I would put welcoming the new person as a top priority.  The lack of it is something I have both experienced myself (not at MRAC) and heard others bemoan.  New blood can help with new ideas.

As far as energizing current members, I'm out of ideas (but Dave you already knew that).  I know of several clubs which have a very healthy bank account but seem to be stagnating, and it would make sense to spend some of that money in order to get things going.  But spend it on what?  Perhaps front the money for a nicer transceiver and sell raffle tickets at meetings to boost attendance and recoup some (all?) of the cost.

One last suggestion -- keep the mood at meetings and in the newsletter positive.  I'm not much of a cheerleader myself but I can usually find humor in things.  Sarcasm and cynicism can be overdone, and if the overall mood is already something of a downer ...

Good luck!  94 years continuously operating is a record to be proud of.

The NCDXF Beacons can help you assess your "ears".

http://www.ncdxf.org/beacons.html

If you can establish via one of the propogation websites that you should be able to hear one or more of these, the schedule tells you exactly where and when to listen, and the variable transmit power can give you an idea of how well your antenna system is functioning.

Better still would be to find a local ham and arrange to be on the air at the same time.  He can tell you who he is hearing and where, and you can verify if you can hear them as well.

It is a rare ham who gets everything set up right the first time!  Keep at it and you can make the best of it.

One other opinion based on third party information: school administrations, especially principals, tend to have poor opinions of ham radio as being "old".  The science teachers tend to have more of an open mind.  This is the experience of ham club presidents in the Wisconsin area anyway.

One other suggestion: get information on ARRL Teachers Institute and give to science/math department at your school.  The institute gives training on how to use technology in the classroom, including but not restricted to ham radio.

Check out the following:

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/club-kit/club-kit.pdf

This might give you some ideas about starting your club.

Howard AB9FH

This is excruciatingly funny!

Mr. Whatley, most cynical posts like this are depressing; yours made me laugh out loud.  Start out by airing your bias that all ham radio operators are stuck in the 50s AND all school teachers are incompetent, completely miss that this was a student asking for help (in the Youth Forum of all places!), and insult another's constructive post: a real tour de force!

Google for hexbeam.  There is an active Yahoo Group on this topic as well. They are very compact and perform well.

There is a Yahoo group dedicated to the 7800R, called FT-7800R.  If you join, you can review the message archives.  There has been extensive discussion of how to make use of all the memory features.

Radio1 - my 70cm xcvr
Radio2 - my dual band radio set up for 2m/70cm crossband repeating (what it hears on 70cm it transmits on 2 m and vice versa*)
Radio3 - 2m xcvr

When Radio1 transmits, two radios end up transmitting: Radio1 and Radio2. If I id on one, I id on both stations, both frequencies.

When Radio3 transmits, he too causes two radios to transmit: Radio3 and Radio2. Any time he id's, he id's on both stations, both frequencies.

In respect to identifying, we're legal. No unidentified transmissions are taking place, even unintentionally.

There is a potential for interference taking place on 70cm if Radio3 is not aware of the crossbander, so I as the control op of the crossbander need to be monitoring, because I am responsible for any 70cm interference (not the guy using Radio3).

* I believe some radios have the capability to crossband "one way", ie, what is heard on 70cm is sent on 2m, but what is heard on 2m is NOT transmitted on 2m. I think of that as transverting and not repeating.

Hope this helps.

Check out programs like MorseMail, CWCom, or G4FON's Koch Trainer.  Perhaps I have those in the wrong order .. the Koch Trainer will help you learn the code, and Morse Mail will give you a way to practice receiving AND sending.

http://www.qsl.net/g4fon/CW Trainer.htm
http://www.seanet.com/~harrypy/MorseMail/
http://www.mrx.com.au/d_cwcom.htm

I will be happy to provide assistance in using any of these programs.

When you have passed your test, contact FISTS and they will set you up with a code buddy so you can get some on-the-air practice and build your speed up.

http://www.fists.org

Hope this helps!

Howard Parks, AB9FH
1 Peter 4:10

When I first signed myself and my daughter up using ULS, I would get a message that the database had not been updated.  It took 3 tries to get it to admit she was in.  Later, I did a search and found that she was in their database 3 times!  I emailed the FCC using a link provided on the page, and was able to get things fixed within hours.  Perhaps this was an easier situation for them to deal with, than a bad connection between two databases.  Also, I am sure they are much less concerned with messing up a ham's license than that of a pilot.  More at stake in the latter case.

I used the ARRL Extra Class License Manual, the one with the detail in it and not just the question pool.  I prefer to have the subject covered in some detail instead of studying the test questions.  I also took a class offered by my club and that was a good confidence builder.  I took many practice tests, not quite one a day but close, and that told me which sections to re-read in the book.  For myself, I would say the jump from Tech to General was much bigger than the jump to Extra.

I have one of these radios on loan from a friend, he did not have a power cord for it.  Any information on the configuration?  It's a oval jack, two round pins ~ 1/4" apart.  I'd like to have the radio active for next weekend, but would not be able to buy "official" cable before that time. Any suggestions for homebrewing?

This looks interesting. I learned enough code to pass my 5wpm test but have to relearn it to be able to use it.  My daughter wants to upgrade to General, so we both need the practice.  Anybody interested in a sched?

HT almost require the presence of a repeater to extend their range.  As you are moving around, will you be in populated areas?  If not, then you may find it difficult to be heard.  I know from experience that is very frustrating.

I would recommend the mobile over the HT for other reasons as well. I bought a HT for my first radio and I wish I hadn't.  I am blessed to live in a populated area with many active repeaters, and my 5W HT can reach them just fine.  But the limitations of battery life and duty cycle have been very noticeable.