I've gotten a bit behind on SACMARC tasks, so I was hesitant to send
another update to the list. However, there has been enough progress on
several fronts to overshadow the lack of progress on others. Here is an
update commencing from where the last one left off (late March, 1997).
March 1997
An FCC Form 610-B is submitted modifying the K0AIR station license to
reflect the new P.O. Box mailing address. Still no action by the FCC
yet (these things typically take 6-8 weeks)
Roy Gertig, N0RG, volunteers to be the trustee for K0GRL (General
LeMay's former callsign). Roy is an Extra-class operator, so he can
apply under FCC Application Gate 2 right away. We fill out a 610-B
together at the March BARC meeting and Roy submits it to the FCC. Also
no action by the FCC on this matter, either. When the license is
received, a 610-V will be submitted with the $30 fee (The FCC has asked
for an increase in its fee schedule this year for "vanity" callsigns to
$50, but we will probably be submitting our application before that
happens. We will likely have to pay a higher fee when the licenses are
renewed in ten years' time, though.)
John Hennessee, N1KB, at the American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
Regulatory Branch, confirms via E-mail that clubs may hold more than one
callsign. We're probably going to hold at two, to avoid the perception
of "hoarding" callsigns.
As promised, Peter Hurd, N1SS, sends along a notarized copy of a letter
from Mrs. Jane LeMay Lodge (daughter of General LeMay) giving her
blessing to the recovery of the General's Nebraska amateur radio
callsign (K0GRL) on behalf of a group affiliated with SAC historical
organizations. (Peter would prefer that the letter remain confidential,
probably because it has Mrs. Lodge's mailing address in it, but I have
the letter on file for the trustees and club officers).
April 1997
I *finally* get through reviewing the draft Articles and ByLaws for the
SACMARC and give them back to John Sheffield, N4OWG. They are pretty
much ready for legal review by the local ARRL Volunteer Counsel, Brian
Zdan, KM0Y, and ratification by the club at its charter meeting.
Talking Paper is still pending. I'm hoping to get that done soon and
available for review by the members so that it can go out to our
contacts at the SAC Museum and USSTRATCOM.
In response to my query, Michael Tracy, KC1SX at the ARRL Technical
Information Service (TIS), mails me a copy of a June 1990 QST article
that describes U.S. Air Force Regulation 700-17, which establishes as
USAF policy the support of amateur radio and Military Affiliate Radio
System (MARS) operations at all levels. Though it deals primarily with
active-duty and on-base issues, it's a useful reference for our Talking
Paper as evidence of the close and cooperative relationship between the
U.S. Armed Forces and amateur radio. It also opens the door to
active-duty members to operate (using the club calls) during special
on-base events (possibly even aeronautical mobile, who knows?).
The FCC announces pending rulemaking to define a club as an organization
of four or more amateurs, instead of the previous two. As with the
vanity fee hike, we are likely to get in under the wire (and even if we
don't, I'm sure we can find 4 people to sign the FCC forms).
"Statewide," a news magazine shown every Friday night on Nebraska Public
Television, had a story on the new SAC Museum and the aircraft
restoration effort. (I only found out about it at the last minute, and
announced it on the BARC Repeater, 147.21). The new facilities at
Ashland, near Mahoney State Park, were featured, as well as an interview
with Retired Chief Denny Hahn, who heads the aircraft restoration
effort. It seems they have volunteers working very hard from 6 AM to 9
PM restoring aircraft for the new museum. I also had a chance to see
who Fred Poyner (incorrectly reported by me as "Royner") was. He is the
SAC Museum Registrar, and is the point-of-contact with regard to getting
on the temporary exhibit schedule (he seemed very enthusiastic). He was
the younger, somewhat tall, fellow who was with Denny Hahn at the
Linebacker II commemoration representing the SAC Museum.
If you missed the program, you can view a transcript of it at:
May QST arrives in the mail, and has an article about SAC history and
radio communications (particularly single-sideband technology championed
by General Curtis LeMay, CINCSAC, and Art Collins, W0CXX, President of
the Collins Radio Company). None of us were aware of this article, and
the author (Charles Keene, USSTRATCOM/J601) probably isn't aware of us.
I'd like to remedy that as quickly as possible by contacting the author.
Since I'm falling behind, I'll ask the members of this mailing list for
volunteers to follow up on delegated tasks that I haven't yet
accomplished. None of them are terribly difficult or time-consuming.
- I'll finish up the Talking Paper, as that's my baby, and (quite
frankly) it's straightforward enough that I should have finished it up
weeks ago.
- I'd be happy to contact Charles Keene as well, but if someone else has
closer contacts within USSTRATCOM/J6, I'd be happy to defer to them. I
can also give you a good script (likely a draft or final copy of the
Talking Paper) with which to brief Mr. Keene.
- I have not been able to get down to any bank with regard to opening up
a club checking account. Would anyone be interested in contacting the
local banks (at least Norwest and SAC Federal Credit Union) about this,
acquiring the necessary information, and report back to me? We need
either incorporation, or a special state form identifying who the club
officers are, to open an account, but you can at least make inquiries
with regard to specific terms (and possibly get any necessary
application forms).
- I have also not yet sought out a location for our charter meeting. My
first choice was the new Papillion library, as they have some nice
meeting rooms that you can use, provided your meeting starts before the
library closes (7 PM on weeknights, I think). Since it is a new
facility, it is likely that they have some openings. Would someone like
to volunteer to contact the library and find out what are the terms, and
date availability, for using the Papillion library's public meeting
rooms? Looks like late May or June for the first meeting (I'd like to
have some lead time to publish an announcement in the local club
newsletters).
To avoid duplication of effort, please contact me first, and I'll assign
the tasks. If there's more than one volunteer for a given task, I'll
divide up the work, or suggest another task not yet taken.
The first meeting will be very important to ratify our articles and
bylaws as an organization. Also, John has been good-naturedly ribbing
me about how people keep trying to give him money that he doesn't feel
comfortable taking right now. We would be happy to take your dues and
donations at the first meeting.
I would also be very interested at that time in gauging just what kind
of funding, manpower, and equipment we can muster for projects. I'd
like to avoid overpromising to the SAC Museum and USSTRATCOM, as that
may damage our relations, and preclude accommodation and cooperation in
the future.
As always, we are open to any reasonable ideas or suggestions
(particularly if you want to take the lead on any project). If you
don't want to share them with the entire list, you may feel free to send
them to me or John Sheffield (sheffieldj@aol.com).
-- Paul W. Schleck pschleck@novia.net K0AIR Trustee
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