Club Meetings

There will not be a regular club meeting in December.  Next meeting date will be determined by the board.

Only three members attended the club meeting held on November 21.  Lacking a quorum we were unable to approve several sets of meeting minutes and treasury reports or conduct any other official business, including leadership elections.

Ham Breakfast

This month the Ham Breakfast will be held on Saturday, December 7, at 8am at Spangler's Family Restaurant, 601 E Chicago in Jonesville (map).  Note that the breakfast is being held a week early this month due to the club Christmas party being on December 14.  Come and join us for a meal or just coffee.  Everyone welcome.

The November breakfast was held at the Draft Horse Diner in Litchfield and was attended by six amateurs.

Christmas Party

The Christmas party will be held on Saturday, December 14 at 2pm at the Fayette Street Church of Christ, 131 W Fayette in Hillsdale (map).  The church is located directly behind the Market House.  All area amateurs and their guests are welcome.  Dinner will be a potluck.  The club will provide the meat dishes, probably chicken and ham.  Appetizers, side dishes and desserts are suggested to bring.  Drinks (water, coffee, tea) and table service will be provided.  There will be a gift exchange ($10-$15) for those who want to participate.  RSVPs are requested and can be made by clicking here or by contacting Don Gambill KC8WAU at KC8WAU@arrl.net or 517-437-4172.

Club Leadership Elections

Club leadership elections for 2020 were to have been held at the November meeting.  However, due to a lack of a quorum at the meeting, elections could not be held.  

Board Meeting

The regularly scheduled board meeting for December 7 is canceled.  The next Board meeting will be announced to membership via email and web posting.

Membership Report

Club membership stood at 17 as of November 30.  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.

Upgrades

Congratulations to Gregory Parent KE8KDK of Pittsford on being granted Amateur Extra privileges on November 6, upgrading from Technician.

ARRL Self-Guided EComm Course EC-001-S Now Available

ARRL’s EC-001-S online “Introduction to Emergency Communication” course is now available to students in an on-demand format, allowing students to register for the course and begin work at any time.  This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer.  Visit the ARRL Online Course Registration page for more information and to register.  (ARRL story)

Russian OTH Radar Now Reported To Be “Everywhere”

The latest International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring System newsletter reports the Russian “Contayner” over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) has been active in the 7, 10, 14, and 18 MHz amateur radio allocations (amateur radio is primary on 40, 20, and 17 meters).  The OTHR transmissions have been 40 sweeps/second, FM on pulse, and 12 kHz wide.  (ARRL story)

More Than 1 Million Contacts Logged During ARRL Field Day 2019

ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque N1SFE  reports that nearly 1.1 million contacts were made during the 2019 ARRL Field Day, the most popular operating event in North America.  Bourque reported the 2019 ARRL Field Day results, which are available starting on page 64 of the digital edition of the December 2019 issue of QST.  Bourque says in his article that more than 36,000 radio amateurs took part in ARRL Field Day 2019 across all 83 ARRL/Radio Amateurs of Canada sections, up slightly from the 35,250 reported last year.  The total number of contacts was down by about 7% from 2018’s 1.18 million contacts.  (ARRL story)

ARRL To Oppose Proposal To Eliminate 3.3 – 3.5 GHz Amateur Allocation

At its December 12 open meeting, the FCC will consider adopting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to remove the amateur radio 9-centimeter allocation at 3.3 – 3.5 GHz.  ARRL plans to comment in opposition to the proposed action.  According to an FCC “Fact Sheet,” the proceeding WT Docket 19-348, “Facilitating Shared Use in the 3.1 – 3.55 GHz Band,” is a follow-on from the MOBILE NOW Act, approved by the 115th Congress.  (ARRL story)

FCC Invites Comments On Digital AM Broadcasting Proposal

The FCC has invited comments on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), that would allow AM broadcasters to transmit an all-digital signal using the HD Radio in-band on-channel (IBOC) mode, known as MA3.1.  “We tentatively conclude that a voluntary transition to all-digital broadcasting has the potential to benefit AM stations and provide improved AM service to the listening public,” the FCC said.  “We seek comments on proposed operating standards for all-digital stations and the impact of such operations on existing analog stations and listeners.”  Comments are due 60 days after the NPRM appears in The Federal Register.  (ARRL story)

World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 Concludes

World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) wrapped up on November 22.  The month-long event, sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), was the largest ever, with some 3,300 delegates in attendance.  ITU has posted the provisional WRC-19 Final Acts on its website as a 567-page PDF.  The WRC-19 Final Acts will take effect on January 21, 2021.  (ARRL story)

FCC Amateur Radio License Database Activity In Hillsdale County

11/06/19 KE8KDK, Parent, Gregory C, upgraded to Amateur Extra from Technician

11/07/19 KK4QYM, Novak III, John F, address updated from out of county

11/07/19 W4VIK, TOWNSEND JR, WILLIAM P, license renewed

11/13/19 W8QGP, Sanger, John P, license status set to expired (SK 08/09/13)

11/22/19 KD8MHP, Helton, Brian J, license renewed, address updated within county

Snow Totals

Unofficial snowfall totals (in inches) in Hillsdale City for the last few seasons.

QSM

Monday Night Net: Don’t forget to check in to the net every Monday at 7pm on the 147.06 MHz repeater.  Different flavors of the net take place every week.  The net runs anywhere from five to 30 minutes, depending on the number of check-ins.  Participating regularly in a directed net helps you keep you operating skills sharp.  Set up an alarm in your calendar on your computer or smart phone.  The net schedule and results are posted on the club website.

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

December 7 – Ham Breakfast

December 7 – Fulton County ARC Winterfest

December 14 – Christmas Party

January 4 – Board Meeting