[SFDXA] A Message from Jeff

[Bill]

*Greetings to all, *

June was a busy month for us in the SFL Section. Every week there was
either a club meeting, award presentation, government meeting or
activity that I was able to attend, not to mention Field Day weekend. I
appreciate the opportunity to meet with our members at these various
events in our section.

This month, I was pleased to present 2 SFL clubs with their Special
Service Club certificates and banners. Congratulations are in order to
the members of the Vero Beach ARC and Jupiter Lighthouse RG for
achieving SSC status among ARRL affiliated clubs.

Field Day 2017 Wrap-up- Our annual SFL FD Tour conducted by ASM Barry
Porter, KB1PA and yours truly visited 13 FD sites operated by 16 clubs
in 7 counties. Additionally, ASM Marty Falk, KI4IQZ visited Broward
County FD sites, ASM Vince Weal, K4JC visited Treasure Coast FD sites,
and Space Coast ADEC Mark Peterson, WL2AA and AEC JD Shaw, K7LCW visited
Brevard County sites.  I received 6 FD messages from the following
clubs: Boca Raton ARA , Fort Myers ARC, Davie-Cooper City ARC, Gold
Coast ARA, Orlando ARC & Platinum Coast ARS.

Club PIO’s worked overtime to obtain print and electronic media
coverage of SFL FD operations as well as state, county and municipal
proclamations for Amateur Radio Week. Additional ARW proclamations were
issued by the Broward County Sheriff Office, City of Vero Beach, City of
Lake Worth and Town of Juno Beach. Field Day is the most popular event
in Amateur Radio. I hope everyone had the opportunity to participate in
some capacity and had a meaningful, safe and enjoyable FD experience.


During our FD travels, I had the opportunity to present an appointment
certificate to John Wells, W4CMH, PIO for the Ft. Myers ARC, a 55 year
affiliated club anniversary award to Everglades ARC President Steve
Taylor, W1HQL, and the April QST Cover Plaque award to Jim Millner,
WB2REM for his article “ DIY Remote Radio Now “. Our congratulations
to all !

Photos of these activities and more are posted at the SFL Section
website and Facebook page.

State and Local Governments Honor Amateur Radio in Advance of Field Day
2017
  
Each year as ARRL Field Day approaches, state and local governments have
traditionally taken the opportunity to honor Amateur Radio in the form
of various proclamations. This year is no exception.
•	In Nevada, Governor Brian Sandoval has proclaimed June as Amateur
Radio Month. Sandoval’s proclamation cited the ability of Amateur
Radio volunteers “to provide their tireless service, personal
equipment, and technological capabilities in the interest of the
citizens of Nevada and the United States.” He also praised Amateur
Radio’s part in encouraging the pursuit of educational and career
opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) fields.

•	The Board of Commissioners in Palm Beach County, Florida, have
proclaimed June 19-25 as Amateur Radio Week. The proclamation takes note
of ARRL Field Day’s role as an emergency preparedness exercise,
praised Amateur Radio volunteers’ “countless hours” in supporting
communication in the wake of disasters and emergencies as well as for
community events, and expressed appreciation for the SKYWARN
weather-spotting program.

•	Idaho Governor Butch Otter has proclaimed June 19-25 as Amateur
Radio Week in his state, to recognize those who volunteer to support
emergency communication after conventional telecommunications fail.
Otter also noted ARRL Field Day as an emergency preparedness exercise as
well as a public demonstration of “skills and readiness to provide
self-supporting communications without further infrastructure.”
•	In declaring June 19-26 as Amateur Radio Operator Week, Texas
Governor Greg Abbott noted Amateur Radio’s contribution to technology
as well as at times “when other forms of communication may be
unavailable or unreliable, Amateur Radio operators have stepped into the
void to relay critical emergency information.” Abbott concluded, “In
times of crisis and in times of calm, ham radio operators’ commitment
to community remains steadfast.”

•	In Florida, Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed June 19-25 as Amateur
Radio Week, in recognition of Amateur Radio’s contributions in
providing “a critical communications link” in disasters and
emergencies as well as at public events. He also cited the role radio
amateurs play in the SKYWARN program.

13 Colonies Special Event Returns July 1-7
  
The ninth annual 13 Colonies Special Event will take place July 1-7,
with activity starting at 1300 UTC on July 1 and continuing until 0400
on July 7 (the evening of July 6 in US time zones).
Participating stations try to contact all 13 Colony Stations plus two
Bonus Stations — a clean sweep, a la ARRL November Sweepstakes.
Stations in each of the original 13 colonies will be on the air using 1
× 2 special event call signs. The bonus stations will be WM3PEN in
Philadelphia and GB13COL in Durham, England.

Call signs and their respective states are K2A, New York; K2B, Virginia;
K2C, Rhode Island; K2D, Connecticut; K2E, Delaware; K2F, Maryland; K2G,
Georgia; K2H, Massachusetts; K2I, New Jersey; K2J, North Carolina; K2K,
New Hampshire; K2L, South Carolina, and K2M, Pennsylvania. Additional
information is on the 13 Colonies website.

ARRL to Sponsor 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Webinar

The ARRL will sponsor a 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Webinar on
Monday, July 17, at 8 PM ET (0000 UTC on Tuesday, July 18). The
approximately 90-minute session will address the role of Amateur Radio
during the 2017 Hurricane Season. Anyone interested in hurricane
preparedness and response is invited to take part in this online
presentation.

Topics will include a meteorological overview of the current season from
the Canadian Hurricane Centre; Amateur Radio station WX4NHC at the
National Hurricane Center: Who We Are and What We Do; ARRL Media and
Public Relations; the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN); the VoIP Hurricane Net,
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) and ARRL
coordination and interface.
Webinar registration is free and open to all, but this session should be
of particular interest to radio amateurs in hurricane-prone areas. The
webinar will conclude with a question-and-answer session. For more
information, contact ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey,
KI1U.

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend Registrations Top 200 and
Rising

Registrations for the 2017 International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
(ILLW) have topped the 200 mark for the August 19-20 event. The ILLW is
20 years old this year, and with some 8 weeks to go, 220 planned
operations have registered throughout the world, including 26 in the US
(Germany is leading registrations with 45. Australia has 30 so far).
During the annual event, Amateur Radio stations will be on the air from
— or in the immediate vicinity of — various historic lighthouses and
lightships in more than 25 countries. In the past, more than 500
stations in some 90 countries have taken part.
“Many enjoy linking portable Amateur Radio to the navigational beacons
for shipping traffic of the past, and in doing so help raise public
awareness of the need to preserve the old structures,” Jim Linton,
VK3PC, remarked.

Registration guidelines call for the site to be officially listed as an
aid to navigation. This can include a classic lighthouse or lightship
with a Fresnel lens, fog horn, time ball towers, and even those moved to
a museum for historic reasons. According to the ILLW site, “lights
such as range lights, channel markers, skeletal towers, and breakwall
lights will probably not be accepted.” Registration is not required
for participation but does let other stations know which lighthouses and
lightships will be activated.
Sponsors stress that the event is not a contest — and there are no
prizes, certificates, or other enticements to participate. Each
station’s operators decide how they will operate their station with
respect to bands and modes, and participating stations do not have to be
on the air for the entire weekend.
Activity does not need to take place inside the structure itself. A
Field Day-style setup at the light or other building adjacent to the
light is sufficient. “Adjacent means next to or as close as
possible,” event guidelines explain.

Hamvention Reports Second-Largest Attendance Ever for 2017 Show
  
  The tally is in, and Hamvention® 2017, at its new venue in Xenia,
Ohio, attracted 29,296 attendees, official spokesperson Mike Kalter,
W8CI, told ARRL. That is the second-largest reported attendance in the
history of the event. Hamvention attendance peaked in 1993 at 33,669,
before the 1996 change in date from April to May while it was still
being held at Hara Arena. Attendance in 2016 for the show’s final year
at Hara was 25,364. Hamvention relocated to the Greene County
Fairgrounds and Expo Center this year, after Hara Arena announced last
summer that it was closing. Hamvention General Chair Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ,
called 2017 “a most successful year.”
“We knew this would be a big year but this was even beyond our
expectations,” Cramer said. “The challenge was great to reinvent
Hamvention® at a new venue in a very short time period. From all the
e-mails, letters, and calls I have received over the last few weeks, we
have accomplished it successfully.” Cramer expressed appreciation for
all constructive criticisms and said each idea is being evaluated. Held
May 19-21, Hamvention 2017 has received largely positive reviews,
despite traffic problems on opening day and heavy rain during the
weekend.

“We all recognize the traffic, rain, mud, and parking issues, but part
of those issues were corrected even before show weekend was over,”
Cramer said. “Other issues are being worked on already for next
year’s show.” He and Kalter said the Hamvention Committee has joined
Greene County, municipal officials, and the Greene County Fairgrounds
and Expo Center Advisory Board in addressing improvements for 2018.
Kalter and Cramer also thanked the 657 volunteers who put in long hours
to make Hamvention 2017 a reality. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association
(DARA) sponsors Hamvention.
“We can’t control the rain but we promise there will not be some of
the other issues next year,” Cramer said. “There may even be some
new surprises in store,” he added, pointing out that Hamvention has 3
more months to plan for the 2018 event than it did for this year’s.
“We thank all who came to the show this first year in Greene County
and hope to see you again next year,” Cramer concluded. “For those
that thought they would wait and see how we did, sorry you missed the
show but look forward to seeing you next year. Our rough edges will be
smoothed out for you by then.”

Happy Birthday to the FCC ! On July 1, 1934, the Federal Communications
Commission replaced the old Federal Radio Commission as the regulatory
agency for radio and telephone communications in the USA.

Silent Keys- It is with deep regret that we report the passing of the
following SFL members:

George A. Abrams, K4PAA from Miami. George was a long time member of the
Dade Radio Club and active with Dade County ARES, RACES and the ARPSC.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. My thanks for all that you do
for Amateur Radio. Get on the air, Elmer a new ham, support your local
club and ARES group but most of all, have fun. And have a safe and
enjoyable Independence Day holiday !!

Vy 73,

Jeff, WA4AW

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ARRL Southern Florida Section
Section Manager: Jeff Beals, WA4AW
wa4aw at arrl.org