[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] FW: Arc Shorts for January 2018 (could you forward to the club reflector??)

[ka4gfy at cox.net]

From: Rick [mailto:N4ASX at cox.net] 
Sent: Thursday, January 4, 2018 10:49 AM
To: 'KA4GFY' <ka4gfy at cox.net>; 'Ian' <iann8ik at gmail.com>
Subject: Arc Shorts for January 2018 (could you forward to the club
reflector??)

 

ARC SHORTS

 

January 2018

 

Club Repeaters:  147.315 (PL 107.2), 444.6 -5MHz offset (PL107.2), 224.82
-1.6MHz offset (PL107.2), 53.13 -1 MHz offset(PL107.2) 927.6 -25MHz, (
PL107.2), and 1282.600 - 12Mhz offset (PL 107.2), DSTAR 145.38Mhz -600KHz
offset, 442.060 -5MHz offset, and 1284.600 -12MHz offset  ****THE DMR
REPEATER IS ON THE AIR *****


ALL ARE UP AND RUNNING - HAM IT UP! Get on the air!

 

NEXT CLUB MEETING 

Our next meeting is January12th at 7PM at the police dispatch center, 3600
Wheeler Ave.  Just west of where Quaker Lane intersects Duke Street. 

 

Lots of stuff going on.  Our DMR repeater is up and tied into the DMR
network.   Ian, N8IK, will give us a more complete rundown on code plugs and
updates to the DRM radios.  Additionally, we have a DMR radio to install in
the club trailer and may want to use DMR for the Washington's Birthday
Parade. There IS a program planned for this meeting, but I'm in Florida and
away from my computer, so it will be a surprise.

 

Don't forget the pre-meeting dinner get together at Atlantis at 5:30PM
before the meeting

 

President's Corner 

 

About three years ago I stumbled into a monthly ARC meeting, new to VA and
freshly re-interested in radio.  I was welcomed into this club and now have
somehow been elected President of it.  It is thanks to ARC and it's
wonderful members that I've kept my interest in the hobby and I am honored
to give back to it.  This is such a great community, and I am better off
having met all of you.  Whether you are a new member or a veteran of the ARC
ranks- my door is open to you, ask me questions, give me suggestions, let me
know of any concerns you may have.  I certainly don't have all (or even
many) of the answers but I will find them for you.  I hope this year is an
excellent one for all of us.

73, and stay radio active

Monica, KC2IAY

P.S. Here is a silly video for your amusement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo-4w9A6sVE

State Law SB74

 

There is a proposed change to the law regarding handheld device use while
driving.  This law is designed to stop texting and other distracted driving,
but it also affects Ham Radio in that we would only be exempt during
emergencies, drills, and public service events approved by the Department of
Transportation. To add salt to the wound, CBers are exempt.  The club has a
committee working on talking to our delegates but recommend all members
contact their delegate and tell them how important Amateur Radio is to
public service and for emergency preparedness.

 

 

Future Programs 

*         January 12, 2018 - Installation of new officers - Budget review -
Selection of chairpersons for Membership, Field Day and planning for the
Washington's Birthday Parade.

*         February 9, 2018 -, After action on Marine Corps Marathon use of
MESHnet. Mark Braunstein WA4KFZ

*         March 9, 2018 - VA QSO PARTY Program, Washington's Birthday follow
up.

*         April 13, 2018- Field Day Planning, WINLINK 2000, or Gary Sessoms
on Ham Radio support to Porto Rico.

Below are tentative programs, looking for ideas from members..

 

*         May 11, 2018 - Dayton Hamvention and club projects. Or WINLINK /
PR report.

*         June 8, 2018-  Field Day prep, 

*         July 13, 2018 -

*         August 10, ,2018 - DXing, HF and VHF contesting (still looking for
a good speaker from NCDXA or another source.

*         September 14,2018 -  City Emergency Management / ARES

*         October 12, 2018 - Planning for 2019, Nominations, budget etc.

*         November 9, 2018 - Elections

*         December 14,2018 - Annual Holiday Party. 

Let me know what you want to hear about.  HELP!!!!  If you have an idea for
a program, please let Rick know and he will try to find someone to provide
the program.  If you know someone you would like to have present a program,
let me know Rick, N4ASX

Hamfests -

 

We start off the year with the Post-Holiday Hamfest on January 28, 2018 in
Odenton, MD.  It's sponsored by the Maryland Mobileers and is located at the
Odenton Fire station on Route 175 in Odenton.  Talk in is on the 146.805 MHz
repeater with a 107.2 Hz PL.  Info at
<https://sites.google.com/site/marylandmobileers/hamfests-1/hamfest-2>
https://sites.google.com/site/marylandmobileers/hamfests-1/hamfest-2.

 

Richmond Frostfest

Next month is the Richmond Frostfest, also known as Virginia State
Convention on February 3, 2018.  It's held at the Richmond Raceway Complex.
It's just off Chamberlayne Avenue (Route 301) and Azalea Avenue.  For the
past few years, we have been meeting in Fredericksburg for breakfast and
traveling to Richmond as a group.  We can certainly continue with the
tradition.    Info at www.frostfest.com <http://www.frostfest.com> .

This is a great hamfest where many of the club members CARPOOL, let's see
what we can organize at this month's meeting. 

 

Farther out in March is the Vienna Wireless Society's Winterfest.  It's a
nice hamfest close to home.  If you have equipment that needs a new home, we
always have a few tables to sell your excess equipment.  

 

Training -

We completed our Fall 2017 class with many of the original class members
completing the course and a few folks joining us for testing.  

 

The results are:

 

Christopher Barnes                         KN4IJF           General

Thomas Mayo                                   KC3KME       Technician

Taylor Darden                                  KC3KMD       Technician

Michael Hall                                      KN4IDB         General

Jason Rainey                                   KN4IJE          Technician

James Rorick                                    KC3KHH       Extra

Celia Garin                                        KN4IJD
Technician

Luis Degado                                     WP4PWV      General

Julia Fletcher                                    KE8JMO        Technician

Louis Ward                                        KN4IDC         General

Steve Deweese                                KN4IJG          General

Joe Fleming                                      KC3KMC       Technician

Matthew Brown                                KN4IJH          General

 

Be sure to welcome them to the hobby when you hear them on the air.

Our next class is scheduled to run from Tuesday March 6, 2018 through May 8,
2018.  If you know of someone who wants to be a ham, send them our way.  We
are already getting inquiries about the next class and a few people signing
up.  I can't help but think some very positive news items about hams has
raised awareness about what we do. 

Contests -

*         January 13 and 14 - North American QSO Party, CW.  Exchange is
your name and state.

*         January 13 and 14 - North American QSO Party, SSB.  Exchange is
your name and state.

*         January 27 - Montana QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         February 3 and 4 - Vermont QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         February 3 - Minnesota QSO Party.  Exchange is name and state.

*         February 4 - North American Sprint - CW.  Exchange is other
station's call, your call, serial number, your name, state.

*         February 12 through 16 - ARRL School Club Roundup.  Exchange is
RST, class and state.

*         February 17 and 18 - ARRL International DX Contest, CW.  Exchange
is RST and state.

  

Don't forget, be sure to send in your log within 5 days after the contest
ends for all ARRL sponsored contests.

REMEMBER to support the CLUB'S score for contests by providing Ian N8IK your
info (Name, Call sign and Grid Square location) and submit your scores for
the contests you play in.  Contesting is one way we show that we are using
our frequency allocation.

Repeaters - 

Our DMR repeater is now on the air.  Thanks to N8IK, KF4MTV and N4ASX at the
installation party and to the folks at DMRVA for making this happen as
quickly as it did.  Also, thanks to W9TCE who assisted with testing the 70
cm DSTAR repeater while installing the DMR repeater.  We proved that both
repeaters could be on the air at the same time without interfering with each
other.  We were on the air 2 months after receiving our pair from TMARC.  

If you have been interested in dabbling with digital voice, but the cost of
a DSTAR or Fusion radio is off putting, DMR may be your answer.  A handheld
DMR radio is about half the cost of a DSTAR handheld and even less in some
cases.

Be sure to use the club repeaters and log those contacts with other club
members for the year-long club QSO Party.  Each band and mode counts as a
separate contact.  

The club repeaters are all up and running.    As always, ham it up and get
on the air.

73, Rich, KA4GFY



Above on the left is the new DMR repeater in it's new home. On the right is
our Trustee Rich KA4GFY checking out the new installation.

 

The DMR now shares the DSL hookup with the D-Star repeaters.  It costs the
club $70 a month for the internet connection.  If you use D-Star or DMR,
please consider a donation for keeping the DSL line up.  As not all members
of the club have this equipment, we try not to make this a club budget item
but ask those who use it to support it.

 

WORKED ALL ALEXANDRIA RADIO CLUB MEMBERS VHF/UHF CONTEST

Our club has MORE repeaters then just about any other general interest radio
club. Look at the banner at the start.  BUT, if you listen to the repeaters
they are so quite you wonder if they are working.  Rich, KA4GFY and I
(N4ASX) came up with an idea.  Lots of folks played with the ARRL's National
Parks On the Air.  This was a yearlong contest so there was no rush. So we
think a contest that get's folks in the work each other and others over a
year would be fun.

To make the contest fair, we will have classes for each type of operator: 2
Meter HT only, Dual Band (2/440) only, 2 Meter Mobile/Base only, Dual Band
Mobile/Base only, All bands.  Points are awarded for working club members
who have been (within the last two years) or are club members.  You can work
club members on each repeater, on simplex on each VHF/UHF band and work them
on any mode (D-Star, Packet, PSK-31, CW, SSB, AM, etc.)  So, you can work a
member many times but only once per band using the same mode.  We will go
from June 10th 2017 to June 10th 2018.  We encourage the use of LOTW, but
you can use any logging program or paper.  For those who are not members
they too can participate but points are awarded for working Alexandria Radio
Club members.  A club member will get a point for non-members they work on
our repeaters.

Hope your keeping your logs up to date.  This contest is open to all.

CONTEST CLOSES NOVEMBER 9, 2018 with your submission of a contest log.

73 Rick N4ASX 

 

ARES 

ARRL is making changes to ARES.  We will have to register with ARRL and we
will be given some kind of "number" to identify our organization.   No
details yet, but we will send out a new registration / volunteer form for
all when we know what information they want.

The next public service activity is the WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY PARADE.  It's
scheduled for MONDAY February 19th.  We will need about 12 operators.  Don't
know yet if we are going to report changes to the order of march, but we
should be prepared to do it.  We may try packet using WINLINK 2K or D-Star.


For many hams, packet radio died after the internet came into being.  But,
there is a rise in the need to be able to send digital traffic when Ma
Bell's backbone is not available.  WINLINK 2K is a completely radio system
that can be used on VHF or HF when regular telecommunications systems are
down.  But it can also be used like DMR or D-Star with gateways into and out
of the internet when that is available.  We will have a program on WINLINK
this year but the best way to learn is to download RMS EXPRESS and look at
some of the tutorials on U-tube.  The nice thing is that you can fill in
FEMA and ARRL forms and use attachments like you would on e-mail and send to
e-mail addresses via packet, or other supported modes.

73 Rick - N4ASX

 Social Events

Monday Night Burgers - There is a group that gets together at 6:15 PM on
Mondays at a local burger joint.   Mark up on the 147.315 repeater and join
them for the fun.  Mark up on the repeater about 6PM and join the group.
The location does change!  IF you have a good spot, you might make a
suggestion.

_____________

 

 

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