[South Florida DX Association] Monthly Southern Florida Section News Summary

[Bill Marx]

 In the July 2004 issue of Popular Communications Rich Arland, K7SZ wrote
the
> following:
> If your idea of providing emergency communications begins and ends with a
> 2-meter handheld radio and a couple of spare battery packs, you are going
to
> have to drastically alter your perception. What most neophytes (and some
old
> timers, too) think about when they join an ARES or RACES group is the
amount
> of gear and hardware that they have available to provide communications.
It's
> not about gear, or radios or antennas. It's about training and
communicating.
>
> I must agree with Rich -- training is very important.  Please consider
> attending local ARES and club training sessions, taking an ARRL CCE EMCOMM
> course or a FEMA course.  Our SEC Jim, KD4GR will be offering training for
ECs
> and OESs at the Ft Pierce Hamfest on 8/14.  If you would like to attend
send
> Jim an e-mail (KD4GR at ARRL.NET) so he can plan on the correct number of
> handouts.
>
> Our ACC Jeff, WA4AW will also conduct a club council meeting at the Fort
> Pierce Hamfest for club representatives and officers. E-mail him at
> WA4AW at Juno.com if you plan to attend.
>
> I have updated the BPL in Miami information and loaded Field Day photos at
> www.arrl.org/sections.SFL.html. The news update will take about another
week
> due other projects that I need to finish.
>
> Visit  www.sflarrl.org for more useful information.  Click on the Lobbying
> section for sample letters for legislators about various issues.  Remember
> that form letters are not given a lot of weight so modify the letters.  If
you
> are cost conscious and in a hurry just modify a few of the ideas and write
> them on a QSL card to catch the attention of the staff.  Always include
your
> complete residence address and limit your letters and calls to the
> representative serving your area and comment on only one issue per letter.
>
> Phyllisan West, KA4FZI has offered to act as STM for a few months.  Thank
you
> Miss Phil!  Send your reports to her via NTS or e-mail.  I apologize for
the
> lack of reports in prior months.  Those reports that I received were sent
to
> ARRL Headquarters for inclusion in QST.
> JUNE 2004
> SAR - WA9VND 562(BPL), KD4GR 136, KA4FZI 122, AA4BN 61, WA4EIC 57, K4FQU
52,
> KG4MLD 34, KG4MLC 29, W4WYR 27, KG4CHW 21, KG4EOY 19, AF4NR 13, WY4F 9,
W3JI
> 4.
> BPL - WA9VND ORIG 53, RECD 277, SENT 222, DELD 10, TOTAL 562
> PSHR - KD4GR 125, KA4FZI 120, KG4CHW 101, WA4EIC 100, K4FQU 88, AA4BN 84.
>
> I received a number of reports about Field Day activities, but alas, not
> enough.  Photos and reports, including Field Day messages received will be
on
> the section page soon.  Many groups held Field Day at the EOC or the Red
Cross
> and noted that items needed repair.  When was the last time your group
checked
> all of the equipment at EOC and the served agencies?  Remember, it's all
about
> training so why not conduct a training exercise in July or August to test
that
> equipment.  And don't forget to write a press release before and/or after
the
> exercise for the local media.
>
> Stay prepared and stay on the air.
> 73,
> Sherri, W4STB
>
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Southern Florida Section
> Section Manager: Sharon T. Brower, W4STB
> w4stb at arrl.org