Georgia Single Sideband Association Main

Net To 7 PM Sunday Night

With the time changing to Daylight Saving Time Saturday night, the GSSA Net will roll forward to 7 PM Sunday night keeping with the 2300Z net time. Spring ahead, and make a note!

Changing Hands

JVC Kenwood has purchased E.F. Johnson Technologies. Johnson has been manufacturing radio gear for a long time and was a major player in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, it's not unusual to see hamfest vintage equipment tables loaded with Johnson Rangers, Vikings, and Thunderbolts, and many E.F. Johnson "Matchbox" antenna tuners are still doing the job. In more recent years, the company has become better known for its VHF and UHF public safety communication gear.

DX Engineering has acquired the assets of Cycle 24 Antenna Products, a web-based retailer of Amateur Radio antennas and antenna components. "Cycle 24 is a great fit with DX Engineering," said Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering's chief marketing officer. "We welcome all of Cycle 24's customers to the DX Engineering family." He noted that several Cycle 24-developed products now will be available through DX Engineering. -- Thanks to Tim Duffy, K3LR
(ARRL Letter)

Radio History: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
Episode 4

America's "Roaring 20s" had passed and, with them, a period of roaring growth in radio technology. But a large problem had fallen on America, one that began on October 29, 1929 -- "Black Tuesday," the day the stock market crash triggered our Great Depression.

Like everyone else, hams had to tighten their belts during the 1930s. Typical ham didn't have enough disposable income to take advantage of the best advances in technology, so they learned to improvise. Amateur Radio continued to grow, both in numbers and accomplishments. Here are some Amateur Radio and ARRL tidbits from the 1930s:

January 1930 QST announced that phone operation on 20 meters had been authorized.

By the early 1930s most hams were using crystal-controlled transmitters, but most hams had only a small number of crystals. The usual procedure was to call long CQs and then tune up and down the band looking for long calls in reply.

The first ARRL "International" Field Day was held in 1933. By 1938 more than 1000 stations were participating. The event had become as popular as the ARRL DX Contest and the Sweepstakes.

The Communications Act of 1934 created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which replaced the Federal Radio Commission. Within a few years, the FCC was monitoring ham stations, to be certain everyone was following the rules and regulations. QST warned its readers to be sure their transmitters were operating within the ham bands, because the FCC could measure frequency with an accuracy of 10 cycles per second!

By 1936 there were 46,000 radio amateurs in the US; by 1939 the number had risen to 51,000.

The ARRL announced the start of the DXCC program in 1937. In 1938, W3CRA qualified for the first DXCC certificate -- quite a feat!

League Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, died suddenly on February 17, 1936, at age 66. After Maxim's death, the FCC issued the call sign W1AW to ARRL. The Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, in Newington, Connecticut, was dedicated on September 2, 1938, in his honor. The ceremony was broadcast nationwide by radio.

In May 1936, Eugene Woodruff, W8CMP, was elected by the ARRL Board of Directors as the League's second President. Woodruff was the head of the Departments of Electrical Railways and Radio at Pennsylvania State College.

But then, another World War was upon us. We'll look at hams and the war years next week.
-- Al Brogdon, W1AB

Public Service: Hurricane Conferences Set for April and May

The 2014 National Hurricane Conference will take place April 14-17, at the Orlando Hilton in Orlando, Florida. The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference is to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives and property in the US and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific. The conference also serves as a national forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve emergency management. At past conferences, there has been a robust Amateur Radio and ARES presence in the form of workshops and discussion forums. Planning for this year's conference is underway, and registration is open.

The 28th annual Governor's Hurricane Conference (GHC) will be held May 11-16, 2014 at the Rosen Centre Hotel and Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This conference will feature an Amateur Radio and ARES component. This year's theme is "Rethink risk."
-- Thanks to the The ARES E-Letter, ARRL Letter.

Georgia QSO Party is April 12 and 13

Now is a good time to get it on your calendar and share the date with your friends and associates. The QSO Party is a chance to have fun configuring your mobile station and taking it on the road. With 159 counties, it isn't hard to travel several in an afternoon. Find a couple friends, get the vehicle rigged up and enjoy a weekend of traveling the GA back roads. If operating mobile isn't your thing, gather a group and head to an outdoor site, set up an antenna and share the QSO Party experience. Plenty of stations on the air that weekend, so a great time to do show and tell or practice for Field Day. OK, not so much into outdoors, turn on the radio and help activate your home county for the hundreds of folks looking to make contact.

Your help promoting the Georgia QSO Party is important. We don't have contact information for everyone, so sharing the date and web link with your friends is important. The more the merrier.Last year we had several clubs making a group activity out of the party. The reports were that there was some great experiences and we had several first time HF operators. After all, it is a party!

We have a handout available for download. Please print a few and hand out to your club members and friends .Rules and other information is on the Georgia QSO Party web site
-Norm Schklar, WA4ZXV

International: "Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to Wireless Communication" is World Amateur Radio Day 2014 Theme

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Administrative Council has designated "Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to Wireless Communication" as the theme for World Amateur Radio Day 2014. World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated each year on April 18 to recognize the anniversary of the founding of the IARU in Paris in 1925. ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, who had proposed the idea the year before, became its first president. The primary purpose of World Amateur Radio Day is to focus a public spotlight on Amateur Radio and its benefits to countries and communities. This year the IARU and its member-societies around the world will celebrate the organization's 89th anniversary.

Each year the IARU Administrative Council selects a World Amateur Radio Day theme that is consistent with the role and purpose of Amateur Radio and that represents a commendable activity that would cast IARU and Amateur Radio in a favorable light.

As the IARU's history recounts, in the early 1920s it was generally assumed that the lower the frequency and the longer the wavelength, the better, and "very large antennas and very high power were the rule." Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum, far from being a wasteland, could support worldwide propagation. As the rush to shorter wavelengths ensued, however, Amateur Radio, which had proved the value of this spectrum in the first place, "were in grave danger of being pushed aside," the IARU's history notes

Adopting the philosophy of strength in numbers, Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the International Amateur Radio Union to support Amateur Radio worldwide. Just 2 years later, at the International Radiotelegraph Conference, Amateur Radio gained the allocations still recognized today -- 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 meters. From fewer than 30,000 licensees in 1927, Amateur Radio's numbers have grown to 3 million. From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to include 150 member-societies.

Several IARU member-societies and associated clubs are expected to field special event stations to mark the occasion. Read more. -- Thanks to Geoff Atkinson, VK3TL, IARU R3 Director, IARU website, ARRL Letter

ARRL Southeast Division Georgia State Net (GSN) Georgia CW Training Net (GTN) Georgia Skywarn/ WX4PTC Officers_Net Info_LocalClubs Membership Roster Membership Application Constitution & By Laws ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Upcoming Hamfests* Ellijay Hamfest Ellijay, GA March 15 MORE Thomasville ARC Hamfest Thomasville, GA March 29 MORE Calhoun Hamfest Sugar Valley, GA April 26 MORE WiregrassARC Hamfest Headland, AL April 26 MORE GSSA/GCRC Spring Picnic Indian Springs State Park Jackson, GA May 3 Stay Tuned Upstate Hamfest Spartanburg, SC May 3 MORE Atlanta Hamfest Marietta, GA June 7 MORE Huntsville Hamfest ARRL Southeastern Convention Huntsville, AL August 16 MORE Stone Mountain Hamfest ARRL Ga State Convention Lawrenceville, GA November 1 MORE		Net To 7 PM Sunday Night With the time changing to Daylight Saving Time Saturday night, the GSSA Net will roll forward to 7 PM Sunday night keeping with the 2300Z net time. Spring ahead, and make a note! Changing Hands JVC Kenwood has purchased E.F. Johnson Technologies. Johnson has been manufacturing radio gear for a long time and was a major player in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, it's not unusual to see hamfest vintage equipment tables loaded with Johnson Rangers, Vikings, and Thunderbolts, and many E.F. Johnson "Matchbox" antenna tuners are still doing the job. In more recent years, the company has become better known for its VHF and UHF public safety communication gear. DX Engineering has acquired the assets of Cycle 24 Antenna Products, a web-based retailer of Amateur Radio antennas and antenna components. "Cycle 24 is a great fit with DX Engineering," said Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering's chief marketing officer. "We welcome all of Cycle 24's customers to the DX Engineering family." He noted that several Cycle 24-developed products now will be available through DX Engineering. -- Thanks to Tim Duffy, K3LR (ARRL Letter) Radio History: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL Episode 4 America's "Roaring 20s" had passed and, with them, a period of roaring growth in radio technology. But a large problem had fallen on America, one that began on October 29, 1929 -- "Black Tuesday," the day the stock market crash triggered our Great Depression. Like everyone else, hams had to tighten their belts during the 1930s. Typical ham didn't have enough disposable income to take advantage of the best advances in technology, so they learned to improvise. Amateur Radio continued to grow, both in numbers and accomplishments. Here are some Amateur Radio and ARRL tidbits from the 1930s: January 1930 QST announced that phone operation on 20 meters had been authorized. By the early 1930s most hams were using crystal-controlled transmitters, but most hams had only a small number of crystals. The usual procedure was to call long CQs and then tune up and down the band looking for long calls in reply. The first ARRL "International" Field Day was held in 1933. By 1938 more than 1000 stations were participating. The event had become as popular as the ARRL DX Contest and the Sweepstakes. The Communications Act of 1934 created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which replaced the Federal Radio Commission. Within a few years, the FCC was monitoring ham stations, to be certain everyone was following the rules and regulations. QST warned its readers to be sure their transmitters were operating within the ham bands, because the FCC could measure frequency with an accuracy of 10 cycles per second! By 1936 there were 46,000 radio amateurs in the US; by 1939 the number had risen to 51,000. The ARRL announced the start of the DXCC program in 1937. In 1938, W3CRA qualified for the first DXCC certificate -- quite a feat! League Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, died suddenly on February 17, 1936, at age 66. After Maxim's death, the FCC issued the call sign W1AW to ARRL. The Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, in Newington, Connecticut, was dedicated on September 2, 1938, in his honor. The ceremony was broadcast nationwide by radio. In May 1936, Eugene Woodruff, W8CMP, was elected by the ARRL Board of Directors as the League's second President. Woodruff was the head of the Departments of Electrical Railways and Radio at Pennsylvania State College. But then, another World War was upon us. We'll look at hams and the war years next week. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB Public Service: Hurricane Conferences Set for April and May The 2014 National Hurricane Conference will take place April 14-17, at the Orlando Hilton in Orlando, Florida. The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference is to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives and property in the US and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific. The conference also serves as a national forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve emergency management. At past conferences, there has been a robust Amateur Radio and ARES presence in the form of workshops and discussion forums. Planning for this year's conference is underway, and registration is open. The 28th annual Governor's Hurricane Conference (GHC) will be held May 11-16, 2014 at the Rosen Centre Hotel and Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This conference will feature an Amateur Radio and ARES component. This year's theme is "Rethink risk." -- Thanks to the The ARES E-Letter, ARRL Letter. Georgia QSO Party is April 12 and 13 Now is a good time to get it on your calendar and share the date with your friends and associates. The QSO Party is a chance to have fun configuring your mobile station and taking it on the road. With 159 counties, it isn't hard to travel several in an afternoon. Find a couple friends, get the vehicle rigged up and enjoy a weekend of traveling the GA back roads. If operating mobile isn't your thing, gather a group and head to an outdoor site, set up an antenna and share the QSO Party experience. Plenty of stations on the air that weekend, so a great time to do show and tell or practice for Field Day. OK, not so much into outdoors, turn on the radio and help activate your home county for the hundreds of folks looking to make contact. Your help promoting the Georgia QSO Party is important. We don't have contact information for everyone, so sharing the date and web link with your friends is important. The more the merrier.Last year we had several clubs making a group activity out of the party. The reports were that there was some great experiences and we had several first time HF operators. After all, it is a party! We have a handout available for download. Please print a few and hand out to your club members and friends .Rules and other information is on the Georgia QSO Party web site -Norm Schklar, WA4ZXV International: "Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to Wireless Communication" is World Amateur Radio Day 2014 Theme The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Administrative Council has designated "Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to Wireless Communication" as the theme for World Amateur Radio Day 2014. World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated each year on April 18 to recognize the anniversary of the founding of the IARU in Paris in 1925. ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, who had proposed the idea the year before, became its first president. The primary purpose of World Amateur Radio Day is to focus a public spotlight on Amateur Radio and its benefits to countries and communities. This year the IARU and its member-societies around the world will celebrate the organization's 89th anniversary. Each year the IARU Administrative Council selects a World Amateur Radio Day theme that is consistent with the role and purpose of Amateur Radio and that represents a commendable activity that would cast IARU and Amateur Radio in a favorable light. As the IARU's history recounts, in the early 1920s it was generally assumed that the lower the frequency and the longer the wavelength, the better, and "very large antennas and very high power were the rule." Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum, far from being a wasteland, could support worldwide propagation. As the rush to shorter wavelengths ensued, however, Amateur Radio, which had proved the value of this spectrum in the first place, "were in grave danger of being pushed aside," the IARU's history notes Adopting the philosophy of strength in numbers, Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the International Amateur Radio Union to support Amateur Radio worldwide. Just 2 years later, at the International Radiotelegraph Conference, Amateur Radio gained the allocations still recognized today -- 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 meters. From fewer than 30,000 licensees in 1927, Amateur Radio's numbers have grown to 3 million. From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to include 150 member-societies. Several IARU member-societies and associated clubs are expected to field special event stations to mark the occasion. Read more. -- Thanks to Geoff Atkinson, VK3TL, IARU R3 Director, IARU website, ARRL Letter

Georgia Cracker Radio Club Newsletters from the past Provided by WA4IQU and ND4XE Enjoy the link here!	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send your news, stories, comments, agitations, aggravations, hate and discontent to the Webmaster.


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