.
 
Assemblyman Ahearn stated that he will shortly file the antenna bill in
the New Jersey Assembly. He is seeking a co-sponsor in the New Jersey
State Senate, to sponsor legislation, which would exempt towers of 70'
or less from requiring variances from local municipal planning boards. 
Congressman Ahearn contacted Director Fallon offering to sponsor the New
Jersey PRB-1 Antenna Bill. His nephew, Peter Gonzalves, KB2SBS, is a
member of the Ramsey Office of Emergency Management, and the Assemblyman
is well acquainted with the need for amateur radio communications, in
time of emergencies.
 
Larry Lutzak, has been the President of MetroCor for the past six months
and is compiling a listing of all of the Repeater clubs in the NYC
Metropolitan Area for the ARRL Repeater Directory. MetroCor is updating
a list of changes to insure that there are no conflicts with frequencies
or unregistered repeaters.
 
Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, Hudson Division Assistant Director who acted as
chair of this year's Award Committee introduced the committee and
explained the selection process to those attending.
 
Gratitude was expressed to the hams who nominated the candidates for the
Hudson Division Awards. They included: WA2PFS, N2ZNP, N2OPJ, WB2CRD,
KB2KLH, K2BTP, N2GA, K2IQN, K2KJC, K2LCV, KC2AGM, NA2M, K3BU, K2ZD,
K2QW, and K2KRF.
 
More than thirty door prizes were handed out and everyone left with a
"loot bag." ARRL, CQ Communications, Hal Communications, Kenwood, QRX
DX The Daily DX, Writelog, World Radio, and The QSL Man - W4MPY
contributed prizes or magazines for the "loot bag." It was a fun event
and many like Gene Niemec, K2KJI, of KJI Electronics in Caldwell, NJ are
asking to do it again next year. (I would love to do it every year -
N2FF)
 
The 10-70 repeater is located in the Ramapo Mountains of Northern New
Jersey and the group has earned the reputation as "The Friendly
Repeater". Information on the club can be obtained by calling the
Hotline at 201-445-5172 or visiting the website at http://www.10-70.org
.
 
(Large portions of this article were submitted by Michael Adams,
WA2MWT)
 
> THE DIAMOND CLUB…….by RICH GELBER, K2WR, Assistant Director, Hudson
Division
 
Like many of you, I recently received a mailing from ARRL concerning a
new program that's been established called the "Diamond Club".
 
Many of us became life members back in the 1970's or early '80's, when
the cost was so low as to make it a no-brainer".
 
Since then, after a few years of feeling proud of myself for taking
advantage of such obvious savings, I've felt guilty for taking such a
"free ride".
 
Presumably, everybody reading this is already an ARRL member, so you
shouldn't need to be convinced that ARRL is our only national voice, and
our only source of influence over government. However, please take a
moment and consider the following:
 
ARRL is not just a magazine subscription. It is an organization that
cannot succeed without the active involvement of its members. The field
organization is large and complex, and it takes money to run. So do
W1AW, DX and Contest programs, educational programs, and representation
on long-term spectrum allocation projects. There have been individual,
focussed, fund-raising drives in the past, such as WARC Conference
support, W1AW funds, and so forth, but the Diamond Club is the first
time that a structured opportunity has been put together for those who
want to give "over and above" to support the League's (and our own)
goals financially, on a regular basis. I could list the amenities
offered as Diamond Club membership inducements, but this whole effort is
not really about a nice pin, or publication discounts, or first-class
delivery of QST, all of which can be obtained with an appropriate level
of Diamond Club membership. The cost of the minimum level of membership
has been lowered to $50, for existing Life Members only, so that as many
of us as possible who feel guilty for not giving enough can get in as
Charter Members of the Diamond Club.
 
Different pins and membership levels follow up the ladder to numbers
that few of us could ever afford, but the minimum level of $50 is not a
lot to ask from those of us who haven't had to support ARRL financially
for many years. I'm looking ahead thirty years from now, when I expect
to be well-entrenched in retirement and using our current and future
frequencies to the maximum possible extent, and certainly to a much
greater degree than I have time for now. To the extent that those
frequencies are still available for our use, it will be in large part
thanks to the support that we all give to the Diamond Club right now, to
assure that ARRL's continuing ability to work to protect our spectrum is
much less susceptible to year-to-year variations in membership numbers
and publication sales.
 
Recently, I stopped by HQ in Newington and had the privilege of becoming
one of the first members of Diamond Club. I truly believe that everyone
who has been licensed for over 10 years (showing a degree of long-term
commitment to Amateur Radio) and is gainfully employed, has an
obligation to do this. (Which Hudson Division Club will be the first to
be 100% Diamond Club?) Please send in as much as you can afford (or
more, at least to start with). Every dollar the ARRL spends is spent FOR
YOUR BENEFIT, in protecting and promoting this great hobby that we all
share. If you wake up 30 years from now, and your favorite mode or band
is no longer available, IT WILL BE TOO LATE. de K2WR
 
> FIELD DAY RESULTS IN DECEMBER QST
 
Any day now you will be able to read all about it before Thanksgiving
Day. Check the Members only page at http://www.arrl.org if you can't
wait. That's what I did. You could have put your groups pictures and
comments up there for the world to see. Check
http://arrl.org/contests/soapboxes and remember to get someone in the
club or group to tell your story there next year. 
 
Entries reflected participation by some 34,948 persons for an increase
of over 9% from 2001. Some 35% of all eligible groups set-up a GOTA
station. Last year only 17% had a Novice/Technician station. Two A was
the most popular category with 518 stations submitting logs while 3A had
333 participants. The total number of QSO reports was 1,424,222 which
is 5,600 more than last year. NNJ had 41 entries followed by NLI with 27
and ENY with 18.
 
The Cherryville Reapeater Association , W2GD, once again came in with a
great score. They were number 4 in the country with 20,112 in 4A with
57 operators. It's important to note that the three stations with
higher scores were in 38A, 8A, and 28A. They were less than 500 points
below the station above them which had 28 transmitters and more than
2000 points above the fifth place station, NP4A, who was also in 4A, but
in an much more exotic section. If they ever start cooking the burgers
at the Cherryville Field Day I expect the score will drop. Well done,
Cherryville.
 
Here is another amazing division and nation wide feat: In 3A the Sussex
County ARC placed number one nation-wide with 4176 QSO's from 30
operators. In 2000 there were number two USA. In fact four division
clubs were in the top 15 places USA in a field of 156 entrants. 
Congratulations Sussex, County Line, West Jersey DX, and Poughkeepsie. 
 It appears NNJ has a lock on the QSO generating operators. 
 
My own club, The Boiled Owls, did well again this year with only nine
operators we came in tops in 2A Commercial again. Perhaps this was
because our cook, K2AW, of Silicon Alley diode fame, was at the first
Field day in 1933.
 
The Top Division Station in each category were:
 
1A Battery - 2nd Division, USSC - KE2UK - 25 Q's
1A West Essex ARC (NNJ) W2EF 685
 Rejects and Derelicts RC - Kt2F (NNJ) 168
 NJIT ARC K2MFF (NNJ) 131
2A Battery - New Providance ARC N2XJ + WK2I (NNJ) 957 (7th US)
 Knickkerbocker ARC WA2OEG (NLI) 57
2A Hudson Valley Contesters amnd DX'ers W2UG =W2MU (ENY 2448
 Eastern ARS K2EC +KC2OJ (NLI) 2200
 Ocean Monmouth ARC N2MO =W1GD (NNJ) 1743
 Middletown ARC W2MAR +W2EM (NNJ) 1671
 Long Island Mobile ARC W2VL (NLI) 1199
 Peconic ARC W2AMC (NLI) 1452 
 Vintage Iron RC N3KR N3OD (NNJ) 1578
 Morris Radio Club W2YD (NNJ) 1018
 Radio Central ARC and Suffolk County ARC W2RC +W2DQ (NLI) 949
 Bergen ARA K2BAR (NNJ) 856
2A Commercial Order of Boiled Owls KW2O (NLI) 2011 (Also top in US)
 
3A Battery Tri County RA W2LI (NNJ) 930
 Hall of Science ARC WB2JSM (NLI) 270
 RECWA WA2GUG (NLI) 185
3A Sussex County ARC W2VL +WV2V (NNJ) 4176 (Top USA) 30 ops
 County Line ARA of NW NJ W2C (NNJ) 2708 (Fourth USA)
 West Jersey DX Group W2EN +W2RD (NNJ) 2641 (Ninth USA)
 Garden State ARA W2GSA (NNJ) 910
 Ramapo Mt., ARC WA2SNA (NNJ) 970
 Rip Van Winkle ARS K2RVW (ENY) 585
 Spouthern Berkshires ARC W1BAA/2 (ENY) 436
 Kings County RC W2RAK +WA3YRE (NLI) 632
 Vernon RACES W2VER (NNJ) 553
 Nutley ARS W2GLQ (NNJ) 474
 Staten Island ARA W2CWW (NLI) 317
3A Commercial Splitrock ARA K2RF (NNJ) 1072 35 ops
4A Battery KB2UYH (ENY) 215
4A Cherryville Repeater Assn II, Inc W2GD +W2CRA (NNJ) 6626 (Top USA in
4A and also nr 4 USA overall 57 ops
 Nassau ARC K2VN +K2MGR (NLI) 1828 26 ops
 Troy ARA N2TY (ENY) 1461 47 ops
 Yonkers ARC W2YRC +N2ROD (ENY) 913 47 ops
 Saratoga County RACES WA2UMX (ENY) 875 32 ops
4A Commercial Cirri Memorial RC KC2JTC (NNJ) 75 
5A Schenectady ARA K2AE +W2XM (ENY) 2553(number 8 USA)50 ops
 Great South Bay ARC W2GSB (NLI) 1819 81 ops
6A Westchester Emergency Comm Assn. (WECA) N2SF +KB2PMD (ENY) 2673 (nr
5 USA) 48 ops
 Kings County RA ARC WA2ZWP +AB2LB (NLI) 718
12A 10-70 Repeater Assn N2SE +K2DBK (NNJ) 2201 (top UDSA) 86 ops 
 
I received this note which alerted me that the results were available
on the web page:
 
You should be happy to know NLI section call AA2MF took FIRST PLACE
class 1D High Power Field Day 2002. Last year we were edged out by a
Colorado station. This year we took first place with over 400 more Q's.
Ed NT2X and I Rich AA2MF worked from my station in Station Island under
my call AA2MF. We almost did it last year and we did it this year from a
city lot station with an antenna area of 25 X 44 feet. If we could do it
others could also if they realized it can be done.
 
Spread the word, Frank. Successful Ham Stations can operate from the
city.
 
Rich AA2MF
 
> METROCOR SETS DEADLINE….. the following reminder is from the MetroCor
website
 
On October 24, 2002 the first coordination documents of MetroCor have
been issued for repeater systems that have had no changes from their
prior coordinations. 
 
This event marks the first time for any organization to issue any
coordination documents within the NNJ/NYC/LI area that was covered
TSARC. 
  
In the weeks that follow MetroCor will continue to issue more
coordination documents and will be contacting the organizations so they
can be presented at their meetings. The first documents to be issued
will be those that have no system changes and those that have had system
changes will be verified and handled after those.
 
All repeater organizations are encouraged to file with MetroCor by
December 1, 2002, so that we may meet the publishing deadlines of the
various repeater directories.
 
If you have not yet filed coordination application(s) with MetroCor,
please go to htttp://www.qsl.net/metrocor/, download the required forms
and mail them to the address posted on our web site. If this is not
done we will be forced to list your repeater as uncoordinated in the
repeater directories.
 
> DIVISION HAM QST AUTHOR
 
Here is an example of what you can do once your retire. A big thanks to
Bob Wheeler, ND2M, of Chatam, NJ for "The EQ5+ Microphone Eqalizer"
article on pages 39 through 45 in the December QST. Printed circuit
board are available and also a a CD-Rom designed to make the project
easier. Take a look. Some of the NNJ clubs might want to invite Bob
down for an interesting club presentation. He is obviously a guy who
likes to keep busy. Thanks for taking the time to develop this neat
project, Bob.
 
> NEW YORK LEGISLATIVE SESSION ……
 
Explaining where we are with the NY Antenna Bill as 2002 draws to a
close is a bit like explaining a soap opera to someone who has only
watched three shows in the last year. There have been so many twists
and turn that at times it has tended to become a comic political soap
opera. We even want to laugh but our bill did not get passed so we
can't.
 
Here are the high points and the low points: In mid June the NY Senate
version of the bill passed. We expected the bill to then pass in the
Assembly. By July Fourth the Legislature had adjourned without passage
of A 1565 and it was not clear that they would be back before year's
end. It is still not clear. In New York you need to get a bill passed
in the Senate, the Assembly and then signed by the governor all in the
same year or it does NOT become law.
 
Important fact: any bill is driven by its chief sponsor. He or she has
to be in the right party for the house were it resides and they have to
push it through. 
 
Well, our Assembly sponsor found himself distracted with a primary
fight. After eighteen years in office he was challenged by a member of
his own party. He was aware of the problem in early June and it
distracted him from pushing for our antenna bill in the last crucial
weeks. Sometime before September he changed parties and became a
Republican. In November he won the election in New Rochelle. He claims
he is still a Democrat. The important question here is what does
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver think.
 
The bottom line is no one knows and as a result it is impossible to
predict what will happen to the bill this year. We are thus already
lining up new sponsors for next year when the bill will have to be
reintroduced in both houses and given new numbers. If you are
disappointed, imagine how those of us who have been close to this bill
for four years feel. Along with our flu shots this year we are
arranging to get our pit bull booster shots. 
 
> NEW GOOGLE FEATURE
 
I came across a pretty nifty news search engine recently. See
http://www.google.com and look for the "News" button at the top of the
main search page. This is a new addition to the Google search engine. 
 
I just typed in ham radio and tornadoes and it came up with a bunch of
news articles about the recent emergency efforts in Pennsylvania,
Tennessee and elsewhere. 
 
Thought I'd pass that along. 73, Jen Hagy, N1TDY ARRL HQ
 
> TARA RTTY SPRINT 
 
Not many division clubs sponsor a contest, but the Troy Amateur Radio
Association sponsors more than one. The TARA RTTY Sprint will be held 
December 1, 2001 (Saturday) From: 18:00 UTC until 02:00 UTC December 2.
 Check their web site for more details at http://www.n2ty.org/
The Troy club also maintains a PSK31 reflector. More info on PSK can be
found on WM2U's Digital World web page at http://www.qsl.net/wm2u/
 
> K2WR RECIEVES THE MILNE TROPHY
 
Rich Gelber, K2WR, was presented with the Milne Trophy by Bob Whelan,
G3PJT, President of the RSGB, at the RSGB HF Convention last month in
England for his operations from Jersey as MJ0AWR (in 1999) and GJ2A (in
2001). Rich is usually found in Manhattan working for ABC TV.
 
The Milne Trophy is awarded annually to the highest scoring U.K.
single-op station, outside of England, in the ARRL CW DX Contest. That
is, GW, GM, GI, GD, GU, GJ, but not G. This was for the 2001 contest;
K2WR also won it previously for 1999. It's also been won in recent
years by GW3YDX, GM3POI, and GD0SLY (who is really K3RV).
 
GJ2A returns to the air in just over 2 weeks for the CQWW CW DX contest.
He will be MJ0AWR outside the contest, beginning on 19 November, +/- a
day.
 
>NORTH JERSEY DX ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW OFFICERS……
 
NJDXA 2002-2003 OFFICERS. During an evening last week, the members of
the North Jersey DX Association elected the following officers to serve
the 2002-2003 term:
 Steve Adell, KF2TI, -- President
 Rich Gelber, K2WR, -- Vice President
 Gene Ingraham, N2BIM, -- Treasurer
 Steve Saposnik, KB2ENF -- Secretary
 
Congratulations and good luck to all. Check the NJDXA Web site for
information about how to become a member or how to get Incoming QSL
cards at http://www/njdxa.org
 
> SEYMOUR - K2XF WORKS 'EM ALL!
 
On September 13 2002, AARA (Albany (NY) Amateur Radio Association)
member Seymour Miller K2XF received his #1 DXCC Honor Roll Award at
League headquarters. This special plaque is awarded to those hams who
present proof of contacting all current DXCC countries. Bill Moore,
NC1L of the ARRL DXCC Branch presented the award to Seymour. First
licensed in 1977 as WA2KHI, Seymour upgraded to Extra Class in 1979. An
active DX'er, Seymour was awarded 5BDXCC in 1984.
 
From: K2ONP@aol.com 
 
>>>>>APPROVED HAMFESTS: none until HRU on January 19th in Oyster Bay….
 
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ARRL Hudson Division
Director: Frank Fallon, N2FF
n2ff@arrl.org
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