In this issue:
-> REVAMPING THE 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
-> FROM THE NORTHEAST OHIO
AREA
-> CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
-> FROM THE EDUCATIONAL
OUTREACH ASM
-> LET'S TALK
-> THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER
COORDINATOR
-> WEBSITE STATS
-> SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS
IN OHIO
-> OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR
****************************************************
REVAMPING THE 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,
So -- Windows 10. This topic was brought up during the after
meeting at my local club. Many of you
are undoubtedly seeing the upgrade nag-screens.
You too might be wondering: what’s changed in Windows 10, might have
heard some of the issues surrounding the new operating system, and why the big
push to upgrade. This month I’ll cover
the new operating system from the perspective of what has happened so far and
not from a ham radio perspective. Also
to preface this whole thing, Microsoft has never been very clear about their
statements and often retracts or goes back on things they’ve said. In other words, any of this may change as we
go along.
A large part of this shift
includes the use of “the cloud.” The
cloud is a fancy term for someone else’s equipment on the Internet. The most common example is ‘cloud storag
e.’ Services like
DropBox, Google Drive, or OneDrive allow you to save your documents and
pictures elsewhere. You upload files to
these services and you can access those files or share them with others on the
Internet. The cloud is heavily
integrated into Windows 10. After
installing Windows 10, it will prompt you to sign in using a Microsoft
Account. This syncs your user profile
with the Microsoft cloud. When you sign
into another device using your Microsoft Account, your settings will be the
same across those devices. You can use
Windows 10 without a Microsoft account.
The computer will operate in standalone mode similar to previous
versions of Windows. Microsoft’s online
storage service called OneDrive is integrated into the operating system as
well. Other new features include your new
personal assistant, Cortana. She will
help find things on your computer and the web, set reminders, similar to
Apple’s Siri or Google Now.
Universal apps: These first
appeared in Windows 8 as “Metro Apps.”
This concept is to have developers write one application and have it
work the same way on any Windows platform.
These apps are found and delivered via the Microsoft Store (similar to
the Android Play Store or Apple’s App Store), and again - available on all
platforms. Some games and applications
that came preloaded in previous versions of Windows have been replaced with Universal
Apps in 10.
Free upgrade: Legal copies of
Windows 7/8/8.1 are eligible for a free lifetime upgrade to Windows 10 until
July 29, 2016. There are some
stipulations to this free upgrade.
“Lifetime” means the lifetime of the device eligible for the free
upgrade. When that device fails, you
cannot transfer the free upgrade to another device. What happens after July 29th? Microsoft hasn’t said. The free upgrade is expected to become a
premium upgrade that you’ll have to purchase, even for a device that was
previously eligible for the free upgrade.
Versions prior to Windows 7 are not eligible for the free upgrade. To be honest, if you’re running a version of
Windows prior to 7, you probably want to upgrade your hardware for 10.
Now reality.
Big upgrade push: Windows
users have seen the icon in the system tray nagging them to upgrade. Why the big push? Microsoft is trying to avoid another Windows
XP. At the time Windows XP was declared
“end-of-life,” it accounted for about 10% of all computers on the
Internet. Two years later, about 7% are
still using XP. That’s a lot of users
running a dead operating system. On top
of that, Windows 7 will be 7 years old in July and only supported for 4 more
years (until January 2020).
While Windows XP maybe
working great, there are reasons to get off of it. Google has been leading a push for a more
secure Internet. Windows XP cannot
handle many modern security methods in use today. All browsers in XP (except Firefox) will
display ‘your connection is not private’ when connecting to a website that has
more modern security then XP can understand.
Since Windows XP is not a supported operating system, it won’t be
updated to handle modern security methods.
While the website will still work, your connection will be less
secure. A work around for this security issue
is to use Firefox. Though no known
vulnerabilities exist in XP, best practice dictates users should remove
unsupported operating systems from the Internet if it doesn’t need to be on the
Internet. Another reason to upgrade is
new hardware and software will not have support for old operating systems.
The upgrade push for Windows
10 has been nothing short of a disaster.
Last year, users eligible for the upgrade began seeing a Windows icon in the system tray
saying ‘you’re
PC is ready for your free upgrade.’ This deplorable tactic is commonly used by
malware and spyware authors to trick you into installing software you don’t
want or need. As an Information
Technology professional with an interest in cyber security, this is the type of
message I tell users NOT to acknowledge.
Kind of ironic. Initially this
tray icon came in the form of a Windows “Recommended” update. Then Microsoft upgraded it to a “Critical”
Windows Update -yet another deplorable tactic.
Despite this maneuver, Windows 10 is NOT a critical update. The upgrade popups are very confusing as the
clickable options are: “upgrade now,” “upgrade later,” “OK,” or “Get
Started.” Oh, it gets worse. Users are reporting they vigilantly closed
the prompts to upgrade (clicked the red “X”) but their system was still
upgraded automatically against their wishes.
They went to bed with Windows 7 and got up the next morning to Windows
10. Surprise.
Once the upgrade happens, you
do have 30 days to revert back to your previous version of Windows. The problem here is users have found the roll
back frequently fails. Imagine
that. ‘Don’t worry, you can go back… if
you want. Opps, the roll back just
failed! Guess you’re stuck.’ Thanks.
Start Menu: Microsoft tried
to remove the Start menu in Windows 8 and replaced it with a full screen tile
menu. This was an attempt start a
unified experience between PCs and mobile devices. The change worked fine on small screen
devices but was a terrible experience on PCs.
It was met with much outcry. The
Start menu has returned in Windows 10 with something that kind of resembles the
Start menu from Windows 7. It’s more of
a combined Start menu -- “Live Tile” experience. Live Tiles display updates like weather,
news, and photos, while others are just a static application icon.
Control Panel is mostly
desktop specific settings.
Tracking: Microsoft Windows 10 tracks much of what you
do and where you go. Their claim is they
provided a free upgrade so you can give some information back to Microsoft on
your usage. Two problems with this: even
if you pay for the Windows 10 upgrade, this information is still shared with
Microsoft. The other, this tracking is
now rolled into Windows 7 and 8. Privacy
advocates feel this is a violation of user’s privacy. The argument on the other side is most use
Google or Apple’s services and they know just as much about you. This Ars Technica article explains tracking
is a growing trend in technology:
Upgrade tips: create a full
system backup using a backup service or create an image of your current
installation on an external hard drive before attempting to upgrade. This is a backup incase the rollback
fails. Check the vendor’s website of
your hardware and critical software applications. Look for driver support or knowledge base
articles about Windows 10 before upgrading.
Knowing whether your devices and software are supported will help
minimize regret because your favorite app or device no longer works.
Certainly some of these
concerns have caused me to look at alternative operating systems. I have found in my deployments (I have yet to
upgrade all of my desktops) with a little work, I can get 10 to act a lot like
(my favorite) Windows 7. Turning off or
uninstalling cruft helps a lot: turning off notifications, disabling camera
& microphone usage, disable Cortana, remove many Universal Applications,
and turn off background apps. I use
Classic Shell to return a normal looking Start menu and Anti-Beacon to disable
tracking. Links to those applications
and ones to disable the upgrade nag-screens are below. Seriously, if you find any of these apps
useful, consider donating to the author because we need to support those doing
the right thing and allowing choice.
Thanks for reading and 73… de
Jeff – K8JTK
Image sources: thurrott.com,
zdnet.com, and blogs.windows.com.
As always, use these at your
own risk.
Disable Windows 10 upgrade
and notifications in Windows 7 & 8/8.1:
Never 10: https://www.grc.com/never10.htm
GWX Control Panel (advanced
users): http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/
Start menu replacement for
Windows 8 & 10:
Classic Shell: http://www.classicshell.net/
Start 10 (trial): http://www.stardock.com/products/start10/
Disable Windows tracking:
https://github.com/10se1ucgo/DisableWinTracking
https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/
(from the makers of SpyBot Search and
Destroy, works on all versions of Windows).
A more manual approach is
presented: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/windows-10-doesnt-offer-much-privacy-by-default-heres-how-to-fix-it/
Thanks for reading and 73...
de Jeff - K8JTK
****************************************************
THE AFFILIATED CLUBS
COORDINATOR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC
Hi everyone,
This might be my last column
before the Dayton Hamvention. It's going to be a fun time. Hopefully I'll get to meet some of
you at the Hamvention.
Hamvention -
If you get a chance, stop by the Wright Bros. Bicycle shop on S. Williams St,
and say hi? So, you may be asking "What does the Wright Bros. Bicycle have
to do with the Hamvention"? well, scroll down to the NPOTA News column,
and you'll see.
So, now that the plug for Dayton On The Air is out of the way,
what are your plans? Are you going to Dayton? Whether you are doing a single,
or multi-day trip, don't forget to take in the ARRL Expo. As usual, you'll see
pretty much every ARRL department represented. While there, you'll find the
ARRL Ohio Section booth. We keep it staffed continually with members of the
Ohio Field organization.
Jackson & Athens Hamfests - Again this year, my camping season kicks off in
April with a trip to Lake Hope. This gets me close enough to work the ARRL
table at the Jackson, and Athens Hamfests. If you make it to those hamfests,
make sure to stop by and say Hi. Jackson is on April 23rd, and Athens the day
after.
NVIS Antenna Test - Are you participating in the NVIS Antenna Test? If not, there's
still plenty of time to put together a club operation. Don't forget that most
crucial piece of gear for any club get-together; the grill! cookouts have been shown to greatly increase the fun
level of any outdoor Ham Radio event. That's why we got into this hobby, right?
Internet sources indicate
that the efficiency of any NVIS antenna increases by 1000% when combined with
food & friends. They couldn't put it
on the internet if it wasn't true, so get some fellow hams together, and plan
for a great day of Ham radio on the 23rd. More information will probably be in
Stan Broadway's column in this issue. If not, you can definitely read about it
at http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/.
One club who I've heard from
recently is the Tusco ARC, in Tuscarawas County. Their Activities Manager,
Jeff, KE8BKP approached the local scout camp about operating on their grounds.
On NVIS Antenna Day, they will also be sharing Amateur Radio with the scouts,
while activating the North Country Scenic Trail (TR04).
Talk about multi-tasking!
Special Service Clubs - Last year at this time, we had 12 SpeciaL Service
Clubs in the Ohio Section. Today, we have 26. Thanks to all of you who have
taken that extra step, and become SSCs.
Annual report
- What ACC column would be complete without me nagging you about getting those
annual reports updated? These need to be done at least once yearly. You can
even do them online via the league website. If you need help, or have
questions, don't hesitate to contact me. E-mail is best for me (kd8mq1@gmail.com).
I also do text, or voice (330-936-5021). I'm on Facebook, as well, so I do
answer PMs.
So, that's it for this month.
I'll say 73, hope everyone has a great month. DE John, KD8MQ
That’s it for another month.
We’ll see you in April. 73,
DE KD8MQ
****************************************************
NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC
Hello
again, this is it; the final NPOTA column before the Dayton On The Air Event.
We have a few things to cover in this month’s issue of NPOTA News, so I’ll get right
to it.
Dayton On The Air - As reported previously, the ARRL
has asked the ARRL Ohio Section to activate the Dayton Aviation Heritage Site
(HP11) during the Hamvention. We need some help.
There are two ways you can help.
First, if you'll be in town for the Hamvention, stop by at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, 16 S. Williams St., Dayton. We'll have two stations on the air. You can activate HP11 under your call, and still have time to enjoy the other Hamvention activities. It only takes 10 contacts to qualify as a legal activation. We'll let you make your 10 contacts; more if there are not a lot of operators waiting for the rigs. We'll have laptops available for logging. Bring a thumb drive, or we'll e-mail your ADI file to you.
Second, and this is the biggie! I need volunteers to be available during the operation to both supervise the station, and talk to visitors about Amateur Radio. Like you, I'm in Dayton for the Hamvention. I'd like to line up enough people that we can all make it to the Hamvention. If you are willing to donate some time during Hamvention, please drop me a line (kd8mq@arrl.net), or call (330-936-5021). I’ve had a few volunteers contact me already, but I can use a few more.
There are two ways you can help.
First, if you'll be in town for the Hamvention, stop by at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, 16 S. Williams St., Dayton. We'll have two stations on the air. You can activate HP11 under your call, and still have time to enjoy the other Hamvention activities. It only takes 10 contacts to qualify as a legal activation. We'll let you make your 10 contacts; more if there are not a lot of operators waiting for the rigs. We'll have laptops available for logging. Bring a thumb drive, or we'll e-mail your ADI file to you.
Second, and this is the biggie! I need volunteers to be available during the operation to both supervise the station, and talk to visitors about Amateur Radio. Like you, I'm in Dayton for the Hamvention. I'd like to line up enough people that we can all make it to the Hamvention. If you are willing to donate some time during Hamvention, please drop me a line (kd8mq@arrl.net), or call (330-936-5021). I’ve had a few volunteers contact me already, but I can use a few more.
Light Up The
Trail
– In June, a group of Hams is planning to “Light Up” the North Country Scenic
Trail (TR04). This “event within an event” will take place on the weekend of
June 4/5. Their goal is to have stations on the air from each of the seven
states that the trail crosses. Those states are ND, MN, WI, MI, OH, PA, &
NY.
You
can read more about this event on their website at http://qsl.net/kd8dku/LightUptheTrail.htm
One
of the Activators, KD8BBK, has already spent some “trail time”, and posted a
video to You Tube. You can view it at https://youtu.be/3eYIDJQ87xU.
TR04 Notes – In
“reading the mail” on the Light Up The Trail list, some advice was posted from
Mark weaver, the Superintendent of the North country scenic trail. I’m
reprinting it here:
Regarding the National Parks on the Air event in Michigan,
please
review the following information from Mark Weaver,
Superintendent of
the North Country Trail.
Mark offers insights, assistance, and advice concerning amateur
radio
NPOTA activation at the various National Park locations in
Michigan. He
has graciously made himself available for questions and concerns
regarding activations of said locations.
Mister Weaver's comments:
• The National Park Service/North Country Trail does not
"own/manage"
land thru which the trail passes. We are a partnership of various
public and private landowners, with each relationship often
being quite
different. Most authority
lies with the property owner.
* Regardless of where activations are planned to occur it is
imperative to make contact and receive permission to activate
from the
"landowner".
* For Federally owned lands, there is a list of contact
information
on the Trail website:
* For other public lands- state, local, etc, we do not have a
list-
it would be prohibitively overwhelming to collect it. If you
Google the
name of the public land unit you should be able to locate a
number to
call.
* For private lands, we don't recommend that activations occur
on
private lands. If for
some reason it is important, please contact me
directly and I'll connect you with the North Country Trail
Association
state trail coordinator who MAY be able to help.
* When contacting public land managers seeking permission to
have
activation, ask to speak with their special events person. Be
sure to
indicate that your actions are in direct support of their
partner
National Park Service's 100th birthday. And if there is uncertainty
expressed by your contact, ask them to give me a call.
* Don't do an activation without hardcopy permission in hand.
* Contact me with questions.
* MARK WEAVER, Superintendent
North Country National
Scenic Trail
PO Box 288
Lowell, MI 49331
Cell and office: 616.430.3495
That being said, we have a contact person for the Columbiana
county Park District. Her name is Marie, and is the person in charge. She can
be reached at 330-424-9078. She would appreciate a heads up from
anyone planning to activate TR04 in Columbiana County. Thanks to rex, NX8G for
this information.
Real Time Stats – Well, we asked, and
the League IT crew delivered! At the beginning of this month, the league added
a page to the NPOTA website. It is called NPoTa Stats, and can be seen at https://npota.arrl.org/nps-stats.php.
Updated once per day, it gives a near-real time update on the number of
activations, and contacts logged from each of the National Park Units. A word
of warning, though; it can be addictive!
WWFF Program – Had you heard about
the World Wide Flora & Fauna program? Neither had I! They assign
designators to parks, and nature preserves, and other natural areas around the
globe. Their worldwide directory, by the way is 308 pages long! You can read
more about the program at http://wwff.co/.
The US WWFF site is under construction, but can be found at http://wwff-kff.com/.
This
is a nice dovetail with NPOTA, since some of the NPOTA sites overlap existing
WWFF entities. NP14 is one example. Besides being NP14, it also carries the
WWFF designator of KFF-0020.
Another dovetail – Speaking of
Multi-designator locations, here’s another one; Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial National Memorial (NM20) on South Bass
Island. South Bass is in Lake erie, and easily reached by ferry. Besides
counting for NM20, it also has the designator of OH007L in the US
Islands program directory. And, it counts for either South Bass Island State
Park, or Oak Point State Park, under the Ohio State Parks On the Air Program (OSPOTA). How’s that
for an efficient use of your activating time?
That ties the ribbons on it
for this month. If you aren’t able to help out with the Dayton On The Air
event, please stop and say hello. I’ll also be working the ARRL table at the
Jackson, and Athens Hamfests this month.
So, have fun, but let’s stay
safe out there.
73 all, DE John, KD8MQ
****************************************************
THE SECTION EMERGENCY
COORDINATOR
Stan Broadway, N8BHL
NVIS Day
It’s almost here! The second
annual ARES NVIS antenna day (April 23) is our target for having some ham radio
fun across this part of the country. In fact, we’ve had inquiries from as far
away as Texas so they can start activities on this same day. We hope to hear
stations from surrounding states – it’ll make for a better test of your
favorite antenna availabilities. I do
have an assignment for you: if you’re participating, how about getting with
your radio club or your friends in other counties and encourage them to
play? Take a minute, make a phone call
or a contact on a repeater, and get them stirred up! We would be absolutely
tickled to have all Ohio counties on the air with this!!
Now- what about NVIS
antennas? Are they a myth, are they
absolutely required? Well, the answer
seems to be “It depends!” Last year,
Sunny, W8FHF, made some contacts on their NVIS setup, then went home and was as
strong (if not a little stronger) into the Sarge on his 70’ dipole. I just read some blog-board exchanges which
maintained that ~any~ antenna less than a ¼ wave above ground is actually NVIS-
and that all this fuss over very low height was misguided. I believe them, but I also believe the NVIS
experts (not to mention the military) who are using them successfully. The real
truth is that each circumstance is different: ground properties are different,
band conditions are certainly different, and there are other variables all of
which can change your results. I’ve been
corresponding with Mike, WB8ERJ, in Mansfield. He’s kept spreadsheet comparison
records, and the truth in his finding is that yes, there are times when NVIS
isn’t as good. There are nearly equal times when his NVIS stuff significantly
outperformed. So yes, they work!
Our point is that NVIS
antennas are well worth considering as your “go-to” antenna for emergency
deployment, but we need to be ready to switch off. There is just a shopping
bag’s worth of fun in plying with antenna design, testing and evaluating their
performance! That (plus some good hamburgers!)
is what this day is all about. I hope to hear YOU on the air!!
Training
If you would like to see more
enthusiasm and greater attendance for your ARES organization, here’s something
I’ve learned from over 30 years in the volunteer fire business: the busier the
station is, the better the people like it!
More people are active, they train better, work better, and engage in
far less personality conflicts. You would expect them to be more tired and less
willing, but it’s the other way around. Do your people feel like what they’re
doing is worthwhile? Do you?? The answer
to get this ball rolling is: TRAINING!
Get some of your served agency leaders to provide training on a number
of subjects. Remember, we are communicators, but we don’t always have to limit
ourselves to just amateur radio! MARCS, public safety, FRS, phone, fax…they ALL
could need our help during an emergency or even an exercise! And if we TRAIN on these things beforehand,
the agencies will find us even more valuable.
How about search and rescue? Missing persons search? Health Department
emergencies? How does HIPPAA affect us?
Did you hear they have placed the Midwest in a high level category for
earthquake damage? We do ‘home’ with the
county EMA in most cases, but there are plenty of other groups and departments
that can use our help—if they know we’re out here, trained, and ready!
We have begun our statewide
internal training programs in Ohio. In April, we will do three EC/DEC level
management team training appearances for ~all~ members of the team, from ASEC
through DEC. We’ll be coming to YOU district soon- so be ready to devote the
time! It’ll be worth your while, I promise. Next on the agenda is training for
general members of ARES. This will train on the basics, as well as operational
concerns. We’ll try to get all of these
done before the September Ohio ARES Conference. The good thing about ARES in
the Midwest is…we aren’t very busy. The bad thing about ARES in the Midwest
is…we aren’t very busy. We simply MUST
be ready, trained, and on standby no matter what. So we continue to raise the
bar for training. That is part of the motivation for securing the four FEMA
courses.
Some Big Ones Coming
Thanks to all who’ve inquired
and offered for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this July. We
all appreciate your offers. Amateur Radio will be used- there will be stations
at various EOC’s, the Sarge, and several Red Cross locations…but this is not
shaping up as a high-manpower type operation. We’re keeping up with all the
meetings- Matthew, KC8NZI EC Cuyahoga, and Eric, N8AUC DEC 10) are right in the
middle of it, doing a great job.
When’s the last time
We are not in the business to
leave a card and a handshake at served agencies then sit back and wait until
they call. (Remember the skeleton sitting next to a phone cartoon?) If you’re the EC or in the management team,
you need to be proactive with your agencies! Contact them regularly. Meet face
to face. Ask if there’s anything we can do to help. Chat about upcoming exercises.
Management team members should be cultivating activity, and it isn’t going to
just drop on our desks. Work to maintain
the respect, trust, and friendship of all your contacts…and members, too!
A Standard List
You probably already do this,
but it’s a good idea to develop a “standard frequency list” for your area- then
put it together in CHIRP or other software so that your members can have their
Chinese UCM (until the chip melts) handhelds configured for similar repeaters
and simplex frequencies. Have the software available at a meeting night and
standardize your handhelds!
73, Stan, N8BHL
****************************************************
THE PUBLIC INFORMATION
COORDINATOR
John Ross, KD8IDJ
Newsletter Contest
In Journalism School they
taught me to always lead with the best stuff…and the “best stuff” in our case
is the 2016 Ohio Section Newsletter Contest!!!
Just about 2 months before
the deadline…June 30th. Thanks for all of the entries so far. If you haven’t
submitted the minimum of two copies of your club's newsletter you still have
time.
I know I've said this
before...but each year the newsletters keep getting better...and that's because
of the people who spend a great amount of their time putting them together.
It's also because they have great subject matter to write about...amateur
radio!
I'm starting the process now
of getting the entries printed and organized so the judges will be able to dive
right in without delay. Judging is not a simple task...it takes time when the
entries are all great!!
Keep the newsletters coming
and Good Luck!
Veterans On the Air
I meet a lot of Veterans. I
run into them at work, at Veterans events and even in some very odd places!
We talk about their service,
where they trained, where they served and, many times, the talk somehow leads
to amateur radio! I'm surprised, although maybe I shouldn't be, the number of
Veterans that are ham radio guys. They served as communications techs, radio
operators on ships, or stringing miles of two conductor phone line across the
battle field.
So I wonder just how many
Veterans/Amateur Radio operators he have among us.
If you will I'd like to take
a quick survey. If you're a Veteran and a ham...shoot me a simple email. Just
include your call sign and branch of service...like this will do:
KD8IDJ Army
You can, if want, include
more info but I need is the call sign and service. I know what skilled and
talented folks we have across the section. I'm just curious to know how many
have served.
RTTY THANKS!
Last month I wrote about the
use of the # pound sign in journalism and for RTTY purposes. It's now called
the HASHTAG!
I got a nice reply from AL
W8AII...THANKS!
He still has an old RTTY
machine in his shack and may now try to get it up and running again. I hope I
was inspiration for that!!! It's good know we all have a lot in common. By the
way is a Veteran... years of service! Thanks, Al. I'll add you to my list!
AMATEUR RADIO BY THE NUMBERS
I was reading the Canton
Radio Club's newsletter last week about how many licensed hams there are in
Stark County. Right now about 1200! That's OUTSTANDING!
We know we have one the
largest sections in the country and that's really a tremendous accomplishment.
But I no sooner finished writing this when by copy of QST showed up and brought
even better news!
There are now 735, 000
licensed hams in the United States! WOW! What other hobby can claim that
stat?!!
Really, it a reflection of
much we care about amateur radio and how we keep the hobby alive with
innovations and great people. It also demonstrates a commitment of all of
members who are dedicated to making, and keeping, amateur radio the best hobby
in the world!
That's all for now...73 until
next month.
73, John, KD8IDJ
****************************************************
THE SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER
David Maynard, WA3EZN - STM
I'm checking into the Ohio
Single Sideband Net on 3972.5 at 10:30 AM, 4:15 PM and 6:45 PM.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION from
Dennis W8YS EAN Cycle 2 Manager
Recently, there was a
radiogram from the Pacific Area that was not delivered to an addressee in a
state in the Eastern Area. There was great interest in this radiogram because
it was a test. A previous radiogram to the same addressee also was not
delivered or serviced. The sender was very upset with the NTS. There were
numerous postings on this radiogram on the NTS OPS Yahoo Group. Several traffic
handlers were very upset.
The problem was that the
contact information was not relayed word for word, letter for letter, and space
for space. So the delivery information and last name were incorrect, along with
other additions and wrong or missing words. One of the operators on the NTS OPS
Group said that this is a “Black Eye” for the NTS.
With this kind of performance
the NTS is not capable of handling emergency traffic in a disaster situation.
I know that some of you frown
on my traffic handling tips and references to the ARRL NTS Methods and
Practices Guidelines, but I am not going to give up. I am going to continue, because
I know that following the ARRL NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines to the
letter is the only way that we are going to eliminate situations like the
unfortunate and undesirable situation mentioned above.
The NTS is like a chain and a
chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. Traffic handling is a commitment.
Traffic handlers have only 2 options: they can be part of the solution or part
of the problem.
From the ARRL NTS Methods and
Practices Guidelines - Do what the trained receiving operator expects and
confusion and errors will be minimized. 73
Dennis W8YS EAN Cycle 2
Manager
The ARRL NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines are
to large to be included here. Links
to ARRL NTS Methods and Practices
Guidelines:
Ohio had a similar situation
recently with a radiogram from Columbus to Cincinnati. We here in Columbus have three new young ham
that are learning to be traffic handlers.
A radiogram was generated by one of them to be delivered to a ham in
Cincinnati. It was never delivered. They want to know why it was not delivered
and so do I. If you take a radiogram for
relay or delivery you are committing to doing the job promptly. And if the handling instructions are HXC
complete the job by reporting back to the originating station.
HXC = Report date and time of
delivery (TOD) to originating station.
Amateur Radio is a
hobby. Traffic handling is a commitment.
WHY REPORT YOUR MONTHLY
ACTIVITY?
From Ohio Section Manager
Scott Yonally, N8SY
First let me say that on
March 1st, all of the SEC’s around the country were invited to a webinar put on
by the ARRL and Mike Corey, W5MPC. Mike is in charge of all ARES programs for
the ARRL.
As it was reported, many
Sections are actually not doing any reporting of any kind. This is terrible. I
believe “horrible” was also a word used for this lack of reporting. So, with
the new management taking over at Headquarters a question was asked from the
new management about the volunteer hours that the League has been using for a
number of years to give to Capitol Hill in order to show proof that we are
there and giving of our time and resources. This is when it was discovered that
reporting is very non-existent around the county and that we are not actually
reporting to the folks on Capitol Hill very good numbers.
So with that in mind, the
ARRL decided to start becoming more PRO-Active and actually get on the folks
that are responsible for not reporting. Of course Ohio is one who has been
turning in reports so we weren’t really involved much with this. Thank heavens
for that.
I hope that explains this a
little bit better. I just want to make sure that the numbers Ohio is turning in
actually do get recorded and shown off to the folks on Capitol Hill. This helps
get legislation passed a lot easier with the proof that we do volunteer our
time, talents and equipment for the betterment of our communities.
Don't know what or how to
report see my information at: http://www.arrl-ohio.org/stm/stm.html
Do what the trained receiving
operator expects and confusion and errors will be minimized!
What does the trained
operator expect. Let’s start with your phonetics. There is only one phonetic
alphabet to be used in traffic handling. Anything else will be confusing to the
trained traffic handler.
Letter to be transmitted
|
Code word to be used
|
Spoken as
|
A
|
Alfa
|
AL FAH
|
B
|
Bravo
|
BRAH VOH
|
C
|
Charlie
|
CHAR LEE or SHAR LEE
|
D
|
Delta
|
DELL TAH
|
E
|
Echo
|
ECK OH
|
F
|
Foxtrot
|
FOKS TROT
|
G
|
Golf
|
GOLF
|
H
|
Hotel
|
HOH TELL
|
I
|
India
|
IN DEE AH
|
J
|
Juliett
|
JEW LEE ETT
|
K
|
Kilo
|
KEY LOH
|
L
|
Lima
|
LEE MAH
|
M
|
Mike
|
MIKE
|
N
|
November
|
NO VEM BER
|
O
|
Oscar
|
OSS CAH
|
P
|
Papa
|
PAH PAH
|
Q
|
Quebec
|
KEHBECK
|
R
|
Romeo
|
ROW ME OH
|
S
|
Sierra
|
SEE AIR RAH
|
T
|
Tango
|
TANG GO
|
U
|
Uniform
|
YOU NEE FORM
|
V
|
Victor
|
VIK TAH
|
W
|
Whiskey
|
WISS KEY
|
X
|
X-ray
|
ECKS RAY
|
Y
|
Yankee
|
YANG KEY
|
Z
|
Zulu
|
ZOO LOO
|
Also remember that there are
no extra points and no place for speed in sending or relaying a radiogram. There is to be no shortcuts in delivering
traffic. A radiogram is not received
unless it has been read in its entirety on the air. That means the header, text and signature
must be read at least once on the net to be legal. However, if you have book
traffic (previously called common text) the common parts need to be read only
once on the net.
Until next time.. Remember
without training you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the
problem.
73, David, WA3EZN
****************************************************
FROM NORTHEAST OHIO AREA
Bob Winston, W2THU - Assistant
Section Manager (NE)
I am writing this column from
sunny Florida, as they like to say down here. No, we are not snow birds, just
visiting some friends in Stuart, which is on the Atlantic coast about 30 miles
north of Palm Beach. I checked off a bucket list item by attending the Orlando
Hamcation in February. This is the second largest hamfest in the United States
and it lived up to my expectations.
While at Hamcation I met
fellow Chapter 1 member, John Papay, K8YSE, of North Royalton, who was
demonstrating amateur radio satellite. John was set up outside, tracking the
birds and making lots of contacts both stateside and DX.
Coincidentally, while in
Florida, the local club sponsored the Stuart Hamfest, so Jeannie, KC8MNW, and I
stopped by with Kelby (our standard poodle) to meet the local hams. They put on
a nice event at the Martin County Fairgrounds, with a unique twist. Their
hamfest is free. Admission, tailgating and parking were
all gratis. So, how do they
do it?
They sell raffle tickets for
3 great top prizes. If my behavior was typical (I spent $20.00 for 7 raffle
tickets, when normally I would have paid about $5.00 to attend the usual small
hamfest), then you can see how they generate more income than by charging
admission. I guess it works, because they have been doing it for 40 years!
By the way, the 3 top prizes
were the Yaesu FT-DX1200 HF transceiver, the FT-7900 dual band transceiver and
the FT-60 dual band HT.
No, I didn’t win, but I got
to eyeball with my old friend and former LEARA trustee, Dick Myers, K8RM, of
Orange, who is snowbirding nearby. I also met a local ham, Eric Boyd, W4ELB,
who grew up in Chardon.
Best 73, Bob, W2THU
****************************************************
CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
From: Fritz Tender, WD8E -
Assistant Section Manager (Central Ohio)
I was asked by Kevin (AC8GI),
a long time friend, to attend the Southeast Amateur Radio Net (SARN) April club
meeting.
This was a special meeting
for several reasons. First, SARN is the
newest club in southeast Ohio and I presented Josh Sims (WW8JS) with the ARRL
Club Affiliation Certificate. Congratulations
to SARN and wishing the club a bright future.
Second, I presented the
parents of Andrew Butler (KD8USF SK)
with a memorial brick that was purchased by members of SARN. Andrew was a highly talented founding member
of SARN and is missed by everyone. I really enjoyed the after meeting ragchew,
thanks for having me.
Next, I am looking forward to
attending the Athens Hamfest April 24th.
I hope to see you there.
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".
73, Anthony, K8ZT
****************************************************
LET'S TALK
Scott Yonally, N8SY - Section
Manager
Hey Gang,
Late Breaking NEWS.. There’s now just a month until Dayton
Hamvention arrives.. Oh yeah, spring has also finally decided to arrive in Ohio
as well. I actually broke out the shorts today and mowed the yard. Are you
ready for NVIS Day AND the Second Annual Ohio 2 Meter FM Simplex Squares
Contest? They are coming up this next weekend.. Don’t be left out, come have
some FUN around the state and join in these events and several others that are
scheduled, see the Special Events area below. It’s going to be a blast for
sure!!
As I’ve been reporting for
some time now, I’m really keeping 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.. The Ohio Section Cabinet has been busy making
preparations for our booth at Dayton. 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! A number of you
have already volunteered and that’s fantastic! 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 July gets closer I am
seeing more and more of you in ARES being trained and certified in ICS-100,
200, 700 & 800, and some even going on with other ICS training. This is
great news, as that we’ve set a target date for the end of June for everyone
that’s going to be involved with FMEA, or any government run event to have your
training completed by then. I really would love to see everyone in Ohio have
these 4 basic courses under their belts!!
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 I know that
once you read Rick’s views it will greatly 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 – unless something really breaks out (Boston Marathon?).
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..!! 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.. It will only take about 2
seconds for you to answer it, and you can see how your answer stacks up with
others instantly. If you haven’t done it yet, please do.. I really want to hear
from you.
Are you a member of the
ARRL?? If you aren’t a League member, this is a great opportunity to become
one. Want more information on how to join? Here’s the link: http://www.arrl.org/membership-levels. There’s even a 90 day FREE trial that you can apply
for if you’ve never been a member.. Got questions about being a member or what
the League is all about? Send me an email.. n8sy@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 throughout
the spring and summer of this year representing YOU at events like the Ohio
Public Private Partnership (OP3), the Emergency Management Association of Ohio
(EMAO) and let’s not forget the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
(VOAD) here in Ohio. The Ohio Section has a presence like it never had before
with our state agencies, and we are working very hard at making that presence
grow and prosper for all of YOU.
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 hard working OOs in Ohio
monitored a total of 1,041 hours in March.
They sent out 1 - OO card and
2 - Good Operator cards.
The violations around 7.200MHz
are continued to be monitored by the FCC.
73, John, W8RXX
****************************************************
WEBSITE STATS – ** arrl-ohio.org
**
March 2016
Pages
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Hits
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Bandwidth
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74,538
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387,207
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2.46 GB
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SPECIAL EVENTS STATIONS IN
OHIO
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
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.
04/23-24/2016 | 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
05/13-14/2016 | Scoutfest
2016
2000Z-0000Z
W8MVC, Mount Vernon, OH
Muskingum Valley Council
Radio Club
14.290 7.280.
QSL Muskingum Valley Council Radio Club
734 Moorehead Ave,
Zanesville, OH 43701
Will operate demo station on
other JOTA/Scout call frequencies.
SASE for QSL. Will also
submit LoTW.
Contact kc8bew@gmail.com for more info. mvcbsa.org
06/04/2016 | Gilmour Academy
Reunion 2016
1400Z-1800Z, ND8GA, Gates
Mills, OH.
Gilmour Academy Amateur Radio
Club.
146.52 14.270 7.270.
QSL. Ken Kane, KG8DN
Gilmour Academy
34001 Cedar Rd
Gates Mills, OH 44040
Having opened its doors in
September of 1946 by welcoming
students to Francis Drury's
"Cedar Hill Farm" in Gates Mills, Ohio,
Gilmour Academy celebrates
completion of its seventieth year as
the Class of 2016 graduates.
Alumni from classes ending in 1 and 6
are welcomed back, especially
the class of 1966 which observes the
fiftieth anniversary of
graduation this year. kanek@gilmour.org
****************************************************
OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR
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
05/20-22/2016 | Dayton
Hamvention
Location: Dayton, OH
Sponsor: Dayton Amateur Radio
Association
Website: http://www.hamvention.org
****************************************************
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