Members of ARRL since 1957

The Victor Valley Amateur Radio Club Newsletter THE SPECTRUM APRIL 2006 Come one, Come ALL¼ March Meeting: Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 PM Program: Annual Club Auction Club Meetings are held at the Mojave River Campus of the Lewis Center. Directions: From Apple Valley Road, turn west on Tuscola. (toward the river) Take the very first right turn, which is Mana; the campus is located at the very end of Mana Rd. We meet in Building C. Membership drawing, and door prizes. Everyone is welcome!! Annual Club Auction James Pike, KB6WHT is again serving as the auctioneer. This is a fun event, and you never know what will be there for sale. Starting thinking about those items around your place that you would like to “unload.” Those things you aren’t using after all—including what you bought at the auction last year!! The club gets a 10% fee, and you keep the rest. You may set a minimum bid if you wish. Sunday Night Net: Remember that every Sunday at 7PM the club conducts a net on the 146.940 repeater. Get the latest club announcements and reminders. Also, our club needs volunteers to run the net. If you are interested, please contact us. 2006 DUES: Dues are on an annual basis, so we would appreciate your continued support. This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of VVARC! We have a few special events planned and hope that you will be part of them. Dues for 2006 remain the same: $18.00 for individuals, $23 for families, and $10 for youth and all new members. Also, if you have any ideas for programs, activities, club projects, etc. speak up. Pass your thoughts along to the board members listed below. WE are open to any suggestions. VE Testing in the Victor Valley The first Saturday of every odd-numbered month there is a GLAARG (Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group) test session in Hesperia. Tests are held at the Fire Station at the corner of Olive and H. Registration starts at 8:30 AM. The cost is $4.00. Walk-ins are welcome. Testing is available for all classes of license. All candidates must bring a picture ID, and if you are upgrading, you need the original and a copy of your amateur license, and any CSCEs you hold. For more information, you can contact Jim MacRay, KW6V, at 244-1396. Directions to test site: From I-15 take Main Street, Hesperia exit. GO east on Main St. approx. 5 miles. Turn south on “H” to Olive. Also, the Inland ARC tests on the 4th Thursday of each month, at 5 PM at 25541 Barton Rd, Loma Linda. Contact person is Sam Eller, AD6UE at (909) 796-2996. Location from going south on I-10: Exit Mountain View Ave, right on Barton, Left on Loma Linda Dr, Civic Center complex. Take driveway to your left immediately past the fire station. The VVARC Quick White Rabbit NEEDS YOU! We need volunteers to make Field Day 2006 a success. We have no one to help facilitate this event, so we are calling on ALL members to keep this amateur radio tradition a success. Lets all work together, getting back to the roots of communication and have some fun! This event is June 25 & 26, so we have plenty of time. ARRL NEWS (from ARRL.org) Injured miner Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, goes home (Mar 30, 2006) -- Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, the sole survivor of the January 2 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia, left a rehabilitation center and headed home March 30. "I'd just like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers," McCloy remarked on his departure. Neurologist Julian Bailes told reporters that he believes McCloy, 26, has a great potential for "a possibly complete" recovery. On March 2, McCloy's wife Anna told CBS The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm that her husband has told her he remembers "bits and pieces" of the mining disaster that left 12 of his co-workers dead of carbon monoxide poisoning. Earlier this month McCloyvisited his home in Simpson for the first time since the mine tragedy.Well-wishers have been sending cards and QSLs to McCloy at PO Box 223, Philippi, WV 26435. A fund has been set up to accept donations for McCloy's benefit: The Randal McCloy Jr Fund, c/o Clear Mountain Bank, 1889 Earl Core Rd, Morgantown, WV 26505. Vanity Call Sign Fee May Drop Slightly Later this Year (Mar 27, 2006) -- The FCC wants to reduce the Fiscal Year 2006 regulatory fee to obtain an Amateur Radio vanity call sign by $1.80 to $20.10 for the 10-year license term. The current vanity call sign fee is $21.90. The Commission proposed the new fee in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), "Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2006, in MD Docket 06-68, released March 27. If ordered as proposed, the new vanity fee would become effective in August or September. The FCC is obligated to collect nearly $289 million in regulatory fees during FY 2006 to fund its operations. The VVARC Officers for 2006: Jon McDonald, KG6TGR President Craig Ebright, KC7EZH Vice-President Nick Lamb, KD6UYX Secretary Sandi DeWeert, KG6ZHX Treasurer K6QWR- Victor Valley Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 869, Victorville, Ca 92392