The LED Published by the Livingston Amateur Radio Klub (LARK) February 2016 Howell, Michigan Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Will Succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ as ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, of West Palm Beach, Florida, will succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the chief executive officer of ARRL, effective April 18. In that role, he will oversee all activities at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Meeting in a special webinar session on January 25, all 15 ARRL Directors voted to elect Gallagher as CEO and Secretary, positions that Sumner will relinquish on April 18. Gallagher will join the ARRL staff as CEO-Elect on February 29, and a transition period will follow. I am excited by the prospects of ARRL s Second Century, but I am equally mindful of Dave Sumner s enormous 4-decade contribution to our organization and of the extraordinary contributions he has made to advancing the art and science of Amateur Radio, to growing our ranks, and to expanding the sheer enjoyment of ham radio around the world, Gallagher said. Gallagher said he is looking forward to attending the ARRL 2016 National Convention, hosted by the Orlando HamCation, February 12-14. Licensed in Pennsylvania in 1966 as WA3GRF (and later N4GRF in North Carolina), Gallagher is a member of the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group. He describes himself as an incurable HF DXer and inveterate tinkerer and credits his first visit to the Franklin Institute s Amateur Radio station W3TKQ in 1963 for inspiring his interest in ham radio. Amateur Radio led to an early career in broadcasting. He was a cameraman and technician with WGBH-TV in Boston, the CBS Television Network, and Metromedia s WIP Radio in Philadelphia. He joins ARRL following 3 decades as an international investment banker and financial services executive. His career has included senior leadership positions with JP Morgan Chase & Co and CIBC Oppenheimer & Co in New York, and with Wachovia Capital Markets in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and as CEO of the Secondary School Admission Test Board in Princeton, New Jersey. Gallagher has served on boards, both public and nonprofit, including two NYSE companies, the NPR affiliate in Charlotte, the Executive Board of The PENN Fund at the University of Pennsylvania, and The International Center of Photography. Gallagher graduated magna cum laude with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and he holds an MBA from The Wharton School. He is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School, where he held the Nicholas Noyes scholarship. In addition to ham radio, Gallagher enjoys saltwater fishing and sailing which, he confesses, is sometimes just an excuse to operate maritime mobile. Continued on Page 3
Jim President Leader Comedian Friend K 8 J K Although we ve been blessed with a milder winter so far, it s not quite time to break out the summer clothing just yet. Take advantage of the weeks ahead while you re stuck inside to upgrade your amateur license, get on the air, or maybe even write that article for the newsletter. Hamfest season has kicked off for 2016, with several swaps during the month of January, and a good handful planned for the month of February. I attend a good number of swaps in the area, so if you have an item you d like to sell please check; we often have table space to liquidate your gear. As always, we re happy to assist. Volunteer Time As Part of Membership? During one of our LARK breakfasts, it was pointed out that many groups require some level of volunteer commitment back to the organization on an annual basis. It s been suggested that we consider this as well. I d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Clearly the officers and committee chairs do contribute volunteer time to the good of the organization. Should we ask that members participate at some level as well? Call, write, or draw a picture, just let me know what you think! Community Education about Amateur Radio Again at a recent LARK breakfast, it was pointed out that we might be missing a golden opportunity to grow our ranks because we don t provide education about the many facets of amateur radio to the general public. It s been suggested that many communities have scheduled programs and facilities to offer this kind of training. I believe we can easily get funding approval for someone who wants to create a course, any takers out there? LARK Sunday Night Net Don t miss the opportunity to ask questions or share answers on the Sunday night net. We hold the net most every Sunday evening at 9 PM local time on the 146.68 repeater. You might even want to try your hand at being net control! Klub Projects? Typically during the late fall and winter months, we ve done a fun little project to brighten up the time. We ve had no suggestions for anything at this point. Does this mean that this year there will NOT be a project? Continued on Page 3 The LED Feb 2016 Page 2
Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Will Succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ as ARRL CEO (continued from page 1) At his Florida home along the Intracoastal Waterway, Gallagher has maintained a fairly low Amateur Radio profile, with a wire antenna that, he says, works well into Europe and Latin America. He also has a 40 meter Windom. I would like to work Asia when I get a better HF antenna solution, he said. Gallagher has both modern and vintage stations as well as a high-speed multimedia (HSMM) digital repeater. Gallagher and his wife Lindy Allyn divide their time between West Palm Beach, Florida, and Manhattan. They have three sons. He plans to return to Connecticut; he'd lived previously for 13 years in New Canaan. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Michigan Section Section Manager: Larry Camp, WB8R wb8r@arrl.org -------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim s Jive (continued from page 2) Radio Raffle We took a brief hiatus from the famous LARK Radio Raffle, but we re considering a new round for 2016. What equipment might you like the opportunity to win? Your comments can assist us in making a selection. If we receive no input, we may choose to have no raffle. Klub Officer Elections A gentle reminder that this year we vote on the following Klub officers: Vice President Radio Officer Treasurer Member at Large It s time to consider running for one of the open positions. If you ve ever attended the meeting, having unspoken suggestions, I encourage you to consider running for one of these positions and participate in determining the direction of the LARK. Your Klub needs YOU! See you at the meeting, or perhaps even talk with you on the air! 73 Jim K8JK You may sound like a LID if you... Hear someone on the repeater giving directions to a visiting amateur. Even if the directions are good, make sure you break-in with your own alternate route but better way to get there version. This is most effective if several other LID trainees join in, each with a different route. By the time the amateur wanting directions unscrambles all the street names whizzing around in his head, he should have mobiled out of range of the repeater. This keeps you from having to stick around and help the guy get back out of town later. Know little about a subject, you should speculate about it on the air. The amount of time spent on your speculations should be inversely proportional to you knowledge of the subject. Submitted by Les Butler, W8MSP: Taken from How to Sound Like a Lid, by Rusty Bumpers, N4LID (a pen name to ensure anonymity) The LED Feb 2016 Page 3
February 2016 Livingston Area Radio Klub LARK March 2016 P.O. Box 283 Howell, MI 48844 www.w8lrk.org Net 146.680 Americus Grill 9836 E. Grand River Ave Brighton, MI 48116 Meetings generally held: LIVCO Central Dispatch 300 S. Highlander Way Howell, MI The Livingston Amateur Radio Klub maintains the 146.680 (negative offset, 162.2 CTCSS) and also the 444.525 (positive offset, 100.0 CTCSS) repeaters in Livingston County The LED Feb 2016 Page 6 4
Valentine s Day Remember those you love. LARK Offers FREE Testing for a Ham Radio License The LARK volunteer examiner session for January 2016 yielded the following new licenses and upgrades. When you hear these folks on the air, congratulate them! James KE8BPY Upgrade to Amateur Extra Jason W8JMB Upgrade to General Robert KE8CZB New Technician Nicholas KE8CZC New Technician Damon KE8CZD New Technician As a reminder, VE exam sessions are the second Tuesday of virtually every month, held at the Central Dispatch location in Howell, 300 South Highlander Way. All test sessions for amateur radio licenses are free of charge. The Livingston Amateur Radio Klub is the only testing group in all of Michigan that offers testing without a fee. Come by and take an upgrade test, or encourage your friends to join the exciting world of amateur radio! The LED Feb 2016 Page 5
Livingston Amateur Radio Klub Meeting Minutes January 14, 2016, Minutes of the L.A.R.K. General Membership Members and guests present: Jim Kvochick K8JK, George Van Dam N8GVD, Pat Shannon W8LNO, Bob Hitchens K8VQC, Les Butler W8MSP, Karen Butler KB8AKC, John Waters KD8CCR, Mary Kruger W8MCK, Jon Harris. KC8VAB, Tom Auth KT8Y, Darrel Black N8NQN, Paul Eades KK6AAQ, Chris Hammond KD8WPY, Mike Hunt K4JQL, Joe Hurley KE8CBW, Larry Kube KD8VKW, Fred Lindburg KD8LNK, Dave Marble KD8UCF, Isaac McChristy, Charlie McChristy KD8OVJ, Ralph McChristy N8RBA, Jim Merrill W8JPM, Michelle Roderick KD8GWX, Spence Schubbe N8AP, George Vercuic W8CO, John Wilson K8TTI. Doug Mass KC8ZKZ, Mark Sharef WQ8S After reciting the pledge of allegiance and making introductions, President Jim Kvochick K8JK called the meeting to order at 7:36 p.m. Jim presented Joe Hurley KE8CBW with a coffee mug and a gift card to McDonalds for being the first to submit a photo of himself in his shack for publication in the LED. Traveling "Junk" boxes have returned and started being distributed at the meeting. Jim has three free Arduino Kits available. The only stipulation in accepting a free kit is the expectation you will assemble it and write an article for the newsletter. Treasurers Report: Balance in the operating fund as of January 14, 2016 is $4,827.37 and $4,358.79 in the EMG fund. Mark Sharef WQ8S moved to accept; seconded by Dave Marble KD8UCF. Motion carried. Races/C.E.R.T: No report. Technical Director: Les Butler W8MSP reported everything is good with the repeaters. There is nothing to report on a new location for the new repeaters. Program Director: Bob Hitchens K8VQC gave a presentation on spurious emissions and tested various radios for the membership. Bob is looking for volunteers to do presentations for the next couple meetings as he will be out of town. Newsletter Editor: Please submit content for the February LED as soon as possible as Mary Kruger will be traveling and needs to complete the February edition before she leaves. John Waters reported that Mike Kinaschuk will be retiring tomorrow. VE Testing: Five individuals attended the testing session last Tuesday, all five passed their exams. OLD BUSINESS: It Is time to collect the Annual Dues from the membership. NEW BUSINESS: None. With no new business to discuss, Ralph McChristy N8RBA moved to adjourn; Darrell Black N8NQN seconded. Meeting adjourned 9:08 pm Respectfully submitted by, Karen Butler KB8AKC, Recording Secretary The LED Feb 2016 Page 6
February 12, 2016 HamCation Location: Orlando, FL February 13, 2016 Cherryland Location: Traverse City, MI Livingston Amateur Radio Klub P.O. Box 283 Howell, Mi 48844 Www.W8LRK.org Net 146.680, Sundays 9 p.m. Club Call: W8LRK Klub Meetings: Second Thursday each month @ Livingston County Central Dispatch 300 S. Highlander Way Howell, MI Board Members: President: Jim K8JK Vice-President: Van N8GVD Secretary: Karen KB8AKC Treasurer: Patrick W8LNO Program Director: Bob K8VQC Tech Director: Les W8MSP Director: John KD8CCR Upcoming Ham Fests February 21, 2016 Livonia Location: Livonia, MI February 21, 2016 Mansfield Location: Mansfield, OH Great Equipment! March 19, 2016 Crossroads Location: Kalamazoo, MI March 20, 2016 TMRA Hamfest Location: Perrysburg, OH Committee Chairpersons: Repeater Trustee: Jim K8JK LED Editor: Mary W8MCK VE Coordinator: Jim K8JK Public Info Ofcr: TBA Web Site: Reece KB0KSU The Livingston Amateur Radio Klub maintains the 146.680 (negative offset, 162.2 CTCSS) and also the 444.525 (positive offset, 100.0 CTCSS) repeaters in Livingston County. Next Meeting: March 10, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Andy Holman N8DEV Thank you, Andy, for sharing your station with us! Who will be next? Don t be shy! Send your photos to : W8MCK@arrl.net Please include some info about your Ham hobby, such as, when you were licensed, what drew you to the hobby, or how do you use it? Are YOU earning awards? Don t forget to tell me! Please send the details to w8mck@arrl.net to be recognized in the LED. The LED Feb 2016 Page 7