[SFDXA] A Message from Jeff

[Bill Marx]

> New Year greetings to all,
> 
> Looking forward to a great 2016 in the SFL Section.  With the holidays
> behind us, we can get back in the swing of ham radio activity. Some New
> Year resolutions for your consideration:
> 
> 1.    Get on the air on your favorite bands.
> 2.    Mentor a new ham
> 3.    Support your local club and ARES group
> 4.    Try your hand at some contesting and DXing
> 5.    Help out at your local VE exam session
> 6.    Participate in your club’s Field Day
> 7.    Try a new mode: CW, AM, Digital, Satellite, Weak signal, DMR, etc.
> 8.    Check in on a net.
> 9.    Attend a hamfest
> 10.    And most of all, have fun with ham radio.
> 
> 
> Hope to see you at one of these upcoming events around the SFL Section
> and SE Division:
> 
> 
> 01/03/2016      Kid’s Day Operating Event     Info: 
> http://www.arrl.org/news/kids-day-is-sunday-january-3
> 
> 
> 01/09/2016       Boy Scout Amateur Radio Demo
> 
> Tree Tops Park in Davie        More info:  Brian Fox, W1FOX   
> fox.science at yahoo.com
> 
> 
> 01/09/2016    Festivus / SE Florida Traffic Net Picnic
> 
> Villages of Hillsboro Park, Deerfield Beach 
> North Broward Radio Club & SE Florida Traffic Net
> Info:  joeyjet at nbrc.club
> 
> 
> 01/15 & 16/2016  Southern Florida Section Convention
> 
> Special guest from ARRL HQ:  Joel Hallas, W1ZR, “The Doctor is In”
> columnist in QST 
> 
> Start Date: 01/15/2016
> End Date: 01/16/2016
> Location: Gulf Coast Church of Christ
> 9550 Six Mile Cypress Parkway
> Fort Myers, FL 33901
> Website: http://swflhamfest.info
> Sponsor: Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club
> Type: ARRL Convention
> Talk-In: 147.345 (PL 136.5)
> Public Contact: Lawrence Zimmer , W4LWZ 
> 1719 NW 21st Street Cape Coral, FL 33993
> Phone: 239-282-1526
> Email: W4LWZ at arrl.net
> 
> 
> 01/29/2016 | Puerto Rico State Convention
> 
> Location: Hatillo, PR
> Type: ARRL Convention
> Sponsor: Puerto Rico AR League, Caribbean AR Group & Hatillo
> Municipality
> Website: http://www.arrlpr.org
> 
> 
> 02/12/2016 | ARRL National Convention (Orlando HamCation®)
> 
> Location: Orlando, FL
> Type: ARRL Convention
> Sponsor: Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC)
> Website: http://hamcation.com
> 
> 
> Congrats to the members of the Martin County ARA and Martin County ARES
> for the article in the December ARRL E-Letter reporting their
> communications support of Operation Bio Shield and the annual Stuart
> Air Show authored by PIO Gary Webster, K4GMW.
> 
> 
> “ARRL National Parks on the Air” Event to Mark National Park
> Service Centennial
> 
> In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) will celebrate its 100th
> anniversary, and radio amateurs will be able to help mark the occasion
> with the ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event. The fun begins
> at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2016.
> 
> “As ARRL just celebrated our own Centennial, and Amateur Radio is
> often enjoyed in the great outdoors, it seemed fitting to devise a
> program to help NPS celebrate their own 100th birthday,” said ARRL
> Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. As he explained,
> NPOTA will run throughout 2016, with activity promoted and encouraged
> from each of the more than 430 official NPS administrative units and
> affiliated areas across the US. This includes all 59 National Parks as
> well as National Battlefields, Historic Sites, Memorials, Preserves,
> Reserves, Rivers, Seashores, National Scenic Trails, and other units.
> The program will have two participation tracks — Chasers and
> Activators. Chasers will simply attempt to make contact with operators
> in as many of the NPS units as possible. Activators will attempt to
> activate as many of the units as possible. NPOTA participants may serve
> in both roles. Chaser and Activator totals will be tracked via an online
> Leader Board based on LoTW data, just as was done during the Centennial
> QSO Party. (Access the NPOTA Leader Board directly at
> http://npota.arrl.org.)
> Modeled after the Mixed DXCC award, only one contact with any given NPS
> unit will be required, and no tally will be kept of NPS units based on
> bands or modes. NPOTA will be administered entirely through Logbook of
> The World (LoTW). No paper logs or QSLs will be accepted for NPOTA
> credit. Each NPS unit will be added to LoTW as a “location.”
> 
> Three award certificates will be available: Chaser Award and Activator
> Award certificates will be available to any radio amateur who has at
> least one confirmed contact with an NPS unit or who activates at least
> one unit, respectively. A station’s total number of confirmed or
> activated units will be printed on the certificate. The National Parks
> Honor Roll certificate will be available for any station that confirms
> contact with at least 75 percent of the 59 National Parks activated in
> 2016.
> An Activator can earn additional recognition as a “Five-Star
> Activator.” While the Centennial QSO Party was an internal event for
> radio amateurs, National Parks on the Air is designed to be a public
> promotion of Amateur Radio’s capabilities. Various public relations
> bonuses and activities will be available to Activators, similar to the
> PR bonus points available to ARRL Field Day stations.
> The success of the event and of the awards program rests on radio
> amateurs’ willingness to operate from NPS units.
> 
> “Portable operators, this event is for you!” Kutzko said. “Start
> thinking about how you would incorporate Amateur Radio into your visit
> to an NPS unit. Whether you’re camping in Yosemite, driving along the
> Blue Ridge Parkway, or set up in a corner of Andersonville Prison, you
> will definitely draw a pileup. As long as you are on the property of
> the NPS unit, you will qualify as being in the unit.”
> Kutzko notes that depending on the size of a given operation,
> participants may need to secure a special-use permit. “This may take
> some time,” he said. “It’s possible the answer will be ‘no.’
> Be mindful of the size and sensitivity of the NPS unit you want to
> activate, and be realistic about your plans.” NPOTA Activators will
> need to follow all NPS rules in whatever unit they activate.
> In general, the more portable and compact your station is, and the more
> creative and adaptable your plans are, the greater your chances of
> success. While there is no formal partnership between NPS and ARRL for
> this event, the League has been in discussions with the NPS over the
> past year, and it is aware that increased Amateur Radio activity in
> their parks is likely during 2016.
> “It is your responsibility to be on your best behavior and not
> interfere with other visitors at NPS units,” Kutzko advised.
> “Remember, every time you visit an NPS unit for this awards program,
> your conduct will not only impact the reputation of Amateur Radio
> throughout the NPS system, but will also directly impact the success of
> the next amateur who tries to activate that unit. Be nice, be courteous,
> and be flexible. Demonstrate Amateur Radio in the best light
> possible.”
> The NPOTA will use the official list of NPS Administrative Units and
> Affiliated Areas as defined and maintained by NPS. Complete details on
> the National Parks on the Air event are available on the ARRL website.
> 
> 
> US Applicants Move into Next Stage of ARISS Contact Selection Process
> 
> Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced
> that the proposals of 17 schools and organizations submitted during the
> recent application window will move forward into the next stage of
> planning to host Amateur Radio contacts with ISS crew members. Once
> scheduled, the contacts will take place between July and December
> 2016.
> “This is a significant step in ARISS’ continuing effort to engage
> young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
> activities and raise their awareness of space exploration, space
> communications and related areas of study and career possibilities,”
> the ARISS announcement said.
> The 17 schools/organizations now must complete acceptable equipment
> plans that demonstrate the ability to execute a contact. Once the ARISS
> technical team approves equipment plans, the final selected
> schools/organizations will be matched up with contact opportunities
> offered by NASA.
> 
> The schools and organizations are Boca Raton Christian School, Boca
> Raton, Florida; The Children's 
> 
> Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana; Frontiers of Flight Museum's "Moon Day
> 2016,” Dallas, Texas; Howell L. 
> 
> Watkins Middle School, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; iSPACE, Cincinnati,
> Ohio; John Glenn Middle School, 
> 
> Maplewood, Minnesota; Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal,
> New York; Lawrence Public Library, 
> 
> Lawrence, Kansas; Museum of Innovation and Science, Schenectady, New
> York; Northland Preparatory 
> 
> Academy, Flagstaff, Arizona; Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria,
> Illinois; University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit 
> 
> Institute, Omaha, Nebraska; South Street School, Danbury, Connecticut;
> Space Jam 10, Rantoul, Illinois; 
> 
> United Space School, Seabrook, Texas; US Space & Rocket Center,
> Huntsville, Alabama, and World 
> 
> Genesis Foundation, Goodyear, Arizona.
> 
> ARISS is a cooperative venture of AMSAT, ARRL, and NASA in the US, and
> other international space agencies and Amateur Radio organizations
> around the world. Its primary purpose is to organize Amateur Radio
> contacts between ISS crew members and classrooms or informal education
> venues.
> 
> 
> 
> November ARES report from Larry, W4LWZ
> 
> 
> Total number of ARES members: 284
> 
> Change since last month (+, -, same): +1
> 
> Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 6
> 
> Number of ARES nets active: 6
> 
> Number of nets with NTS liaison: 2
> 
> Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: KK4ENJ, W9GPI, WW4RX, K1UQE, AD4RZ,
> KB1PA.
> 
> Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 30
> 
> Person hours: 474
> 
> Number of public service events this month: 1
> 
> Person hours: 390
> 
> Number of emergency operations this month: `0
> 
> Person Hours: 0
> 
> Total number of ARES operations this month: 31
> 
> Total Person hours: 864
> 
> Comments: A number of our ARES groups completed their annual SET
> exercise in November.
> 
> 
> 
> November Traffic report from Mike, KM2V
> 
> 
> SAR - November 2015
> 
> CALL    TOTAL
> KE4CB    059
> W9GPI    008
> K9GZT    005
> KK4KAH    005
> K4KFF    092
> KA3PYO    006
> KR4ST    041
> KD8SYP    015
> NT4TS    006
> KM2V    184
> W4ZE    014
> 
> 
> PSHR - November 2015
> 
> Callsign    Total
> KE4CB    160
> K4KFF    110
> KM2V    130
> 
> 
> NETS - November 2015
> 
> NET    ABB.    QNI    QTC    QND    SESS    MGR
> All Florida CW Traffic Net    QFN    226    44    310    30    WA4BAM
> Florida Medium Speed Net    FMSN    187    57    328    30    AG4RJ/AB4XK
> Southeast Florida Traffic Net    SEFTN    546    100    988    30    KM2V
> Southwest Florida Traffic Net    SWFTN    365    25    1425    26    KE4CB/N9WS
> Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group    W4JUP    23    0    75    4    K4VMS
> 
> 
> Well, I guess that’s about it for now. My thanks for all that you do
> for Amateur Radio. Have a happy and healthy New Year and see you at a
> club meeting, hamfest or on the air.
> 
> 
> Vy 73,
> 
> Jeff, WA4AW
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Southern Florida Section
> Section Manager: Jeff WA4AW