Tom W7VDQ sent in this notice from Mike W7ZI to share with PARG membership: While on Facebook I notice about a post that John lost his battle with cancer. From the information I see he

passed away around September 14th. There won’t be any type of service according to his power of attorney

and executor of his estate. I know John since my novice days in 1963 that he always answered my CQs on

the 80 meter band. At that time I was attending Washington HI and he attended David Douglas and I talked

to him many times in the mid 70s on the Portland 34/94 repeater. So this is all of the info I have about John

K7ZSK.

80 Meter Net: Don’t forget the 80 meter net which meets on Sundays at 8PM PST (0400 UTC)

on 3545 kHz. Rob, N6KIX has graciously accepted the NCS role for the Sunday night net.

Net Activity: W7VDQ Tom asked that I include the following information in this issue of R/R. Thank you Tom. Hi all PARGUYS. From your NCS on Mondays and Tuesdays, W7VDQ, Tom Lindstrom, in Oregon City, OR. be advised that my current NET procedure is to begin calling the PARG net on 40 meters, 7034 KHz, and pick up all the "long skip" (low angle radiation) first. Then, after exhausting the 40 meter QNS, I will switch to our 80 meter frequency, 3545 KHz, and pick up all the "short skip" (high angle radiation) stations remaining. I am sorry for the inconvenience; but, "OLE SOL" continues to leave us no other choice except for moving our net time to say 1300 hours PDT, a move I don't want to make!! So if you can't hear the Monday or Tuesday NCS on 40 m, don't panic. Give 80 m (3545 KHz) a try. Best 73's, Tom, W7VDQ.

Net Schedules: 9 AM Daily (1600 UTC) – 7034 KHz – NCS:

Sun – N7MFB, Bill

Mon – N7YT, Bill

Tues –W7VDQ, Tom

Wed – WB6N, Terry

Thurs – N7MFB Bill (temp need long term)

Fri –AA6ZE, Pete

Sat – K7ZED, BB

8PM Sundays 3545 KHz NCS

Sun - N6KIX, Rob

Net Volunteers: President: Bill, K7ZED

General Manager: Open

Treasurer: Dave Noall K7GZP Editor / Publisher: Larry Shirk AA7UA

21005 Marine View Drive SW, Normandy Park,

WA 98166

Email aa7ua@comcast.net

October/November. 2016 Issue 50 No 6

Other Net Control stations are now following Tom’s method. Whenever short skip on 40 meters is results in difficult or no copy conditions take a listen on 3.545 MHz. Fortunately with the time change 40 meters is looking better. Slow Speed Day is on the Thursday morning PARG net ONLY, net control will send a maximum CW speed of 20 WPM, and recommends other check ins attempt to match this CW speed if they are able to do so. Everyone else, including Tom and others who might not be able to slow down their speed are to still check in as usual. We don't want to exclude anyone from checking in.

Birthdays: October November KB6R Bob W7EHM Pat W7AAZ Bill AA7UA Larry

Treasurer’s Report: PARG Financial Secretary Dave Noall K7GZP: Our balance as of September 20 was $1,194.22

Around the Net: Zane N6ZW – Found this buried in his radio room and thought it might be of interest to PARG

members. Thank you Zane.

News from DG -.N6AU Crossing off an item from my bucket list, I visited KPH at Pt Reyes a few weeks ago and sat for the Radio Telegraph License. KPH is now an authorized examination center for FCC licenses. The license requires 18 wpm code groups and 20 wpm plain text and a written element like the Extra exam on steroids. With an older Extra ticket, I was given credit for the CW portion. After passing I was allowed to "sit a position" and operate KPH. I sent a news message using a Kent straight key on simultaneous frequencies 500, 4247, 6477, 8642 12808 17016 and 22477 kHz. Each transmitter was many kilowatts output. It was quite a thrill for me. The license is really only useful for bragging rights, which one could argue, I am shamelessly exercising now. I will return to KPH when I can, to participate in the memorial exercises that take place a few times a year and help keep the equipment in operation. Check their website at www.radiomarine.org for information and recordings of ships and shore stations working traffic.

Thanks for helping keep CW alive DG.

Uncle PARG Wants You-----Thank you for sending inputs to the Random Radiation Newsletter.

Keep up the good work. Your inputs can be text, and or pictures. We can even handle regular photographs; scanning them and returning the original to the owner if requested. Send them to your PARG editor:

Larry Shirk AA7UA aa7ua@comcast.net 21005 Marine View Drive SW Normandy Park, WA 98166

Fernando. N2FQ-Finished another project and the pictures below show how he recapped an

electrolytic can capacitor. Under chassis space was tight where the can sits. The receiver is a 1959

Collins 75S-1. All capacitors underneath have been replaced. Also someone at one time decided to

change the antenna jack, so the pictures show his attempt at riveting.

Marconi’s Keys From the Radio Museum in Bellingham, WA This is a replica of the Pistol Coherer used by Marconi. As his simplex equipment improved the range became great enough that he did not have a convenient way of knowing the signal was received. The Pistol Coherer solved that problem. When the coherer conducted it powered the electric magnet which pulled the trigger on a black powder pistol. As his transmission range continued to expand it is said he had to eventually replace the pistol with a shotgun.

High Power spark requires dangerous voltages and currents. With his “grasshopper key” Marconi maintained a safe distance from the high power contacts which operate under oil in the little pot.

An Early Wireless Station running 500 Watts Spark

Slow Speed (QRS) CW Activities

PARG does not have a slow speed net in operation at this time, however, many PARG members have been working at putting together resources for those who need a slow speed option to improve code proficiency. In addition there has been some recent interest is starting a PARG slow speed net. In the interim some of the resources available include: 1) FISTS, The International Morse Preservation Society www.fists.org 2) SKCC, Straight Key Century Club www.skccgroup.com 3) WCN, West Coast Slow Speed Nets, WCN is a training net, http:/west-coast-net.info/. 4) NAQCC, North American QRP CW Club http://naqcc.info/ this group is currently running a slow speed CW group and Stewart KE7LKW writes: “I would like to invite any PARG members who would like to participate in the PNW NAQCC QRS net to check in. No one has to be a NAQCC member and you do not have to be QRP. The PNW NAQCC QRS net is on Thursday night at 7PM (PST) on 3574 kHz. NCS is usually Stewart, KE7LKW, QTH White Salmon, WA. QRS Practice: Most PARG members will be glad to QSO at a slower speed before or after the nets. Let any PARG member know if you would like a QRS QSO and enjoy some good practice.

For those receiving a copy of Random Radiation the following information about PARG may be of interest:

The aims of PARG are: 1) to maintain a communications network with competent and skilled CW operators through organized nets and inter-member contacts; 2) to promote and encourage fellowship between Pacific Coast and Western Region Amateurs; 3) to continue the cordial social relationships enjoyed by membership existing over the decades; 4) to encourage, by example, the wider use of power levels necessary to effect reliable communications, thereby reducing QRM on the Amateur bands. PARG maintains a daily social CW net on or near 7034 kHz at 0900 Pacific time 7 days per week and a CW net on or near 3545 kHz at 8 PM Pacific time on Sunday` s. Net Control stations vary with each net meeting. Membership dues are $5.00 per year (which includes a subscription to Random Radiation) but guests are always welcome to check-in to the nets and join in the conversation. A membership application form is available from our President K7ZED. Membership dues are sent to the Treasurer. Visitors to the net often hear members end their comments with the word POMSAT. This is an old military term which means “Personnel, Operations, and Materials Satisfactory.” It suggests that all is well! Another term used is KPOA which means “Keep PARG on the Air.”

Roster February 2016

Recent changes are highlighted

A-NU6 John Bellingham, WA #402 AAZ—W7 Bill Twin Falls ID #398 AMZ-VE6 Dan Vauxhill AB #376 AU-N6 DG Friday Harbor WA #416 AX--KL2 John Homer, AK #373 AXT—WA7 David Snohomish, WA #422 BAU—KD7 Al Seattle, WA #388 BC—AD6 Lou Clayton, CA #337 BGJ—VE7 Walt Burnaby, BC #362 BWH-K7 Barry Sammamish WA #397 CPP—N7 Bruce Carson Cty NV #184 CTQ-KH6 Peter Chiloquin, OR #401 DRK-KC7 Sandor Pt. Orchard WA #411 DWG—VE7 Dave Aldergrove, BC #330 EHM—W7 Pat Reno, NV #244 EID—K7 Les Clinton, WA #370 FQ-N2 Fernando San Jose CA #377 FU—NO Bill Chula Vsta, CA #366 G—NY6 Stan Tracy, CA #328 GB—W7 Don Moses Lk, WA #267 GZP-K7 Dave Portland, OR #415

HP—K6 Ed Murphy’s, CA #999 HJV—WA7 Jack Pendleton, OR #390 HBY—KG7 Sam Sparks, NV #423 HYO--KF7 Pete Bonney Lake, WA #421 IFG-K7 Ken Beavercreek OR #378 II-AI6 Mike Fairfax, CA #405 JL—W6 Don Fallbrook, CA #277 JWV-K9 Jim St. George, UT #380 JLT—KA6 Rob Walker #426 KAI-WA7 Dave Milwaukie, OR #392 KIX—N6 Rob Davis, CA #304 KXB-W7 Bill SeaTac, WA #386 LNS—K7 FX Milwaukie OR #002 MDK-W7 Dick Peck, Idaho #428 MFB-N7 Bill Pt. Angls, WA #320 MJD-WD0 Duane Rnch Cdva CA #409 MMG-W6 Alex Belmont, CA #395 MMM-WA7 Greg Portland, OR #101 N-WB6 Terry Donnelly, ID #385 OPO—W6 Bob San Jose, CA #371 PCR—W7 Dan LA, CA #358 POE--W7 George Burien, WA #406 QXO—KD7 Rod Sparks, NV #425 R – KB6 Bob Llano, CA #383 RA—K7 Tad Seattle, WA #427 RFQ-WB4 Dan San Francisco #412 RR-N7 Bruce Blaine, WA #407 SB-KL7 Steve Anchorage AK #403 SC—N6 Spence S. Leandro, CA #359 SGD—W6 Chip Tarzana, CA #365 SJS – W7 Ray Salem, OR #325 SMR-W7 Dick Portland, OR #393 SOM-W7 John Bothell, WA #404 SPB-WB4 Randy Tacoma, WA #394

SSQ—N6 Fergy Hamilton, MT #289 TF-K6 Rick Colfax, CA #384 TOB-K6 Dick Newhall, CA #382 TQJ—WA6 Gary Davis, CA #418 U-AI6 Chris Sacto, CA #050 UA-AA7 Larry Normandy Park, WA #387 UUJ-KE7 Steve Rock Springs, WY #399 UYH-W5 Russ Nampa, ID #361 VDQ-W7 Tom Oregon City, OR #369 VFQ-KF7 Steve Beaver OR #420 VV-VA7 Jerome Vancouver BC #419 WEL—W7 Bill St. Maries, ID #347 WSG-K7 Bob Forest Grove #413 Y—KI7 Jim Milwaukie, OR #424 YSU-WA7 Eric Hillsboro, OR #389 YT-N7 Bill Seabeck, WA #414 ZAC-W7 KC Spring Creek, NV #379 ZE-AA6 Pete Santa Rosa, CA #417 ZED-K7 BB Woodburn, OR #034 ZI-W7 Mike Beaverton, OR #400 ZSK-K7 BJ Gresham, OR #071 ZW-N6 Mike Lodi, CA #005 Current max # = 428

Some Q Signals used on the PARG Nets: QNI Net stations report in (for use only by net control station) QND Net is directed (controlled by net control

station) QNN Net Control station is … QNO Station is leaving the net QNP Unable to copy QNS Following stations are in the net … QNX You are excused from the net QNZ Zero beat your signal with Net Control

Station

Others: QFA Would like to QSO with_____after the net QRU Have you anything further to report/ask etc. QRY What is my turn (indicates your place on

the list of check-ins) QSP Will you relay to … RJ Relief Jockey – a station substituting for

the regular NC