Well, we dodged the bullet (for the most part) on the recent ice-storm here in our area.  We got only 2-inches of snow and very little ice here at the house.  Good thing our area was "spared"...'cause at the present time the club is painfully disorganized as far as emergency preparedness goes!  We can solve this present dilemna by making sure we re-set up ARES training classes and by checking in regularly to the CARES Net on Sunday nights. We need to re-do our ARES equipment- availability-info-sheets so that the EC will know who can volunteer what equipment in the event of more serious WX  situations than the last. GPS (global positioning system) units are fast becoming a way of life.  Many auto manufacturers are now offering "OnStar" (see last month's editorial!) and the price of small handheld units are now competively priced in the $100-$150 range.  In addition, the Motorola cellphone, Model V-60X, has a built-in GPS (call 911 and you can be pinpointed to within 300 yards)...much better than the older "nearest tower" concept which could be up to 10 miles distant!
     New Car-Jacking                         Scheme! Our Mailing address is:  Lenoir Amateur Radio Club,  P.O. Box 3276, Lenoir, NC, 28645. ARRL Affiliation Membership dues for the Lenoir ARC are due & payable after the 1st of January for the coming year.  Individual dues are still just $12. for the year with a Family Membership at $20.00.  Associate member dues are $7.00...but carries no voting rights. The club's Constitution and Bylaws requires that you be  dropped if dues are not paid by March 31st.
Joining our ranks at the Jan 13, 2005 meeting was Michalene "Mickie" Hall, KE4HSD.  Two visitors were present (Paul Gragg & Tommy Courtner).  Welcome to all !! Please note! Speaking of Addresses... The LARC now has a brand-new web domain identity - thanks to Gary, KD4YTU!  He has secured for us the domain address of Lenoir-ARC.org (and .net) .  Gary will set up a number of email addresses using this domain and later will host our very own website on his server free of charge!  Add ti onally, this newsletter will be available on the website for viewing and/or printing simply by clicking on one of the several "tabs".  Work will begin shortly on the design and implementation of the new website!! The editor reserves the right to edit and/or paraphrase articles or "news" submitted for inclusion into the LARC newsletter due to time and/or space constraints. Submit articles, etc. to Jim, N4EUX, at bozo38@charter.net    tnx! GPS What are the practical uses for a handheld GPS unit?  Not only are they fun to play around with, they can offer serious uses when hiking, snowmobiling, boating, and in public service events participated in by your local ham club (like the Bike Ride).  Uses can also include cross-country motortrips to keep from getting lost and their use by search & rescue efforts can be invaluable in saving lives!  With all these uses, a GPS price of $100. or less is easily justifiable.  Get one!!
     Our Newsletter
GPS
Our Mailing address is:  Lenoir Amateur Radio Club,  P.O. Box 3276, Lenoir, NC, 28645. Website Address... Our official website address is http://www.lenoir-arc.org  Be  careful when typing it in to your address window of your browser...that's a hyphen (some refer to it as a dash) between "lenoir" and "arc" - not an underscore! Dues are Due!!!
A "Tech-Plus" class is tentatively scheduled for April 2005!  
James, N4NIN, states that the repeater is switched off for the present time owing to the limited coverage provided while at its present location at his home.  Although a new antenna has been ordered and received, this time of year is not good for installation atop the 100-foot tower.  In addition, a new repeater building is a must...as the old building has become rather dilapidated!  Early spring is targeted for these projects. Global Positioning System Jim N4EUX
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An attempt was made, once again, to address the printing problem (of this newsletter) by saving it in Acrobat (.pdf) format, sending it to the server, and then linking to the document.  But results were dismal...it still requires a full download! I was pleased with the interest shown at the meeting with ARES and with Tommy Courtner's (Emergency Mgmt) expressed interest. Now we must put our enthusiasm to work!  Most of you were involved with ARES in the past but, like me, are probably in need of a refresher course.  Gary, our EC, and Jim, our DEC, can provide us with training...so I suggest we allow a portion of the club meeting for that purpose.  Don't forget the link to ARES from our website for self-study info in the meantime!!  -73, Tom Back Next