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

[Bill]

Hi everyone,

Less than one month to the season - we all know which one.  Let's hope for 
all
storms to remain at sea where damage is minimal.  If you have not had 
Skywarn
training recently please contact your club president, local Skywarn
coordinator, or ARES EC and attend a training session in your area.

More about Field Day.  Please post your site locations on the ARRL web page
and send me an e-mail to let me know where your group is holding the event.
Members of the section leadership are planning to tour the section and pay
you a visit.
===========

I also received a response from Alan Dixon, N3HOE about the rude questions
that reporters ask.  I am passing it along to assist you in answering those
difficult questions:
This concerns the Rude Question regarding handheld mobile phones and 
driving.

It is not at all tough to answer the question as to why there is [allegedly]
an exception for hams in our recent laws against using handheld mobile 
phones
while driving. This is simple: THERE ISN'T! In all such state and local law
of which I am aware, Amateur Radio operators are required to use hands-free
devices with their mobile telephones just the same as everyone else!

These laws generally apply to wireless telephones and not to two-way radios.
This is simple! A mobile two-way radio is bolted into place, not sliding
around on a dashboard or a seat cushion. A microphone is just a mic, with
perhaps some buttons, but is not the entire control panel and digital 
display
of the device in question. A two-way radio uses a loudspeaker (just like 
some
hands-free phones), and as such is already semi hands-free as it is. I could
go on at length...

We've always got to be thinking, and above all, operate in a safe manner,
always.

(Note: Alan was recently conferred a REACT Life Membership.  He is also an
ARRL Official Emergency Station).
============
Traffic and Net Reports from Phylisan, KA4FZI:
SFL SARs for April: KE4CB 135, KA4FZI 122, WA4BAM 51, WD4DNC 43, KC4TM 41,
K1UQE 25, KP30 9, K9GZT 8, K9GCF 6
---------------------
SFL PSHRs for April: K4DLF 136, KA4FZI 120, KE4CB 105

NET                               ABB.   SESS  QNI    QTC  QND     MGR
All Florida CW Traffic Net       QFN    60    537    313  925     AD4DO
Florida Amateur SSB Traffic Net   FAST   30    356    125  ----    K4SCL
Florida Medium Speed Net          FMSN   30    247    51   513 
AG4RJ/AB4XK
Jupiter Farms CERT                JCERT  3     40     14   205 
AG4BV/W4FK
Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group   JTRG   6     71     22   317 
AG4BV/W4FK
Palm Beach County Ares Net        PBCAN  6     95     15   -----   KG4DLF
Southeast Florida Traffic Net     SEFTN  30    651    52   1298 
AG4RJ/KI4IQZ
Southwest Florida Traffic Net     SWFTN  26    625    100  1945 
KE4CB/N9WS
April:QNI2622, QTC 692  March: QNI 2439, QTC 733 Good jump up in
participation!

===========
ARES Report from Karen, K8KB
Total ARES members in the 9 counties reporting: 885
12 ARES nets active, 50  Sessions held. 5 nets have NTS liaison.

DECs/ECs reporting:  N4LEM (Brevard), WA4AW (Broward), WA4ASJ (Indian 
River),
WA4GUK (Lee), K8KB (Martin), AD4RZ (Okeechobee), N4ZIQ (Osceola), K4DLF 
(Palm
Beach), W4ZE (St. Lucie),

Drills, tests and training sessions this month: 47, Person hours: 255.4
Public service events this month: 4, Person hours: 156
No emergency operations this month.
ARES operations this month: 51, Total Person hours: 411.4

Comments:
Martin:  Glenn N4HO participated in Global Set
Palm Beach: Bob KF2GQ participated in Global Set  PBC ARES participated in 
two
March of  Dimes Walkathons
Lee:  Did demonstrations and handed out information packets at "Skills Day"
(Radio clubs in Indian River and Miami-Dade also did communications for 
races
and walkathons).
==============
ARRL Seeks Member Support for HR 2160
To support HR 2160 -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement
Act of 2009 -- the ARRL is asking its membership to contact their members of
the US House of Representatives with a request to become co-sponsors of this
significant piece of legislation.
The ARRL has provided a sample letter at www.arrl.org for League members to
personalize and send to their Congressional representative.  Personalized
letters make a better impression.  You can find the name and contact
information for your Congressman at: http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
Should you decide to draft your own letter supporting HR 2160 instead of
editing the sample, please remember a couple of things: Identify the bill by
number and title: HR 2160 -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Enhancement Act of 2009; keep the letter brief and on topic -- one page at
the most; ask them to consider becoming a cosponsor (or thank them if they
are already a sponsor), and thank them for their consideration.
Also, please send a copy of your correspondence to Chwat & Co. (email:
arrl at chwatco.com). This allows them to discuss accurately with the
Congressman and their staff the amount of support for the bill in each
individual district.
HR 2160 stands as the first step in trying to address the long standing
problem of extending the protections afforded Amateur Radio operators under
PRB-1 to deed restrictions and covenants. To be clear, passing HR 2160 is 
not
going to achieve that goal right away. But it will help lay the ground work
by assessing the impact such restrictions have on our ability to train for
and respond to disasters and other emergencies.
======================
Lastly please check the following items:  Your affiliated club listing on 
the
ARRL site (new members and prospective hams can't find you if your
information is inaccurate); your club web site and your ARES web site (this
is important not only for hams and prospective hams but also for the media);
your ready kits; and your ARES emergency plan.

Stay safe and stay on the air.
73,
Sherri, W4STB


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