[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ALexandria Radio Club - ARC SHORTS Newsletter December 2022

Wed Dec 7 10:18:07 EST 2022

ARC-SHORTS

December 2022

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 Meeting

Our next meeting is the Annual Christmas Party on DECEMBER 9th at 7PM at
Glory Days 3141 Duke St. Ordering will be off the menu.  If you plan to
attend, PLEASE inform Ian, N8IK ( <mailto:N8IK at ARRL.NET> N8IK at ARRL.NET) so
he has a proper head count.  Family is also invited. If you would like to
participate in a gift swap, the limit is $20 and it is always a good time.
There will be some awards presented.

Last Meeting

Our last meeting was the club elections.  This was the first election where
the election was a secret ballot.  Seemed to work well.  

New Officers for 2023 

President - Don Lewis - KI4D

Vice President - Sean Gallager K4KBK

Treasurer - Erik Misavage -KI4BXU

Secretary - Carol Myers -KN4LLL

Sitting Director - Ian Keith - N8IK (2nd year of 3 year term)

Bob Cromley - KO4ZIK 

Jason Palma  -WA6MPR

Presidents Corner

Presidents Corner

I am truly grateful to have received your vote of confidence to serve as
President of Alexandria Radio Club President in 2023.  Thanks to your
support, friendship, and guidance, I believe we will have a very exciting
year in 2023.

I am committed to a theme of building consensus on how the club should move
forward in 2023.  My priorities will continue to reflect your most important
priorities for club development, operations and activities.  Therefore, I am
looking to each club member for your ideas on how we should proceed in the
new year.

On December 2nd, the club leadership group in a transition meeting via Zoom
to introduce 2023 elected board members and newly appointed committee
chairmen and their aspirations for the club in 2023.  The group reviewed and
board approved the club 2023 budget draft which will be presented to the
general membership for approval.  Along with the membership chairman and the
PIO chairman who provided overviews of their plans for moving forward in
2023, I provided an overview of my priorities and plans for 2023.  These
overviews will also be presented at the January club meeting.  The 2023
Leadership Group consists of:

Elected Officers for 2023:

Don Lewis, KI4D                                President 

Sean Gallagher, K4KBK                   Vice President

Carol Myer, KN4LLL                         Secretary

Erik Misavage, KI4BXU                   Treasurer

Elected Board of Directors, At Large

Ian Keith, N8IK

Bob Crumley, KO4ZIK

Jason Palmer, WA6MPR

* Voting members of the leadership group are the elected officers and
elected directors.

Committee Chairmen

Joe Izaguirre, KO4QQX                   Membership 

Jan Maas, KB2LRX                            Public Information Officer (PIO)

Gary Sessums, KC5QCN                 Club Metro Area Liaison

Advisory Group of Past Presidents & Officers

Harry Jones, N4CWP (Lifetime Member)

Rich Adamy, KA4GFY (Lifetime Member)

Rick Bunn, N4ASX (Lifetime Member)

Jim Stone, W4YUE 

Marshall DeBerry, KI4MWP (Lifetime Member)

Tom Kirby, KJ4FUU

Larry Walker, K4LDW

Monica Wilson, KC2IAY

Richard Morani, KW4UJ 

Ted Einersen, W9TCE

Club Leadership Group members may be contacted using the following email
addresses:

 <mailto:president at w4hfh.org> president at w4hfh.org

 <mailto:vice-president at w4hfh.org> vice-president at w4hfh.org

 <mailto:treasurer at w4hfh.org> treasurer at w4hfh.org

 <mailto:secretary at w4hfh.org> secretary at w4hfh.org

 <mailto:board at w4hfh.org> board at w4hfh.org

 <mailto:directors at w4hfh.org> directors at w4hfh.org

 <mailto:leadership at w4hfh.org> leadership at w4hfh.org

The January 13th 2023 meeting will feature a presentation by Orv Beach, W6BI
on AREDN.  Orv is an "AREDN Ambassador" designated by the AREDN team in a
new program to recognize people who are actively contributing to spreading
the word about how hams can use our 21st century mesh networking technology
to provide high-speed data communications when disasters strike.  AREDN
Ambassadors

*	Perform a significant amount of testing to help us verify new
features and bug fixes and uncover new flaws.
*	Improve feature sets
*	Identify new equipment which extends our supported platforms
*	Donate their time and effort to building and operating mesh networks
*	Promote the AREDNR Project through presentations to clubs and
hamfests
*	Engage local government, hospitals and other served agencies in
discussions about how hams can provide 21st century solutions to emergency
communications needs
*	Constantly improve their networking skills
*	Commit to support and advise local hams about methods to build
successful networks
*	Develop new applications and uses for an AREDNR mesh network

An "Alexandria Radio Club Current Membership" Google Group has been
established for internal club discussions by "active" club members.  This is
a private group established to promote internal club member communications
among members of Alexandria Radio Club who are current with their club dues,
and are therefore entitled to full membership privileges and benefits.

Invitations have already been sent to "active" members that are based on
those current with 2022 club dues as reflected in my records as Club
Treasurer.  If you have paid club dues for 2022 and have not received an
invitation to the Google Group, please send me a note so that the situation
can be corrected soonest.  A few email addresses have bounced.

ARES

As this is the last newsletter of the year.  I want to thank all the members
who volunteered to support ARES Alexandria.

As discussed at the November meeting, I will be staying on as Emergency
Coordinator until a Level III certified replacement steps up to take over
this position.  This was at the request of the Section Manager and with the
understanding that the two Assistant ECs would continue to support in my
absence. (Rich - KA4GFY and Ian - N8IK).

One does NOT need to be a member of the Alexandria Radio Club to be an ARES
Alexandria volunteer, but volunteers need to be active in amateur radio and
willing to support ARES activities.  We now have 25 ARES volunteers but can
always use more.  If you would like to volunteer, send me an e-mail and I
will send you the volunteer sheet (FDS-98,  The task book and some
information on how we are organized.

Our next event will be the George Washington's Birthday Parade in
Alexandria.  This is the 100th parade and should be a good one.  

FEBRUARY 20, 2023 (Monday - President's Day)

Assembly - Alexandria Fire Training Center (Nanny J. Lee School) at 9AM

            At that time, we will hand out the details of the parade, and
assignments.

FUNCTIONS: Our functions have not changed. 

1 - We will set up ARDEN from the Parade Start to the Reviewing stand to
send changes to the order of march.

2 - Work with the Civil Air Patrol to collect any changes to the parade and
relay those changes to the club's comm trailer at the beginning of the
parade.  

3 - Provide eyes and ears on the parade route to promote safety

4 - Support communications between the parade coordinator and her staff

5 - If possible, we will have an ARPS handheld at the beginning and end of
the parade and an APRS station at the reviewing stand to provide situational
awareness to the parade management.

SCHEDULE

9:00 AM - Assemble at the Fire Training Center

10:30 AM- Trailer towed to the parade start, ARES/ ARC volunteers carpool to
the parade and need to be on the parade course by 11 AM

12:00 PM - Parade form up.

12:50 PM - All changes need to be sent to the Trailer either via radio or a
legible list so the changes can be sent via AREDN

1:00 PM - Parade starts

2:30 PM - Parade should be over

3:00 PM - Get together to share any issues for the next parade.

FREQUENCY PLAN

All working with the parade marshals will use 146.655 repeater (141.3 CTCSS)
or 147.315 SIMPLEX when possible.  (Arrangements will be made with the Mt.
Vernon ARC)

Trailer / Reviewing stand will use 444.6 (107.2) to not interfere with the
parade organizing efforts.

POST PARADE HOT WASH

After the parade is over, we will make our way to Glory Days for warmth and
a late lunch cost covered by the club.

73 Rick N4ASX

NEW PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICDER (PIO) and ARC SHORTS EDITOR

After many years or our members putting up with my efforts to get ARC SHORTS
out, The club now has a professional PIO and he has agreed to take over ARC
SHORTS.  

Jan Mass, KB2LRX, has extensive experience as a journalist.

73 Rick N4ASX

Activities and Events - Rich KA4GFY

Hamfests -

As of press time, there are no hamfests in driving distance on the calendar
until March 2023.  That may change.  I will keep checking and will post any
announcements when I see them.

Training -

The exam is scheduled for December 6 at the Alexandria Police Department HQs
building.  We will have exam results next month.

Our next class is scheduled for Marc to May 2023.

Contests - 

*         December 10 and 11 - ARRL 10 meter contest.  Exchange is RST and
state.

*         December 17 - RAC Winter Contest.  Exchange is RST and state.

*         December 18 - ARRL Rookie Roundup, CW.  Exchange is year first
licensed and state.

*         January 7 - ARRL Rookie Roundup - RTTY.  Exchange is year first
licensed and state.

While its not a contest, be sure to mark your calendar for Jan 7, 2023 for
the 1st ARRL Kids Day in 2023.  

Every Sunday evening at 8 PM local time, the K1USN Radio Club sponsors the
"Slow Speed "Contest."  The exchange is similar to a QSO.  See the rules
here:  <http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html> http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html.

Every Tuesday at 0000 (7 PM EST Monday for us) is the Worldwide Sideband
Activity Contest.  Exchange is RS and age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth).
Here are the rules:  <https://wwsac.com/rules.html>
https://wwsac.com/rules.html

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. 

Repeaters -

The club repeaters are all up and running.  The DSTAR repeaters are seeing a
lot of activity.  We have been linking the 2-meter repeater to Reflector
062C for Virginia and Maryland communications, and the 70cm Reflector 030C,
for long-range communications and the 23cm voice repeater to Reflector 025B,
the Northern Virginia local reflector or 001C, the world-wide reflector.  If
you want to link to another reflector, be sure to unlink the repeater first
and then link to the reflector of your choice.  All we ask is you unlink the
reflector you were listening on when you are finished.   

DMRVA has announced the first VHF repeater in the DMRVA system is now on the
air in Fredericksburg.  The frequency is 145.300 MHz.  It uses the DMRVA
standard talkgroup lineup and color code 1 for access.  

The Alexandria Radio Club has one of the only 23 cm analog repeaters in the
area.  Give it a try on your IC-9700, G-7, ID-1, or if you still have one, a
T-81.  It works quite well.

We also have one of the few 33 cm repeaters in the area.  It has good
coverage and can be accessed with a handheld in many of the same places as
our 70 cm repeater.  If you have an Alinco G-29, Motorola GTX or a Kenwood
TK-981, give it a try.  If you are curious about 33 cm, check out kw902.com.
This is the go-to website on everything about Kenwood 33 cm equipment.
Another good source of 33 cm information is the San Diego 900 MHz Club at
SD900MHz.com.

We have resumed the follow-on net on one of the other repeaters after the
Thursday net on the 2-meter analog repeater on a rotating basis, 6 meter,
1.25.meter and 70 cm repeaters.  There has been discussion about trying the
33 cm and 23 cm repeaters as well.  There isn't too much 33 cm equipment in
the club, but several members have the ICOM 9700, so a 23 cm net is not too
far-fetched.    

Ian, N8IK, runs the Wednesday night DSTAR net on the 145.380 MHz repeater at
8 PM.  The Wednesday night net is starting to pick up some momentum.  We
link the repeater to Reflector 62B at net time so members and former members
outside the local area can join in.  Some time ago, I asked the folks who
maintain the lists of DSTAR reflectors to create a Virginia perma-link
reflector.  Many other states have them.  Be sure to put Reflector 62B in
your DSTAR programming.  

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

73, Rich, KA4GFY

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