THE
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Volume 4 Issue 6
June 1999
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Red Cross & Ham Radio
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The International Red Cross movement goes back to 1859 when
Henri (Henry) Dunant a Swiss businessman stumbled across a
battlefield during his travels in northern Italy. This
battlefield was not an old battlefield, in fact it still had
bodies laying about. Shocked to find thousands of wounded and
dying men with no one to tend to their needs Henri jumped into
action. Remember Henri a businessman had no medical training,
yet he helped nonetheless including mobilizing the local
population which saved numerous lives. When Henri returned to
his home in Switzerland he put his experiences in a book called
“ Memory of Solferino ”. In this book he also called for the
formation of volunteer groups who would be given training in
medical care and that they care for military personal no mater
which side the combatants where on. Henri was also concerned
with the safety of the volunteers, he recommended a neutral
and universal symbol be used so that all nations would know
and hopefully respect so the volunteers could conduct their
life saving duties in safety. Four years later (1863) the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was formed.
The committee selected to use the inverse of the Swiss flag
for their universal symbol which we all know today as a red
cross on a white background. The American Red Cross was formed
in 1881 after an American nurse returning from Franco-Prussian
War lobbied Congress to seek membership in the ICRC. Clara
Barton had seen first hand how many lives where saved. When
Clara lobbed Congress she also had expanded the role of the
American Red Cross to include aid to victims of disasters.
The first chapter of the Red Cross was founded in Danville
N.Y. which almost immediately sent it's volunteers to help
with Michigan forest fires and some central/Midwest floods.
The American Red Cross and Amateur Radio Community have been
intertwined for decades. The earliest documentation I came
across was in 1928, but I imagine it goes back even farther.
Back to the spark gap days, as soon as they saw a guy with a
battery, vacuum tube, a keyer, and a piece of wire in the
trees was more efficient than a guy on horseback telling
someone we need this drug or piece of equipment to help
victims. “ No handi-talkie in those days ” The first official
association with the Red Cross and Ham Radio came in 1940
when the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the American
Red Cross entered into “ cooperative statement of understanding
”. The statement has been updated in both 1964 and 1974. But
wait I am getting ahead of myself. Using the FCC part 97 The
Amateur Radio's primary responsibility is the performance of
public service communications particularly in times of
emergency when normal forms of communication may not be
available. The ARRL in 1935 with the previous statement in
mine organized the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps. Today we
know it as the “ Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
”. In 1949 the ARRL add the National Traffic System (NTS).
These two groups makeup the backbone of the ARRL's cooperation
with the Red Cross. There is not room to show the statement
of understanding between the ARRL and the Red Cross, but it
consists of a Forward with 7 categories. The Northeast
Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross serves the following
counties: Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Cherokee, Union, Lumpkin,
Dawson, Forsyth, Towns, White, Hall, Rabun, Habersham,
Stephens. Ten Hall county citizens started the Gainesville
chapter April of 1917. A year later it had added 446 more
volunteers and several more cities and counties. This is the
same chapter that worked with FEMA & GEMA ( 2 of the government
agencies the Red Cross works closely with ) in last March's
deadly tornadoes that hit Hall and White Counties. Our Disaster
Action Team ( DAT ) Co-Captains in Gilmer County are Gene
Crawford, Ph (706) 276-2726 and Sanford Lyons, Ph (706)
635-1931. Please call either of them if you are interested
in joining the team. You can also call Judy Howe at the
Chapter main office (if you live outside Gilmer County use
this number) 1-800-282-1722 ext. 19 .
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BACKYARD NEWS
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It's Friday May 28 in the early morning hour and Sam K4SWU
is “riding in with” or talking with the usual crowd going in to
work using the KC4ZGN repeater. Sometime later that morning the
repeater's 2 meter input quit working, however it was still
giving it's ID on 2 meters and 440 side still worked. I tried
the repeater around 10 am and gave Sam a land-line he said that
it worked fine earlier but about 8:30 or 9 quit. It's Monday
May 31 and Al KE4ILH calls me and reports Fannin 911 (EMA) has
a group over due and missing in the Cohutta Wilderness. Al and
I start calling others and get them to monitor the Morganton
repeater. And just as we where fixing to head out the call
came in to tell us they had been found. The local repeater is
back working but still takes an occasional fit. ( I don't know
if Dennis cleaned it again, kicked it, or cussed it but it is
going). Along comes Wednesday and I injure my back and right
hip. (don't ask me how I still haven't figured it out!) Anyhow
this newsletter is going to be late getting out and may have
to combine it with July. Field Day is almost here and hope to
have pictures for the August newsletter! If it seems Field Day
came up fast then our next club event will probably do the same,
so don't forget the EARS Hamfest in August! Changes in the
newsletter may/will include dropping the Skywarn class schedule,
reason is they don't have many classes from mid-summer to
mid-winter when they gear up for a new season! If they have
any I’ll drop a note in some where. Update: My injury is better
but almost made the July newsletter become August. The June &
July newsletter will be sent together!
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HAM OF THE MONTH
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Ham of the month is Jim Tarpley WD4RNP a long time member of
the club. Jim and his wife Judy KF4AWX recently move to Rocky
Face, GA. and you might have thought that you would see and hear
less of him even though he still works in Ellijay. Well you would
be dead wrong, in fact I think his support for the club and
attendance at meeting are up. Even with our weakened repeater he
still makes an effort to QSL our Monday night net (mobile or
base). We're sure glad to have members like Jim and Judy!
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THE WAVELENGTH
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Executive Editor:
David A. Barlitt KF4AWU
Contributors:
Hugh Beam, W4HFB
____________________________________
Ellijay Amateur Radio Society, Inc.
President:
Jack Bramblett K4IVC
Vice-President:
Reed Krenn WW3A
Secretary/Treasurer:
David A. Barlitt KF4AWU
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SKYWARN
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6/7/99 at 9:30 a.m. - Basic Class Spalding County Spalding County
Fire Dept. 600 Carver Rd. P.O.C. Kenny West (770) 228-2129
6/8/99 7:00 p.m. - Advanced Class Gwinnett County Gwinnett Medical
Center Lawrenceville, GA P.O.C. Lowry Rouse
rouse_lowry@ccmail.ahlstrom.com (770.972.7248)
6/14/99 at 9:30 a.m. - Advanced Class Spalding County fire Dept.
P.O.C. Kenny West (770) 228-2129
6/24/99 at 7:00 p.m. Basic Class Laurens County Location -
TBA Dublin, GA
6/23/99 at 1:00 p.m. - Basic Class Fulton County SciTrek Museum
395 Atlanta, GA (770) 997-7145 or react1@mindspring.com
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Check-Ins
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April check-ins total is 42:
net control for:
4/12/99 - Reed WW3A 11 check-ins
4/19/99 - Reed WW3A 13 check-ins
4/26/99 - Reed WW3A 18 check-ins
All counts both weekly and end of month totals include the
Net Control Station!
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This Month's Birthdays/Anniversaries & Ham Fests
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This June Birthdays are:
none
This June Anniversaries are:
none
If your birthday or anniversary is not on the list,. it is
because I have no record of it!
Swap Shop list it here !
FS: Yaesu FT-50 R with 5 batteries drop in charger.
All for $300 Wayne W4YNE
HAM Fests:
June 5-6 Atlanta Hamfest & Computer Fair
Jim Miller Park, Marietta, GA
June 11-12: Albany, GA 912 438-9714; rmccrary@planttel.net.
June 12 Classic Hamfest
Winston-Salem NC
http://members.xoom.com/w4nc/Hamfest.htm
June 26-27 – Field Day
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VE Corner
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April had 3 applicants - two of the three applicants passed
Codeless techs. Also note Danny Head W4RDH our chief examiner
also came from Murphy, N.C. The VEC session (Ham Tests) are
first Saturday of each month at 1:00 PM (except December) in the
conference room of library.
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Ellijay Amateur Radio Society, Inc.
...................................
C/O David Barlitt
50 Jones Road
Ellijay, Georgia
30540
...................................
Phone: 706-273-3559
Fax: 706-635-3559
mailto:w4hhh@qsl.net
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Ellijay Amateur Radio Society, Inc.
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