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ARRL Arkansas Section (AR)Section Manager
J. M. Rowe, N5XFW 128 Carnation Pl Hot Springs National Park, AR 71913-9012 501-767-9492 n5xfw@arrl.org |
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ARVARF NEWS- The President’s Message- What?!! It’s November Already? I’m still eating Halloween candy! The Technician License class has been doing great. Steve Felkner has done a wonderful job teaching and we all look forward to these new members joining us. The big radio contest that was at the BAT October 25th was a great success. Our guests enjoyed their time and my friend Amy has been poking pencils in me so I can hurry up and set the next contest up. We have our annual election for the ARVARF coming up. Are you ready? I personally would like to thank the whole club for having me as President. I have enjoyed everything that we have done together and I have learned quite a lot. With Thanksgiving fast approaching us, I wish everyone a safe and cheerful holiday with family and friends. Thank You, Sonia Picado KE5EIW. -- ARES/RACES REPORT-- Our ARES/RACES unit participated in two exercises in the last month. In October, we participated in the ANO/Health Dept evacuation exercise. N5UNM, KE5CUY, KE5EIW, and K5CS, and N1BJP set up at the Hector reception center. We set up next to the Red Cross registration desk, and our main function was to communicate with other reception centers to help families get back together, and also any other messages that anyone needed to pass. Normally, cell phones are the main means of communication between centers, and they can easily be overwhelmed in a widespread emergency. N5UNM, W5RZ, and N1BJP were inside the building and used only HT’s. KE5EIW, KE5CUY, and K5CS had mobile rigs in the parking lot and relayed for us. K5CS had an APRS node in his vehicle and passed messages and position back and forth with WB5BHS in Russellville. I had a packet node in my truck with a Kantronics KPC-3 TNC, a 50 watt mobile and an omni antenna up 15 feet. This way, messages from the HT stations inside the gym could make it to the outside world. The packet station inside the gym was an HT with a very old Tandy 200 portable computer. Everything worked well but having so many stations on 2 meters in a small space caused some interference at times. N2WV was at the Pope County EOC to handle traffic for county government, and N4OWB acted as net control and liaison with the HF net. A message was relayed from the Hector reception center to the Section Emergency Coordinator, N5XFW, via 2 meters and HF. On November 9th, we participated in the Arkansas Simulated Emergency Test. The SET is sponsored by the ARRL and is a nationwide test of emergency communications capability. Again, N4OWB did a great job as net control and HF liaison. KE5EIY and KE5CUY sent tactical traffic on the net and practiced using tactical callsigns. A repeater failure was simulated and many stations were able to communicate by simplex. Several, including me, had to look in the instruction book to see how to put my rig on simplex! I had the usual simplex frequencies, such as 146.52, in memories, but not 146.82 simplex. Next time, I’ll have a cheat sheet handy and also program 146.82 simplex into a memory channel. It would be nice if all of us knew how to operate our rigs, but unfortunately, the manufacturers make it difficult to navigate the menu systems without some kind of instructions. 73, Dennis W5RZ BARC News- Batesville ARC finished 7th overall in Class 2A for Field Day 2008! NG5M/KD5J finished overall first in Arkansas and the Delta Division! Thanks to all the operators K5UZ, WB5FDP in the CW trailer, WA5NFC, K5UC, WB5OAQ, KD5J in the SSB trailer, KE5NZZ, KE5NZY, KE5SOF, KE5NZV, KE5TNH and all the kids for those bonus points. A special thanks to KD5WSL and KE5JMO for set up, repairs, fabrication and keeping it all running! A very special thanks to Joe WA5NFC for having us up at the farm! Next year, Number One again! The KD5HPK 147.225 machine now has a functioning IRLP link! We are now gatewayed to the world on 2m! We look forward to having wide area 2m nets. CAUHF News- We welcome Central Arkansas UHF Group as our newest ARRL affiliated club in Arkansas. These guys are the cosponsors and proponents of the Ark Links repeater linking system. Also, they cosponsored the Oct 6 NWS Storm Spotters class statewide at the ADOH/Ark. Hospitals. Welcome aboard gang! Look for good things to happen from this new group! Congrats folks, you’ve come a long way in three years! Faulkner Co. ARC News- The BSA Quapaw Area Council had their Fall 2008 Camporee at Burns Park in North Little Rock on Saturday, October 11, 2008. About 500 scouts and several hundred visitors attended the event whose theme was "Emergency Preparedness." Displays include fire and rescue, MEMS, and MEDIVAC, etc. The FCARC was represented by Wayne Johnston (KD4TA) and Bill McIntire (KC5ECB). Wayne set up his Field Day GOTA station, complete with 2m, 20m, and 20m digital antennas. A continuous demonstration of PSK31 using Digipan 2.0 software to simultaneously translate a dozen QSOs caught the boys attention. Bill brought the "Mother of all Solar Panels" -- forty (yes 40) panels provided 5,000 watts of power for the station and other exhibits. Photos of the panel and event will be on the FCARC website. That same solar panel is currently being used to provide electrical power to a construction site for a 4,000 square foot solar house. John Nordland (AD5FU) is teaching a combined Technician / General ham radio class for home schooled students at the Faulkner County Library in Conway on Wednesday afternoons. (A family who has several members taking the class attended the FCARC meeting.) John Nordland (AD5FU) reported successful communications support for the Arkansas Traveler 100 mile foot race on Saturday and Sunday, October 5, 2008. One of the aid stations was vandalized by disgruntled hunters (apparently) while other runners were forced off the road by a driver (vehicular assault). One of those runners suffered a twisted ankle or knee jumping out of the way. Another runner became disoriented from dehydration at the 96 mile point and fell into a ravine where he was discovered by searchers midway between the Pumpkin Patch (with ATV) and Crossroads checkpoints. John Nordland (AD5FU) and family, Perry Carleton (AE5EE), David Turner (KD5JKX) and Jim Grinder (N5TSG) supported the race. FSAARC News- FSAARC October 19, 2008 meeting at Columbus Acres Meeting called to order by Jimmie Lowrey, W5JNL. Motion by Jim Melvin to accept the September meeting minutes as published, second by Chuck Foley. Motion passed. Treasurer’s Report - No official treasurer report for the month of September. Mike Bell, K5JMB, reported several memberships and normal expenditures. October will have several expenditures due to the purchase of the antennas and the cost of the picnic.Old Business: Repeater – Wayne Johnson, W5OFN, reported the DVR is currently being worked on. Net – Mike Cole, W5TMC, reported everything OK New Business – nominations for new officers. The Board of Directors is to nominate one person for each office, which they will meet and present at the November business meeting. Nominations were accepted from the floor as follows: President – Jimmie Lowrey, W5JNL Vice President – Jim Melvin, KE5FEP Secretary – Deborah Kee, K5KEE Treasurer – Marcie Melvin, KE5FOJ . David Overton, K5DFO, made a motion the nominations be closed, second by Mike Cole, W5TMC. Voting will take place at the November meeting. Activities Chairman, Mike Cole, reported the Winter Banquet will be held on Monday Dec. 15th at 6:00 pm at Logan’s restaurant on Rogers Avenue. Currently Logan’s offers 2 for the price of 1 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Menu items run around $13-$14 plus drinks and gratuity. Everyone will order off the menu and will be responsible for their own purchases. Mike asked if possible the club would allow $200 to purchase door prizes to be given away at the banquet. Mike Melvin made a motion to allow the purchase of door prizes up to $200.00, second by Larry Rogers, N5BRD. Motion passed. John Samuels made a motion to give Casey Johnson, K5CAJ and Stacey Johnson, KE5EJT, a 2008/2009 FSAARC membership in appreciation for their work on the antennas, second by Wayne Johnson. Motion passed. Mike Bell made a motion the meeting adjourn. Motion passed.