Wednesday, July 13, 2016

July Issue of the Ohio Section Journal..





In this issue:

-> BREAKING NEWS ON H.R. 1301

-> GOBA – 2016

-> NVIS DAY FINAL REPORT

-> THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR

-> AFFILIATED CLUB COORDINATOR REPORT

-> NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR

-> THE SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR

-> THE PUBIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR

-> THE SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER

-> OUT AND ABOUT

-> CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS

-> THE STATE GOVERNMENT LIAISON

-> LET'S TALK

-> THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER COORDINATOR

-> WEBSITE STATS

-> SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS IN OHIO

-> OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR

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BREAKING NEWS…
From ARRL

Amateur Radio Parity Act Receives Favorable House Energy and Commerce Committee Report..

An amended version of the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301, received a unanimous favorable report on June 13 from members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill now will go to the full House for consideration. Before reporting the bill out of committee, the panel first voted to accept the amended language “in the nature of a substitute.” Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, said the substitute bill represented “a good balance” following months of meeting, hard work, and compromise, and he recommended the measure to his colleagues.

“The amendment guarantees that even in deed-restricted communities, Amateur Radio operators are able to use an effective outdoor antenna,” Walden said. “Without an effective antenna Amateur Radio operators are severely limited, so this amendment ensures that amateurs are free to pursue their passion wherever they live.”

At the same time, he continued, the measure protects the rights of those “who have chosen to live in deed-restricted communities and to set their own aesthetic and other rules.”

“We found a balance that works for all stakeholders,” lled ARRL and CAI “the bookends of the effort.”


Kinzinger called the amended bill “a good amendment that strikes the right balance.”

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GOBA - 2016

2016 Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure
Jeff Slattery, N8SUZ
GOBA Communications Director
Ohio District 8 DEC

The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure is the largest bicycle tour in the country supported entirely by amateur radio communications.  This year, GOBA was held in southwest Ohio June 18-25.  The 2016 tour was relatively uneventful after dealing with last year’s heavy rains and flooding in northwest Ohio.  On Monday, we did get pretty busy when we had several medical emergencies at the lunch stop along with a bike wreck going into Hueston Woods.  The day was very hot and a long ride from the AM snack stop to lunch and many riders were requesting a SAG ride into Oxford camp at Miami University.  Thanks to the several local Butler hams who loaded up pickup trucks and RVs and helped transport riders Oxford when our SAGs became overwhelmed.  There was tremendous support from the local ham radio operators and individuals from our host communities that helped to keep our riders safe during the entire week-long tour.

Local clubs/ARES groups that provided communications support for the week were:

Butler County ham Scott Harshman, WX8TOK and Doug Bell, N8HSU of Springfield volunteered to ride squad communication on our medic units for the week.  Scott became ill on Monday and was unable to finish the week after helping install radios on Saturday and riding squad comm on Sunday.  His spot was covered the rest of the week by several GOBA hams - Eric Fetcho, KB9TUF, Maria Johnson, K9RIA, Kathy Wolf, KE8EAP and Tim Creamer, KD8YBE.

Butler County VHF Association – Butler County (Hamilton) - Timothy Callahan K9TGC, Robert Spratt N8TVU, Gary Clark II KC8TND, Steve Ramsey KC8VDT.  We had great support from Butler County EMA Director Matt Haverkos who arranged for several MARCS portable radios to supplement our amateur communications plan.

OH-KY-IN ARS -  Hamilton County (Whitewater Park optional day) - Greg Wright  KA8DME, Brian Fulmer  KC8FJN, Ed Frambes  K8EAF, Pat Maley  KD8PAT, Mike Niehaus  KD8ZLB, Bryan Hoffman KC8EGV
Mongomery County ARES - Mongomery County(Brookville, Dayton, Miamisburg – AC8G – Harry Flasher, K8UW – Gary Mullins, KA5RUC – Robert Flory, KA8FGE – John Szkudlarek, KA8GOV – Cliff Stumpff, KA8ZSB – John Hepner, KB8LWL – Don Chelman, KC8NPJ – Neal Morrisey, KC8TND – Gary Clark (Net Control all 4 days), KD8KET – Ken Todd, KD8QZT – Steve Martin, KD8SEI – Marvin Ratliff, KD8UPX – Jane Deeter, KD8YPY – Joe Binkley, KD8ZKA – Matt Towne, KE8BGZ – Bill Kuntzman, N2TUJ – Shawna Collins, N8ADO – Bob Baker, W8WGR – Gary Hamm, W9SAM – Gary Sammons.

Darke County Amateur Radio Club and Preble Amateur Radio Club


73,  Jeff , N8SUZ

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NVIS DAY FINAL REPORT

After reviewing all the reports several times, here’s how it all breaks down. Below is a synopsis of the antennas used as they were reported.

To say there was a veritable plethora of antennas used would be a gross understatement. Everything from the usual dipole and inverted-v to even Double Bazookas, Collinear Arrays and Carolina Windoms came into play. The one thing most had in common is they were designed for NVIS, being used at low elevations from the ground … eight feet being the lowest to an average of 16 feet with a few at 25 feet. It is difficult to determine a real winner between any of them as no reference antenna was used, and all were in different locations around the state. That said, on 40 meters the inverted-v seemed to have a slight advantage over the dipole, however both seemed to work more out of state contacts than in state which can be attributable to band conditions. On 80 meters it was a toss-up between dipole and inverted-v antennas, most likely due to all being used at low elevations. The AS-2259 antennas seemed to work well for all who used them, especially when the switch to 80 meters was made. Again it is difficult to declare a winner between them and other antennas due to band conditions and locations across the state.

Below is a listing of the antennas that were reported: FT = FLAT TOP
80 Meters
FT Dipole – 6
Inv. V – 5
Loop – 2

40 Meters
FT Dipole – 7
Inv. V – 8

G5RV – 8

AS-2259 – 5

Windom – 2

Double Bazooka – 1

Collinear Array – 1

Vertical – 2

A full breakout of all of the reports that came in can be found at:
http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/default.html  in MS Excel or Adobe Acrobat


That's it..

73, Lynn, W8MLL

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THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak - TC

Hey Gang,

It’s been a busy month with ham radio holidays and national holidays.  June was a great operating month for me as I had taken some time off work after Dayton.  Since I really hadn’t been on the air the first half of the year, I spent a lot of time catching up.  Heck April I made a total of three contacts.  Bleh.   I racked up 130 contacts including Field Day and 17 National Park activations.  As usual I’m coming to the party late on NPOTA so I’m getting there.  Our own Affiliated Clubs Coordinator John KD8MQ has given many updates in past editions of the Journal; check them out.  More: https://npota.arrl.org/

I will tell you no matter what you do for Field Day, you’re always going to have a good time.  If you get together with a club or some buddies, there are going to be good stories too.  This year I took a different approach and decided to operate as a 1D station.  Still had a good time.  It gave me a chance to refresh my memory and practice using the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and filtering features of my radio.  As one would expect, there were stations all over the place.  The bands weren’t that great either.  I would hear a station but not clearly.  I used different Automatic Gain Control (AGC) settings, Noise Reduction, filters, Passband Tuning (PBT), the whole nine yards.  If I wasn’t hearing much scanning around, I would go work on something else and come back later to work more stations.  In total made 30 contacts mostly on 40m from the home QTH.

The following weekend was Canada Day and the Independence Day holiday weekend.  First up was the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Canada Day contest on July 1st.  Since I’m a station outside Canada, the exchange was RST and serial number.  The serial number was the number of Canadian stations worked during the contest. 

I worked 14 stations total over the 24 hour contest.

Then (of course) starting Friday morning was the 13 Colonies Special Event.  There is one station in each of the 13 original colonies and two bonus stations.  Bonus stations are Philadelphia where independence was declared and England for the “British Standard” contact.  Things were going well for me.  I started out working 9 stations on Friday night and 5 on Saturday morning.  Then nothing.  The British bonus station was eluding me.  I kept trying when they were calling on sideband but they never came back to me or by the time they went through the numbers and got to 8 - they were down in the noise.  It wasn’t looking good.  In literally the 11th hour, I finally made contact with England on PSK for my clean sweep!  I’ll be sending away for my certificate and sending out QSL cards soon.  If you worked any of the 13 colony stations, please support them by making a donation or sending in for a certificate.  Many stations took time out of their holiday weekend to put on another successful event. More: http://www.13colonies.info/

Last month I mentioned the Portage County Amateur Radio Service was going to have an Earth-moon-earth presentation for their July meeting.  I’ve never experienced or knew anyone that worked EME so this was a presentation I did not want to miss.  It was a bit of a drive in rush-hour traffic from downtown Cleveland.  Nonetheless, food was great and it was an excellent presentation.  Tony WA8RJF talked about the properties and theories involved making EME contacts, early days of EME needing monster arrays with gain antennas and rotor controls the size of two truck-beds --in one case.  Then he talked about JT65 being the game changer to make EME communication more accessible to regular hams.  The majority of my HF contacts are JT65 so a lot of it hit home for me.  JT65 was originally created for EME but later adapted to HF and has become the second most popular digital mode.  Thanks to Tony and PCARS for allowing me to be a guest at their meeting.
Speaking of modes I haven’t yet operated, the QSO Today podcast interviewed Art Towslee WA8RMC of Westerville who is heavily involved with ATV (Amateur Television, sometimes called Fast Scan TV).  ATV uses video and audio much like a commercial broadcast station.  In many ways you are operating from your own studio with a video camera, microphone, lights, or other video sources.  In the podcast they about Art’s history, knowledge, and involvement in projects to move ATV forward using Digital TV standards.  With the introduction of Digital TV, quadcopters and 4K resolution, ATV is becoming popular once again.  Slow Scan TV in contrast is sending a single still image over the air.  More: http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/wa8rmc and https://atco.tv/

The TAPR Digital Communications Conference is coming up September 16-18 in St. Petersburg, FL.  The list of speakers and forums haven’t yet been released but topics will likely include Software Defined Radios, digital voice modes (D-STAR, Fusion, DMR, P25, Codec2, FreeDV), digital satellite communications, APRS, and the like.  More: https://www.tapr.org/dcc.html

In a great article from ARS Technica, they talk about the Linksys WRT54GL router that is 11 years old and still making millions for Linksys.  This router came out in 2005 but really had an ecosystem built around it.  The router was Open Sourced making it easily modifiable and turning it into a much more powerful router.  We hams have seen this first hand as these are one of the more popular models used in Mesh Networking.  Linksys said they’ll continue to make the router while suppliers keep selling the parts; great news for Mesh users.  More: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/07/the-wrt54gl-a-54mbps-router-from-2005-still-makes-millions-for-linksys/

On a sad note that hits close home, especially those in Cleveland.  At the end of July, Amateur Radio equipment retailer Amateur Electronic Supply (AES) will be closing for good.  We all have stories about the long time retailer.  I liked browsing the show room and playing with the radios on display.  They were always helpful to their customers.  It’s sad to see a retailer leave and friends lose their job.  73’s to the AES crew.  You will be missed.  More: http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-electronic-supply-closing-after-59-years-in-business

That’s about it for this month.  With the conventions going on in the state, everyone please stay safe.  As I’m writing this a few days before the RNC, there are plenty of changes happening in Downtown Cleveland: unmarked SUVs, helicopters flying around, “Cell on Wheels” (COW, portable cell sites) popping up, temporary stages going up, and TV equipment trucks.  My company has made previsions for us to work remotely.  Those with a P25 digital trunked capable scanner in the Cleveland area will probably find most activity on the Ohio MARCS-IP (Multi-Agency Radio Communications) and GCRCN (Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network) systems.  The old MARCS 3.5 legacy system is going to be kept on-line as a backup to the MARCS-IP system.  After the convention that system is expected to be fully shutdown.  No definitive word on talk-groups to listen to but keep an eye to the Radio Reference Ohio forum and frequency database pages as things gear up.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

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THE AFFILIATED CLUBS COORDINATOR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC

Hi everyone, how was your Field Day?

Hopefully, you stopped out to a local site to lend a hand, or at least visit a bit.  If you’re like Scott, N8SY, you visited several sites. This year, I did no traveling. I hung out with my home club this year. We had fun, but the final tallies will have to wait until after vacation.

In talking to the folks from the Cuyahoga Falls ARC, it sounds like they had a great time. Interestingly, they hold monthly Field Day meetings year round. It does show in their Field Day operation. If you ever get a chance to visit with them at Field Day, find Frank, W8EZT, and ask for the site tour. You will not be disappointed.
I’m program chair for the Alliance ARC. July normally seems to be a poor month for meeting attendance. This happens for various reasons, but for whatever reasons I normally don’t schedule any programs for that meeting. I suspect that we aren’t the only ones who have this issue.

Of course, there are exceptions. Take the Massillon ARC for example. They go the extra mile to drum up attendance for the July meeting. That’s the month for their Ice Cream social. I’ve never been, but I hear it’s great!

Are you planning to head to Columbus for the ARRL Ohio Section conference? It promises to be even better this year. They have a new location (Aladdin Shrine Center, 1801 Gateway Circle, Grove City, Ohio. I’m sure that Scott has already posted the itinerary, but here again is the web address for the section Conference: http://arrl-ohio.org/conference/conference.html.

Kudos to the Lake County ARC. According to Ed, KB8BKE, they have been activating the James A. Garfield NHS in Mentor pretty about once a month this year. This is the kind of club activity I keep preaching about. Meetings are necessary, but it’s more fun when clubs get out and do something.

>> Editors Additional Note..  Lake County ARC is averaging 300+ contacts per activation. This month they will be at the Garfield site on July 27th, from 10:00 until around 15:00 local on 20 & 40 meters (or until the bands fade ). Contact Ed Kopcak   KB8BKE-President, Lake County Amateur Radio Association at kb8bke@arrl.net

And, let’s congratulate the following clubs for some notable milestones.

>> The Bellbrook ARC recently celebrated their 40th birthday, with an open house, and Special Event station.

>> Happy 75th anniversary to the Queen City Emergency Net.

>> Happy 25 years of ARRL Affiliation to the Voice of Aladdin ARC.

>> Steubenville-Weirton ARC celebrates 50 years of affiliation this month.

>> The Dial Radio Club had its 75 year anniversary of affiliation in May.

And this wraps up my column for July. Stay cool out there. 73 DE John, KD8MQ


73, DE KD8MQ

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NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC

Hi NPOTA Junkies.
We are past the halfway point. While I’m starting to wonder if my prediction of 1.5 Million QSOs for NPOTA may be overly optimistic, I’m still hopeful. By the time you read this, we may have breached the half Million QSO mark (as of July 12th, we are a tad over 489,000). With almost 8300 activations recorded as of July 12th, this is one popular program.
But, I read something this week on the NPOTA Facebook reflector which bothers me. According to the account by Sean, KX9X, he spent the better part of last Sunday smoothing things with an NPS administrator who was receiving ultimatums from activators.
Come on, everyone, need I remind everyone that we should be using the golden rule when dealing with NPS employees? The impression that you leave them with can either help, or hinder our cause. Let’s not be “That Guy”.
Moving on, here’s an excerpt from the July 7th issue of the ARRL Letter:
>August 25 is the actual day of the National Park Service's 100th anniversary. Many national parks around the country will be celebrating with events and public outreach. For ham radio operators, setting up a National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) activation would add a nice flair to these celebrations. Reach out to a park and ask if they would like to include a National Parks on the Air component to any Centennial celebrations they are holding on August 25. If they say yes, then get ready for an adventure<
By the time you read this I will likely be back from vacation. Connecticut, and Massachusetts was awesome. In planning possible sites to activate while on the road, I used the NPOTA + SOTA mashup. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before. It’s an awesome map-based directory of NPOTA sites. Courtesy of KJ6WEG, the NPOTA mashup is at http://www.spinmap.com/npota-sota/map.html. It shows NPOTA & SOTA sites, and is just an awesome planning tool.
There’re a couple updates to the list. First, Sean, KX9X reported to the Facebook audience that the status of Rainbow Bridge National Monument (MN63) has been changed to "Ham Radio Prohibited." Sad, but it is what it is.
Also, if you are planning to activate any sites in the Washington DC area, Contact Sean, KX9X at least a week in advance. He is the single point of contact for activations in the DC area. He will forward you a form to fill out, and will forward the information to his contact with the NPS Park Police in the DC area. He cautions that this is still not a guarantee that you won’t be shut down in a rule infraction real, or perceived is noted by the Park Police, or NPS Administration.
If you are making the trip to the ARRL Ohio section Conference on August 6th, there will be a NPOTA forum beginning at 10AM. The Moderator will be Eric, WD8RIF. Eric resides at the top of the Ohio Activators list with well over 50 activations under his belt. There’s sure to be a lot of good information coming out of that forum.
I usually recommend strongly that if you are interested in NPOTA, and on Facebook, you really need to do yourself a favor, and join the NPOTA Facebook group. Over the last several months, this has morphed into not just a group, but a family. The most recent example showed up this week, as Jess, W6LEN received a package of cookies from Emily, KB3VVE. The number of members who are out there trying new modes, and having fun with Ham Radio is just awesome!
And lastly, a big thank you to Sean, KX9X, and Norm, W3IZ for the surprise of a Special service Award on my visit to League HQ recently. This literally made my month!
And that’s it for this month. 73 all, and be safe out there!


73, John, KD8MQ

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THE SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
Stan Broadway, N8BHL

The solid center line

Imagine for a moment standing at a busy Interstate intersection, watching the traffic. As vehicles speed past, they form a variety of groups:  semi’s, short-bed trucks, cars, SUV’s, motorcycles, pickups, cops, fire trucks and so on.  They may be local, they may be from other states, occasionally from other countries. Drivers often identify with their own favorite brand of vehicles (Fahd! Chebby!) with whole boxes of ‘disdain’ for other vehicles. Drivers in those groups can form sub-groups (Hemi!!, If you can’t shift it, you shouldn’t driiiive it!!  Harleeey!!)  Some drivers are on the commercial level moving semi’s, driving cabs and tow trucks, some even have converted commercial busses or trucks to be their own personal vehicles.  Some don’t really care about any of that- they’re just…..driving.

Almost none of these drivers, no matter what their personal preferences might be, actually gets the big picture.  They’re mad at the guy who moved into “Their!!” lane, disgruntled at the traffic blockage, angry at the slowpoke hogging the passing lane. We are getting older and tend to be, well, rather surly at times just like the roads we travel. I’m sure that almost NONE is considering that they are part of a massive, intricate, nationwide transportation system that moves millions of cars each hour like blood cells through this entire hemisphere. 

Replace vehicles with radios. Replace the highway system with our airwaves, traffic lanes with our modes of transmission. The rest can pretty much stay as described. We identify with our radio brand, with computer vs. analog, with one band vs. another band, with one mode vs. another mode and with one group vs. another group.  We have lost sight of the big picture- we are all, together, using Amateur Radio for its intended purposes:

> A hobby promoting good will
> A technical development arena
> A means to serve the public including in times of emergency

We have a wonderful organization known as ARES – the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Is it perfect? Not by a long shot.  There are universal issues to deal with: lethargy, aging members, training to keep up with the changing role of managing emergencies. There are local issues: like any local organization there is a need to adapt to fit the local situation. And there seems always to be “that one guy”… you know the type. But again, we’re part of the big picture, and the service performed is worthy of praise and respect.  Whatever you call it, we’re functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.

Here’s a shocker- we are NOT the only organization in Amateur Radio. We’re not even the only organization in emergency stuff. Consider RACES.  Now, without getting too far into the debate, I’ve settled on the definition that RACES is a service invoked ~after~ the President would shut down other radio services. RACES members, under the control of EMA managers, can be directed to send a specific message to a specific station over frequencies which may or may not be in the amateur band.  So if any activity is carried out now (such as a parade or some public service) on the ham bands it’s really Amateur Radio (not RACES specifically) being used. The really good part about RACES is that it can place organizational responsibility much closer to the EMA Director, and it’s easier to get government funding for equipment.  Whatever you call it, we’re functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.

You’re figuring this out aren’t you.  There’s a whole lot of digital RF going on such as MESH data and video over WiFi/Amateur shared frequencies by both ad-hoc and very organized groups who devote their time to developing the newer modes. MESH, or any of the “Chinese menu” of digital modes are all being used for normal amateur radio but are they also being used for public service? You bet! Same with HF nets (SATERN, Hurricane, Maritime, the various *cars) and single operators. Whatever you call it, we’re functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.

So what’s this all about?   It’s simple:  It’s time to step back and pull in our guns and realize that just like the many different types of vehicles on a roadway, there are many different pursuits in Amateur Radio. Yours is good for you, mine is good for me. When it comes to serving the public especially in times of emergency, it really doesn’t matter what hat we wear- what matters beyond our own little kingdom is that it’s ~Amateur Radio~ serving our communities.   But can we work together? You betcha!  Is ARES a service your club can endorse and participate in? You betcha! Can an ARES group partner with a MESH team and handle an exercise? You betcha.  Can ARES operators, working in a RACES station, use Echolink and IRLP across the Internet and a variety of repeater modes to link with distant club repeaters in relaying emergency information? You betcha- and that’s what we’ll be doing with The Sarge and the RNC. Whatever you call it, we’re functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.

We of course have plans- which MUST be drawn using the most common denominator. In an all-out emergency we won’t have the luxury of many of these modes/services. So we plan for the least, and make use of the most without limiting ourselves to only part of the spectrum.   My call is to stop being a grump about your favorite mode or band, and let’s work together because after all is said and done, it is Amateur Radio. Whatever you call it, we’re functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.


73, Stan, N8BHL

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THE PUBLIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR
John Ross, KD8IDJ

2016 Ohio Section Newsletter Contest

The entries for the 2016 Ohio Section Newsletter Contest are in, sorted, tabulated and by the time you read this the winners will have been determined! But you'll have to wait until our August meeting to find out the results!!

The process for me started six months ago when the entries began arriving in my mailbox. I know I've said this before but just when I think I have seen the best...it gets better. The judges will not have an easy job...they never have...and I wouldn't want it any other way. This section, every club, has talented and committed editors and writers who keep cranking out ham radio news every month. It's an effort of passion, dedication and love for the hobby that I'm sure keeps them going. In the process amateur radio as a whole benefits and keeps growing.

So...in advance...thanks for all of the entries and CONGRATULATIONS! Everyone is truly is winner.

Chasing the International Space Station

For the past two early mornings I've been up tracking and trying to contact the International Space Station (ISS). It all started by accident one morning around 5 AM when I thought I heard something on my roof. I went outside to see what nocturnal critter was trying the make a home in the attic and eat my coax. Looking up I noticed a bright white light blazing across the sky and I figured it was ISS.

I checked NASA's website and, sure enough, it was right on time at 5:19 am. The next morning it was due a litter earlier at 4:28 so I set up my handheld radios in an effort to make contact. Didn't happen for several reasons. First, when NASA says ISS will be available for 4 minutes...they mean from horizon to horizon...in my case from southwest to northeast. I wasn't high enough to see the horizons so by the time it passed over my house...I only a few seconds. I was also low on power options.

I'll need to make contract from my shack and rely on NASA's schedule when to start transmitting. I'll also probably have to make this a daytime activity since the ISS crew is only available during certain times.

Nonetheless, I'm as excited about this as I was when I first got my license.  This ham radio hobby is full of surprises and challenges you don't expect and I'm sure that's what keeps us going and growing.

I'll keep trying, tape recorders running, and I'll let you know when I make contract.

In the meantime, if anyone has done this successfully...please let me know and pass along any tips or techniques that might help.

A Busy August

August is a busy month for the Ohio Section. The annual meeting and ham fest at the Aladdin Shrine's new Grove City location...and a couple of great hamfest's around the state.

Hope to see you all sometime in August. Have a great summer...keep taking ham radio!


That's all for now...73 until next month. 

John, KD8IDJ

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THE SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER
David Maynard, WA3EZN - STM

JULY 2016 NEWS

The 26th Annual Columbus Hamfest will be held Saturday August 6th, 2016. The Aladdin Shrine Center, and the Voice Of Aladdin Amateur Radio Club, again this year welcomes the ARRL Ohio Conference http://arrl-ohio.org. The Aladdin Shrine Center has moved to 1801 Gateway Circle in Grove City Ohio behind Tee Jayes Restaurant off Springtown Road.  For hamfest information email W8FEZ@arrl.net or view their hamfest flier at http://www.columbushamfest.com/media/85578169eff67fe1ffff810effffe417.pdf (APRS Marker – W8FEZ).  From Columbus, take I-71 South, to the first exit past I-270. Exit at Stringtown Road and turn right, then take an immediate right onto Marlane. Behind TJs restaurant. Follow Marlane to Gateway Circle.

The hamfest is held the 1st Saturday of August, at the Aladdin Shrine Center. Vendor setup at 6 am, open to the public from 8 am until 2 pm. Admission is $5, under 12 is free.  Sell from your vehicle, or from the comfort of a table inside. Flea market space is free with paid admission. Indoor space includes a table and 2 chairs. First come first served.

There will be forums covering a wide range of fun and interesting amateur radio topics, including the ARRL Forum, and the Ohio Single Side Band semi annual meeting and VE Amateur Radio Testing will be available.

Speaking of the Ohio Single Sideband Net you can check into the Ohio Single Sideband Net on 3.9725 starting at 10:30 AM , 4:15 PM and 6:45 PM daily.  More information and useful links can be found on the OSSBN website www.ossbn.org.



While on the subject of nets check into some of these Ohio nets:

HF CW NETS    NET TIMES    FREQUENCY    NET MANAGERS
Buckeye Early      6:45 PM               3.580                     WB8YLO
Buckeye Late      10:00 PM               3.590                    WB9LBI
Ohio Slow Net      6:00 PM              3.53535                  W8OLO

This time of year media attention is usually focused on the east coast as tropical storms can spring up and cause emergency situation.  Or the media focus is on massive fire storms in the western states, mass shootings around the world or ravaging floods like those in Texas or West Virginia.  But local emergencies usually get little attention if any at all. If you get caught up in one of these local emergencies like a floods, fires or tornadoes you know that to yourself these are far more important to you than anything else that is going on. 

If a disaster struck, would your family be ready? Would your business be ready? Government cannot do this for you. It takes the “whole community” to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. This includes your neighborhood and condo associations, faith-based, volunteer and civic organizations, schools, and the business community, as well as residents. Find out if there is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in your neighborhood and get the training. If there is not a CERT, think about starting one. Contact your local emergency management agency or fire department.

In addition, you need to ensure that your plans include the needs of your family, children, seniors, the disabled, and those who face poor health (mentally or physically). Taking simple steps today could save lives and prevent suffering later.

Here are some tips to help you to be prepared to protect you, your loved ones and your home..

WAYS TO PREPARE NOW
1. Make your disaster plan
2. Collect  disaster supplies
3. Brace for weather ei. hurricanes, floods, tornadoes ect.
4. Make an evacuation plans
5. Prepare to help your neighbor
6. Make plans to keep your pets safe
7. Make preparations to protect your home
8. Review your insurance policies
9. Read about disaster safety tips
10. Know what to expect after a disaster

There are many links on the internet and some information on the ARRL website that have valuable information about being prepared.  Here are a few links to get you started.













And now a word from our sponsor.

'Remember when disaster strikes the time to preparation has passed” Steven Cyros

“We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness” ~Petra Nencova

Wishing won't keep you safe but preparation will.

That's it for this month. Talk to you on the OSSBN.


73, David, WA3EZN

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OUT AND ABOUT
Lyn Alfman, N8IMW - Assistant Section Manager

I attended two club meetings, one A.R.E.S. meeting, two Field Day meetings, two storage unit organization sessions, two museum meetings, one Christmas meetings, and one Guernsey-Noble County Long Term Recovery Committee. I ran two nets and checked into another one. I attended five amateur radio lunches. I also helped with an Adopt-A-Highway cleanup.  Unfortunately, I was unable to help park cars at the Relay 4 Life event in Guernsey County due to transportation issues.

As the Cambridge Amateur Radio Association’s PIO, I was extremely busy the first three weeks of June getting the work about our Field Day out. I placed our Field Day location and information on the ARRL Field Day locator, on the local radio and newspaper web site event calendars, on our club web site. I sent out invitations to elected officials and served agencies in Muskingum and Guernsey County.  I solicited and received Amateur Radio Week proclamations from the Mayor of New Concord, the Mayor of Cambridge, and the Guernsey County Commissioners.  I also submitted a Field Day Press Release, which was published in the local newspaper. Field Day was also announced on the local radio stations for three days.  Posters were placed on the local public bulletin boards (yes, we still have those, and a lot of people check them out every day).   We also used some high tech methods of communications about FD. Our Vice President and webmaster, Nathan Roe, N8ROE, updated the club’s Facebook page with photos from the site.  Thanks, Nathan!

As the PIO, I conducted a survey of the 15 guests that visited our FD site to learn how they became aware of the event.  Here are the results: 3 heard it on the radio or its web site; 5 read it in the newspaper or on its web site; 4 saw it on a public bulletin board; 1 saw our signs by the roadside; and 2 heard it from another local ham.  I had no one visit due to receiving a written invitation or through our Facebook page.





I spent the majority of my Field Day at the CARA (W8VP) Field Day site. When I arrived at the site at 7 am Saturday morning, I unpacked the car, and started to set up the information table, hang the banners, and prepare the tables for the radio station set ups. I operated as well as greeted visitors to the site. And about 5:30 PM on Saturday (later than I had planned), I put on my Assistant Section Manager hat (I mean badge) and visited three other Field Day sites. I visited the joint Amateur Radio Club of Belle Valley American Legion Post 641 (AA8AL) and Noble County Amateur Radio Club (NC8OH) site in Noble County.  Then it was on to Muskingum County where my first stop was at the Ohio Amateur Radio Association (W8ORA) site in a field behind the Muskingum County Emergency Management Agency just outside of Zanesville.  Next was Blue Rock State Park for the Muskingum County ARES (KB8MCA) site. Travel time between these sites took longer than I planned. I had hoped to make it to the Coshocton County ARA (W8CCA) site as well as the TUSCO (W8ZX) site at Urichsville, but by then it was getting dark, so we headed back to the CARA site for another couple of hours.  After a fifteen-hour day, I headed home for some rest and relaxation before returning to my home club’s site early Sunday morning to man a radio for a couple of additional  hours before we tore down and returned the equipment to storage.  Next year, I need to start out earlier if I am to visit more site.

Don’t forget the Ohio Section Conference in conjunction with the Columbus, Ohio, Hamfest will be August 6 at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Grove City. 


’73 Lyn, N8IMW  

Remember to be Radio Active!

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CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
From: Fritz Tender, WD8E - Assistant Section Manager

This year I got a late start due to attending the memorial of a longtime friend.  I did manager to stop at Universal Radio Reynoldsburg , Lancaster Fairfield County Radio Club Lancaster, and the joint CRES-ARC / Central Ohio Operators Klub COOKEN Granville.  I have to give credit to the folks operating at Universal. They had several stations running solar power and the bands were not cooperating.  I hope they had better luck later in the evening.  After having a nice conversation with Fred (Universal proprietor) I heading to Lancaster.

Bands were not any better in Lancaster than they were in Reynoldsburg but, that did not diminish spirits.  I had the opportunity to visit many of the tents and chat with the operators one being Rod K1RQS.  Before I left Rod agreed to help run the "Refugee Tract" special event station July 2nd but that's another story.  Back to FD, contacts were sparse but conditions did seem to be improving.  I thanked the club and headed toward Granville.
I found CRES / COOKEN clubs at Infirmary Mound Park Granville, their usual spot, it's a great hill top location.  I arrived just as Al WA8LBZ was finishing a talk on “spud guns” they come in handy at FD shooting lines over trees.  After the talk everyone picked a station and got to work.  I had a short discussion with Steve N8WL but it was getting late so I apologized for the short visit and drove in the direction of Newark.
As luck would have it the sun was low in the sky and the gate to Horns Hill Park, FD site for the Newark Amateur Radio Association, was closed.  Sorry guys I tried.

I headed for home.  I hope everyone had a safe and fun 2016 FD.  Lets hope for better conditions in the future.


73, Fritz, WD8E

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THE STATE GOVERNMENT LIAISON         
From: Nick Pittner, K8NAP – SGL

Parity Act Amendments

The increasing usage of neighborhood agreements and deed restrictions (CC&Rs) in residential areas has limited the opportunities for many hams to enjoy their hobby.  In response to this issue,  the League has promoted legislation to require condominiums and homeowners associations to  afford “reasonable accommodation” for amateur antennas, as FCC regulation PRB-1 has long-required for local governments passing zoning regulations.  The new legislation, known as the “Parity Act” generated stiff opposition from the lobby group for the homeowners associations, the “Community Associations Institute” (CAI) and the League has negotiated a compromise with the CAI that addresses some of the concerns it has raised.
Compromise can be messy, and legislative compromise messier than most.  One word in the wrong place can change the way the legislation operates, and significantly affect the rights of those impacted by the legislation. When I heard that the League was in the process of working out a compromise with the CAI, the red flags began to fly for me.  But, upon review of the compromise language it seems that our folks have done a great job protecting the interests of amateurs and, if the compromise ultimately moves the bill to passage, have won a great victory for all of us. What follows is an analysis of that compromise.

> New Language.  The new legislation includes changes both in the Congressional Findings portion as well as changes to the substantive portions of Section 3 of the Act.  The “findings” creates the framework for interpretation of the law by reciting the circumstances that caused Congress to enact it in the first place. The revised findings include three new paragraphs, all of which recognize the interests of community associations in issues related to amateur antennas.  The revised findings include statements recognizing differences between zoning regulations, which are covered under PRB-1, and the new legislation, which applies to private land-use regulations. For example, the new Section 6 states, “There are aesthetic and common property considerations that are uniquely applicable to private land use regulations and the community associations obligated to enforce covenants, conditions and restrictions in deed-restricted communities.  These considerations are dissimilar to those applicable to State law and local ordinances regulating the same residential amateur radio facilities.”  It appears that the point of the new language is to avoid the application of existing case law (which, generally, favors amateurs) to disputes involving the interpretation of the new law, which applies only to CC&Rs. The new “findings” language goes on to state, “In recognition of these considerations, a separate Federal policy than exists at section 97.15(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, is warranted concerning amateur service communications in deed-restricted communities.” Emphasis added. 

Some of the compromise language will bring heartburn to those hams who may want to have a serious DX antenna installation in a deed-restricted setting.  For example, the amendment states, “There exist antenna designs and installations that can be consistent with the aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and structures in community associations while accommodating communications in the amateur radio services.”  While that may be true, aesthetics and ham antennas don’t mix well, as many folks see antennas as eyesores, not things of beauty.  Just ask my wife.

> Substantive Law Changes.  The essence of the Parity Act is to override the prohibition of amateur radio and amateur radio antennas on property controlled by community associations or otherwise restricted by deed or covenant.  Those provisions made it through the amendment process and in one respect, the new language is actually stronger that the language of the bill as introduced originally.  The essence of the Act, as it will now read, is:

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall amend section 97.15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, by adding a new paragraph that prohibits the application to amateur stations of any private land use restriction, including a restrictive covenant, that—

(1) on its face or as applied, precludes communications in an amateur radio service;

(2) fails to permit a licensee in an amateur radio service to install and maintain an effective out-door antenna on property under the exclusive use or control of the licensee; or

(3) does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the lawful purposes of a community association seeking to enforce such restriction.

These provisions substantially mirror the current PRB-1.

> The Trade-offs.  Apparently, the CAI got three “process” items into the new law as part of the negotiations.  The first requires, as part of the FCC rule, that hams must notify and obtain prior approval from a community association, if any, before installing an outdoor antenna.  The second permits a community association to prohibit installation of any antenna or antenna support structure on common property not under the exclusive use or control of the licensee (ham). The third, which may ultimately become the most divisive part of the new law if passed, permits community associations to “…establish reasonable written rules concerning height, location, size and aesthetic impact of, and installation requirement for, outdoor antennas and support structures…”.  If the legislation passes as now drafted, the disputes will focus on antenna size, location and support-- the right to have an outdoor antenna being established by law.

> Who won?  Compromise is often necessary to pass legislation.  In my experience, the goal is to maintain the goals that you most want to achieve, while giving only enough to eliminate the opposition.  Measured that way, the compromise bill has achieved the League’s goal in admirable fashion.  League publications fail to indicate what, if any commitments were made by the CAI in exchange for the compromise language, but we can certainly hope that the removal of opposition from a key opponent will clear the way for ultimate passage of the bill.

> What’s Next?  The language of the amended bill, together with the FCC regulation to follow will give hams rights they have never had before and effectively eliminate regulations which ban amateur radio in deed-restricted communities and condominiums.  As noted by Chris Imlay, ARRL General Counsel, “The bottom line, is that if the bill is enacted, it would allow every amateur living in a deed-restricted community — for the first time in the history of Amateur Radio in the U.S. — the ability to install an effective outdoor antenna.”  The compromise language does little more than recognize reality: HOAs do have a legitimate interest in regulating the community areas they govern, and that they can, and do protect that interest by the adoption of regulations.  Perhaps the biggest winners will be those (relatively few) homeowners whose property is subject to deed restriction, but who have no homeowner’s associations.  In those cases, it would appear that the deed restrictions simply give way to the new FCC rule.

But, it’s important to recognize that there still remains opposition to overcome before the compromise bill becomes law.  I spoke with Dan Henderson who is spearheading the League’s efforts, and he noted that the window for passage in what remains of a presidential election years is small, and closing rapidly.  He also noted that there are significant hurdles yet to be overcome, especially on the Senate side, before passage.  When the call comes out from the League for additional support, as it certainly will, please keep in mind that while significant progress has been made, a great deal of work has yet to be done.  Your help and support has been critical to the progress thus far, and ultimate success may well depend on an even-greater level of support in the final stages.


73, Nick, K8NAP

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LET'S TALK
Scott Yonally, N8SY - Section Manager

Hey Gang,

Summer is here for sure and this means that we have two, yes TWO major national conventions in our state at the exact same time. Add to that we have several major bicycle events and I’m sure there’s also several county fairs, local parades and special events in all four corners of our state.

>> Update on the Ohio Homeland Security Credentialing System..

I know that I’ve written about this numerous times over these past months, but until now there’s really been no occasion to try this new credentialing system out. Like I said.. Until Now..  This week we had a request to credential our folks that are assigned to the Akron Chapter of the American Red Cross that will be there for the RNC. So, now we have an event where we need to credential some of our folks. And, as it has been with this new system, we seem to be the guinea pigs for it. There were a few snags with their system when we went to enter the data, but all in all, it did work and we now have a few of our folks CIMS credentialed for this specific event. By the way, the RNC and NAACP Conventions have been declared by the federal government as “National Special Security Events” or NSSE for short.

This means that our resources are really being tested for sure. This is what we’ve practice for. This is why we ALL have taken those dreaded/boring ICS courses. This is what WE are all about. I greatly appreciate and personally thank each and every one of you for your dedication, volunteerism, and willingness to learn and apply that knowledge freely to all of our citizens in this great state!
  
Now, switching bands to another subject..

Field Day.. Yes, it’s over for this year, but I know several clubs out there that are already planning on Field Day 2017!  I got to visit 14 sites and drove 986 miles in that 24 hour period. I was exhausted and STUFFED by the end. I really thank all of you for your wonderful hospitality and fantastic food. We won’t even discuss how much weight I put back on. Fear not, I fasted afterward.. I had to, I was too full to even think about wanting to eat.

Field Day Pictures.. If you haven’t taken a look, I have a lot of pictures from many of the Field Day sites posted in a gallery. Hey, one of those pictures may be of you!  You can find this gallery at:
http://arrl-ohio.org/fd/index.php   This gallery also allows you to down load any picture to your computer as well..

Now, moving down the band to some other subjects..

Have you seen the NEWEST “Handbook Giveaway” drawing on the website yet? It’s there..!! To enter the drawing all you need to do is fill in a couple of boxes on the form.. (your name and email). That’s you need to do to be entered into a drawing to win a 2016 ARRL softcover Handbook. There’s nothing else required (Oh.. You do need to be a resident of Ohio to win..)   The winner will be mailed the Handbook at my cost. This is being offered just to see how many folks are really checking in on the website. Got the idea? Best of luck to you!!

Are you getting those emails from me? If not, all you have to do is to
 “Opt-In” to receive them. Heck, just send me an email   n8sy@n8sy.com   I’ll get you added to the mailing list. There’s a link to do this on the Ohio Section website, it’s on the bottom left corner.. For your convenience, here’s a direct link to it:
http://arrl-ohio.org/forwarder/forwarding.html  I urge all of you to make sure that everyone, regardless of whether they are a League member or not, get signed up for one of these options. You can always “Opt-Out” at any time if you feel this is not what you were expecting. 

Let’s shift bands once again..
Let’s talk about the Ohio Section Website.. You can find the Ohio Section Website at:
http://arrl-ohio.org  If you don’t have this website set as your home page, I urge you to do so. It changes a lot and it’s so important for you to be kept up to date with the very latest information.

Switching bands once again.. HEY, there’s another NEW – one question – questionnaire on the Ohio Section Website! This question is really important for me to know.. It will only take about 2 seconds for you to answer it, and you can see how your answer stacks up with others instantly. If you haven’t done it yet, please do.. I really want to hear from you.
 
Are you a member of the ARRL?? If you aren’t a League member, this is a great opportunity to become one. Want more information on how to join? Here’s the link: http://www.arrl.org/membership-levels. There’s even a 90 day FREE trial that you can apply for if you’ve never been a member.. Got questions about being a member or what the League is all about? Send me an email..n8sy@n8sy.com  I’ll be happy to call or write to you. We can even meet and have coffee if you’d like.. and I’ll buy!!

One last spin of the dial..

Now August 6th is when we will have the ARRL Ohio Section Conference in conjunction with the Columbus Hamfest. There are a number of great forums scheduled and I’m sure you’ll want to attend them all. The ARRL Forum will also be when the 25th Annual Newsletter winners will be announced. And, it will also be when I announce the 22nd recipient of the Allan Severson Award. I’m sure all of you will want to be there when that is announced for sure!!

Lastly..  I’m always available for you, whether you’re an ARRL member or not. If you have any questions, concerns or would just like to sit and chat awhile.  Call or write me   (419) 512-4445 or  n8sy@n8sy.com    

That’s going to do it for this month. I hope to see you all at your hamfest, club meetings or on the air!


73, Scott, N8SY

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THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER COORDINATOR
John Perone, W8RXX

Our hard working OOs in Ohio spent a total of 968 hours during the month of June monitoring the bands.

There were two (2) OO cards sent.

With field day in June that is great...


73, John, W8RXX

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WEBSITE STATS – ** arrl-ohio.org **

JUNE 2016

Pages
Hits
Bandwidth
330,736
491,121
1.06   GB

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SPECIAL EVENTS STATIONS IN OHIO

08/12/2016 | Daniel Emmett Days
Aug 12-Aug 13, 1600Z-2200Z,
K8EEN, Mount Vernon, OH.
Mt Vernon (OH) Amateur Radio Club.
21.340 21.340 14.240 7.240 3.840.
QSL  Mt. Vernon Amateur Radio Club,
atn: Sec N8IBR, PO Box 372,
Mount Vernon, OH 43050.

The Mount Vernon ARC will be operating special event station, K8EEN, to celebrate musician and songwriter, Daniel Emmett's Birthday. Emmett was born in Mt Vernon, Ohio, and is famous for writing the song "DIXIE" among many others. All frequencies will be plus or minus up to 20 kcs depending on QRM. We will be operating one band at a time, running from 1600 UTC until at least 2200 UTC each day.www.mvarc.net


08/20/2016 | Carnation Festival
Aug 20, 1600Z-2000Z,
W8LKY, Alliance, OH.
Alliance Amateur Radio Club.
14.250 14.035 7.240 7.035.

Certificate & QSL. John Myers, 910 W Mill St,
Alliance, OH 44601.

Other frequencies & Modes as circumstances permit.
Full info will be posted to the W8LKY QRZ page w8lky.org

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OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR


07/16/2016 | NOARSfest 2016
Location: Elyria, OH
Sponsor: Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society

07/17/2016 | Van Wert Hamfest
Location: Van Wert, OH
Sponsor: Van Wert Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://w8fy.org

08/06/2016 | Columbus Hamfest & ARRL Ohio Section Conference
Location: Grove City, OH
Sponsor: Voice of Aladdin Amateur Radio Club (W8FEZ)

08/13/2016 | MARA's 5th Annual Swapmeet
Location: Miamisburg, OH
Sponsor: Mound Amateur Radio Association
Website: http://w8dyy.org

08/21/2016 | Cuyahoga Falls ARC's Eighth Annual Tailgate Hamfest
Location: Stow, OH
Sponsor: Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Radio Club

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