|
|
The HOTLINE |
|
|
|
|
|
Field Day Recap & Looking Ahead |
by Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW |
At last month’s meeting we had the auction of the
equipment donated by Marshal Mabry’s wife and daughter. The Club benefited very
well (see the Treasurer’s Report). We thank you for the good spirit and the
ambitious purchases. We are now in the month of June and this month is here
and, essentially, gone. Field 
Day, with all the fun and frolic, is past—for another
year. So, at this month’s gathering, we will have our normal short business
meeting and then the program will be a debriefing of the Field Day activities
and results, courtesy of our excellent scorekeeper, Ed Middlebrook
KC5NT. We will talk about the good and the bad, the fun and the funny. And of
course, while it’s fresh on our minds, let’s talk about what we can do
differently next year, too.
Now, for the future. I have a program for July all set up. We will have a speaker talk about RFID. If you know what that is, you should get two brownie points and an attaboy. J If you do not know about RFID, be sure to plan to come to the July meeting!
Looking ahead, I would like for our August program to be an “Ice Cream Social.” If that sounds good to everyone, then I will make a motion that the club pay for it. So, now my idea sounds even better, heh? If the members accept the motion, I will gladly be responsible for getting all the provisions and paraphernalia. Otherwise, I need alternate suggestions for the August program!
|
President’s Corner |
by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC |
|
|
|
Wayne, KD5SMC |
Did you know? This year marks the 75th annual “Field Day.” Field Day is actually the climax of “Amateur Radio Week,” sponsored annually by the ARRL. Once again, our Club successfully participated in Field Day 2007. I know that many of you, like me, really enjoyed this time together. But in addition to the fun, fellowship, and zeal for points, I want to thank you for your support of this event in so many other ways. It was so gratifying to see everyone pitching in to help set up, operate, and take down our emergency operation—ever so smoothly!
On a different note, I see that many of our new members are beginning to serve the community during severe weather events, so let me take a moment to “talk safety.” In the United States, there are an estimated 25 million lightning flashes per year. During the past 30 years, 66 people per year (on average) are killed by some of those lightning strikes. Documented injuries due to lightning average about 300 per year in the U.S. Undocumented injuries are certainly much higher. Compare those statistics to the average of 65 people per year killed by tornadoes. Yet, because lightning usually only claims the life of one or two victims at a time and does not cause widespread destruction of property, it is grossly underrated as a risk. So, make no mistake about it: lightning is dangerous! It is the underrated killer. So, let’s be safe as we work together in service—especially when we are out “doing our thing” in the midst of the major source of lightning: thunderstorms.
I am looking forward to seeing each of you at the June meeting!
Wayne
Branscum, KD5SMC
HOTARC President
|
For the Record... |
HOTARC Meeting of Members
May 24, 2007
HOTARC’s May Meeting was called to order by President Wayne Branscum KD5SMC at 7:02 PM at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Present were twenty-one full members, one associate members, one life member, and two visitors. Visitors were: Mark Plough KD5DWE of China Springs and Lyn Gustafson KD5DZU of Robinson.
Dell Bredemeyer KE5MZS opened the meeting with a prayer. KD5SMC welcomed our visitors.
The Minutes for the April meeting were approved as published in the HOTLINE, on a motion by Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, second by Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, and unanimous vote by the members. The April Treasurer’s Report was also accepted as published in the HOTLINE following a motion by Roger Miles WB5MBO, second by KD5UEW, and unanimous vote by the members.
|
The Treasurer Reports... |
|
|
|
Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 6,082.68 Income Dues $ 60.00 Cap sales 30.00 Auction (KD5IQ equip.) 1064.50 General class fees 153.86 Interest 1.27 TOTAL Income $ 1,309.63 Expenses Liability
insurance
$ 320.00 TOTAL Expenses $ 424.81 Ending Account Balance $ 6,967.50 Outstanding (as of 6-21-2007) Submitted by |
Announcements
· Pre-Field Day Meeting: Since our June Club meeting will occur after Field Day, KD5SMC invited all members to a free hamburgers meal on Thursday June 21 at 6:30 pm at the Salvation Army Center on the I-35 southbound service road at 12th street. After dinner, we will address last-minute questions and details for the event in preparation for the weekend event.
Committee Reports
· ARES: Rodney Baden K5YKC reported that the June 21 tabletop exercise is still scheduled and that Terry Williams KD5KJU, Darrell Sykora K5SYK, and KE5MZS will attend to represent HOTARC. The real event will be July 17-18, with the EOC set up in Hillsboro. We will set up amateur operations at DPS in Waco. Let’s plan to discuss this more in depth at the June meeting.
· Repeater: Nothing reported.
· Trailer: Mike Ross N5MVL reported that he has the paint, and we have scheduled June 2 for floor painting and television mounting work at the shop of WB5MBO (exit 345 off I-35, look for HF antenna). A half dozen members volunteered to show up to help.
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that all was working well with the web page.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ reported that the Skycam is still in need of repair; the ATV repeater continues to function well and is used regularly throughout the week.
· Education: KD5UEW reported that 13 hams attended the General preparation class, out of which 10 tested at the VE session the following day, and 9 passed the exam and were promoted to General Class. Due to the volume purchase of Gordon West books, we have not yet reached the break-even point, but still have Gordon West books remaining to sell (which will be good until June 30th).
· Public Relations: Scott Shafer KD5MLY reported that he did create the public service announcement (PSA) for Field Day as in past years, and they are available on our web site. The PSAs are being used in Waco, and also in Tennessee and Florida (that we know).
· Special Events: The plans for Field Day were the only special event topic, discussed in depth after the meeting.
Old Business
|
|
· None was raised.
New Business
· Club Chaplain: Dell Bredemeyer KE5MZS offered to serve HOTARC members as Chaplain, citing his service in a similar capacity for other small organizations, and his willingness and ability to minister in this capacity should the need for counseling or spiritual support ever arise. WB5MBO submitted a motion to designate Dell as the Club Chaplain; Paul Holroyd KE5MZS seconded the motion, and the members present unanimously approved it.
A motion to adjourn was acknowledged from KD5UEW at approximately 7:25 pm.
For the program this evening, our Field Day Chairman Grant Gilliam KE5ERW was unable to attend, so in his place KC5NT presided over a detailed discussion of options and plans for our participation in Field Day on June 23-34. There was much enthusiastic discussion and input. The significant new ideas for this year included:
1) Participation by the Texas State Guard club. They will set up operations in their trailer at our site, use our Club call, and hence contribute to our total contacts. This will likely necessitate our operating as “3A” qualifier, although we need not commit to this until the day of the event.
|
|
2) Location of the stations. With three-stations plus the GOTA station, physical separation of each is even more important. So, we will locate the HOTARC trailer at the far west parking lot, the TSG trailer at the small parking area along the road, the Salvation Army mobile canteen beside the pavilion, and the GOTA station under the pavilion for easy access by visitors.
3) A balloon antenna. For a new challenge, we will try to loft a long wire antenna suitable for 80 meters and 160 meters using a 6-foot diameter helium-filled balloon provided by Terry Williams KD5KJU (and the Alta Vista neighborhood association). Terry hopes to get the helium donated, but if not W5AYX offered to contribute $20 to the helium cost. AC5CV will obtain the wire and tether material.
Realizing the need to authorize some Club funds for Field Day expenses, KD5SMC reconvened the meeting to order at approximately 8:14 PM.
· Field Day expenses: KD5SMC heard a motion from K5YKC to allocate up to $200 for Field Day expenses. The motion was seconded by JW Roach W5AYX, and unanimously approved by the members present.
A motion to adjourn (for the second time) was acknowledged from KC5NT at approximately 8:15 pm.
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
|
It’s Time To Get
Serious |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI,
|
All members received an e-mail from Rodney Baden K5YKC on 28 Mar 07 concerning the requirements to complete formal training. ARRL has NOT placed these requirements in effect for membership in ARES. ARES membership still only requires a valid Amateur License and a desire to assist in an emergency.
Currently
it is recommended that all emergency responders (that’s us,
operating in a volunteer mode to provide emergency communications) should have completed
the following FEMA courses:*
· National Incident Management System (NIMS): FEMA Course IS-700
· Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS): FEMA Course IS-100
· ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents: FEMA Course IS-200
· Introduction to the National Response Plan (NRP): FEMA Course IS-800
*Click the links above for more information about these course. These links are also provided on our Club’s home page.
It is REQUIRED of organizations that qualify for and/or receive federal funds that their emergency responders have completed this training. Members that have failed to complete the training cause their organization to be at risk of being denied these funds or denied reimbursement for expenses incurred in an emergency.
These courses are important. They set up the structure and the line of responsibility for ALL incidents nationwide. If amateur radio operators, in general, and HOTARC members, specifically, are going to provide support as part of the entire emergency response team, then we need to speak their language and know how their system works.
McLennan County ARES has thirty-nine (39) active members. The current status of completed training in the four courses for these members is as follows:
· National Incident Management System (NIMS, IS-700): 19 out of 39, or 49%
· Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS, IS-100): 9 out of 39, or 23%
· ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents (IS-200): 6 out of 39, or 15%
· Introduction to the National Response Plan (NRP, IS-800): 8 out of 39, or 21%
This is a start, but the percentages should be much better. John Chamberlain AC5CV asked in a reply to Rodney’s e-mail mentioned above: “What is the significance (of these courses) to HOTARC members?” The answer to that question is: If we—HOTARC and ARES members—are to be viable participants in a team of supporting agencies during a disaster situation, then we need to speak the team’s language. We need to know how the team’s system works. To that end, we may have to provide documentation showing completion of these training courses in order to be part of the team and be granted access to a disaster area. This is why the current ARES ID cards now include documentation of the training you have completed (on the back side). It only makes sense: we need to be part of the solution—not a part of the problem. And again: not having the required training could adversely impact FEMA reimbursement of costs incurred by the agencies we support during the emergency.
Alright. Let’s bring it a little closer to home. Currently, you can be a McLennan County ARES member without the training. You can participate in weather nets, special events (yes, all special events are documented as ARES training), and Field Day. However, after discussing the situation with the District Emergency Coordinator, Rodney Baden K5YKC, the time has come that we must implement a local McLennan County ARES requirement for this training. Those ARES members that expect to be utilized in support of local agencies (for example, McLennan County Emergency Management, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Local PD and FD, Hospitals, and so forth) must complete at least the above four courses by April 2008 (when we will next update the ARES membership data). For your information, other local agencies have been given a deadline of September 2007 to complete their training, so the ARES training requirement is not unreasonable.
|
|
To obtain the training, visit the course links above, or begin by visiting FEMA main training web page (where you can search for links to these and other courses) via the link given here.
Once you have completed the training for a course, you will receive an email notification. Forward that e-mail indicating successful completion to me at kc5kni@arrl.net. I will update your record of training and provide you with an updated ID Card. We need to be prepared to provide the best support to local agencies in time of emergency. Completion of these training courses is a positive step in the right direction.
Should you have any questions or need assistance to log into the web site, you can contact either Rodney K5YKC or Ed KC5KNI for assistance. Our contact information (home phone, cell phone, and e-mail) are in the HOTARC Directory (paper or on our web site).
Additionally, since a large part of our role in serving these other agencies is sending and receiving messages by radio, please consider attending the classes on “traffic handling” often provided by JW Roach W5AYX. If you do, I will update the back of your ARES ID Card to reflect your training for Traffic Handling.
|
HOTARC Field Day 2007 |
by John Chamberlain AC5CV |
|
Grab ‘n go trailer |
If there’s one thing I’ll remember about this Field Day, it will be the excellent weather! It was a Goldilocks weekend! Not too hot, not to cold, but juuuhhhst right! J In contrast, you probably remember Field Day’s of yesteryear when we sweltered in 105º temperatures and went home Sunday with near second-degree sunburns. Or when the storm winds blew and gusted so hard that they knocked down our antennas! And who can forget the torrential rains that threatened to overflow the creek and send us packing (or swimming!). But that was not the case this past weekend. Whether you came out to the site for a brief visit, or to hold down one of the stations for a hoot-owl shift, you probably found the breeze and mild summer temperatures a real treat! The winds kept the bugs and sweat to a minimum. So, I am very thankful (to the One responsible for the weather) for the very pleasant operating conditions this year.
|
Filling a 6-ft balloon with helium |
And then, there was the “3A” operation, instead of the long-standing “2A.” I think almost everyone that sat down to make a contact had to bite their tongues to resist the urge to call out “two-alpha north Texas.” Instead, we had to remember to say “threeeee-alpha north Texas” because we were also blessed with members of the Texas State Guard radio club joining us this year. The TSGARC brought their own self-powered communications trailer and provided a large number of HF digital contacts for the W5ZDN record book.
The small “antenna farm” we erected this year seemed to go up in record time, thanks to the large number of hands on deck right from the start! The HOTARC trailer operated with the familiar three-element HF tribander yagi and 80m dipole. Similarly, our CW station (with our ‘secret weapon’ John Curry K5IMC) in the Salvation Army “canteen” operated with the familiar 40m quarter-wave vertical mounted atop the pavilion (wow! what a great ground plane!). The TSGARC station operated with a long “sloper” antennas and inverted V dipoles, supported by tall push-up poles. Finally, our GOTA station was equipped with a 40m inverted V dipole supported by the Club’s new grab ‘n go trailer’s push-up pole. And for a couple hours, the GOTA station was also equipped with a balloon antenna: an 80m-160m vertical wire antenna, balanced with a Heathkit antenna tuner. (a gust of wind caused the balloon to burst before the bands opened up later in the day. Oh well, next year…)
Saturday’s donated food was a real blessing. For lunch we had lasagna from Rosatti’s. For supper we had chicken tenders from Bush’s. And a scrumptious midnight pizza dinner was provided by Papa John’s. (Terrific job, Grant!)
I hope to collect photos from everyone who brought a camera to the park …PLEASE send them to me!! I will prepare a more thorough report, including our scores and statistics, and photo documentary of Field Day 2007 for our web site and the ARRL soapbox page.
The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given to the source.
Edited and Published by John Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
|
|
|
2007 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2007 Board of Directors
President: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
Vice Pres: Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, 756-1397, bfeltenb@swbell.net
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV, 855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Director (2007): Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Director (2008): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.com
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is Saturday July
21, 10:00 AM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg
(#63 on the map). Bring: 1) testing fee of $14 (cash only); 2) a photo ID (two for first-time
licensees); and
for already licensed amateurs: 3) current
license and photocopy of it; and 4) photocopy
of any relevant CSCE.
Contact: Linda
Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe monthly meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday June 28, 2007 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 75 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
No more Morse
code requirement!
Tell someone about it!