Author: K5ARN

CARA Holds a Technician Class with VE Exam Test September 12 -15.

The new club Caledonia Amateur Radio Association, CARA with call sign KI5AST is an ARRL affiliated club. CARA is offering VE tests monthly.

CARA has already 5 experienced ARRL VE’s and we are offering our first technician class in September ending with a test. The teacher is an ARRL certified instructor.

Class schedule:

Wednesday September 12, time 1800 – 2000 

Thursday September 13, time 1800 – 2000 

Friday September 14, time 1800 – 2000

Saturday September 15, time 0800 – 1200  test at 1400

Study material:

Gordon West Technician Book 2018 – 2022 and we expect participants to purchase and study the book in advance.

Cost:

$15 including test fee, the book is extra. The whole fee is sent to ARRL to support the future of amateur radio, CARA does not keep anything.

Participants:

Contact Ken AD5DO very soon for questions and instructions at

ad5do@bellsouth.net or (662) 356-4462

If an aspiring ham or an upgrading ham choses CARA ARRL/VEC testing for a small charge of $15, he or she supports ARRL with some income to improve the future of amateur radio and represent American hams in contacts with FCC, legislators and international organizations.

Gordon West study book is available at Amazon link below.

Gordon West book at Amazon

A General Exam Class is scheduled for January 2019.

WCBI OVER THE AIR ANTENNA VIEWERS ONLY

Attention WCBI Over the air Antenna Viewers only:

The FCC has mandated that WCBI move to a new channel to make more airwaves available for wireless internet services.  WCBI will start this transition on Sept 14th and this will cause some interruption in the signal.  We should be completed by Sept 28th.  We will continue to keep you updated on this page on wcbi.com and on the air as we narrow down the date of the transition.   After we have completed the work and switched to our new frequency you will need to rescan your box to able to receive WCBI, My MS and CW4.  You will not need to purchase new equipment or services. After you rescan your set, you’ll find WCBI, My MS and CW4 on the same channel numbers.  If you subscribe to cable or satellite TV (Dish Network or DIRECTV) you do not need to rescan. Your service provider will do it for you.  Again, this only affects viewers who receive WCBI with an antenna over the air.  IF YOU ARE A CABLE, DISH NETWORK OR DIRECTV CUSTOMER YOU WILL NOT BE AFFECTED AND DO NOT NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION.

For more information call 662-327-444 or email us at fccrepack@wcbi.com

ARRL membership loss about 10,000 during 2016 -2017.

membership-forecast-vs-actual

2017 ended with 159,070 members — 735 members ahead of the year-end goal. This represents a loss of 3.05% or 5,000 members for the year. ARRL Membership Manager Diane Petrilli, KB1RNF, says that the loss of members is occurring in the exact fashion that was forecasted due to the 2016 dues increase, and notes, “We continue to realize additional income from the dues increase. As with all previous increases in dues in ARRL’s history, membership is forecast to continue to decline in 2018 (2.0% loss is forecast). The decline should begin to flatten out in 2019/20.” As was the case in 2016, membership in 2017 came in slightly above forecast. Diane Petrilli says that test mailings to new hams in mid-June, and fully converted for all new ham mailings mid-October, are likely responsible for the variance at year end. Multiple tests for the new ham mailings are scheduled for 2018. Data for 2017 indicates that 6% of all new hams have already joined ARRL by the time their license is issued or are otherwise unsolicitable. Annual dues pay for the education, advocacy, and outreach ARRL provides to all members and to Amateur Radio as a whole, including things like sending ARRL representatives to Washington, DC, to educate lawmakers about the Amateur Radio Parity Act; partnership with disaster relief organizations; Logbook of The World — a digital logging program that makes confirming Amateur Radio contacts easier and more efficient than ever; the Education & Technology Program, and more.

Excerpt from Mississippi Section Report for July 2018 (I will drive to some of the events…..contact me for a free ride there (and home of course)

On your long-range calendar pencil in the 2018 ARRL Day in the Park,
October 6 in Olive Branch (co-sponsored by the Olive Branch ARC and the
Chickasaw ARA; POC KW5GP),

Papa Jack’s Trade Day, October 13 in Tupelo

(POC WA5TEF), the Jackson County ARC Hamfest, November 9-10 in Ocean
Springs (POC K5MOZ),

Capital City Hamfest,
January 25-26, 2019 in Jackson (POC K5GCY).

Storm Takes Down Antennas at Memorial Ham Station on Swedish-Norwegian Border

SJ9WL-LG5LGe

From ARRL

08/13/2018The SJ9WL-LG5LG Morokulien memorial station on the border of Sweden and Norway is off the air after a large tree, brought down during a severe storm on August 10, caused extensive damage to the station’s antennas. According to one report, the station’s 100-foot tower was broken into pieces after the tree fell across three tower guys. That pulled the support structure toward the station building, but a third set of guys on the other side of the tower held and kept it from damaging the structure. The tower has been up for at least a decade.

“This is a unique place, because the radio shack is exactly on the border, and the users are obliged to use the call signs alternatively — one day SJ9WL and the next day LG5LG,” Henryk Kotowski, SM0JHF, told ARRL. Kotowski has operated from the station in the past, and a photo he shot at Morkulien appeared on the cover of the October 1996 issue of QST.

“This was a memorial station devoted to SM5WL and LA5LG,” Kotowski explained. “They both promoted Amateur Radio and supported disabled hams. Swedish and Norwegian hams took over the abandoned border checkpoint house 50 years ago and made a joint club station there.” He said the area is now devoted to recreation and includes a peace monument. With funds from station rentals, the association Amateur Radio in Morokulien (ARIM) maintains and manages the station, which may be the only one located on an international border in what ARIM calls a “ham state.” The station is designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities. The name Morokulien is a combination of the words for fun — moro in Norwegian, and kul in Swedish — plus a suffix indicating “in one place.”

Antennas on the support structure included an eight-element log periodic for HF plus a 6-meter Yagi and antennas for VHF and UHF. The antenna structure was topped with a VHF-UHF vertical. The tower also supported dipoles for the lower bands.

“Sweden has been haunted this summer by drought, wildfires, and, recently, heavy storms and rainfall,” Kotowski recounted.

The cottage in Morokulien had been booked for the weekend, but the reservation was canceled. This fall, clubs on both sides of the international border are planning a joint 50th anniversary celebration.

Light Up 2 Meters Night, an FM Simplex Event!

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Who: Any licensed Amateur Radio Operator

What: Light Up 2 Meters Night, an FM simplex event

When: August 26, 2018 7-9pm (Local)

Where: Anywhere! Brag bonus for cool locations! (146.55 suggested freq.)

Why: Let’s reignite the 2 meter radio waves!

All too often I hear from new ham radio operators (and old!) that 2 meter simplex is just dead. Some operators will tell you the complete opposite, that there’s always someone to talk to. Whatever the case may be, most ham radio operators start out with a 2 meter radio. So, the biggest thing we all have in common, IMHO is the ability to communicate via 2 meters. What’s the big deal? There’s a huge importance to 2 meter FM simplex communications – and unless you want some corporation lobbying for that beautiful chunk of spectrum, I suggest we start using it!

I don’t think I need to elaborate on the importance of connecting with your own community. The advantages are endless… not just in an emergency type scenario, but in an everyday type scenario. We need to bring back 2 meters period. Don’t just flip the radio on and look for someone… call out! (Just a tip: multiple times and for a long duration so that folks can have a chance to hear you!) Not only can I get the weather & traffic reports faster than any other network, but I’d also much rather call out for help from the ham community if the need ever arose. The power of 2m communication is a bit different than that of your other bands. Quite powerful in fact… no infrastructure to depend on… and your limitations are only set by your antenna (well in most instances – there’s a special thing called tropospheric ducting)

73

K5ACL

More here!