[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ARC SHORTS March 2020

Sat Feb 29 14:58:37 EST 2020

ARC-SHORTS

MARCH 2020

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 March 13th at the Alexandria, Police Dispatch Center
3600 Duke St.  Dinner for those interested is at Atlantis Restaurant in the
Bradlee Shopping Center off Rt.7 just east of I-395. Talk in is on the
147.315 repeater and we generally get together around 5:30 or so.  This
meeting's program will be provided by Joe, KT3I, on his work on AREDN and
the Fire Dept.

6 METER FM NET

The original schedule did not work out.  Tuesday at 7 PM had no
participation.   As this is also our class night and the NCS is teaching,
this net will move to MONDAY evening at 7PM on the 53.13 Repeater.  If you
have an HF rig with 6 meter capability give it a try.  If you have an Old
ICOM T-81A with 6 meters dust it off.

73 Rick

N4ASX

February Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes - February 14, 2020

Reminder: For those who have not paid their dues for 2020 they are now due.

Gordon Sparc NQ4K from Starling Park Amateur Radio Club provided ARC a brief
on the Virginia QSO party

Don Lewis sent out a trifold and requested comments from our members, he
received some feedback and some small changes were made and approved by the
body of members.

There was further discussion about getting 500 copies printed from Costco
for about $170.00. A motion was presented and seconded. We voted to approve
the funds to purchase 500 copies of the trifold.

Reports were given form the Secretary, Treasury, trailer and others they
were accepted as given. Our web site is ongoing.

Don also presented a flyer about the Raffle it contained the following
information;

*	Icom 7300 Purchase $1000
*	Proceeds to the ARC for expenses
*	Tickets to be sold throughout DC Metro area
*	Ticket booth at the Winter Fest
*	Eight (8) tickets already pledged
*	Winter to be announced at our Field Day

Proposed 2020 programs & projects.

*	Pursuing and securing club legacy artifacts for ARC legacy
collection
*	Pursuing stronger ties with the city of Alexandria
*	Assist Alexandria CERT with strengthening their radio communications

Our president would like to get more participation from our members to be
able to support Alexandria in case of an Emergency

2020 George Washington's Birthday Parade 

Unfortunately, I was not able to participate due to the flu.  Thanks to
those who volunteered and did an outstanding job for the City and for
George.

Rich, KA4GFY - Trailer lead

Ian, N8IK - Reviewing Stand lead

Jay, KV3W

Richard, KW4UJ

Don, KI4D

Joe, KT3I

Scott, KO4ARL

Wilson, KM4KLK

Harry, N4CWP

Larry, K4LDW

Sean, No Call (yet) (BUT SOON?)

Look forward to more details at the next meeting. Below are some pictures
taken by William, KM4KLK,

PRESIDENT'S INPUTS

Presidents Input

Rich KA4GFY is investigating the possibility that ARC can become a 501.c7
classified organization so that we may conduct raffles and accept tax
deductible donations of ham gear and other items of value.

 Alexandria Radio Cub has been nominated for Ham Club of the Year at
Hamvention.  Winning the award would mean our club would have an exhibit at
Hamvention 2020.

Progress has continued with the club history project. We now have a
documented history page concerning the club trailer contributed by N4JEE.
Each club member in years gone by will be asked about their recollections of
club activities by responding to the following questions:

Recollections of Club Members

 Club Member Background Information

Name:

Call Sign:

Dates of Club membership:

Club Activities involved in (Dates, Results):

============================================================================
===

A. Questions

1).   Club officers at the time:

2).   Names of other club members remembered, call signs:

3).   Activities of other club members:

4).   Meeting locations:

5).   Membership Size:

6).   Photos from the period:

7).   Club SKs:

8).   Radios in use:

9).   Emergencies ARC was involved with:

10).   Club involvement with ARRL:

11).   Club involvement with City:

12).   Club involvement with other organizations:

B. ANSWERS (Year begin - Year end):

ARC Calendar of Activities and Presentations for 2020

(as of February 24, 2020)

Alexandria Radio Club (ARC) monthly meetings are normally scheduled for the
second

Friday of the month, as reflected below. All meetings will be held at 7:00
p.m. at

Headquarters, Alexandria Police Department, 3600 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria,
VA

22304, unless otherwise announced. Presentation suggestions by Club members
are

always welcome. If you have a presentation suggestion, please send a note to
Rick

Bunn at n4asx@ cox.net. ARC conducts a weekly 2m net every Thursday at 2000
hours

local (8:00 p.m.) on the club's 2m repeater 147.315, PL 107.2.

Scheduled Activities and Presentations for 2020

. January 10th - MEETING, 2020 Plans & Programs, Membership Dues

. February 1st - FROSTFEST, Richmond, VA

. February 14th - MEETING, VA QSO Party, Gordon Miller ( NQ4K)

. February 17th - George Washington Day Parade Participation

. March 10th - License Classes begin (Ends May 5)

. March 7th - St Patrick's Day Parade

. March 13th - MEETING, AREDN, Joe Porcelli (KT3I)

. March 21-22nd - VA QSO Party Weekend

. March 29th WINTERFEST, Annandale, VA

. April 8th - FIELD DAY 2020 planning committee kickoff (John Marshall
Library)

. April 10th - MEETING, Alexandria CERT, Dr. Marjorie Windelberg

. May 8th - MEETING, WINLINK, Greg Butler (KW6GB)

. May 15-17th - HAMVENTION, Dayton, OH

. June 12th - MEETING, FIELD DAY 2020 final briefing

. June 27-28th - FIELD DAY 2020 Weekend

. July 10th - MEETING, AMSAT, Paul Stroetzer (N8HM)

. August 14th - MEETING, Marine Corps Marathon Briefing

. September 11th - MEETING, TBA

. October 9th

-- MEETING, Ham Radio Outlet, Steve Gilmore (W4SHG)

. October 25th - MARINE CORPS MARATHON

. November 13th - Meeting, Year in Review, Elections

. December 11th - Meeting, Christmas party

ARES

As pointed out in the last ARC SHORTS, ARES is undergoing many changes.  One
is the requirement for all ARES volunteers to log in to ARES CONNECT for
Virginia.  Once you have signed in, you want to link yourself to 510VA
(Alexandria, ARES).  ALSO, Please send Rick,  <mailto:N4ASX at COX.NET>
N4ASX at COX.NET a copy of your FSD98.

I want to thank the following for signing into ARES CONNECT.

KA4GFY, Rich, Credited with LEVEL II 

N8IK, Ian 

N2KFA, Pete

KN4YZY, Corey (Welcome to the group!)

KI4D, Don

KK4TWM, Mike (Welcome to the group!)

KA2BWU, Warren

If you are an ARES Volunteer and have not yet signed up the website is
<https://arrl.volunteerhub.com/lp/va> https://arrl.volunteerhub.com/lp/va
Please sign up so we can take advantage of the website.

If you have a CITY ID-51A, please review its list of repeaters and let me
know if you have any changes to make.  Once I get all the changes, I will
put together a new standard "code plug" .  You also need to check into, at
least, one net a month.  

I hope to have more info on the EOC and Hospital installations at the next
meeting.

73 Rick , N4ASX

Hamfests -

The next hamfest in our area is the Winterfest at the Annandale Campus of
Northern Virginia Community College, on March 29, 2020.  We always get three
tables to sell your excess radio gear taking up precious space in your
shack.  Its sponsored by the Vienna Wireless Society.  Talk-in on the
NVFMA's 146.910 MHz repeater.  Here is the link;
<https://viennawireless.net/wp/events/winterfest/>
https://viennawireless.net/wp/events/winterfest/

Early May brings the Great Hagerstown Hamfest on Saturday, May 2, 2020.
It's sponsored by the Antietam Radio Association.  It will be held a
Washington County Ag-Center in Boonsboro, MD.  Talk-in will be on the
Antietam Radio Association's 147.090 (+ offset, PL 100 Hz) repeater.  Here
is the link:    <https://w3cwc.org/hamfest> https://w3cwc.org/hamfest  

It's not too early to start thinking about the Dayton Hamvention, the Big
Kahuna of hamfests.  There were over 32,000 people at Hamvention last year.
I have 3 rooms available in Fairborn, OH near the US Air Force Museum.  We
travel out on Wednesday and do a museum or two in the Dayton area on
Thursday.   If you are interested in going, please let me know by April 1 so
I can order tickets.  Here is the link:  <https://hamvention.org/>
https://hamvention.org/

Later in May, on May 24, 2020, it's the memorial Weekend Hamfest, sponsored
by the Maryland FM Association.  It's held at the Howard County Fairgrounds
in West Friendship, MD, right off Route 144 and I-70.  Talk-in will be on
the MFMA repeaters, 146.760 (-), 224.760 (-) and 444.000 (+).  All need a
107.2 Hz PL tone to access them.  Here is the link:
<http://www.marylandfm.org/Hamfest.htm>
http://www.marylandfm.org/Hamfest.htm

In June, it's the Olde Virginia Hams hamfest in Manassas Park on June 13,
2020.  It's held at the Manassas Park Community Center, just off Route 28.
Talk-in on the Olde VA Hams 146.970 (PL 100 Hz) repeater.    Here is the
link:  <https://w4ovh.net/welcome-to-manassas-hamfest/>
https://w4ovh.net/welcome-to-manassas-hamfest/

The Father's Day Hamfest at Arcadia takes place on June 21, 2020 at the
Arcadia Fairgrounds in Upperco, MD.  It's sponsored by the Baltimore Amateur
Radio Club.  Talk -in is on BARC 2 meter repeater, 146.670 MHz (PL 107.2
Hz).  Here is the link:  <https://w3ft.com/hamfest/>
https://w3ft.com/hamfest/

Training -

Our next class is scheduled to start on March 10 and end May 5, 2020.  If
you know somebody who has always wanted to become a ham, send them our way.
The class is filling up. 

We have a very successful program.  Nearly all of our students pass the exam
with 90% or better and we do not teach the test, we teach the material.  

Contests -           

*	March 14 and 15 - Oklahoma QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.
*	March 14 and 15 - Idaho QSO Party.  Exchange is state.
*	March 15 and 16 - Wisconsin QSO Party - Exchange is state. 
*	March 21 and 22 - Virginia QSO Party.  Exchange is serial number and
county/city.

*         March 28 and 29 - CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB.  Exchange is RS
and serial number.

*         April 4 and 5 - Florida State Parks on the Air.  Exchange is
state.

*         April 4 and 5 - Louisiana QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and sate. 

*         April 4 and 5 - Missouri QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         April 4 and 5 - Mississippi QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         April 4 and 5 - Nebraska QSO Party.  Exchange is state.

*         April 5 - North American Sprint - SSB.  Exchange is other
station's call, your call, serial number and state.

*         April 11 and 12 - New Mexico QSO Party. Exchange is name and
state.

*         April 11 and 12 - Georgia QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         April 11 and 12 - North Dakota QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and
state.

*         April 18 and 19 - Texas State Parks on the Air.  Exchange is RST
and state.

*         April 18 and 19 - Michigan QSO Party.  Exchange is serial number
and state.

*         April 18 and 19 - Ontario QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         April 25 and 26 - Florida QSO Party.  Exchange is RST and state.

The VA QSO Party is on March 21 and 22 this year.  Be sure to help support
the club's efforts by getting on the air and submitting your logs. We have
an added incentive this year, we will be featured on the VA QSO Party
certificate that will be sent out to all the participants! 

Don't forget, be sure to send in your log within 7 days after the contest
ends for all ARRL sponsored contests.  ARRL now uses a web application for
contest log submissions.  Here is the link:
<http://contest-log-submission.arrl.org/>
http://contest-log-submission.arrl.org/  Be sure to convert your file to
Cabrillo format before submitting.  Most logging programs support the
Cabrillo format.

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.  If the contest asks for a club affiliation,
the Alexandria Radio Club is on the list of contest clubs.  Contesting is
one way we show that we are using our frequency allocations. 

Contests may not be your thing, but contests are a great way to show outside
interests we do use our valuable spectrum.  By showing we use our spectrum,
other services will have a hard time proving that we don't use our spectrum
and it's up for re-allocation to someone else.  

Contests can also be a great way to become introduced to HF communications.
While it can be intense, pick the contest and jump in.  Most contests have a
limited exchange so it is usually easy to get what the other station needs.

State QSO parties are a great introduction to contesting.  Most are low-key
and the exchange is limited.   

Speaking of state QSO parties, there is now a state QSO party challenge.
You can start accumulating multipliers by submitting a log in any state or
provincial QSO party to 3830scores.com QSOParty Groups.io.forum and State
QSOParty.com.   

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 allocations. 

Repeaters -

The club repeaters are all up and running.    We have resumed
(semi-regularly) the follow-on net on one of the other repeaters after the
Thursday net on the 2 meter analog repeater.  Don't forget the Tuesday night
6 meter net. 

We are making progress on the internet connection issue at the hospital.   

You can use the DSTAR repeaters in local mode by not filling in the
"Repeater 2" position or link to another W4HFH DSTAR repeater by using
"W4HFH" in the first 5 positions and "A", "B", or "C" in the 8th position in
"Repeater 2." 

The local mode for the DMR repeater is talk group 27500.  Most code plugs
label the talk group as "Local."    

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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