SM Article for October 2001QST

Fort Tuthill for the year 2001 is over and it was not a bad event. I even spent money this year to help out the local economy. The weather was perfect (maybe a little hot on Saturday) with no rain and the attendance was very good. ARCA officials reported that they sold over 3600 $1.00 entry tickets. Yes, they had to charge entry fee of $1.00 per person for the complete weekend. The Fair Grounds now requires that all users charge an entry fee for each event. They also had to increase the cost of each selling spot to $30.00 due to the increase of the cost of renting the Fair Grounds. Coconino County has increased our cost 3 times since 1994. Western Arizona Amateur Radio Association, Coconino Amateur Radio Club, Tucson Repeater Association, and Central Arizona DX club have be recognized for their club affiliation with ARRL for over 25 years. Thanks to these clubs for there support. The ARRL Net directory has been published and it shows that Arizona is still very active when it comes to passing traffic and performing public service. We have several state and local nets that are used to sharpen our skills so in the event of an emergency we are prepared. The state emergency net is every Sunday morning at 0800 local time on 3990 kHz. Please try and join as often as possible. Check with your local club to find out the time and frequency of the local nets. Now that the summer is over, it is time for the many public service events that take place in this state: The Tour de Phoenix bike ride, The Tour De Tucson bike ride, Climb A Mountain walk for Cancer, Etc. Are you a participant in these events? Do you use your radio skills to give back to your community? If not, and you are interested in becoming a community volunteer, contact me by telephone or e-mail and I will provide you with a person to contact so you can also be a good community leader. We have two (2) people here in Arizona that are authorized to perform DX card checking. If you need this service, let me know and I will provide you with the person near your location. Good Dx’ing. I have about 38 new cards that will need to be verified soon. With the coming of winter, conditions will improve and I hope to add another 16 countries by the end of this year. Don’t forget to checkout the state web site at www.qsl.net/arrlaz/. This site has all the latest state information and links to the many clubs here in Arizona and throughout the country. Thanks Tom, WB7NXH, for keeping this web site updated. The Kingman ARC will hold its annual hamfest at the Mohave community college on 29 September 2001, then the Old Pueblo Radio Club will have its hamfest at the PIMA County Fair ground on 20 October 2001, then we have the Fall hamfest at Mesa Community College on 01 December 2001, sponsored by the Superstition ARC. I plan on being at all these events so if you have a complaint, new idea, or just want to say hello, please stop by the ARRL booth. 73’s Clifford Hauser KD6XH.