News for Amateur Radio Operators In and Around Hillsdale County

 

The next club meeting will be Thursday, October 17 at 7pm at the First United Methodist Church, 45 N Manning in Hillsdale (map).  Park in city lot F and use the east entrance off the alley to the Fellowship Hall in the basement.  Attendance at recent meetings has been weak.

 

 

This month the Ham Breakfast will be held on Saturday, October 12 at 8am at the Coffee Shop, 119 W Main in North Adams (map).  Please come join us.

 

 

Club membership currently stands at 18 as of October 1.  Membership application is available here (print 2-sided).

 

 

Club officer elections will be held on November 21.  If you are interested in becoming a club officer, check the club constitution on our website for information about officer duties and election procedures.  Feel free to contact me or any of the current club officers for more information.  New faces, ideas and energy are always welcome.

 

 

The annual state Simulated Emergency Test will take place on Saturday, October 5 starting at 8am and going until noon or 1pm.  The details of the exercise are being closely held at this time, but will be revealed as the exercise unfolds.  A few things that will be tested will be message handling capabilities via various modes, including VHF and HF digital as well as interaction with the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) via various methods.  Hillsdale County Emergency Coordinator (EC) Dan Sprow KC8RYF will be operating and conducting any local response from his home QTH, and welcomes anyone that would like to participate to visit his shack.

 

 

Volunteers are always needed to run the Monday Night Ragchew Net.  Check the Calendar page on the club website for the schedule and results.  And don’t forget to check in at 7pm every Monday on the 147.06 MHz repeater.

 

 

This humorous Velveeta ad featuring amateur radio has been running on TV for a few months.  Click here to view it.

 

 

Wayne S.  Green II W2NSD became a Silent Key on September 13.  A well-known and often outspoken figure during the 1950s and 1960s, Green helmed CQ Magazine for 5 years before becoming the self-proclaimed “El Supremo and Founder” of 73 magazine in 1960, which he published until 2003.  (ARRL story)

 

 

John E.  “Jack” Althouse K6NY became a Silent Key on September 15.  He penned the “Aerials” columns from 1999 until 2012 and authored books on antennas for WorldRadio under his alter ego “Kurt N. Sterba”.  (ARRL story)

 

 

The FCC dismissed a petition from a Massachusetts ham that sought to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service rules to permit the encryption of certain amateur communications during emergency operations or related training exercises.  The petition, originally filed on June 7, suggested excepting “intercommunications when participating in emergency services operations or related training exercises which may involve information covered by medical privacy requirements or other sensitive data, such as logistical information concerning medical supplies, personnel movement, other relief supplies or any other data designated by Federal authorities managing relief or training efforts.”  The FCC said it received more than 300 comments on the petition, and those opposing the change outnumbered supporters two to one.  (ARRL story)  (Original ARRL story)

 

 

The National Silent Key Archive of Amateur Radio Operators remains up and running, even as sister website “Vanity HQ” was taken down earlier this year.  The website includes the ability to research a call sign's history, something that had been available on the Vanity HQ website.  The National Silent Key Archive provides an opportunity to add Silent Keys (all submissions are reviewed prior to incorporation into the Archive) and for friends and family of radio amateurs who have passed on to create memorial pages that may include photographs and text.  (ARRL story)  (Original Vanity HQ ARRL Story)

 

 

In 1939, Michigan became the first state to offer distinctive license plates to amateur radio operators.  Visit the Michigan License Plate Collectors Association Amateur Radio Operator web page to view some samples.  The state currently offers two plate styles for hams, Pure Michigan and Spectacular Peninsulas (samples).  Click here for application.

 

 

The FCC posted a “Plan for Orderly Shutdown” in the event that the US government should be forced to shut down on October 1.  Generally, all FCC activities other than those immediately necessary for the protection of life or property will cease.  (ARRL story)

 

 

ARRL membership certificates commemorating the League’s 100th anniversary in 2014 now are available.  Members logged onto the League’s website can generate their own certificates or cards online for printing.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Ham Radio in Space

The Air Force Space Surveillance System (the “Space Fence”), used to detect objects in orbit, was turned off September 1.  Three transmitter sites operated on 216.983, 216.97 and 216.99 MHz, and there were six receiving stations.  Some Amateur Radio meteor scatter enthusiasts enjoyed monitoring the VHF transmissions for indications of activity.  (ARRL story)

 

 

NASA’s Juno spacecraft will fly past Earth on October 9 to receive a gravity assist, putting it on course for Jupiter.  To celebrate, the Juno mission is inviting Amateur Radio operators around the world to say “HI” to Juno in a coordinated Morse code message.  The Say “HI” to Juno web page will be updated with additional information as the event approaches.  (ARRL story)  (Hi Juno website)

 

 

FCC License Database Activity in Hillsdale County

None in September

 

 

FCC Enforcement News

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau recently made public warning letters to several individuals for alleged infractions.  Many of the letters were for out of band operations and based of observations from Official Observers.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Upcoming Events

October 3 – Board Meeting

October 12 – Ham Breakfast at Coffee Shop, North Adams (map)

October 17 – Club Meeting

October 20 – Kalamazoo Hamfest

November 7 – Board Meeting

November 9 – Ham Breakfast

November 16 & 17 – Fort Wayne Hamfest

November 21 – Club Meeting & Officer Elections