I would like to welcome all into the New Year of 2007! It seems like just a short time back that we were greeting in the 2006-year
On behalf of all of the RCARC Members thanks to Russ, WN4NCC for his leadership during the past year as President of our Club and to George, WN4LTY for his dedication over the last three years as our Club Secretary. These guys have been very instrumental in helping the club succeed. I am sure they will both continue to help out and support the club.
At the beginning of the New Year, I would like to welcome Calvin, KI4BWP as our new Vice President and Paul, N4CE as our new Secretary. Of course I want to thank Tim, WD4GXD for serving as Treasurer once again for the Club. Let's not forget the most important part of the RCARC. This part is YOU, our Members who make up this great Club in the Amateur Radio Community. It is each and every one of our Members who have contributed to the success of the club. With that, I look forward to where we will grow in this year and to a terrific year in Amateur Radio where we will all benefit from its growth.
Thanks all of you for making this the best Club with which I've have been associated! I am looking forward to the club's activities and events this year. With that being said, let me just say "Cheers" to all and Happy New Year. I hope that all are looking forward to 2007 as much as I am.

ARRL AFFILIATED - The RCARC is an affiliated club with the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). Please visit their website www.arrl.org to get a complete listing of the benefits available to the club and it's members. -Consider joining or renewing your ARRL membership through the club since a portion of your payment will be received by the club. Help the club and be a part of the largest Amateur Radio organization in the world! Contact Dal Williams, W4YQY for more information.
Sky Warn - Rockingham County is a member of the National Weather Service located in Blacksburg, VA ( www.wx4rnk.org/ ). Skywarn weather spotters in conjunction with all amateur radio operators are encouraged to monitor and make reports to net control on the 147.030 MHz repeater when activated. In addition the 146.850MHz and 147.345 MHz will be programmed to state: "Sever Weather Alerts". Public Service to the community is the foundation and purpose of Amateur Radio. If available please take part and check in with net control.

RCARC club meeting:
The Rockingham County Amateur Radio Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the American Red Cross located at 3692 NC Hwy 14, south of Eden. The meeting starts at 7:00pm and everyone is welcome. Any changes in date and/or time will be announced at the club meeting prior to the change and on the scheduled Monday night RCARC 2 meter net. Next meeting is January 16th 7pm. Please plan to attend!
Local nets:
Monday 8pm - RCARC 2 meter net…. 146.850MHz 103.5 tone
The RCARC net is held weekly. We will use the 147.345 MHz 103.5 tone machine should the 146.850 machine be unavailable. All licensed amateur radio operators are welcome and encouraged to check into the net. The net coordinator is Mike Lewis KD4CSJ. Please let Mike know if you would like to help out as a net-control station.

The net's purpose is to communicate traffic, club and local information. The net is a directed net comprised of formal and informal sessions. The formal session is where club information, traffic and announcements are made. Following the formal session is an informal session where each check-in gets to "rag-chew".

Tuesday 7:30pm - 440 rag-chew net…. 443.975MHZ no tone
This net meets each Tuesday night except the third Tuesday of the month which is the regularly scheduled RCARC club meeting. Everyone is welcome to this directed net whose purpose is informal chat.

Wednesday 8pm - 10 Meter rag-chew net…28.450 usb.
Charles Davis, K4SWB is net control of this weekly net. Grab yourself an old CB antenna, trim it down a little and join in on the fun!

Thursday 9pm - ARES net…147.030MHZ 118.8 tone
The Rockingham County ARES net is a directed net for ARES members but all licensed amateurs are encouraged to check in. Please contact Dal Williams W4YQY or Calvin Chandler KI4BWP if you would like to join ARES or want more information.

Socials:
RCARC social - Everyone loves to eat so mark the first Saturday of each month and bring the family. We gather at 6:00pm at the Sirloin house, 207 S. Van Buren Road in Eden. Lots of good fellowship and food is guaranteed! Any changes to the date/time/location will be announced on the Monday RCARC club net. The next social will be February 3rd.

Thursday breakfast - Join us every Thursday morning between 7am and 7:30am at Chaney's Restaurant on Freeway Drive in Reidsville. You can catch any changes on the Monday night RCARC 2 meter net on the 146.850, N4IV repeater.

Sunday - 8:30pm..…Southern Alamance Net………………146.670 no tone
Sunday - 9:00pm..…Greensboro News & Information Net…145.150 100tone
Sunday - 9:30pm…..Central N.C. Traffic Net……… ……….146.820 no tone
Monday - 8:00pm…. Randolph County Net…………………147.255 no tone
Tuesday - 8:00pm..…Burlington ARES Net…………………146.670 no tone
Tuesday - 8:30pm…..Triad Skywarn Net…………………….147.255 no tone
Wednesday - 8:00pm..Roanoke Amateur Club Net…………..146.985 no tone
Wednesday - 8:30pm..Forsyth County ARES Net……………145.470 100 tone
Wednesday - 8:45pm..Greensboro Amateur Society Net……..145.250 88.5 tone
Thursday - 9:00pm…..Guilford County ARES Net…………..145.150 no tone
**Daily nets***
5:30am………………..Possum Trot Net………………………147.225 no tone
2:30pm……………….Vag-A-Bon Net………………………...145.470 100 tone
7:30pm………………..Tarheel Emergency Net (ARES)………3.923 lsb

RCARC Membership Dues

The New Year is here again, which mean club dues are now due. I have included a membership application with this mailing. Please fill out the form even if you are renewing. This will give the club your current information. Please fill it out and send the appropriate dues (usually $25.00) to Tim Walker WD4GXD or bring them with you to the upcoming club meeting.

New Club Officers

Please welcome and give your support to your club's 2007 officers and board members. They are President - Dal Williams W4YQY, Vice-President - Calvin Chandler KI4BWP, Treasurer - Tim Walker WD4GXD, Secretary - Paul Patterson N4CE

Board of Directors: Russ Harrison WN4NCC past president, Nick Chandler KI4BWO 2yr 2006-2007, Frank Rogue WB6IIV 1yr 2007
A big thanks goes to last year's officers for all the work, sacrifice and leadership they provided!!

RCARC 2007 Hamfest
Planning and preparations are already underway for the 2007 RCARC Hamfest to be held on May 12, 2007. Last year's hamfest was a great success. The first planning session for the planning committee of 2007 will be January 13th at 2:00pm at the Red River Grill in Eden. Stop in at 1:00pm if you want to get a bite to eat before the meeting. The meeting is of course open to anyone interested in attending. Please go the website and download this year's flyer at http://www.rcarc.com/2007Flyer.doc

It is never too early to begin talking it up on the nets, handing out flyers or getting prizes.

Rockingham County VE Testing
The Rockingham County VE Test team now provides scheduled testing every odd numbered month at the Eden branch of the Rockingham County Library located 598 South Pierce Street in Eden, NC. Registration begins at 9:00am with testing starting at 9:30am. Next session - January 27th. Be sure and read through what you need to bring and fee at our website link: http://www.rcarc.com/vesched.html

FCC Releases Omnibus Rulemaking
New Rules Effective December 15, 2007

After a long wait, the FCC adopted a Report and Order in the "Omnibus" Amateur Radio Report released October 10th. The ARRL stated the Commission's action in clearing this pending proceeding would assist the Amateur Radio Service, particularly with regard to providing emergency and public service communications.

The highlights of the new rules are:
*Expand the 75 and 40 meter phone bands
*Allow Novice and Tech Plus licensees to operate in the General class CW subbands on 80,40,15, and 10 meters.
*Discourage multiple vanity call sign filings on the same day from the same applicant.
*Permits auxiliary stations to transmit on portions of the 2 meter band
*Permit spread spectrum on 222 - 225 MHz but not on 6 and 2 meters.

Look in the December 2006 QST, page 39 for a complete write-up of the changes and how it affects you.

FCC ELIMINATES MORSE CODE AS EXAM REQUIREMENT!

The US will join the growing list of countries that no longer require Amateur Radio applicants to pass a Morse code test as the entry ticket to HF. Announcement of the pending historic rule change arrived with no fanfare December 15 in an FCC public notice. A full-blown Report and Order (R&O) in the proceeding, WT Docket 05-235, followed December 19. The effective date has yet to be announced but thought to be sometime late January.

About the Newsletter:
This newsletter is published monthly by and for the members of the Rockingham County Amateur Radio club, and friends. An email of the newsletter is available by letting the editor know in advance. Please let the editor know of your change of address! Your suggestions, articles and questions are always welcomed.
Paul Patterson (N4CE) 336-548-2027, n4ce@rcarc.com


RCARC MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 19 DEC, 2006

Meeting started at 7:03pm and ended at 8pm.
+ Russ Harrison opened the meeting.
+ Minutes from last meeting were read by George Brewer and approved by those present.
+ Introductions were then made by those present.
+ Russ read two appreciation cards from the Thomas Ulhman family and the Eden Library.
+ Treasurer's report was read by Tim Walker. Capitol acct-$1701.03, General acct-$1891.47, Total assets-$3592.50.
+ Russ read FCC announcement of dropping code requirements for the General and Extra class license.
+ Darryl Mabe, KB2OXQ has requested help setting up an Ameritron amp at his shack. Paul will get with Darryl to help. Tim has already helped Darryl set up an antenna and also helped getting Josh back on the air.
+ Russ followed up on a motion made at the previous meeting to give away two SERA subscriptions for one year. The winners are Nick Chandler and Buddy Sawyers.
+ Tim Walker made a donation of a Yaesu FT-757GX to the Club for use at the Red Cross station.
+ Lamar updated everyone on the progress of the cabinet being made for the Red Cross station.
+ Dal mentioned that a mobile radio was installed on the Red Cross van.
+ Dal announced that the Club's .85 repeater has been removed for testing by Butch. Tom, NJ1K has loaned a temporary repeater for the Club to use while the original is being repaired. The loaner repeater seems to be working well.
+ Dal has received updates on the V.E. question pool to use for testing with the new band plan that went into effect on Dec.15, 2006.
+ Hamfest Committee will meet on Jan.13, 2007 at the Red River Grill at 1pm to eat lunch followed by a meeting at 2pm.
+ George was asked to do the 2007 Club budget.
+ Paul mentioned that he would be starting the Club Newsletter again.
+ Paul then gave the program for the evening showing a slide video of the Club's activities this past year.
+ Phil expressed concern about not being able to make contact with other stations on the Club repeaters. He has tried several times but no one would answer back.
+ DJ asked about the health status of Henry, K4UUM. It was mentioned that the test he was to have done has been postponed.
+ Frank, WB6IIV is still having medical problems.

Russ, WN4NCC welcomed the new officers for 2007 and closed the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

George Brewer, WN4LTY
Club secretary