Monthly Newsletter Dedicated to the Advancement of Amateur Radio August, 1999

THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER Phyllis Dillman, NØMJB Hello from Sunny California. Since our brief return home from the Solar Rayce, we have been visiting friends and relatives in Colorado and California. We may return in time for the August meeting but will get home that weekend for sure. It's been lots of fun, but we're looking forward to getting home.

NORM'S NOTES Norm Dillman, NØJCC Taking Down Towers Every time I work on a tower or when someone else is going to work on a tower I think back to a story I read years ago about someone who took the guys off of a tower and then proceeded to take it down. The bottom of the tower is always the weak link and it's where it's most likely to get rusty. In the story the tower fell and the guy rode it to the ground. He survived but had many broken bones. I always assumed that it would be better to ride the tower down and then push away from the tower at the last second instead of just jumping off the top as it starts to fall. I finally got around to "put a pencil to the problem". I have not had anyone check my calculations yet so there might be a mistake. The answer I got was the opposite of what I expected. It's better to jump and let the tower fall by itself. The answer depends on the relative weight of the tower compared to the person on the top. If the tower is very light compared to the person it won't make any difference. If the tower weighs the same as the person then you will be going 6% faster if you ride the tower down. If the tower is much, much heavier than the person you'd be going 22.5% faster if you ride the tower down. To me the important conclusion is clear: attach temporary guys to the tower just in case. If anyone wants to check the answer here is the equation I got. X is the ratio of the tower weight to the weight of the person and Y is the ratio of the velocity when you stay with the tower to the velocity if you jump. Y = sqrt(1.5*(2+X)/(3+X))

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK Chuck Carter, AAØRI Not too much news this month, everyone has been hanging around indoors trying to keep cool. The PHD hamfest in Kansas City was attended by a few of our members, I saw Myron, WØPBV; Henry, WAØSWM; Cleve, KCØFWQ; Francis, WØEVJ; and Kenny, KBØRPV. I'm sure there were more, but memory fails me. It seems like that fest gets smaller every year, there were rows and rows of empty tables. Henry, KAØSWM, our illustrious VP tells me that the Red Cross has found their new building and we'll have space for a station and meeting room there also. The building is just east of Radio Shack on Anderson. I'll have more details in next month's newsletter. It looks like our next meeting will be at the new digs. The September picknic is still up in the air, the chosen date Sept. 11 is also the date of KSU's first football game and several members will be at the game. We'll discuss it and make a decision at this month's meeting. Our meeting this month is still scheduled to be at the usual Red Cross location, but we may need to move it outdoors to the pavilion in the park. We'll have that information available at the "Eating Meeting" and will also put it out on the repeater. The program this month will be on RF safety and the new FCC program for licensing amateurs. Effective August 16, we will no longer use the form 610. We will be using the new Universal Licensing Systems (ULS) form 605. We will be able to re-new via the internet with the ULS, more details should be available by meeting time. ARRL will supply their VE's with the new forms as soon as they are available. If you need to renew your license before the new forms are available you can still use the old form 610. In the interest of reducing paperwork, the government has issued 9 pages of instructions for the new simple form 605!!

TREASURER'S REPORT Nadine Stueve, KØUHF July, 1999 Cash on Hand, 7/01/99 20.00 Checking account balance, 7/01/99 38.65 Savings account balance, 7/01/99 2,107.47 Total on Hand, 7/01/99   $ 2,166.12   Receipts:    Interest - Savings Account 15.53    ARRL Dues 39.00 Total Receipts      54.53 Total Money Available   $ 2,220.65   Expenditures:    Newsletter - printing 7.09    Telephone 26.09    Picnic 25.00    ARRL Dues 37.00 Total Expenditures      95.18   Cash on Hand, 7/31/99 20.00   Checking account balance, 7/31/99 82.47   Savings account balance, 7/31/99 2,023.00     Total on Hand, 7/31/99   $ 2,125.47 ARRL DUES If you would like to become a member of the American Radio Relay League and receive the monthly issue of QST, your treasurer has a form you may use to apply. The club keeps $5 of each new member's dues and $2 of each renewing member, so even if you are renewing, do so through the club. The main thing to remember is that if you join through the club, your check must be made out to MAARS. When the form is sent in, the treasurer writes a new check deducting the amount which the club is permitted to keep. They will not reimburse the club. If you are renewing, bring your notice for renewal along to the meeting or send it to the Treasurer at the MAARS address. HAMFESTS August 7 - SMARC Hamfest - Springfield, Mo. August 22 - Kansas State Convention, SVARC Hamfest - Salina, Ks. August 28 - Chanute Hamfest, Chanute, Ks. October 2 - Warrensburg Hamfest, Warrensburg, Mo.