[W3GV] FW: Section News – January 30, 2018

[JOHN LINDVAY]

John Lindvay
814-455-1061
814-490-0253
jlindvay at msn.com

From: ARRL Members Only Web site<mailto:memberlist at www.arrl.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2018 10:33 AM
To: jlindvay at msn.com<mailto:jlindvay at msn.com>
Subject: Section News – January 30, 2018

We are pleased to announce the 2017 WPA Yearbook is finally here! You
can scroll to the bottom of the WPA Section Page at arrl.org to download
it, or download it right here:
http://wpa-arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2017-Yearbook.pdf

Our 2017 WPA Yearbook is 64 full-color pages  that chronicle our
Section’s Amateur Radio activities over the past 12 months in stunning
photos, articles, charts and tables and directories of all Section staff
members and appointees.

This is all contained in a 7 Megabyte PDF file, which may take a while
to download if you use dial-up access, but it’s really worth the
download! We also have a 240 MB “High Definition” version with much
more detail in the photos. We will make this HD version available soon.

We are also looking into printers who can provide a deluxe printed
edition perfect for gift giving, or to display to the public during
amateur radio events. It looks like the going price at online printers
is $19.00 + shipping from a number of sources. We are still looking for
a better deal, and are open to suggestions (No, it’s not right to have
somebody’s employer unknowingly foot the bill for a bunch of
“free” color copies!!! Don’t even think about it. Remember  our
principle of “Integrity”!!!)

Newsletter editors: If you ask nicely (or even not so nicely!) we will
be happy to provide you with individual articles (or the whole thing) as
PDF  or DOC/DOCX/ODT files. Just ask!


WPA ARES Teams With Red Cross Of Western Pennsylvania

WPA ARES leaders met with Western PA Red Cross officials in their
Liberty Avenue offices recently. Items discussed included signing of the
ARRL Memorandum of Understanding Part C, a discussion of amateur radio
messaging capabilities, standardization of procedures and alignment with
the principles of the National Incident Management System, background
checks and clearances, and initial planning of a small-scale simulated
disaster for early this spring.

Talks continue, and both agencies are formulating plans to support each
other’s operations and to share mutual training opportunities. Red
Cross has offered to accept EMA identification as sufficient to become a
shelter volunteer with no further background checking or cost.


Molly Pistner N3IPS Of Bradford, McKean County, Silent Key

It is with great sadness we note the passing of Molly S. Pistner, 40, of
Bradford, PA. She was licensed as N3IPS. Please send condolences to Don
and Sandee Pistner, N3ELI and N3HPL, and keep her family in your
thoughts.


Digital Voice Radio Seminar – March 3, Indiana Quality Inn

Last year, we held a WPA section-wide DV Radio Seminar – at the
Uniontown ARC – in the South 1 district. The response was fantastic.
In fact, we had more hams wanting to sign up than we could accommodate.
Now, we’re holding one again  in Indiana, PA! The seminar date is
Saturday, March 3rd.

You’ll learn about the different DV methodologies available to hams
and experience samples of DV audio – compared against analog FM.
You’ll see the advantages of DV radios and repeaters,
plus-up-to-the-minute technologies and also see “what’s hot and
what’s not”. While the subject matter can be rather technical, it
will be presented in a fashion that is informative and easy to
understand.

Our venue is the Quality Inn & Suites at 1545 Wayne Avenue, in Indiana,
PA. We’ll start the day with coffee at 9:00, then business starting up
at 10:00. We’ll take a break for lunch and then regroup. As we have
the meeting room well into the afternoon, there will be plenty of time
for Q&A, plus some demonstrations.

The seminar is made possible by our ARRL leadership – including WPA
Section Manager, Joe Shupienis W3BC, and will be conducted by our
section Public Information Coordinator, Cory Sickles, WA3UVV. Cory
writes the monthly column “Digitally Speaking”, for “The Spectrum
Monitor” magazine and is a former columnist for various CQ Magazine
publications.

The 2018 WPA DV Radio Seminar is free to attend, but we do need to have
you sign up. Please send an email to wa3uvv at gmail.com – including your
name, callsign, and telephone number. You will be contacted to confirm
your reservation and again to remind you of the date. If our response is
anything like last year, it is strongly suggested you sign up ASAP.

If this event is well-attended, it will indicate there is a high level
of interest in holding events such as this throughout the Section.
Again, that’s Saturday, March 3, 2018, from 9:00AM to 3:00 PM.

We hope to see you there!


Help Wanted

Providing excellent service to a section as big as WPA simply cannot be
done by a handful of people. Our WPA friends deserve the best we can
give them, and to do that, we need your help! If you have been thinking
about volunteering to help, have a look at the list of  Station Level
Appointments by visiting the ARRL Website at
http://www.arrl.org/field-organizationand scrolling down the page to
“Station Level Appointments”.

If you’re having trouble choosing, take a good look at Technical
Specialist. I’ve often said that everybody is an expert at something,
and this appointment gives you the opportunity to share your special
knowledge with others. As we all know, a good Elmer can make all the
difference to a new ham’s enjoyment of amateur radio. The Elmer works
with the newcomers to help them get started in the greatest hobby on
earth, which can lead to their lifelong involvement. The Technical
Specialist is sort of like an “Official Elmer” and is the go-to
person in your club, town or county for all your questions about
antennas, radios, grounding, digital modes, and many more topics. If you
are that person, why not make it official? Contact me for more
information!


Upcoming Events

Our WPA Section always has something going on, and we’re already off
to a running start!

Date         Location       Event
Feb 25     South Park   WASHfest 2018
March 3   Indiana PA    Digital Voice Radio Seminar
Mar 11     Youngsville   Warren Co Hamfest
Apr 8       Boston, PA    Two Rivers ARC 47th Hamfest


In Conclusion

If you’re looking for a program for your club meetings, why not put
together some activities for new hams and those who are interested in
Amateur Radio? Demo the latest entry level radios like the Icom 7300 and
the Yaesu 991A (for example), have some Elmers available to answer
questions, have a show and tell about DXing, digital modes, SDR, signal
location… the list is endless.

Advertise it as much as you can, especially in schools, colleges, on
bulletin boards at work, on your nets, and in person to the hams in your
communities who recently got licensed.  It doesn’t have to be perfect
— it just has to be done. Who knows, you might make the difference
needed to gain some active new members!

Above all else, go out of your way to make new hams feel welcome and
respected! We want to make good amateur radio friendships in the best
100+ year tradition of Amateur Radio!

Still looking for more ideas for meeting programs? Drop me an invite or
a request for a visit by any of our section staff.  We are available to
travel to your group, and can discuss a variety of very interesting
Amateur Radio topics.

73 and Press On!

Joe Shupienis W3BC

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ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section
Section Manager: Joe Shupienis, W3BC
w3bc at arrl.org
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