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The ARRL Board of Directors recently conferred the George Hart Distinguished Service Award to three leaders, including Bill Smith, W7GHT. This award recognizes ARRL members whose service to the league’s Field Organization is of the most exemplary nature. Please join me in congratulating Bill for a most deserving recognition.

Rob K6YR, Pacific Area Chairman

 

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On Saturday, April 24 the Spokane Chapter of the Morse Telegraph Club (MTC) will be having a cw/morse demomstation at Ritzville, Washington.  It will be in the restored railroad depot.

The format will be similar to past demo's, such as was done at Wallace, Idaho.    Someone will write out a message; it will be sent via American Morse between 2 Ops within the Depot; then the hardcopy will be given to K7BFL (Don), who will send the message out via International Morse to NTS outlet stations.   WA7LNC (Gordon) will be assisting.

Don and Gordon are looking for NTS Operators willing to take the traffic.   Schedule times will be at 1000, 1130, 1300, 1430 PDT. Frequencies will be either 3563 or 7043, depending on propagation. Please let Don know which of those Skeds you might be able to assist.

 

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Don and Cynthia Calbick's Adventure Trip to Washington D.C.

by Don Calbick  W7GB

Tue Feb 9    We went to Ephrata to catch the 9:42PM Empire Builder train to Chicago. The train was stuck behind a slow moving freight train and didn’t get here until midnight. We spent 2 hours in the “Walmart waiting room”.

Once on board, we slept our way through to Western Montana. The train easily made up the 2 hours by the time it got to Shelby Montana.

Wed Feb 10  We had breakfast at Whitefish, Montana. Today we trained across Montana, had dinner in the Williston, N. Dakota area.and got a cell phone call from Amtrak saying that due to the weather, the Capital Limited train from Chicago to Washington DC had been canceled.  We slept Rugby, N.D. to Mpls.

Thurs Feb 11 Cynthia went into the train depot and found out that Amtrak had booked us on the Lake Shore Limited train to NYC, then the train from NYC to Washington DC. That was a relief! We trained across Wisconsin and arrived in Chicago at 4PM. We boarded the Lake Shore Limited at 9PM and the first thing that happened was being called to the dining car for wine and cheese. Do airlines do this?

We slept across Indiana and Ohio.

Fri Feb 12  We had breakfast near Buffalo, then Amtraked across upstate New York to Albany. Beautiful scenery! The train splits at Albany with one part going to Boston and the rest going down the Hudson River Valley to NYC. This was a very nice scenic trip!

At NYC we had dinner at Penn Station, then boarded the train to Washington DC, arriving at midnight. We took a rip-off taxi ride to the Churchill Hotel on Connecticut Avenue.

Sat Feb 13  We walked Connecticut Avenut to the White House, then to the Museum of Natural History. The sidewalks were all clear. The snow berms at the intersections were huge (up to 10 feet high) but paths were cut through so getting around was no problem. On the level, the snow was above my knees. We toured the National Archives with all our important documents, including the original Magna Carta, which served as the basis for the American Revolution. We had dinner at Ten Penh. Very nice.

Sun Feb 14  We figured out how to use the Metro subway and rode it from Dupont Circle to Farragut North. After lunching at Cosi’s we went on to the Lincoln Memorial and war memorials: Vietnam, Korean, WWII. I found my former student, Doug Strait, on the Vietnam memorial, Panel 6W, row 8 from the top (got a picture). I’ve known his dad, Bob here in ML for many years. Cynthia found a classmate, Ed Moriake. After the war memorials, we toured the Holocaust Museum, It’s very solemn and is divided into three area: Hitler’s rise, the death camps during WWII, and the aftermath. Then it was back to the hotel by two subway rides and dinner on the way.

Mon Feb 15  We did a walking tour of Embassy Row which is not far from the Churchill Hotel. Most were okay but some of those embassies need to do some snow shoveling! From here it was on to the National Geographic Museum for the Chinese Terra Cotta Warrior exhibition, which has been on tour. The exhibition was absolutely outstanding! This was the main reason we came to Washington and we were not disappointed.

Tue Feb 16 We left the Churchill Hotel and took a taxi to Union Station. The taxi driver sure had a lot of opinions, like the DC mayor not getting the snow removal job done in a timely fashion. Our train wasn’t scheduled to leave until 4PM so we walked over to the Capital building (that walk was cold!) and did a very interesting tour. Yes, the statue of Marcus Whitman is in the Rotunda. I forget who the other statue is for Washington. After the Capital tour we had lunch then went to the Library of Congress. We found the “LOC” very interesting and went to the George/Ira Gershwin room. Then to a historical room in which there was the original Chinese map of the world from the 1500s. We think that we could spend a week at the LOC but will settle for “loc.gov” on the internet. They’ve got about everything digitized and on the internet. We had to get back to the Union Station so off we went. Since we were traveling first class, we could use the Amtrak lounges, plus store our suitcases there. Very nice, indeed! So off we went up through Maryland, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and slept through Western Pa & Ohio. What a day!

Wed Feb 17 We breakfasted near Elkhart, Indiana and followed I-80 across the state. About the dining/food, you come in and they seat you with other people. So you get to meet new people at every meal. The food is quite good. Much better than what the airlines have to offer; a pretzel? We arrived in Chicago at 8:45AM. The Empire Builder doesn’t leave Chicago until 2:15PM so we took a taxi to the Field Museum and saw quite many interesting things there, including T-Rex Sue, the largest T-Rex on display in the world. This museum is something else! Wednesday was “freebie day” so there were a lot of kids there with teachers leading the way. There’s a big display of the 6 major earth extinctions, including the recent dinosauer extinction. The dinosauer display is very extensive. We went to the gem display and thought that their diamond rivaled the Hope Diamond that we saw in DC. A taxi ride took us back to Union Station in downtown Chicago and we on our way again, on the Empire Builder across Wisconsin. The lakes in Wisconsin are frozen and there’s many fishing huts out on the ice. We slept our way across Minnesota and woke up near Rugby, N. Dakota, the geographic center North America.

Thurs Feb 18 The Empire Builder heads north from Chicago to Minneapolis, LaCrosse, Detroit Lakes, Fargo to Grand Forks, N. Dakota. At Grand Forks it turns west and follows highway 2 across North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, to Spokane. In fact, you can see highway 2 from the observation car (I like this car!), sometimes no more than a couple hundred feet away. Forty years ago we drove highway 2 from Michigan to Spokane pulling a tent trailer & three little kids who are now in their 40s. This time, we just sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the countryside. There was plenty of snow until we got to the Havre, Montana area and decreased from there on. The train separates at Spokane, with one part going to Portland and the other to Seattle. Amtrak must have it figured out because when we woke up, we were heading towards Seattle and pulled into Ephrata at 4:22AM. We had left our old Corolla at the Ephrata depot and were back home by 5AM.

I’ll have to think of some train traveling suggestions. We did enjoy it very much.

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As most of you know we lost a very good friend on Feb 7, 2010 Mike Hardie VE7MMH became a Silent Key while he was on temporary work assignment flying planes over in the British Virgin Islands. He had a massive heart attack and the doctors were not able to save him.

  <>Mike was just a wonderful person just to be around. H e was very mild mannered and also would do anything to help you when needed. I went to several Ham Fests with him and his wife Theresa. I have many great memories of the things we all did together. I will always miss him. <>

Mike’s Memorial
Hello. I'm just reading some of Mike's e-mail again. I hope by now, you are feeling stronger. Mike and Elizabeth arrived on the morning of the 19th of Feb. His memorial was so well attended. My church friends counted over 250 people at his service. It was a beautiful celebration of his life.  Eulogies were given by Elizabeth and our son Patrick.  I don't know how they kept it together but they were eloquent and dignified under the grueling circumstances.  I also asked three of Mike's friends to speak on his military life, on his aviation service here in Vancouver and the last speaker, on friendship and his service in Jamaica.  So many of his course buddies during the military days came from everywhere to pay their respects.  Former neighbors and long time friends came as well.  It was very touching for our family to experience such an out pouring of love for Mike and for us.  Our son Patrick was married last Friday on the 5th in Calgary, Alberta to a lovely woman called Lisa.  He has moved there now.  We will miss him a lot.  He was Mike's expertise in computers.  He was always asking Pat to sort out his computer.  I have one daughter still at home.  She was going to move out but we decided to be roommates for a while.  Could I please have your house address and phone number?  Please give Bev a big hello for me.  I am having a better day than yesterday.
 Love Theresa

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GEORGE K7BDU

I had a long talk with George and he said everything was smooth. However he is getting tired of the Chemotherapy of which he has to have several more sessions. The doctor told him that it would take time to get back to normal. George has a very positive attitude and he is hoping he will be well enough to have his annual vegetable garden which is his second hobby next to Ham Radio which he has every year. He grows many different kinds of vegetables which are really the best, better that you can get at the grocery store. I hope that George gets well very soon and will have his garden again this spring and that also we will hear him back on his radio.

 

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A survey of the “performance” of the National Traffic System in March 2003 indicated that about 4 out of 5 messages actually get to their destination, and about 20 percent of the delivered messages were 100% accurate.    Following is a method to improve that unfavorable performance.

Historical procedures for relaying formal written traffic (radiograms) do not include a procedure to allow the Sending person to verify that the Receiving person has received the correct information, other that “taking the person’s word for it”, when the Receiving person sends “QSL” (cw) or “yes, I got it OK” (voice). 

A “feedback” procedure has been developed to further insure the Sending person that, yes indeed, the information has been written down by the Receiving person….and is correct.   The decision regarding “correctness” is made by the Sender, NOT the Receiver.  

This simple process is done routinely with “tactical” messages.

1. The Sending person transmits the information.
2. The Receiving person REPEATS BACK the information, as received.
3. The Sending person says, “Yes, you have it correct”, or “No, change….”
4. Steps 2 and 3 are repeated until the Sending person is satisfied… the message has been “verified

When messages are transmitted by pactor or packet, verification is done by the software, similar to the process used with email on the internet.  Verification has historically not been not been done with written messages sent via voice, cw, or RTTY.  Nor has it normally been done at an especially critical part of the message handling procedure: the Delivery to the ultimate receiving person (Addressee).

If the Sending station decides to use “Verification”, the following process should be used.   It is highly recommended that all messages sent by (voice or cw) ARES/RACES personnel use the following Verification process.   Doing so will improve the odds that the message will be Delivered with 100 percent accuracy.

A “new” Q-signal is defined for Verification “QVV”.  

QVV –   Please send each Word Group back to me for Verification by me.  

QVV?   - Will you be Verifying each Word Group?

The process....using CW…

1.  Before starting the message, the Sending station sends QVV.

2.  The Sending station will send 234 ...if the message number is 234

3.  AFTER the Word Group is written, the Receiving station will send 234 back to the Sender.

4a.  If the Sender receives “234”, he will send the next Word Group.   If he did NOT receive 234, he will send an "N", followed by re-sending the 234.

4b.  If the Receiver does NOT receive a valid Word Group, he will send  “?”.   The Sender will repeat the Word Group.

5.  Prosigns are considered to be a Word Group.   The process continues until all Word Groups have been sent, received, and “verified”.

 

The process....using Voice…

1.  Before starting the message, the Sending station tells the Receiving station that “Verification” will be used.

2.  The Sending station will say “234”, followed by spelling the word ...if the message number is 234

3.  AFTER the Word Group is written, the Receiving station will pronounce the word, and spell it back to the Sender,

4a.  If the Sender receives “234”, he will say the next Word Group.   If he did NOT receive 234, he will say "repeat", followed by re-saying the 234.

4b.  If the Receiver does NOT receive a valid Word Group, he will say “repeat”.   The Sender will repeat the Word Group.

5.  “Line Breaks” are considered to be a Word Group.   The process continues until all Word Groups have been sent, received, and “verified”.

 

“Verification” of Message Content

It is VERY important that all messages relayed by emergency service communications personnel be relayed in a manner which provides the highest possible level of accuracy.   “Manual” methods of relaying (voice or morse code) are compromised by the natural processes of human behavior.

IT IS BETTER TO NOT RELAY A MESSAGE….THAN TO RELAY A MESSAGE IN WHICH THE CONTENT HAS BEEN (MISTAKENLY) CHANGED.

Radio Amateur emergency service communications personnel have, in general, a “higher than average” level of confidence in themselves and their ability to quickly and accurately relay messages of behalf of other parties.   Only those people with high confidence levels answer “yes”, when leadership asks for volunteers to “relay messages”.    This confidence, while good, sometimes hides the truth….those communicators are not as good as they think they are!    They make mistakes.   They are “human”.

“Verification” is a tool which can be used to help insure that messages are relayed “without error”.  

The Verification concept was presented to the leadership of the National Traffic System (NTS…sponsored by the ARRL) in 2003.    The concept was rejected by the leadership (NTS Cycle 4 Pacific, Central, and Eastern Area Chairs) in 2005.   The reasons given were “it is not needed” and “the use of this concept will increase the time required to relay a message”.

Amateur communicators using the “radiogram” template are encouraged to consider initiating the Verification (QVV) process before sending radiograms.    Amateur communicators using other templates (such as ICS forms) are also encouraged to consider using the Verification process.

Amateur communicators functioning with “Emcomm” related messages are strongly urged to use the Verification (QVV) process when sending ALL messages (by voice or cw).

Any group of communicators relaying messages should seriously consider using the “Verification” process, and any other processes which will increase the likely-hood of all messages being delivered containing ALL information EXACTLY as it was originated.   100% accuracy is the goal for EVERY message!

 

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Harvey Marsh continues to reside at the "Sunshine Gardens" Nursing Home, located in the Spokane Valley.   His address is: 

Sunshine Gardens
10410 East 9th Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99206-3510

During the daytime he is in a wheelchair.   He is comfortable, but does not talk much.    I visit him every week or so.   He celebrated his birthday on April 8 with friends and family.   Daughter Wendy flew up from Colorado for a visit.  

Our thoughts and prayers are with HM as he goes through these difficult times.   We miss him on WSN, RN7, and PAN!

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HAM FESTS

June 11 – 13 Wenatchee Ham Fest – Dryden, WA

June 12 - Port Ludlow ARC Tailgate Swap Meet, Port Ludlow, WA

July 11 – Chehalis Valley ARC Annual Hamfair Lewis County WA, Fairgrounds

Aug 4 – Radio Club of Tacoma Hamfest, Bethel Jr High in Spanaway, WA 

           

On May 1^st 2010 WSN will start Election Process for Net Manager.

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A Call For Nominations will be sent out via WSN QNC and Email notice.

Sincerely

Allen W7QM

I guess that is all the Birthdays until summer. So a very Happy Birthday to you all and we wish you many more.

Hello everyone. Well we just had a beautiful first day of spring here. I guess it was nice all over the state.

As you know we have been having good band conditions. A while back RN7/1 was going to 160 mtrs or the frequency of 1818 when conditions were bad. Those who couldn't make that frequency took the night off, which included me. Well as Allen said it's almost time to elect a new Manager of WSN. Allen has done a great job of keeping the skeds rolling along. If you have someone in mind to nominate, do so, but be sure they are willing to be WSN Manager. See you again in the summer NL.

Pati W7ZIW, Assistant Manager. WSN.