Club Meetings

The next club meeting will be Thursday, November 21, at 7pm at the First United Methodist Church, 45 North Manning in Hillsdale (map).  Park in city lot F and use the east entrance off the alley and follow the signs.  Everyone welcome.

There was no club meeting in October.

Ham Breakfast

This month the Ham Breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 12, at 8am at the Draft Horse Diner, 119 Marshall in Litchfield (map).  Come and join us for a meal or just coffee.  Everyone welcome.

The October breakfast was held at the Sidekick Cafe in Osseo and was attended by six amateurs.

Christmas Party

Mark your calendar now!  The club Christmas party will be held on Saturday, December 14 at 2pm at the Fayette Street Church of Christ in Hillsdale.  All area hams and their guests are welcome.  More details to follow.

Club Leadership Elections

Club leadership elections for 2020 will be held at the November club meeting.  The club seeks enthusiastic, qualified amateurs to lead the club.  The club has not had a full slate of board members since 2014.  If you are interested in serving as a member of club leadership, check the club constitution on our website for information about officer duties and election procedures.  We really, really need members to step up and fill these positions.  Qualified amateurs must be willing and able to perform the requirements of the position.  Feel free to contact any of the current club leadership for more information.

Board Meeting

The next Board meeting will be held on Saturday, November 2, at 10:30am at the First United Methodist Church, 45 North Manning in Hillsdale (map).  All club members are welcome.  Use the south entrance off city parking lot F.

Membership Report

Club membership stood at 17 as of October 31.  No activity during the month.

Monday Night Net Control Stations Needed

We have some Monday night net control slots open.  Serving as net control station builds your skills and earns you extra points towards the net exceptional participation certificate.  If you would like to serve as a net control station once a month please let a member of club leadership know.  Check the schedule for available dates.

New Hams

Congratulations to new ham Philip Brezezinski KE8NFK of Waldron on being granted Technician privileges on October 29.

Congratulations to new ham Brian Fast KE8NFN of Hillsdale on being granted Technician privileges on October 30.

Daylight Saving Time Ends November 3

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 3, at 2am.  Turn your clocks back one hour.  During this period Hillsdale County will be on Eastern Standard Time (EST) with a minus 5 offset from GMT/UTC.  Daylight Saving Time runs from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.

Consolidated Election November 5

Tuesday, November 5 is Consolidated Election day in Michigan.  In Hillsdale County there are ballot items in Adams Township, Allen Township, Cambria Township, Camden Township, Reading City, Reading Township and Woodbridge Township.  Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center website to check if you are registered and find other election information, including a map to your polling place and a sample ballot.

Michigan State University Amateur Radio Club Celebrates Centennial

The Michigan State University Amateur Radio Club, which holds the call signs W8MSU and W8SH, celebrated its centennial with a special event station on October 19.  “We’re celebrating a milestone,” said Faculty Advisor Gregory Wierzba.  “The club has been a licensed ham radio station for a century.  It’s been on the air almost as long as radio licenses have been issued.”  (ARRL story)

Australian Regulator Reinstates US Amateur Radio License Reciprocity

The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) reports Australia’s communications regulator Australian Communications and Media Authority is reinstating the reciprocal arrangement for US Amateur Radio license holders.  “The reinstatement follows a period of suspension of reciprocity precipitated by a complainant objecting to the granting of [Australian] licenses,” a WIA statement read.  “The WIA believes that irrespective of the motivations of the complainant to raise their objections, the impact of the suspension was only to increase barriers to entry to Amateur Radio in Australia, and was most unhelpful.”  (ARRL story)

West Point Cadets Use Ham Radio To Contact ISS

More than 250 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station, Col. Drew Morgan KI5AAA worked to make contact with his alma mater.  On the receiving end of Morgan's message from space were members of the Ham Radio Club at the US Military Academy.  A radio antenna atop Bartlett Hall worked to track the International Space Station as it passed overhead while members of the club programmed their Ham Radio in order to answer the call from space.  (US Army story)

ARRL Creates New Online Groups To Communicate With Leadership

ARRL’s Committee on Communication with ARRL Members has opened new online forums where all radio amateurs can discuss issues and topics in two-way conversation with ARRL leadership.  The new groups are aimed at enhancing communication among ARRL leadership, staff, members, and prospective members, in a manner that enables timely updates and collegial discussion.  In the months ahead, the Committee envisions creating more online groups to support two-way communication focusing on areas of additional interest to radio amateurs, including ARRL activities, services, initiatives, and policies.  (ARRL story)

Silent Keys

Lynyrd Skynyrd Founding Member Larry Junstrom K4EB: Southern Rocker Larry “LJ” Junstrom K4EB, died on October 6.  He was reported to be 70.  Junstrom was a founding member and bassist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, although he left the group before it recorded its first album.  He’s better known as a member of another Southern Rock band, 38 Special, with which he performed from 1977 until retiring in 2014.  (ARRL story)

Signal/One Cofounder Harold Johnson W4ZCB: Harold Johnson W4ZCB, of Hendersonville, North Carolina, died on October 11.  Johnson was a veteran homebrew enthusiast and a cofounder of Signal/One, which introduced a line of cutting-edge, top-tier Amateur Radio transceivers in the late 1960s, starting with the CX7.  (ARRL story)

FCC Amateur Radio License Database Activity In Hillsdale County

10/29/19 KE8NFK, Brezezinski, Philip J, new licensee Technician

10/30/19 KE8NFN, Fast, Brian E, new licensee Technician

Snow Totals

Snow in the forecast!  Here are the unofficial snowfall totals (in inches) in Hillsdale City for the last few seasons.

FCC Enforcement News

FCC Proposes Fining New York Radio Amateur $17,000 for Deliberate Interference: A New York Radio Amateur is facing a $17,000 fine imposed by the FCC.  Harold Guretzky K6DPZ was issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) on for causing intentional interference on a local repeater and preventing other radio amateurs from using it.  “Given his history as a repeat offender, this violation warrants a significant penalty,” the FCC said in the NAL.  (ARRL story)

QSM

Meeting Programs: We are always looking for interesting ideas for meeting programs.  It doesn’t always have to be about ham radio.  It could be something community related or maybe you know somebody that would be an interesting speaker.  Club Vice President Dan Sprow KC8RYF leads the effort to arrange meeting programs for the club.  Contact Dan or any member of club leadership if you have ideas for programs or are willing to present something yourself.

Michigan State Parks On The Air: Starting April 1, 2017, Michigan hams embarked on the most ambitious on-the-air project ever, the Michigan State Parks on the Air (MSPOTA).  Previous State Park activations on the air around the country have focused on a single weekend.  The Michigan State Parks system as a whole will be 100 years old in 2019.  Some of our parks actually began operation in 1917.  Hence, the celebration began in 2017 and continues through 2019.  That is three years of State Parks on the Air!  Lots of time for activators and chasers alike!  This event includes 117 MDNR Parks & Recreation sites including State Parks, Recreation Areas, Scenic Sites and State Trails rotated over the 3 years.  That adds up to about 50 parks across the state active in each event year.  (More info at MSPOTA website)

Microsoft Announces End Of Support For Windows 7: Microsoft made a commitment to provide 10 years of product support for Windows 7 when it was released on October 22, 2009.  When this 10-year period ends, Microsoft will discontinue Windows 7 support so that we can focus our investment on supporting newer technologies and great new experiences.  The specific end of support day for Windows 7 will be January 14, 2020.  (Announcement and FAQ)

Distracted Driving Bills Introduced In State Legislature: There are several bills (HB 4181, HB 4198 and HB 4199) that have been formulated in the Michigan House of Representatives that deal with Distracted Driving.  The Michigan ARRL legislative team has been watching as these bills were introduced in the House.  Amateur Radio was granted an exemption (the use of amateur radio while driving) from being considered a distraction.  The exemption amendment referenced 47 CFR Part 97, 47 CFR Part 90 and a reference to CB radio.  (ARRL Michigan Section post)

Upcoming Events

November 6 – Board Meeting

November 9 – Ham Breakfast

November 16-17 – Fort Wayne Hamfest

November 21 – Club Meeting

December 7 – Fulton County ARC Winterfest