In this issue:
-> BREAKING NEWS ON H.R. 1301
-> GOBA – 2016
-> NVIS DAY FINAL REPORT
-> THE TECHNICAL
COORDINATOR
-> AFFILIATED CLUB
COORDINATOR REPORT
-> NATIONAL PARKS ON THE
AIR
-> THE SECTION EMERGENCY
COORDINATOR
-> THE PUBIC INFORMATION
COORDINATOR
-> THE SECTION TRAFFIC
MANAGER
-> OUT AND ABOUT
-> CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
-> THE STATE GOVERNMENT
LIAISON
-> LET'S TALK
-> THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER
COORDINATOR
-> WEBSITE STATS
-> SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS
IN OHIO
-> OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR
****************************************************
BREAKING NEWS…
Amateur Radio Parity Act
Receives Favorable House Energy and Commerce Committee Report..
An amended version of the
Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301, received a unanimous favorable report on
June 13 from members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill
now will go to the full House for consideration. Before reporting the bill out
of committee, the panel first voted to accept the amended language “in the
nature of a substitute.” Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), who chairs the Energy
and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, said
the substitute bill represented “a good balance” following months of meeting,
hard work, and compromise, and he recommended the measure to his colleagues.
“The amendment guarantees
that even in deed-restricted communities, Amateur Radio operators are able to
use an effective outdoor antenna,” Walden said. “Without an effective antenna
Amateur Radio operators are severely limited, so this amendment ensures that
amateurs are free to pursue their passion wherever they live.”
At the same time, he
continued, the measure protects the rights of those “who have chosen to live in
deed-restricted communities and to set their own aesthetic and other rules.”
“We found a balance that
works for all stakeholders,” lled ARRL and CAI “the bookends of the effort.”
Kinzinger called the amended
bill “a good amendment that strikes the right balance.”
****************************************************
GOBA - 2016
2016 Great Ohio Bicycle
Adventure
Jeff Slattery, N8SUZ
GOBA Communications Director
Ohio District 8 DEC
The Great Ohio Bicycle
Adventure is the largest bicycle tour in the country supported entirely by
amateur radio communications. This year,
GOBA was held in southwest Ohio June 18-25.
The 2016 tour was relatively uneventful after dealing with last year’s heavy
rains and flooding in northwest Ohio. On
Monday, we did get pretty busy when we had several medical emergencies at the
lunch stop along with a bike wreck going into Hueston Woods. The day was very hot and a long ride from the
AM snack stop to lunch and many riders were requesting a SAG ride into Oxford
camp at Miami University. Thanks to the
several local Butler hams who loaded up pickup trucks and RVs and helped
transport riders Oxford when our SAGs became overwhelmed. There was tremendous support from the local
ham radio operators and individuals from our host communities that helped to
keep our riders safe during the entire week-long tour.
Local clubs/ARES groups that
provided communications support for the week were:
Butler County ham Scott Harshman,
WX8TOK and Doug Bell, N8HSU of Springfield volunteered to ride squad
communication on our medic units for the week.
Scott became ill on Monday and was unable to finish the week after
helping install radios on Saturday and riding squad comm on Sunday. His spot was covered the rest of the week by
several GOBA hams - Eric Fetcho, KB9TUF, Maria Johnson, K9RIA, Kathy Wolf,
KE8EAP and Tim Creamer, KD8YBE.
Butler County VHF Association
– Butler County (Hamilton) - Timothy Callahan K9TGC, Robert Spratt N8TVU, Gary
Clark II KC8TND, Steve Ramsey KC8VDT. We
had great support from Butler County EMA Director Matt Haverkos who arranged
for several MARCS portable radios to supplement our amateur communications
plan.
OH-KY-IN ARS - Hamilton County (Whitewater Park optional
day) - Greg Wright KA8DME, Brian
Fulmer KC8FJN, Ed Frambes K8EAF, Pat Maley KD8PAT, Mike Niehaus KD8ZLB, Bryan Hoffman KC8EGV
Mongomery County ARES -
Mongomery County(Brookville, Dayton, Miamisburg – AC8G – Harry Flasher, K8UW –
Gary Mullins, KA5RUC – Robert Flory, KA8FGE – John Szkudlarek, KA8GOV – Cliff
Stumpff, KA8ZSB – John Hepner, KB8LWL – Don Chelman, KC8NPJ – Neal Morrisey,
KC8TND – Gary Clark (Net Control all 4 days), KD8KET – Ken Todd, KD8QZT – Steve
Martin, KD8SEI – Marvin Ratliff, KD8UPX – Jane Deeter, KD8YPY – Joe Binkley,
KD8ZKA – Matt Towne, KE8BGZ – Bill Kuntzman, N2TUJ – Shawna Collins, N8ADO –
Bob Baker, W8WGR – Gary Hamm, W9SAM – Gary Sammons.
Darke County Amateur Radio
Club and Preble Amateur Radio Club
73, Jeff , N8SUZ
****************************************************
NVIS DAY FINAL REPORT
After reviewing all the
reports several times, here’s how it all breaks down. Below is a synopsis of
the antennas used as they were reported.
To say there was a veritable plethora
of antennas used would be a gross understatement. Everything from the usual
dipole and inverted-v to even Double Bazookas, Collinear Arrays and Carolina
Windoms came into play. The one thing most had in common is they were designed
for NVIS, being used at low elevations from the ground … eight feet being the
lowest to an average of 16 feet with a few at 25 feet. It is difficult to
determine a real winner between any of them as no reference antenna was used,
and all were in different locations around the state. That said, on 40 meters
the inverted-v seemed to have a slight advantage over the dipole, however both
seemed to work more out of state contacts than in state which can be
attributable to band conditions. On 80 meters it was a toss-up between dipole
and inverted-v antennas, most likely due to all being used at low elevations.
The AS-2259 antennas seemed to work well for all who used them, especially when
the switch to 80 meters was made. Again it is difficult to declare a winner
between them and other antennas due to band conditions and locations across the
state.
Below is a listing of the
antennas that were reported: FT = FLAT TOP
80 Meters
FT Dipole – 6
Inv. V – 5
Loop – 2
40 Meters
FT Dipole – 7
Inv. V – 8
G5RV – 8
AS-2259 – 5
Windom – 2
Double Bazooka – 1
Collinear Array – 1
Vertical – 2
A full breakout of all of the
reports that came in can be found at:
http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/default.html in MS Excel or
Adobe Acrobat
That's
it..
73,
Lynn, W8MLL
****************************************************
THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak - TC
Hey Gang,
It’s been a busy month with
ham radio holidays and national holidays.
June was a great operating month for me as I had taken some time off
work after Dayton. Since I really hadn’t
been on the air the first half of the year, I spent a lot of time catching
up. Heck April I made a total of three
contacts. Bleh. I racked up 130 contacts including Field Day
and 17 National Park activations. As
usual I’m coming to the party late on NPOTA so I’m getting there. Our own Affiliated Clubs Coordinator John
KD8MQ has given many updates in past editions of the Journal; check them
out. More: https://npota.arrl.org/
I will tell you no matter
what you do for Field Day, you’re always going to have a good time. If you get together with a club or some
buddies, there are going to be good stories too. This year I took a different approach and decided
to operate as a 1D station. Still had a
good time. It gave me a chance to
refresh my memory and practice using the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and
filtering features of my radio. As one
would expect, there were stations all over the place. The bands weren’t that great either. I would hear a station but not clearly. I used different Automatic Gain Control (AGC)
settings, Noise Reduction, filters, Passband Tuning (PBT), the whole nine
yards. If I wasn’t hearing much scanning
around, I would go work on something else and come back later to work more
stations. In total made 30 contacts
mostly on 40m from the home QTH.
The following weekend was
Canada Day and the Independence Day holiday weekend. First up was the Radio Amateurs of Canada
(RAC) Canada Day contest on July 1st. Since I’m a station outside Canada, the
exchange was RST and serial number. The
serial number was the number of Canadian stations worked during the
contest.
I worked 14 stations total
over the 24 hour contest.
Then (of course) starting
Friday morning was the 13 Colonies Special Event. There is one station in each of the 13
original colonies and two bonus stations.
Bonus stations are Philadelphia where independence was declared and
England for the “British Standard” contact.
Things were going well for me. I
started out working 9 stations on Friday night and 5 on Saturday morning. Then nothing.
The British bonus station was eluding me. I kept trying when they were calling on sideband
but they never came back to me or by the time they went through the numbers and
got to 8 - they were down in the noise.
It wasn’t looking good. In
literally the 11th hour, I finally made contact with England on PSK for my
clean sweep! I’ll be sending away for my
certificate and sending out QSL cards soon.
If you worked any of the 13 colony stations, please support them by
making a donation or sending in for a certificate. Many stations took time out of their holiday
weekend to put on another successful event. More: http://www.13colonies.info/
Speaking of modes I haven’t
yet operated, the QSO Today podcast interviewed Art Towslee WA8RMC of
Westerville who is heavily involved with ATV (Amateur Television, sometimes
called Fast Scan TV). ATV uses video and
audio much like a commercial broadcast station.
In many ways you are operating from your own studio with a video camera,
microphone, lights, or other video sources.
In the podcast they about Art’s history, knowledge, and involvement in
projects to move ATV forward using Digital TV standards. With the introduction of Digital TV,
quadcopters and 4K resolution, ATV is becoming popular once again. Slow Scan TV in contrast is sending a single
still image over the air. More: http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/wa8rmc and https://atco.tv/
On a sad note that hits close
home, especially those in Cleveland. At
the end of July,
That’s about it for this
month. With the conventions going on in
the state, everyone please stay safe. As
I’m writing this a few days before the RNC, there are plenty of changes
happening in Downtown Cleveland: unmarked SUVs, helicopters flying around,
“Cell on Wheels” (COW, portable cell sites) popping up, temporary stages going
up, and TV equipment trucks. My company
has made previsions for us to work remotely.
Those with a P25 digital trunked capable scanner in the Cleveland area
will probably find most activity on the Ohio MARCS-IP (Multi-Agency Radio
Communications) and GCRCN (Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network)
systems. The old MARCS 3.5 legacy system
is going to be kept on-line as a backup to the MARCS-IP system. After the convention that system is expected
to be fully shutdown. No definitive word
on talk-groups to listen to but keep an eye to the Radio Reference Ohio forum
and frequency database pages as things gear up.
Thanks for reading and 73… de
Jeff – K8JTK
****************************************************
THE AFFILIATED CLUBS
COORDINATOR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC
Hi everyone, how was your
Field Day?
Hopefully, you stopped out to
a local site to lend a hand, or at least visit a bit. If you’re like Scott, N8SY, you visited
several sites. This year, I did no traveling. I hung out with my home club this
year. We had fun, but the final tallies will have to wait until after vacation.
In talking to the folks from
the Cuyahoga Falls ARC, it sounds like they had a great time. Interestingly,
they hold monthly Field Day meetings year round. It does show in their Field
Day operation. If you ever get a chance to visit with them at Field Day, find
Frank, W8EZT, and ask for the site tour. You will not be disappointed.
I’m program chair for the
Alliance ARC. July normally seems to be a poor month for meeting attendance.
This happens for various reasons, but for whatever reasons I normally don’t
schedule any programs for that meeting. I suspect that we aren’t the only ones
who have this issue.
Of course, there are
exceptions. Take the Massillon ARC for example. They go the extra mile to drum
up attendance for the July meeting. That’s the month for their Ice Cream
social. I’ve never been, but I hear it’s great!
Are you planning to head to
Columbus for the ARRL Ohio Section conference? It promises to be even better
this year. They have a new location (Aladdin Shrine Center, 1801 Gateway
Circle, Grove City, Ohio. I’m sure that Scott has already posted the itinerary,
but here again is the web address for the section Conference: http://arrl-ohio.org/conference/conference.html.
Kudos to the Lake County ARC.
According to Ed, KB8BKE, they have been activating the James A. Garfield NHS in
Mentor pretty about once a month this year. This is the kind of club activity I
keep preaching about. Meetings are necessary, but it’s more fun when clubs get
out and do something.
>> Editors Additional
Note.. Lake County ARC is averaging 300+
contacts per activation. This month they will be at the Garfield site on July
27th, from 10:00 until around 15:00 local on 20 & 40 meters (or until the
bands fade ). Contact Ed Kopcak KB8BKE-President, Lake County Amateur Radio
Association at kb8bke@arrl.net
And, let’s congratulate the
following clubs for some notable milestones.
>> The Bellbrook ARC
recently celebrated their 40th birthday, with an open house, and
Special Event station.
>> Happy 75th
anniversary to the Queen City Emergency Net.
>> Happy 25 years of
ARRL Affiliation to the Voice of Aladdin ARC.
>> Steubenville-Weirton
ARC celebrates 50 years of affiliation this month.
>> The Dial Radio Club
had its 75 year anniversary of affiliation in May.
And this wraps up my column
for July. Stay cool out there. 73 DE John, KD8MQ
73, DE KD8MQ
****************************************************
NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR
John Myers, KD8MQ - ACC
Hi NPOTA Junkies.
But, I read something this week on the NPOTA
Facebook reflector which bothers me. According to the account by Sean, KX9X, he
spent the better part of last Sunday smoothing things with an NPS administrator
who was receiving ultimatums from activators.
Come on, everyone, need I remind everyone that
we should be using the golden rule when dealing with NPS employees? The
impression that you leave them with can either help, or hinder our cause. Let’s
not be “That Guy”.
Moving on, here’s an excerpt from the July 7th
issue of the ARRL Letter:
>August 25 is the actual day of the
National Park Service's 100th anniversary. Many national parks around the
country will be celebrating with events and public outreach. For ham radio
operators, setting up a National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) activation would add
a nice flair to these celebrations. Reach out to a park and ask if they would
like to include a National Parks on the Air component to any Centennial
celebrations they are holding on August 25. If they say yes, then get ready for
an adventure<
By the time you read this I will likely be
back from vacation. Connecticut, and Massachusetts was awesome. In planning
possible sites to activate while on the road, I used the NPOTA + SOTA mashup. I
don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before. It’s an awesome map-based
directory of NPOTA sites. Courtesy of KJ6WEG, the NPOTA mashup is at http://www.spinmap.com/npota-sota/map.html. It shows NPOTA &
SOTA sites, and is just an awesome planning tool.
There’re a couple updates to the list. First,
Sean, KX9X reported to the Facebook audience that the status of Rainbow Bridge
National Monument (MN63) has been changed to "Ham Radio
Prohibited." Sad, but it is what it is.
Also, if you are planning to activate any
sites in the Washington DC area, Contact Sean, KX9X at least a week in advance.
He is the single point of contact for activations in the DC area. He will
forward you a form to fill out, and will forward the information to his contact
with the NPS Park Police in the DC area. He cautions that this is still not a
guarantee that you won’t be shut down in a rule infraction real, or perceived
is noted by the Park Police, or NPS Administration.
If you are making the trip to the ARRL Ohio
section Conference on August 6th, there will be a NPOTA forum
beginning at 10AM. The Moderator will be Eric, WD8RIF. Eric resides at the top
of the Ohio Activators list with well over 50 activations under his belt.
There’s sure to be a lot of good information coming out of that forum.
I usually recommend strongly that if you are
interested in NPOTA, and on Facebook, you really need to do yourself a favor,
and join the NPOTA Facebook group. Over the last several months, this has
morphed into not just a group, but a family. The most recent example showed up
this week, as Jess, W6LEN received a package of cookies from Emily, KB3VVE. The
number of members who are out there trying new modes, and having fun with Ham
Radio is just awesome!
And that’s it for this month. 73 all, and be
safe out there!
73, John, KD8MQ
****************************************************
THE SECTION EMERGENCY
COORDINATOR
Stan Broadway, N8BHL
The solid center line
Imagine for a moment standing
at a busy Interstate intersection, watching the traffic. As vehicles speed
past, they form a variety of groups:
semi’s, short-bed trucks, cars, SUV’s, motorcycles, pickups, cops, fire
trucks and so on. They may be local,
they may be from other states, occasionally from other countries. Drivers often
identify with their own favorite brand of vehicles (Fahd! Chebby!) with whole
boxes of ‘disdain’ for other vehicles. Drivers in those groups can form
sub-groups (Hemi!!, If you can’t shift it, you shouldn’t driiiive it!! Harleeey!!)
Some drivers are on the commercial level moving semi’s, driving cabs and
tow trucks, some even have converted commercial busses or trucks to be their
own personal vehicles. Some don’t really
care about any of that- they’re just…..driving.
Almost none of these drivers,
no matter what their personal preferences might be, actually gets the big
picture. They’re mad at the guy who
moved into “Their!!” lane, disgruntled at the traffic blockage, angry at the
slowpoke hogging the passing lane. We are getting older and tend to be, well,
rather surly at times just like the roads we travel. I’m sure that almost NONE
is considering that they are part of a massive, intricate, nationwide
transportation system that moves millions of cars each hour like blood cells
through this entire hemisphere.
Replace vehicles with radios.
Replace the highway system with our airwaves, traffic lanes with our modes of
transmission. The rest can pretty much stay as described. We identify with our
radio brand, with computer vs. analog, with one band vs. another band, with one
mode vs. another mode and with one group vs. another group. We have lost sight of the big picture- we are
all, together, using Amateur Radio for its intended purposes:
> A hobby promoting good
will
> A technical development
arena
> A means to serve the
public including in times of emergency
We have a wonderful
organization known as ARES – the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Is it
perfect? Not by a long shot. There are
universal issues to deal with: lethargy, aging members, training to keep up
with the changing role of managing emergencies. There are local issues: like
any local organization there is a need to adapt to fit the local situation. And
there seems always to be “that one guy”… you know the type. But again, we’re
part of the big picture, and the service performed is worthy of praise and
respect. Whatever you call it, we’re
functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.
Here’s a shocker- we are NOT
the only organization in Amateur Radio. We’re not even the only organization in
emergency stuff. Consider RACES. Now,
without getting too far into the debate, I’ve settled on the definition that
RACES is a service invoked ~after~ the President would shut down other radio
services. RACES members, under the control of EMA managers, can be directed to
send a specific message to a specific station over frequencies which may or may
not be in the amateur band. So if any
activity is carried out now (such as a parade or some public service) on the
ham bands it’s really Amateur Radio (not RACES specifically) being used. The
really good part about RACES is that it can place organizational responsibility
much closer to the EMA Director, and it’s easier to get government funding for
equipment. Whatever you call it, we’re
functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.
You’re figuring this out
aren’t you. There’s a whole lot of
digital RF going on such as MESH data and video over WiFi/Amateur shared
frequencies by both ad-hoc and very organized groups who devote their time to
developing the newer modes. MESH, or any of the “Chinese menu” of digital modes
are all being used for normal amateur radio but are they also being used for
public service? You bet! Same with HF nets (SATERN, Hurricane, Maritime, the
various *cars) and single operators. Whatever you call it, we’re functioning
within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.
So what’s this all
about? It’s simple: It’s time to step back and pull in our guns
and realize that just like the many different types of vehicles on a roadway,
there are many different pursuits in Amateur Radio. Yours is good for you, mine
is good for me. When it comes to serving the public especially in times of
emergency, it really doesn’t matter what hat we wear- what matters beyond our
own little kingdom is that it’s ~Amateur Radio~ serving our communities. But can we work together? You betcha! Is ARES a service your club can endorse and
participate in? You betcha! Can an ARES group partner with a MESH team and
handle an exercise? You betcha. Can ARES
operators, working in a RACES station, use Echolink and IRLP across the
Internet and a variety of repeater modes to link with distant club repeaters in
relaying emergency information? You betcha- and that’s what we’ll be doing with
The Sarge and the RNC. Whatever you call it, we’re functioning within the ham
bands as licensed amateur operators.
We of course have plans-
which MUST be drawn using the most common denominator. In an all-out emergency
we won’t have the luxury of many of these modes/services. So we plan for the
least, and make use of the most without limiting ourselves to only part of the
spectrum. My call is to stop being a
grump about your favorite mode or band, and let’s work together because after
all is said and done, it is Amateur Radio. Whatever you call it, we’re
functioning within the ham bands as licensed amateur operators.
73, Stan, N8BHL
****************************************************
THE PUBLIC INFORMATION
COORDINATOR
John Ross, KD8IDJ
2016
Ohio Section Newsletter Contest
The entries for the 2016 Ohio
Section Newsletter Contest are in, sorted, tabulated and by the time you read
this the winners will have been determined! But you'll have to wait until our
August meeting to find out the results!!
The process for me started
six months ago when the entries began arriving in my mailbox. I know I've said
this
before but just when I think I have seen the best...it gets
better. The judges will not have an easy job...they never have...and I wouldn't
want it any other way. This section, every club, has talented and committed
editors and writers who keep cranking out ham radio news every month. It's an
effort of passion, dedication and love for the hobby that I'm sure keeps them
going. In the process amateur radio as a whole benefits and keeps growing.
So...in advance...thanks for
all of the entries and CONGRATULATIONS!
Everyone is truly is winner.
Chasing
the International Space Station
I checked NASA's website and,
sure enough, it was right on time at 5:19 am. The next morning it was due a
litter earlier at 4:28 so I set up my handheld radios in an effort to make
contact. Didn't happen for several reasons. First, when NASA says ISS will be
available for 4 minutes...they mean from horizon to horizon...in my case from
southwest to northeast. I wasn't high enough to see the horizons so by the time
it passed over my house...I only a few seconds. I was also low on power
options.
I'll need to make contract
from my shack and rely on NASA's schedule when to start transmitting. I'll also
probably have to make this a daytime activity since the ISS crew is only
available during certain times.
Nonetheless, I'm as excited
about this as I was when I first got my license. This ham radio hobby is
full of surprises and challenges you don't expect and I'm sure that's what
keeps us going and growing.
I'll keep trying, tape
recorders running, and I'll let you know when I make contract.
In the meantime, if anyone
has done this successfully...please let me know and pass along any tips or
techniques that might help.
A
Busy August
August is a busy month for
the Ohio Section. The annual meeting and ham fest at the Aladdin Shrine's new
Grove City location...and a couple of great hamfest's
around the state.
Hope to see you all sometime
in August. Have a great summer...keep taking ham radio!
That's all for now...73 until
next month.
John, KD8IDJ
****************************************************
THE SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER
David Maynard, WA3EZN - STM
JULY 2016 NEWS
The 26th Annual Columbus
Hamfest will be held Saturday August 6th, 2016. The Aladdin Shrine Center, and
the Voice Of Aladdin Amateur Radio Club, again this year welcomes the ARRL Ohio
Conference http://arrl-ohio.org. The Aladdin Shrine Center has moved to 1801 Gateway
Circle in Grove City Ohio behind Tee Jayes Restaurant off Springtown Road. For hamfest information email W8FEZ@arrl.net or view their hamfest flier at http://www.columbushamfest.com/media/85578169eff67fe1ffff810effffe417.pdf (APRS Marker – W8FEZ). From Columbus, take I-71 South, to the first
exit past I-270. Exit at Stringtown Road and turn right, then take an immediate
right onto Marlane. Behind TJs restaurant. Follow Marlane to Gateway Circle.
The hamfest is held the 1st
Saturday of August, at the Aladdin Shrine Center. Vendor setup at 6 am, open to
the public from 8 am until 2 pm. Admission is $5, under 12 is free. Sell from your vehicle, or from the comfort
of a table inside. Flea market space is free with paid admission. Indoor space
includes a table and 2 chairs. First come first served.
There will be forums covering
a wide range of fun and interesting amateur radio topics, including the ARRL
Forum, and the Ohio Single Side Band semi annual meeting and VE Amateur Radio
Testing will be available.
Speaking of the Ohio Single
Sideband Net you can check into the Ohio Single Sideband Net on 3.9725 starting
at 10:30 AM , 4:15 PM and 6:45 PM daily.
More information and useful links can be found on the OSSBN website www.ossbn.org.
While on the subject of nets
check into some of these Ohio nets:
HF CW NETS NET TIMES
FREQUENCY NET MANAGERS
Buckeye Early 6:45 PM 3.580 WB8YLO
Buckeye Late 10:00 PM 3.590 WB9LBI
Ohio Slow Net 6:00 PM 3.53535 W8OLO
This time of year media
attention is usually focused on the east coast as tropical storms can spring up
and cause emergency situation. Or the
media focus is on massive fire storms in the western states, mass shootings
around the world or ravaging floods like those in Texas or West Virginia. But local emergencies usually get little
attention if any at all. If you get caught up in one of these local emergencies
like a floods, fires or tornadoes you know that to yourself these are far more
important to you than anything else that is going on.
If a disaster struck, would
your family be ready? Would your business be ready? Government cannot do this
for you. It takes the “whole community” to effectively prepare for, respond to,
and recover from a disaster. This includes your neighborhood and condo
associations, faith-based, volunteer and civic organizations, schools, and the
business community, as well as residents. Find out if there is a Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT) in your neighborhood and get the training. If there is not
a CERT, think about starting one. Contact your local emergency management
agency or fire department.
In addition, you need to
ensure that your plans include the needs of your family, children, seniors, the
disabled, and those who face poor health (mentally or physically). Taking
simple steps today could save lives and prevent suffering later.
Here are some tips to help
you to be prepared to protect you, your loved ones and your home..
WAYS TO PREPARE NOW
1. Make your disaster plan
2. Collect disaster supplies
3. Brace for weather ei.
hurricanes, floods, tornadoes ect.
4. Make an evacuation plans
5. Prepare to help your
neighbor
6. Make plans to keep your
pets safe
7. Make preparations to
protect your home
8. Review your insurance
policies
9. Read about disaster safety
tips
10. Know what to expect after
a disaster
There are many links on the
internet and some information on the ARRL website that have valuable
information about being prepared. Here
are a few links to get you started.
https://insurance.ohio.gov/Consumer/Publications/DisasterPreparationandRecoveryResourcesandNotes.pdf
And now a word from our
sponsor.
'Remember when disaster
strikes the time to preparation has passed” Steven Cyros
“We cannot stop natural
disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have
to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness” ~Petra Nencova
Wishing won't keep you safe
but preparation will.
That's it for this month.
Talk to you on the OSSBN.
73, David, WA3EZN
****************************************************
OUT AND ABOUT
Lyn Alfman, N8IMW - Assistant
Section Manager
I attended two club meetings,
one A.R.E.S. meeting, two Field Day meetings, two storage unit organization
sessions, two museum meetings, one Christmas meetings, and one Guernsey-Noble
County Long Term Recovery Committee. I ran two nets and checked into another
one. I attended five amateur radio lunches. I also helped with an
Adopt-A-Highway cleanup. Unfortunately,
I was unable to help park cars at the Relay 4 Life event in Guernsey County due
to transportation issues.
As the Cambridge Amateur
Radio Association’s PIO, I was extremely busy the first three weeks of June
getting the work about our Field Day out. I placed our Field Day location and
information on the ARRL Field Day locator, on the local radio and newspaper web
site event calendars, on our club web site. I sent out invitations to elected
officials and served agencies in Muskingum and Guernsey County. I solicited and received Amateur Radio Week
proclamations from the Mayor of New Concord, the Mayor of Cambridge, and the
Guernsey County Commissioners. I also
submitted a Field Day Press Release, which was published in the local
newspaper. Field Day was also announced on the local radio stations for three
days. Posters were placed on the local
public bulletin boards (yes, we still have those, and a lot of people check
them out every day). We also used some
high tech methods of communications about FD. Our Vice President and webmaster,
Nathan Roe, N8ROE, updated the club’s Facebook page with photos from the
site. Thanks, Nathan!
As the PIO, I conducted a
survey of the 15 guests that visited our FD site to learn how they became aware
of the event. Here are the results: 3
heard it on the radio or its web site; 5 read it in the newspaper or on its web
site; 4 saw it on a public bulletin board; 1 saw our signs by the roadside; and
2 heard it from another local ham. I had
no one visit due to receiving a written invitation or through our Facebook
page.
I spent the majority of my Field Day at the CARA (W8VP) Field Day
site. When I arrived at the site at 7 am Saturday morning, I unpacked the car,
and started to set up the information table, hang the banners, and prepare the
tables for the radio station set ups. I operated as well as
Don’t forget the Ohio Section
Conference in conjunction with the Columbus, Ohio, Hamfest will be August 6 at
the Aladdin Shrine Center in Grove City.
’73 Lyn, N8IMW
Remember to be Radio Active!
****************************************************
CENTRAL OHIO HAPPENINGS
From: Fritz Tender, WD8E -
Assistant Section Manager
This year I got a late start
due to attending the memorial of a longtime friend. I did manager to stop
at
Universal Radio Reynoldsburg , Lancaster Fairfield County
Radio Club Lancaster, and the joint CRES-ARC / Central Ohio Operators Klub
COOKEN Granville. I have to give credit to the folks operating at Universal. They
had several stations running solar power and the bands were not cooperating.
I hope they had better luck later in the evening. After having a nice
conversation with Fred (Universal proprietor) I heading to Lancaster.
Bands were not any better in
Lancaster than they were in Reynoldsburg but, that did not diminish
spirits. I had the opportunity to visit many of the tents and chat with
the operators one being Rod K1RQS. Before I left Rod agreed to help run
the "Refugee Tract" special event station July 2nd but that's another
story. Back to FD, contacts were sparse but conditions did seem to be
improving. I thanked the club and headed toward Granville.
I found CRES / COOKEN clubs
at Infirmary Mound Park Granville, their usual spot, it's a great hill top
location. I arrived just as Al WA8LBZ was finishing a talk on “spud guns”
they come in handy at FD shooting lines over trees. After the talk
everyone picked a station and got to work. I had a short discussion with
Steve N8WL but it was getting late so I apologized for the short visit and
drove in the direction of Newark.
As luck would have it the sun
was low in the sky and the gate to Horns Hill Park, FD site for the Newark
Amateur Radio Association, was closed. Sorry guys I tried.
I headed for home. I
hope everyone had a safe and fun 2016 FD. Lets hope for better conditions
in the future.
73, Fritz, WD8E
****************************************************
THE STATE GOVERNMENT
LIAISON
From: Nick Pittner, K8NAP – SGL
Parity Act Amendments
The increasing usage of
neighborhood agreements and deed restrictions (CC&Rs) in residential areas
has
limited the opportunities for many hams to enjoy their hobby. In response to this issue, the League has promoted legislation to
require condominiums and homeowners associations to afford “reasonable accommodation” for amateur
antennas, as FCC regulation PRB-1 has long-required for local governments
passing zoning regulations. The new
legislation, known as the “Parity Act” generated stiff opposition from the
lobby group for the homeowners associations, the “Community Associations
Institute” (CAI) and the League has negotiated a compromise with the CAI that addresses
some of the concerns it has raised.
Compromise can be messy, and
legislative compromise messier than most.
One word in the wrong place can change the way the legislation operates,
and significantly affect the rights of those impacted by the legislation. When
I heard that the League was in the process of working out a compromise with the
CAI, the red flags began to fly for me.
But, upon review of the compromise language it seems that our folks have
done a great job protecting the interests of amateurs and, if the compromise
ultimately moves the bill to passage, have won a great victory for all of us.
What follows is an analysis of that compromise.
> New Language. The new legislation includes changes both in
the Congressional Findings portion as well as changes to the substantive
portions of Section 3 of the Act. The
“findings” creates the framework for interpretation of the law by reciting the
circumstances that caused Congress to enact it in the first place. The revised
findings include three new paragraphs, all of which recognize the interests of
community associations in issues related to amateur antennas. The revised findings include statements
recognizing differences between zoning regulations, which are covered under
PRB-1, and the new legislation, which applies to private land-use regulations.
For example, the new Section 6 states, “There are aesthetic and common property
considerations that are uniquely applicable to private land use regulations and
the community associations obligated to enforce covenants, conditions and
restrictions in deed-restricted communities.
These considerations are dissimilar to those applicable to State law and
local ordinances regulating the same residential amateur radio
facilities.” It appears that the point
of the new language is to avoid the application of existing case law (which,
generally, favors amateurs) to disputes involving the interpretation of the new
law, which applies only to CC&Rs. The new “findings” language goes on to
state, “In recognition of these considerations, a separate Federal policy than exists at section 97.15(b) of title
47, Code of Federal Regulations, is warranted concerning amateur service
communications in deed-restricted communities.” Emphasis added.
Some of the compromise
language will bring heartburn to those hams who may want to have a serious DX
antenna installation in a deed-restricted setting. For example, the amendment states, “There
exist antenna designs and installations that can be consistent with the
aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and structures in community
associations while accommodating communications in the amateur radio
services.” While that may be true,
aesthetics and ham antennas don’t mix well, as many folks see antennas as
eyesores, not things of beauty. Just ask
my wife.
> Substantive Law
Changes. The essence of the Parity Act
is to override the prohibition of amateur radio and amateur radio antennas on
property controlled by community associations or otherwise restricted by deed
or covenant. Those provisions made it
through the amendment process and in one respect, the new language is actually
stronger that the language of the bill as introduced originally. The essence of the Act, as it will now read,
is:
Not later than 120 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission
shall amend section 97.15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, by adding a
new paragraph that prohibits the application to amateur stations of any private
land use restriction, including a restrictive covenant, that—
(1) on its face or as
applied, precludes communications in an amateur radio service;
(2) fails to permit a
licensee in an amateur radio service to install and maintain an effective
out-door antenna on property under the exclusive use or control of the
licensee; or
(3) does not constitute the
minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the lawful
purposes of a community association seeking to enforce such restriction.
These provisions
substantially mirror the current PRB-1.
> The Trade-offs. Apparently, the CAI got three “process” items
into the new law as part of the negotiations.
The first requires, as part of the FCC rule, that hams must notify and
obtain prior approval from a community association, if any, before installing
an outdoor antenna. The second permits a
community association to prohibit installation of any antenna or antenna
support structure on common property not under the exclusive use or control of
the licensee (ham). The third, which may ultimately become the most divisive
part of the new law if passed, permits community associations to “…establish reasonable
written rules concerning height, location, size and aesthetic impact of, and
installation requirement for, outdoor antennas and support structures…”. If the legislation passes as now drafted, the
disputes will focus on antenna size, location and support-- the right to have
an outdoor antenna being established by law.
> Who won? Compromise is often necessary to pass
legislation. In my experience, the goal
is to maintain the goals that you most want to achieve, while giving only
enough to eliminate the opposition.
Measured that way, the compromise bill has achieved the League’s goal in
admirable fashion. League publications
fail to indicate what, if any commitments were made by the CAI in exchange for
the compromise language, but we can certainly hope that the removal of
opposition from a key opponent will clear the way for ultimate passage of the
bill.
> What’s Next? The language of the amended bill, together
with the FCC regulation to follow will give hams rights they have never had
before and effectively eliminate regulations which ban amateur radio in
deed-restricted communities and condominiums.
As noted by Chris Imlay, ARRL General Counsel, “The bottom line, is that
if the bill is enacted, it would allow every amateur living in a deed-restricted
community — for the first time in the history of Amateur Radio in the U.S. —
the ability to install an effective outdoor antenna.” The compromise language does little more than
recognize reality: HOAs do have a legitimate interest in regulating the
community areas they govern, and that they can, and do protect that interest by
the adoption of regulations. Perhaps the
biggest winners will be those (relatively few) homeowners whose property is
subject to deed restriction, but who have no homeowner’s associations. In those cases, it would appear that the deed
restrictions simply give way to the new FCC rule.
But, it’s important to
recognize that there still remains opposition to overcome before the compromise
bill becomes law. I spoke with Dan
Henderson who is spearheading the League’s efforts, and he noted that the
window for passage in what remains of a presidential election years is small,
and closing rapidly. He also noted that
there are significant hurdles yet to be overcome, especially on the Senate
side, before passage. When the call
comes out from the League for additional support, as it certainly will, please
keep in mind that while significant progress has been made, a great deal of
work has yet to be done. Your help and
support has been critical to the progress thus far, and ultimate success may
well depend on an even-greater level of support in the final stages.
73, Nick, K8NAP
****************************************************
LET'S TALK
Scott Yonally, N8SY - Section
Manager
Hey Gang,
Summer is here for sure and
this means that we have two, yes TWO major national conventions in our state at
the exact same time. Add to that we have several major bicycle events and I’m
sure there’s also several county fairs, local parades and special events in all
four corners of our state.
>> Update on the Ohio
Homeland Security Credentialing System..
I know that I’ve written
about this numerous times over these past months, but until now there’s really
been no occasion to try this new credentialing system out. Like I said.. Until
Now.. This week we had a request to credential our folks that are
assigned to the Akron Chapter of the American Red Cross that will be there for
the RNC. So, now we have an event where we need to credential some of our
folks. And, as it has been with this new system, we seem to be the guinea pigs
for it. There were a few snags with their system when we went to enter the
data, but all in all, it did work and we now have a few of our folks CIMS
credentialed for this specific event. By the way, the RNC and NAACP Conventions
have been declared by the federal government as “National Special Security
Events” or NSSE for short.
This means that our resources
are really being tested for sure. This is what we’ve practice for. This is why
we ALL have taken those dreaded/boring ICS courses. This is what WE are all
about. I greatly appreciate and personally thank each and every one of you for
your dedication, volunteerism, and willingness to learn and apply that
knowledge freely to all of our citizens in this great state!
Now, switching bands to
another subject..
Field Day.. Yes, it’s over
for this year, but I know several clubs out there that are already planning on
Field Day 2017! I got to visit 14 sites
and drove 986 miles in that 24 hour period. I was exhausted and STUFFED by the
end. I really thank all of you for your wonderful hospitality and fantastic
food. We won’t even discuss how much weight I put back on. Fear not, I fasted
afterward.. I had to, I was too full to even think about wanting to eat.
Field Day Pictures.. If you
haven’t taken a look, I have a lot of pictures from many of the Field Day sites
posted in a gallery. Hey, one of those pictures may be of you! You can find this gallery at:
http://arrl-ohio.org/fd/index.php This gallery also allows you to down load
any picture to your computer as well..
Now, moving down the band to
some other subjects..
Have you seen the NEWEST
“Handbook Giveaway” drawing on the website yet? It’s there..!! To enter the
drawing all you need to do is fill in a couple of boxes on the form.. (your
name and email). That’s you need to do to be entered into a drawing to win a
2016 ARRL softcover Handbook. There’s nothing else required (Oh.. You do need
to be a resident of Ohio to win..) The
winner will be mailed the Handbook at my cost. This is being offered just to see
how many folks are really checking in on the website. Got the idea? Best of
luck to you!!
Are you getting those emails
from me? If not, all you have to do is to
“Opt-In” to receive them. Heck, just
send me an email n8sy@n8sy.com I’ll
get you added to the mailing list. There’s a link to do this on the Ohio
Section website, it’s on the bottom left corner.. For your convenience, here’s
a direct link to it:
http://arrl-ohio.org/forwarder/forwarding.html I urge all of
you to make sure that everyone, regardless of whether they are a League member
or not, get signed up for one of these options. You can always “Opt-Out” at any
time if you feel this is not what you were expecting.
Let’s shift bands once
again..
Let’s talk about the Ohio
Section Website.. You can find the Ohio Section Website at:
http://arrl-ohio.org If you don’t
have this website set as your home page, I urge you to do so. It changes a lot
and it’s so important for you to be kept up to date with the very latest
information.
Switching bands once again.. HEY,
there’s another NEW – one question – questionnaire on the Ohio Section Website!
This question is really important for me to know.. It will only take about 2
seconds for you to answer it, and you can see how your answer stacks up with
others instantly. If you haven’t done it yet, please do.. I really want to hear
from you.
Are you a member of the
ARRL?? If you aren’t a League member, this is a great opportunity to become
one. Want more information on how to join? Here’s the link: http://www.arrl.org/membership-levels. There’s even a 90 day FREE trial that you can apply
for if you’ve never been a member.. Got questions about being a member or what
the League is all about? Send me an email..n8sy@n8sy.com I’ll be happy to call or write
to you. We can even meet and have coffee if you’d like.. and I’ll buy!!
One last spin of the dial..
Now August 6th is when we
will have the ARRL Ohio Section Conference in conjunction with the Columbus Hamfest.
There are a number of great forums scheduled and I’m sure you’ll want to attend
them all. The ARRL Forum will also be when the 25th Annual Newsletter winners
will be announced. And, it will also be when I announce the 22nd recipient of the
Allan Severson Award. I’m sure all of you will want to be there when that is
announced for sure!!
Lastly.. I’m always available for you, whether you’re
an ARRL member or not. If you have any questions, concerns or would just like
to sit and chat awhile. Call or write
me (419) 512-4445 or n8sy@n8sy.com
That’s going to do it for this
month. I hope to see you all at your hamfest, club meetings or on the air!
73, Scott, N8SY
****************************************************
THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER
COORDINATOR
John Perone, W8RXX
Our hard working OOs in Ohio
spent a total of 968 hours during the month of June monitoring the bands.
There were two (2) OO
cards sent.
With field day in June that
is great...
73, John, W8RXX
****************************************************
WEBSITE STATS – ** arrl-ohio.org
**
JUNE 2016
Pages
|
Hits
|
Bandwidth
|
330,736
|
491,121
|
1.06
GB
|
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SPECIAL EVENTS STATIONS IN
OHIO
08/12/2016
| Daniel Emmett Days
Aug
12-Aug 13, 1600Z-2200Z,
K8EEN, Mount Vernon, OH.
Mt Vernon (OH) Amateur Radio
Club.
21.340 21.340 14.240 7.240
3.840.
QSL Mt. Vernon Amateur Radio Club,
atn: Sec N8IBR, PO Box 372,
Mount Vernon, OH 43050.
The Mount Vernon ARC will be
operating special event station, K8EEN, to celebrate musician and songwriter,
Daniel Emmett's Birthday. Emmett was born in Mt Vernon, Ohio, and is famous for
writing the song "DIXIE" among many others. All frequencies will be plus
or minus up to 20 kcs depending on QRM. We will be operating one band at a
time, running from 1600 UTC until at least 2200 UTC each day.www.mvarc.net
08/20/2016
| Carnation Festival
Aug
20, 1600Z-2000Z,
W8LKY, Alliance, OH.
Alliance Amateur Radio Club.
14.250 14.035 7.240 7.035.
Certificate & QSL. John
Myers, 910 W Mill St,
Alliance, OH 44601.
Other frequencies & Modes
as circumstances permit.
****************************************************
OHIO HAMFEST CALENDAR
07/16/2016 | NOARSfest 2016
Location: Elyria, OH
Sponsor: Northern Ohio
Amateur Radio Society
07/17/2016 | Van Wert Hamfest
Location: Van Wert, OH
Sponsor: Van Wert Amateur
Radio Club
08/06/2016 | Columbus Hamfest
& ARRL Ohio Section Conference
Location: Grove City, OH
Sponsor: Voice of Aladdin
Amateur Radio Club (W8FEZ)
08/13/2016 | MARA's 5th
Annual Swapmeet
Location: Miamisburg, OH
Sponsor: Mound Amateur Radio
Association
08/21/2016 | Cuyahoga Falls
ARC's Eighth Annual Tailgate Hamfest
Location: Stow, OH
Sponsor: Cuyahoga Falls
Amateur Radio Club
****************************************************
eof..