[CC-ARES-RACES] MDC Section News
Tom Abernethy
w3tom at verizon.net
Sun Jun 16 12:21:11 EDT 2013
************************
MDC Section News
Vol. 8 No. 6
June 13, 2013
************************
* MDC SECTION-WIDE ECHOLINK NET JUNE 21, THE NIGHT BEFORE FIELD DAY
* UPCOMING HAMFESTS
* VETERAN'S NET ANNOUNCEMENT
* MAY, 2013 T-MARC NEWS
* WWII SWL EPHEMERA REQUEST
* MARINE CORPS MARATHON - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
* YOUNG PREPPER COMMUNITY GETTING HAM LICENSES
* W3BE INFORMED
* DISTRICT EMERGENCY COORDINATOR APPOINTED FOR EASTERN SHORE
* MDC SECTION ARESR REPORT
* SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER'S REPORT
* FINALLY. . .
==> MDC SECTION-WIDE ECHOLINK NET JUNE 21, THE NIGHT BEFORE FIELD DAY
This month's MDC section-wide Echolink net will be held on Friday,
June 21st at 8:00 PM EDT, the night before Field Day, on the
Echolink WASH_DC node 6154.
If you would like to join in on RF, the following repeaters/IRLP
have linked in for previous Echolink nets:
- KA2JAI-R
- WB3GXW-R, 147.225(+), PL=156.7, located in Calverton, MD
- N3HF-R, 443.45(+), PL=151.4, located near Ocean City, MD
- N3HF-R, 443.45(+), PL=156.7, located near Silver Spring, MD
- W3ICF-R, 146.73(-), PL=141.3, located near Frederick, MD
- K3CAL-R, 146.985(-), PL=156.7, located near Sunderland, MD
- W3SMR, 147.150 MHz(+), PL=114.8, Brandywine, MD
- N3RO-L, 145.545, Simplex, Frederick Co
- W3SMD-L, 147.51 Simplex, N. St Mary's Co, covers much of Charles
and Calvert Co
- K3GMR-R 146.61, No PL, Cheverly, MD
Everyone is encouraged to join in and give any updates on what is
going on in your part of the ARRL Maryland-DC Section.
If you don't have Echolink on your computer, you may download the
software, free-of-charge, from: <www.echolink.org>.
As always, we thank John Creel, WB3GXW, for making the WASH_DC
Echolink server as well as his WB3GXW-R repeater available for the
Echolink net.
Everyone is invited to stay connected to the WASH_DC server on
Echolink for the ARRL Audio ARES E-Letter and Amateur Radio
Newsline which immediately follows our net.
==> UPCOMING HAMFESTS
You may view upcoming hamfests in the Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland-DC, West Virginia and Virginia area by clicking on
the ARRL MDC web page at <www.arrl-mdc.net/hamfest.htm>.
-----
Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention (Firecracker Hamfest
& Electronics Expo)
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Sponsor: Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Club
Website: <hrac.tripod.com/HAMFEST_FLYER2013.pdf>
Location: HACC Campus - Shumaker Public Safety Center
3599 Industrial Road
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Talk-In: 146.76 (PL 100)
Contact: Terry Snyder, WB3BKN
PO Box 355, 462B Tourist Park Road
Halifax, PA 17032
Phone: 717-896-0256
Email: <terry at djterry.com>
-----
Maryland Hamfest and Comptuer Fest
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sponsor: Baltimore Radio Amateur TV Society
Website: <bratsatv.org/hamfest>
Location: Howard County Fairgrounds
2210 Fairgrounds Road
West Friendship, MD
Talk-In: 147.03/R, 224.96/R, 448.325/R
Contact: Ed Rosen, N3GXH
Phone: 410-461-1212
Fax: 410-461-1212
Email: <hamfest at bratsatv.org>
-----
63rd Annual Berryville Hamfest
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Sponsor: Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club
Website: <www.shenvalarc.org/hamfest>
Location: Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds
Business Route 7
Berryville, VA
Talk-In: 146.820-
Contact: John Cottrell, WD4GEK
989 Black Bear Road
Maurertown, VA 22644
Phone: 540-436-3818
Email: <BerryvilleHamfest at gmail.com>
-----
Carroll County Tailgate Fest
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Sponsor: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club
Location: Carroll County Agriculture Center
706 Agriculture Center Drive
Westminster, MD 21157
Website: <http://www.qis.net/~k3pzn>
Talk-In: 145.410 (PL 114.8)
Public Contact: Steve Beckman, N3SB
2145 Bethel Road
Finksburg, MD 21048
Phone: 443-435-1089
Email: <n3sb at qis.net>
-----
ARRL Maryland State Convention (CARAFest)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Sponsor: Columbia Amateur Radio Association
PO Box 911
Columbia, MD 21044-0911
Website: <www.carafest.org>
Location: Howard County Fairgrounds
2210 Fairgrounds Road
West Friendship, MD
Talk-In: 147.135+ (PL 156.7)
Contact: Dave Prestel, W8AJR
10160 Tanfield Court
Ellicott City, MD 21042-5808
Phone: 443-812-4403
Email: <dave.prestel at gmail.com>
-----
ARRL Delaware State Convention
(Delmarva Radio & Electronics EXPO)
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Sponsor: Sussex Amateur Radio Association
Location: Sussex Technical High School
17099 County Seat Highway (Route 9)
Georgetown, DE 19947
Website: <www.radioelectronicsexpo.com>
Talk-In: 147.090+ (PL 156.7)
Public Contact: Bill Duveneck, KB3KYH
18628 Sunny Sky Blvd.
Milton, DE 19968
Phone: 302-537-4755
Email: <kb3kyh at arrl.net>
-----
Mason-Dixon Hamfest
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sponsor: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club
Location: Carroll County Agriculture Center
706 Agriculture Center Drive
Westminster, MD 21157
Website: <http://www.qis.net/~k3pzn>
Talk-In: 145.410 (PL 114.8)
Public Contact: Steve Beckman, N3SB
2145 Bethel Road
Finksburg, MD 21048
Phone: 443-435-1089
Email: <n3sb at qis.net>
-----
Greater Baltimore Hamboree
The Regional Emergency Preparedness Expo
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds
2200 York Road
Timonium, MD
Website: <http://www.gbhc.org/>
Sponsor: Baltimore Amateur Radio Club
Talk-In: 147.67
Public Contact: Sharon Dobson, K3DUH
PO Box 120
Reisterstown, MD 21136
Phone: 443-590-1444
Email: <w3ft67 at yahoo.com>
So, visit <www.arrl-mdc.net/hamfest.htm> and mark your
calenders!
==> VETERAN'S NET ANNOUNCEMENT
The Veteran's Net, sponsored by the American Legion, will
be held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at
7:30 pm beginning June 12, 2013.
Selected repeaters will be connected together via ECHO LINK
nodes as well as a two meter simplex frequency.
Access to the net is available through one of the following
modes of operation:
ECHO LINK:
N3TAL-L Node: 849667
K3BEQ-L Node: 8421
WB3GXW-R Node: 147225
WA2NAN-R Node: 823942
WASH_DC Node: 6154
RF For Non Echo Link Users:
147.555 Simplex (K3BEQ Host) in Cheverly, Md and
147.225 WB3GXW PL 156.7 in Silver Spring, Md.
If you served in the Armed Forces of the United States or have
family members who served, please try to check in.
In addition to meeting your fellow Brothers in Arms,
information of interest to Veterans will be also be made
available.
[Thanks to Murray Green, K3BEQ, for this information.]
==> MAY, 2013 T-MARC NEWS
May 2013 Updates
Applications in Process:
DelMarVa Group --
- Received application for CTCSS change and ERP increase
for 448.8250- in Delaware City, Delaware.
- Waiting on adjacent channel in Pa. for test results.
Network Engineers Repeater Assoc. (NERA) --
- Sent revised link coordinations for 442.4500 at Cacapon Mtn.,
W.Va.
- Sent revised link coordinations for 443.2500 at Fork Mtn., Va.
- Sent revised link coordinations for 447.7750 at Bull Run Mtn.,
Va.
- Sent revised link and repeater coordinations for 449.9750 at
Washington
Shenandoah Valley ARC --
- Received application for modification of 146.8200 in
Winchester, Va.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination with modifications to
neighboring coordination groups.
Christiana Hospital CARES --
- Received application for coordination for UHF pair at
Middletown, Delaware.
- Sent notice of proposed coordination to Area Repeater
Coordination Council.
Southern Maryland ARC --
- Received request for increase of AGL and lower ERP of 147.1500
in Brandywine, Md.
On Air Status Requests sent to:
51.9000- K5JMP Stafford, Va.
53.2300- N3UR Fork Mtn., Va.
145.2500- KK3L Damascus, Md.
145.4500- AO-27 Bull Run Mtn., Va.
442.4125+ AO-27 Bull Run Mtn., Va.
444.0500+ NERA Burtonsville, Md.
Coordinations Withdrawn / Cancelled:
447.5750- KB3KOU Hyattsville, Md.
Other:
- Received 1 Notice of Proposed Coordination for UHF link from
South East Repeater Association.
- Received 1 Notice of Proposed Coordination for UHF repeater
from South East Repeater Association.
T-MARC is "The Mid-Atlantic Repeater Council."
T-MARC coordinates Amateur VHF and UHF repeater operations to keep
interference problems to a minimum.
The areas of responsibility include the District of Columbia,
Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia and the eastern panhandle of
West Virginia.
You may visit the T-MARC website at: <http://tmarc.org/>.
If you have any questions about a local area repeater or want to
coordinate a repeater, you may send an e-mail to:
<tmarc at tmarc.org> for information.
==> WWII SWL EPHEMERA REQUEST
David Hochfelder, a Professor of History at SUNY Albany, together
with his wife Anne Pfau, is searching for letters, or other
ephemera, about American shortwave radio listeners during WWII who
were hoping for news of POWs.
He has located some radio logs about listening activities in
private hands.
If you have anything of interest, you may contact Mr Hochfelder
via e-mail at: <dhochfelder at albany.edu>.
[Thanks to Helena E. Wright, Curator of Graphic Arts at the
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, DC for this request.]
==> MARINE CORPS MARATHON - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The 38th Marine Corps Marathon will be held on Sunday,
October 27, 2013 from 4:00 AM until 3:00 PM.
To sign up as an amateur radio volunteer, you may go to this
shortcut:
<www.doitsports.com/volunteer2/info.tcl?job_id=47102508>.
Or, you may click on: <www.ncacdc.com>, then click on "Sign Up
Here," in red at the bottom.
You will see the "Volunteer Signup" page. At the bottom left,
click on "Volunteer for This Job" and complete the "Volunteer
Signup" form.
In addition, you may go the <http://www.marinemarathon.com> web
site and register as an amateur radio volunteer.
==> YOUNG PREPPER COMMUNITY GETTING HAM LICENSES
Sharon Dobson, K3DUH, president of the Baltimore Amateur Radio
Club was interviewed by "Wireless News Digest" on May 12th.
During the interview, she said, "Last year, I noticed a new trend.
We were suddenly getting younger people taking the amateur radio
tests, but they weren't coming to the club meetings.
They would pass the test and not be heard from again."
Sharon added, "... [After] Talking to them [it] made me realize
they were taking the tests and buying the radios to wait until
they needed to use them."
For example, "... the prepper community suggests getting your ham
license so that you can talk to family and friends after the
collapse of the country."
Sharon believes this could be an exciting revitalization of ham
radio if we reach out to this group of people.
You may read the entire article by clicking on:
<http://usonlinenewsdigest.com/7635/29387/a/article>.
==> W3BE INFORMED
John Johnston, W3BE, who is a retiree from the FCC's regulatory
branch, regularly updates his website, <www.w3beinformed.org>.
John's webpage contains FCC news and his answers to questions
regarding the FCC's Rules and Regulations, "W3BE-O-GRAMS."
His website also contains pictures of his and his XYL Betty's
(W3BEJ) travels.
John is a contributer to various amateur radio related magazines.
Take a peek at his web site.
==> DISTRICT EMERGENCY COORDINATOR APPOINTED FOR EASTERN SHORE
Thanks to Bob Luff, W3GAC, for accepting the appointment of District
Emergency Coordinator for the Eastern Shore and also for taking on the
role of Emergency Coordinator for Talbot County. Bob is looking
forward to working with existing Emergency Coordinators on the eastern
shore and expanding the ARRL Field Organization into counties with no
ARESR presence. He will also be working with counterparts across the
state lines of DE, VA and PA which border the eastern shore to
implement an effective mutual aid plan.
As we begin the 2013 Hurricane Season, I urge the 94% of you, that's
right - the 94% of you - who are NOT involved in any way with
volunteering your communications skills and radio equipment to help out
in times of emergency, to contact your local ARESR Emergency
Coordinator and get involved. You may find contact information by
clicking <http://www.arrl-mdc.net/MDC_EC_RO.htm> on our local MDC
Section website <http://www.arrl-mdc.net/> where you will also find
information about clubs, links to items of interest, etc.
==> MDC SECTION ARESR REPORT
_________________________________________________________
ARRL Section: Maryland-DC Month: April Year: 2013
_________________________________________________________
AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE
Total number of ARES members: 638
Change since last month: 0
Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 3
Number of ARES nets active: 14
Number with NTS liaison: 6
Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: N3QHC, N3SEO, KB3FMJ, WB3KAS.
Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 13
Person hours: 152
Number of public service events this month: 1
Person hours: 6
Number of emergency operations this month: 0
Person hours: 0
Total number of ARES operations this month: 14 Total
Person hours: 158
Section Emergency Coordinator Report from WB3KAS:
Four entries this month, down much from previous months. I encourage
the remaining ECs to drop
us a line and let us know what great things you are doing in your
county and served agencies.
There is still one vacant DEC slot in the Central Region. If you are
interested, and
up to the challenge, please contact me or the Section Manager, WI3N for
more information.
Wanda, KA3AHI, and I continue to schedule visit to as many ARES groups
as possible. We have two presentations I think would be worth your
while to hear. One on Section Interoperability
and the other is the Section Hospital EmComm Program. We have done
ALLE, ANAR, CALV, CARR, GARR, STMA, TALB, WICO so far.
On May 13 WI3N, KA3AHI and I visited CARR and presented
"Interoperability and Winlink 2000." If
you wish to have us speak at your Group, drop me a line and we'll set
up a date.
Your MDC SEC had the honor of being chosen to be on the ARES Forum
panel at Hamvention this year. Most of the discussion centered around
ARES' involvement during and after Hurricane Sandy. I entertained
questions centered around the need for more frequent training and
drilling with served agencies
Comments from around the Section:
CALV County N3QHC:
1. Finished NIMS-100 training
2. Assisted CHAS with Girl Scout demonstration held in Hughesville.
3. Worked with Calvert County Health Department on new amateur radio
equipment they purchased.
Hoping County will have equipment installed before June's Region V
Hospital Drill.
GARR County KB3FMJ:
On Monday April 8th the monthly Garrett County ARES meeting was held.
The group began planning
activities for the upcoming Field Day event. The GCARES group will hold
their Field Day exercise at
the Western Md. 4H center located on route 495 just south of
Grantsville Md. The site can be found
on the ARRL Field day finder located on the ARRL Web site. GC ARES will
be using the call sign
K3EE on Field Day. Also Mark Moynahan (K3EE) presented a DX expedition
video.
The Garrett County ARES (GCARES) monthly meetings will be held at the
Garrett County Southern
Rescue Squad located on route 135 east of Oakland Maryland. The next
meeting will be Monday
June 10th at 7:00 PM.
The GCARES net is held weekly on Sunday evenings at 8:00 PM on the
146.805 repeater, dup PL 123 and is linked to the WAN and Target Link
Repeater Systems. All traffic is FM voice.
PRGE County WB3KAS:
PRGE ARES Web Page: http://www.pgares.org
PRGE ARES Internet Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PG-AresRaces/
Nets: Held four regularly scheduled training VHF nets on 146.61MHz on
Tuesdays
at 1930L. The monthly HF Hospital Net is held the Wednesday following
the third
Monday of the month on 3820KHz at 1930L.
Meetings: Monthly meeting held the 3rd Monday of the month at the Fire
Services
Building, 6820 Webster St, Landover Hills, MD at 1930. Eyeball QSOs at
1900.
May 3: Assisted Charles County Amateur Radio Club in solving problems
with getting into local
repeaters from the County Health Department. In the APRIL Second
Quarterly Hospital Drill there
were issues that now have been solved.
May 4: Held the second 2013 Field Day planning meeting at the County
Fire Services Building
making new HF dipoles and checking out older ones for Field Day.
May 11: Supported the 37th Annual Marlborough Day in beautiful down
town Upper Marlboro, MD.
Support included parade line up assistance and monitoring the
county's safety channels during the
day. Support volunteers were KA3AHI, KB3NJK, KC3ZCO, N3JBX, N3JFX,
WA3YTK, WB3KAS.
May 30: Attended a 2013 MS Bike Rid Fund Raising planning meeting at
National Harbor to survey
the new location this year for our Communications Command Center
supporting the event.
Signature: Jim Montgomery
Call sign: WB3KAS
Maryland-DC SEC
Email: wb3kas at aol.com
==> SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER'S REPORT
MDC NTS NETS:
MEPN 1305 W3YVQ QND/31 QNI/335 QTC/136 MINS/956
BTN 1305 KB3MXM QND/31 QNI/313 QTC/30 MINS/534
MDD AA3SB 1305 QND/62 QNI/347 QTC/224 MINS/726
MSN 1305 W8CPG QND/31 QNI/127 QTC/48 MINS/965
PSHR: KK3F 140, W3CB 135, W3YVQ 135, KB3LNM 130,
WB4FDT 100, K3IN 90, N3ZOC 90, KB3LFG 79, WB3FTQ 76;
TFC: KK3F 1720, WB3FTQ 191, WB4FDT 112, KB3LNM 111,
N3ZOC 104, N3HFC 95, K3IN 92, W3YVQ 91, W3CB 44,
KC3Y 4
==========
NEW HAMS
We encourage involving more local amateurs in each
of our jurisdictions to work with our NTS/NTSD operators,
clubs, and VECs, to use the opportunity presented by
NTS new ham welcome messages to contact newcomers.
This could help expand our outreach and give the new
amateurs a hand up in getting started in ham radio.
Stations who wish to help with this may establish an
account on Radio-email, or send a liaison to one of the
MDC Section or Local NTS nets, and advise me that you
are willing to accept such traffic for delivery to new hams.
Joe, KB3LNM, has prepared a reference handout explaining
the basic functions of ARES(r), NTS, NTSD and Radio-email,
and useful internet links, to be made available to new licensees.
With the approval of Rusty, N3WKE, the handout is now
available for VECs to give to new hams at the VEC testing
sessions.
NETS
The devoted MDC NTS team is maintaining daily operations
on MEPN, BTN, MSN and MDD, including liaisons between
those nets and our connections to Region and Area NTS
on Cycles 2 and 4, plus our digital links. Many of our
operators perform duties on multiple nets and days. They
could certainly use some help with traffic handling and NCS
and liaison duties on both voice and CW on many days of
the week. These nets provide umbrella messaging and
coordination services for all our county and city jurisdictions,
served agencies, and for liaison with other Sections in
addition to handling public welfare traffic nation-wide.
NTSD, Radio-email
Both new and experienced operators are encouraged to join
us on the NTSD Radiogram and the Radio-email networks.
Don, WB3FTQ, and Pam, N3HFC, have established daily
HF PacTor connections for MEPN with the NTSD Radiogram
service and with the national Radio-email service. These
stations provide us with infrastructure-independent digital
links for both network layers. Daily connections are made
with the Third Region and/or Eastern Area NTSD MBOs, and
with the Radio-email layer via WL2K or NTSD peer-to-peer
Radio-email forwarding.
N7NMS in Cumberland has established a WL2K RMS HF
WINMOR Gateway here in MDC, and there are numerous RMS
Gateways providing access to WL2K via packet radio. Both
RMS-Express and AirMail WL2K clients can also transfer
Radio-email peer-to-peer.
What do you do when your internet, phone, or other wireless
services fail? The NTS has now provided guidance on how to
use nation-wide Radio-email to permit us to augment or
replace those services with modern email-formatted messaging
over radio - including the ability to connect with the public
internet for email. NTS, NTSD, and ARES(r), have moved into
the modern IT world. Join us in that effort. Software is free.
Training will be provided for operators interested in helping.
If you would like to join us in this important messaging service
roll, contact the respective Net Managers or me and we will
provide the details. These are skills which must be learned
before emergency communications situations arise.
Thanks to all the MDC NTS Net NCS stations and Net
Managers for timely reports of monthly activity. Well done.
Remember that NCS Net Reports are due in the hands
of the Net Manager within 48 hours of the net session;
NM Net reports and SAR/PSHR reports are due in the
hands of the STM by midnight of the 6th of the following
month.
See the MDC Section web page at: www.arrl-mdc.net
The NTS Nets tab and individual net tabs are near the top
of the page. Also scroll down to General Information for the
tutorials on Basic Traffic Handling, Voice and CW, and the
WL2K tutorial.
---
MEPN: The MEPN meets on 3820 kHz; summer: 1800L
EDST (Pre-net 1730L); winter, if required by propagation:
1730L EST (Pre-net 1700L). The net may become directed
during the pre-net as soon as traffic is posted for handling.
Liaison stations will monitor the Echolink WB3GXW-L node
connection (or the *WASH_DC* conference bridge backup)
for check-ins on Echolink during the net. MEPN listed traffic
may be pushed directly to county Target Stations on WL2K,
outbound traffic to W3YVQ, Section Primary Target Station,
in Batch File format (see the WL2K tutorial).
ECHOLINK: John, WB3GXW, provides an Echolink service
on WB3GXW-L (node link list), with backup on *WASH_DC*
(node conference bridge list) as needed, for the MDC NTS.
The MEPN assigns a liaison to this service daily to provide
access to the NTS for stations not able to QNI the regular
nets. Representatives from MEPN, BTN, MSN, MDD, all
ARESR jurisdictions, and other amateurs are welcome.
Echolink is an internet-dependent function and an off-air
function for traffic counting unless accessed via linked
repeaters.
WL2K: The Winlink 2000 (WL2K) network provides for Radio-
email messaging in the standard email format between served
agencies, ARES(r) and NTS/NTSD. It is also used to carry
attachments, such as ICS-213 messaging, Radiogram welfare
traffic, and provides a protected gateway to addressees on the
public internet for both agency traffic and the public at shelters.
WL2K may be accessed via the internet, via packet radio, and
via HF PacTor or HF WINMOR Gateway stations. WL2K is an
on-air function for traffic counting when accessed via packet
and HF, an off-air function if accessed via telnet/internet. (See
the General Information, WL2K tutorial, at www.arrl-mdc.net.)
OTHER NETS:
The WVA Net meets on 3811; summer 1800L EDST, winter
1700L EST if required by propagation. Liaisons to WVA from
MEPN will need to be there promptly at the start of their net,
assigned at the start of the MEPN pre-net or the previous
night. The WVA net has also used 3810 kHz on occasion.
The DE net (DTN) is scheduled at 1830L on 3905 kHz.,
Monday through Saturday, the DELMARVA Net on Sunday.
The EPA Net is operating at 6:00 PM daily for the summer,
5:30 PM winter, on 3905 kHz.
==========
Thank you for your continued support of MDC integrated
ARES/NTS/NTSD operations.
73, W3YVQ, MDC ASM, STM
w3yvq atsign arrl dot net
==> FINALLY. . .
'Twas the night before Field Day, when all through the club
Everyone was excited about the next day's hubbub.
Our rig and antenna was prepared with care
In hopes that Murphy would ignore our spare.
Club members were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of high scores danced in their heads.
Our rigs and antenna will be ready in a snap
'Cause we know during Field Day, we've no time for a nap.
Set up went well, key down was on time.
The bands seemed all dead - we were starting to whine.
There must be a problem, oh where could it be?
We looked at the dipole hung up in the tree.
When what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a squirrel on the coax, his face in a snear.
He'd chomped through the feedline, it hung in a tatter,
With a malevolent stare, he started to chatter.
We grabbed the coax and gave it a whip,
He hung on for dear life, then started to slip.
He slid down the cable, hit the ground on a run,
Scampered into the woods while we stood there, just stunned.
The dipole came down, the spare coax came out,
Murphy - YOU LOST!!! - we started to shout!
We hoisted it up and stretched it out tight,
The log started filling, all day and all night.
Hot temp in the day, cool breeze through the night,
The bands in and out, we continued to fight.
It was the consensus of every club member
That this was a Field Day we'd all remember!
Apologies from ASM Al, KZ3AB, and me to Clement Clark Moore
for taking liberties with his classical poem, "'Twas the Night
Before Christmas."
But, I hope you all are prepared for Field Day.
SEC Jim Montgomery, WB3KAS, and I plan to travel through
the ARRL Maryland-DC Section and visit as many Field Day
sites as possible. We're also hoping that many of you will set up a
Winlink 2000 station to send a little traffic around.
I will be using the ARRL's Field Day Station Locator,
<www.arrl.org/field-day-locator>, to help me navagate to your
site. So, make sure your information is up-to-date.
I know it's more than four months away, but I'd like you to
remember to volunteer for the the 38th Marine Corps Marathon
which will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2013. Besides being
a huge public service event, it is also a great opportunity
to test your emergency communications operating skills.
Thanks to everyone who offered submissions to this month's
MDC Section News.
And remember, I am always at your service.
73, Jim Cross WI3N
ARRL Maryland-DC Section Manager
Chairman ARRL Emergency Communications Advisory Committee
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