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Welcome to the new blog for Spartanburg Amateur Radio Club. While working on the newsletter for the club we realized that it would be nice to have a way to communicate with club members in a more consistent way that would allow us to get important events and news out to members quickly. Getting information from the blog is easy, sign up to follow the blog and you will receive an email notifying you that something has been posted or just check the blog periodically to see the latest new









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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Community Preparedness Day

On September 10, 2011, Community Preparedness Day was held at Westgate Mall in Spartanburg, SC.  Members of the Spartanburg Amateur Radio Club and Spartanburg County Ares enjoyed participating in this community day.  A special thanks to John Crockett, W3KH and Robert Cockman, WD6ELK for ensuring the SCHEART trailer could be displayed.  Members set up radio stations on site and demonstrated voice and cw operations.  A great time was had by all who participated.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Club Auction on October 4th








Fellow Sparksters,
               Our club is having a member’s only auction at the October meeting on Tuesday October 4th. Attached is a list of equipment that will be sold to the highest bidder with no minimum price. You might by a radio for $1.00 if no one else bids. Yours truly will be the auctioneer. Come early (around 6pm) to check out all the goodies and decide what you want to pay. Here are some of the rules:

·         You must be a member in good standing as of August 16th.
·         No payments can be made until the auction is over.
·         You cannot buy equipment for resale or for anyone else. If you don’t plan on using it, let someone else buy it that needs it.
·         You must pay & transport what you bought that night.

Happy Bidding
W4ABE

P.S. add 2 sections of Rohn 25G


Amateur Radio Equipment Available for Sale, (Revised 8/9/2011)
From the Estate of Dr. James Dolan Brackett, AE4ZJ & Kindly Donated by Dr. Anne Brackett (XYL) to SPARC, Tues., August 2, 2011

Coax, Coax Switches, Rotator Cable, Coax Switches, & Misc. Cable Accessories
Transceivers & Tuners 
Rotators 
Miscellaneous Accessories
Antennas, Towers, & Masts
(1) Glen Martin aluminum tower, 17’ 6", with thrust bearing (~ $130.00 option!), & aluminum mounting feet (condition excellent!) 
(1) Glen Martin aluminum tower, 9’, with thrust bearing (~ $130.00 option!), & aluminum feet (condition excellent!) 
(1) Glen Martin aluminum tower, 4’, (need to confirm if this one has a thrust bearing, & with aluminum feet 
(1) "egg-beater" style, M Squared, model EB-144, for the two meter band, good for working the birds, with M Squared RK-2M Radial Reflector Kit, missing (2) radials but easily replaced 
(1) "egg-beater" Antenna, M Squared, model EB-432, for the 700 millimeter band, good for working the "birds", complete with the optional RK-70 cm radial reflector mounting kit, and Glen Martin model RA-6048 aluminum side arm (Board of Directors to decide if the arm and antenna should be separated for the sale) 
(1) discone antenna, Diamond model D130, complete with all elements including 6 meter vertical element, mounting tube, (2) mounts, and 3’ – 4’ of RG-8 type coax cable
(1) discone antenna, possibly Diamond, with no vertical element, but is capped on top for WX protection, with shorter mounting tube than antenna listed above, and (2) mounts
(1) HF beam antenna, Cushcraft TEN-3 10 meter, (3) element yagi, with missing segment of one element - easily replaced – with assembly and installation manual, purchased 5/20/1996 (1) HF beam antenna, 20 meters monobander, missing either (2) elements or (2) segments (will check on this)
(1) beam antenna, for six meters, (3) elements

(1) beam antenna, for six meters, (5) elements

(1) beam antenna, Yagi, Cushcraft model 13B2 Broadband Boomer, 144-148 MHz (work the SPARC 2M repeater from I-26 & milemarker 1!)

(1) beam antenna, 20 element, 700 millimeter band

(1) beam antenna, Maldol, dual band VHF/UHF, with mounting bracket (nice!)

(1) Perth "Plus" Outback HF mobile antenna, purchased 2/22/1996, with install/tuning sheet

(1) Diamond CR224A 2M/1 ¼ M dual band mobile antenna, with operator’s sheet
(1) Diamond CR-627B 6M/2M/440 MHz mobile antenna, purchased 5/20/1996

(1) Diamond HV7A (5) band HF antenna - supplied bands are 10M/6M/2M/70 cm + optional band coil, includes manual
(2) vertical base antennas, Diamond, either model X510MA, and/or NA VHF/UHF, model 510NA (need to check connector type)
(1) Glen Martin model MA-1049 aluminum mast, 9’ length, purchased 1/16/97

(1) telescopic mast, aluminum, compact length approx. 5’ long, ~ 6 – 8 sections, (may be homebrew, but nice!) w/hose clamps for stops – diameter of bottom section is 1 ½"
(1) "push-up style telescopic mast, with attached metal guy ring (~ 20’ extended length)

(3) antenna masts, 10’ each, attractive goldish color, Radio Shack TV type (get that digital TV antenna up higher!)
(1) Glen Martin model RT-424 Tapered Tower, with manual (assembled!)

(1) Larsen mobile antenna, 5/8 wave for 220 MHz band, no base, NMO style

(3) Larsen mobile antennas, only (1) with a base mount, all NMO mounting style (will try to confirm resonant band)

(1) mobile magnet mount, Sagant, (3) magnet/chrome base, with VHF connector

(1) Bumper mount for mobile HF antenna (not yet recovered from vehicle)

(1) Wilson 1000 CB base loaded mobile antenna (works great on 10 Meters (according to K4SPA)

(1) K40 CB base loaded mobile antenna (probably works great on 10 Meters too)

(1) 36’ HF aluminum reflector element only, (the two sections making up the total length were found joined together with a short length of gray PVC (organic!) pipe

(1) "Wireman" 1:1 balun, for twin-lead to coaxial cable feedlines (tested and works on receive!)

(1) Centaur High Performance balun Model B11Y __, serial 00241, imported from Tucson, AZ
Yaesu G-450 XL, control box & G-450 XC rotator, rated for 10 square feet of antenna, with cable control cable attached, purchased 1/17/1997

Yaesu G-800S control box with analog azimuth indicator, & G-800 rotator motor (still need to locate interface connector

(2) Archer (Radio Shack, television type) antenna rotators, with control boxes (rotators may be Gemini brand)

(1) Kenwood TM-733A mobile, dual-band, serial #70502262, w/removable control head, control head cable, bracket, & microphone – some documentaton included

(1) Icom 706 mobile transceiver #05278, w/removable control head, control head cable, power cable, & microphone, may have had the "MARS Mod up to 50 MHz" and missing diode 59 (used in a mobile configuration)

(1)  Icom AT-180 external tuner #03535, w/mount. bracket & possibly with control cable (was interfaced with the Icom 706 above in a mobile configuration, purchased 1/20/1996

(1) Radio Shack TRC-465 CB transceiver, 40 channel, AM/SSB (use both sides with carrier, or use each side separately!) Purchase with other items in the sale, pick your favorite three or four digit number and use it to call "skip-land"

(1) Alpha Delta, two position coax switch, with arc plug, purchased 12/20/1996

(6) packages (unopened & unseen by the human consumer) coax sealant "tape"

(1) duplexer, Diamond model MX72H, with VHF connectors

Baluns
(1) patch cable, Cable X-Perts, 6’, 9913 type, (new/sealed in the package!) with PL-259 connectors and W4NTO-approved red shrink tubing over each connector!)

(1) roll, unused, with tag/label, RG-8x, coaxial cable, (in "milk crate" of assorted, used coax/patch cables (The Board may decide to separate cables for sale)

DIN cable (black), possibly used between ICOM 706 txcvr & ICOM AT-180 antenna tuner

(20) separate runs (maybe more) of RG-8, RG-8X, and RG-58 coaxial cable, some with "Wireman" graphics) of lengths anywhere from several feet or less, to 40’ or more. Will use pi to estimate lengths later. Most of the cables have connectors on both ends, some installed by The Wireman himself, or his stepson, according to documentation. Talk to Robert WD6ELK in reference to the reuse of "used coaxial cable" if you have concerns about utilizing "used" coax. Bring your ohmmeter to the sale to test specific cables yourself! Before you decide on a specific length of cable to purchase, test the cable for a short. If you find the cable is shorted, you may always cut it after you purchase it, and retest it until you locate the short. Perhaps the problem is just a connector! Most or all of this cable was purchased in 1996, so please amortize accordingly.

Antenna rotator control cable, Belden, Grey jacket (more info to follow on recovered rotator control cable(s)

(1) gooseneck control head mount, w/three mounting holes (needs to be removed from vehicle) – top of mount needs to be examined closely!

(1) "milk-crate" container with file folders containing ARRL-affiliated radio club documents and forms

(1) cardboard box of amateur radio books, incl. several somewhat recent ARRL handbooks

Note: The Shack had been cleared of desktop rigs, etc. by the family, months or years in advance of our arrival to the QTH of the owner. All transceivers in this sale previously listed were used in a mobile configuration by the owner, and have been inside the vehicle for a minimum of (9) years. Please bid accordingly with this in mind. Please note that the Icom 706 transceiver is NOT the "MKIIG" model.

Anyone who may be interested in owning any of the equipment listed, and for the method by which this equipment will be disbursed, should listen for further information forthcoming on the SPARC two meter nets and/or the SPARC 70 centimeter nets that occur, 2 meter nets are held each Monday and Friday, 8:30 PM, 147.315/147.915 (input) 440 nets are held on the first, third, (and 5th) Thursdays at 8:30 PM, 442.075/447.075 (input) after the next SPARC Board Meeting.

The next Board Meeting will be held at 7:00 PM, Tuesday, August 16, at the Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross facility, located at 104 Garner Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303.  SPARC does not, and will not provide any guarantee of expected or anticipated operation to the new owner. The Board of Directors will decide if any item will be tested, and the results communicated, in advance of the sale. Basic test gear such as a 12 volt power supply, multi-meter, SWR bridge, coaxial patch cable, and dummy load, may be available the evening of the equipment sale.  You may bring your own equipment to test the item you are interested in purchasing. Equipment is sold "as-is", with NO implied warranty. All sales are final! Payments may be made to Anne Thompson SPARC Treasurer, when you are ready to leave the sale with your item(s) or at the end of the sale.

Absolutely no selling or disbursement of ANY item will take place before the next SPARC business meeting on Tuesday, September 6, 7:00 PM! The Board of Directors will decide upon the length of time items (or photos of larger items) will be available for inspection prior to the start of the sale.  A few additional small items will either be added to this list, or will just show up at the sale, with additional detail added about some items, including manuals and/or misc. documentation discovered, control cables located, additional specs researched, etc. [end of report}

The General membership may make suggestions pertaining to the sales event through our Member At Large, Mr. Larry W4ABE for relay to the Board of Directors. Neither Bret N9LPT (me), or any one person, is in charge of this sale, so please use the correct communication channel for relating your ideas and suggestions to SPARC leadership. If you are a current Board Member, simply make a motion at the next Board Meeting, to make your idea(s) known.  "Currently", all proceeds from this sale will go to the Spartanburg Amateur Radio Club, as intended, by the Donor.