[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ARC SHORTS FOR JUNE 2019

Sun Jun 9 15:25:44 EDT 2019

ARC-SHORTS

June 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.

JUNE 22/23 IS FIELD DAY and OUR 65th ANNIVERSARY PARTY

NEXT CLUB MEETING

Our next meeting will be at our normal location: 3600 Wheeler Ave.  (Police
Dispatch Center).  Meeting starts at 7PM local and runs to 9PM.  This
month's meeting program is FIELD DAY. Below, from our Field Day Chair:

There is only one month left before Field Day 2019.  The FD19 planning group
has been at work for over two months preparing for FD19.  The completed FD19
plans will be presented at the June meeting, June 14th. Some of the planning
objectives are for:

-- 65th Anniversary Celebration

-- Promote Digital Mode Operations

-- Class 7A Operation

-- Maximize Bonus Points

-- Sign-up List for Operators 

-- Enhanced Public Outreach

-- Newspapers, TV

-- Public Officials

                -- Youth groups, and Schools

-- Promote Arlington Club Participation

-- Promote Alexandria CERT Participation

-- Explore use of AREDN on Field Day

-- ARC 65th Anniversary Group Photo

Key planning events have been the April 10th initial planning meeting, the
May 4th Band Captain's meeting and the recent May 19th digital mode practice
session.  

We are asking that all club members attend our 65th Anniversary event so
that the group photo will tell a story about how the club doing.  Arlington
Amateur Radio Club members will be participating in our FD19 again this
year, and we are looking forward to a big turn-out for our 65th Anniversary
celebration.

Please consider volunteering for any of the positions that need filling.
Also, we will need many volunteers to help setup, operate, take down and
cleanup.  Please help if you can.

KI4D,  FD19 Chair

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

May MINUTES  

Meeting minutes for May ARC Meeting

Date: 05/10/2019

Time: 1900h

Location: Alexandria Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

This was a SPECIAL meeting.  We were invited to visit the NEW EOC.  The main
room has monitors so that all the city's managers can keep track on multiple
information sources.  The EOC is run per FEMAs Incident Command structure.
Most of our ARES volunteers are familiar having taken the FEMA home study
classes.)

The Alexandria ARES is a part of the city's disaster plan and we will have
ONE desk in the EOC.  Antennas for HF/6/2/1.25/.7 Meter bands will be set
up.  The city has purchased an TS-480HTX, ID-5100 and TM-D710A radios which
we will help the city install on site.  The antennas are still in the works.
The city purchased a Cushcraft D4 Rotatable dipole for 40,20,15 and 10
meters and an Alpha Delta 40/75 wire dipole.  The problem with HF may be
getting these two antennas high enough above ground to be effective.  We may
look at a vertical antenna on the roof in place of one or both antennas.
Something to talk about at our July meeting.

Our members asked many questions and got great answers from Mr. Brent
Ruggles.  

The EOC is located within the confines of the Alexandria Detention Complex,
so access will be strictly limited, the city is still working on this.  I
have been asked to provide nominations for those ARES volunteers who will
need access to the EOC in time of emergency.  

Future Programs

2019

June - Field Day planning and brief.  

July -  T6LC / W4JJ - Operations from Afghanistan 

August - SUGGESTION, We move our meeting to Saturday morning to meet at the
Cold War Museum around 10AM.

September - 

October - 

November - Club Elections - New President and Vice President.

December - Party

At this time, I do not have programs for August, September or October.  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 

In April we had Jason talk about the Cold War Museum in Vint Hill.  He
pointed out that the museum is FREE on weekends.   I would like to suggest
that we hold our August meeting not on Friday evening, but shift to Saturday
Morning at the Cold War Museum.  We can discuss at the next meeting.

Rick, N4ASX

ARES

I'm still looking for someone to step up and take over the Emergency
Coordinator position.  I would like to step down after 17 years.  I am
working on a handover package.  The EC needs to meet the ARRL requirements
for the position, be familiar with the ARES mission and able to work with
our served agencies (City, Red Cross, Alexandria Hospital).  

2019 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure.  On June 2nd, I
supported the annual ADA Tour de Cure.  This is an event where bicyclists
volunteer to raise money for diabetes research by riding one of several pre
planned routes.  ADA asks for support from amateur radio operators to
provide communications for this event.  As aways, this is to provide both
logistics and safety communications.   I've been doing this event for a
while on and off, when asked, for several years.  This year the weather was
perfect until the very end of the day when thunderstorms threatened to
descend on the western part of the courses.  We passed very little safety
traffic but a fair amount of logistics traffic.  

The one thing that surprised me was the lack of ham radio volunteers.   Many
of our new hams say they want to be involved with public service and
emergency communications, but we could have used about 5 more operators.
Maybe it was the lack of publicity.   If you wait for the real thing and
don't practice with these types of events you will NOT be ready when a real
emergency happens.  In Northern Virginia, we do not have the hurricanes,
fires, mudslides, flooding and other natural disasters that befall other
parts of the country.  This may be why we have 14 ARES volunteers with a
club count of 82.  Also, ARES is not a club activity per say, but any ham
radio operator in the Alexandria area may volunteer.  Don't sit back and
think, I don't need to practice, I'll be ready.  Do you know what repeaters
we would use in an emergency?  Have you practiced in FORMAL nets and learned
formal net procedures?  How is your traffic handling?   How is the condition
of your GO KIT?  Is your HT programmed?  Do you have spare batteries?  Whom
would you communicate with?   The next BIG event is the Marine Corps
Marathon.  This is an ALL DAY effort with a need for over 135 volunteer
operators.  You do not need to be an ARES volunteer to volunteer for this
effort.  What you will need is the right equipment for your assignment.
BUT,  our ham radio organizers ask for what you have and make assignments
based on your gear and ability.  You can sign up to volunteer NOW by going
to  <http://WWW.MARINEMARATON.COM> WWW.MARINEMARATON.COM and volunteering AS
A HAM RADIO VOLUNTEER.  You will then go to  <http://WWW.MCM.ORG>
WWW.MCM.ORG to provide the info needed for background check and for fitting
you to an assignment.  At that site you can specify what type of assignment
you want.

LAST MINUTE

We just found out that Chief Corey Smedley, who was the City's Emergency
Manager has been promoted to take over as Chief of the Alexandria Fire
Department.  Congratulations to Chief Smedley and we will miss you, but know
that your replacement, while your replacement will have big shoes to fill,
will continue your fine work.

Field Day - Heads Up!

Field Day - Is Just Around the Corner! 

Field Day 2019 and the 65th Anniversary Celebration is now only just two
weeks away. The Field Day Planning Group has been steadily working behind
the scenes putting together detailed planning to make Field Day 2019 and the
Anniversary celebration a success. 

 Digital mode practice sessions conducted on Sunday mornings have provided a
capability for club Field Day operation of two digital mode stations, one on
20 meters and one on 40 meters.  The addition of two digital mode stations
means that W4HFH will be operating as Class 7A this year which is different
from previous years' operating as Class 5A. The digital mode stations will
focus on the FT-8 mode and the digital modes Fldigi allows such as PSK-1,
OLIVIA and RTTY. 

For those who would like to sit down and operate radios at one of the club
stations, a sign-up link will be provided allowing those interested to pick
the station and time of their choice.

The big event on June 22nd will be the celebration of the 65th Anniversary
of the Alexandria Radio Club.  There will be a cake cutting ceremony at
12-noon to celebrate this event.  The press media have been notified of this
event, and attendance by the City of Alexandria Administration and the
public have been invited.  The 65th Anniversary shirts we ordered have been
received and will be available for pickup just before the next meeting.    

Field Day 2019 plans will be presented at the June monthly club meeting on
June 14th by Don Lewis, KI4D, Field Day 2019 Chairman We will need setup and
cleanup help from all club members.  Also, if you have equipment that you
can loan to the Field Day effort, let Don know.  <mailto:don.ki4d at gmail.com>
don.ki4d at gmail.com

If you would like to assist Wilson (KM4KLK) with the Field Day food service,
let Don know!

73 Rick N4ASX

Hamfests -

The Old Virginia Ham Hamfest in Manassas is on June 15, 2019.  It's in a new
location this year, the Manassas Park Community Center.  It's mostly
indoors, so rain won't be a problem this year.  Here is the link:
<http://manassashamfest.org/> http://manassashamfest.org/

Just in time for those last minute Field Day needs, is the Father's Day
Hamfest in Upperco, MD on June 16, 2018.  It's sponsored by the Baltimore
Amateur Radio Club.  The location is the Arcadia Volunteer Fire Company
Carnival Grounds in Upperco.  Talk-in will be on the Baltimore ARC's 146.670
MHz repeater (PL 107.2 Hz).  Here is the link:
<http://w3ft.com/Fathers%20Day%20Hamfest%202019.pdf>
http://w3ft.com/Fathers%20Day%20Hamfest%202019.pdf

Looking ahead is the Berryville Hamfest on August 4, 2019 at the Clarke
County Ruritan Fairgrounds.  It's sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Amateur
Radio Club.  Here is the link:   <https://svarc.us/hamfest/>
https://svarc.us/hamfest/.  They feature a barbeque lunch that is well worth
the trip.

The Alexandria Radio was represented at Hamvention this year.  N8IK, W9TCE,
KW4UJ, KV3W and KA4GFY all made the trip this year.    No major purchases
were made, but we did our best to contribute to the Dayton economy.  

ARRL introduced a new app for your smartphone.  You could add forums to your
calendar, maps to particular vendors and even check on the hourly prize
drawings.  

Some of the highlights included Elecraft introducing their K-4 transceiver.
Yaesu introduced the new FT3-DR Fusion radio.  FlexRadio introduced new
MultiFlex software.    

The ARRL member forum was well attended and ARRL introduced the new
Volunteer Monitoring Program.  There was also a robust discussion about the
Amateur Radio Parity Act.  

With the Alexandria Radio Club heavily into digital voice communications, we
took in the DSTAR and DMR forums.  Still no word from Kenwood on when they
will introduce a mobile version of the D74 handheld.  On the DMR side, we
learned how to write your own codeplug for a DMR radio.

We were able to use a portable repeater set up in the flea market area by a
couple of Roanoke area hams that was linked to the DMRVA Virginia Statewide
talkgroup and have a QSO with N4ASX from the fairgrounds during the day.   

Next year's Hamvention is May 15 through 17.  I have already reserved rooms
for next year.  In looking at hotel websites, there are already places sold
out, so if you are planning on going, book your room now. 

Training -

Our Spring 2019 class wrapped up with a 100% success rate for everyone who
took the exam.  We had a few people from outside the class join us to take
their exam as well.  

The results are:

Roger Mitchell                                  KN4UOS
Tech

Eric Howard                                      KN4UOT
Tech

Bryant Smith                                     KN4UOU
Tech

Lillian Cheng                                    KN4UOV
Tech

David Hill                                           KN4UOW
Tech

Christopher Milner                           KC3NMX                   Tech

Ross Haynes                                    KN4UOX
General

Garner Bennett                                KN4TDA
General

When you hear them on the air, be sure to welcome them to ham radio.

Contests -        

*         June 1 and 2 - Kentucky QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         June 8 and 9 - ARRL June VHF Contest.  Exchange is 4 character
grid square.

*         June 15 and 16 - West Virginia QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and
state

Don't forget, be sure to send in your log within 7 days after the contest
ends for all ARRL sponsored contests and be sure Alexandria Radio Club is in
the club affiliation box.

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 allocations.

There are also a couple of other noteworthy activities in June.  June 15 is
Kids Day.  It's an opportunity to expose young people to the magic of ham
radio and allowing them an opportunity to get on the air and talk with other
kids.  

June 22 and 23 is ARRL Field Day.  It's not a contest, but an emergency
preparedness exercise.  We are looking to improve our score this year and we
really need operators for the overnight shift.  80/75 meters and 40 meters
are definitely the places to be late at night on Field Day.   

Repeaters -

The club repeaters are all up and running.    We will have to resume the
follow-on net on one of the other repeaters after the Thursday net on the 2
meter analog repeater.  

As always, ham it up and get on the air.

73, Rich, KA4GFY

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 suggest it to
the group.

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