Sorry, we’re a little late going to press this month.At the end of March we’ve got the annual IARC membership assembly, the main purpose of which is to elect new officers for the next year.It’s no secret that amateur radio is in a critical state here, and it’s getting more difficult to find people to carry on the rubber ducky… oops..the torch.Stay tuned to see if the IARC continues to exist!In April – the annual Holyland DX contest where once again we shall make our presence felt on the HF bands.With the excellent conditions on the HF bands this is the time to add a lot of 4X/4Z callsigns to your log as well as go after those rare Holyland areas for the award.So… read on…
In
one of our next issues we will write about Motorola Israel and their connection
to the IARC.At this time, the offices
of the IARC are a room also owned by Motorola.We
can say that we are very lucky to have such an important friend.But
than, many of the head people of Motorola (and also all overthe
world) are full fledged radio amateur themselves.
Israel got from Motorola Israel an old ‘out of service’ repeater.Danny Rosenne 4X1SK started somewhere in 1977 to prepare the repeater for amateur use.It meant adjusting the unit to amateur band frequency of R7, namely 145.775 MHz. with its obligatory offset of down 600 KHz.We received also two ‘bottles’ – duplexers – which none of us amateurs knew how to tune at that time.The first use of the machine on a trial basis was at the home of 4X1IK in Ramat Gan, a northern suburb.There it worked. On a trial basis for about ?? months.When every thing seemed to work satisfactorily, it was decided, by the group, which in the meantime grew to three together with Srulik Haramaty 4Z4JT, to move the equipment to the Volvo garage, owned by IK, in Petah Tikva north of Tel-Aviv.
It
worked fine, but the coverage was very limited.So
another site was looked for.One
of the highest buildings in the town was the ‘Hasneh’ buildingin
mid Tel-Aviv.The IARC got permission
to install the unit there and the entire group installed it there.The
result was tremendous.One could
hear its signal all around Tel-Aviv, way up North till Haifa and down even
to Beer Sheva a well as into Jerusalem.
At
that point 4X1WA joined.David Shmueli
worked in the repeater service department of Motorola. His expertise was,
and still is to this very day, the upkeep of the entire repeater net. (We
will write about him and the presently active group in our last installment
on the repeater subject in our next issue).
But
this was not its resting place for long -the
repeater changed sites.It was moved,
a few years later, to a senior citizens’ home called ‘Mishan’.Its
roof is absolutely empty to enable, in of any emergency, helicopters to
land. Only our antenna, which has been limited to a height of ???? Cm is
installed in one of the corners of the building.Another
benefit of this site is the electrical mains supply we are hooked up to.
It is the elevator which has an emergency generator thus giving the repeater
uninterrupted electricity.
On
my recent family visit to the USA, I called a number ofpersons
by phone who receive the “HaGal International” magazine issued by
the IARC.The purpose of the phone
calls, was first of all to say ‘Shalom’, to inquire to the well being of
the person. It was also an opportunity to have a ‘QSO’ however by land
line and to further cement ties with our members overseas.
During those phone calls, I happen to mention, that there is a membership fee, and some members are in arrears to the tune of a number of years.It came to my thoughts that we are dealing here with a fundamental gap, which I think needs some explainingand clarifying.
Membership in any organization, is something to belong too, to be affiliated with, to be a colleague, to be a partner, in this case to the IARC club. A member (overseas) has obligations as well as rights. And it is at this point that the feelings,of our overseas members drifts apart.
It seems that the overseas members do want “the rights”, but reject“the obligations”.So my clarification is as follows: let us change the wording from obligation to donation. All that is asked, is that you send our club a yearly donation. After all, you as a member continue to have “the rights” to use all of the I.A.R.C. services available, as well as our repeater ystem if and when you are visiting the country.Do remember that the IARC works on a voluntary basis.
With other words, your donation gives you the rights, and you belong to one of the more dynamic Amateur Radio Clubs encompassing this marvelous hobby. We on the other side, the volunteers of the IARC, do everything possible to make you, derive joy from belonging to our club. We strive to moving forward in the future, under increasingly more difficult circumstances. Not to mention the ever increasing expenses we are subjected to.
You, and you alone can answer the question as stated on top of this letter,
To
belong or not to belong….!! I
sincerely hope that the answer is yes.
Joe
Obstfeld 4X6KJ, IARC chairman
The HOLYLAND
DX CONTEST 2001
Rules for participants worldwide (outside of Israel)
10 YEARS CELEBRATION - SPECIAL TROPHIES FOR SSB AND CW !
THE AIM:
To promote contacts between Radio Amateurs around the globe and Israeli Hams.
To aid Amateurs to achieve the different Israeli Awards and to introduce the
new "HOLYLAND AWARD".
1. Eligibility: All licensed amateurs and SWL's worldwide.
2. Object To contact as many different Israeli amateur radio stations on as
many bands, and from as many 'Areas', as possible in both modes, CW and SSB.
3. Contest Period:
Starting: Saturday 21 April 2001, 1800 UTC.
Ending: Sunday 22 April 2001, 1800 UTC.
4. Categories: 1. Single operator - MIX ( all bands)
New category a. Single operator - SSB only ( all bands)
New category b. Single operator - CW only ( all bands)
2. Multi operator - single transmitter - all bands
3. Short Wave Listeners
5. Modes : SSB; CW; MIX (SSB and CW)
6. Bands : 1.8 , 3.5 , 7, 14, 21, 28 Mhz. According to the IARU Region-I
recommendations: 3.50-3.56, 3.60-3.65, 3.70-3.80, 14.00-14.06,
14.125-14.300, 21.00-21.08, 21.20-21.40, 28.00-28.10, 28.50-28.80 Mhz.
7. Exchange : Worldwide stations send RS(T) + QSO number starting with 001.
Israeli stations give RS(T) and 'Area'.
8. Valid Contact : The same station may be contacted both in CW and SSB on
each band. It is thus possible to make up to 12 valid QSO's with the same
station if worked in CW and SSB on each band. Neither Cross-Mode or Cross-
Band contacts are not permitted.
9. QSO Points :
2 points for each QSO, on 1.8 - 3.5 - 7 Mhz,
1 point for each QSO on 14 - 21 - 28 Mhz.
10.Multipliers : One multiplier for each 'Area' worked once per band.
Note : A district 'Area'. See explanation below.
11.Scoring : Multiply total number of QSO points by number of multipliers.
12.Logsheets:
A. Separate logs for each band and mode.
B. Each entry shall report: Time, call sign, RS(T) and QSO number sent,
RS(T), 'Area' received and points.
C. SWL's shall report on Israeli stations only: Time, call sign, stations
worked, RS(T), 'Area' sent and points.
13.Scoresheet:
A. A summary sheet shall list number of multiplier and points scored from
each band worked. Total multiplier and points plus the computation of total
score.
B. Declaration of compliance with rules of contest and own Radio Amateur
License.
C. Entries must be postmarked not later than May 31,2001 and sent to:
Contest Manager, Israel Amateur Radio Club, Box 17600, Tel Aviv 61176.
14.Awards:
A.A trophy for the overall winner in each category.(MIX;SSB;CW;SWL).
B.A plaque for each continental winner in each category.(MIX mode only).
C. Certificates will be awarded to the top scorers in each country,state
provided a minimum of 50 valid QSO's points have been reached.
15.Special Operation:
Israeli mobile or portable stations may move and change their location,
during the contest, into 5 different 'Areas', restricted to an operating
time of at least one full hour per 'Area'. The operation from each 'Area'
gives that station the status of a different station with a another call,
thus giving additional contest points and multipliers. To identify its
different location / 'Area' those stations will change their callsigns by
adding a number after their prefix. For example 4X4JU will use 4X41JU,
4X42JU...4X45JU or 4X6JS will use 4X61JS, 4X62JS etc.
Best 73's & Shalom,
Contest Manager I.A.R.C.
Mark Stern, 4Z4KX
P.O.Box 3033 Rishon 75130 , ISRAEL