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   email:  LCB911@apex2000.net
 

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.

The West Texas Connection homepage
is at:
www.apex2000.net/nonprof/wtc

The on-line WTC map has been
updated.
 

WTC News

The Marathon repeater is now on a
new frequency pair - 147.320+.  It's
now a full repeater.

A new site on the Connection is
planned for Alpine.  The new
repeater, owned by Rick KK5RIC will
be on 146.940 and it is hoped that it
will be on-line by March.

1998 SKYWARN ORGANIZATIONAL
MEETING
by Robert Jordan, N5RKN

This year's meeting was February
21st.  We had over 30 spotters and
repeater owners in attendance.  It
seems that we had a successful
meeting.  Several topics were
discussed.  We went over a few
events from last year, do's & don'ts
for spotting, repeater coverage, and
more.
    George Matthews from the
National Weather Service was there
for the meeting, along with Robert
Boyd (KC5ZJO), John Pendergast
(KC5SVA) from the NWS.  George
talked about the NWS and what they
would be doing this year to help
spotters in the field.  One change
will be earlier "thunderstorm
outlook" bulletins for the day.
These will note, during the
broadcast, whether or not spotter
activation will be anticipated for the
day.
    The meeting was hosted by
Robert Jordan, N5RKN, and Gary
Peek, N5XXF.  Both Robert & Gary
are Coordinators for SKYWARN for
West Texas.  Our coverage area is
the third largest NWS coverage area
in the United States.

One important decision was reached
during the meeting.  It was decided
to follow through with making the
WTSA (West Texas SKYWARN
Association) more of a full fledged
club.  Actually, the term association
works better than club in this
instance.  Robert, N5RKN, was
"talked into" leading the association
for the time being.  He stated that
he would do so for the current
year, but made no promises for next
year.  There will be no immediate
changes or differences in the WTSA.
Robert will be meeting with a
SKYWARN representative from each
city in the next few months.  These
meetings will form a "guidance
committee" for the WTSA for the
future.  With the committee in place,
we will be able to make decisions
like whether or not to create dues
or what other changes in SKYWARN
need to be made for the region.

One other point was emphasized
during the meeting.  The WTSA and
SKYWARN for West Texas could not
function without the West Texas
Connection.  For that, SKYWARN and
the West Texas SKYWARN Association
are deeply grateful.  The WTSA will
endeavor to support the WTC for
years to come.  If we decide to
create dues for support of the
WTSA, these dues will not only
support minor costs of the WTSA,
but will help in upkeep of the
Connection.

Robert and Gary would appreciate
your input and ideas for the WTSA.
They also appealed for more help
during SKYWARN activation.
Whether you can be available to
spot in the field, or would like to
help out at Net Control, they NEED
YOUR HELP!  You can contact
Robert, N5RKN, at (915) 335-7980 and
Gary, N5XXF at (915) 580-4343.

The NWS  feels that West Texas may
be in for an early and ACTIVE
SKYWARN season.  So, let's be
ALERT OUT THERE!
 

GOINGS ON

April will mark the 86th anniversary
of the sinking of the Titanic.  The
following excerpts from Proceedings
of The Radio Club of America (Fall
1997), points out the historical
impact of the disaster on radio.

"To understand the role of wireless
on the night of April 14 is to
understand the primitive stage of
wireless technology of the period.
To begin with, the generated signal
of the spark transmitter was blunt
and broad.  The spectrum it
occupied was, for example, all of
today's broadcast band and then
some.  The lopsided theory of the
period demanded brute force power
for the signal to reach a magnetic
detector or a galena crystal
receiver; these, too, were broad in
reception.  Selectivity as a
specification for receivers and
bandwidth for transmitters was yet
to be an established criterion.
Hence, during close-proximity
operations of stations, whoever hit
the air first occupied almost the
entire spectrum, denying others
within close range the ability to
communicate unless a tuned circuit
(more of a wave trap) was employed
to minimize interfering signals."

"The precise frequency of the
Titanic and Californian transmitters
at the time of the incident is not
known; nevertheless, whatever the
separation, the poor receiver
selectivity and the closeness of the
two vessels allowed but one
transmitter operation.  Herein, the
lack of regulations, as well as the
lack of procedures governing
wireless operators, resulted in the
inevitable blow to the Titanic."

"Aboard the Californian, the wireless
operator, Cyril Evans, turned on his
wireless to dispose of his routine
traffic.  Because of the close
proximity of the two ships, however,
the Titanic operator advised Evans
to "shut up" as he was interfering
with traffic to Cape Race, a shore
station.  Evans complied.  Being the
lone operator on the Californian and
have worked a long day, Evans
retired for the night - another
unfortunate occurrence for the
Titanic."

"The Californian, just 10 miles from
the Titanic, found itself in the same
ice field earlier in the evening, at
11 p.m. Wisely, the captain of the
Californian had ordered his ship to
a halt, preparing to wend its way
out in daylight."

"The Titanic struck the iceberg at
11:40 p.m., less than a minute
following its sighting by the
lookout, but the "CQ/D" (General
Call/Distress) was not initiated until
12:15 a.m., 35 minutes later."

"The Californian first officer
observed white flares shot into the
sky from the Titanic but
unfortunately assumed these to be
shooting stars.  He also thought of
the possibility that these flares
were part of a celebration aboard
the Titanic because arbitrary
discharge of flares, white or
colored, was not regulated.  The
first officer's uncertainty
nevertheless prompted him to use
the Morse Light Signal Lamp aimed
at the Titanic, but he received no
response."

"The Californian did not attempt to
send a wireless inquiry to the
Titanic.  Because of this one failure,
the fate of the 1,500 lives was doom.
Evans, the Californian's wireless
operator, had already retired, and
no attempt was made to awaken him
to assume his post at the key of
the wireless station.  It was, indeed,
one imbroglio after another."

"The scene now changes.
Fifty-eight miles to the southeast of
the Titanic was the Carpathia.  The
wireless operator, Thomas Cottam,
was preparing to retire when, by
chance, he initiated contact with the
Titanic to advise its operator that a
Marconi station at Cape Cod was
attempting to contact him.  The
response from the Titanic was
prompt, with an urgent message
naming itself in distress and
requesting aid.  The Carpathia
turned its course 140 degrees and
headed for the Titanic.  Although
there were many ships in the area,
including the Frankfurt 140 miles
away, that heard the "CQD" and
were racing toward the Titanic, the
Carpathia arrived at the scene first,
at 4:15 a.m.  On arrival, there was
no Titanic, only emptiness, except
for the lifeboats containing 705
passengers.  By 8:30 a.m., all
survivors were picked up."

"One can only imagine the
Californian crew's despair when in
the morning they were told that the
Titanic sank during the night.
They were there, a few miles away,
but the last to know."

"The most significant result of the
disaster investigations was the call
for an International Radio-Telegraph
Convention to convene in London on
July 5, 1912, for the purpose of
establishing regulations and
procedures governing wireless
services aboard ships and
ship-to-shore.  Attended by 65
countries, the convention was a
success.  Regulations and
procedures were enacted, some of
which are still in effect today.
Among these is the "SOS" as the
universal call for distress as it was
determined to be the simplest form
of signalling to replace "CQD".  The
"Q" signals were an outcome of that
meeting."

"The first "Safety of Life at Sea"
conference in 1913 was attended by
65 countries and was the turning
point of communications as we know
it today.  Sweeping regulations were
put into place.  All ocean-going
ships carrying passengers to
foreign ports were henceforth
required to man a wireless station
24 hours per day."
"The tragedy of the Titanic,
occurring when it did during a
period of slow growth of a new
industry, was responsible for the
jump start of the wireless, radio
and electronics industry that today
provides the greatest number of
jobs in the history of civilization."

About the Author

Ray Minichiello, P.E., (W1BC) is
chairman of the Guglielmo Marconi
Foundation, U.S.A. Inc. and the U.S.
National Marconi Museum.  He is also
Director, Fellow and Life Member of
the Radio Club of America, Inc.
 
 
 

Submissions Welcome

As always, you are invited to submit
articles, announcements, etc. for use
in the WTC Newsletter.  Send your
material to Les, N5KOA at the WTC
address, by packet via RKNBBS, or
via email to lcb911@apex2000.net

for now,

73 de Les/N5KOA
http://www.ector911.org