Category Archives: Event

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, Education, Event, Event, Hamfest, Morse Code, Podcast

QSO Today Ham Expo review

From 00:45 August 8 (5:45 August 7 local time), until August 9, I attended the QSO Today Ham Expo. This exposition was a virtual event on the Internet hosted on theVFair.com web site. There was quite a few sponsors of the event including the American Radio Relay League, ICOM, Gigaparts, RFinder, Flex Radio, RT Systems, Elecraft, and several others. There were others that did not have “booths.” I searched the parking lot for the tailgate hams, but could not find any.

I did get a chance to discover some organizations I did not know existed. One is Youth on the Air.

Some presentations in the form of videos may have been transferred to YouTube. Marcel Stieber AI6MS posted some of his QSO presentations on his YouTube page. He also has videos on ExamTools—a remote amateur radio licensing test system. His presentation on Fully-Remote Amateur Radio Exam Administration is well worth watching.

Ward Silver N0AX gave a good presentation on Bonding and Grounding. There are several videos with him on different amateur radio topics on YouTube.

I also liked the presentation of the CW Ops CW Academy. Eric Silverthorn NM5M gave a great brief on the four-stage program the academy offers. I received feedback from one student who really enjoyed their program. I hope to be able to take the course in the future.

The Exposition is closed now, but for the next thirty-days people who got tickets can still check in and watch, or re-watch, videos of the presentations. I do not know if you can now “sign up” and check in now that it is over.

At the beginning of the Expo I got to Zoom with the ARRL headquarters in Connecticut.
Of course the Exposition is far from the fun of attending an actual convention. Conventions will no doubt return when COVID ends on November 5. I can see the VFairs platform being useful into the future, however. The QSO Today Exposition boasted over 26,000 and that will be difficult number to beat.

I was also able to hold a QSO with Bill KQ1S; a fellow member of the Coconino Amateur Radio Club. He discovered that there was a list of participants in the QSO Lounge and found me to start the QSO. There was no easy way to find a person at the Expo. If they did not go to the QSO lounge, you could not search for them. The QSO chat between Bill and me was through a Skype-like set up. The problem was you could not move it around the screen so you could see something else.

The Q&A sessions after the presentation were on Zoom. You could ask text questions, but chat, your video and audio were not functioning. That is understandable, of course, since you are not answering the questions. The Q&A sessions were recorded so I believe they are available

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, ARES, Coconino Amateur Radio Club, Emergency Communications, Event, FEMA, Flagstaff, Morse Code, National Government

Flagstaff EOC opens doors to the public

The nerve center of the Emergency Operation Center.

FLAGSTAFF – On March 23, the Emergency Operation Center in Flagstaff held an open house to allow the public to peer inside for the first time.


The Emergency Operation Center is based on a modular, FEMA model. That means that only those areas necessary for the current emergency are staffed. That could mean representatives from federal agencies, State agencies or local agencies. Local agencies can be anything from the American Red Cross, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Community Emergency Response Team, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, representatives from fire and police departments from anywhere in Coconino County to name a few.

The Coconino Emergency Operation Center is operated by Coconino Emergency Management. It received national recognition during the Tinder Fire in the Blue Ridge area. Amateur radio operators from the Coconino Amateur Radio Emergency Service was the only communications to get through to the EOC at the beginning to issue evacuation orders.

Visitors got a chance to see the various community emergency services in Coconino County. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department was one. The group is made up of volunteers that respond to various emergencies as directed by the CCSO. This can be anything from assisting in searching for a lost person to providing traffic control. CERT training, provided by the CCSO, is required to be a member.

Amateur radio operators set up antennas to demonstrate emergency communications.

The Coconino Amateur Radio Club Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group mans their space at the EOC for almost every emergency. Amateur radio—aka “Ham”—operators are people of all walks of life licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate amateur radio equipment on several frequencies. This is not the same as a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license. Although amateurs are not required to, many donate countless hours in training and providing emergency communications. Amateur radio can get through when many other means of communications fail. They use a variety of digital and voice modes and sometimes even old-fashioned Morse code. Some FEMA courses are required to work with the amateur radio operators in the EOC, however any amateur radio operator can participate by providing reports in their area. ARES is a program sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. There is no requirement to join any group or provide emergency communications attached to an FCC amateur radio license.

The American Red Cross also provided an information table for their continuing role in many emergency situations in and outside of the EOC. The State Emergency Management Agency also presented their role.

Ground control to Major Tom. This unit provides cell and wi-fi service in remote locations.
Flagstaff Police Department bomb squad robot.

Outside there were several agencies present . The Flagstaff Police Department bomb squad had their bomb robot present. The State Emergency Management Team had their “Ground Control” unit that provides cell and Wi-Fi services in remote areas. There were also representatives from the fire department and ambulance services.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARES, Emergency Communications, Event, Hamvention, News

ARRL Public Service Enhancement Working Group Chairman Updates Hamvention® Crowd on Proposed ARES Changes

At the ARRL Member Forum at 2018 Hamvention® last month, hosting Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, chairman of the ARRL Public Service Enhancement Working Group, spoke about the dramatic changes that are occurring among agencies serving in the emergency/disaster response sector. He discussed planning for proposed new guidelines for participants in the ARES program, including plans for a new volunteer management software system, called ARES® Connect. Upgrades to ARES training and resources will ensure the service continues to be a valuable partner for its served agencies into the future.

Williams’ program was titled ARES Advances into the 21st Century — A New Program, A New Mission. The vision is for an ARES that is comprised of organized, trained, qualified, and credentialed Amateur Radio operators who can provide public service partners with radio communications expertise, capability, and capacity.

Goals include aligning the ARES organizational structure with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). The Emergency Coordinator (EC) will continue to lead the ARES team locally during an incident, while the District EC and Section Emergency Coordinator will continue to serve as resources and support for the EC. ARES Connect is the new platform designed to support Reporting, Membership, Database – Portability, Record Keeping, and Statistics.

It is envisioned that additional training will be mandated, including ARRL Emergency Communications courses and the now standard FEMA NIMS/ICS courses IS-100, 200, 700, 800, with IS-300 and 400 for higher levels. Other specialty courses will be required in certain cases such as SKYWARN and other agency-specific training.
Levels of training attained would dovetail with three new levels of participation: Level One would be comprised of all entering the program with no training, while progressing through the ARRL emergency communications training and the FEMA Independent Study courses 100, 200, 700, and 800. Level Two would be attained upon successful completion of these courses, and would be considered the “Standard” level for ARES participants. Level Three would be attained upon completion of the advanced FEMA courses IS 300 and 400, which would qualify candidates for the ARES leadership positions EC, DEC, SEC and Assistants.

Level One participants would be able to fulfill most ARES duties with the target of attaining Level Two in one year. Level Two would be considered the normal participant level, which would gain the participant access to most incident sites and EOCs. Level Three would convey full access as granted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), and qualification for ARES leadership.

It is proposed that ARRL will provide a basic ARES ID, which would convey recognition of registration with ARES nationally and indicate level of training. No conveyance of site access is guaranteed. The AHJ would grant an additional ID/pass for site access, which would be “owned” by the AHJ.

What is Happening Now

The ARES Connect system is currently being field-tested and implemented, with ARRL HQ staff undergoing training in its administration, and group registrations currently being made. Group IDs are being assigned. Beta testing with four ARRL Sections with large ARES organizations is underway.
The plans as described above are pending approval by the ARRL Board of Directors. An ARES Strategic Plan for the ARRL Field Organization, and an Introductory Announcement are being drafted. Editing/updating ARRL ARES-related publications is underway.
A full article on the ARES enhancements, once approved, will appear in September QST.

ARES® Connect

ARES program administrators at ARRL HQ will phase out the traditional ARES report forms later this year in favor of an online system called ARES Connect — a new volunteer management, communications, and reporting system. The new system will allow information to be logged by ARES members and managed through the Field Organization.

It does not change how ARES operates when serving a partner entity; it is simply a system that will make managing volunteers and incidents/events easier. Beta testing of ARES Connect began in March

ARRL Emergency Coordinators may register their ARES group here for a group ID.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL, Event, Hamvention, News

Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L, is “Amateur of the Year,” as Hamvention Announces Award Winners

Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L. [Don Kerouac, K9NR, photo]
Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L, of Crescent City, Illinois, is the 2018 Hamvention® “Amateur of the Year.” The Hamvention Awards Committee — chaired by Michael Kalter, W8CI, and Frank Beafore, WS8B — this week announced its 2018 award recipients for Club of the Year, Technical Achievement, and Special Achievement.

“I am extremely honored to even be nominated for Amateur of the Year, let alone to win this award,” Hotzfeld told ARRL. “I would like to thank the Hamvention Awards Committee. Their decision must have been a tough one, as I am certain the other nominees have done an outstanding job representing this hobby too. I would also like to thank those who mentored me throughout my different learning phases of this hobby. Not only has Amateur Radio been a life-changing experience for me, there are so many helpful hams in this hobby that it just feels natural to give back.”

First licensed in 2006, Hotzfeld has been very active in local Amateur Radio clubs and in ARES. Once she “discovered” HF, she became obsessed with DXing and contesting. In the past few years, she has enjoyed inviting new hams to her station to DX or contest. She has been the pilot or lead pilot for four major DXpeditions. Hotzfeld also is a co-host of the Ham Nation webcast and has created how-to videos on YouTube for the ham radio community.

In 2017, Hotzfeld became engaged in public service, first traveling to Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to help rescue small animals. She subsequently was deployed to Puerto Rico with the American Red Cross for 3 weeks as part of an Amateur Radio volunteer contingent, facilitating critical communications after Hurricane Maria.

Club of the Year

The Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) of Ravenna, Ohio, is Hamvention’s 2018 Club of the Year. PCARS was established in November 2005, and it is an ARRL-Affiliated Special Service Club. PCARS members average more than 40 hours of club activities each month, including special interest groups, license training, contesting run from the club site (K8BF), and club social events.

“Our members cover a wide range of interests that allow us to support public safety organizations, student outreach programs, and activities focused on growing our hobby,” the club told the Hamvention Awards Committee. “We love to share our experiences and have a requirement that our events be filled with a lot of fun. Members have joined PCARS because of all the activities and fun we have.”

The club donated more than $6,000 in time and money to the community last year. It has created its own contests and events, including the annual Freeze Your Acorns Off in February and Ohio State Parks on the Air, which was used as a model for ARRL’s year-long National Parks on the Air event in 2016.

PCARS sponsors several “Build Days” each year, with projects including home-built transceivers, antennas, and digital equipment to allow members to expand their horizons into new areas of Amateur Radio. A monthly “Get on the Air Day” lets members and non-members use club site equipment to learn about HF and new operating modes. “It is all about building our hobby, helping our community, building our skills, and, most of all, having fun,” PCARS said.

Technical Achievement Award

Chip Cohen, W1YW, of Belmont, Massachusetts, has received the Hamvention 2018 Technical Achievement Award. Licensed for 52 years and bitten by the antenna bug, Cohen became a radio astronomer and astrophysicist, working at Arecibo, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the Very Large Array (VLA), and others. While a professor at Boston University, Cohen connected fractal geometry with antennas, pioneering a paradigm shift in the design of fractal antennas and what they make possible. The holder of 41 US patents, Cohen is known for inventing the invisibility cloak using fractal antenna techniques.

Starting 30 years ago with simple flea market treasures, W1YW bootstrapped fractal antennas with modest gear and employed ham radio to report on the success of his new technology. He started Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. with WA1ZWT (SK) in 1995, and is presently its CEO.

Cohen is a DXCC Top of the Honor Roll DXer and a strong advocate for technical “innovation culture” through Amateur Radio. He is a Life Member of ARRL and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, where he has served as vice president and director.

Special Achievement Award

Heriberto Perez, KK4DCX; Victor Torres, WP4SD, and Emilio Ortiz Jr., WP4KEY, are Hamvention’s 2018 Special Achievement Award winners. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico last September, Perez mobilized his radio equipment to Radio Sol in San Germán, the local public broadcasting station, accompanied by Torres and Ortiz. The team handled health-and-welfare traffic to thousands of families across the continental US. Thanks to the support of more than 45 radio amateurs across the US, more than 4,000 messages were delivered via telephone to anxious families.

“We would like to thank everyone who nominated a candidate,” the committee said in announcing the award recipients. “The process is always difficult.” A formal awards presentation will take place this May at Hamvention 2018 in Xenia, Ohio.

Amateur Radio, ARRL, Contest, Event, News

NASA announces year long amateur radio event beginning in December

NASA was created on July 29, 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first lunar mission was in 1968. Elements of the International Space Station were first launched in 1998. NASA is asking amateur radio operators to participate in these and other events for the entire year of 2018.

Beginning in December of 2017 and running through December of 2018, various NASA clubs and stations will be listening and calling via phone, CW and digital methods of the amateur radio hobby. The ARRL web site announced that the event starts Monday, December 11 UTC.

The club stations at the various NASA centers and facilities plan to be on the air with special events to celebrate these milestones and are offering commemorative QSL cards and a special certificate indicating how many centers you worked on various bands and modes may be downloaded. QSL instructions are available on the QRZ.COM site for each individual club station.

NASA plans to have a web-based system for you to check your points total and download a certificate at the end of the event in December 2018. Points will be awarded for each center worked on each band and mode.

The event will run from December 2017 through December 2018 with the following key dates:

  • Apollo 17 45th anniversary – 11-14 December 2017, beginning of event
  • NASA founded 60th anniversary (act signed by President Eisenhower) – 29 July 1958
  • ISS First Element Launch 20th anniversary – 20 November 1998
  • ISS Node 1 Launch 20th anniversary – 4 December 1998
  • 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 – launch 21 December 1968, splashdown 27 December, end of event

Note that there may be other special event operations by the various centers commemorating specific events, but those listed above will include participation from all the centers. All operating modes are fair game including satellites, repeaters, EME, ISS APRS, etc.

In addition, NASA stations hope to be on the air for casual contacts and contests as well. It is a good time to consider getting an amateur radio license.

Please check their web site for updates as the program is developed.

Amateur Radio, Emergency Communications, Event, Military Auxiliary Radio System, News

Communications Interoperability Training with Amateur Radio Community Set

Elements of the US Department of Defense (DoD) will conduct a “communications interoperability” training exercise November 4-6, once again simulating a “very bad day” scenario. Amateur Radio and the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) organizations will take part.

“This exercise will begin with a national massive coronal mass ejection event which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and Internet connectivity,” Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, explained in an announcement.

During the exercise, a designated DoD Headquarters entity will request county-by-county status reports for the 3,143 US counties and county equivalents, in order to gain situational awareness and to determine the extent of impact of the scenario. Army and Air Force MARS organizations will work in conjunction with the Amateur Radio community, primarily on the 60-meter interoperability channels as well as on HF NVIS frequencies and local VHF and UHF, non-Internet linked Amateur Radio repeaters.

Again this year, a military station on the east coast and the Fort Huachuca, Arizona, HF station will conduct a high-power broadcast on 60-meter channel 1 (5330.5 kHz) on Saturday from 0300 to 0315 UTC. New this year will be an informational broadcast on Sunday, on 13483.5 kHz USB from 1600 to 1615 UTC. Amateur Radio operators should monitor these broadcasts for more information about the exercise and how they can participate in this communications exercise, English said.

“We want to continue building on the outstanding cooperative working relationship with the ARRL and the Amateur Radio community,” English said. “We want to expand the use of the 60-meter interop channels between the military and amateur community for emergency communications, and we hope the Amateur Radio community will give us some good feedback on the use of both the 5-MHz interop and the new 13-MHz broadcast channels as a means of information dissemination during a very bad day scenario.”

Contact Paul English for more information or questions about this exercise via email at, mars.exercises@gmail.com .

Amateur Radio, Event, Flagstaff, License Examinations, News, Williams

Amateur Radio Classes set for October in Williams

The Williams Fire Department and Coconino Amateur radio club have combined to bring amateur radio classes to Williams in preparation for the exam on October 21. This is the last exam for the Amateur Radio Technician license this year and the last using the current Technician license question pool. Next year another exam pool will be used. The exam will be held at the North County Healthcare Clinic at 2920 N 4th Street Flagstaff, AZ 86004.

The courses will be on Tuesday and Thursday nights from the 3rd to the 19th beginning at 6 p.m. The courses will be held at 515 Rodeo Road next to the Bob Dean Rodeo Grounds. The courses are outlined in the calander following.
These courses are based on the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 3rd Edition. You can probably pass by just going to the classes, but it is less likely. Some of the nights will go by fast because the information is easy. Others you will need to concentrate. We recommend that you read the sections the day before each class and go over them again on Friday and Saturday. Except, of course, for exam day.

There are other items that will help you pass the exam. You can download the ARRL Ham Test Prep app for Android and continually test yourself. This app also has the question pool for the General and Extra exams and is continually up-to-date.

The Ham Whisperer courses are also quite helpful. If you watch these videos, you will probably be able to pass the exam on your own.

For more information, you can email kg7ydj@arrl.net.

OCTOBER CLASS SCHEDULE

TUES

WED

THUR

SAT

3

Chapter 1 – Introduction and Welcome to
Amateur Radio

 Chapter 2 – Radio Waves and Signals

 Chapter 2 – Modulation and Bandwidth

GLEN KG7YDJ

4

5

Chapter 3 – Electricity

Chapter 3 Ohms Law, Power and the Metric
System

Chapter 3 Electronic Components

Chapter 3 – Types of Radio Circuits

PHIL AE7OH

7

10

Chapter 4 – Propagation

Chapter 4 – Antennas and Feed Lines

Chapter 4 – Practical Antenna Systems

JACK KD7RCJ

11

12

Chapter 5 – Basic Amateur Radio Equipment

Chapter 5 – Power Sources and Interference

RON KG7OH

14

17

Chapter 6 – Communicating with Other
Hams Part 1

Chapter 6 – Communicating with Other
Hams Part 2

Chapter 7 – License Regulations and License
Privileges

GLEN KG7YDJ

18

19

Chapter 7 & 8

Call Signs and Operating Regulations Part 1

Chapter 8 – Call Signs and Operating
Regulations Part 2

Chapter 9 Safety and Amateur Radio

GLEN KG7YDJ

21

License Exam,

North Country Health Care facility at
2920 N 4th Street, Flagstaff, AZ
86004

24 New licensees begin using radio.

25

26

28

31

 
Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Coconino Amateur Radio Club, Event, Flagstaff, News

CARC radios for Dave McKay Memorial run

Joe (W7LUX) keeps an eye on participants at one of the CARC stations.
Joe (W7LUX) keeps an eye on participants at one of the CARC stations.
FLAGSTAFF — On August 13, 2016, Flagstaff held their annual Dave McKay Memorial half marathon and 5K run/walk to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Flagstaff. The Coconino Amateur Radio Club (CARC) provided radio communications. This is just one of the major events in which CARC participates.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members also participated.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members also participated.
I was called in to assist. I was to go to a point on A-1 Mountain road as assigned by Ron (KG7OH); the coordinator for CARC. Unfortunately we had a really good monsoon and my vehicle could not make it. So I wandered around taking pictures.
800-hmr-16-08-13Other commitments have taken up my time (video games) so I am just now getting around to reporting on it. In between the event and this post, my cell phone expired when I tossed it out of the window of my vehicle. The information I gathered from this event was irretrievable.
One of the many CARC stations along the run. Due to the loss of my equipment, I cannot remember who these folks are. (Okay. Send me emails)
One of the many CARC stations along the run. Due to the loss of my equipment, I cannot remember who these folks are. (Okay. Send me emails)
Important equipment tip. Don’t throw your “smart phone” out the window of your vehicle. If you are patient, it will get around to doing what you want it to.
Of course credit for the success of the event goes to the runners.
Of course credit for the success of the event goes to the runners.

800-racer-16-08-13-01800-racer-16-08-13-03800-racer-16-08-13-04
We end with a picture of cattle.
We end with a picture of cattle.

Event, Flagstaff, News, Prescott

Are you ready to get your Amateur Radio License?

UV-82C(1)LGIf you have been studying to get your Amateur Radio license, you have two chances coming up in May.

The Coconinco County Amateur Radio club is planning an exam for all classes of license on May 14 from 9:00 – 11:00 AM. The examination will be held at the North County Health Care classroom. The North County Health Care center is at 2920 N 4th Street in Flagstaff. Visit their web site for information on what you are required to bring for the exam.

In Yavapai county you have an opportunity to become licensed by the Yavapai Amateur Radio club. They require you to obtain an Federal Registration Number (FRN). The requirements can be found on their web site. Their next exam is also scheduled for May 14 and you can take a practice exam on Tuesday May 10. You must pre-register online. The exam will be held in the Jeep Posse Building at 255 E Gurley Street in Prescott.

Read more at Northern Arizona Gazette