Kids Day is January 4

 

Under the watchful eyes of control ops KC7FYD and KC7CFR, six scouts from Troop 259, Dallas, Oregon, enjoyed meeting other scouts and other young people on the ham bands during last June’s Kids Day.  [Zale Archer, KC7FYD, photo]

 

Paul Klippel, KC2SAS, and Maycee Campano make contact with another young person in Mississippi during the January 2008 Kids Day. The New Providence (New Jersey) Amateur Radio Club takes Kids Day seriously, and has another operation planned for this weekend.  [Barry Cohen, K2JV, photo] The next opportunity to encourage a youngster (or a group of ‘em), licensed or not, to get on the air to chat with others is Sunday, January 4. Kids Day, sponsored by the Boring (OR) Amateur Radio Club, is the perfect way to introduce a young person to the magic of Amateur Radio.

 

Date: Sunday, January 4, 1800Z-2400Z. Operate as much or as little as you like.

 

Suggested exchange: Name, age, location and favorite color. Be sure to work the same station again if an operator has changed. To draw attention, call “CQ Kids Day.”

 

Suggested frequencies: 28.350 to 28400 MHz, 24.960 to 24.980 MHz, 21.360 to 21.400 MHz, 18.140 to 18.145 MHz, 14.270 to 14.300 MHz, 7.270 to 7.290 MHz, 3.740 to 3.940 MHz, as well as your favorite 2 meter repeater (with permission of the repeater’s sponsor). Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX QSOs.

 

Kids have a blast on their special don-the-air day, and adults tend to enjoy it just as much!

 

Note: Until recently, the ARRL Kids Day Web site showed an incorrect date for the January event. It is, in fact, Sunday, January 4. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. For those who like to plan ahead, the other 2009 Kids Day event will be held Saturday, June 20.

 

As a courtesy to our members who wish to watch Alabama play in the Sugar Bowl, the MARC General Membership meeting for January is moved to the 2nd Friday, January 9th.   ARES meets at 7:00 p.m., MARC meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Engineering Lab Building at USA.

All levels of membership can be renewed online here through PayPal. Renewing members do not need to fill out a membersip application, unless information has changed.

 

Earlier this week, the ARRL received a request from the FCC asking that ARRL members to provide technical educational assistance to their communities concerning the FCC-mandated digital television (DTV) conversion scheduled for February 17, 2009.

According to ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, Amateur Radio clubs across the country are being asked to develop and implement plans to provide information throughout January and February about the DTV conversion in their areas. The FCC is leaving it up to the clubs to decide how to do this, as local groups understand the communities in ways that the FCC does not. Each community is a little different, Pitts said, so plans carried out by the clubs will vary from community to community. Interested groups should contact their ARRL Section Manager.

Pitts stressed that hams should not make “house calls,” sell any equipment or do actual installations; the request is only to distribute technical information and FCC materials. He commented: “As we all know, some folks just never get the message until too late. Materials for presentations, education and many other activities are available online. Beginning early January, FCC staff will contact Section Managers and leaders of interested clubs and, where possible, arrange to meet to share even more information, audio, visual and printed materials, as well as and training aids, with the clubs involved this effort. We know the time is short, but your aid in this now will be appreciated.”

In early January, Pitts said that the FCC will ask Section Managers for the names and contact information of the volunteering groups. The FCC staff will then make contact with the groups, learn their plans and provide them with the media, brochures or other materials groups may need in this effort. Materials also can be downloaded from the DTV Conversion Web site. FCC regional staff members may even come and visit with larger groups to aid in implementation of the group’s plans.

“I really appreciate the willingness of the ARRL to actively participate in helping Americans with the transition to DTV and your helpful suggestions,” said George Dillon, FCC Deputy Bureau Chief for Field Operations. “The DTV transition will be an historic moment in the evolution of TV. Broadcast television stations can offer viewers improved picture and sound quality and new programming choices. All-digital broadcasting also will allow us to significantly improve public safety communications and will usher in a new era of advanced wireless services such as the widespread deployment of wireless broadband. Our goal is to engage the amateur community on a cooperative basis to help with the DTV outreach and to educate consumers.”

Dillon continued that local Amateur Radio clubs might consider offering technical advice to consumers via telephone to those consumers who may encounter difficulty with the installation and setting up of their converter box. “Any assistance…will greatly help in the efforts of the FCC to ensure a smooth transition to DTV on February 17, 2009.”

Pitts advises interested groups to keep in mind that they are to provide technical educational help only: “At no time should the hams enter someone else’s home or install equipment. They should not broker or sell conversion boxes in any way. Clubs can provide such things as a call-in telephone number for technical help, make presentations at meetings, do demonstrations at malls or give talks to other groups — whatever works in their community.”

 

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• Confusion continues to dominate as DTV transition nears

 

To All Stations;

 

The S.E.T. will be held tomorrow (Saturday, 06) from 0900hrs - 1200hrs.

 

            2m - 146.940            70cm - 444.500 (123)            D-Star - 145.390

 

 

Please let us know if you have completed any of the following;

 

                                    FEMA - ICS-100, ICS-200, NIMS-700, NIMS 800/802

                                    ARECC - Level 1, 2, or 3 Emergency Communication Courses. 

 

 

The scenario is “Severe Weather“.

 

We are asking all stations to check in 2-3 times each hour with an update as to the conditions

(wind, rain, flooding, tornados, etc.) around your location during this “Severe Weather Alert” drill.

 

If you have the capability, you may check in on each band with the same message.

 

We receive 1 point for each check in on each band.

 

Please open and close each message with “this is a drill”.

 

(((73)))

 

Gerald Jones, Sr.

KD4DLJ

IT’S OFFICIAL!!!  The date for the Next Satsuma “Tail-Gator” will be March 7, 2009!  It will be held again at the Fred K. Wright Municipal Park in Satsuma, AL, from 8AM until 12 Noon.  One thing different: we will be moving 50 yards farther into the park, meeting at and around the pavilion and nearer the rest rooms!  Talk-in will be arbitrarily on the 146.82 repeater, 203.5Hz tone.

We have had good exposure to the public at each successive “Tail-Gator” and hope to continue to be open and accomodating to the public, encouraging others to enter and enjoy Ham radio!

For those who have not been to a Satsuma “Tail-Gator”, here are the directions below:

Directions: From north- or south-bound on I-65, take exit 19 onto Hwy. 43 south, go 1.1 mile and the park will be on the right.  If travelling up Hwy. 43 from Mobile, just go through Chickasaw, Saraland and into Satsuma…the park will be on the left about 1/2 mile past the third light in Satsuma.  WATCH SPEED LIMITS!

Also, there are several places to eat in Satsuma: Waffle House, several burger joints (all near/at the Petro Truck Stop), Carmine’s New York-Style Deli, Subway at the Shell Station, and my favorite, Pintoli’s Italian Restaraunt at the third light previously mentioned- great for lunch and good prices, too!  Gas prices are well in-line in this area as well.

SPREAD THE WORD!

(This event is not affiliated with any group or association…it’s just put on for the fun of it!)

(Also, thanks to Gerald Jones, KD4DLJ for helping to search for open dates!  Also, to Mobile Amateur Radio Club for the usage of the repeater for talk-in!) 

The ARRL is pleased to welcome Membership Manager Diane Petrilli, KB1RNF, to the Headquarters staff in Newington. Petrilli’s key areas of responsibility include programs and activities that directly affect membership growth, engagement and retention. Petrilli is taking over the position from Katie Breen, W1KRB. Breen left in October.

PLYMOUTH - The Whitman Amateur Radio Club conducted a two-day special event at Plimoth Plantation the weekend following Thanksgiving. Twenty-two area amateur radio operators (or HAMs) set up six base stations and portable antennas and exchanged contacts with 216 other amateur radio operators in 32 states, 8 foreign countries and 3 Canadian Provinces, according to club President Paul Burbine (N1VTI). The HAM operators spread the word about Plimoth Plantation over the airways, explaining about the living museum and the amazement of visitors who interact with interpreters trained to explain the realities of early Colonial life, in the language of 17th century without acknowledging life beyond the 1620s.

Registration remains open through Sunday, December 21, 2008, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, January 2, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1, Radio Frequency Interference, Antenna Design and Construction, Technician License Course, Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics.

WINTHROP — The Winthrop Holiday Parade has two special features this year: it will be an evening parade with lights, and it will be broadcast on fast-scan amateur television by ham radio operators from the Augusta Amateur Radio Association. The 4:30 p.m. start time Saturday is a distinct change from the usual daytime one. Crowley said this is the first time amateur TV has been used for a public service event in Maine.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, MD - A message was broadcast around the world Tuesday in honor of veterans everywhere, and its signal came from the Charles Town farm of Frank Buckles, America’s last living World War I veteran. Frank Woodruff Buckles was 17 when the Armistice was signed in France and ended the war to end all wars. Now at 107 he’s the sole representative of the almost five million Americans who served in the Great War. I knew that I would be among the last, but I didnt know that I would be the last, Buckles said. To honor Buckles and veterans everywhere, the Eastern Panhandle Amateur Radio Club (EPARC) set up a special event station on Buckles’ Charles Town farm. The radio operators talked to people in the Caribbean and as far west as Montana. The FCC designated specific call letters for the special event so the ham radio operators in Charles Town sent out their signal under WW1 FWB, which stands for World War I, Frank W. Buckles. EPARC members say the response from federal officials was unprecedented.

CQ Communications, Inc. has acquired WorldRadio magazine, CQ Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA and WorldRadio Publisher Armond Noble, N6WR, announced jointly today. CQ, based in Hicksville, New York, currently publishes CQ Amateur Radio, CQ VHF and Popular Communications magazines.

Defending and enhancing access to the Amateur Radio spectrum is the
primary mission of the ARRL. According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer
David Sumner, K1ZZ, the League has not only protected the bands, but has
also added several new ones, despite exponential growth in the variety
and number of radio frequency devices in the hands of consumers and
businesses. “Even our most disappointing defeat — the loss of the
bottom 40 percent of the 220 MHz band some two decades ago — gave us
upgraded status, from shared to exclusive, in the remaining 60 percent
of the band,” he said.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Donald Henley Jr., a resident of Redlands since 1962, died Oct. 20 in Redlands. He was 85. He was born Feb. 6, 1923, at Fort Slocum, N.Y., to Col. Donald and Virginia Henley and grew up in a military family, the eldest of four children. With his parents, sister and two brothers, he spent his childhood years living in several places within the continental United States, as well as Manila, Philippine Islands. As a young adult he developed a passion for aviation, and amateur radio technologies, interests that were to serve him well in his professional and private life. He was active in amateur radio under the call sign of W6BAD and was a mentor to several young men and women interested in acquiring HAM radio skills. He turned the back yard of his home into what was often referred to as the “antenna farm.”

First of all, I want to thank those of you with relatives in the military for the service of your family members. It is an honor to serve ones country. Our brave man and women face many dangers that many of us have no idea about to preserve our freedom. It is because of their service that ARMAD was began. This is a great hobby, and it has many possibilities. One of which is to be able to show support and appreciation to those that serve in the military, have served, and to help their families, and the members of our community voice thanks and appreciation “live” over Amateur Radio as a public service.

Walter William Shellingosky, age 90, of 2628 Lakeshore Drive, Sheboygan passed away at his home on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2008. Walter was an electrician and worked at Garton Toy Company until his retirement. He was a World War II veteran, proudly serving as a radio technician in the U.S. Air Force. During that time, he developed a love and fascination of radio technology and it became a life-long hobby. He was also a member of the Disabled American Veterans. Walter collected QSL cards from other amateur radio operators he talked to from all corners of the world and participated in field day events too numerous to count. In 2005, Walter was presented with a lifetime achievement award from the Sheboygan Amateur Radio Club for his public service. He especially enjoyed talking to other “hams” throughout the state on the net each day, right up to his final sign-off on Thursday afternoon. “73″ W9SDH!

One man’s 53-foot ham radio tower is another man’s eyesore, according to arguments heard at a public hearing before Penn Township’s Zoning Hearing Board Thursday. Although Charles Mills, of 60 Regola Drive, was reissued a permit for the tower in August after making some modifications to his original plan presented in March and declared invalid in July. But some neighbors are again appealing the decision that allowed him to erect the structure in his back yard.

A local amateur radio group would like to spread some “ICE” around. The Blue River Valley Amateur Radio Society of Shelbyville-Shelby County has embarked on a program to encourage cell phone users to place and store emergency phone numbers in their mobile phones. According to Greg Treon, public information officer for local radio group KC9AAQ, “ICE” stands for “In Case of Emergency.” “We all carry our mobile phones with names and numbers stored in the address book, but nobody other than ourselves knows which of those numbers belong to our closest family members or friends,” Treon said. “If we were involved in a serious accident or became very ill, the people attending us would have our cell phones but wouldn’t know who to call. ICE gives people a method of contact during emergency situations.”

Contact with operator transmitting from space station an out of this world experience for amateur radio enthusiasts: “This is W5KWQ Richard Garriott aboard the International Space Station does anyone copy?” “W5KWQ this is VE3JJA in Sioux Narrows, Ontario. Yes I copy.” Amateur radio enthusiast Woody Linton has logged untold hours talking to other Ham radio operators around the world since he took up the hobby back in 1976. However, he regards this brief exchange with space tourist Garriott on Oct. 21 as among the most memorable as it was his first contact with an operator transmitting from outer space. “There are special frequencies that amateur radio can talk on,” Linton explained. “The space station transmits and invites responses and the operator speaks to people around the world. Clear as a bell.” Years ago, Linton contacted the Russian Mir space station which acknowledged the transmission via remote relay. This latest contact was the first time his call sign was answered by another person. “It wasn’t a conversation. There were a lot of callers waiting to speak to him,” Linton said. “He acknowledged receiving the transmission and my making contact with the space station.”

Andy, UN8GU and Mike, UN8GC, members of Almaty Radio Amateur League, Republic of Kazakhstan, will operate as 8Q7GU and 8Q7GC from Ari Atoll (Sun Island) QTH from Maldives between November 30 and December 7 on 80-10 m HF in CW, SSB and Digital.