West Texas Connection Newsletter SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1996 The WTC Newsletter is available on a bi-monthly basis for a subscription/donation of $12 per year. Subscribers also receive new maps of the system twice a year. Send $12 to: WTC, P.O. Box 7033, Odessa, TX 79760 After postage, all money goes toward maintenance of the West Texas Connection. Editor - Les Blalock, N5KOA WTC Sunday Morning Net The WTC Sunday Morning Net meets at 0900 (Central) every Sunday morning. The net is informal and open to all. Check in for local ham news and events. I apologize for missing the net on August 25th. We accompanied Gareth, W5CDM to his mountain-top QTH in the Ft. Davis mountains and had planned to call the net while on the road. Unfortunately, at net-time the 145.430 Kent/Balmorhea machine was having a bad "hear"-day and I was not able to get into it. Fortunately, the world continues to revolve despite my absence. WTC News An new antenna was mounted at Dark Canyon on 07/16/96 and the simplex dump was replaced with a repeater on 147.120 mHz a month later. However, there still exists some interference at the site causing receiver problems. Mark, N5SOR, A.B. WB5NTI and Albert WB5FWR installed the repeater and troubleshooting will be continuing. After changing frequencies 14.520 failed to correct an interference problem, the simplex dump at Colorado City had to be removed. Fred, KC5BNS has put together a UHF repeater to put at C-City but is waiting on frequency coordination. There's not been much interest shown to put a link at Sweetwater. The equipment is available if someone there can secure a site and offer some equipment maintenance help but, to this point, no takers. The first week of August, Rod, N5XXO placed a repeater at Tarzan (south of Lamesa) on the Connection on 146.000 mHz (- offset, 88.5 PL) and is studying the coverage from that site. Rod believes Lamesa will fill some gaps to the North and East of that location. If coverage and use justify it, the repeater could remain there. The Livermore machine appears doomed to extinction. The site offers great coverage but maintenance has been a continuous battle. Mark, N5SOR plans to relocate the equipment to another southern site to extend coverage in the area of Marathon, possibly from a site in the Glass Mountains. Pat, KB5MBK has King Mountain, 442.600 mHz back up and working well. The Saturday Nite Swapnet got off to a bumpy start on July 27th. The Swapnet was to be directed by Jimi, KC5RCW but the problems at Dark Canyon forced me to fill in temporarily. The Swapnet is being suspended but will likely resume when Dark Canyon is back in shape and Jimi is able to crank it up again. We appreciate your patience with the trial and would like feedback about the Swapnet. Finally, Skywarn activity has been infrequent the past couple of months and we hope that continues to be the case. Generally, all of West Texas received much needed rain as the remanent of Hurricane Dolly passed through our area. The rain was of the slow, easy and non-violent nature. Odessa Hamfest The Odessa Hamfest will be held on November 2nd and 3rd at the Ector County Coliseum. New dealers are already registering and flyers should be in the mail by the middle of September. If you do not get a flyer from Odessa, notify Net Control during the Sunday morning net and ask to be put on the mailing list. We look forward to seeing all the Connection "regulars" in Odessa that weekend. Miscellany Do you know why the H is capitalized in the abbreviation for megahertz? The unit of frequency (cycles per second) was named after Heinrich Rudolph Hertz and the proper name is signified by capitalizing the "H". That's why you often see the abbreviation written "mHz". The History of the West Texas Connection Part 5 The last new site in the West Texas Connection was Hobbs, New Mexico, on 147.50 mHz. The coverage was added to cover the increased coverage area of the Midland National Weather Service office and Hobbs amateurs have already made use of that link in recent thunderstorms. We welcome the additional coverage in southeastern New Mexico. Work is also underway to link new sites to the WTC to assure adequate Skywarn coverage. As noted in the WTC News section, the Tarzan/Lamesa area has a new test site and plans are to move the Livermore equipment over to the Glass Mountains. Before we get to the end of our history of the WTC, we need to backtrack at this point. Mount Livermore has been the site of much experimentation and consternation since it was placed in service in 1988. And, it's ironic that as we document its introduction into the Connection it is about to be dismantled. As most of you know, the Livermore repeater has been down quite often and it has been determined that the equipment would probably be best used at a different site. The installation of the Livermore repeater was documented on video tape and in a QST article titled The Mt. Livermore Expedition, (JUNE 1989). A Clayton Williams helicopter piloted by Williams' chief pilot, Aubrey Price, WB5RXA, lifted the equipment in place. The repeater was placed in a pickup toolbox and then set on the mountain with a team of brave souls standing by to make the final adjustments and connections in a cool brisk wind. The video tape not only shows the dramatic approach, drop, and departure but allows you to listen to the radio communications between helicopter and ground crew. Aubrey noted on the approach that the mountain tops all looked alike and there was some concern as whether or not he would be able to spot the ground crew. The heavy load under the helicopter caused the rotor blades to really THUMP so the ground crew heard the chopper before they made visual contact. As he neared the site Aubrey spotted the crew and zeroed in on the small clearing on which he was to make his drop. The whole peak was only about 50 feet wide and it was obvious in the last moments that the wind was difficult to contend with. As the helicopter settled in on the target the affects of wind was noticeable. As the load neared the ground the helicopter began rocking back and forth and really appeared unsteady. At about one foot off the ground with the equipment, the rocking became more pronounced and Aubrey quickly sat the box on the ground, released the load straps and moved away. His departure was rather dramatic as he made a big sweeping dive away from the mountain top and quickly disappeared behind the peak and into the valley below. The helicopter reappears in the video climbing from the valley and headed away. The use of the helicopter no doubt saved a lot of wear and tear on both the equipment and the work crew. The Mt. Livermore site is very remote and carrying that equipment in would have been a real chore. Solar panels were added at Livermore and worked well providing power. The coverage was outstanding and the site would surely be a highly desirable one if not for the extremes encountered in maintenance and repairs at the site. Maybe someday Livermore will return to the Connection. When Jim Jeffrey, WA5QMJ died on April 5, 1995 more than a few people wondered what would happen to the West Texas Connection. Jim had done so much for so long it was hard to believe the system could continue without him. Jim is certainly missed - both as a friend and as the keeper of the Connection - but the Connection remains in excellent condition due to the guys who have come forward to carry on the work left by Jim's absence. Mark Lomax, N5SOR began working with Jim when he moved to Monahans from the Lubbock area. After Jim's stroke, Mark became his protege in place on the Connection and the number of hours and amount of personal money Mark has spent on the Connection is incredible. I'm always amazed at the energy and dedication he displays week after week - driving to the far ends of the Connection almost every weekend. The users' debt to Mark is immeasurable. Luckily, Mark is not alone and there are several individuals that keep the Connection up and working. B. John, as documented in Part IV, built, and has kept, the "east end" up for years. Along with them, Rod, N5XXO, Dow, N5FTL, Fred, KC5BNS, Albert, WB5FWR, Gareth, W5CDM, Coy, WB5WYI, Pat, KB5MBK, Johnny N5NOM, and Doug N5HYD all have contributed time, money and equipment to keeping the system up. Many others have lent their hand in repairs and projects. We all tend to take The West Texas Connection for granted and have come to expect it to be there when we need (or want) to use it. Those that have taken the time and effort to contribute are to be commended. As indicated above, several have the skills necessary to actually work on the equipment. They have also donated money out of their own pockets -ALT of money in some cases. Regardless of our technical ability there are ways to contribute to the maintenance of the West Texas Connection. We can offer to help with repair and maintenance projects at the site. If you get this newsletter by mail you can take some personal satisfaction in providing a small level of support. (I certainly hope you didn't send $12 for quality writing - if so - Sorry, No refunds.) West Texas Connection P.O. Box 7033 Odessa, Texas 79760 Until next time... 73