The Amplifier

The Amplifier
Tar River Amateur Radio Club
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
VE Director
Newsletter Editor
November 2014
Robin Keller, WA4WPD
Bruce Batchelor, N4XUN
Les Zavadil, W4FRA
Fred Winner, KE4LXW
Bill Thomas, N2BT
Les Zavadil, W4FRA
W4DCG Yahoo Group
Next Meeting
Tar River Amateur Radio Club meets on the
second Monday of the month. The November
meeting of the Tar River Amateur Radio Club will
be held Monday, November 10, at the Red Cross
Office, 326 S. Franklin Street, in Rocky Mount.
The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Talk-in on
WA4WPD repeater: 145.290-, PL Tone 107.2.
2014 VE Exam Schedule
Bill, N2BT
The Tar River Amateur Radio Club, Rocky
Mount, NC, will hold ARRL/VEC Amateur Radio
Exams in 2014 as follows.
Dec. 6
Walk in candidates are welcome.
No
preregistration required.
Exams will start at 10 a.m. and will be held at:
The Braswell Memorial Library
727 N. Grace Street (corner of Grace and
Peachtree Streets)
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
252-459-9345
252-823-1463
252-446-7816
252-459-4332
252-442-6131
252-446-7816
Please bring the following items when attending a
testing session.
- Photo identification (drivers license)
- Social Security Number
- Original amateur radio license
- Copy of amateur radio license
- Test fee of $15 payable to ARRL/VEC
(checks preferred)
For further information visit our club website
at www.TarRiverARC.org or contact:
Bill Thomas N2BT
VE Team Coordinator
Rocky Mount, NC
(252)-442-6131
Email: [email protected]
THIS NEWSLETTER MAY BE REPUBLISHED OR
REPRODUCED BY CLUB MEMBERS IN WHOLE OR IN PART
IN ANY FORM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PERMISSION.
President’s Corner
Robin, WA4WPD
November. Time to get ready for sweepstakes.
First. I checked Ribeye's, they are open on
Mondays. So December's meeting will be at Ribeye's
in Nashville.
Second. The D-Star repeater is up. The 440
works fine. VHF still has a few issues. And, the
gateway is not up. Hopefully these issues will be
resolved soon. This will be the the topic for
November's meeting. In January we will program Red
Cross radios for it. It's easier once you see a few live
demos.
I participated in the CW WW contest. Bands
were in good shape.. Even with the solar flares (or
maybe because of them) 10 meters was open for world
wide contacts. In one hour I got eastern Europe, Japan,
Northern Africa and South America. It really was nice.
Upcoming Hamfests
Nov. 8 – Conway, SC
Nov. 16 – JARSFEST, Benson, NC
2015
Feb. 7 – FROSTFEST, Richmond, VA
Feb. 7 – Charleston, SC
Apr. 4 – RARSfest, Raleigh, NC
Sept. 5 – Shelby, NC
2015 TRARC DUES
Fellow TRARC members,
Just a reminder that the 2015 dues are
now due. $15.00
You may mail to me at :
Fred Winner
8972 Lancaster Store Rd
Castalia, NC 27816
or bring to next meeting on November 10, 6:30
pm at the Rocky Mount Red Cross Office.
Thanks for supporting your club, Fred
Contests
Nov. 7 - 12
Worked All Europe DX Contest - CW
10-10 Fall Digital QSO Party
Kentucky QSO Party
Nov. 15 - 19
ARRL November Sweepstakes
Nov. 20 - 26
LZ DX Contest
Nov. 27 - 30
CQ WW CW Contest
Full Day of Hell - Digital
DX Info
{TNX to various ARRL email newsletters and ARNL}
ZAMBIA, 9J. Zambian amateurs are currently
using the prefix 9I50 to commemorate the country's
independence 50 years ago. In addition, Brian, 9J2BO
is QRV as 9I50BO. QSL via operator's instructions.
PHILIPPINES, DU. Michael, W6QT is QRV
as DU3/W6QT from Luzon Island, IOTA OC-042, until
March 2015. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters. QSL to
home call.
TAJIKISTAN, EY. Nodir, EY8MM has been
active on 30 meters using CW around 0030z. QSL via
K1BV.
JAPAN, JA. Members of the Ome Amateur
Radio Club are QRV as 8J150ZYG until December 31
to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the town Ome.
QSL via bureau.
MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1. Take, JG8NQJ
is QRV as JG8NQJ/JD1 until mid December in his
spare time while working at the weather station here.
Activity is on the HF bands using CW. QSL direct via
JA8CJY.
INDIA, VU. Sarath, VU3RSB is QRV with
special event call sign AT2HFI until November 10
during the Hamfest India. Activity is mainly on 40 and
20 meters. QSL direct via VU3RSB. QSL via
VU2NSL.
SENEGAL, 6W. Sigi, DL7DF will be QRV as
DL7DF/6W from Somone from November 1 to 13
while on vacation. Activity is holiday style on 160 to
10 meters using CW, SSB, SSTV and PSK31. QSL to
home call.
ALGERIA, 7X. Garti, 7X2RD, Noury, 7X2JV,
and Abder, 7X4RJ will be QRV with special call
7U60AR during all of November. Activity will be on
40 to 10 meters using all modes. QSL via 7X2RD.
NEPAL, 9N. Toshi, JA8BMK is QRV as
9N7BM until November 20. Activity is holiday style
on the HF bands, with a focus on 160 and 80 meters.
QSL to home call.
NIUE, E6. Alan, VK4WR and Graeme, VK4FI
will be QRV as E6RQ and E6SG, respectively, from
Alofi, IOTA OC-040, from November 2 to 9. Activity
will be on 40 to 10 meters. QSL both calls direct via
VK4FI.
GUADELOUPE, FG. Special event station
TO10RR will be QRV from November 2 to 16 during
the 10th Route du Rhum, a 3000-mile regatta for
single-handed sailors between St. Malo France and
Pointe-a-Pitre Guadeloupe. QSL direct via FG8NY.
TROMELIN ISLAND, FT/T. Seb, F5UFX,
Michel, FM5CD, Flo, F5CWU, Franck, F4AJQ, Fred,
F5ROP and Vincent, F4BKV are QRV as FT4TA until
November 10. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY with five stations active. QSL
direct via F1NGP.
ITALY, I. Special event station IY1EY will be
QRV from November 1 to December 31 to
commemorate Marconi's experiments from his Elettra
yacht between 1919 and 1936. Activity will be on all
HF bands using CW and SSB. QSL via IK1QBT.
SVALBARD, JW. Alexander, UA3IPL is
QRV as JW/UA3IPL from Spitsbergen Island, IOTA
EU-026, for four months. Activity is on the HF bands
using CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and JT65. QSL direct
via RW6HS.
BELGIUM, ON. Members of club station
ON4HRT are QRV as ON1418HRT during the month
of November to honor the memory of World War I
victims. QSL via bureau.
BRAZIL, PY. Special event station PS43GPB
will be QRV from November 1 to 10 during the Grand
Prix Brasil F1 Race, Interlagos Circuit from Sao Paulo.
Activity will be on 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters using SSB.
QSL via PS7AB.
ANTARCTICA.
Oleg, ZS1ANF, Slava,
RD3MX and Alex, UA1PAW are QRV as RI1ANR
from Novolazarevskaya Base, IOTA AN-016, until
March 2015. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW
and SSB. QSL via RK1PWA.
SEYCHELLES, S7. Bigi, DE3BWR and Heli,
DD0VR will be QRV as S79VR from Mahe, Praslin,
and La Dique Islands, IOTA AF-024, from November
3 to 30. Activity will be on 20 to 10 meters using CW
and SSB. QSL via DD0VR.
NAMIBIA, V5. Sebastian, OE3SZA is QRV
as V5/OE3SZA until November 11. Activity is on the
HF bands using SSB and QRP power. QSL to home
call.
ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS,
VU4. Krish, W4VKU, Chetz, VU3DMP and
Pai, VU2PAI will be QRV as VU4KV from Campbell
Bay, IOTA AS-033, from November 3 to 13. Activity
will be on the HF bands with two stations. QSL via
W4KVU.
ZIMBABWE, Z2. Chris, PA2CHR, Lins,
PA3CMC, John, ZS6JON, and Paul, ZS6NK will be
QRV as Z21CHR, Z21CMC, Z21EME and Z21NK,
respectively, from November 1 to 8. This is an EME
DXpedition and will be QRV on 6 and 2 meters, and 70
and 23 cm. QSL via PA3CMC.
F4HEC will be active as JD1BOX from
Chichijima Island Tokyo Prefecture, between December
4th and the 12th. Reports indicate that he is one of very
few European operators to ever receive a JD1 callsign.
Operations will take place on 80 through 10 meters
using SSB only. QSL via F4HEC, by the bureau or
direct.
JR3MVF, F5RPB, ET9ESZ and DJ6US will be
operating as V84YL from Darussalam, Brunai starting
on November 5th and running through until the 10th or
the 12th. Their activity will be on all High Frequency
bands using CW and SSB. QSL via DJ6US either direct
or via the bureau.
N7OhU should be operating as E51NOU from
Rarotonga in the South Cook Islands. He plans to be
there through November 9th operating 60 through10
meters in his pare time using only CW. QSL direct via
N7OhU.
F6ICX will be active as 5R8IC from Saint
Marie Island between November 3rd and December
12th. Operation will be holiday style on all HF bands
operating mainly CW, with some SSB, RTTY, and
PSK63. QSL via his home callsign as listed on
QRZ.com. Logs will be uploaded to ClubLog and
Logbook of the World.
DK9PY will be operational as 6Y6N from
Jamaica between November 26th and December 17th.
Activity will be holiday style on the High Frequency
bands using a Yaesu FT-857 into an inverted L antenna.
QSL via his home callsign, direct or via the bureau.
G3RWF is heading back to Southern Africa for
a 5 week holiday. He will begin operation in Lesotho as
7P8NH between December 11th through the 14th.
Listen for him on the higher bands on CW only. QSL
via G3RWF.
CE5WQO will be active stroke
CE0Z/CE5WQO from Juan Fernandez Island between
November 19th through the 27th. This will be a holiday
style operation using CW, SSB and the digital modes
on 160 through 10 meters using. QSL via KA3LKM
with two International Reply Coupons.
DG1BH is reported to be operating stroke 5B
from Cyprus and will be there through November 9th.
Activity will be QRP holiday style using a FT-817 on
20 meters on PSK and some SSB. QSL via his home
callsign, direct or by the Bureau.
KL7SB will be active from Raratonga as
E51RAT between late November and early December.
He will operate only as time permits but is definite for
November 29th and 30th. QSL via NI5DX.
KK6BT will be operational as TX5W from
Raivavae Island in the Austral Islands group between
January 5th and the 11th of 2015. His operation will be
on 40 through 10 meters including 17 and 12 meter
bands, operating exclusively SSB. His primary
objective is to work as many amateurs in Central and
Northern Europe as possible. QSL information will
follow shortly.
A multi-national team of operators from
Belgium, The Netherlands and Greece will be active
likely using the call EP6T from Kish Island in January
2015. Reportedly, it took nearly 3 years of negotiations
and a reconnaissance trip by ON4HIL, to Tehran which
finally resulted in obtaining a legal license to operate
with a team of ten people for fourteens days. The group
plans to have at least four stations on the air around the
clock for at least 10 days. Activity will be on 160
through 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. More
information will as well as a Web page for this
DXpedition will be available in the near future.
PG5M has announced that he will be
operational as CE0Y stroke PG5M from Easter Island
between November 23rd to the 28th. This will be a
holiday-style operation with further details
forthcoming. QSL via his home callsign direct, via the
bureau.
Members of the 9M2SE Malaysian Special
Expedition Team will be active from Pangkor Island
between 0800 UTC on November 7th and 0100 on
November 9th. Activity will be on 40 through 10
meters using SSB and CW. No QSL information was
provided in the announcement.
UA3IPL will be active as stroke JW from
Spitsbergen Island for 4 months starting October 30th.
His operation will be on the High Frequency bands
using slow speed Morse, SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and
JT65. QSL via RW6HS direct.
G8OFQ will be active stroke HC8 from the
Galapagos Islands from July 1st to September 30th of
2015. Operations will be on 160 through 6 meters but
no times or modes have been mentioned. QSL via
HA3JB
MARCUS ISLAND THROUGH MID
DECEMBER – JG8NQJ plans to operate portable
JD1 from Marcus Island in the Minami Torishima
group from mid-October until mid-December. Activity
will be limited to his spare time concentrating on 17
meters but he does plan to also use 15, 10 and 12
meters as well. All of his airtime will be CW only. QSL
via JA8CJY direct or via the bureau. (OPDX)
GUATEMALA OPERATION JANUARY
TO FEBRUARY 2015 – VE7BV will once again be
active stroke TG9 from Guatemala between January
22nd and February 17th of 2015. He plans a holiday
style operation on 20, 17 and 15 meters using CW and
SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct, by the bureau
or electronically using Logbook of the World. (OPDX)
ZD9 TRISTAN DA CUNHA OPERATION
CANCELLED – The Italian DXpedition Team has
announced that its ZD9TT DXpedition to Tristan Da
Cuna originally planned for September 2014, but later
postponed until September 2015 due to transportation
issues, has now been canceled. The group also says that
it will no longer advertise its plans in advance and that
it regrets that this decision might affect the plans of
other teams. However, it feels compelled to adopt this
policy due to the course of events. (OPDX)
VIETNAM BY KM0O NOVEMBER 25 TO
DECEMBER 24 – KM0O will be operational as
3W3O from Vietnam between November 25th and
December 24th. His main activity will be the CQ World
Wide DX CW Contest on November 29th and 30th but
expect him to be on 160 and 80 meters before and after
the contest. QSL to KM0O direct, via the bureau or
electronically using Logbook of the World. (OPDX)
TENERIFE FROM DECEMBER 9 TO
JANUARY 8 – IK1PMR and PA3LEO will be on the
air signing portable EA8 from Tenerife Island between
December 9th of this year and January 8th of 2015.
Activity will be on 160 through 6 meters using CW,
SSB and RTTY. QSL via HB9FKK or each operators
home callsign direct or via the bureau. Electronic
QSL’s go via Logbook of the World or direct e-mail.
(OPDX)
DXCC APPROVED FOR E30FB ERITREA
– The ARRL has announced that last the September
17th to the 22nd E30FB from Eritrea sponsored by the
Foundation for Global Children has been approved for
DXCC credit. This was the operation by JH1AJT
reported on extensively in past Amateur Radio
Newsline reports. (OPDX)
NAVASSA ISLAND DXPEDITION
ANNOUNCEMENT – The U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service has notified the KP1-5 Project that they will be
the team to activate Navassa Island (KP1) in January
2015.
The DXpedition will be a maximum of fourteen
days. The exact dates in January will be determined by
USFWS mission requirements and weather windows.
Our experienced team of fifteen is complete
and is ready for the challenge. The weeks ahead will be
extremely busy as the team has less than 90 days before
the DXpedition comes on the air.
January is the month of minimum bird nesting
activity and this is the primary reason USFWS is asking
that the operation be completed during that month.
However, the weather is unpredictable in January and
because Navassa is surrounded by cliffs, this may
preclude a safe landing by boat. For safety reasons and
in order to maximize our time on the Island and on the
air, a helicopter operation is planned. Navassa is over
100 miles (160 km) from the nearest helicopter staging
point and as many as ten round trips will be required at
the beginning and end of the operation. Obviously, this
means that there will be a significant cost for activating
this #1 ranked DXCC entity.
In the next few weeks, we be working with
USFWS and as details firm up, we will issue periodic
press releases. Check our webpage,
http://www.kp1-5.com for more details of the operation
and how you may financially support this DXpedition.
The KP1-5 Project team has committed to fund
50% of the total costs. We are hopeful the DX
community at large will fund the remainder.
NC Section News
Greetings to all Hams across North Carolina
from Karl W4CHX, your ARRL NC Section Manager!
HR 4969 AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT
OF 2014 AND THE ARRL GRASSROOTS
CAMPAIGN – As we enter late-Fall 2014, the
grassroots campaign in support of HR 4969 Amateur
Radio Parity Act continues. As a reminder, there 2
parts to the grassroots campaign: letter-writing by
individual ARRL members; and, small group meetings
with Members of Congress or their staff, at or through
their district offices. The goal of the grassroots
campaign is to gain co-sponsors for the Bill. There are
now forty-seven (47) co-sponsors for HR 4969,
including 2 Representatives from North Carolina: Mike
McIntyre (D-NC-7); and, Walter B. Jones, Jr.
( R - N C - 3 ) .
P l e a s e
s e e
http://www.arrl.org/news/list-of-amateur-radio-parity
-act-of-2014-co-sponsors-swells-before-congressional
-recess for more information and additional comments
from ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN on HR 4969
and the grassroots campaign. Important information
regarding the HR 4969 grassroots campaign can be
found at http://www.arrl.org/hr-4969 Please monitor
the news section of the ARRL website for updates.
Thanks for all that you are doing for the HR
4969 grassroots campaign!
ARISS: APPLY NOW FOR SPACE
STATION HAM RADIO CONTACT
OPPORTUNITIES – The Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program has
announced that the application window is open for
proposals from formal and informal educational
institutions and organizations to host an Amateur Radio
contact with an ISS crew member. The deadline for
proposals is December 15th. Educational entities may
apply individually or in concert with other institutions
or organizations. ARISS anticipates that ham radio
contacts with the space station will take place between
May 1 and December 31, 2015. The ARRL website has
more information about the ARISS program, including
details on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines
and application form, and the dates and times of
informational sessions. ARISS is a cooperative
educational initiative of the ARRL and AMSAT, in
partnership with NASA and other international space
agencies. For further information and related links, see
http://www.arrl.org/news/educational-entities-apply-n
ow-for-space-station-ham-radio-contact-opportunities
PROMOTING REPEATERS THAT AIR
THE ARRL AUDIO NEWS – An email
communication was forwarded from ARRL Media and
Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X
indicating that he would like to start promoting
repeaters that air the ARRL Audio News. If you or
your club would like to have your repeater added to the
list of ARRL Audio News repeaters, see
www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news for further information.
Thanks to Steve Ewald, WV1X, ARRL Field
Organization Team Supervisor for providing this
information!
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR ARRL
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD –
The nomination period is open for the ARRL
International Humanitarian Award for 2014. For
further information on this award, see
http://www.arrl.org/international-humanitarian-award
For information on all ARRL awards, see
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-award-nominations
Please
consider nominating a deserving candidate for an
ARRL award. Thanks!
TWO NEW ARRL-AFFILIATED CLUBS
IN NORTH CAROLINA SECTION –
Congratulations to the newest ARRL-affiliated clubs in
the North Carolina Section! The Carolina Amateur
Radio Club has 27 members, it is based in Lincolnton,
and is our first ARRL-affiliated club in Lincoln County.
The Carolina ARC meets most Thursday nights at 6:00
PM. More information can be found at www.carcnc.net
The Hampstead Hams – NC4PC has 18 members and it
meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM at
the Hampstead Public Library. For more information,
see http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/hampstead-hams
Thanks to Tim Slay, N4IB, Affiliated Club Coordinator
and Assistant Section Manager, for providing this
report!
THE GEEK FEST 2014 (11/13) – THE Geek
Fest 2014 is an annual event held at Central Piedmont
Community College (Matthews), which pays tribute to
the “geek” in everyone. The event is focused on
teaching and motivating students and the public by
examining the innovative technologies used by
everyone daily. W4BFB – Mecklenburg Amateur
Radio Society will be participating by having a
two-table setup with many types of amateur radio
equipment on display, along with brochures and
information packets. The club members are planning
on having a packet station up-and-running, using the
call sign NC4DP; and, an HF digital station, using the
call sign W4BFB. For more information on THE Geek
Fest, see http://w4bfb.org or http://thegeekfest.com
Thanks to Charles Comerford, KK4HOK for providing
his report!
NAVASSA ISLAND (KP1) DXPEDITION
APPROVED FOR JANUARY, 2015 – The KP1-5
Project has been notified by the US Fish and Wildlife
Service that their proposal to activate Navassa Island
(KP1) has been approved for January, 2015. This is
great news for DXers worldwide since Navassa Island
is very high on the priority list of “most wanted” DX
entities.
For further information, see
http://www.arrl.org/news/kp1-5-project-gets-permissi
on-to-activate-navassa-island-kp1-in-january-2015 and
http://navassadx.com/
W1AW CENTENNIAL QSO PARTY – The
100th anniversary of the ARRL is still being celebrated!
The W1AW Centennial QSO Party is still “on the air”
and consists of two main activities: 1) portable
operation of W1AW in each state and most territories;
and, 2) The Centennial Points Challenge which is the
accumulation of points from qualifying contacts made
throughout 2014. For further information on the
W1 A W Cen ten n ial Q S O P arty, see
http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party
W1AW/4 IN NORTH CAROLINA
(September 17-24) – The W1AW/portable operations
returned to North Carolina on September 17th at 0000
UTC (September 16th, Tuesday, 8:00 PM EST). Team
leader Nate Moreschi, N4YDU of Youngsville and 36
operators from NC were on the air until September 23rd
at 2359 UTC (7:59 PM EST). Here is the report from
Nate N4YDU on their operations:
“….. (The) official QSO count was 36,635.
We operated on all HF bands as well as 6M and 2M
using SSB, CW, RTTY, PSK and JT65. We also ended
up with 138 total countries for the week. The big
modes were SSB with 17K QSOs, CW with 14,700 and
a little more than 4K for RTTY. We also logged more
than 2,200 JA QSOs. We often had to work split to
control the pile-ups. The NC operators did a fantastic
job of managing the intense pile-ups and helping people
who had specific requests for a band or mode. It really
was a great event and produced some very exciting
moments for all. It was an honor to celebrate the ARRL
Centennial and we are all thankful for the opportunity.
The League has done a fantastic job with this event –
too bad we have to wait another 100 years! 73,
Nate/N4YDU”
There were 37 operators of W1AW/4, including
James Atkins W4UX, Karen Wetherill WA4CR, Robert
Cole N4KQ, Dan Atchison N3ND, Robert Barts N4GU,
Ken Boyd K4DXA, Cameron Conover III AJ4TW, Lou
Dietrich N2TU, Forsyth Amateur Radio Club W4NC,
Bill Garwood N4GBK, David Hockaday WB4IUY,
Javier Henderson K4JH, Howard C. Hoyt WA4PSC,
Howard N. (“Howie”) Hoyt N4AF, Robert Katz K4OV,
Brian Kuebert N4UEZ, Edward Kuebert K5EK, Tony
Lewis KG4TAH, Tucker McGuire KK4UNZ, Nyles
McKeithan KS4S, Irv McWherter K3IRV, Laurie Meier
N1YXU, Bruce Meier N1LN, Carl Moreschi N4PY,
Nate Moreschi N4YDU, Christopher Price WW4CP,
Jack Ritter W0UCE, Will Roberts AA4NC, Eric
Sossoman K4CEB, Wayne Starnes Jr KU4V, Marc
Sullivan W4MPS, Michael Thurman KB7NLA, Charlie
Vaughan K4UWH, Cliff Wagoner W3ZL, Richard
Weinbaum KK4RR, and Dick Williams W3OA.
Thanks to all operators for everything they did to make
the W1AW/4 operations successful; and, thanks to Nate
Moreschi, N4YDU for providing this report!
JOTA: JAMBOREE-ON-THE-AIR
(October 18-19) – The following communication was
received from Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public
Information Officer: “To all, JOTA 57 was a busy day
along the Crystal Coast. Onslow Amateur Radio Club,
New Bern Amateur Radio Club, Carteret County
Amateur Radio Society, and the Pamlico Amateur
Radio Society took part in the 57th JOTA. Wonderful
weather and smiling faces, what a combination!” In
addition, Janice KJ4PJE provided a link to a
m e d i a
h i t ,
s e e
http://www.jdnews.com/news/local/local-ham-radio-o
perators-link-on-global-airwaves-1.389020/
It is
known that several other hams and/or clubs participated
in JOTA, but reports on those operations have not been
provided. If you or club participated in JOTA, it would
be appreciated greatly if information on your JOTA
station could be forwarded to me. Thanks to all hams
and clubs that participated in JOTA; and, thanks to
Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer,
for providing her report!
PPD BEACH2BATTLESHIP FULL AND
HALF IRON DISTANCE TRIATHLON (10/25) –
Last weekend, the PPD Beach2Battleship Full and Half
Iron Distance Triathlon was held in Wilmington.
Assistant Section Manager Bill Morine, N2COP was a
volunteer at the event and here is his report: “45 Hams
turned out to help with the 7th annual Beach 2
Battleship (B2B) iron distance triathlon in and around
Wilmington on Saturday, October 25th. The race is one
of only 25 iron distance triathlons in the U.S., and is
now ranked by athletes as the second best triathlon in
the U.S. and fifth best in the world. Iron distance
means a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a full 26
mile marathon totaling 140.6 miles. 1,000 athletes
running the full course get 17 hours to complete the
race; there were also 1,200 half triathlon (70.3) mile
participants.
The B2B is North Carolina’s longest,
continuous public service event because COMMS run
uninterrupted for 18+ hours over six FM repeaters and
a dedicated APRS digipeater. B2B COMMS are run as
an Incident Command Structure (ICS) exercise. Special
thanks to the Wilmington VHF Association, Azalea
Coast Amateur Radio Club, Hampstead Hams, and
ARES groups from New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick
and Wake counties, and to COMLs Bob Kiehlmeier,
WA3IRG; Stephen Russ, NI4SR; Wayne Pearce,
KI4WDY; and Dwight Danner, W4DCD.” Thanks to
Bill Morine, N2COP, Assistant Section Manager, for
providing this report!
WESTERN BRANCH ARES/AUXCOMM
FALL MEETING (10/25) – The Western Branch of
ARES/AUXCOMM met in Morganton on Saturday,
October 25th. Approximately 35 hams attended the
event, which featured a presentation by Tom Brown,
N4TAB, Section Emergency Coordinator, on ARES
and Auxiliary Emergency Communications
(AUXCOMM) activities in NC; and, VIPER training.
Tom N4TAB reported that, for the period ending
September, 2014, there were 199 reported public
service events and 6,238 reported service hours by
hams in NC. He commented that many public service
events are conducted under the ICS model. Tom
N4TAB also stated that the reported numbers probably
do not account for the many public service events
conducted outside the ARES environment by clubs and
other entities. Allan Sadowski, AH6LS, and 3 VIPER
technicians from the North Carolina State Highway
Patrol (NCSHP) conducted a training session on the
State-wide VIPER communications system. After a
short presentation, all attendees participated in a
hands-on exercise, using hand-held VIPER transceivers
provided by the NCSHP for this meeting. For further
information
on
VIPER,
see
https://www.ncdps.gov/Index2.cfm?a=000001,001148
Thanks to Paul Robinette, KD4OZI, Assistant Section
Emergency Coordinator, for coordinating the Western
Branch Meeting; Tom Brown, N4TAB, Section
Emergency Coordinator, for providing the information
in this article; and, Allan Sadowski, AH6LS and the
North Carolina State Highway Patrol for their
assistance with VIPER training!
FSD 157: PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITY
REPORT – Ever wondered what is the equivalent
dollar amount of time and equipment, which Hams
donate to public service events? It’s more than you
think, and shows what a valuable resource we are when
we give back to the community. ARRL form FSD-157,
the Public Service Activity Report, documents in terms
of money the total donated to specific events. For labor
costs, you can use the latest published rate of $21.40
per hour for North Carolina found at
www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time
In
calculating the cost of equipment, FSD-157 uses the
full, unamortized cost of equipment used, both what is
owned personally by each operator and the costs of
repeaters. Supporting a local race or charity event can
equate easily to thousands of dollars. Try documenting
recent past public events your club supported by
completing a FSD-157 form, which can be found at:
http://www.arrl.org/fsd-157-public-service-activity-re
port These reports are enormously helpful when
dealing with government officials who want to see the
benefits which Amateur Radio brings to communities.
Thanks to Bill Morine, N2COP, Assistant Section
Manager, for providing this report!
LICENSING CLASSES – Skyland (NC),
General licensing class, November 6 to December 18,
2014, sponsored by The Road Show Amateur Radio
Club, Inc. For further information, contact Bill Van
Nuys, N4OOC via phone at (828) 551-3779 or email at
[email protected]
To find upcoming classes, go to
www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-class
Please note that a licensing class sponsored by your
club or organization will not be listed on the ARRL
website unless you register your class. ARRL
Registered Instructors may list upcoming classes on the
ARRL website.
For further information, see
http://www.arrl.org/License-instructor-registration
Also, please let me know if your club is sponsoring a
licensing class. Thanks!
MEDIA HITS AND REPORTS – The
following media hits and reports are included in this
month’s newsletter: George Huffman, KD4MXA of
Salisbury appeared on Ham Nation, Episode 167, see
http://twit.tv/show/ham-nation/167 Thanks to Ralph
Brown, WB4AQK for providing this information!
Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer,
provided the following report: “To all, Sunday Oct.
12th will go down in history! The Maysville Hamfest
had its first VE session run by the Onslow Amateur
Radio Club's VE crew headed by David Wager,
W4JKU and OARC President Dobie Hoffman,
KK4MGK. OARC and Maysville Hamfest graduated
its youngest Ham – Joshua Bean who just turned 11
years old. We are all proud of Joshua as is his Father,
Loy Bean, KN4SA. Also upgraded to General was
Tom Skirving, KK4SUD, who was very happy also!”
Thanks to Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information
Officer, for providing this report! And, congratulations
to Joshua Bean, KM4FEA and Tom Skirving,
KK4SUD! By the way, check out Joshua’s entry at
QRZ.COM, see http://www.qrz.com/db/KM4FEA
Michael Callum, KD4UJC was interviewed on
WARZ TV 34 about amateur radio and JARSFEST, see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ5fLGiMSFM
Thanks to Michael Callum, KD4UJC for providing this
information!
On the Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock Ultra
M a r a t h o n ,
s e e
http://www.pilotmountainnews.com/news/news/1501
64793/Race-draws-from-15-states
On the recent solar flare, see
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/10/22/52592
26/solar-flare-knocks-out-some-radio.html#.VFIpRSj
9q20
On Hurricane Hugo and Iredell ARES in 1989
( h i s t o r i c a l
a r t i c l e ) ,
s e e
http://www.mooresvilletribune.com/news/a-timeline-f
or-storm-s-arrival/article_0ac9bbd2-425c-11e4-9b1e001a4bcf6878.html
On Joshua Bean, KM4FEA receiving his
Technician
class
license,
see
http://www.jdnews.com/features/neighbors/bean-rece
ives-technician-class-license-1.393154/
Thanks to
Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer,
for providing this information!
NTS SECTION TRAFFIC REPORT FOR
SEPTEMBER, 2014 – QNI (total check-ins): 2,748;
Total messages passed: 553. Station Activity Reports
(SARs), total number: K4IWW 333, W2EAG 135,
W4DNA 131, AK4RJ 105, WB4ZIQ 102, KC4PGN
86, WK4WC 86, KF4OCU 78, KJ4JPE 56, W4TTO 50,
KE4AHC 39, KW4EMG 33, N2RTF 18
Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR), total
number: W4DNA 160, KW4EMG 148, KJ4JPE 140,
WB4ZIQ 140, K4IWW 130, WK4WC 120, W2EAG
110, AK4RJ 100, W4TTO 100, N2RTF 83, KF4OCU
80. Thanks to all stations for participating in NC
Section traffic activities and to Dave Roy, W4DNA,
Section Traffic Manager, for providing this
information!
SILENT KEYS – We regret to report the
passing of Lewis D. Barnes, KI4MGO of Vanceboro;
Curtis Maxton (“Mack”) Clark, W4EIF of Garner;
James Bernice Evans, K4PRJ of Kinston; and, Harold
J. Harbert, KE4ONS of Taylorsville. Please note it is
not possible to post information about amateur radio
operators that have become Silent Keys without
confirmation via a copy of an obituary or death
certificate.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS – November
8-9: Warbirds over Monroe, NC4UC, Monroe, NC,
sponsored by Union County Amateur Radio Society,
will be in operation at the
Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport with the callsign,
W4W, for the Warbirds over Monroe Airshow – a truly
unique air show that focuses on history. For more
information, see http://nc4uc.org or
http://warbirdsovermonroe.com Thanks to Charles
Comerford, KK4HOK for providing this report!
As of October 27th, there were no Special
Event Stations posted on the ARRL website that will be
operating in NC during the next 6 months. Recently, it
was learned that several Special Event Stations were
operated in the NC, which were not posted on the
ARRL website. Special Event Station listings in this
newsletter are based on what appears on the ARRL
website, see http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations
Please consider listing your Special Event Station at
l e a s t 6 0 d a ys b e f or e t h e e v e n t , s e e
http://www.arrl.org/special-events-application Also,
please let me know if your club is sponsoring a Special
Event Station. Thanks!
UPCOMING HAMFESTS – November 16:
JARSFEST 2014, Johnston Amateur Radio Society,
Benson, NC, see http://jars.net
April 4, 2015: 43rd Annual RARSfest/North
Carolina State Convention, Raleigh Amateur Radio
Society, Raleigh, NC, see http://www.rars.org/rarsfest
September 5, 2015: 59th Annual Shelby
Hamfest/Roanoke Division Convention, Shelby
Amateur Radio Club, see http://shelbyhamfest.org It is
not too early to apply for ARRL-affiliation of your
club’s 2015 hamfest! For more information, see
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events
QUA* – As you can tell from the Newsletter,
there were many events going on in our Section during
September and October! I want to thank everyone for
providing capable and effective support for these public
service and amateur radio-related activities!
In October, I visited and made presentations at
two clubs – the Johnston Amateur Radio Society in
Garner (10/16) and W4BFB – Mecklenburg ARS in
Charlotte (10/28). I have attended the outstanding
hamfests sponsored by these clubs, so the invitations to
attend their meetings and interact with their club
members were appreciated greatly. Thanks!
In addition, I attended the Western Branch
ARES/AUXCOMM Fall Meeting in Morganton
(10/25). I would like to thank everyone that made room
in their busy schedules to attend the Western Branch
Fall Meeting. Please note that similar meetings are in
the planning stages for the Central and Eastern
Branches. Stay tuned!
I look forward to seeing everyone at
JARSFEST 2014 in Benson on Sunday, November
16th.
In closing, please do not hesitate to contact me
if you have any questions or want to provide input on
our Section. I can be reached via email at
[email protected] or via cell phone. Thanks for
everything you are doing for amateur radio! 73, Karl
Bowman, W4CHX, ARRL North Carolina Section
Manager, (919) 669-6068 (cell)
*QUA is an international Q signal (prosign)
meaning, “Have you news of _____?” In the absence
of a question mark, QUA means, “I have news of
____.”
----------------------ARRL North Carolina Section
Section Manager: Karl F Bowman DVM, W4CHX
[email protected]
AuxComm in Wilson County
Wilson Co. AuxComm. attended the two final
events for 2014. The Black Creek Heritage Festival
was a phenomenal success with the added 9/11 "Never
Forget" traveling exhibit. Over 2,500 attended and
enjoyed a nice fall day. AuxComm set-up a mini field
day and gave citizens a chance to get-on-the-air.
Demonstrations with WL2K and FLdigi were a huge
eye opener for the quests. Four Boy Scouts received
their radio merit credit. The annual Elm City Festival
and Car Show was a success and the radio
demonstrations drew a large crowd. Two Boy Scouts
received their radio merit credit and since it was the
WW CQ SSB contest weekend, we made 137 contacts
from Central Europe, which our guests were very
impressed. Many thanks, to Les-W4FRA of Rocky
Mount and Rodney Dancy the Wilson County
Community Preparedness Coordinator for their support.
The 2015 event schedule will be posted in December.
Wilson County AuxComm
2 Meter Nets
Tuesday: 146.880 2115
Skywarn
The 146.880 repeater is negative offset, no
tone and the 146.760 repeater is negative offset
with a 131.8 tone.
Wilson Co. AuxComm Net:
The WC AuxComm Net is held the first
Thursday of each month at 1915 on the 444.900+
(no tone) repeater.
****
2015
"Code Red" Events
TBD
Ham Gear for Sale or Trade
f you have any ham gear or other electronic gear
to sell or trade, send a copy of your ad to
[email protected].
For Sale:
HAM RADIO GEAR FOR SALE
MFJ-906 6 MTR TUNER
30.00
MFJ-564-B IAMBIC CODE KEY 40.00
MFJ-1276 PACKET-PACTOR 50.00
KANTRONICS PACKETCOMM 3 25.00
ASTRON RS35M PWR SUPPLY 100.00
PARADYNAMICS 3 way COAX SWITCH
PDC3-HD 25.00
HUSTLER HF VERT 4-BTV 100.00
HUSTLER HF RESONATOR RM75 40.00
DIAMOND X-200 2M/440 VERT 75.00
IC-706 MKIIG HF/2M/440
500.00
KENWOOD AT-120 Antenna Tuner 30.00
AEA ‘THE MORSE MACHINE’ $ 100.00
ALINCO DX70TH
$ 400.00
(ALL prices are negotiable )
Fred
Winner,
252-459-4332,
[email protected]
For Sale: Rohn SSV free standing tower. 120
feet. Base is 6N. Triangular rack on top for
antenna mount. $3,000.00 negotiable.
Contact Robin at 252-459-9345 leave message or
mail to: [email protected] .
For Sale:
This is a silent key and I told the son I
would help him sell them. I did a little checking on
the internet and believe I have come up with a
reasonable price for each. If you disagree, please
let me know .
FT- 857D HF/VHF/UHF rig
$650.00
SEC-1235 30 amp Power supply $100.00
IC-730 HF RIG
$225.00
IC -PS15 20 amp Power supply
$100.00
DIAMOND MX-62M splitter
$45.00
MFJ-941E tuner
$100.00
Fred Winner, KE4LXW,
252-459-4332,
[email protected]