News for Amateur Radio Operators In and Around Hillsdale County

 

Club membership dues for 2013 are due.  Rates are $15 for regular membership, $5 for household membership (additional members in same household after first member pays regular rate) and free for students.  All members are asked to fill out an updated membership application as part of the renewal process.  Dues can be paid by cash or check at the monthly meeting or mailed to club Treasurer Dan Sprow KC8RYF, 3671 Bankers Rd, Hillsdale, MI 49242.  Make checks payable to HCARC or Hillsdale County Amateur Radio Club.  We finished 2012 with 17 members.  Currently 10 have renewed and 2 new members.  Your club appreciates your support.

 

 

Branch County Emergency Management (BCEM) is hosting a Severe Weather Preparedness Training and Symposium on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:00pm at the Community Health Center of Branch County Conference Center, 370 E Chicago in Coldwater (map green arrow).  This training, organized and presented by BCEM, is open to all who are interested and is highly recommended for newcomers and as a refresher for more experienced spotters.  The speaker will be meteorologist and emergency management planner Rob Dale.  Rob has many years of experience as an on-air meteorologist in Toledo and Lansing and currently works as a Regional Planner for Ingham County Emergency Management.  Rob is also a licensed amateur (N8GSK) and has considerable storm spotting experience.  A schedule of National Weather Service Northern Indiana training sessions is available on their Weather Observer and Outreach Talk Schedule page.  There is also a basic spotter training course available online here.  There will not be any spotter training in Hillsdale County this year.

 

 

The Doppler radar at NWS Northern Indiana will undergo an upgrade to incorporate new technology called dual-polarization.  The upgrade is scheduled to begin February 18 and take two weeks to complete.  Radar data will be unavailable during this time.  Surrounding radars include: Milwaukee, WI, Grand Rapids, MI, Detroit, MI, Cleveland, OH, Wilmington, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Central Illinois, IL, and Chicago, IL.  Click here for more information.

 

 

Hillsdale County 9-1-1/Central Dispatch and Hillsdale County Emergency Management have implemented a system called CodeRED, which is used to send critical communications, including severe weather warnings, evacuation notices and missing child alerts.  Click here to sign up to receive messages via phone or email.

 

 

Logon Crook KD8OMD put up a 2M simplex repeater in North Adams.  The frequency is 146.500 TX/RX with a PL of 100.0.

 

 

The number of radio amateurs in the US reached an all-time high in 2012.  As of the end of the year, there were more than 700,000 radio amateurs.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Anyone interested in being net control operator for the Monday night net on either the first or forth Monday of each month, please contact Bill Hicks WB8FFO.  Logan Crook KD8OMD has volunteered to be net control on the third Monday, and the second Monday is the emergency test net.

 

 

The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2013 Annual Meeting January 18-19 in New Orleans.  The Board set legislative objectives for the 113th Congress, approved the organization’s amended financial plan, elected members to the Executive Committee and ARRL Foundation, bestowed awards and more.  Read the ARRL story for more information, especially the legislative objectives.  The ARRL is the voice of amateur radio with the federal government, acting as an advocate protecting our rights and radio spectrum.  For this reason alone an ARRL membership is a good investment.

 

 

The Boy Scouts of America approved an Amateur Radio Operator rating strip for Scouts to wear on their uniforms.  The strip recognizes the Scout’s availability as an Amateur Radio operator for communication services for events and activities, as well as emergencies.  All registered youth members and adult leaders who also hold a valid FCC issued Amateur Radio license of any class are eligible to wear the rating strip.  (ARRL story   picture)  Last year the Boy Scouts began offering a Morse Code Interpreter Strip for scouts that demonstrate proficiency with Morse Code.  (ARRL story   picture)

 

 

On February 23 & 24 amateur radio operators around the world will take part in a special operating event to raise awareness about Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign.  The hams, all members of the Rotary International group Rotarians on Amateur Radio, will be calling "CQ Rotary" or "CQ Polio" and will be prepared to talk a little bit about the Rotary Club and the accomplishments and challenges of the End Polio Now campaign.  A certificate or QSL card will be available to verify the contact, if requested.  If you are a Rotary Club member and would like to participate in this event, or for more information, contact Dan Romanchik KB6NU at endpolionow@kb6nu.com or 734-930-6564.

 

 

ARRL Michigan Section Emergency Coordinator John McDonough WB8RCR is asking every amateur in Michigan to make a resolution to check into a traffic net at least once a week this year.  Simply listening will help you become familiar with traffic handling procedures and make you much more effective should the need arise.  Here in Michigan we are blessed with four VHF traffic nets and seven HF traffic nets.  You can operate SSB, CW, FM or even digital.  Net schedules are at http://nts-mi.org/netinfo.php.  Information about the National Traffic System is available here. 

 

 

Amateurs in Iceland now have operating privileges on 472-479 kHz (630 meters), joining those in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Monaco (ARRL story).  Delegates at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference approved a new secondary allocation between 472-479 kHz.  (ARRL story)

 

 

The FCC is still seeking comments on a proposal to amend its rules to implement the allocation decisions of the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference and to make certain other changes.  Specifically, the FCC proposes to upgrade the Amateur Service allocation in the upper half of the 160 meter band (1900-2000 kHz) from secondary to primary.  The FCC also seeks comments on whether, and how, an amateur low frequency allocation might be able to co-exist with Power Line Carrier systems that are used by electric utilities to monitor and control the power grid.  Comments are due by February 25.  Read ARRL story for more details.

 

 

Club Corner

The next Ham Breakfast will be Saturday, February 9 at 8am at the Coffee Shop, 119 W Main, North Adams (map).  Please come join us, even if just for coffee and conversation.

 

The next club meeting will be Thursday, February 21 at 7pm at Hillsdale High School (map) in room 131.  Take Bacon Street to Hornet Drive, then turn left at the top of the hill into the parking lot that long ago was the tennis courts.  Use the north entrance by the generator.  The program will feature ARRL Michigan Section Manager Larry Camp WB8R presenting a review of his recent trip to ARRL HQ in Connecticut.

 

Don't forget to check in to the Monday night net, held weekly at 7pm on the 147.06 repeater. 

 

 

Upcoming Events

February 7 – Board Meeting

February 9 – Ham Breakfast at North Adams Coffee Shop

February 17 – Livonia Hamvest

February 21 – Club Meeting

March 7 – Board Meeting

March 9 – Ham Breakfast

March 16 – Marshall Hamfest

March 17 – Toledo Hamfest

March 21 – Club Meeting

March 30 – Lowell Hamfest