In this issue:
-> CONNIE
HAMILTON, N8IO IS RETIRING
-> FROM THE
SECTION GOVERNMENT LIAISON
-> FROM THE
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH - SCOUTING ASM
-> AFFILIATED
CLUB COORDINATOR REPORT
-> FROM THE
SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
-> OHIO SLOW
CW NET CHANGING MANAGERS
-> FROM THE
PIC
-> SOUTHWEST
OHIO HAPPENINGS
-> FROM THE
TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
-> FROM THE
SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER
-> LET'S TALK
-> HELP
WANTED!!
-> CARBON
MONOXIDE (CO) POISONING
-> SPECIAL
EVENT STATIONS IN OHIO
-> OHIO
HAMFEST CALENDAR
-> RED BADGES
ON THE AIR
****************************************************
CONNIE HAMILTON,
N8IO IS RETIRING
Some months ago
Connie approached me about retiring from the Ohio Section as its Assistant
Section Manager. Just recently she formally requested that she be allowed to
retire effective 01 January 2015 and I have very reluctantly accepted her
resignation after many discussions with her about it.
Connie recently
reminisced to me about how she originally accepted the position of ASM back in
1999, when then Section Manager Joe Phillips, K8QOE was forming his Cabinet
after he was elected Section Manager. As she described it, he approached her
numerous times about serving in the capacity of ASM before she finally
accepted. She told me that Joe was very persistent as she didn’t think that she
was ASM material at first. I’m sure that all of you will agree with me that
Connie was very wrong about that, and she has been one of the most outgoing
ASM’s that the Ohio Section has ever had.
I know that
Connie loves the job of ASM very much, and this was a very difficult decision
for her to make. I do applaud her for all of the years of service that she has
done, not only for the Ohio Section Cabinet, but for ALL the hams in Ohio as
well. Connie, we ALL solute you!! And, we ALL have a very special “HUG” just
for you. You are one grand lady that none of us will ever forget.
“Hugs and Teddy
Bears” to you and yours Connie.
****************************************************
FROM THE SECTION
GOVERNMENT LIAISON
Nick Pittner,
K8NAP - SGL
nickpittner9@gmail.com
Village of
Swanton Battle Continues..
On October 27
Gary Wodtke, WW8N’s attorney, Cary Rodman Cooper of Toledo filed a reply
Memorandum in the Ohio Supreme Court opposing the Village of Swanton’s request
for appeal.
By way of
background, Mr. Wodtke sought approval from the Village of Swanton to erect an
antenna tower. The Village denied his
request, and he appealed to Common Pleas Court.
The case proceeded through a number of preliminary hearings and several
amendments to the complaint. But on
August 20, 2013, after passage of Ohio’s new amateur radio antenna legislation,
the Court ruled in favor of Mr. Wodtke’s request and granted judgment in his
favor. But, the Court at the same time
set a hearing on the question believing that issue was part of the case, which
at that point it was not. An earlier version of the complaint had included a
request for attorney fees, but the amended complaint in effect at the time of
the Court’s decision did not include that request.
The attorney fee
question is critical to this appeal because the Court of Appeals ruled that the
Village was required to file its appeal within 30 days after the August 20 decision. However, only “final orders” are appealable
in Ohio and if a valid issue regarding the award of attorney fees remained
valid the Court’s order was not “final” and the appeal clock didn’t begin to
run until much later.
In cases such as
this there is no guaranteed right to have a decision reviewed by the Ohio
Supreme Court. The appeal process
includes a the filing of a Notice of Appeal and a Memorandum in Support of
Jurisdiction, the purpose of which is to convince the Court why it should
accept the appeal for review. The
standard applicable to cases such as this is whether the case is of “public or
great general interest” to warrant additional review. Even if the decision from which appeal is
sought is wrong, there is no guarantee that an appeal will be heard by the
Supreme Court.
Here, Mr.
Wodtke’s attorney made three points in his reply to the arguments raised by the
Village. First, the Village now claims
that the Common Pleas Court never had jurisdiction over the case in the first
place because the Village’s zoning decision wasn’t properly appealed. In
response, Mr. Wodtke’s attorney points out that there were potentially two ways
the zoning decision could have been challenged, and that the method employed by
Mr. Wodtke’s then attorney was proper.
-1) Federal
courts have ruled that attorney fees are not recoverable in suits such as this,
and that may be the reason the request was withdrawn.
The second
argument relates to the timing of the Village’s Notice of Appeal and asserts
that the Village knew, or should have known on August 20, 2013 that its appeal
clock was running but failed to file its notice of appeal until January 17,
2014. Thus, the Court of Appeals
properly dismissed the Village’s appeal as untimely.
The third argument
relates to the Village’s claim that the Common Pleas Court’s act scheduling a
hearing on the attorney fee issue in August of 2013 was such an egregious error
as to warrant review by the Supreme Court.
Interestingly, the Village never did identify why, even if such an error
were made, it should benefit from it.
The Village does
not have an opportunity to reply to Mr. Wodtke’s brief and the matter is now in
the hands of the Court for decision. Decisions on the question of whether to
accept a case for review often take a few months, so it’s unlikely the we will
know the disposition of this issue until after the first of the Year. If the
Court denies the request for appeal, the matter will be concluded, with the
final decision in Mr. Wodtke’s favor. If
the appeal is accepted an additional round of briefs and argument will
begin. However, the sole issue before
the Ohio Supreme Court will be whether the Court of Appeals properly dismissed
the Village’s appeal.
For those
following online, the case number is 14-1670 and the Court’s URL is
http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/Clerk/ecms/.
-2) Mr. Wodtke is
currently represented by Cary Rodman Cooper and Fred Hopengarten, K1VR.
****************************************************
FROM THE
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH - SCOUTING ASM
By: Scott Hixon,
KC8ITN - ASM - Educational Outreach- Scouting
kc8itn@arrl.net
With the winter
season quickly approaching, you would think that scout camping would be on
hiatus until warmer weather comes back next spring. Nothing could be farther
from the truth!
Most Boy Scout
troops camp out all year long, in all types of weather. For scouts, it doesn’t
matter if it warm, rainy, cold or snowy. The fact that they are outside using
their scout skills and having fun in the process is what it’s about.
As a scout
leader, one of the things we try to instill in the minds of our scouts in the
scout motto: “Be Prepared”. Nearly 100 years ago, a young British Boy Scout
asked Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, what exactly it was he
should be prepared for. Baden-Powell’s famous answer was, “Why, for any old
thing, of course!” A lot of hams try to “Be Prepared”, especially if they are
involved with emergency communications. And if you’re prepared for it, cold
weather operating at a scout campout or Winter Klondike can be a whole lot of
fun! And if you are involved in your local ARES group, it’s a good way to
practice operating in “not-so-perfect” weather conditions.
A Winter Klondike
is a Boy Scout Camporee that is held during the winter time. Scouts compete in
competitions ranging from knot tying and fire building, to first aid and scout
knowledge to name a few. I recently read an article about a Boy Scout troop in
Florida that is hosting a camporee for their district. One of the things they
are including in the competition is amateur radio. They will be sending a Morse
code message and another scout will have to copy the message in the quickest
time possible.
Going to
camporees and summer camps over the years, I have had the pleasure of meeting
other scouts that were licensed ham operators. Once they realize that I am a
ham, they are quick to introduce themselves (and their call signs) to me. They
are always excited to tell me about some of the contacts they have made and the
fun they’ve had in our wonderful hobby. At the Ohio Valley Fall Camporee
earlier this month, there were three ham scouts there that covered all three
license classes. KD8QLS, K5ETH, and KD8VNK (Extra, General and Technician,
respectively). With scouts like this being in the scouting program, it really
helps to show the other scouts that amateur radio is not just an “old person’s
hobby”.
I encourage you
to look into getting involved with the scouting program. If it’s taking amateur
radio to a scout campout, becoming a “Radio Merit Badge” counselor, or putting
on a radio demonstration at a scout meeting, the rewards will be paid back
ten-fold! Boy Scout and Cub Scout leaders are always looking for people that
are willing to come to a meeting and talk to the boys.
If you would like
to help, but not sure how to get started, feel free to contact me and I will
help you get started any way I can! My email address is: kc8itn@arrl.net.
By the way, there
is another event coming up that is a lot of fun. It’s not scout related but I
want to share it with you. January 4th, 2015, is “Kid’s Day”!! This is an event
where kids can get on the air and talk to other kids. It is held from 1800 UTC
to 2359 UTC Sunday January 4th. The exchange is simple: favorite color! This
helps break the ice (and mic fright!) then they can talk about anything they
want! My kids use to participate in Kid’s Day years ago before they were
licensed and now my oldest son, KD8QLS, pays it forward by participating as a
licensed ham. Additional information about Kid’s Day can be found in the
December 2014 issue of QST (pg. 88) or at: www.arrl.org/kids-day.
Until next time:
Take care, stay safe, and make a difference is someone’s life!
73, Scott, KC8ITN
****************************************************
AFFILIATED CLUBS
COORDINATOR REPORT
By: John Myers,
KD8MQ - ACC
kd8mq@arrl.net
Hi everyone,
Winter is just
about upon us. I know, the calendar says different, but we’ve already seen
snowflakes here in NE Ohio. I’m not in the Snow Belt, but we can almost see it
from here.
I’d like to thank
the folks at the Cambridge ARC for their warm welcome last month. I had fun
addressing their group. It was a beautiful Saturday for a drive, as well.
As this is being
written, the ARRL SS Phone is almost upon us. I’ve one more antenna to put up,
and I can call myself ready. How about you? Are ready for winter? How about for
the coming year? How about your club?
This is the time
of year when a lot of clubs prepare for the winter operating season, as well as
the coming year. They hold elections, have Christmas Parties & awards
banquets, and line up club programs & activities for the coming year.
Especially at election time, I’d like to remind you to update your club report
info with the league. This way we have the most current info for those who want
to contact your club leadership. This includes prospective members (or
prospective Hams for that matter). It also makes things a lot easier on your
Affiliated Club Coordinator. The updates are done easily from the ARRL website.
If you have any questions concerning the process, please feel free to contact
me. Also, don’t forget those club websites. Get your new contact info out there
in cyberspace. It can be frustrating to drop an e-mail to someone based on info
on a club website, only to be left wondering whether your e-mail made it to its
recipient, or is languishing in some cyber dead-letter office.
It’s also time to
make plans for club programs and activities for the coming year. Some clubs,
such as the Delaware-Lehigh ARC in PA set up their program schedule a year
ahead, while others go month by month. I’m in charge of programs for our local
club, and try not to go more than about 6 months out. I feel that this gives a
little more flexibility if a new program opportunity arises. Speaking of new
opportunities, Skype is becoming more popular for club programs lately. Earlier
this year, Bob Heil, K9EID spoke at the meeting of the Portage County ARS.
Then, Just a couple weeks ago, Ward Silver, N0AX presented a program to a
meeting of Mahoning County ARES. All via Skype! The West park Radio ops will be
hosting Bob Heil via Skype on November 21st.
The more I visit
clubs in the Ohio Section, the more amazed I am at the talent we have right
here. I’m learning a lot from reading your newsletters, and meeting you in
person.
The Massillon ARC
is starting an Elmer Program, where they’ll meet one Saturday morning a month,
and do an in-depth program of interest to all, but especially to new Hams. The
program begins in January with a presentation on grounding, by James, KD8VT.
We’ll be watching to see how this goes. Wade, WD8MIU is in charge of the program.
The Highland ARA
is raffling two handhelds, with the winning tickets to be drawn at their
Christmas Party.
Portage County
ARS recently hosted E. Mike McCardel, KC8YLD, who presented a program on
Satellites. E. Mike is a former Ohio Affiliated Club Coordinator, and is
currently VP of educational relations at AMSAT©.
My home club, the
Alliance ARC just held their annual Homebrew Night, and also raised $100 for
the local fire department’s toy drive.
Don’t forget to
add me to your newsletter mailing list. I know there’s a lot more newsletters
out there than what I’m seeing. BTW, it’s that time again; the Field Day
results are in the latest issue of QST, as well as on the league’s website. How
did your club do? Are you planning for next year already? I don’t blame you.
Another club oriented operating event; the Ohio State Parks On The Air Contest
has posted the 2014 results online at ospota.org.
Well, that’s
about it for this month. Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. See you
on the bands. 73 DE John, KD8MQ
Till next time,
73 DE KD8MQ
****************************************************
FROM THE SECTION
EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
By Stan Broadway,
N8BHL
broadways@standi.com
ARES in Ohio –
time to do our homework!
Now that the
majority of our public service events have wound down, we need to get into
“business mode” through the winter months.
First of all, and
probably most important, is ~TRAINING~! Our EC’s need to work with EMA
Directors, public safety chiefs, Health Department heads as well as Red Cross
to develop some interesting and relevant training for the winter months!
(Actually, this should already be set up, but I know what it’s like to
procrastinate!) Your monthly meetings should contain information that makes you
glad to attend! It should make you better prepared for service if activated for
an emergency!
But that training
isn’t all up to your EC! If you have not completed the four FEMA online
courses, you need to get busy! This isn’t a torturous punishment, it’s actually
information you can take away and use. And, it’s IMPORTANT that you get your
certificates to our state database and your EC. We’re still striving for
complete saturation with this, and it’s up to you to spend a couple hours
online and get ‘r’ done!
Second, I’ve
given the District gang some homework. I am trying to put together a better
picture of our communications plan across the whole state- district level nets,
county nets, their times and frequencies. I want to mesh all the district
information together so we can see whether, given a statewide emergency that
would have everybody talking, there would be any conflicts. So slip me an email
with your county information and your district information!
Third, I am
working to update the Ohio Section Emergency Plan- yeah, the one we just tested
for SET. I am not changing the specifics, the plan is solid and it works! But
there are some redundancies that repeatedly restate themselves again and there
are some new additions to include such as a statewide digital net and new
modes. And we just have to come up with a better 80 meter frequency! I will be
hammering away on that over the winter.
Fourth, as some
of you have discovered, the Red Cross has re-structured its districts for Ohio.
Basically, there’s Cleveland metro, Cincinnati metro, and ‘everything else’
from Toledo to Athens which falls under Columbus’ control. The Red Cross
Communications Director in Columbus is Jim Sage, AC8FR. I had a chance to sit
down with Jim to hear that Red Cross is remounting an effort to involve ARES
and amateur radio! Some counties such as Muskingum and Delaware have already
met with Jim. He can bring their communications truck along for display, and
has a lot to say about using amateur radio. This is a great place to renew old
friends and regenerate interest! I will be working on the state level with that
goal as well! Yeah, there was a rift some years ago about background checks.
That’s over, get over it- this is exciting!
Fifth, we can all
hit the books, the Internet, and the hardware stores to begin preparation for
the great “Ohio NVIS Day” at the end of April (date TBD). Figure out what
antennas your county wants to try, have them ready to go by April. When that
date comes around, get some hamburgers, a grill, and make it a picnic event!
More to come- but it will be a good time!
In other
business, as they say, the ARESMAT team is hard at work putting that program
together for Ohio. If you recall, we hope to create three ARES “Mutual
Assistance Teams” together to provide assistance on “the big one.” We have a
charter, are pretty much wrapped on the S.O.G., and are working on attachments
with specifics. Next step is to create a staffing model, and put together one
team as a trial. If you consider yourself among the ‘best of the best’
operators in our section, or if you’re a repeater, antenna, computer, or
digital guru, get an email off to ASEC Mark Griggs, KB8YMN, with a radio
resume! Paired with the OARES database (oh- have YOU sent us your equipment
list yet???) this will make the Ohio Section much more able to handle ‘the big
one’ which ~will~ come.
This has been an
exciting fall so far, and I’ve been humbled to be invited to speak at many
meetings. I am constantly impressed with the quality and professionalism (not
to mention emergency ‘chops’) that our people exhibit across Ohio! One of our
most capable emergency people is Bob Rhoades, KC8WHK. He went in for routine
surgery, and wound up in a brief stay in the ICU. Good words to those in
District 3 who stepped in to cover for Bob; please join me with prayers as he
continues to recover! We work as a team, we cover each other’s backs, and we
help when help is required.
73, Stan, N8BHL
****************************************************
OHIO SLOW CW NET
CHANGING MANAGERS
From Henry
Koenig, WD8Q
hlkoenig1@embarqmail.com
Hi Everyone,
I have decided to
step down as manager of the Ohio Slow CW net. I've been doing this for 10 and a
half years now, and have found a willing replacement. Bob Zimmerman W8OLO of
Reynoldsburg has been doing the end of month administrative duties since July
and is comfortable in doing so. Bob is a regular on OSN, BNE and weekend 8RN (CW)
duties, as well as afternoon regular on OSSBN. So W8OLO will replace me, as of
January 1, 2015.
In early 2003, I
listened in on the Ohio Slow Net (OSN) for several days before checking in. I
found the net folks friendly and willing to help and answer questions. Later in
the year Chuck, KX8B suggested that I might try a training net. I signed on
with the Maryland Slow Net (MSN) and took their traffic handler's course. In
April 2004 I assumed the net manager post of OSN after Ken WB8KQJ decided to step
down after 10 years in the post. I soon started checking into Buckeye Net (BN)
both early and late, Eighth Region Net (8RN) both early and late, and Eastern
Area Net (EAN). Now after 10 and a half years in this post, I'm stepping down.
Bob W8OLO will be assuming the post of net manager. I'm hoping to try a
Transcontinental Corps (TCC) representative slot one day a week next year.
OSN is a
beginners net and we've adapted the MSN course (with permission) to interested
amateurs. The course consists of 5 categories: BASIC; ADVANCED; LIAISON;
INSTRUCTOR; and NET CONTROL. The course consists of about 188 total radiograms
in NTS format. The course has no time limit. Mine was finished in about 3
months. We start out at 10 WPM and increase the speed as the trainee is able.
We have a Buckeye
Net Liaison (BNTX) representative who carries through traffic to Buckeye net.
OSN runs at a
code speed of about 10-12 WPM so newbies can copy. We are part of the ARRL
National Traffic System (NTS) and meet daily on 3535.35 kHz at 6 PM EST. Please
join us and check in (QNI) when you feel comfortable.
Thanks everyone
for your support, and I'm sure that you'll all find Bob really easy to work
with as well.
73, Henry, WD8Q
****************************************************
FROM THE PIC
By John Ross,
KD8IDJ
john.ross3@worldnet.att.net
This has been an
incredible year for me as the Public Information Coordinator. I have met
hundreds of great people all who have confirmed what I have known all
along...hams represent the best hobby in the world!
Hams individually
and as a group are experienced, knowledgeable and not afraid to experiment to
open new avenues of technology.
You need look no
further than the newsletters of each club. I know I have said this before but
the breadth and depth of experience is second to none and jumps off every page
of every newsletter. I was overwhelmed when I started to read the newsletters
for the first time last year. But the more I read the more I couldn't wait to
have another newsletter arrive. We communicate effectively on the air and among
ourselves. Not many other organizations have that high degree of dedication.
So, as we wind
down this year, we get ready to wind up for the 2015 Ohio Section Newsletter
Contest. Last year we had great winners and every newsletter was in a class all
its own.
Here the rules for the 2015 entries:
A.) An eligible
newsletter must be regularly published at least four (4) times per year by an
Ohio Amateur Radio organization. The Ohio Section Journal and the newsletter
for any club that the current PIC is affiliated with are not eligible.
B.) Each
organization submitting a newsletter for the contest must enter at least two
(2) issues starting with January 2015 for judging. All Amateur organizations
that have regularly been sending newsletters to the Ohio PIC are automatically
entered (as long as these publications qualify under rule A, or C if
applicable). Unless you are automatically entered, the deadline for entries is
Tuesday, June 30, 2015, and all entries must be in the hands of the Ohio PIC by
that date.
C.) Electronic
(Web based) produced newsletters may also enter. Non-amateurs, in the Public
Relations industry will do the judging. They will be judging on style (15%),
content (35%), service to membership (35%), and clarity of presentation (15%).
Style means newsletter design of all pages. Content means amount of useful
information contained in the newsletter. Service to members means amount of
information using individual members' names. Clarity of presentation means
readability of the newsletter including accuracy of English grammar.
D.) No entries
can be returned and all decisions of the judges on content and eligibility are
final. The Ohio PIC only serves to certify entries, to provide the judges with
entries, and to announce their decisions only.
E.) The decision
of the judges is final.
Like last year we
are keeping our Honorable Mention categories. It allows the judges to award
special and unique efforts.
Speaking of the
judges, last year the judges were blown away by what they saw and read. All
will be back this year and I've even had a couple of other PR professionals
want to get involved! Word travels fast when newsletters are as good as ours!
I'm ready and I
know you are, too. I can't wait to see those newsletters begin arriving in
January.
Finally, I'm
working on couple of great stories for next month. A ham radio club for
Veterans right here in Ohio that's helping keep our senior hams involved and on
the air. And a story about ham radio clubs at two major Ohio universities. From
old to new hams, we seem to have it all covered in Ohio!
See you in
December.
73, John, KD8IDJ
****************************************************
From: Kitty
Hevener, W8TDA - Assistant Section Manager (SW)
w8tda@arrl.net
“Family Affair”
According to the
Monday Morning Memo, JOSIAH BURCHETT, KD8ZTS, is the newest ham in Highland county.
At age 10, he is perhaps the youngest too. His father is Michael, KB8NCP.
OH-KY-IN has a
nine year old student preparing to take the Technician exam. Based on what I
saw when I taught a section of the class last week, I have no doubt he too will
soon be sporting a call sign. His mother is taking the class along with him and
his father is studying for the general exam. Hats off to the parents of these
children for encouraging their interest in ham radio. After all, they are our
future!
CONGRATULATIONS
TO OHIO STATE PARKS ON THE AIR WINNERS
The Monday
Morning Memo reports that KC8OKJ and K8HO placed first and third respectively
in this year’s OSPOTA operating event in the multi operator, single
transmitter, high power category. The KC8OKJ team operated from Pike Lake State
Park. The K8HO team was active from Rocky Fork state park.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Hams are needed
to help with communications for the annual Hillsboro Christmas parade. If you
can help, contact Bob McFarland, N8ZDL. Hams recently provided communications
for the following public service events: Cincinnati area “run like hell” to
benefit cystic fibrosis; Annual Dayton District Cross Country Meet; and the
Cross Country Mid East Regionals at Indian Riffle Park in the Beaver Creek
area.
Members of QCEN,
a red cross affiliated club in the greater Cincinnati area, along with N8JE
from Dayton Red Cross held a communication exercise on October 18 to test their
ability to provide amateur radio communication throughout the chapter’s new coverage
area. This area encompasses approximately 1/3 of Ohio as well as parts of
Indiana and Kentucky. A combination of relays from fellow hams not directly
involved in the exercise and DMR, along with more traditional voice modes
proved quite beneficial in reaching the outlying areas.
If you are
chasing ARRL centennial points, contact me to set up a short QSO for 35 points.
I can work you on 2 meter simplex, as well as CW or SSB on the HF bands.
73, Kitty, W8TDA
****************************************************
NOTES FROM THE
TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
By: Jim Yoder
W8ERW - TC
w8erw@arrl.net
The holidays will
soon be here and we are winding down a year that has been quite busy. Another
Hamfest and we will have to wait until wait until next year to walk the isles
in search of that illusive piece of gear we would like to add to our shacks.
Thankfully, Ohio is well blessed with Hamfests and they are always busy with
plenty to see and the opportunity to renew old friendships. We all laugh at
some of the stuff we see for sale, but we go anyway. A pilgrimage they are
perhaps, hard to resist and one never knows what might be found among the many
offerings sitting on tables ready to be snatched up.
Hams here in
Seneca County have been busy with the annual Heritage Festival Parade and the
Cross Country Regional event. Both are well organized and fun events to work.
We usually include testing and exercising various forms of communicating and
often uncover some anomaly in our own gear or a part of the local
infrastructure. We have been doing both of these events and others for a number
of years and we see a lot of familiar faces each time we participate in them.
We often get questions from the public and others who are involved regarding
what we are doing which opens the possibility of recruiting new Hams. Many of
our local CERT Team members have taken our classes and have become licensed and
when we are called to provide communications support for an event, they are
also there assisting. These public service events along with ARES sponsored
license classes have helped to increase our numbers and add 25 new Hams to the
area. They are great opportunities to promote Amateur Radio including the
service we provide to the public.
Computers and
Amateur Radio are nearly inseparable and I think often require more of our
attention than the rest of our radio gear. When Microsoft announced the end of
Windows XP, I knew I had to begin a transition. I have several older laptops
that we use for various events including Field Day and all of them including
all but one of the other PCs here were using XP. Windows XP had become an old
friend and I was very comfortable with staying right there and had no intention
to move forward. "If it isn't broke, don't fix it" was certainly my
mantra. However, without ongoing support in a world being awash in all manner
of serious viral, malware and cyber mischief, it would be foolish not to let go
and begin migrating to something else.
Like many others,
I have not been at all impressed with Windows 8. My desktop came with Windows 7
and like XP before it, I have gotten at relative ease with using this version
of Microsoft's offerings. I have upgraded several now to Windows 7 and have yet
to decide where to go with the 3 laptops. To complicate things even further, I
am reading about Microsoft possibly providing a free upgrade from Windows 8 to
their recently announced Windows 10 when it becomes available later next year.
They have rolled out a beta version as a "Technical Preview" intended
to garner input from the masses in order to insure this next release is what we
really want in our OS for the future. I have not installed it yet and it is not
intended as a production environment. Perhaps as they continue to work out any
bugs and respond to the user community, I will take a leap of faith here and
install it. In the meantime, I have loaded the latest version of Linux Mint and
have been navigating the wonders of this Unix like familiar territory.
One of my
concerns is how either of the options available after Windows XP will play with
the software that I use frequently including Ham Radio Deluxe, several Linksys
utilities and the software running my Packet Radio station. Overall, I think we
as Hams enjoy technology and the chance to explore new areas and ideas. But
this change is one that I imagine has many of us wondering where to go.
I am getting a
regular stream of email from those of you who are pursuing the FEMA courses and
forwarding me the completion certificates for inclusion in the ARES Training
Database. There has been a tremendous effort from all over the state to
complete these courses and the ARRL Emergency Communications series. I am
amazed at the numbers that have been completed and turned in. I hope that none
of us are ever called to use this training, but I am confident that Ohio Hams
will be well trained and capable when that need does arise. Thank you all for
the great effort being applied.
Best wishes for a
Happy Thanksgiving,
73, Jim, W8ERW
****************************************************
FROM THE SECTION
TRAFFIC MANAGER
By: David
Maynard, WA3EZN - STM
wa3ezn@att.net
20141110 November
News FCC 97.11 and 97.119(a)..
Do these numbers
mean anything to you as an Amateur Radio Licensee? They better because not
knowing what they refer you to and what they mean to you can cost you an FCC
fine.
Special Counsel
Laura Smith of the FCC Enforcement Bureau could be writing a Notice of
Violation (NOV) or a letter of forfeiture (LOF) to you if you do not comply
with the FCC Rules. 97.11 and 97.119(a)
are section of Part 97 of the FCC Rules for Amateur Radio Operation and
97.11(a) and 97.119(a) refer specifically to station identification. Every
Amateur Radio licensee should maintain a current copy of FCC Part 97 rules and
become familiar with them. I don’t mean that you should be able to recite them
from memory but they should be read and obeyed. You should be able to find a
current copy on the internet, on the FCC website or possibly at you favorite
candy (radio) store.
Smith pointed out
that Section 97.119(a) of the Amateur Service Rules requires each amateur
station to “transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the
end of each communication, and at least every 10 minutes during a
communication.” The FCC has High Frequency Direction Finding Center (HFDFC)
around the country. These HFDFC use direction-finding equipment to confirm
where transmissions are coming from and the centers also record the
transmissions of offenders.
Here are some of
the violations cited in the last few months:
A Michigan ham
failed to follow the rules and properly identify his station. The ham operator
had been monitored and recorded while talking 20 minutes without identifying.
A Tennessee ham
was cited for talk on HF to an individual who he identified only as “cowboy.”
Despite being aware of the rule violation on the part of this other individual,
he continued communicating with him for an extended period of time. This
incident constituted “unauthorized transmissions” in violation of Commission
rules that permit radio amateur to engage in two-way communications with “other
stations in the Amateur Service.” Could you be doing the same when you address
that unidentified signal, whistler or burper trashing your net or your
conversations?
Talking about
interfering stations a Michigan ham and a Pennsylvania ham have received
Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NALs) from the FCC for alleged
deliberate interference to other Amateur Radio communications. These two
station transmitted music and prerecorded audio on an amateur frequency with
the apparently aimed at interfering with other radio amateurs. These operators’
NALs will cost them in excess of $11,000 and $20,000 because this was not the
first time these two hams were contacted about this type of activity. Ask
yourself the next time you get angry, is it really worth it to talk back to
that unidentified station or should ignore him or just turn the dial and find
someplace else to operate.
In other postings
from the FCC the Enforcement Bureau wrote other hams from South Carolina,
Delaware, Tennessee, Michigan, and Wisconsin about failing to identify
properly. Smith advised all these recipients that any recurrence of the alleged
violation after receipt of the warning letter could subject them to “severe
penalties, including license revocation, monetary forfeiture (fines), or a
modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies upon which they may
operate.” “Fines normally range from $7500 to $10,000” Smith concluded.
Solutions:
Although you are
less likely to be caught violating the ID rules on a repeater you should
remember that the FCC has mobile monitoring systems that can still catch you.
The best thing to do while operating on vhf is to identify you station at the
end of each transmission or series of transmissions during a net and to be
mindful that the repeater should be identifying every ten minutes and that you
should do it then also. As to those interfering with your net or repeaters
operation file a complaint with the repeater committee and if it persists have
them complain to the FCC.
As to HF
operation it is obvious that the FCC is listening and you must be sure you
identify every 10 minutes and at the end of you last transmission. Also be
advised that there is no penalty for identifying your station sooner than the
required 10 minutes.
I think this is
especially true on HF nets where everyone seems to be in a hurry to talk and
you all talk over each other. I have notice of the OSSBN while passing or
receiving traffic that the net control stations frequently do not give the
proper amount of time for stations to identify after confirming reception of
traffic. Repeatedly I have heard net controls talk over (double) with stations
giving their identification.
As to the long
winded QSOs and station identification this can be a tougher situation. Back
when I started and the FCC was enforcing the rules more than today we used a
ten minute timer that dinged or beeped every ten minutes. I don’t know if any
companies sell ten minute times but I believe in today’s world it could not be
hard to build one. If you have trouble keeping track of ten minutes this might
not be a bad accessory for you ham shack.
The above
information about violations was gleaned from the ARRL website and from these
linked articles:
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-alleges-deliberate-interference-failure-to-identify-in-proposing-substantial-fines-for-two-radio
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-releases-warning-notices-to-several-radio-amateurs
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-enforcement-bureau-warns-two-hams-for-failing-to-identify-properly
I don’t know
everything I just like to make it look that way, HI! HI! Until next time,
73, David, WA3EZN
****************************************************
LET'S TALK
From: Scott
Yonally, N8SY - Section Manager
n8sy@arrl.org
Hi Everyone,
Wow.. Winter is
here! Thanksgiving is just a handful of days away and you know what that means,
we'll consume everything that's in front of us. Now, at the Yonally house
Thanksgiving is really a special time. It seems to be THE ONE day that all of
the family gets together and just absolutely pigs out without any concerns for
diets or overstuffing oneself. All that is left at the end of the day are the
dirty dishes piled in the sink. Around here there's usually no leftovers, as
that we have a growing family with lots of needs. So, the leftovers usually
find their way to someone else's home that needs them just a little more than
Janie or I.
I have
an announcement to make to the Section.. This month I turned 62, and like many
baby-boomers I am going to retire from my professional job at the end of the
year. I am turning over my calipers,
micrometers and statistical process control software to a younger Engineer and
saying goodbye to that part of my life. This wasn't something I did in a snap
decision, as that Janie and I have for many years planned for this. Some folks
will think that this is sad, but as I have been taught when one door closes
another one opens up. My plan now is since I no longer have a full time job
getting in the way, I can serve the Ohio Section even more, and as such I will
now be able to spend full time to the Section Manager position. I do plan on
being even more active and visit more clubs and hamfests than I was doing
before. The Ohio Section is the largest and best section in the country. You deserve
a full time Section Manager, and I will do my best to fulfill that need.
Congrats on all
of those Ohio Clubs that participated in Field Day this year. As most of you
know (especially those of you high in points) know that the Field Day results
have just been released. I'm so very proud of all the Ohio Clubs that are very
high in the rankings. It's great. I did happen to notice that the "(A)
category big guns" of Mahoning Valley, Delaware and Portage clubs really
did themselves proud this year. I also noticed that a number of other Ohio
Clubs ranked very high in the (B) category as well.. Congrats to ALL of you,
you all have lots to be very proud of.
I know that I
harp on this a lot, but please make sure that you’ve signed up to receive
emails from the Section Manager and Great Lakes Director with the ARRL. It
seems that no matter how much I mention this in this newsletter, I go to a
meeting and someone asks me how come they aren't seeing any of the messages
that I'm putting out. If you want to keep apprised of what’s going on in the
state or within the Division you need to be registered with the League to
receive these special emails. You’ll need to log onto your account with the
League and mark the box that states “receive email from the Section Manager /
Director” and that’s all there is to it. You’ll now get those special emailing’s.
Now, for those of
you who may not want to go to all that bother, or you are not League members,
you still have a chance to get these important emails. All you have to do is to
“Opt-In” on the Ohio Section website.. Here’s the link:
http://arrl-ohio.org/forwarder/forwarding.html You can also find this link on
the bottom left corner of the main page of the Ohio Section website. I urge you
all to make sure that everyone, regardless of whether they are a League member
or not, knows that they can always “Opt-In” at any time. Oh, didn’t know that
the Ohio Section had a website?? We do.. You can find it at:
http://arrlohio.org If you don’t have this website set as your home page, I
urge you to do so. This website is one of the exceptions to the rules.. It
changes all the time, it’s never stagnate and it’s forever changing. I would
recommend that you check into the website at least 3 times per week.
U.S. House Bill -
HR 4969 is still working its way around Congress. It's being reported that 16
more Congresspersons have promised to help sponsor this bill. Have you written
to your Congressman yet? Many have. Let’s keep this campaign going strong. If
you haven’t written your letter yet, there’s a lot of good ideas on how to
compose it on the Leagues website. Just follow the HR-4969 link on their front
page. It will take you to all the latest information and letter suggestions.
Ohio's Speaker
Bureau.. Need a speaker for your club meeting? Don’t forget to invite one of
the Ohio Section Cabinet members to your next club meeting. The entire Cabinet
is Ohio’s Speaker’s Bureau. If you’d like any of us to come and be a speaker at
your function for FREE, please feel free to give any of us a call, we'll do our
very best to be at your function.
I'm still doing a
lot of traveling to hamfests and club meetings and I do have to tell all of
you, the Ohio Section is the greatest. Everywhere I go I'm greeted by fantastic
folks. I want to thank all of you for your kind words and graciousness to not
just provide a space for me at your hamfests, but in giving me a helping hand
when needed, and being very pro-active in having things all ready to go and
setup for me when I get to your hamfest or club meeting. It’s really great to
know that you care that much. I and the entire Section Cabinet really do
appreciate it.
Have you been
noticing that the FCC is taking a more aggressive approach to those folks that
do not want to follow the Rules or the law itself. As our Section Traffic
Manager mentions in his article, a number of folks have chosen to "do as
they please" when it comes to identifying their stations and just being
jerks and deliberately interfering with other stations, just because they feel
they can. If you haven't read the latest, now the FCC has reversed its previous
decision and revoked an Amateur Radio License because the guy is a sex
offender. The FCC said that given “known risks of Amateur Radios in the hands
of sex offenders, such misconduct is prima facie disqualifying, and has
resulted in the loss of licenses in past cases.”
In focusing on
the impact of this particular hams misconduct on his qualifications to hold an
Amateur Radio license, the FCC concluded, “we would be remiss in our
responsibilities as a licensing authority if we continue to authorize this ham
to hold an Amateur Radio license that could be used to put him in contact with
children.” Folks, what this all boils
down to is this, if you break the Rules, or law, you WILL lose your license, no
doubt about it. Please keep one thing in mind with all of this, the ARRL is NOT
in the licensing or policing business, that is the job of the FCC or law
enforcement. We are Amateur Radio Operators, licensed by the federal
government, nothing more, nothing less. And, as an OO I can tell you, OO's only
exist as an "Auxiliary" function to the FCC. Not as an enforcement
officer, but merely as the "eyes and ears" of the FCC. We as OO's
cannot enforce, only report.
That’s going to
do it this month from here.. I hope to see all of you at the various hamfests
or meetings soon and who knows, maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones to get a
“mug” on me. Oh, by the way, the mugs are now filled with some extra
surprises..
Have a question?
Feel free to give me a call or write to me. My email and phone number are
always listed on the Ohio Section Website http://arrlohio.org as well as on
page 16 of QST..
73, Scott, N8SY
****************************************************
HELP WANTED!!
Wanted -
energetic, outgoing, willing to travel, current ARRL member with at least a
Technician Class license or higher. This person will be a “willing to serve -
volunteer person” for the position of Assistant Section Manager in the
Southeast Section (3) of Ohio. This person will serve as a general assistant to
the Section Manager in many different ways of leadership. Pay is non-existent
and the hours can be many, but the rewards of knowing that you’ve served your
fellow hams in this capacity are all you could have ever asked for.
Connie Hamilton,
N8IO – Assistant Section Manager for the Southeast Section of Ohio has
requested to retire from her post effective 01 January 2015. I have reluctantly
agreed and am now seeking her replacement.
The Southeast
Section is the largest section and requires a person to be willing to travel
around the southeast section (3) as its representative on a volunteer basis.
Interested? I
will be taking applications from anyone interested in this position until 01
December 2014. Please send me a bio about yourself and your accomplishments
within Amateur Radio (ie.. appointments, elected offices you’ve held, awards
you’ve earned/won, etc..) to n8sy@arrl.org
I would prefer a
person that lives within the Southeast Quadrant (3), but would consider someone
living in any of the adjacent counties. Please see the website:
http://arrl-ohio.org/sm/sec-info.html
for the various counties that you will be representing.
****************************************************
CARBON MONOXIDE
(CO) POISONING
Hi Gang,
I’m sure that a
number of you are asking what the heck is the Section Manager writing about
this stuff for.. It’s not Amateur Radio related!! Well my friends, you are very mistaken. It’s
not only Amateur Radio related, it’s something that as a HAM operator you may
not ever have thought about. Where's your ham shack located? In the basement,
garage or out building? Most generally ham shacks are not in the living room or
main part of the house. As such, heating devices are usually some sort of a supplemental
heater/furnace.
First, let’s
describe what Carbon Monoxide (CO) is. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is the poisonous
gases emitted from carbon fueled heat sources.. (i.e.. gas or fuel oil
furnaces, wood burning fire places or stoves, kerosene heaters, propane
heaters..) I could go on and on but I
think you get the idea. It’s colorless, odorless and it will definitely kill if
you breathe very much of it in. How does this gas kill? It actually migrates
into the blood stream and replaces the oxygen in your blood with the Carbon
Monoxide. Once it invades your blood stream it will be with you for a very long
time. Just ask any firefighter about that. Going into burning buildings without
an air tank on will definitely subject you to Carbon Monoxide poisoning and it
takes years and years to get it out of your system. Sometimes, if consumed in a
large enough quantity, you may need a complete blood transfusion to just keep
you alive. Yes Virginia, it is that deadly!!
Why am I writing
about this? It’s very personal to me. A number of years ago a very close friend
(and his entire family) died in their sleep because they consumed Carbon
Monoxide (CO) without knowing it. They lived in an old house on the north side
of Mansfield and because it was old, it was drafty with leaks around the doors,
windows and the walls didn’t have any insulation in them. We had gotten a cold
snap in early November, and back in the middle 1970’s kerosene heaters were all
the rage to supplement heat in just this kind of house. Well, with the help of
my co-workers we were able to purchase a big kerosene heater to help them
through this cold snap. They got the heater all set up and running and all was
fine for the first several days, then on the third day the dad came to work
complaining of a very bad headache. None of us thought much about it that day
and the dad continued his job on the assembly line with the rest of us. The
next afternoon we all found out that the heater had been malfunctioning and
every member of the family had died of this very dangerous gas.
I was absolutely
torn apart. I had been one of several people at work that help take up the
collection to purchase the heater. It took me a long, long time to get over
that. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with using these types of
supplemental heating sources, but be very careful when you do. At that time CO
detectors were truly non-existent for homes, and the ones that were available
were for scientific and commercial use and cost hundreds and hundreds of
dollars. That’s all changed now. CO detectors are almost as cheap now as smoke
detectors. You can get one for as little as $20 now. That’s an extremely cheap
form of protection from this deadly gas.
Winter is almost
here. I don’t know about how it is at your house, but here in the little burg
of Lexington, we’ve already had two tracking snows to report. That means that
the temperature has dropped to below freezing. This is the point where the
furnaces come on and people start thinking about lighting up the fireplaces and
so forth. Now if these devices haven’t been recently serviced birds can make
nests in the chimney’s and like your car, the heat source most likely needs a
tune-up to make sure that it’s running efficiently and safely. Having the
chimney stuffed up with bird nests or the heat source not burning correctly can
cause Carbon Monoxide to accumulate in your house without you even knowing it.
That’s where the detector comes into play.. Please, please buy one of these
really inexpensive CO detectors for your safety and use it!
****************************************************
SPECIAL EVENTS
STATIONS IN OHIO
01/24/2015 |
Winter Field Day
Jan 24-Jan 25,
1700Z-1700Z, N8W, Mineral City, OH.
SPAR Society for
the Preservation of Amateur Radio.
14.210 7.050.
QSL. Tom Phelps, 235 Leonard Ave NW,
Massillon, OH
44646.
We practice
emergency communications during the summer
with the June
Field Day. What about emergency communications during the winter
months? SPAR helps promote not only emergency
communications in the winter months, but also interaction of
Amateur Radio Operators worldwide. N8W will be operating
near the town of Mineral Wells, Ohio.
Our team is
KD8ENV(Mike), KD8BBK(Tony), N3JJT(Scott)
and WD8MBE(Tom).
We will be operating phone, CW and PSK.
See URL for more
info. www.spar-hams.org
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
OHIO HAMFEST
CALENDAR
12/06/2014 |
Fulton County ARC Winterfest
Location: Delta,
OH
Sponsor: Fulton
County Amateur Radio Club
Website:
http://k8bxq.org
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
01/18/2015 |
S.C.A.R.F Hamfest
Location:
Nelsonville, OH
Sponsor: Sunday
Creek Amateur Radio Federation
Website:
http://www.scarfarc.com
****************************************************
RED BADGES ON THE
AIR
The next ARRL
“Red Badges on the Air” activity will take place on Saturday, November 22 UTC
(starting the evening of Friday, November 21, in US time zones). That’s when
holders of red ARRL name/call sign badges will once again be roaming the bands,
offering yet another chance to boost your ARRL Centennial QSO Party total.
There will be one more Red Badges on the Air activity on New Year's Eve,
Wednesday, December 31. ARRL officers, elected officials such as Director or
Section Manager, as well as Headquarters staffers and volunteers, and other
members of the ARRL family will take to the air en masse for both occasions.
Contacts with red badge wearers are worth as much as 300 points per contact for
working ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. Many of the 200 or so holders of red
badges will be on the air on November 22 and December 31, along with other ARRL
appointees, VEs, and members.
These events are
considered activity days, not contests, and operation is permitted on all
bands. Participants can call “CQ ARRL Centennial QSO Party” on phone or “CQ
CENT” on CW or digital modes. While the focus is to encourage ARRL red badge
holders to hand out Centennial QSO Party points, all activity is welcome,
regardless of point value.
ARRL members are
worth at least one point in the Centennial QSO Party. Participants get credit
for each band/mode contact, regardless of point value. ARRL Centennial QSO
Party participants can use the leader board to determine how many points they
have accumulated.
Other high-value
contacts include: President Emeritus (PE) or Past President (PP), 275 points;
Honorary Vice President (HVP) or ARRL Vice President (VP), 250 points; Director
(DIR), Director Emeritus (DE), or Past Vice President (PVP), 225 points; Vice
Director (VD), 200 points; Section Manager (SM), 175 points; ARRL officer (OFF)
or Past Director (PD), 150 points, and Past Vice Director (PV), 125 points.
W100AW, Charter Life Member (CLM), or Past Section Manager (PSM) contacts are
worth 100 points.
****************************************************
