Spokane DX Association

All three Silent Keys in 2018
Thank you for your service to the SDXA

left to right: Lamar Ray WA7LT, Dan Hearn N5AR, & Gary Elliott K7OX

Our beginnings article LINK

left to right: Gary AD7XG, SDXA President and wife Svetlana – Randy K7TQ, former SDXA member, ex-Vice President, and twice chairman of the Spokane-sponsored PNW DX Convention and wife Meg – Del WA7AQH and wife Diane (super gardening expert)(Picture by Del WA7AQH)

ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL SDXA FOUNDERS
December 19, 1937 – June 11, 2018

Gary Elliott K7OX – OBITUARY LINK

Gary was the first President of the SDXA when it started in 2002. He served a total of 4.3 years for 2002, 2003, part of 2007, 2008, and 2009. He was the first Chairman of the Pacific Northwest DX Convention held in Spokane Valley in 2009 when the SDXA joined the rotation with other NW DX clubs in presenting the yearly event.

The title

SDXA Vice-President Mel N7GCO (left) helping Rob N7QT prepare the A-V for the meeting

From their website:

2018 KARS Hamfest Canceled as of 2018-06-16
Due to a number of factors, the KARS Board has canceled this year’s KARS Hamfest, originally scheduled for 7/14/2018. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck for a local area hamfest, however. The Spokane-area hamfest is scheduled for September 22nd so be sure to mark your calendar. We will also now add back into the calendar the monthly meeting and license testing for July 9th. We hope to see you there.

Now you have no reason for not being in the IARU contest with the WRTC every-fourth-year parallel competition. More details below in PNW Contest Competition Info article.

ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL SDXA FOUNDERS
August 10, 1933 – June 2, 2018

The memorial was held at:

Unitarian Universalist Church
4340 W Ft George Wright
Spokane, WA 99225

Saturday, July 21 @ 2pm

The obituary from the July 15, 2018 Spokesman Review:

Charles Lamar Ray was born in 1933 to Miles Rufus Ray and Ruby Mowdy Ray in Detroit Michigan.He passed away on June 2, 2018 in Spokane, WA.

Lamar was an avid Ham Radio Operator, obtaining his first Federal Communication License in 1948. He was known in the Ham Radio community as C. Lamar Ray WA7LT (ex: K9CUY and W9LT). Lamar was a founding member of the Fort Wayne, IN DX Association and the Spokane, WA DX Association. He was also a member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club.

An active DXer and especially a Contester, he was an operator at the K2GL super-station during the 60s as well as many other contesting venues; some of which he hosted. Lamar was an ARRL Life Member and an ARRL member for over 70 years.

He graduated from University of Michigan in 1956 earning a BS in electrical engineering. Most of his working career was with Magnavox. His work assignments took him to the Washington DC area as well as to Italy.

A memorial service will be held on July 21, 2018 at 2:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane.

Be prepared to tell your favorite “Lamar stories.”

The gathering will be informal with refreshments after…including his favorite fruit bowl salad!

Doing what he did best – contesting

Some of the magazine covers our members have visited:

GARY K7OX & BARBARA AE7AJ (AND MILO THE COLLIE)
CQ MAGAZINE – MAY, 2006

LAMAR WA7LT
CQ MAGAZINE – FEBRUARY, 2007

WILSE WX7P AND BALLOON INSTALLATION
OF ANTENNA IN ALASKA
CQ MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER, 1980

WILSE WX7P AND HELICOPTER
INSTALLATION OF ANTENNA IN ALASKA
CQ MAGAZINE – AUGUST, 1984

GEOFF W0CG/PJ2DX/PJ2T
PJ2T IN CURACAO 50TH ANNIVERSARY
CQ MAGAZINE – MAY, 2018

Terry Clark
N7IHM
Omak, WA
______________

Catherine Flint
KB7BEK
Ephrata, WA

The combination of CQ Communication’s WAZ system with the ARRL’s LOTW system is now complete. CQ Communications publishes the magazine called CQ. If you are working on the ARRL’s DXCC awards, you probably know about the WAZ Awards for working all 40 zones on single bands or modes. Many years ago, CQ Communications defined the surface of the earth into 40 zones. It has been one of the more popular awards with many variations. Anyway, now your LOTW credits can be applied solely or with QSL cards to satisfy the requirements. LOTW credits are obtained via the LOTW system where you pay the ARRL for accepting the matched submittals from a particular QSO.

You still have to submit for your WAZ award, not through the ARRL, but the CQ system, and can combine LOTW credits with your QSL cards. There are several WAZ card checkers (checkpoints) throughout the USA and Canada that can check your cards. Unfortunately, there are none in the Spokane area unless someone wants to step up and apply to be a local WAZ checker through the CQ system.

Here are a link for further information. It is a little sketchy right now on how the system works, but it just started this week. hi hi

CQ Communications sponsors the following awards:

• CQ DX Awards
• CQ DX Marathon
• CQ WAZ Awards
• CQ Diamond Jubilee WAZ Award
• CQ WPX Awards
• CQ Halls of Fame
• CQ USA-CA Award

LINK to the WAZ official rules.

Any WAZ questions you have on the award can be addressed to:

John Bergman, KC5LK
WAZ Award Manager
125 Deer Trail
Brandon MS 39042-9409
e-mail: [email protected]

John clarified some issues with me:

1) you have made a LOTW submission and you want to know what to do next: Nothing. I will let you know when I work my way to your application.
2) you make a 40 card paper application and want to know what to do next; mail everything to either my address listed on the CQ website or in CQ magazine or a CQ checkpoint that is listed on the CQ website.
3) you have some cards and you have some LOTW credits that cover all 40 zones and you want to know what to do next. Same as number 2.
4) The ARRL does not check paper cards for any CQ Award unless the ARRL DXCC Card Checker is also a CQ Checkpoint. There is a current list of CQ Checkpoints on the CQ Website.

DAN IN THE EARLY DAYS

AT THE BASE OF HIS MONSTER TOWER

DAN AT HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY IN OCTOBER, 2005

Dan was one of the original founders of the SDXA. During the many years in the SDXA, he presented us with programs on antennas, his favorite subject. He had the tallest amateur radio tower in the county and was a member of the Number One DXCC Honor Roll CLub where he communicated with every country in the world. He attended the 2017 Awards Banquet with his son Mike so we got to see him then. He was a great contributor to the organization and he will be missed.

His Obituary in the May 6 Spokesman Review:

A moment of silence, known as “the silent key” was heard by the amateur radio community on April 27, 2018. Daniel Hearn, N5AR, an amateur radio operator for over 75 years, passed away in his home, surrounded by his loving family. Dan was baptized and accepted Our Lord as his savior shortly before his passing. Dan was born on October 15, 1925 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He worked alongside his father, a small business owner, where a strong work ethic was established from a young age.

He was only sixteen when his love for HAM radio was found. His incredibly patient mother offered up her pantry as a “HAM shack” and would check with Dan before hanging clothes out on the clothesline to ensure it wasn’t “live” with electricity. Dan was on the air on December 7, 1941 and heard the announcement that amateur bands were closing and the United States was at war.

After high school, Dan started college at Oklahoma State University, but it wasn’t long before he was drafted into the Army and accepted into a pilot training program. Right away, he ended up in the flight line radio shack where his aptitude for electronics was quickly identified, and his skills were put to good use servicing airplanes. Before he was trained for flight, the war ended and Dan quickly jumped back into his pursuit of higher education and earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, followed later by a Master’s Degree in Antenna Theory and Design, both from OSU. Dan had a rewarding career as a Down Hole Analytical Oil Production Engineer. There are 22 patents held to his name.

Dan loved passing his knowledge on to others and was a mentor to many, especially in the amateur radio and DXing field. He co-founded the Spokane DX Association (SDXA) and took great effort to train others in disaster radio communication. Dan is preceded in death by his parents, Dempse and Irene, and his loving wife and golf partner, Virginia. He is survived by his son, Mike (Barbara) Hearn; daughter, Susan (Dirk) Paseman; sister, Dana Davis; brother, Jim (Geneva) Hearn; grandchildren: Carley (Matt) Sanchez, Luke (Catherine) Paseman, Silas Hearn, Nancy Hearn, Cody Paseman, and many nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.

BOB W7SX

STILL RUNNING STRONG AT $29.95; BOB’S ANTENNA BOOK AVAILABLE FROM THE ARRL OR AMAZON

Gary Bytnar AD7XG

I am excited to announce our new SDXA club President to fullfil the unexpired current term.

Our process:
1. We asked each of the club officers if they would like to take the role of President. Each of the current officers felt they were currently in the role that they were best suited for and that will help the club the most. I think we have an excellent team (Mel N7GCO – VP and Program, Jay WA0WWW – Sec, Bob N7AU – Treas, Chris WX7B – Past President, plus a number of Committee Chairpersons).

2. We also had a very gracious offer from one of our club members to serve in one of the support roles, if any of the present officers took the Presidency. They were not interested in the Presidency. Since all the current officers chose to stay in their current positions, we have asked this club leader to consider one of the committee chairperson roles and hope they will do this. The committee chairpersons role is becoming much more significant in our club leadership.

Present Committee leaders are:
Awards and card checker, Gary AD7XG
Club Log, Chuck KI7DG
Contest, Jay WA0WWW
DX, Gary K7GS
Programs, Mel N7GCO
Spokane Hamfest, Jay WA0WWW
Technical, Bob W7SX
Web and Google Group, Steve K7AWB

We hope to add chairpersons for 1) Field day and 2) the Summer Picnic. These would be a great addition to our club. If you are interested, please let one of our officers know.

3. We established a list of potential SDXA Presidents and I am pleased to say we had a number on this list. The future looks great. I think we were all encouraged.
After deliberation, the current officer’s unanimously ask Gary Bytnar AD7XG, to serve as President. Gary has agreed. Gary has been our card checker, awards committee chairperson and one of the most active club members. He is a gracious leader and the current officers are all looking forward to serving with him. We will formally introduce Gary as President at the club meeting on Thursday.
Congratulations Gary!

Sincerely,

Mel N7GCO
SDXA Vice President.

We celebrated the 16th year of SDXA at the March 1, 2018 meeting with a fabulous white cake, milk, and coffee. Here is a LINK to the story of our beginnings by Lamar WA7LT. (The birthday is really on March 16 so maybe we can celebrate twice?)

Mel N7GCO giving the presentation on DX tips and a visit to two member’s shacks

Gordon AA6TQ is gleaming over his recent WAS award while other members in the background eat their SDXA birthday cake.

Treasurer Bob N7AU,President Randy W7TJ, Harold AD7QJ, and Gary K7GS discuss the business of the meeting

President Randy W7TJ smiling while Gary AD7XG watches

Two of the top Idaho VHFers as well as HF activity: Bob K7TM and Mark W7MEM

(March 1) The two SDXA Constitutional Amendments needed 66% to pass, but only 62.5% were in favor, so both were not approved.

These are the proposed Constitutional Amendments proposed at the January and February, 2018 meetings by President Randy Crews. The proposed amendments were officially read at the February meeting; comments and voting will be at the March meeting.

• By Laws Article II – Attendance:

  All SDXA Members are expected to attend two (2) Meeting Events during the Calendar year; honorary members are exempt as well as members with acute physical conditions or extraordinary work requirements. Not meeting this expectation will result in review of the members application and could result in membership termination. Club officer decisions will be final.

• Bylaws – Addition of Article V Participation:

  All SDXA Members are expected to participate during the year in one of the published categories (categories may be added) or a member may develop an area of their own. Not meeting this expectation will result in review of the members application and could result in membership termination. Club Officers decisions will be final. (see next article on categories)

Active paid members will be REQUIRED to participate in one or several of these categories [Constitutional Amendment – By Laws – Addition of Article V – Participation]. In this manner, SDXA will be powered by interested, devoted, and strong membership:

1. Serve as an officer
2. Serve on a club event committee
3. Put on or contribute to putting on a club presentation
4. Host the Club DX Net
5. Host or participate in a Club member antenna party
6. Assist or serve as the Club Webmaster
7. Go on a DXpedition or operate from a unique remote QTH
8. Participate in a Club Event (Field Day, etc.) [The Annual Picnic does not count unless hosted]
9. Host a Contest at your QTH
10. Contribute contest scores to the Club’s Efforts
11. Serve as a DX Chairman/Contest Chairman/Membership Chairman, etc.
12. Serve as an Awards Chairman (DX Card Checking)
13. Serve as a VE
14. Room around – Plans for the club on something you have built for your station

(Categories may be added or developed by members or Officers)

Chuck and his new wallpaper

To see a closeup of the certificate, use this LINK

You will remember Chuck as the MC at our 2017 PNW DX Convention in Spokane