ARRL Louisiana Section Web Site

The Louisiana Section has monitored the site for the past year, noting what has generated interest and what has wained in interest. One of the things that has the least amount of interest (by lack of activity) is the message forums. Therefore, in the interest of providing the maximum of utility to visitors to the Section Web Site, we are changing the message forums.

We announce the new Louisiana Section Online Swapmeet. This new forum will provide an opportunity for Section members who wish to provide information to potential buyers of new or used equipment and accessories for ham radio. We must have some ground rules to operate from, so we offer the following as the forum rules for use of the Swapmeet Forum:

Rules for use of the LA Section Online Swapmeet

These rules are simple and few. They are scarcely different from other sites of the same type. We want your experience to be a good one. You must register in order to use or view the swapmeet forum. This is somewhat of an inconvenience but it is for your protection. There are many many spammers out there that want to invade our space to post inappropriate content or use it for commercial purposes. We log a minimum of 1700 attempts per month from outside the USA alone. So we had to find a way to restrict access in order to keep those invaders out. Most are from Russia and Nigeria or places outside the Louisiana Section that have no good intention. When you register, please use only your call sign and nothing else. A password is more secure when you use capital letters, numbers, and a special character like the period (.) or a dash (-). Your registration as a forum member signifies you agree in full with any and all of these rules. The LA Section, and the WebMaster reserve the right to remove or deny listings for any reason whatsoever. We will exercise this right when necessary and there is no recourse. If you see a listing that needs our attention you can contact the WebMaster at AD5XJ@arrl.net — we will not divulge your name or callsign if you do.

Unfortunately, far too many section members have either not read our rules, or, have ignored them. The result could mean suspended editing privileges on the forum. Please read these few rules carefully.

RULE # 1: The responsibility for the content displayed in the Swapmeet Forum is with the person listing the item and is not in any way the responsibility of the LA Section, The LA Section Manager, his staff, or the WebMaster of the site. Listings that contain illicit, inappropriate, or profane content, or links to pages with such content, will be removed without notice and your editing privages may be restricted. The WebMaster is the sole arbitrator of what is listed on this forum in determining suitability for listing.

RULE #2: You must have a valid amateur radio operator license and reside within the state of Louisiana to post an item. You may NOT post items for other persons living in another state. The item for listing must be in the possession of the person listing the item and that person must be authorized to sell the listed item by virtue of ownership or authority in writing from the actual owner (executor, executrix, surviving family member, etc.). References to eBay or other auction sites is prohibited! This is not an auction site. The price you list will be the selling price. There will be no bidding for lowest price on this site. You must negotiate a final price for sale with the buyer yourself offline (other than the forum).

RULE #3: If the items for sale or trade are from the estate of a silent key, it must be stated in plain language in the description or the words "ESTATE SALE" must be in the title.

RULE #4: Conditions of payment, the vehicle of payment, and the verification of payment to the seller is solely the responsibility of the buyer and seller and is in no way the responsibility of the forum or the LA Section.

RULE #5: Responsibility for updating the listing with new information, completed sale notice and corrections are the sole responsibility of the person making the listing. No listing will remain if contact information of the seller is not listed with the forum. It is not the responsibility of the LA Section Web Site, The LA Section Manager, nor the WebMaster to contact a seller about a sale on behalf of a buyer. Be sure your profile information is up to date and valid so the buyer can contact you.

RULE #6: A "SOLD" notice must be placed for the item within 48 hrs. on the completion of the sale by the seller. The preferred method is to edit the title and place a "SOLD" in the title or post a reply with a notice.

RULE #7: No item will be listed more than 4 weeks - period. All items more than 4 weeks old will be purged and must be re-listed if not sold. Do not re-list an item within 2 weeks of removal.

RULE #8: The LA Section does not determine the outcome of any listing on this forum and will not be held responsible in any way if the item does not sell. Buyers should read the listing carefully and know exactly what you are buying. If necessary, post a message for more information or contact the seller directly. The sale transaction is between the buyer and seller and the Louisiana Section does not have any responsibility for the condition of the product sold, the timeliness of payments, the condition of the product as it arrives at the buyers destination, nor is the LA Section responsible for claims made by the seller.

RULE #9: DO NOT use obvious words like "FOR SALE", or abbreviations like "nos", "nib", or "perfect" in the title as these are inappropriate or redundant and unnecessary. All listings must be assumed as for sale items. Abbreviations are often confusing, or misleading, and reduce the possibilities for quick sale.

RULE #10: DO NOT list items that are "WANTED" or "FOR TRADE" only. If a swap is a condition of sale, it can be listed as part of the description but cannot be the ONLY condition. All items are considered for sale at minimum and must be accompanied by a reasonable sale price.

Keys to having a pleasant selling experience

Make sure that the title of your listing contains the correct and complete model number(s) of the equipment that you're selling. Examples: Icom 756 Pro III, Kenwood TS-440S/AT, etc. BE SURE AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING.
DO NOT PUT THE WORDS "FOR SALE" IN THE TITLE
This includes terms such as "FS", or "FS/FT", "NOS", "NIB", or other words 100% unnecessary. Because everything in this forum is "for sale", otherwise it wouldn't be here. Abbreviations often confuse the buyer and slow the sale process.
DO NOT LIST THE PRICE IN THE TITLE — Say whatever you like in the listing, but, keep the title clean. Just the name or the model number, in the listing title.
DO NOT LIST THE CONDITION IN THE TITLE — Titles that say "new", "mint", "re-list", or "must sell", etc., go in the description of the listing, not the title. Use of such hyperbole reduces the credibility of the listing. Use brief and accurate descriptions.
WHENEVER POSSIBLE PROVIDE A PICTURE — Buyers are far more likely to make a quick purchase if there is a clear, recent picture of the item being sold. Try to use a picture with a file size as small as possible and still provide the necessary amount of detail. Picture files attached will be limited to 2 Mb. DO NOT USE product pictures from RigPix, manufacturers, or other online sources. These are obvious and destroy the credibility of the listing.
YOUR REPUTATION IS ALSO ONLINE — Make sure you do what you say and give a true and accurate representation of the item listed, all items included in the sale price, the method you will accept for payment, and any warranty. Nothing will destroy your reputation quicker than a buyer that is unhappy with the sale. Make sure BOTH you and the buyer have the same understanding BEFORE money changes hands. Make sure that you state your warranty / return policy before you accept any money. "AS-IS" means "no warranty". "NOT DOA" means that it works. "MINT" can mean anything - but generally that it's a clean box (at least), with original paperwork, packaging, and original manuals and has no scratches, mars, or other cosmetic or electronic defects.
COMMUNICATE OFTEN — this is especially true for sellers. Keep your buyer informed with frequent emails or replies to questions posted until the item changes hands. Communication of the progress of the deliviery process reassures the buyer of prompt delivery and your honest intentions.
Buyer Beware — Check out all the information available on the item you want to buy. If you have questions, ask. If you want pictures, ask. The deal you make is between you and the seller and is your responsibility to get all necessary information from the seller BEFORE you buy.
Consider Accepting PayPal — Sure, they charge a couple of percentage points, but don't let that bother you. You're better off accepting PayPal than not. You will have more selling success. People tend to trust PayPal more than most other forms of payment. BUYERS — always demand shipping insurance, and tracking numbers. Sellers, always get a delivery receipt. You have no recourse without one.
Offer to pay shipping may speed up the sale — include it in your price. Folks are more likely to buy when they know the total and final price right up front. If you do not wish to ship and the item is for pickup only, say so in the description and provide a reason.

We hope this addition to the web site will provide you with many hours of pleasure and a few sales as well.

Gary Stratton Sr., K5GLS
Louisiana Section Manager

I apologize for the late report, but I had a computer operating system crash about four weeks ago and recovery has been quite a task. I had all my important files backed up to an external drive but lots of information stored in files associated with Outlook was not backed up. Thank goodness for my external hard drive! Remember, it is not a question of IF you will have a computer failure, but a question of WHEN. Backup your important data. External hard drives are cheap and backup can be accomplished automatically.

UPCOMING EVENTS - (See the "Events" link on this page for more detail)

Sep 25 - Jefferson ARC, Delta DX Assn., New Orleans ARC - Harahn, LA
Oct 9 - Amateur Radio Club of Central Louisiana - Pineville, LA
Jan 8 2011 - Delta Division Convention, Southeast Louisiana Amateur Radio Club - Hammond, LA

Note: The West Central Louisiana Amateur Radio Club of Leesville has decided not to hold their hamfest this year.

SECTION APPOINTMENTS: Marvin Rush, W5MRR Emergency Coordinator Beauregard Parish

SECTION TRAFFIC REPORTS: Carlos Ingram, KB5YEG Section Traffic Manager

PSHR Report
CALL SIGN	TOTALS		TRAFFIC
K5MC	94		66
N5NVP	185		71
WC5M	76		29
W5HUD	60		0
N5MEL	NR		NR
K5KV	110		148
WA4ERU	NR		NR
KE5PWL	NR		NR
KB5SDU	84		4
K5GLS	70		9

LCW/LTN/LSN Statistics
NET	SESSIONS	QNI	QTC	QTR
LTN	30	577	49	322
LCW	59	294	60	288
LSN	8	27	5	54

SECTION ARES STATISTICS:
    ARES MEMBERS 524,
    DRILLS/TRAINING 16 MH 591,
    PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS 1 MH 96,
    EMERGENCY OPERATIONS 1 MH 1,
    TOTAL OPERATIONS 18 MH 688,
    ARES NET SESSIONS 57 CHECKINS 578

EC REPORTS RECEIVED: Avoyelles, Bienville, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Madison, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermillion, Vernon and Washington.

OTHER REPORTS RECEIVED: Chuck Standlee AC5PW OO, Virginia Bryant KE5DJA PIA, Ron Riviere WB5CXJ OOC.

AFFILIATED AND SPECIAL SERVICE CLUBS: ARRL Club Database not functional at this time. If you have questions or need help please contact Jim N5NVP at n5nvp@arrl.net.

FLOWER FUND: Virginia reports that the fund total stands at $125. There have been no expenditures to date.

Field Day: This year for Field Day I visited as many sites as I could south of Alexandria. By the time I made it back to Shreveport I had clocked 975 miles in two days. I enjoyed visiting with the clubs and groups that I was able to reach and I apologize to those that I couldn't. Just too many miles and not enough time! I was impressed with the operation of each group and I know that everyone had lots of fun.

The heat was a real problem for everyone. We were experiencing 105+ heat index and it really took its toll on everyone. We are working to try to change the Field Day schedule to at least earlier in June to remedy this situation. There are several alternatives to late June. This problem has been discussed many times with ARRL to no avail, but we are trying once more.

USS Kidd June Events: From the Baton Rouge Amateur Radio Club -- We had one demonstration this month. Two separate groups enjoyed a presentation by Ava, Buddy, and Les. Young people from the West Baton Rouge Library youth program and some older cadets from the Civil Air Patrol were our guests. Thanks to Wayne Matherne N5YFC who was able to put both of our Ten Tec transceivers online and update their software. Most changes were subtle but a noticeable improvement is the addition of the 60 meter band.

Museum Ships weekend proved to be touch and go as the bands typically would fade and return with a vengeance. One of the most interesting contacts was made by Marvin Owen when he answered a call from a 10 year old girl, extra class, who had been licensed for a year. Other museum ships of note were the Queen Mary, the New Jersey, the Lexington, and the Missouri. There were a total of 313 contacts of which 38 were CW. Thanks to the volunteers of the day: David Ducote, Ava Gerald, Marvin Owen, Russ Allor, Mike Hammet, Cheryl Warren, Jeremy Gerald, Dave Thomas, and Wayne Matherne.

THE PURSUIT OF DX: The opening paragraph of N4AA, Carl Smith's DX Column in the July, 2010 CQ Magazine read as follows: "The solar flux has started rising. Although slowly, it is still an improvement. Signals have started appearing on 12 and 10 meters and 10 meters is proving to be quite interesting in the late evenings (east coast time). There have been real signals from VK and ZL — not loud, but there. Cycle 24 is certainly turning out to be one for the books. Nothing makes much sense, as the historical guidelines don't seem to apply. Well, it's like the weather, there is nothing we can do about that either. We just have to take what we can get. If we turn on the radio and hear signals, good; if not, oh well."

This seems to sum up what our DXing situation is today. This situation was summed up during the recent Field Day weekend. We did experience better propagation than last year, but not as good as we would have liked to have had. Right now, the hottest DX activity is Prince Edward and Marion Islands where Pierre, ZS1HF, is operating ZS8M. He is on a one year work assignment as the radio technician on the scientific expedition team there. He will be there until May of next year. He is not on a DXpedition and will operate when he has time available. Operation is limited to SSB only.

A celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wireless Institute of Australia will air a special event station VK100WIA May 1 to October 31. Awards will he given for contacting this station.

There are several announced operations scheduled to take place in the future:
Jan Mayen — SQ8X is planning to be there for 6 to 7 Days July 4-14, 2011.
South Orkney — Microlite Penguin DX Team plans to be there January, 2011.
Djibouti — F5IRO will be operating J28RO for a few years starting July 6.
Sable Is. — CY0??,Mid October.

Some current operations are:
Zambia — 9K2KK from now through September, 2011.
Sardinia — IS0/I2MOV will be active until the end of September 2010.
Ogasawara — JI1LET/JD1 is active July 24 - 30 2010.

5th Anniversary K5R Special Event Station in commemoration of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be held Saturday-Sunday, August 28-29, 2010. Sponsored by the Southeast Louisiana Amateur Radio Club (SELARC). Info at: groups.yahoo.com/group/K5R

[WEBMASTER NOTE: See information on special events on our EVENTS page. Click the menu link above.
A calendar of DX events and contests, current propagation conditions, as well as a weekly propagation column (Fri-Sun) appears on the Contesting and DX page of this site. Click on the link provided in the blue SITE QUICK LINKS box on the right sidebar]

LOUISIANA SECTION WEBSITE The site is updated daily by Webmaster Ken Standard AD5XJ. It would be a good idea to check it daily. As stated [in the email summary] the Louisiana Section Summary will be available here and not on the ARRL site until the ARRL site is functional.

SILENT KEYS:
Sadly the following Section Silent Keys were reported to me this month:
  Rosa Duchan, KA5RQU
  Ben Roumain Babin Sr., W5ROQ

Section Manager - Gary Stratton, Sr., K5GLS

Delta Division