MARC
WB3JOE/R W3NWA Southeastern PAMARC
WB3JOE/R W3NWA Southeastern PA
News - Past and Present
MARC members are invited to join their fellow members for breakfast and an eyeball QSO on the last Saturday of the month, mornings at 0900 at Andy's Diner, 505 Ridge Pike, Conshohocken, PA, just off the Ridge Pike East exit of I-476 (the Blue Route), see the map below.
MARC holds its annual Holiday Party on the second Saturday of December at the Uno Chicago Grill, 3910 West Chester Pike (PA 3 west of PA 252), Newtown Square. The Club subsidizes this event and the cost to members is only $10. For non-members the cost is only $15. The Uno Grill provided us with a separate dining room with a fireplace and a flat screen TV for a college football game. Club members are treated to a luncheon with their choice of entree. A great time can be had by all!
The MARC 445.675 MHz repeater in Paoli and 444.050 MHz repeater in Darby are using the Yaesu System Fusion DR-2X repeater. The Yaesu System Fusion is a digital communications methodology for voice and data communications. System Fusion utilizes a standard known as C4FM FDMA which is an advanced form of audio frequency shift keying (AFSK). The DR-2X repeater has Automatic Mode Selection and accomodates both conventional analog FM and the C4FM digital transmission. .
Yaesu C4FM FDMA is not compatible with either the ICOM D-STAR repeater or DMR repeaters. There are now several Yaseu System Fusion repeaters in the Delaware Valley including: Atlantic County K2ACY 447.575-; Camden County WA3WUN 147.225+ and KB2AYS 445.125-; Gloucester County W2MMD 147.180+; Lancaster County KX3B 146.745-; Ocean County W2DOR 146.910- and NJ2AR 448.625-; and Philadelphia W3QV 444.800+
Richard Russo KA3VZL QST Article
MARC member and Vice President Richard Russo (SK) had an article published in the August 2016 QST on the simple conversion of a surplus aviation headset to amateur radio use.
MARC Donates ARRL Books to Newtown Public Library
The Newtown Public Library had provided a community room for the MARC meetings in the past. In appreciation of their courtesy and to promote Amateur Radio, MARC donated a set of publications from the ARRL to the Library. The event was publicized in the Fall 2016 Marple Newtown Magazine.
MARC Honors Steve Werner KD3DK
MARC President Steve Werner KD3DK was honored with a farewell salute at the May 2016 club meeting. Steve has been President of MARC since 2010 but is moving to Florida. Jeremy Carlo N2ZLQ as MARC Vice President is shown acceptable the gavel from Steve with Rich KB3VZL (SK) presiding. Steve was presented with a commemorative plaque, the membership enjoyed a decorated cake and wished Steve bon voyage!
Boy Scouts
Starting in 2013, MARC made a significant commitment to provide support to the Boy Scouts. Two of our members, Doug (NE3U, SK) and Steve (KD3WK) were registered merit badge counselors and at Field Day 2013 they worked
with 12 scouts who successfully earned their Radio Merit Badge. In August 2013, MARC worked with seven more scouts who earned their radio merit badges. In October 2013, Doug and Steve attended the Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) station run by Troop 8 in Honey Brook.
MARC Special Service Club
MARC has been re-endorsed as an ARRL Special Service Club for our continuing efforts to improve the visibility of Amateur Radio in he community and to prepare to assist in emergencies.
MARC Discover the Fun of Ham Radio in the 21st Century Banner
MARC has great display banner available courtesy of Mike Pilotti K3BOC. Carrying on the theme that ham radio is fun, the banner will alert visitors to MARC. The banner rolls up and is easily transported.
MARC Hosts Riley Hollingsworth K4ZDH
MARC hosted Riley Hollingsworth K4ZDH at the regular meeting on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. Riley was Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau and retired in 2008. In the opinion of many he was man who came to embody Amateur Radio Enforcement. At his retirement Riley said that he has "loved" working for the FCC and has "always had great jobs, but this one involving the Amateur Radio Service has been the most fun and I have enjoyed every day of it. I've worked with the best group of licensees on earth, enjoyed your support and tremendous FCC support and looked forward every day to coming to work. The Amateur Radio Enforcement program will continue without missing a beat, and after retirement I look forward to being involved with Amateur Radio every way I can. I thank all of you for being so dedicated and conscientious, and for the encouragement you give us every day."
Riley joined the Enforcement Program of the Compliance and Information Bureau in January 1998, as Legal Advisor for Enforcement. He was placed in charge of coordinating enforcement in the Amateur Services after that program was transferred to the Enforcement Bureau in October 1998. Riley then became Special Counsel with the new Enforcement Bureau and managed the Amateur Radio Service enforcement and the Land Mobile Service interference resolution programs.
Prior to joining the Enforcement Bureau Riley was an enforcement trial attorney and later Deputy Chief of Licensing and Assistant Bureau Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. In 1987, he managed the FCC 800 MHz Lottery Task Force in which the 800 MHz spectrum was assigned to 13 cities. He also organized the FCC's program in which underutilized radio channels were recovered for reassignment in major cities. In 1992, Riley participated as a Member of the Delegation from the US State Department to Bucharest, Romania, where radio licensing in the United States and opening foreign markets to American manufacturers were addressed. Riley was Co-Chairman for the FCC PCS Broadband and Narrowband Licensing Task Force in 1994.
Elmer Program
MARC has an Elmer program. As most of you know, “Elmer" is a nickname or term used to describe someone that can answer lots of your Amateur Radio related questions when you are starting out in 'Ham Radio'. We have a number of members who are new to Amateur Radio and some members who are back in the hobby after a long absence – being an Elmer would be very helpful to these folks and other new 'hams' who will join our club in the future.
We have a lot of very experienced hams in MARC who could bring a lot of value to an Elmer program. MARC has a list of club members who would be willing to be Elmers. If you would like to take advantage of being mentored send your requests to Jeremy N2ZLQ.
Here is a link that has some good information about Elmers and Amateur Radio in general:
MARC and DCARA Merger
The Board of Directors of MARC have approved a proposal at the February 2012 meeting to merge with the Delaware County Amateur Radio Association (DCARA). The DCARA linked repeater system at the Mercy Fitzgerald Hosptial in Darby, PA and operates on 147.36 <> 224.50 <> 444.05 MHz with a PL of 131.8 MHz and are on the emergency generator power system of the facility. Although the MARC and the former DCARA repeater systems are not linked, the Darby repeaters will complement the coverage of the MARC repeater system, extending north to the Bucks, Burlington and Mercer County, while the MARC repeater system extends to the south into state of Delaware and east and north into Chester County. MARC members are invited to use both repeater systems.
The DCARA was founded as was MARC in 1977 and served the Amateur Radio community in southern Delaware County and southern New Jersey. For routine and emergency communication, especially at the Philadelphia International Airport, the Darby repeater system is a valuable asset for Amateur Radio preparedness.
On November 17, 1976, the first board meeting of what was then know as the Keystone ARC took place to turn the users of the '06 repeater into an Amateur Radio club. The first club meeting took place on December 10, 1976. An early order of business was to choose another club name, since there already was (and still is) a Keystone ARC in the Philadelphia area. The Radnor Repeater Group name had given way to the Mid-Atlantic Radio Club by February, 1977, and in June of that year the "Amateur" had come into the club's title in order to qualify for a club call sign. The club call sign WB3JOE came to us in 1978, but the '06 repeater used WR3AKR, whose trustee was Phil WA3VCS. By August, 1977 MARC was meeting at Metropolitan Federal Savings Bank (City Line and Haverford Aves.), where we stayed until 1985. From REMARCS November 1986
MARC Facebook Page
MARC has a Facebook page to also foster communications between and to distribute information to Club members. To join: go to Facebook and search for the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Radio Club.
MARC Honors Dieter Hauer K3DK
MARC President Steve Werner, KD3WK presented past President Dieter Hauer, K3DK with a special plaque at the Board Meeting on November 9, 2010. This award was given to Dieter for all he has done for the club, especially over the past three years. Dieter has been a board member, President, REMARCS Newsletter Editor and Field Day Captain. He took over these responsibilities at a critical time in MARC’s history. Past President, Steve Maslin N3ORH was moving to Florida and perennial Board members Carter Craigie N3AO and Kay Craigie N3KN were moving to Virginia. Dieter stepped right in and kept the club thriving.
