"Photos of the current SSTV configuration that were downlinked to Earth showed several unanticipated results from the initial tests," ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, told ARRL. "More extensive troubleshooting is being developed and could further delay permanent activation of the radio." He pointed out that Vinogradov is only able to work on the system in his free time; he's also due to return to Earth in September.

During the early stages of SSTV testing in late July, Vinogradov thrilled Earth station operators by manually transmitting several pictures on 2 meters (the system has been using 144.490 and 145.800 MHz) using the RS0ISS call sign. Ransom says initial tests were run over Moscow, and then the system was left on for a few orbits.

Plans call for Vinogradov to continue checking out the SSTV software, configure and optimize the radio and perform integration checks necessary. So far, the SSTV system has been unable to function properly in the autonomous "slide show" mode, Ransom said.

Miles Mann, WF1F, who developed the SSTV system as an ARISS project, explains that slide-show mode will permit the crew to preload a directory of images that then will automatically be transmitted to Earth. "The crew will not need to keep pushing a button to send images," he said in a recent news release. "In theory, the system can run for weeks at a time without crew involvement."

The SSTV system is not yet configured to receive SSTV transmissions from Earth stations, and no uplink frequency will be made public until testing is done. Earthbound radio amateurs are advised not to attempt to transmit SSTV images to the ISS. Mann has posted detailed information about the SSTV project on his MAREX-NA Web site .

September is US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Preparedness Month, and Saturday, September 16, is Amateur Radio Awareness Day. For the third straight year, the ARRL and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) groups across the US will join a coalition of more than 200 national, regional, state and local organizations taking part in Preparedness Month activities. ARES is a partner with DHS through the Citizen Corps program. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says local ARES groups and clubs will be making presentations to civic organizations, at schools and at regional fairs to showcase Amateur Radio.

"More than 4000 ARRL 'Hello' campaign brochures have gone out in the past few weeks alone to prepare for the month-long initiative," he said.

To highlight Amateur Radio Awareness Day, ARRL public information officers (PIOs) will promote the DHS's "30 Tips for Emergency Preparedness" to attract news media coverage. Some tips on promoting National Preparedness Month are on the ARRL public relations Web pages .

ARRL Public Service Team Manager Steve Ewald, WV1X, notes that the underlying theme of National Preparedness Month is to encourage everyone to be aware of and prepare for emergencies all year long.

"Amateur Radio operators, led by ARRL Field Organization leaders across the country, are encouraged to consider this year's ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) -- as well as all preparations and post-SET evaluations -- as a demonstration of your participation in National Preparedness Month," Ewald said. The target weekend for the 2006 SET is October 7-8 .

A major ham radio presentation during September will take place on the West Coast. ARRL Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, says Amateur Radio Expo 2006 will be held in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Fair. "They will staff the exhibit over four weekends," Norton said, noting that the fair annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Amateur Radio Expo 2006 will get under way the weekend of September 9-10 and will feature a special event station plus interactive presentations to demonstrate the many facets of ham radio.

In a related vein, Pitts says he'd like to see a tighter relationship between ARES organizations and the League's corps of volunteer PIOs.

"Too often something happens, and everyone grabs a radio. No one grabs a camera or laptop and gets the word of ARES actions out to the media until long after the story becomes stale," he observed. "We have wonderful stories to tell, but we are too busy to tell them when they are fresh."

Pitts said he and the ARRL Public Relations Committee are working on ways to better integrate public relations and emergency response actions at the local level.

Pitts says that according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), families should plan on being totally on their own for up to four days. "That's like being back in ancient times: no cell phone, no Internet, no 911," he said.

The recent appearance on the sun of two so-called "backward sunspots" may mean solar Cycle 23 is drawing to a close and Cycle 24 now is under way or soon will be. At least that's the thinking of some scientists.

"We've been waiting for this," said Solar Physicist David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, after the first backward spot showed up. "A backward sunspot is a sign that the next solar cycle is beginning."

The term "backward" refers to the sunspots' magnetic polarity. One such sunspot appeared briefly July 31, then disappeared, but its significance was that its magnetic polarity was just the opposite of current Cycle 23 spots.

Another more robust backward spot, Sunspot 905, appeared in late August – although it subsequently began to dissipate -- and some sungazers are saying Cycle 24 already has begun. ARRL propagation guru Tad Cook, K7RA, this week called it "the second sunspot of the new Solar Cycle 24."

"Eventually there will be more of the new reversed sunspots than old ones from Cycle 23, and that occurrence is one way to mark the beginning of the next sunspot cycle," he said. Radio conditions will not improve any time soon but over a period of several years of the course of the 11-year cycle, perhaps peaking around 2010.

Maine Gov John E. Baldacci may now be the only sitting state chief executive holding an Amateur Radio license. Following up on an effort begun a few years ago, Baldacci took and passed his Technician license test September 6, and the FCC issued his new call sign, KB1NXP, the following day. Bill Crowley, K1NIT, is the liaison for the ARRL VEC volunteer examiner team that administered Baldacci's Amateur Radio license examination.

"We heard that he was interested in getting his license," Crowley told ARRL. "So I talked to a couple of other people in the Augusta Amateur Radio Association and said, 'You know, we're the guys who could do this. We're right here, right in his backyard, and I think we ought to help him get a license.'"

Crowley said Baldacci expressed initial interest in becoming licensed after learning of the Amateur Radio response following the 1998 ice storm that devastated a wide area of the Northeast. At the time, Baldacci was representing Maine's Second District in the US House. He renewed his interest in 2003, shortly after becoming Maine's governor, promising to add the goal of getting his ticket to his to-do list and seeking the encouragement and help of Maine's hams to achieve it.

Former Maine State Treasurer Rod Scribner, KA1RFD -- a longtime radio amateur and instructor -- was recruited to help make it happen. "Rod went up there once a week, very early in the morning, and tutored him -- went through all the material," Crowley recounted. But the pressures of office compelled Baldacci to put the project on a back burner.

During that lull, Crowley says he occasionally used his back channels at the Department of Public Safety, where he works, to relay messages via Baldacci's security guards to remind the governor the Augusta club was still eager to give him his ham radio test. "It got to be a standing joke," he said.

Crowley had an opportunity to deliver the message firsthand in July when he greeted the Baldacci during an official occasion. "I said, 'You know, we've got to get this going,'" he recalled telling the governor. Baldacci asked Crowley to call his office and set up an appointment.

Baldacci was a little concerned at that point that he might be behind the curve since the Technician question pool had changed since he'd worked with Scribner, Crowley said. But he assured the governor that the club members could get him back up to speed in short order.

Over coffee early on September 6, Scribner, Crowley and the other members of the VE team -- Don Smith, AE1Q, and Tom Bailey, KB1EKY -- reviewed the current Technician material. "Then, he sat down and took the test and did very well," Crowley said.

Baldacci got a taste of Amateur Radio in 2003, when he checked into the 75-meter Maine Sea Gull Net during a visit with members of the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association and other amateurs. On that occasion, the governor assured the gathering that the Maine Emergency Management Agency depends on Amateur Radio to support the statewide communications system and said Maine would rely on Amateur Radio volunteers if primary telecommunication systems go down.

Now, historic Blaine House in Maine's capital of Augusta could become the only governor's residence to start sporting Amateur Radio antennas. Perhaps because Maine's motto is Dirigo -- I lead, Crowley hopes Baldacci will serve as a trendsetter among his gubernatorial colleagues across the US. In this instance, the old saying from the world of politics, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation," still may apply.

For fun and maybe some healthy reflection I asked ham's in eHam.net to answer the question "When is ham radio an constructive hobby and when is it an addiction?" This has lead to both humorous and part-serious responses that I will let you sort out. Here they are:

You might be addicted to ham radio if?

When you get up at 03:00 AM for a DX schedule on 75 meters; net control every Wednesday evening and checks in every day of the week; radios in the airplane, his car and even my car; back yard looks like Frankenstein's lab; friends keep asking why the roof is full of aluminum tubes and wire; and calls people on the phone and talks about passing radiograms.

When you notice that the wife and kids have left you, you place a personal ad something like this, divorced male, hardcore ham radio operator, secure job, seeks female ham operator send pictures of radios, amplifiers, towers and antenna farm.

When you have to get your 'ham' fix at all costs and ignore the more important things in your life such as your job, your family and your health.

When you are ecstatic about getting a 200 or 300 watt soldering iron to do up PL 259s the RIGHT way--And, your wife asks you what its doing in your bed.

When sun spots are more exciting than your XYL's G-spot.

When your reaction to a solar flair bringing down the entire electric grid for the North East is that the bands will tank for a week or more.

When you look forward to the Super Bowl, because there won't be a lot of QRM.

When you look at a full moon and wonder how much antenna gain you'd need.

When you know what the second foreign country is above ME.

When you know Antarctica is a continent and you know penguins range as far north as the Galapagos Islands.

When you think ceramics classes teach how to make antenna insulators.

When someone mentions post and beam construction and you envision a tower with a tri-bandier on top.

When you are bored, you tap out CQ.

When you call Dish or DIRECTV CSRs, and you know they don't have a clue about what they are telling you.

When someone asks for directions, you pause, wondering if long or short path would be best.

When you can look at a globe and be able to point to your antipode (when you know what an antipode is).

When you can name three countries completely surround by Italy.

When you know how many ports are on Pitcairn Island, what the most common last name is there, and why it is the most common last name.

When one would rather," entertain", a contest, rather than your wife/girlfriend...or husband/boyfriend, whatever your scenario is.

My your wife says "You wake up at 3am on your days off because you say the 'iono-whatever is right. When it rains, walk into the back yard. The antennas are so dense they act like an umbrella'".

When your dogs are learning CW. My WYF and kids know what ITU region we are in and understand the GMT offset.

If you spend too much time posting on eham.net and then writing article from the posting!

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, hospitals in New Orleans found themselves surrounded by water, without power and cut off from the outside world. Phone systems were down; the power to cell phone towers was knocked out.

Similar problems were encountered a few weeks later by those in the path of Hurricane Rita.

Faced with the fact that the latest in communications technology failed, hospitals around the state are preparing for the next emergency by turning to technology that has been around for about 100 years. As part of a multi-tiered redundant emergency communications plan, all hospitals have or will purchase ham radio sets. The first group of hospital personnel from facilities around Acadiana received basic amateur radio operator's licenses Aug. 26 after a full day of training at Lafayette General Medical Center's Grant Mollet Center.

The communications device of last resort was a natural choice, said LGMC ophthalmologist Dr. Richard Bourgeois, a ham radio enthusiast for the past 40 years. "Ham operators are the only ones during and the first ones up after a major calamity," he said.

One of the problems faced during the recent hurricanes was that emergency personnel weren't able to talk to each other after telephones and cell phones went out, because each agency's radios are on different frequencies, Bourgeois said.

"What we have over and above what community and emergency responders have is a much wider range of frequencies, as well as a much wider range of operating modes," he added. "Ham radio communications include the short wave spectrum, but also includes many other portions of the spectrum."

The idea of using ham radios during an emergency isn't new. "Amateur radio has been involved with emergencies in Lafayette for a long time," said Roland Guidry, president of the Acadiana Amateur Radio Association.

Volunteers have staffed ham radio sets at emergency centers in the past. The new plan simply builds on that concept.

One reason ham radios are able to maintain communications when other modes of communication go out is that the signal reaches a greater distance, Guidry said.

"We have 'repeaters' located on towers. With a simple, hand-held transmitter, we can transmit to the tower and it can go out 50 to 80 miles."

There are three repeaters located on cell phone towers in Acadiana, Guidry said. They continue to transmit after cell towers lose power because the longer range of the signal allows them to use generators to power the repeaters, while cell phone companies must use battery power. "Cell phones require so many towers they can't afford to put generators at every cell tower."

Ham radio signals can be relayed from town to town, out of state and around the world, Guidry said.

There's another advantage to using ham radios in an emergency, Guidry said. "Cell phones require that you know someone's number. With a ham radio, you can go through a repeater and ask if anyone's listening. Someone can say, 'I'm here.'"

The meeting was called to order at 7 pm by President Willie Sandin.

The Secretary's minutes were read and approved as read.

The Treasurer reported paying an insurance bill in the amount of $164.00 leaving balance of $1,048.12 in the bank.

Old business:

Joe reported that all the repeaters were working but the pitch of i.d. changed, someone needs to go change it back. Willie indicated that was a remotely addressable change.

John Clark reported that as soon as he gets the interface working Echolink will be back on the air.

Appreciation letters to the owners of the two repeater sites need to be written and the lease paid on the one at Scopus.

After some discussion Bob Seabaugh said that the fish would be ready to eat at 2 pm. Members are asked to bring a covered dish. Also anyone who has something they want to swap can bring it too.

NIMS has training and testing information on line, members are encouraged to at least bring up the page and read it.

The voice messages on the .685 machine have not been re-done.

NEW BUSINESS:

Ernie Chiles suggested that the club look into having a "real" tailgate sometime early next year.

A motion was made by Martha to have it on the first Saturday in May at Klaus Park and was seconded by Steve Hay, the motion carried.

A committee headed by Ernie and Phil created.

The St. Charles Hamfest will be on August 20, 2006.

The Louisville Hamfest will be on September 9, 2006.

A motion was made by John Frye to adjourn and seconded by Ernie Chiles the motion carried and we adjourned to social hour at 7:28 pm.

Respectfully submitted by Martha Vandivort, Secretary