A monthly publication of the Meridian Amateur Radio Club June 2013

 Bible Verse

John 13:35 / by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (NIV)

 

President’s Report

As the ARRL Field Day rapidly approaches, preparations are being made by many hams to test and tune skills as well as equipment for deployment in the event of a disaster. As many of you know participation over the last few years has been on a steady decline, we can attribute this to some silent keys and some just in poor health. I would like to take the time to personally thank all of the ones that have participated over the years in this event and the ones that have helped out in setup or have loaned equipment in the past. These people together have made great strides in making these events prove the usefulness of the "Radio Amateur".

The two sites this year for our local groups are at the Red Cross building which is being hosted by the W5FQ / MARC group in conjunction with the Red Cross, and the other being held at the old Bill Etheridge Lincoln Mercury lot which is being hosted by the WX5MEI / ARES group.

The W5FQ group is targeting their operation at working better with the Red Cross in both logistical and functionality of the two agencies as we try to improve our relations with them as well as trying to improve the aerials at the Red Cross location.

The WX5MEI group will be targeting their operation towards the promotion LEMA / ARES / SAR. This will be geared more for the user both in the field and in the office, weather spotting or searching for lost persons.

I would like to see a good turnout at both sites for this event. Hope you can come by and participate. Let's try to make this a great event.

73's Charles Grisham, KB5SZJ

 

Meridian, MS Field Day Locations

WX5MEI Field Day location 200 N. Frontage Road Meridian, MS KB5ARC East Central Chapter of the American Red Cross 1820 - 23rd Ave Meridian, MS

Saturday morning June 22nd, the Red Cross location will host a VE testing session at 9am. On Saturday evening at 6pm we will have a Pot Luck dinner and you are invited to come for dinner and bring your favorite food. Pulled pork barbecue will be provided by the club. We have already purchased paper plates, cutlery and cups. If you know what you are going to bring, please send an email to Donna Harrison at kd5gwm@gmail.com as this would help us fill in any needed items.

 

 

MS Section Manager to visit Field Day Sites

Thanks to all of you for the invitations to your 2013 Field Day Site. Looking at the ARRL Field Day Site Locator, Mississippi is really going to have a good turn out this year in spite of the forecast heat.

On Friday Afternoon and Evening I will visit the Pearl River ARC (W5PMS) and the Mississippi Coast ARA (W5SGL). On Saturday Morning and Afternoon, I'll visit with the 599 DXA (NA5NN), the WX5MEI ARES Group, the Meridian ARC (KB5ARC), and on Saturday Evening the Central Mississippi ARA (WM5A) and the Jackson ARC (W5PFC). And on Sunday Morning the Southwest Mississippi ARA.

If your club is going after the 100 points for originating a message to the Section Manager in proper NTS Format (see Field Day Rule 7.3.5), NW5R will be on the MSPN (3862 KHz)(KA5DON NCS) at 6 PM Saturday Night to take traffic for W5XX. Kenny will also meet the Magnolia Net (3862.5 KHz)(W5JMO NCS) at 7 AM Sunday Morning to take SM traffic.

If you are looking for a Field Day Site to visit, go to the ARRL Web Site and type Field Day Station Locator in the search engine box to find the 17 registered sites in Mississippi where there will be Field Day operations. Once you have located a site, click on the 'teardrop' for contact information.

If your club/group has not put your FD Site on the Locator, you should do this ASAP. And, if already on the map, double check to see if the location on the map and on the satellite image are correct. You never know who your visitors might be, and you don't want to send them to the wrong location.

As usual I've will have a box of new Repeater Directories in the trunk if you want to join the ARRL or renew your membership. If you already have a new Repeater Directory there are some other select ARRL Publications that you may choose for free.

See you FD!

Best 73 de W5XX

 

Invite a Kid to Field Day
by Dan Romanchik, KB6NU

If you've been around ham radio for any length of time, you'll notice that ham radio operators like to complain. One of the most frequently heard complaints is, "Kids aren't interested in amateur radio anymore." While I'm not so sure that's true, I do know that now is the time for you to do something about it.

How? Invite a kid to Field Day.

Invite them to help you set up antennas.

Show them how you power the rigs with a generator, or even cooler, by charging a battery with a solar panel.

Let them sit in front of the rig, show them how to make contacts, and log for them. To make it easier for them, make up a cheat sheet with the call sign spelled out phonetically and the exchange, also spelled out phonetically.

Let them operate for as long as they're interested. When they're done, thank them on contributing to your club's total score.

Answer every single one of their questions.

This may not win them over immediately, but I can assure you that it will make an impression on them. To increase your chances of success, find a kid that's already technically inclined. Invite a bunch of them from the high school's robotics team, for example.

If you don't have any plans for Field Day, then make some. Then, go find that kid. If you don't, then you don't have any right to complain that there are no kids in ham radio.

===================================

When he's not trying to get kids interested in amateur radio, Dan, KB6NU enjoys working CW on the HF bands and teaching ham radio classes. For more information about his operating activities and his "No-Nonsense" series of amateur radio license study guides, go to KB6NU.Com or e-mail cwgeek@kb6nu.com.

 

WX4NHC Letter / National Hurricane Center

Hello Fellow Ham Radio Operators,

In cooperation with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, and WX4NHC, we are asking for your assistance during the Hurricane Season.

The most important role amateur radio plays in hurricanes is to gather and relay information to the National Hurricane Center’s Amateur Radio Station WX4NHC.

While there are mechanisms to do this, we are always looking for more assistance in this vital job. You could be the only station in the impacted area and your Eye Witness Reports or measured data, if you have a weather station, could be critical to the forecasters. You could be the only station hearing some other ham calling with a report or needing assistance in a dangerous situation they are in. Also, you could play the important role in translating a Ham's report into a language that we understand. So as you can see, everyone has a part they can play.

WX4NHC on 14.325 MHz is a frequency that you should always monitor during a hurricane. More information can be found at www.wx4nhc.org This frequency is maintained for hurricanes by the Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org

The VoIP Hurricane Net utilizes EchoLink and IRLP to link stations together over the internet. When HF propagation is not good, sometimes this is the only way information reaches WX4NHC. EchoLink Conference Room is WX-Talk (Node 7203) and IRLP Node is 9219. More information can be found at www.voipwx.net

We ask you for your support and assistance anytime the Hurricane Watch Net, VoIP Hurricane Net, and WX4NHC are active.

The part you may play may save someone's life!

 

 

Have a great month

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