[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ARC SHORTS - February 2019

[N4ASX at COX.NET]

ARC-SHORTS

 

February 2019

 

 

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.

:  DMR IS UP AND RUNNING 442.4125 +5Mhz Color Code 1.

 

            PLEASE USE OUR REPEATERS.

 

NEXT CLUB MEETING

 

Our next meeting is February 8th at 3600 Wheeler Ave (Police Dispatch
Center), at 7PM.  Minutes below.  

 

Prior to the meeting, many of us, have dinner at Atlantis Restaurant in the
BradLess shopping center at 5:30 PM or so.  

 

The program for this meeting has not been confirmed.

 

JANUARY MINUTES (Thanks for Mark Bonanno 

 

Presentation - Budget

Treasurer - (N8IK one last time)

Repeaters - Have been checked and are in good shape.

Training/Education -  Class in May

Trailer - All good.  Rubberized paint donated by Dave

Net Controls - 

1/17 - Bonannos

1/24 - Rich

1/31 - Don

2/7 - Monica

New Business -

*	FrostFest 2/2
*	St. Patrick's Day Parade - (Float ONLY, No comm support requested)

*	Date/Time 3/2 at 12:30
*	Don made a motion to put in a float (trailer?).  The motion was
passed.
*	Dave volunteers to pull the float
*	Monica will put in the application

*	Washington' Birthday Parade (Comm support REQUESTED)

*	Date/Time 2/18 9AM at the Fire Training Center
*	Meet with Parade staff at 11AM
*	Parade Start 1PM
*	Parade end ABOUT 2:30 PM.
*	APRS tracking
*	Digital reporting of parade order of march changes
*	Shadow parade staff.
*	Lunch after the parade.

 

50/50  - $47 

 

No Old Business

Other Business

*	Budget Passed
*	Webmaster - all current
*	Don made a motion to send a real paper letter to our representative.
Monica will sign the letter as el presidente!
*	Rich - Will provide a quote for a DMR duplexer to replace what we
have.
*	Don gave us an update on the current HAM related legislation
*	Old VA HAMs can hit their repeater with a phone app.


Mark Bonanno KM4GML

 

Editorial

 

The Alexandria Radio Club is growing, that's a good thing!  There are a few
things that we need to think about.  While we have a good turn out and we
have tried to have good programs, we also have the same 10 members taking
the initiative.  The club needs to have MORE members contribute to the
meetings, to events, express their opinions on topics, events, and programs.

 

There will always be those who step up and those who sit back.  But a club
is made up of ALL of its members and to be representative of that membership
all should contribute.  

 

Many members feel they need to ask to be allowed to contribute.  Those
members do NOT need to ask.   Jump in and speak up.  If you think, the club
should do some activity then bring it up at the meeting.

 

I have a second home in Florida and there is a great club that covers this
area.  But, like our club, they have about 10 percent of the club who are
the "GO TO" guys for getting things done.  While they took a BIG hit when
within 4 months, they had 5 of those "GO TO" guys become SK's.  Closer to
home, there are clubs that don't have officer term limits and the same folks
stay on as officers.  In two cases, when these long time officers left, the
clubs lost their way and lost membership.  This is one reason we have a two
year limit on our officers.  Another is to keep the leadership new and
fresh.

 

Two parades are coming up and a good turn out would be great.  Ham Radio is
in danger.  Many don't know about amateur radio, many think our technology
is OLD and obsolete.  Our members know better.

 

Another issue has been Field Day.  This is our time to show the public what
ham radio can do.  It's also a great time to train for emergency operation.

 

The club leadership is elected not be the older members but by ALL the
members and they represent all the members.  

 

Field Day - Heads Up!

 

Field Day is June 22-23, 2019.  In years past, we have had 5 stations up
covering all the major HF bands (WARC bands are not part of the event.)  

 

The purpose is to operate under emergency conditions, Temporary antennas and
supports, NO commercial power for 24 hours.  How well we do is based on some
factors we can control and some we cannot.  We cannot control the weather,
or the solar weather.  We may find that there is very little activity on 10
and 15 meters.  

 

What we can control is: keeping all of out transceivers up and operational
through out the 24 hour period.  I would like to suggest we adopted some of
the lessons we learned from our neighboring club.  The Vienna Wireless club
is a contest club with many more members then we have but some of what they
do may help us.

 

1 - Each radio has a VOLUNTARY schedule.  Members can sign up for a block of
operating time, so that more can be guaranteed operating time.

 

2 - We separate the radios from those wanting to socialize.  It's hard for
operators to make contacts with others chatting and worse yet, the operators
tend to get into the local conversations, and this takes time away from the
radios.

 

Other suggestions I've heard 

 

3 - Allow each operator to use the mode they want to use.  If you want to
work CW, bring a key or keyer or set of paddles.  If you want to work sound
card, bring the computer and interface.

 

4 - Set up training sessions in Alexandria Parks on Saturdays in March,
April and May so that our new operators can get some HF air time.   The club
has 5 HF radios, we can find portable antennas (I have a vertical and a home
brew 20 meter dipole.  Others may have antennas that can be put up quickly.

 

Any changes are up to the club and the appointed club field day chair.

 

The club has radios or members can loan radios for each station.  Antennas
are up to the lead operators for each station.  We stay at 100 watts output
to gain points for not operating at high power.

 

The club has two 2KW generators and some members have generators as well.   

 

The above is ONLY THE OPINION of N4ASX and does not represent the position
of the club leadership.

 

73 Rick

N4ASX

 

Hamfests -

 

March 24 is the date for this year's Vienna Wireless Society's Winterfest.
It's a nice hamfest close to home.  If you have equipment that needs a new
home, we will have a few tables to sell your excess equipment.   One added
bonus this year, Winterfest is not on the same weekend as the VA QSO Party.
Yeah!

 

It's not too early to start thinking about Hamvention.  There is a group of
Alexandria Radio Club members who make the pilgrimage every year to the
largest hamfest in the US.  This year's Hamvention takes place on May 17
through May 19, 2019 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Convention Center
in Xenia, OH.

 

We have been traveling out on Wednesday before Hamvention to take in the US
Air Force Museum or some of the other museums and some pre-Hamvention
activities in the Dayton area on Thursday.     

 

I have 4 rooms reserved in Fairborn, OH.  The cost works out to be about
$110 per person per night for the hotel, about $40 for gas, $22 for the
ticket, around $100 for food and whatever you bring home from Hamvention.
If you are interested in going, please let me know before April 15 so I can
order tickets.    

 

There are many reasons people go to Hamvention.  The manufacturers often
bring out new equipment at Hamvention.  The flea market is amazing.  There
are first class forums on all kinds of ham radio topics.  It has been said,
"If you can't find it at Hamvention, you probably don't need it."  All kinds
of ham radio related items in one place. 

 

Training -

            

Our next class is scheduled to run from Tuesday March 12, 2019 through May
7, 2019.  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 -        

 

*         February 11 through 15 - ARRL School Club Roundup.  Exchange is
RST, class and state.

*         February 16 and 17 - ARRL International DX Contest, CW.  Exchange
is RST and state.

*         February 23 and 24 - South Carolina QSO Party.  Exchange is RST
and state

*         March 2 and 3 - ARRL International DX Contest, SSB.  Exchange is
RST and state.

*         March 9 and 10 - Oklahoma QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         March 9 and 10 - Idaho QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         March 10 and 11 - Wisconsin QSO Party.  Exchange is state.

*         March 17 and 18 - Virginia QSO Party.  Exchange is serial number
and county (or city).

  

 

Don't forget, be sure to send in your log within 7 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 - 

We are looking at replacing the duplexer on the DMR repeater.  This should
improve the performance of the repeater.   

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

73, Rich, KA4GFY

Future Programs

 

2019

 

January - D-Star and DMR, Budget or Operations from Afghanistan 

February -  Operation from Afghanistan or Digital Operations

March - VA QSO PARTY

April - Vint Hill Farms (Tentitive)

May - Field Day Planning

June - 

July - 

August - 

September - 

October - 

November - Club Elections - New President and Vice President.

December - 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

ARES

We have two public Service events coming up.

 

Washington's Birthday Parade

When: Monday February, 18,2019

Where:  Meet at the Fire Training Center (back of the Nanny J. Lee Community
Center) at 9AM

Mission:  We will provide the trailer at the start of the race and a team at
the Reviewing Stand, shadows for the marshals and parade organizers, two
ARPS operators for the beginning and end of the parade.  The marshal shadows
will collect changes from each parade division and provide the changes to
the trailer, so that we can consolidate the changes and send them to the
reviewing stand.

 

Frequencies:  We will use the 146.655 (PL 143Hz) with 147.315 as back up.

 

Time Line:

 

9AM meet at Fire Training Center to get the trailer and car pool to the
parade root. Parking at Start is very limited.

11AM Police CLOSE the streets.

12 noon Parade starts to organize.

12:45 Collected Changes should be worked up by the marshals 

1PM - PARADE Start.  At this time all changes need to be provided to the
trailer.  The marshals should mark up their order of march for each division
so we can edit the list on the computer and send it digitally to the
reviewing stand.

 

The APRS operator for Start of March should start 

 

2:30 PM Parade ends.  Operators gather at Trailer and go to Lunch / Hot
Wash.

 

If you can support this effort, please e-mail Rick N4ASX.
<mailto:N4ASX at cox.net> N4ASX at cox.net. We need 12 operators.

 

St. Patrick's Day Parade - March 2nd

 

We will put the trailer behind a truck and use it as a float to promote the
Alexandria Radio Club.

More details later.  If you can volunteer let Rick N4ASX know.  Parade
usually starts early and ends in a few hours.   WE HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED TO
PROIVDE RADIO SUPPORT, but we will coordinate on 146.655 repeater and 146.46
SIMPLEX.

 

Unit staging runs from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM on March 2nd. Please refer to
your parade instructions for additional information.

Vehicles that are registered to appear in the parade do not need special
passes. Just identify yourself and your vehicle when you arrive at staging.

The Ballyshaners do not provide parking passes or assistance for vehicles
not appearing in the parade.

We will meet at the Fire Training Center at 10AM to pick up the trailer and
set it up for the parade.  We will need to get in line for the parade.  We
can open the rear door if we can make it safe and secure.

Look forward to having a good turnout for this parade.

 

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!  

 

MANY THANKS

 

I would like to thank our new club Secretary Mark, KM4GML for sending in the
detailed minutes of the last meeting and to Rich, KA4GFY for his inputs on
Contests, Training, Hamfests and Repeaters.

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