In this issue:
-> OHIO SPEAKERS BUREAU
-> 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 IN
SOUTHEAST OHIO
-> WHATS HAPPENING IN
SOUTHWEST OHIO
-> CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
-> FROM THE EDUCATIONAL
OUTREACH ASM
-> FAR SCHOLARSHIP INVITES
APPLICATIONS
-> LET'S TALK
-> THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER
COORDINATOR
-> WEBSITE STATS
-> SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS
IN OHIO
-> OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR
****************************************************
OHIO SPEAKER’S BUREAU
Something new is happening on
this subject.. Tom Sly, WB8LCD is
collecting information on club meetings. If you've had an interesting
presentation at a club meeting in the last 12 months, please send an email to
Tom. He would like to know: 1) The topic or the name of the presentation,
2) the name and call sign of the presenter, 3) the name and location of the
club, 4) do clubs usually have interesting presentations (Y/N), 5) has your
club ever had a presentation done over Skype or some other internet service?
Tom stresses that he would
like this information from all club members - not just club officers! You can email Tom at: wb8lcd@portcars.org. All responses will be
confidential. This will greatly help Tom
with a project he's working on for the benefit of clubs in the Ohio Section.
****************************************************
THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak - TC
Hey Gang,
The following weekend I
presented at the Mansfield Hamfest during the Digital Forum. Danny – W8DLB, who is in charge of the
Hamfest, was at my NBEMS training session in Medina County and asked me to
present it during the Digital Forum. The
Digital Forum covered voice and text based digital modes. Duane -K8MDA demonstrated FreeDV. FreeDV is a mode used on HF for voice
communication. It's impressive because
the bandwidth is about one-third of sideband!
I gave a portion of my training session on Narrow Band Emergency
Messaging using Fldigi.
At the LEARA meeting in
Cleveland, I showed the video for the Navassa Island K1N DXpedition which
happened in February of last year. A
DXpedition is an expedition to a remote location, usually uninhabited, for the
purposes of activating the location and making as many contacts as possible. Navassa was my first time trying to chase a
“most wanted” entity for my log. I was
able to log them twice. Bob Allphin –
K4UEE has participated in many DXpeditions and has released the story of many
on DVD. I had no idea what it took to
put on a DXpedition of that magnitude.
After seeing his DVD on Navassa, I now have a better idea. It is a phenomenal video that got rave
reviews and comments at the meeting. The
main video runs about 45 minutes. The
wrap-up from the Dayton forum is included which has some great background
details. These are great for club
meetings, introducing newcomers to Ham Radio, and gifts. Purchasing the video helps supports future
DXpeditions and supports other hams: http://t-rexsoftware.com/k4uee/dvds.htm
Thank you to everyone for
coming to my various appearances and the organizers for asking me to speak with
your organizations.
That is what ham radio and
makers are all about. I wanted to figure
out how to run Fldigi on the Raspberry Pi, came up with a way to do it,
documented it thoroughly, and shared it online.
Stephen came across my instructions and used them as part of his project
to create something greater; perpetuating the cycle.
Thanks for reading and 73...
de Jeff - K8JTK
****************************************************
THE AFFILIATED CLUBS
COORDINATOR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC
Hi everyone,
 |
| Add caption |
Well, spring is here; at
least by the Calendar. As I'm writing this, the temps have been a lot less
winter like. The rains have begun washing the roads off. Camping season can't
be far behind.
Field Day -
So how is your Field Day planning coming along? Most clubs have already begun
their planning for this event. Please don’t forget to post your location on the
ARRL’s Field day Station locator (www.arrl.org/field-day-locator).
Have a look at the two new
bonus categories. You get 100 points each for promoting your operation via
Social Media, and for having a Safety Officer. You can download the 2016 field
Day Packet at www.arrl.org/field-day.
Elmering -
What does your club do to Elmer new (or more seasoned) Hams? There's lots of
clubs in the Ohio Section who do a terrific job of this. Some of the more successful clubs conduct
Elmering opportunities outside of meeting night. My personal belief is that
there are some subjects that can't be covered well in a 30 - 45 minute program
on meeting night.
So what's the answer? How
about doing a Saturday Morning Session on topics such as LOTW, antenna
building, etc.? Here's an idea; How about a Saturday program on Activating a
park for NPOTA? Make it a hands-on session culminating in an actual on the air
activation session? After all, Most of Ohio is within an hours drive of some
National Park service Unit.
Speaking of NPOTA (You didn't
think I'd make it through the whole column without mentioning NPOTA, did you?),
check out the new NPOTA Column in this issue of the Section Journal. There’s
something huge happening during Hamvention week!
In a little over a month, the
NVIS Antenna Day is coming up. Lots
of practical experience can be had, as well as friendships made. You can read
more about the NVIS Antenna Day at http://www.arrl-ohio.org/SEC/default.html.
Remember, just because
something is old hat to you, it isn’t necessarily so for everyone.
Next, Lisbon ARC, and the
Southeastern Amateur Radio Net are our two newest affiliated clubs. I’d like to
welcome them aboard.
Speaking of affiliated clubs,
here’s a request for all you club officers. Please take a moment, and check
your information on the ARRL website. Is it up to date? If not, it just takes a
moment to do. It needs to be updated at least once a year to ensure that your
club remains in the active column at the league.
The league considers clubs to
be affiliated for life. They can, however, move a club to the inactive column,
if enough time elapses without updates. This can cause problems if you apply
for ARRL sanctioning for a hamfest. Something else that is tied to your
affiliation is your ARRL sponsored Equipment, and Liability insurance policies.
That’s it for another month.
We’ll see you in April. 73, DE KD8MQ
****************************************************
NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC
NPOTA Notes
Dayton On The Air - Would you like to
join in the fun of activating, but don't want to haul your station out to a
remote location? Or, perhaps you'll be in Dayton for the Hamvention, and would
like to activate some local NPS Units? Well, then read on.
During the Dayton Hamvention (May 20-22), the ARRL will be setting up
two stations at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park (HP11). Per
the Park Service, they do not want any activators out at the airfield. So,
we’ll be setting up two stations at the Wright Cycle Company on south Williams
St. You’ll be able to stop by, and make your 10 contacts (Perhaps more), and
get your activator credit. The stations will be active during Hamvention hours.
There will be more information in next month’s Section journal.
Facebook - I’d like to begin
by giving a shout out to the Facebook NPOTA group. I know Facebook isn't
everyone's cup of Tea, and that's OK. But, if you are on Facebook, check out the discussions at the National Parks On The Air Group. Sean, KX9X & Norm, W3IZ are moderators
for this online Family.
Twitter - I'll be the first to admit that I am not a
Twitter Expert. But since there are more NPOTA spots being passed there lately,
I’ve been trying to become more active on Twitter. According to the NPOTA
Social Media Page, You should tag your tweets with #ARRL , #ARRL_NPOTA, #HamRadioInParks and
#NPS. If you have room, it wouldn’t hurt to include a link to the NPOTA
website, as well.
NPOTA Box Scores
Released - The ARRL National Parks On The Air Event seems to be getting more
& more popular on a daily basis. According to the February Box scores which
were just posted, there been 1569 valid activations in the first two months of
the year. 311 NPS sites have been activated. There have been over 136,000 QSOs
uploaded to LOTW under the NPOTA Event.
Not so surprising is the makeup of those 136,000 QSOs. 88.43% Phone,
10.32% CW, 1.25% Data, and 0.004% Image. Of course, the NPOTA program
recognizes only one contact per park, regardless of band, or mode. But, one of
the things I love about this program is that it’s nudging people out of their
comfort zones. Just a few weeks ago, I saw traffic on the Facebook group
concerning a planned EME operation from a National Park Unit. Another poster
was taking his tech exam, just so he could participate in NPOTA!
The box scores also have a lot of other great info for those planning
further activations. You can download it from the NPOTA Docs page at http://www.arrl.org/npota-docs.
Leader Board - Looking at the
Leader Board at npota.arrl.org, we see that W8RF has risen to the top of
the Ohio chaser rankings with 207 confirmations. Mike displaces Walt, WT8E who
has occupied the top spot since back in January.
Dave, N4YHC is currently at the top of the activator rankings in Ohio
with 10 activations showing as of March 10.
North Country Scenic
Trail (TR04) - Those who subscribe to the Monday Morning Message will recognize this
one. I feel that it's important enough to re-post here.
This may be old news for you, but, the map posted at northcountrytrail.org for the North Coast
Scenic Trail (NCST - TR04) is misleading. In respect to the Ohio section of the
trail, the map gives the impression that the NCST follows the whole of the
Buckeye Trail (BT) throughout Ohio.
In reality, only the portions of the BT in the western, southern, and
southeastern sections of the state host the NCST. The NCST does NOT run with
the Northern & Northeastern sections of the BT.
This is backed up by the written description of the trail found at northcountrytrail.org/trail/states/ohio/, as well as the book
"Follow
the Blue Blazes: A Guide to Hiking Ohio's Buckeye Trail", by Connie
Pond and Robert J. Pond. In a nutshell, the two trails diverge near Zoar, and
the NCST continues east from there.
One last thing; let’s remember our tech’s out there. If you are able,
check 10 meters regularly during your activations. Don’t forget VHF/UHF
simplex. Most of us have that capability in the mobile anyway, so let’s use it.
Remember, whether you are activating, chasing, or just being a
spectator, you are our ambassadors out there.
So, let's leave a good impression!
Till next month, good hunting! DE
KD8MQ
****************************************************
THE SECTION EMERGENCY
COORDINATOR
Stan Broadway, N8BHL
State
ARES Conference
We
have decided to move the Ohio ARES Conference to fall, this year. There are
several reasons. First, there is just a ton of stuff going on- RNC in
Cleveland, NAACP Conference in Cincinnati, District level training for EC’s,
District level training for all ARES members, VHF contest, NVIS Day and more. I
just don’t feel right in taking even more of your time for a conference. Fall,
probably September, seems like a much better time for us all to meet, so there
you have it! I appreciate your flexibility.
NVIS
DAY!
April
23—be there or be square! I hope you’re
studying and even beginning to build your NVIS antenna systems for this year’s
big day! We’ll have a complete set of
rules and guidelines on the arrl-ohio.org website very soon! It’s going to be great! (And I’ve put in an order for a better,
rain-free day!)
Perk
Up!
Take
a look at volunteer organizations around you. Some are vibrant, active, and the
people are busy but they love it. Others are shrinking, slow to react, and the
people are…well…kind of tired of it. There’s a disease that affects volunteers
no matter the noble purpose of their groups. It is called lethargy.
In
amateur radio, either ARES or a club, you can count on the 80/20 rule: 20% of
the people do 80% of the work. And it’s easy to get burned out or lethargic.
You’ve probably seen the meeting: a half dozen of the ‘old guys’ file into the
room, talk about what they did to fix the ailing repeater over the past month,
then pretty much wander back home. How
do we stop this? How do we get the folks
who’ve been doing this longer than some others have been alive, to perk back
up? More vitamins? Probably wouldn’t
hurt, but not the answer.
The
answer is an interesting opposite to what you might think. The way you get the
members back, and even build something that other hams want to get involved
with, is to DO STUFF! That’s right- the
more active a group becomes, the more interested its members tend to be. ARES
is all about being a resource during a real emergency. How do we get ready, and
how do we stay ready? We train. Serious,
meaningful training. What happens if
we’re activated to help search for a missing person? What happens if there’s a
flood? What really goes on inside that EOC, and who are the players? How do I work one of those MARCS radios? How
is our county’s communications divided?
You’ve
heard me say we don’t live in an area where things hit the fan…we don’t do
wildfires, don’t have hurricanes, earthquakes are rare, floods are usually very
localized. That’s true, but take a look
at the safety agencies. THEY have the same issues- stuff just doesn’t happen a
lot around here. But they realize the need to stay ready! They train, they
practice just as if the next call will set everything off. WE need to be the
same way- trained, practiced and ready.
If you’re in leadership and don’t feel qualified to provide that
training, don’t fret. Nobody expects you to be a wizard! The secret to good
management is not to know all the answers, but to know the people who DO! Find someone on a department who can take you
through these topics and more! They’ll be happy to do that. Face-time and
getting to know each other and your capabilities will join together to make
life really interesting and worthwhile in the ARES world. You’ll see over a period
of months that your attendance will grow and people will come back!
Another
aspect of being ready and trained is being able to show somebody you’re
qualified. Thus, the requirement for the four FEMA classes. We’re watching
Cleveland daily, as plans are finalized for the RNC this summer. Yes, amateur
radio and ARES are a part- not only directly in Cleveland but with other
agencies on the outskirts who are planning to be ready for anything. We are
finding out that there are actually two more classes that are of interest for
those in that area: IC-701 and IC-706.
These involve using volunteer organizations and mutual aid. They’re
interesting, but not on our ‘required’ list yet.
There’s
a shiny new MOU with the Red Cross. The Cross is finding that its internal
systems aren’t flexible or large enough to handle their expanding areas- so
they’re returning to ARES and amateur radio. We’re glad to be there to
help! Check with your local chapter, and
take a look at the MOU. It is not yet posted on the ARRL site.
73, Stan, N8BHL
****************************************************
THE PUBLIC INFORMATION
COORDINATOR
John Ross, KD8IDJ
2016 Newsletter Contest
Entries
If my computer was a slot
machine it would be spitting out newsletters!
Just three months to go
before the June 30th deadline for the 2016 Ohio Section Newsletter
Contest. Every day I’m getting at least a half dozen newsletters and I couldn’t
be happier! It means our clubs are continuing to crank out the news and the
spirit of completion is alive and well. What I’m reading and what I’m seeing
looks great and I know the judges will again have to burn the midnight oil to
pick the winners.
Remember, you need at least
two submissions for the contest but just to make sure…send me all you have…so
you don’t miss out.
Just to be safe, here are the
rules again. They are also at the end of this month’s column. Call if you have
questions and THANKS for what you’ve sent so far.
Good Luck to everyone!
Here are the rules for
the 2016 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 2016 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 Thursday, June 30, 2016, 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.
Severe Weather Training
I attended our Severe Weather
Training here is Columbus a few days ago…and I’m always glad I did.
Even though we routinely
participate in alerts during the year it never hurts to go over the scenarios
to help jog our memories. The National Weather Service presentations are great
and usually come with a rough outline of what we can expect this season.
Another reason to attend to
is see just how many other hams attend and to see how many folks would like to
be amateur radio operators. I talked to several potential hams and
pointed them to the ARRL web site and to our local clubs. If you aren’t
already, let me suggest that your local club has at least literature and
contract information at these training sessions. It’s a natural place to
recruit new operators and the benefits to the severe weather watches will be
valuable.
Social media notifications
are constantly changing and increasing. It’s good to know who, or what, is
reporting watches and warnings so we can be sure we have the correct
information. Most of the new amateur radios today have NOAA alert capability
and, if you’re like me, you monitor your local repeater when the skies look
“not normal”.
Hopefully, the Spring and
Summer weather will be like this past winter…mild!
The Pound Sign #
You never know what you’re
going to dig up when you ask or research a simple question…like what does the #
sign really mean!
Boy, did I get an education
and maybe even busted a few myths of my own. What I thought was just a simple
“pound” sign has a history of its own.
Butchers, as far back as the
Roman Empire used the pound # sign to actually indicate the weight of meat and
other goods. Some would-be-butchers today prefer to use their thumb to indicate
a pound!! The Chinese have a similar symbol…but it means you get a free fortune
cookie…or something like that. Today, most answering machines use the pound #
sign to retrieve messages.
As a young journalist I was
taught the # sign was to be used three times at the end of a typewritten
story…# # #. I used it a lot in journalism school and so did most the world.
All of the stories that came across the teletypes of the Associated Press (AP)
and United Press International (UPI) ended with # # #. In fact, you could tell
just by listening to the chug and grind of the teletype machine when a
story was complete. The machine grunted a distinct noise and rhythm as
the three pound signs were printed out. On occasion, when I got to type
directly to the AP, the style manual required that I end every story in an
approved manner…# # #.
As an “old” journalist I
often ended my news releases with the 3 pound sign moniker. As a ham radio
operator I know I often used the three pound signs…right after 73!
Today the pound sign is
called HASHTAG. It’s the driver for millions of social media messages and I’m
not sure I even know when all of that started and how. I still feel that
whoever invented the internet stole the pound sign from legit journalists and
are using it incorrectly to communicate a bunch of meaningless garbage. Maybe
it’s just me!
So tonight I’m going to fire
up my three old teletype machines and wait for the familiar grunt to see if
anyone still likes the old way of doing things. I have a sinking feeling my
cell phone, I-Pad and computer will be HASHTAGGING while I’m waiting.
That’s all for this month.
73, John, KD8IDJ
****************************************************
THE SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER
David Maynard, WA3EZN - STM
This month I thought I would
do like the Antique Roadshow does and do a feedback loop. As many of you know I
have been sending radiogram to new ham radio operators. Here are some of the
feedback emails I have received from other hams in the NTS and radiogram
recipients..
Last night during a howling
lake effect whiteout blizzard, on a two track camp trail resembling, more a
tunnel than a road, using a tiny little hand held radio, I made and received my
very first contact as KE8DCJ. K8ED called my callsign out during the KRCA ARES
net check-in (I hope I have that right.) and told net control (W9GY) that he
had traffic for me! (KE8DCJ) I was totally shocked, and nearly paralyzed, as I
had no idea anyone knew who I was. In fact, K8ED had to call my callsign twice
because I had never heard it spoken before.
K8ED asked me to copy a message that originated from WA3EZN, you! Sadly, I was ill prepared, on that bush trail, to copy much more than this..."The fun of new things is yours..." Still this was a very exciting message. It was demonstrated to me, the power and utility of the little radio I had just been licensed to use. Your message was a fitting reward for all the weeks of study I put in to pass my exam. A message sent from Ohio, to a man in Bloomfield Hills MI, and relayed 700 miles north, ultimately heard in the darkness of a swirling blizzard. Fine Business!
73
ke8dcj
Hi David,
Thank you for your interest
in delivering messages to Georgia. Our local forwarding digital system seems to
be broken in the Georgia Section. A local amateur has handled the digital
forwarding system for several years now, but it seems that recently he has
become inactive. I believe that he over stepped his ability and has burned out.
I'm not sure if he will return to full operations or not. I am looking into it
as we speak.
In the meantime the best way
to deliver messages to Georgia is the old fashioned CW and NTS traffic nets.
Several Georgia stations are active on the conventional evening National
Traffic System (NTS) nets including myself. I am usually active on the CW nets
five or six nights a week on Georgia Section and on the Fourth Region Net
(4RN). I am net control for 4RN on Sunday. My suggestion is to forward your
messages to an operator in Ohio who works the NTS and can bring the traffic to
the Eastern Area Net or 4RN. The traffic will arrive in Georgia on a timely
basis and will be handled as best we can.
Good luck with your Section
Traffic Managers job. I look forward to hearing from you and receiving your
traffic.
Chas K4GK
Section Traffic Manager -
Georgia
Just letting you know that
radiogram 38 was received by postal mail. Thank you. I've joined ARRL because
they seem to have a lot of helpful material. I am so new, and so green to this
all I have is a few handhelds and an external antenna for it. Maybe someday I'll
figure out what frequencies to listen to and actually make a first contact.
I responded to this last
email with some help and helpful links. You never know what will happen when
you send your radiogram or contact a new ham.
You can be a part of this by
checking into a VHF traffic net or the Ohio Single Sideband Net (OSSBN). If you
have HF privileges you can find the OSSBN on the frequency 3972.5 three times a
day, at 10:30 AM, 4:15 PM and at 6:45 PM local times. Check out the OSSBN on
the air or on their website http://www.ossbn.org/. There is lots of information and some very good
links to be found there.
An issue that keeps lifting
up its head with questions is sending traffic to parties outside of the United
States. This information below is from the ARRL website and hopefully will
answer all questions. So before sending that radiograms to a foreign country
you should go the their website http://www.arrl.org/ and check it out.
International Third-Party
Traffic -- Proceed With Caution
Occasionally, DX stations may
ask you to pass a third-party message to a friend or relative in the States.
This is all right as long as the US has signed an official third-party traffic
agreement with that particular country, or the third party is a licensed
amateur. The traffic must be noncommercial and of a personal, unimportant
nature. During an emergency, the US State Department will often work out a
special temporary agreement with the country involved. But in normal times,
never handle traffic without first making sure it is legally permitted.
US Amateurs May Handle
Third-Party Traffic With:
V2
|
Antigua/Barbuda
|
LO-LW
|
Argentina
|
VK
|
Australia
|
V3
|
Belize
|
CP
|
Bolivia
|
E7
|
Bosnia-Herzegovina
|
PP-PY
|
Brazil
|
VE, VO, VY
|
Canada
|
CA-CE
|
Chile
|
HJ-HK
|
Colombia
|
D6
|
Comoros (Federal Islamic
Republic of)
|
TI, TE
|
Costa Rica
|
CM, CO
|
Cuba
|
HI
|
Dominican Republic
|
J7
|
Dominica
|
HC-HD
|
Ecuador
|
YS
|
El Salvador
|
C5
|
Gambia, The
|
9G
|
Ghana
|
J3
|
Grenada
|
TG
|
Guatemala
|
8R
|
Guyana
|
HH
|
Haiti
|
HQ-HR
|
Honduras
|
4X, 4Z
|
Israel
|
6Y
|
Jamaica
|
JY
|
Jordan
|
EL
|
Liberia
|
V7
|
Marshall Islands
|
XA-XI
|
Mexico
|
V6
|
Micronesia, Federated
States of
|
YN
|
Nicaragua
|
HO-HP
|
Panama
|
ZP
|
Paraguay
|
OA-OC
|
Peru
|
DU-DZ
|
Philippines
|
VR6
|
Pitcairn Island*
|
V4
|
St. Kitts/Nevis
|
J6
|
St. Lucia
|
J8
|
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines
|
9L
|
Sierra Leone
|
ZR-ZU
|
South Africa
|
3DA
|
Swaziland
|
9Y-9Z
|
Trinidad/Tobago
|
TA-TC
|
Turkey
|
GB
|
United Kingdom
|
CV-CX
|
Uruguay
|
YV-YY
|
Venezuela
|
4U1ITU
|
ITU - Geneva
|
4U1VIC
|
VIC - Vienna
|
Notes:
* Since
1970, there has been an informal agreement between the United Kingdom and the
US, permitting Pitcairn and US amateurs to exchange messages concerning medical
emergencies, urgent need for equipment or supplies, and private or personal
matters of island residents.
US licensed amateurs may
operate in the US territories under their FCC license.
Please note that the Region 2
Division of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has recommended that international traffic on
the 20 and 15-meter bands be conducted on the following frequencies:
14.100-14.150 MHz
14.250-14.350 MHz
21.150-21.200 MHz
21.300-21.450 MHz
14.250-14.350 MHz
21.150-21.200 MHz
21.300-21.450 MHz
The IARU is the alliance of Amateur Radio societies from around the world; Region 2 comprises
member-societies in North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.
Note: At the end of an
exchange of third-party traffic with a station located in a foreign country, an
FCC-licensed amateur must transmit the call sign of the foreign station as well
as his own call sign.
If you still need information
of weather spotter training here is the link for more information: http://www.weather.gov/iln/spottertrainingschedule
This reminder from Dennis
W8YS. Say “I spell” before you spell a group (word). This is done for clarity
and to minimize possible confusion.
From the ARRL NTS Methods and
Practices Guidelines -
2.1.4.6 I SPELL
Used to indicate you are
going back to spell the group just voiced. It is used with ONE GROUP AT A TIME,
and is said IMMEDIATELY after voicing the group, followed by either phonetic or
letter spelling of the group. (Pausing too long before saying “I spell” will
force the receiving operator to attempt to spell the group before you do.) When
the group is spelled, go on to the next group without repeating the spelled
group.
In ARL SIXTY ONE: "A R
L.. SIXTY I spell SIERRA INDIA X-RAY TANGO YANKEE..ONE I spell OSCAR NOVEMBER
ECHO ..."
Some are saying a word and
then just spelling it. That can be confusing. Some are saying a word and then
saying “that’s” and spelling it.
“That’s” is not an ARRL NTS
introductory word. The proper ARRL NTS introductory words are “I spell”.
All ARL numbers are to be
spelled phonetically. All phonetics used on NTS nets are to be the standard
ARRL NTS phonetics.
Every small improvement on
delivery and procedures that each of us follows just makes us more efficient
and credible as a net. It makes the National Traffic System more efficient and
credible with less errors and shorter delivery time from originator to
addressee.
Dennis W8YS
Amateur radio is a hobby.
Traffic handling is a commitment.
"No matter how big and
powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take
the place of volunteers." - Ronald Reagan
Until next time remember
without training you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the
problem.
73, David, WA3EZN
****************************************************
OUT AND ABOUT IN SOUTHEAST
OHIO
Lyn Alfman, N8IMW - Assistant
Section Manager (SE)
In February, I attended the
Cambridge Amateur Radio Association (CARA) club meetings as well as the
Guernsey County ARES meeting. CARA held
its election of officers for 2016 officers.
Sonny Alfman, W8FHF, decided not to run for President after serving in
that position most of the last 20 years.
They have a new president, vice president, and secretary. All of other officers remained the same. The new officers take the reins at the March
meeting. The Muskingum Valley Ham Radio
Club has opted to meet every other month this year, so there was no meeting
this month. I did not attend the
Zanesville Amateur Radio Club meeting because I was ill.
With elections taking place
in many clubs this time of year, I want to remind those responsible in their
respective ARRL Affiliated Clubs to file their annual reports with ARRL as soon
as possible. If you are not an ARRL
Affiliated Club, you should be. Contact
Affiliated Club Coordinator John Myers, KD8MQ, or visit the ARRL website to
find out what paperwork you need to file. As soon as you become an ARRL
Affiliated Club, check into becoming a Special Service Club—you may already
qualify.
I attended the Mid-Winter
Hamfest in Mansfield. At first I didn’t
recognize the Richland County Fairgrounds, but then I realized that was the
first time I ever saw them without ice and snow!
I mentioned last month that
the Cambridge Amateur Radio Association had published a book documenting its
first 100 years. The book is entitled: A Century of Radio: Cambridge Amateur Radio
Association 1913-2013, and is available by accessing the link on the home
page of the www.w8vp.org website.
March has arrived, and
ahhhh...there are hints of spring in the air. My daffodils are blooming, and
buds are starting to form on my forsythia and lilac bushes. By the time you read this, Daylight Savings
Time will have returned. And last but not
least, Spring brings us more hamfests in South East Ohio:
March 26--Mid-Ohio Valley
Amateur Radio Club, Gallipolis
April 2--Portsmouth Hamfest,
Portsmouth
April 9—Cuyahoga Falls
Hamfest, Cuyahoga Falls
April 23—Jackson County
Hamfest, Jackson, Ohio (new location)
April 24—Athens Hamfest,
Athens
Also, it is never too early
to mark your calendars for the Dayton Hamvention on May 20-22 and the Columbus
Hamfest/Ohio Section Conference (at the NEW Aladdin Shrine Center in Grove
City) on August 6.
’73 Lyn, N8IMW
Remember to be Radio Active!
****************************************************
WHATS HAPPENING IN SOUTHWEST
OHIO
From: Kitty Hevener, W8TDA -
Assistant Section Manager (SW)
After reading about my RF
woes in last month’s OSJ, ARRL Technical Specialist, Dennis Moriarty, (K8AGB)
contacted me to see if I still needed help in resolving the issue. His timing couldn’t have been better. W8WTD and I were stumped and welcomed all the
help we could get! He gave us some
suggestions which we will be trying as the weather breaks. Thanks Dennis. You
certainly exemplify the outstanding service ARRL field appointees provide to
hams in their sections.
I made an interesting
discovery after having reinstalled Log book of the World (TQSL) program on the
same computer I had used for the original installation. With an “invalid
certificate” message, the program left no doubt in my mind that it did not know
me. I thought that the “tq6” file I had gotten from ARRL would surely get me up
and running. No such luck! Was I really going to have to start from the
beginning again, waiting for the card from ARRL with my new password? Fortunately, not! My backup file (.tbk) which was on my thumb
drive bailed me out!! After restoring the file, TQSL and I have become
reacquainted and I am again back to logging contacts. Moral of the story – the time you take now to
make a .tbk file and store it somewhere other than your hard drive, will save
you from week(s) of downtime later! If
you are not sure how to do this, visit https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/backuprestore/
73, Kitty, W8TDA
****************************************************
CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
From: Fritz Tender, WD8E -
Assistant Section Manager (Central Ohio)
Good afternoon to all.
The major event for me this past month, and I am sure many of you, was
Mansfield. I had an opportunity to help out at the ARRL table and really
enjoyed seeing old friends that stopped by. I did have a chance to roam
through the crowd and check out the vendors. I also like to stop and chat
with many. If you have time to attend a regional Hamfest I encourage you
to do it. The vendors and flea market sellers are a great source of
information and sometimes a quick story.
I believe the crowd and
sellers may have been down a bit this year but that did not deter the
enthusiasm. I saw many more smiles than frowns. The next regional
is Athens. WX permitting I plan to attend either as an ARRL rep or
selling in the flea market, the shack is in need of spring cleaning.
I hope to see many of you
then.
73, Fritz, WD8E
****************************************************
FROM THE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
ASM
Anthony Luscre, K8ZT
k8zt@arrl.net
Summer Opportunity for
Teachers- Radio Technology in the Classroom..
If you are a K-12 teacher
and/or know a teacher that might be interested, the ARRL has released the dates
and application for 2016 Teacher Academy. (Please forward this to any
interested teachers you might know) ARRL
Teachers Institute on
Wireless Technology-
As part of our educational
outreach to schools through our Education & Technology Program, each summer
the ARRL offers multiple sessions of the Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology, all expenses paid professional development seminar, in locations
through the U.S. The Teachers Institute has provided teachers from elementary
school to the university level with tools and strategies to introduce basic
electronics, the science of radio, space technology and satellite
communications, as well as weather science, introduction to microcontrollers
and basic robotics in their classrooms. The curriculum is designed for
motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn more about wireless
technology and bring that knowledge to their students.
Here is a link to a PDF of a short brochure I have put together with a little better description
of the program. The application process has opened and here is a link to the Teachers Institutes application. Application deadline is May 1, 2016 If you or any
teachers you know have questions, please feel free to contact me".
**********
Recently I did a
presentation for a local radio club- "Now that I Have My Amateur Radio
License, What’s Next?"
After you look through the
slideshow you may be asking yourself "how can I use this with my local
club." Fortunately I have three methods:
1 - Feel free to do a
presentation yourself using my slideshow (feel free to share, but make sure you
keep my name and email on slideshow)
2 - I, as do many of the Ohio
Section cabinet members, love to present at local club meetings (we have a wide
variety of topics).
3 - Something new- If you can
have a live Internet connection, a computer and projector (or big screen TV) at
your club meeting, I can arrange to do the session live via a Google Hangout*
* Google Hangouts do not
require any special equipment, allow near real-time (usually 30 second delay)
two-way video and audio, can accommodate multiple simultaneous connections
with all connections able to participate. In addition the session can be
automatically recorded, stored on Youtube and made available to members that
cannot attend your local meeting that night.
********
Print an Official or
Unofficial Copy of Your Amateur Radio License
As of February 17, 2015 the FCC
no longer will routinely issue paper license documents to Amateur Radio applicants
and licensees. The Commission has maintained for some time now that the
official Amateur Radio license authorization is the electronic record that
exists in its Universal Licensing System (ULS). The FCC will continue to
provide paper license documents to all licensees who notify the Commission that
they prefer to receive one. Licensees also will be able to print out an
official authorization — as well as an unofficial “reference copy” — from the
ULS License Manager.
You can request an
“official” printed copy of your license*
by contacting the FCC Support via the web- https://esupport.fcc.gov/onlinerequest.htm, telephone (877) 480-3201 or mail (Federal
Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554 to request
paper licenses.
To print an “official”
reference copy of your license* under
the new procedures, a new license applicant who already has an FCC Registration
Number (FRN) and provides a valid e-mail address under “Applicant Information”
in the ULS will receive an official ULS-generated electronic authorization via
e-mail. New license applicants lacking an FRN will receive in the mail an FRN
and a temporary password to access the Commission Registration System (CORES).copy
of your license.
*Ohio drivers with Amateur
Radio Car License Plates will need one of these two above forms to process your
request to renew or get new plates.
To print an unofficial
reference copy from the FCC
Enter your callsign and then
press “Search” button.
Select the correct record and
click on callsign
Click “Printable Page”
Use your printer to print
page (warning, it is not very official looking)
To create a little more
“official looking” but definitely unofficial copy you can
Enter your information
Choose Colors & Fonts
Click “Generate” button
This will create two
documents (actually on same page)
A “wall” certificate
A “wallet” copy
Use one of K8ZT’s Google Doc
pages and some fancy certificate paper from your favorite office supply store
Choose version
When file opens, click on the
top menu and select “File” then “Make a copy...” this will give you your own
personal copy with full edit rights
Edit information by entering
your call sign, name, address, etc.
Print on Certificate paper
I like to have one of these
to post anytime I am doing a radio event in the public, such as the NPOTA, it
remarkable how an unofficial document will look to a park or other official as
opposed to the truly official online copy of your license
73, Anthony, K8ZT
****************************************************
FAR SCHOLARSHIP INVITES
APPLICATIONS
2016 Scholarship Information
The Foundation for Amateur
Radio, Inc., will be administering a total of 46 scholarships, worth an
aggregate of $71,000 for the coming 2016/2017 academic year. The scholarships
range in value from $500 to $5,000 each.
All applicants must meet the following
minimum requirements:
*Hold a valid US or foreign
amateur radio license,
*Be enrolled, or have been
accepted for enrollment, at an accredited university, college or technical
school.
*Applicants who attend a
school located outside of the United States must provide a brochure describing
the school.
Note that you do not apply
for specific scholarships. Instead your application will be considered for all
of the scholarships for which you are qualified.
In order to be considered for
the Chichester and QCWA scholarships, applicants must obtain the appropriate
recommendations. Instructions for obtaining those recommendations may be found
in the form, itself. These 16 scholarships are worth $23,500 in aggregate.
If you have questions about
the scholarship process, please email them to: farscholarships@gmail.com.
Instructions for the form
The form is self-explanatory.
Note that many of the questions are required. The form will not let you proceed
until you have answered those questions. Please provide as much information as
possible for each of the essay questions. You may work on your answers in an
external program, such as Word, and then paste the answers into the form.
When you click on ‘Submit’ to
send the application, you will find a link that allows you to go back and edit
the form later. PLEASE COPY THIS LINK AND SAVE IT!
Applications must be
submitted by April 15. You may edit the form up until May 7. We realize that
some schools do not announce acceptances until May 1, so we are giving you time
to update your application in order to enter that information
Your application form data
goes directly into an encrypted, password protected PDF file that is available
only to the review committee. Your raw input data is not stored on-line.
****************************************************
LET'S TALK
Scott Yonally, N8SY - Section
Manager
Hey Gang,
Late Breaking NEWS.. There’s now less than 4 days left until
spring arrives, March 19th for us in the northern hemisphere!! We’ve beaten old man winter and gotten over
the hump! Now we can look forward to 90+ degree temperatures with 100 percent
humidity days once again, yuck.. (and some say I’m not an optimist!!)
I’ve been really busy
attending meetings and hamfests. As you may know, the Ohio Section of the ARRL
is the largest Section in the country. It’s even bigger than a Division or two.
So, with that in mind, it’s only fair to say that Ohio also deserves to have a
full time Section Manager. One that can freely travel all over the state
visiting with, and representing YOU. So, don’t be surprised when I just
“pop-in” at your meeting or function. I really do like traveling and visiting
with all of you at your hamfests, club meetings, picnics and especially breakfasts.
It’s fantastic!
Speaking of Hamfests.. It’s
only 2 months until the biggie at Dayton. The Ohio Section Cabinet has already
been busy making preparations for our booth there. Yes, if you didn’t know the
Ohio Section is the only Section in the nation that has its own booth within
the ARRL area at Dayton. Now for some really big news.. We have also been asked to man a National
Parks on the Air station during the Hamvention as well.. Take a look at the
article National Parks on the Air above.. We are working on the details right
now, but what I can tell you for sure is that we are going to need some help.
Please, if you can give just an hour or two to volunteer with this it would be
great! We really need folks to staff the station. You don’t have to be an
expert or anything like that, just have a friendly face and willingness to help
others for an hour or so. All of the equipment is being provided by the League,
so you know that it’s going to be first class stuff all the way.. It’s going to
be a lot of fun for sure and I’m sure that it’s also an event that is going to
get a lot of exposure with the press as well.. How’s about it.. Got an hour or
so on Friday, Saturday or Sunday to help out?? (Daytime hours only) We’d sure
love to have ya’.. Contact John Myers, KD8MQ at kd8mq1@gmail.com for more details on this
fantastic adventure!!
Now, switching bands to
another subject..
As I said earlier, I’ve been
busy visiting with a lot of you and I have heard a lot of PROs and CONs about
Ohio’s goal of seeing that all of its ARES members have been trained and
certified in ICS-100, 200, 700 & 800 by the end of June, 2016. For those of
you who really aren’t seeing the reason for this I want you to take just 10
minutes of your time and read an article that was published in the March
edition of QST. It’s by Rick Palm, K1CE. Now for those of you who don’t get
QST, I have this article reprinted on our website http://arrl-ohio.org/QST.pdf it is with
permission of the ARRL so there’s no copyright problems. I am also producing a
handout for all who is interested that I will be giving out at hamfests and
club meetings. I think Rick’s views will help you better understand the in’s
and outs to all of this, and why this is so very important to YOU. I do want to
assure you that even if you still decide not to go through with completing these
courses, there will still be things that
you can do, just not as many of them, and probably the most import item to
remember, you most likely will not be asked to participate in any activity
within the FEMA organization. But, there
are other things, like bike races, parades and the like that won’t require this
extra training.
Now let’s switch bands..
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.
Have you seen the NEWEST
“Handbook Giveaway” drawing on the website yet? It’s there..!! Looking at the
results so far entered in the latest question poll it looks like you really
want this drawing to continue. 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!!
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.. I’m asking if you use
Facebook or Twitter. I really want to know if you are using either of these
Social Media outlets so I can better communicate with all of you. It only asks this
one question and it will take all of 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@arrl.org I’ll be happy
to call or write to you. We can even have coffee if you’d like.. and I’ll buy!!
One last spin of the dial..
Well, I think that’s going to
do it for me this month.. I have lots of meetings and hamfests to attend
Oh, and don’t be too surprised
when I show up at a meeting you’re at!!
73, Scott, N8SY
****************************************************
THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER
COORDINATOR
John Perone, W8RXX
The Ohio OO's put in a total
of 849 hours if February.
They sent out 1 Good Operator
card & 3 OO reminder cards that something was amiss...
73, John, W8RXX
****************************************************
WEBSITE STATS – ** arrl-ohio.org
**
February 2016
Pages Hits Bandwidth
110,138 546,426 2.05 GB
****************************************************
SPECIAL EVENTS STATIONS IN
OHIO
03/20/2016 | Western Reserve
Amateur Radio Club 6th Anniversary
Mar 20, 0200Z-1000Z, W8WRC,
New Springfield, OH.
Western Reserve Amateur Radio
Club. 14.310 7.170.
QSL. Western Reserve Amateur
Radio Club,
2050 East South Range Rd,
New Springfield, OH 44443.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
The Second Annual Ohio 2
Meter FM Simplex Squares Contest
Mark your calendars and
reserve the last full weekend in April to participate in a fun and exciting 2
Meter Contest that offers both awards and prizes of value.
The contest web site, www.cfarc.org/contest.php has all the
details including rules, a grid square overview, antenna construction plans,
winning tips, the current list of prizes, FAQs, and more. Look it over and if
you still have any unanswered questions, e-mail o2mfmss@cfarc.org
04/23/2016 | 4th Annual Celebration
of Earth Day
1400Z-2000Z, W8PRC,
Cleveland, OH. Parma Radio Club.
14.250 7.200.
QSL. Parma Radio Club
7811 Dogwood Ln, Cleveland,
OH 44130.
Our 4th annual Earth Day
event to remind everyone of the fragility
of our planet and it's
valuable resources. We will be operating entirely
of energy from the sun. www.parmaradioclub.com
04/23/2016 | Ohio ARES NVIS
Antenna Day
1000Z-1800Z, Varies,
Marion, OH. Ohio ARES.
7.244 7.240 3.910 3.850.
Certificate. Marion County OH
ARES
c/o W8MRN, 655 Richland Rd,
Marion, OH 43302.
A day to compare and test
NVIS antennas with anchor stations
located around Ohio. No
contest scores, but we compile
documentation of which NVIS
antenna worked the best for you.
Not limited to any
frequencies, make as many contacts with other
stations in Ohio and
surrounding states as possible to test your
antenna ideas! This year's
sponsor: Marion County ARES.
04/23/2016 | Portage County
(Ohio) ARS 10 Year ARRL Affiliation
1500Z-0100Z,
K8BF, Ravenna, OH.
Portage County Amateur Radio
Service.
28.310 14.310 7.210 3.810.
Certificate.
Tom Parkinson, KB8UUZ,
9992 State Route 700, Mantua,
OH 44255.
Send QSL card with large SASE
for certificate. www.portcars.org
****************************************************
OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR
03/20/2016 | TMRA Hamfest and
Computer Fair
Location: Perrysburg, OH
Sponsor: Toledo Mobile Radio
Association
03/26/2016 | MOVARC HAMFEST
Location: Gallipolis, OH
Sponsor: Mid-Ohio Valley
Amateur Radio Club
04/02/2016 | Portsmouth Radio
Club Hamfest
Location: Portsmouth, OH
Sponsor: Portsmouth Radio
Club
04/09/2016 | Cuyahoga Falls
ARC's 62nd Annual Hamfest
Location: Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Sponsor: Cuyahoga Falls
Amateur Radio Club
04/23/2016 | Jackson County
ARC Hamfest
Location: Jackson, OH
Sponsor: Jackson County
Amateur Radio Club
04/24/2016 | Athens Hamfest
Location: Athens, OH
Sponsor: Athens County
Amateur Radio Association
****************************************************
eof..