[FPARC] ARRL Southern Florida Section Section News

[W4kkw at aol.com]

Happy Holidays everyone,

The year 2006 is nearly at an end and I  feel it moved by too fast.  Lots of
changes have come about in the world  of Amateur Radio this past year and
exciting ones are on the horizon for  2007.

As I type this message it has been about 48 hours since the FCC  press release
about dropping Morse Code testing for US Amateur  licenses.  The reflectors
have been buzzing and my eyes are tired from  reading.  I found good ideas
among some of the celebrations and some of  the grumbles.  Bottom line, we
need to remember two things: If you are  new to HF because of an upgrade or
because of the upcoming FCC changes please  remember that HF operating is
different from repeater operating and it is not  like Field Day.  If you have
been operating HF for some time please  welcome the newcomers and be an Elmer
or Elmira.  We will post some  links and some documents regarding HF operating
on the two section sites in  the near future, to help both newcomers and the
Elmers and Elmiras.

If  you are a VE please help out at as many test sessions as you are able  to
attend in the next 6 months because we will have a lot of candidates  for
upgrades and lots of paperwork with the FCC  change.

===========================================================
Reports:

SAR  November: KA4FZI 331, NY4E 282, K4FQU 126, N3OZP 124,
AA4BN 95, WA4EIC 95,  WA2YL 44, KI4OUD 22, KI4MGF 7, KI4KQQ 3
========================
PSHR  November: KA4FZI 120, WA4EIC 100, WA2YL 100,
N3OZP 100, NY4E 90, K4FQU 92,  AA4BN 85, W4DKB 17
========================
Bulletin Report from David  Smith KE4UEI: Recd 20, Sent 6, Total 26
========================
NET ABB.  SESS QNI QTC MGR
All Florida CW Traffic Net QFN 60 745 334 NY4E
Florida  Amateur SSB Traffic Net FAST 30 186 43 K4SCL
Florida Medium Speed Net FMSN 30  248 82 AG4RJ/AB4XK
Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group JTRG 5 48 22 AG4BV
Palm  Beach County Ares Net PBCAN 5 59 20 KG4PFY
Saint Lucie Repeater Association  SLRA 4 31 6 KE4UEI
Southeast Florida Traffic Net SEFTN 59 646 110  AG4RJ/AI4GE
Southwest Florida Traffic Net SWFTN 25 342 79 K4FQU
ARES  Report for November
ARES members in the counties reporting: 1005,Change  0
12 Nets held 46 sessions and 5 maintained liaison 5with NTS.
ECs  reporting(county): WA4GUK(Lee), AD4RZ (Okeechobee), AA4BN (Hendry),  
N5KFR
(Glades), WA4ASJ (Indian River), N1XC (Martin), KF4IHX (St Lucie),  AG4AN
(Osceola) and N4LEM (Brevard)
There were 6 drills, tests &  training sessions held  and 54 total  ARES
operations.
==============
Technical Specialists reports were  received from N4TZH, K8KB, WB9JTK, KF4KDO,
and  W4KPG.
==============
OES reports were received from KE4UEI, KC2DPP,  W3ALE, W4DKB, N3HOE, N4ZEB,
KE4NUZ, and WB2CKM
==============
I also  heard from the following PIOs: AG4BV, AI4GK,  W3ALE

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

Some  news from around the section:
KF4IHX installed a new 800 MHz trunking radio  in the EDICS trunking radio in
the EDICS trailer stationed in St  Lucie.
Several 2-meter repeaters in the Treasure Coast area have had  repairs.
The 6-meter repeater in Okeechobee is operational again.

Vic  Kieffer, WA0USA has kindly offered to teach a South Palm Beach County
based  version of the CW class he's given at Jupiter Farms a few times. The
class is  based on the AA9PW website. Of course there needs to be sufficient
attendance  in order to give the class.  If you are interested in
participating in  this class, please drop him an e-mail  at
kleberf at bellsouth.net.

Skywarn Appreciation Day was fun in  Melbourne according to preliminary
reports.

Many clubs are electing  new officers for 2007 and I will post them on section
news page soon.   Please send me a list of the 2007 officers for your club
(and don't forget to  send them to our Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jeremy,
K4OCD.  E-mail  K4OCD at arrl.net)

More news will be on the web page soon.  Speaking of  web page I am working a
slight change of format to make it easier to  read.  I'll separate the ARES
and EMCOMM news from the Club News.   If you would like to contribute short
articles about your club (history, new  direction, etc) or about a special
club member please send them to me -- I  need information for the news page
just like your club newsletter editor  does.

Don't forget the Hello operating event on Dec. 29/30.  I'll be  on the air --
will you?  For more information see December QST and  visit
www.hello-radio.org/event.

Lastly, words of wisdom from a YL  that most of us know:
Every Volunteer Examiner is waiting for all that have  used the Morse Code
requirement as the ONLY reason for not upgrading their  licenses. If amateur
radio is to survive we need active use of the spectrum  allocated to us.
Ooops there is still a theory exam, an exam fee and the  dissenters from
Incentive Licensing days. We still will hear lots of  discussions on what else
is wrong with amateur radio but I have faith that  most of you will put your
efforts where your mouths (or keyboards)  are.
GET SET, GET READY, GOOOO!!!
Evelyn W4WYR

Thanks, Evelyn, I  could not have said it better.

Stay safe and stay on the  air
73
Sherri,  W4STB


--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL  Southern Florida Section
Section Manager: Sharon T. Brower,  W4STB
w4stb at arrl.org
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