Gatherings

The next club meeting will be Thursday, July 16.  No meeting in June.

 

Six members attended the last club meeting held on May 21.

 

 

This month the Ham Breakfast will be held on Saturday, June 13 at 8am at the Sidekick Cafe, 4682 Hudson Road in Osseo (map).  Everyone welcome!

 

The May ham breakfast was held at the Blue Rooster in Jonesville and was attended by 10 hams.

 

 

The next Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 3 at 6pm at the First United Methodist Church, 45 N Manning in Hillsdale (map).  All members welcome.

 

 

Membership Report

Club membership stood at 15 as of May 31.  No activity in May.

 

 

Club Leadership Positions Available

Two club leadership positions remain open.  The Vice President and Secretary positions had no nominations during last years annual elections or subsequent special elections.  Those interested should check the club constitution on our website for information about officer duties and election procedures.  Feel free to contact any of the current club leadership for more information.

 

 

Volunteers Assist Local Events

Four hams provided volunteer services to the Hillsdale County CROP Walk that was held on May 3.  Walkers started at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hillsdale and walked along the Baw Beese Trail for two miles to Sandy Beach before returning.  Volunteers directed traffic to parking areas and monitored the trail and walkers.  Thanks to amateur radio volunteers Don Gambill KC8WAU, Joe Gosla  KD8UJS, Craig Moore KD8TKR and Dan Sprow KC8RYF.

 

Four volunteers worked the parking detail at the Community Action Agency Head Start Picnic May 8.  It was busy, with over 500 attending the picnic and lots of cars coming in and out.  Thanks to those that helped out.

 

 

Earthquake Felt In Hillsdale County

On May 2 at 12:23pm local time, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake centered near Scotts was felt by many in Hillsdale County.  The May 2 quake was the most powerful in Michigan since a 4.6 quake near Coldwater in 1947.

 

US Geological Survey event detail page.

 

Mlive.com Stories

05/02/15 3:33PM 'Unusual' Michigan earthquake near Galesburg second strongest on record in state

05/02/15 4:52PM Michigan earthquake causes minor building damage near Galesburg epicenter

05/03/15 6:50AM 7 facts about earthquakes in Michigan

05/03/15 2:06PM See where Michigan earthquake struck region the hardest

05/04/15 9:24AM 2015 Michigan earthquake by the numbers

05/05/15 2:13PM Michigan earthquake: 'Big deal' for a couple reasons, U.S. Geological Survey scientist says

05/06/15 11:14AM Michigan earthquake reveals newfound fault in Kalamazoo County

 

 

ARRL Michigan Section Family Outing

The Michigan Section Family Outing will be held July 10-11 at the Woodlands Conference Center & Campgrounds in Hale (map).  It is a 2-day fun-filled event hosted by your ARRL Michigan Section Staff and paid for totally from donations, involving fun events for the whole family!  There will be games, campfires, and sing-a-longs for all to enjoy.  There will be ARPSC training and other informative seminars available on both Friday and Saturday for any who wish to participate.  Check the calendar for the schedule of events.  Note that the event has been shorted from 4 days to 2.

 

 

FCC Eliminating Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Regulatory Fee

The FCC is eliminating the regulatory fee to apply for an Amateur Radio vanity call sign.  “The Commission spends more resources on processing the regulatory fees and issuing refunds than the amount of the regulatory fee payment,” the FCC said.  “As our costs now exceed the regulatory fee, we are eliminating this regulatory fee category.”  The change will not go into effect until required congressional notice is given.  This will take at least 90 days.  (ARRL story)  The fee was most recently raised from $16.10 to $21.40 last September.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Dayton Hamvention Summary

Another Dayton Hamvention is in the books, and the sponsoring Dayton Amateur Radio Association already has begun counting down to the 2016 event.  While Hamvention traditionally provides an ideal occasion for Amateur Radio manufacturers to introduce their latest offerings, new gear was in somewhat shorter-than-usual supply at the 2015 event.  On the other hand, this may have shifted attention toward Hamvention’s other activities, such as the always-popular forums and, of course, the flea market.  (ARRL story)  Click to read the ARRL daily summary stories for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

 

Whistler Recalls Jump&Go Units

Whistler is recalling its “Jump&Go” Portable Jumpstart and Power Supply units, due to a potential fire hazard.  Some ARES/RACES participants use these units as a handy, portable 12 V source.  The recall involves more than 10,000 of the pocket-sized devices   According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the unit’s lithium battery can overheat, causing it to melt and catch fire.  (ARRL story)  (CPSC announcement)

 

 

Public Service Activities

Pikes Peak Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers provided communication support on May 2 for the 2015 Falcon 50 Ultra-Marathon.  Competitors in the “military-heavy” 50-mile event carry 35-pound rucksacks while wearing boots and uniform, said Pikes Peak ARES PIO John Bloodgood KD0SFY.  He said 170 runners tested their mettle on the rugged terrain and high altitude of the marathon course at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Emergency Activities

Amateur Radio emergency operations on 20 meters, resumed in the aftermath of the second Nepal earthquake, now have been suspended.  The decision was based on the fact that all systems in the affected region are working normally.  Amateur Radio relief activity from the April 25 magnitude 7.8 earthquake had begun to wind down before a magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook parts of the Himalayan nation on May 12.

 

ARRL Nepal Earthquake Stories

05/04/15 American-Nepali Disaster Communication Group Calls for Release of Needed Radio Gear

05/05/15 Amateur Radio Continues to Provide Reliable Post-Quake Communication in Nepal

05/13/15 New Nepal Earthquake Keeps Amateur Radio Relief Effort Going

05/18/15 Nepal Amateur Radio Earthquake Relief Response Again Suspended

05/22/15 Nepal Now Has a Second Repeater in Operation

 

 

A Colorado radio amateur and mountaineer was happy to have his hand-held transceiver along on May 17 after he slipped and fell from an icy ledge in Berthoud Pass while snowshoeing.  Summits On The Air (SOTA) enthusiast Brad Byland WA6MM said he’s been climbing and mountaineering for many years now and never before came this close to “a possible life-ending disaster.”  (ARRL story)

 

 

FCC Amateur Radio License Database Activity in Hillsdale County

05/19/15 KC8WSR, BECKERICH, JAMES V, license status set to expired

05/27/15 AB8RM, MC CLOUD, ROY R, issued vanity call sign, previously KA8VSH

 

 

PRB-1 Update

Federal PRB-1 legislation HR 1301, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015, was introduced in March and now has 57 cosponsors as of May31, up from 50 on April 30.  Click here to follow the progress of HR 1301.  Click here to view the ARRL HR-1301 web page.

 

 

QSM

The Question Pool Committee of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) has released the 2015-2019 Element 3 (General Class) question pool.  The pool will take effect on July 1, 2015, and will remain valid until June 30, 2019.  The current General question pool, released in 2011, is valid until June 30, 2015.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Upcoming Events

June 3 – Board Meeting

June 6 – Fulton County Hamfest

June 6 – Independent Repeater Association Hamfest

June 7 – Chelsea Hamfest

June 13 – Ham Breakfast

June 21 – Monroe Hamfest

June 27-28 – Field Day

July 10-11 – Michigan ARRL Section Family Outing  *** Note date change ***

July 16 – Club Meeting

July 25 – CMARC Outdoor Hamfest