CQ de WA2LQO published a two-part story "How The GARC Began" by Dave Anderson, KA2FEA, in the June and August 1990 issues. I wrote him July 21 and again August 29 offering additional information and some corrections. He responded September 4 thanking me. He said all the information in "How The GARC Began" articles was furnished by Walter Bickmeyer, W2NI, and he would publish the article with all the corrected information at some future date.

The publication of "45 Years of History 1944-1989" put together by Jack Cottrell, WA2PYK, included some but not all of the data I sent Dave. There are a couple of things I want to clarify. By the time the war ended and we were allowed
back "on the air" there was enough radio activity at Grumman to make it evident that there would be a continuing need for people who knew something about it. I convinced Jack Retalliata, who with "Peanuts" Barbetta was sort of a Public Relations team with close ties to top management, that helping the club would make Grumman a more attractive place for the "radio" people. That is why the company gave the Club money for the equipment and space in the garage to install it.

As far as I know I was the only one to get money for the Club as long as I was there. I can remember Dave Goldblum being sent to me by the club after I was not very active, asking me to go to the Company for money. It wasn't as easy as the first time. I don't remember what it was for, but I remember once we got it in two installments.

There was a similar situation in the 1950s, when the Club had almost fallen apart. It was more difficult to get competent technical people in the shop than in Engineering, and the need for both was increasing. I worked closely with Personnel, writing ads and interviewing, screening and referring some to the Electrical Department for their consideration. I also arranged training courses for the technicians. We surely needed to keep those we had, and the Club was a possible help.

At that time Oscar Olsen was the Grumman Washington contact, and he met weekly with the top Company people to brief them on how things were going. He understood the need for good technical people and the possible influence of the Club. I went to him to get the Company to pick up the tab for a good meal for former and potential Club members at Beau Sejour, an expensive, top notch French restaurant south of the field on Central Avenue. I thought the meal would help bring out those still interested in the Club. We had a good turnout. I have a vague recollection of an election at that dinner, but there is probably no one left to confirm that.

The "45 Years of History" includes a "Summary Erickson's address at the July 1, 1959 GARC Dinner". We got the Club going again.

I knew Walt Bickmeyer quite well, and I believe he wrote the history as he remembered it, but am surprised he and Dave Anderson didn't check with anyone before publishing it. Like most people I don't have a perfect memory. I forget things that happened, particularly, dates, but I DON'T remember things that DID NOT happen and evidently Walt did; or maybe he filled in the blanks with what he thought was what probably happened. Right now I have the Anderson history and the Cottrell book plus a few old letters. Reading them helps bring back old memories. Walt did very well considering he must have little but his own memory.

I have written this lengthy document to get my thoughts in order so I can make a series of notes to prompt me when I speak to those who will listen at the 50^th celebration. After reading it I see that it is a history of Erickson, rather than radio at Grumman, but that is the way I remember it. I will give the Club a copy of this, and a copy of the addendum to my Dave Anderson July 21, 1990 letter. Jack Cottrell or whoever is involved in Club history might have use for it.

This concludes the two articles based on the letter received from Jack Erickson, AD4N, first president of the GARC. We hope everyone has been edified by these articles and that at long last the record has been set straight according to Erickson.

The Editor

A while back your editor submitted the October 1997 issue of our newsletter to the Amateur Radio News Service for evaluation. In July of 1998 we received a certificate giving CQ de WA2LQO a rating of excellent. A copy of the certificate is not displayable here.. The original certificate is available for display in the Club shack. I would like to thank all contributing writers for the help in obtaining this top notch rating for our Newsletter.

This appeared in the duly 1998 (electronic) edition of the "TSRC Monitor'', the newsletter of the Twin State Radio Club, Verne Burden-NSIEP Editor.

The MIR Space Station is currently orbiting the earth about every 95 minutes while traveling at roughly 17,000 MPH. Due to the fact that MIR is a moving object, and radio frequencies being involved here, Doppler corrections may be needed. On the 2 meter band, the Doppler is a maximum of 3.5 kHz on a pass directly overhead (90 degrees). On a pass say 10 degrees above the horizon; the Doppler is small about 1 kHz. This can be a very important factor in working the packet Personal Bulletin Board. This is because packets may become distorted. Here are some items to look at in your station for successful attempts.

LOCATION:

If you are in a bad location where it might be difficult to get a signal out, you might be limited to the number of passes that you can work. You might want to look into a simple 1/4-wave 2-meter groundplane. This antenna has a good lobe looking up. If you are in the clear to your horizons, you have it made. However, Doppler and antenna type will be your disadvantage. For the average HAM station running say a 50-watt radio, and a J pole antenna has a great advantage on MIR passes that are up to about 20 degrees above the horizon! Doppler isn't a real consideration and your antenna pattern is ideal for something up to 20 degrees above the horizon, or a bit more! Most radios will work, and no frequency corrections are needed. Doppler up on UHF is around 10 kHz and Doppler compensation is needed! A MUST for SAFEX or any UHF satellite operations. [Note: SAFEX not operational at this writing.]

TRACKING:

You will need some satellite tracking software to know when and where MIR will be in your area. There is a lot of tracking software available on the Inter-net. I use STSPLUS, and have for over 12 years. Keplerian information on MIR and other satellites is updated twice weekly, and can be found on your local BBS.

FREQUENCY:

The frequency is 145.985 SIMPLEX World Wide. (1200 baud packet and Voice) This frequency will change in the very near future to a split operation for voice and packet on different uplink frequencies. Stay tuned for updates.

PACKET WISE:

If you are not familiar with packet connections or mailboxes, do some experimentation on the ground first before trying to operate MIR. The TNC on MIR is a Kantronics KPC-9612+ V 8.1 and is operating at 1200 baud ONLY. Here is the HELP that you would get on R0MIR-1 when using the Help (H) command:

· B(ye) - PBBS will disconnect

· E(dit) n [BPTYNFH] [tocall] [<fromcall] [~BBS] "old" "new"

· J(heard) - callsigns with daystamp

· J S(hort)- heard callsigns only

· J L(ong) - all signs with day stamp and vias

. L [x lyll 1;1 - list messages x-y you

· LTn - display location text, n=l-4

· K(ill) n - delete message number n

· KM(ine) - delete all messages addressed to you

· R(ead) n - display message number n

· RH n - display message n with headers

· RM(ine) - read all messages addressed to you

· S(end) call - send message to 'call'

· S[B [P ITl call - send bulletin, private or traffic

Please don't use the Help command on MIR. This is standard to most TNC's and doing so just limits the use of MiR by other stations. There can only be ONE user connected to R0MIR-I at a time.

BE PREPARED:

If you wish to send a message to the crew, have a file of your message ready to go! What I usually do is make a message to R0MIR before I even send it. On my KPC-9612, I get in my mailbox, and SP R0MIR~MIR then enter the subject and then the message. When MIR is in range, and the mailbox is not being used, I forward the message. My TNC talks to M1R's TNC and goes through the forwarding process. This is a LOT quicker! I send 3.7K of info in one minute! This includes the connect to disconnect time. Consult your TNC user manual for forwarding mail to a station.

Don't try to send a message to your buddy down the street to MIR's PERSONAL Mailbox. It will not allow third party messages. If you try, you will get a response - MESSAGES MUST BE ADDRESSED TO THIS STATION.

BE COURTIOUS:

please don't try connecting to R0MIR-1 when someone else is already connected. You will get an R0MIR-1 **BUSY. When you get this, don't keep trying while others are connected. This just messes up the other station, and it is interference and will just take that much longer for the user to finish before he/ she disconnects. Would you like others interfering with your connects to MIR? Look for the D frame from R0MIR-1 to the connected station. Using MCOM ON will allow you to see all these packets. Here is what MY KPC-9612 would show.

R0MIR-I WA6LIE/I 105/13/98 22:18:041: <<D:

After you see this, hopefully, the ground station has sent his/her disconnect to R0MIR-I, and it will be ready for the next connect.

R0MIR. This is the callsign of MIR. This port has no value to working MIR except credit towards a QSL card. There is nobody at the keyboard. QSL REQUESTS USA and WW except Europe:

Dr. Dave Larsen - N6CO/K6MIR POB 1501

Pine Grove, CA 95665 USA

Please include a SASE (Business Size Envelope) and one IRC for international. If you are sending an IRC, Please make sure it is dated 1998, as the post office won't accept IRC's dated over 1 year old. "Green Stamps" are encouraged for covering additional costs.

If you have any questions, drop me a note! 73, Scott-WA6LIE

E-mail: [email protected]. Packet: wa61ie@wa61ie#wcca.ca.usa.noam

The meeting was called to order at 5:08 PM by our president Pat, KE2LJ. A sign in sheet was passed around for guests and members to indicate their attendance. Also, we were all asked to introduce ourselves verbally, to all present.

Phil, the treasurer, spoke first. New balance $2633.41 to date. $58.88paid out in postage for month.

A controller for the 533 machine, an RC1000, was located. Bill, N2NFI wants to trade the old one for the replacement one. The RC1000 is all ready mounted in a rack and ready to go. After some discussion, a motion was called. WA2BAJ, Joe made a motion that we make the trade. After several minutes of discussion, Pat, KE2LJ tabled the motion so that it could be discussed further at the next board meeting.

One applicant and he passed element II and 3A, the no code test. There were five V.E.s at the session.

NETS

Twenty Meters: 14.275 at 12:00 PM EST Wednesdays.

Forty Meters: 7.289 at 8:00 AM EST Sundays.

Two Meters: 146.745 at 8:30 PM EST Thursdays.

145.33 at 8:45 PM Thursdays

145.33 at 9:00 PM EST Mondays (ARES/RACES).

KE2LJ told us that there was no news on company moves or plans.

NN2C will be the guest speaker next month. He will be making a trip to England and will have new news for us when he returns home. Mike and Pat moved the field day equipment to a place called Mr. D's in Bohemia. It is a storage facility and the stuff will be there till needed next time.

At 5:19pm, the general meeting was closed.

VE Sessions

VE exams for all classes of amateur licenses are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:00 PM in the Plant 5 Cafeteria. The exam fee for 1998 is $6.35.

Thanks to Bob Wexelbaum, W2ILP for this information.

Van Field gave his presentation. He was a 1948 Grumman club member and he gave us an interesting presentation using an overhead projector with transparencies explaining the two major types of antennas he was covering. One being the resonant type and the other being the traveling wave type. Resonant ones need antenna tuners and the other type does not. Van mentioned the fact that he thought W6SAI handbooks were very good sources for antenna data and information. He likes them better than the ARRL publications.

MEETINGS

General Meetings of the GARC are held on the third Wednesday of each month, at 5:00 PM in the Plant 5 cafeteria. All who are interested in Amateur Radio are invited to attend. Board meetings are held eight days before the General Meetings and GARC members are invited to attend, but please call Pat Masterson, KE2LJ, at 346-6316 to confirm place and time of meeting