CQ CQ CQ .. calling all amateur radio operators

[linuxgeek]

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Amateur Radio responding to latest Indonesian earthquakes (Mar 29, 2005) -- Soejat Harto, YB6HB, and Zulkarman Syafrin, YC6PLG, were among Indonesian Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers and a medical team deployed to Nias Island March 28 following earthquakes that have claimed upward of 2000 lives. At least two major underwater earthquakes near Nias Island in the northern Sumatra region occurred March 28. The first was a magnitude 8.2 earthquake. The second, which occurred nearly simultaneously with the first but at a slightly different site, was measured at magnitude 8.7. There have also been several smaller tremors. Harto is a medical doctor and a vice chairman of the Organization of Amateur Radio for Indonesia (ORARI) of North Sumatra Province, while Syarfrin is an IARES member. Nias Island is about 350 miles southeast of the epicenter of the December 2004 earthquake that generated a disastrous tsunami. Telecommunications and electrical power in parts of several cities in North Sumatra Province have been out since the December tsunami, and the latest events cut off regular telecommunications between Nias Island and the rest of Indonesia. Numerous underwater earthquakes have occurred along Sunda Trench--the boundary between the Australia Plate and Sunda Plate.--Wyn Purwinto, AB2QV

 

[linuxgeek]

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Amateur Radio Links Earthquake-Stricken Island with Outside World

NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 30, 2005--Working under harsh conditions, Indonesian Amateur Radio Emergency Service (IARES) volunteers have established VHF links between earthquake-stricken Nias Island and northern Sumatra. Organization of Amateur Radio for Indonesia (ORARI) headquarters in Jakarta this week called on all ORARI members to be ready to assist Nias Island--hit March 28 by magnitude 8.2 and 8.7 earthquakes--and to secure both VHF and HF frequencies for emergency traffic. An ORARI team now has set up at the Indonesian Public TV tower near Gunung Sitoli, the largest city on Nias Island, and now is in contact the ORARI District 6 command post in Medan in Sumatra. The ORARI team that helicoptered in March 29 already had experience supporting communication following the December 2004 tsunami that claimed an estimated 300,000 lives.

In the earthquake's immediate aftermath, IARES members reportedly were on duty with little or no food to eat, although they did have drinking water. At that point, many victims had not yet been evacuated, and some remained trapped in the debris. More than 1000 people are reported to have died as a result of the earthquakes. The tremors affected some of the same areas as the December earthquake and tsunami. Although officials and residents remained on alert for possible tsunamis this week, none have occurred.

ORARI team members include Zulkarman Syafrin, YC6PLG, and Herman Rangkuti, YC6IQ. Syafrin reports that the earthquake damaged the power, telecommunication and transportation infrastructure or took them out altogether on Nias island. Buildings in Gunung Sitoli were reportedly flattened and roads severely damaged or impassable. The team has been using portable generators, but to conserve scarce fuel it's been restricting contact off the island to every two hours. ORARI District 6/Northern Sumatra Chairman T. Awal Ali, YB6HA, has pledged to supply more logistical and radio equipment, while Ady Susanto, YB6VK, in Medan, is preparing a set of solar cells for use by the IARES team in Gunung Sitoli.

The March 28 quakes--and several smaller tremors--shook Sumatra Island and many smaller islands surrounding it, including Nias--the closest island to the epicenter. A magnitude 6.3 aftershock occurred in the same vicinity on March 30.--Wyn Purwinto, AB2QV

 

[linuxgeek]

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Volunteers needed for endangered bat research (Apr 4, 2005) -- ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, is asking radio amateurs in the Northeast to assist in a wildlife radio-tracking project from mid-April to early May. "The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is placing tiny VHF radio transmitters on Indiana bats--an endangered species--as they leave their winter homes in two caves," Moell says. "The goal is to track them to determine their summer habitat." According to wildlife technician Carl Herzog, AB2SI, 40 bats will be trapped, tagged and released as they emerge from a cave in Watertown, as will another 20 in the Kingston area. Possible destinations are in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ontario and Quebec. Initial tracking will be by aircraft. When breeding locations are determined, the bats' activity will be monitored from the ground as they form maternity colonies of 50 to 200 females and move in swarms from tree to tree every few days. Volunteers are sought for this phase of the study too. The tiny transmitters are on six spot frequencies between 150 and 151 MHz. Each sends a very short pulse every second or so, which maximizes battery life, which is about three weeks. Herzog expects the bats to emerge around April 15, but he notes that the exact date will depend on the weather--and especially the temperature. Moell says that although scanner receivers can pick up tag signals when very close, a receiver with SSB/CW capability will give optimum range. "Volunteers with high fixed antennas and computer logging equipment in their homes may be able to detect flyover and roosting," he said. "A simple Yagi made from measuring tape and a sensitive portable receiver will suffice to go into the field for direction-finding. Visit Moell's Homing In Web site for project updates--including frequencies when available. The site also has additional information on biological radio tags and the best equipment to monitor them and do field tracking.

http://www.homingin.com/

 

[linuxgeek]

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This is a Drill! ARES Supporting Red Cross Participation in TOPOFF3

NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 4, 2005--There's been an explosion in New London! The drill is on! The drill is on! Those words via a VHF tactical net shortly before 1:30 PM local time April 4 alerted Connecticut Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers that TOPOFF 3 was under way there. Connecticut ARRL Section officials and ARES members have been preparing for the congressionally mandated exercise for about a year. The TOPOFF 3 scenario depicts a complex terrorist campaign that began earlier in the day in New Jersey--the other state serving at a TOPOFF3 site--with an apparent biological attack and eventually expands to an international scale. Some 150 ARES members from Connecticut and other states in the Northeast are on hand to support the American Red Cross, which has the main responsibility for mass care under the National Disaster Plan. ARRL Connecticut Section Emergency Coordinator Chuck Rexroad, AB1CR, says part of the drill is to expect the unexpected.

"Anything can happen," said Rexroad, who--along with ARRL Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC--was among those staffing an ARES marshaling or staging area at the Chesterfield Fire Station, not far from New London. "They have what they call 'red cards' that can inject something unexpected into the drill," Rexroad continued. "They could tell us this building just went away that we're sitting in, and all the equipment is gone. We'd have to go somewhere else and start over."

Doane explained that such surprises may involve personnel as well. "Somebody might come up to one of us and say, 'You just broke your leg,' and we have to react to that."

Something unanticipated really did happen as activity was ramping up. With the Connecticut phase of the drill set to start in about an hour, a crucial VHF repeater went down. A backup soon was on its way to the site. Rexroad says a lot of redundancy was built in during the planning stages.

"Every piece of equipment has at least one backup, and most of them have two, because a lot of the equipment here is somewhat optional," Rexroad explained. The volunteers at the staging area had set up equipment for HF through UHF and included provisions for packet and APRS. Volunteers provided their own mobile transceivers and antennas for deployment to provide communication for Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs).

In addition to outfitting Red Cross ERVs with communications gear, volunteers are staffing fixed or temporary sites or shadowing Red Cross officials. ARES also will be ready to provide back-up communication support the Connecticut Office of Emergency Management, he said.

Rexroad says extensive training--including the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications courses--in the months and weeks leading up to TOPOFF3 has already paid off. "The Level 1 training is especially helpful, because it gives everyone a common base to work from," he said.

Doane agreed. "I have seen people take the Level 1 course who were very experienced in communications National Traffic System (NTS), and they still learned something," she said. "Everyone is going to use their skills. I don't often go out on an ARES event--I've been an NTS operator for years--and this has been a wonderful opportunity to apply what I learned." The Connecticut Section also conducted its own extensive training for TOPOFF3, in part so volunteers would be familiar with the national incident management system and incident command system the drill and many served agencies now employ. Several ARRL Headquarters staffers are among the ARES volunteers taking part in TOPOFF3 support for the Red Cross.

Sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security and intended as a realistic test of the nation's homeland security system, TOPOFF3's goal is to push the system of first responders beyond their limits. Doane pointed out that participants don't have all the details. "It's like an emergency, but it's unlike an emergency," she said, "because we have to plan, because we're being evaluated on this drill."

Rexroad says ARES doesn't know who the evaluators are. "They could be sitting out there with scanners right now," he said. "We don't know for sure."

He and Doane note that one of the conclusions from TOPOFF2--the last major exercise of this type--was that Amateur Radio should have been utilized after communications circuits had became saturated. "So this time, the Department of Homeland Security is looking at Amateur Radio and how we operate and how effective we are."

A participant in the post-September 11, 2001, response at the Pentagon, Rexroad said cellular telephones and other conventional communication systems broke down there for about one week, and Amateur Radio proved to be the sole means to support The Salvation Army's on-site communications.

Rexroad and his crew at the staging site installed an HF dipole, and ARES plans to employ NTS HF circuits to send traffic to national Red Cross officials as well as to other ARRL Field Organization Personnel.

By late Monday, several hours into the drill, Rexroad reported that some 45 ARES volunteers had been deployed to the field to support the Red Cross. "We are their only communications," he noted.

 

[linuxgeek]

April QSO Parites:

Georgia QSO party: April 9-10 http://gqp.contesting.com/

Michigan QSO party: April 16 http://www.miqp.org/

Florida QSO party: April 23-24 http://www.floridaqsoparty.org

 

[linuxgeek]

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Amateur Radio's Role in TOPOFF 3 Draws Praise

NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 6, 2005--As the active, on-the-ground portion of the massive TOPOFF 3 homeland security exercise winds down, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Connecticut are continuing their support of the American Red Cross. Sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security and intended as a realistic test of the nation's homeland security system, TOPOFF 3's goal is to push the system of first responders beyond their limits to find the weak spots. ARRL Connecticut Section Emergency Coordinator Chuck Rexroad, AB1CR, said today that not only does he believe Amateur Radio has acquitted it self very well during the first three days of the drill, the American Red Cross apparently does as well.

"I got a note from the Red Cross disaster manager saying, 'You guys are doing a fantastic job, and we really appreciate everything you're doing,'" Rexroad reported. "We certainly were--and still are at this point--their only communications between all of their local feeding vehicles, their kitchen, their headquarters and anywhere else they want to communicate to."

Given main responsibility for mass care under the National Disaster Plan, the Red Cross called on Connecticut ARES to provide radio communication for TOPOFF 3. Rexroad says that while he hasn't compiled final statistics yet, ARES volunteers have been able to staff simultaneously 10 emergency response vehicles, one logistical vehicle, four stationary locations and a net control station plus a couple of supplementary positions.

In all, as many as 40 of the 150 ARES volunteers from Connecticut and other states in the Northeast who turned out have been deployed to the field at any given time, and everyone got to take part at some point. "Everybody had a job to do," Rexroad said. "Everyone had at least one shift when they were able to get on the radio and provide communications support."

The Connecticut TOPOFF 3 began with a bang--an explosion in New London meant to simulate a terrorist attack. "Loud enough that the organizers passed out earplugs for the media gathered on the bluffs above," recounted ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP--a former Connecticut SEC and current ARES member.

Visual realism was very much a part of the $16 million exercise--the largest federal drill ever held, and prospective ARES volunteers were cautioned in advance. "As the mushroom cloud of smoke drifted away," Pitts said, describing the explosion's immediate aftermath, "hundreds of gory victims processed into the site to assume positions of death and agony." Pitts says Amateur Radio's real work only began in earnest after the media also drifted away, once the smoke and simulated blood were gone.

Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, praised the professionalism the ARES ranks have demonstrated, and she credited the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications courses and other training with raising the overall level of operating skill--even among newer operators.

"There were a few new people that were assigned to be observers, and before the end of the drill ended up trained well enough to be an operator on an ERV," she said. "I have to tell you, I was impressed, and I think I'm pretty critical about that, having done this for a long time."

TOPOFF 3 required those involved to be ready for unexpected events, and the ARES operation wasn't spared. "The only big curveball we got thrown was when one of the judges decided they were going to take one of our repeaters down, so we were told that would no longer be available to us," Rexroad explained. But Connecticut ARES was ready for such an eventuality and was able to switch to a backup repeater already written into its planning. Ironically, a genuine repeater breakdown occurred April 4, just before the exercise got under way.

Rexroad and Doane agreed that TOPOFF 3 has been a learning experience for ARES. Lessons learned. "We learned a fair number of lessons, and most of them were organizational, not technical, in nature," Rexoad remarked. Citing an example, Doane said the ARES team refined its tracking procedure on the fly to make it work more smoothly.

"I think we were well-prepared, we tried to anticipate where the positions would be, tried to serve the American Red Cross, our main served agency who invited us, as well as we could in terms of complying with their needs," Doane commented. "I think we've done that. Anytime we asked for a resource, it came through. It was wonderful!"

Rexroad says Connecticut ARES also prepared to assist the Connecticut Office of Emergency Management and actually activated several of its stations to show the state officials that it had the back-up coverage in case they needed it. While ARES didn't handle any drill-related message traffic for OEM, they did pass voice and packet messages to demonstrate ARES' capability to do so.

A bioterrorism incident was the scenario in New Jersey--the only other TOPOFF 3 site. Emergency officials there not only were key to the exercise, they had real problems owing to flooding in the northern part of the state. ARES teams in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania participated in the flood emergency response and relief effort.


http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0594.xml

 

[linuxgeek]

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Florida United Way arm recognizes ARES/RACES team (Apr 12, 2005) -- The Volunteer & Community Resource Center (VCRC), United Way of Martin County, Florida, has named Martin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (ARES/RACES) as "Champions of the Community." The award recognizes the team's efforts during the ARRL holiday toy drive in support of the VCRCs White Doves Holiday Project as well as ARES/RACES emergency communication contributions. Amateur Radio clubs and individual hams donated thousands of toys to the campaign, aimed at brightening the holidays for children left homeless or displaced by the spate of hurricanes that ravaged Florida last year. The VCRC distributed toys and food to more than 1300 families last December. "The groups recognized by this award helped our community in so many ways on so many levels--locally, nationally, in disaster response and with an outpouring of gifts," said Diane Tomasik, the VCRC's associate director. "Locally, VCRC and the Martin County ARES/RACES have forged a strong partnership through an effort to recruit and train more Amateur Radio operators. Through this partnership, VCRC has been constantly impressed by the level of commitment and caring demonstrated by this group of volunteers who provide an emergency communications system when all else fails." Martin County Emergency Coordinator Steve Blary, N1XC, accepted the Champions of the Community award on behalf of his fellow ham radio operators April 7. "Thanks to everyone for a job well done before, during, and after the hurricanes!" he said afterward.

 

[linuxgeek]

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ARES-RACES teams activate in wake of flooding (Apr 12, 2005) -- ARES-RACES teams in Pennsylvania and New York were among those activating after torrential rainfall over the April 2-3 weekend caused rivers to overflow their banks. In the Matamoras, Pennsylvania, area the Delaware River (photo) crested at nearly 4.5 feet above flood stage, reports Pike County Emergency Coordinator Tom Olver, W2TAO, who lives just across the river in New York. He said nearly 200 houses were damaged, deemed uninhabitable or destroyed altogether. The flooding also closed roads and even washed out some of them. ARES members provided communication support at Red Cross shelters in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and Orange County, New York. Not far away in Port Jervis and Goshen, New York, Pike County ARES members assisted at emergency operation centers. One radio amateur not affiliated with ARES who set up to provide communication from a Red Cross shelter in Port Jervis earned praise from a shelter worker for helping to keep the evacuees informed. Upward of two dozen radio amateurs volunteered, reports Orange County, New York, Emergency Coordinator Steve Fleckenstein, N2UBP. In Columbia County in Central Pennsylvania, EC and RACES Radio Officer Randy Kishbaugh, N3JPV, reports an ARES-RACES net was activated when the Susquehanna and other rivers flooded. ARES provided Red Cross shelter communications and reported river levels and road closures to state and local emergency management agencies. “This was a truly great effort by everyone,” Kishbaugh said. He reported 20 net check-ins during nine hours of operation. Members of the Endless Mountains Amateur Radio Club in Wyoming County got some complimentary ink in the Wyoming County Press Examiner after county Emergency Management Director Gene Dziak commended the radio amateurs for helping to facilitate communication among various agencies responding to the flooding.
[ Steve Fleckenstein, N2UBP, Photo Flooding in Pike County, Pennsylvania, threatened the welcome center off Interstate 84.]

 

[linuxgeek]

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World Amateur Radio Day 2005 is Monday, April 18 (Apr 15, 2005) -- The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and its member-societies representing more than 150 countries around the globe celebrate World Amateur Radio Day each year on April 18 to mark the anniversary of the IARU's founding in 1925. The theme for this year's 80th anniversary celebration is "Expanding the World of Wireless Communications." Amateur Radio operators have been the leaders in developing many of today's electronic and communication marvels. The pioneering work in radio and electronic technologies early amateurs first explored provided the groundwork for the nearly ubiquitous "wireless" devices and digital technology we often take for granted. Many leading electrical engineers have drawn from their practical experience as Amateur Radio operators in contributing to the development of modern radio and television technology, two-way radios, adaptive antennas and many other innovations. That trend continue as today's radio amateurs explore new frontiers. Amateur Radio experimenters are finding new ways to use frequencies at the fringes of the radio spectrum, to merge radio and Internet technology and to experiment with ultra-high-speed digital communication. Although they're not compensated, ham radio operators are "amateurs" in name only, because their skills and contributions to the world have been--and continue to be--of the highest order. Since 1925, the IARU has been instrumental in coordinating and representing Amateur Radio activities around the world. Learn more by visiting the IARU Web site.

http://www.iaru.org/

 

[linuxgeek]

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Seventh Grader Takes Best in Show with Ham Radio Science Project

When James McDowell, KI4FZY, suggested that his science fair project be about Amateur Radio his science teacher was reluctant. It seems that his teachers were not aware of Amateur Radio and how it related to his studies. James was persistent and finally convinced them that his experiment, demonstrating the relationship between peak envelope power (PEP) and effective communications, would be a relevant project.

His persistence paid off when he and his project were chosen to represent the school in The Augusta County / Staunton / Waynesboro Science Fair. James’ entry was one of approximately eighty entries in three categories at the science fair. While tending to his display James answered many questions about the project and about Amateur Radio. He spoke with the judges, visitors, retired engineers and members of the media.

The day wore on and eventually James heard the judges announce the winners. As prizes were awarded in the various categories James thought his chances at winning a prize were all but gone. Then he soon found out that the judges saved the best for last. “I was shocked when they called my name for Best in Show.” James said.

For his outstanding achievement James was awarded with several prizes including a GPS unit, a calculator and a large trophy that he proudly displays. James brought the trophy back to his school to show everyone. He received a lot of attention because this was the first time anyone representing Stewart Middle School had taken Best in Show.

James received his Amateur license in June 2004 after completing a 12 week license class taught by Gordon Batey, WA4FJC, Greg Czerniak, W4GRC and Richard Huttinger, AA4RH. James says the instructors were very thorough in presenting the material and helping him prepare for the exam.

Amateur Radio is not something new in James’ world. His grandfather is Norman Benner, KA4EEN. The two of them participate in a lot of ham radio activities together. James has assisted his grandfather and another friend, Edwin Showalter, KG4KUR, in net control activities on various traffic nets. James used his NCS experience when providing communications for a local charity event.
A student at Stewart Middle School, James is active in the Massanutten Amateur Radio Association located in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia. James says that the club members have been very helpful to him. James other interest include archery, reading and surfing the internet.

James recently passed his element 1 CW exam. The time spent with his mentor, Elwood Shrader, KB4DJN, has paid off well. Elwood and James would spend an hour every Monday evening working on CW while James’ mother and Elwood’s wife chat about their common interest, quilting. James receives a lot of support in his ham radio pursuit.

James says that Amateur Radio has afforded him the opportunity to meet many interesting people and make new friends. He says “The only people that I have not made friends with are the ones I haven’t met yet.” A friendly and intelligent teenager, James McDowell, KI4FZY, has much to offer to Amateur Radio and his community.

 

[linuxgeek]

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Three radio amateurs on their way to International Space Station (Apr 15, 2005) -- Three radio amateurs are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS), where two of them will stay for the next six months. The Expedition 11 crew of Commander Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, and NASA ISS Science Officer and Flight Engineer John Phillips, KE5DRY, plus European Space Agency Astronaut Roberto Vittori, IZ6ERU of Italy, rocketed into space April 15 (UTC) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This will mark Krikalev's second ISS duty tour; he was part of the very first ISS crew. With Krikalev at the controls, the Soyuz is on course to dock with the ISS at 0219 UTC Sunday, April 17. The hatches between the Soyuz and the space station will open a few hours later, permitting the three travelers to board the ISS. Krikalev and Phillips will stay aboard the ISS until October. Vittori will spend eight days on the ISS conducting experiments before heading back to Earth April 24 with Expedition 10 crew members Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov. Vittori also is scheduled to handle two Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with schools in Italy. The Expedition 10 crew has been doing research and maintaining the orbiting laboratory since October. Chiao also has conducted about two dozen ARISS school group contacts during his duty tour; his final school contact from NA1SS is set for April 15. The Expedition 11 crew of Krikalev and Phillips will have the honor of welcoming the crew of the space shuttle Discovery during the "Return to Flight" mission (STS-114), planned for May. By the time Krikalev's Expedition 11 stay is over, he'll have spent more time in space than any other human.
[NASA Photo] (L-R) Roberto Vittori, IZ6ERU, Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, and John Phillips, KE5DRY.

 

[linuxgeek]

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"Enigma machine" special event, reactivation set (Apr 27, 2005) -- As a tribute to the work of England's voluntary interceptors (VIs) during World War II, the Scarborough Special Events Group (SSEG) will operate special event station GB2HQ from GCHQ --Government Communications Headquarters--in Scarborough. VIs intercepted encrypted Enigma messages transmitted in Morse code; these were passed to code breakers at Bletchley Park who were attempting to crack the German Enigma code. The GB2HQ special event will take place over the May 7-8 weekend, with activity on SSB, PSK and CW (around 3515 or 7015 kHz). A souvenir QSL card showing an Enigma cipher machine and an HRO receiver will commemorate the occasion. GCHQ has provided a working Enigma machine for use by the SSEG, and Ofcom--the UK telecommunication regulator--has authorized transmission of an enciphered Enigma message in Morse code on the amateur bands for this event only. The Enigma message will be transmitted Saturday, May 7, 1100 UTC (with repeats at 1300 and 1900 UTC) at a speed of 15 WPM. The message will consist of a few five-letter groups. Listeners are invited to submit a copy of the Enigma message, and certificates are available for those achieving 100-percent copy. Entries and QSLs go to G0OOO, Scarborough Special Events Group, 9 Green Island, Irton, Scarborough YO12 4RN UK. Further details are on the SSEQ Web site. Additional information about the Enigma machine is on The Enigma Ciper Machine and the German Enigma Cipher Machine--History of Solving Web sites. (Photo courtesy of the W1TP Enigma Cipher Machines Web site.)

 

[uprocessor01]

amateur radio

i just wanted to inform everyone that I'm an amateur radio operator. I got my first license in 1998 and im now an amateur extra class. I wish everyone many contacts

 

[linuxgeek]

woo hoo ... found another one

 

[linuxgeek]

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Radio Amateurs, ARES Group among NOAA's 2005 "Environmental Heroes"

NEWINGTON, CT, April 28, 2005--The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recognized four Amateur Radio operators and an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group among its list of 2005 Environmental Heroes. Given in conjunction with Earth Day celebrations, Environmental Hero awards honor NOAA volunteers for their tireless efforts to preserve and protect the nation's environment.

"NOAA and the nation are fortunate to have such dedicated people volunteer so much of their time," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr, undersecretary of Commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "They set a perfect example for others to follow in their communities. America needs more environmental heroes like them." Established in 1996, the Environmental Hero award is presented to individuals and organizations that volunteer their time and energy to help NOAA carry out its mission.

Among this year's honorees are Charles T. Byars, W5GPO, and the Wichita County Amateur Radio Emergency Service of Wichita Falls, Texas. Byars is an ARES District Emergency Coordinator in the ARRL North Texas Section. For more 30 years, he and Wichita County ARES members have volunteered their time, expertise and resources to help the National Weather Service (NWS) detect and track dangerous storms.

"Their tireless efforts, long hours and dedication to helping to protect the citizens of Wichita Falls and the surrounding area have led to more accurate and detailed weather information being disseminated, more timely warnings and quite possibly lives being saved," NOAA said in recognizing Byars and his ARES team.

Wichita County Emergency Coordinator Dave Gaines, N5DHG, says the City of Wichita Falls will host an awards presentation on May 10.

Three Florida radio amateurs also were recognized for their efforts as Amateur Radio net control operators for the NWS office in Ruskin, Florida, during hurricanes Charley and Frances. NOAA says Paul Toth, NA4AR, of Seminole, Robert M. Stanhope, W3RMS, of Valrico and Sean C. Fleeman, N4SCF, of New Port Richey volunteered a total of 125 hours during the two storms last year.

"They gave up time with their families to gather real-time reports during the hurricanes to enhance NWS warnings and also provided up-to-the-minute weather information for recovery operations in west central and southwest Florida," NOAA said in commending the trio.

Toth is a Technical Specialist in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.

NOAA recognized 34 individuals and three organizations across the US as Environmental Heroes. The complete list of 2005 award recipients is on the NOAA Web site.

 

[linuxgeek]

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Armed Forces Day on-air event set for May 14-15 (May 1, 2005) -- The 2005 Armed Forces Day military/amateur crossband communications test will take place May 14-15. The US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual event in celebration of the 55th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, which is Saturday, May 21. The Armed Forces Day radio event is scheduled a week earlier to avoid conflicts with Dayton Hamvention, May 20-22. The annual Armed Forces Day on-the-air celebration features the traditional military-to-amateur crossband communications SSB voice test and the Secretary of Defense message-receiving test. QSL cards will be provided to those making contact with the military stations. Special commemorative certificates will be awarded to anyone who receives and copies the digital Armed Forces Day message from the Secretary of Defense. Full details, including stations and frequencies, are on the ARRL Web site

 

[linuxgeek]

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Guinness World Records recognizes radio amateur (May 2, 2005) -- According to the Radio Society of Great Britain, Guinness World Records Ltd has awarded a certificate to Finnish radio amateur Jukka Heikinheimo, OH2BR, for a record number of contacts made by an individual from one location in one year. Operating as VP6BR from Pitcairn Island, Heikinheimo made 56,239 contacts between January 25 and April 21, 2000.

 

[linuxgeek]

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California emergency officials see advantages of SSTV in drill (May 3, 2005) -- Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in California made slow-scan TV part of the communication mix when they participated in a voluntary wildfire evacuation drill April 30. The exercise involved residents of nearly 400 homes in a high fire hazard area of Santa Barbara County, and ARES' use of SSTV definitely caught the eye of emergency officials. "ARES provided us with the only continuous, real-time information on traffic flow and conditions in the incident area," said Jay McAmis of the county's Office of Emergency Services. "It was great!" Santa Barbara South County ARES Emergency Coordinator Lou Dartanner, N6ZKJ, says communicators with SSTV gear deployed at three locations along a narrow, winding road out of the canyon and in two locations along the evacuation route to a reception center some five miles away. Three additional ARES members provided voice reports on traffic flow, while four other team volunteers supported the field activity at the command post and reception center. Since the county's inaugural test of its new "reverse 911" system failed to reach everyone, many residents, were alerted instead by sheriff's units using public address systems and by search-and-rescue team members going door to door. "As a result, instead of the traffic jam with fender-benders and finger-wagging, an orderly trickle of vehicles moved out of the area," Dartanner reports. "An SSTV station was set up at the reception center, and a crowd of about three dozen jostled around the monitor all morning, watching the near-continuous stream of pictures coming in from the field. A second, portable system was set up in back of a car at the Command Post, and the Incident Commander was able to see exactly what was--or was not--occurring in the incident area." More than 200 residents participated, as did personnel from 21 agencies and organizations. "Local fire officials are excited about using SSTV capability in the future," Dartanner says, "and ARES will continue to play an important role in their activities."

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/05/03/4/WW2LST-QSL-Card-th.jpg

src

LST-325 Plans Amateur Radio Operation During East Coast Cruise

NEWINGTON, CT, May 3, 2005--The LST-325, a 327-foot World War II vessel designed to transport and deploy tanks and troops during coastal beach landings, will have Amateur Radio aboard when she cruises up the East Coast and back this spring and early summer. The historically significant vessel is officially a cruising museum ship, but she still carries the USS LST-325 name and World War II marine radio call sign NWVC. For this voyage, LST-325 will be on the Amateur Radio bands as WW2LST.

"Her radio room features functioning vintage receivers and transmitters that are true to the models she carried into battle during the 1942-1945 time period, including the RBB, RBC and TCS-12 receivers, plus the TDE and TCS transmitters," says Tom Pendarvis, W0MTP, LST-325 radio operator. "The ship's radio room also carries modern marine and Amateur Radio transceivers for routine communications."

Pendarvis will share LST-325 radio room duties with Perry Ballinger, W8AU. Both are US Navy veterans and Navy-Marine Corps MARS operators. They also split duties working the radios during the LST-325's two-month cruise of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in 2003.

Where applicable, AM and CW operation will occasionally use the LST's WWII-vintage transmitters and receivers. Phone-patch traffic will be handled on Navy-Marine Corps MARS frequencies and via the ShipCom Coast Radio station WLO. During these periods, WW2LST likely will be off the air due to antenna logistics.

Crewed primarily by US Navy veterans--including some who served on LSTs during World War II--the ship will depart her home port of Mobile, Alabama, on or about May 17, bound for Alexandria, Virginia, where LST-325 is expected to arrive May 26. The vessel will depart May 30 for Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, arriving on or about June 3. From there, the ship will sail to Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard, arriving on or about June 8. On June 11, the USS LST-325 will lead the column of ships with the USS Constitution. On June 18, Capt Robert D. Jornlin and crew will participate in the 60th anniversary salute to WW II veterans sponsored by the US Department of Defense. Her final port of call will be on or about June 20 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The vessel will set sail for home on June 22 and arrive back in Mobile on July 4. A detailed--and still tentative--itinerary is on the USS LST Ship Memorial Web site.


Tentative LST-325 WW2LST/mm Operating Schedule

While in port, the radio operators will attempt to maintain a reduced operating schedule while also giving ship tours and participating in port activities. Any additional operating information or changes will be posted on the USS LST Ship Memorial Web site. Updates also may be listed as bulletins with the Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN).

Bob Wilder, AF2HD--a retired USAF veteran with sea duty experience--again will serve as "mission control" for Amateur Radio operations during the May, June and July cruise. He also will handle QSLs when an SASE is supplied. QSL to USS LST 325 Amateur Radio Club, 6032 Idlemoore Ct, Theodore, AL 36582-4117.

LSTs--or Landing Ship Tanks--typically had no names, just numbers. They were strategically pivotal in many Pacific and Atlantic assaults, and LST-325 made landings in Sicily and Salerno as well as at Normandy.

Following WW II, LST-325 was on loan to the Greek government, which handed it over to the USS LST Ship Memorial Inc at the beginning of the new millennium. In 2001, and showing manifold signs of age and neglect, LST-325 completed a 4200-mile journey from Crete, Greece, to Mobile, Alabama. Operating as WW2LST/mm, Executive Officer Jack Carter, KC6WYX (SK), was on the air throughout the voyage. On board were more than two dozen sailors--men in their 60s, 70s and older and most of them retired US Navy veterans--who were determined to deliver the ship, built in 1942 in Philadelphia, to a permanent berth in Mobile. Volunteers from all over the US have completed substantial repairs and updates to the ship since her arrival in the US in 2001.

After returning to Mobile this July, LST-325 expects to be moving northward to a new freshwater home port on the Ohio River--Evansville, Indiana--where many LSTs and P40s were built during the Second World War.

There's additional information on the USS LST Ship Memorial Web site.

http://www.lstmemorial.org/

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/05/05/1/HAMSAT.jpg

New Amateur Radio satellite in orbit (May 5, 2005) -- HAMSAT (or VUsat) is the latest Amateur Radio satellite in orbit. It is India's first. "We congratulate all who have worked for the HAMSAT and its successful launch," said Sandip Shah, VU3SXE, AMSAT-India's treasurer, who was at the control center in Bangalore, India, for the May 5 launch. The satellite went aloft from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota. Going into space with the 42.5 kg HAMSAT was the primary payload--the 1560 kg Indian remote sensing satellite, CARTOSAT-1. The spacecraft were placed into polar sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of 632 x 621 km with an equatorial inclination of 97.8 degrees. HAMSAT is a microsat aimed at meeting the needs of amateur satellite enthusiasts in South Asia. The satellite will provide two new linear mode U/V transponders for SSB and CW use only. Only one transponder will be active at any given time. AMSAT-India indicates the UHF uplink will be in the 435.35 MHz range, while the VHF downlink will be in the 145.90 MHz range. Details are not yet available. Dutch graduate student William Leijenaar, PE1RAH, who designed one of the transponders aboard HAMSAT, saw the PSLV-C6 vehicle carry the satellite skyward from SDSC SHAR. "It was very interesting to see how my radio finally went into space," he said afterward. "It is the best ham radio experience in my life." Leijenaar said reports he'd received indicated that the onboard computer was showing the batteries and solar panels working normally. "We just are a few days away from 'CQ CQ HAMSAT' QSOs," he said. The satellite has not yet been given an OSCAR designation. There's more information on the AMSAT-India Web site.

http://www.amsatindia.com/hamsat.htm

 

[Kissin'Bandit]

....

http://www.savezoneinc.net/pokerrun/images/KissingLips.gif

 

[uprocessor01]

how long has it been since you were on 146.520 MHz.

Me, i was just on it just a few minutes ago and as usual got no reply

 

[uprocessor01]

hi linuxgeek

 

[linuxgeek]

Howdy. Doing FM or SSB on 146.520 MHz?

We are going to play with SSB for 2m & 70cm for Field Day. On of the ARES members build a fairly kick but quad-beam we think will let us reach out and touch people.

 

[HybridCrow]

I haven't figured out if I'll be attending anything to do with Field Day. Most likely I will have to work or I don't know what I'm doing.

Might be a good time to give it a shot again with a few friends.