[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ARC SHORTS - Alexandria Radio Club Meeting Notice

[Rick Bunn]

ARC-SHORTS

September 2011

Club Repeaters: 147.315 (PL 107.2), 444.6 (PL107.2), 224.82 (PL107.2), 53.13
(PL107.2), 927.6 (-25Mhz, PL107.2), and 1282.600 (PL 107.2), DSTAR
145.38Mhz, 442.060, and 1284.600 

NEXT CLUB MEETING

Our next meeting is October 14th at the INOVA Alexandria Hospital in the
Health Education Center (HEC) located to the west of the main visitor
entrance.  The hospital address is: 4320 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA
22304.  We meet at 7 PM and must leave by 9 PM. This month’s program has not
yet been determined, but we have a great deal of club business to talk
about.  MCM is on October 30th and we will have elections in November and
December is the Club party.

SEPTEMBER  MEETING MINUTES 

Our program in September program was a run down on ARES.  Our EC, Rick N4ASX
provide a run down on how ARES functions, who is supported and how one can
participate.   

 

EVENTS IN September

No hurricanes, no earthquakes and the rains have finally stopped for a few
days.  Nubbies on the air went well with Jeremy KF7IJZ in the lead.  We will
be doing this again.  

UP COMING EVENTS

The big event in October other then Halloween is the Marine Corps Marathon.
If you’ve not signed up it’s too late, but you can listen to the nets as
this event has about 5 voice nets going on local FM repeaters on 2 meters
and 440Mhz.  Some of the voice nets may be on D-Star, but the race nets will
be on 2 meter FM.  They are busy nets so, listen only.  This event is held
in Arlington and in DC and those in VA need to be on site BEFORE 4AM.  And
as this is the end fo the race as well as the start these volunteers may not
get to depart until 5PM or so.

 

Tech / General Class has started!

 

The Fall 2011 training class kicked off October 4 with eight students.  A
little smaller than previous classes, but it looks like a good group.
Everybody was excited to learn about amateur radio.  The previous knowledge
of amateur radio ranged from very little to fairly extensive.  We often see
students who didn’t get into amateur radio earlier because of other
commitments, but now have the time.  Good luck to all and we look forward to
hearing some new calls on the air in December.   Let’s welcome them into the
amateur radio fraternity.

 

HAMFESTS and CONTESTS

Hamfests – 

 

October 23 Hamfest at the Carrol County Agricultural Center in Maryland.
Its the very last hamfest for the season around here until Odenton in
January.

 

Contests – 

 

October is a busy month for contests.  Starting with the weekend of October
15, Iowa, New York and Illinois all have QSO parties that weekend.  The
exchange is a signal report and your state.

 

Running during the week of October 17, is the School Club Roundup.  Clubs
from junior high schools, high schools and colleges are all on the air.  We
can certainly contact school clubs, but the competition is between the
schools.  Most of us will fall into the individual category.  Since the
School Club Roundup is an all week activity, there is less pressure to make
as many contacts in a short period of time.

 

The weekend of October 22 and 23 gives us the W/VE Islands QSO party.  The
object here is to contact as many stations on islands in the US and Canada.
The exchange is signal report and your state or your North American Island
designator.  The US Islands Awards website at www.usislands.org has details
on the awards program.  QST did a story about the program a few yeas back
about how popular the awards are and how amateurs are putting more and more
North American islands on the air.  Just in Virginia alone, there are 59
islands, of which 39 qualify for US Islands Award Program.  You could work
an island you didn’t know existed.

 

The weekend of October 29 and 30 is great contest for working DX.  Its the
CQ World Wide SSB contest.  Stations from all around the world will be on
trying to work each other.  The exchange is very simple, the signal report
and your CQ zone.  We are in CQ Zone 5.  

 

Coming in November is the ARRL Sweepstakes.  This is a great way to work
toward Worked All States.  The CW portion is the weekend of November 5 and
6, while the SSB portion is the weekend of November 19 and 20.  The exchange
in this contest is a little more complicated.  It includes a serial number,
an operating class, year you were first licensed and your ARRL section.  

 

With the excellent band conditions the past several weeks, 10 meters has
been open to Europe and the Pacific.  So, Technicians can get a real taste
of DX on 10 meters.  So, take advantage of the great band openings and work
some DX.  There have been countries that have not been heard around here in
many years.       

 

73,

Rich, KA4GFY

 

 

 

President’s Corner

 

  

Finally, the rain has stopped just in time for the cool days of autumn to
arrive.  And with autumn, one of the biggest ham activities in the
Washington area occurs—the Marine Corps Marathon.   Hams have been involved
in this activity pretty much since its inception in 1976, and have partnered
with  the Corps in making the event one that regularly attracts over 30,000
registered participants.  The Marathon is now the largest marathon in the
world that doesn’t offer prize money, and ranks as the fifth largest in the
United States and ninth in the world.   And, it is one that regularly
attracts over 100+ hams from throughout the greater Washington area,
including West Virginia.    I think that this may be one of the largest
regularly occurring public service activities in the United States that
involves this number of ham radio operators in a variety of support
operations, ranging from “eyes on the course” to providing assistance at aid
stations throughout the course.  The planning for this type of event goes on
for many months, and helps in providing hams the tools and information they
may need for future public service events.    I have been involved for
several years in providing assistance for this event, and each time come
away with a renewed sense of appreciation for what the amateur radio
community is capable of doing on a large scale.    I know several ARC
members are actively involved in this year’s activities, and I encourage
other ARC members to get involved as appropriate, or think about becoming
involved in next year’s planning.   Events such as these really help portray
to the public what the amateur radio community can do, and,  they’re just a
lot fun to participate in as well!    

73

  Marshall

   KI4MWP

 

 

Social Events

Pre-meeting dinner is now at Atlantis in the Bradlee Shopping Center at 5:30
PM. This is also a chance to meet our guest speaker as we offer to buy
dinner for them prior to the meeting.

Monday Night Half Price Burgers – There is a group that gets together at
Shooter McGee’s (Duke and Paxton Streets) on Monday evenings at 6:15 PM. A
good burger and soft drink runs about $9.00.

 

Talk is cheap, so sometimes we talk about non-radio items.  After the
Columbus Day MCM test some of us who had worked the digital tests talked
about putting a group visit to the NRA Museum and the Udvar Hazy part of the
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  If  your interested in joining in these
events. Let N4ASX/Rick know what weekends are good for you and which museums
your interested in visiting. 

 

 

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