Archive for the ARRL Category
Rick Roderick, K5UR, is currently Vice President of the American Radio Relay League. He has held ARRL appointments continuously for over 40 years. He is known world-wide for his operating achievements in amateur radio on the HF and VHF/UHF bands, having held numerous records in the fields of DXing and contesting. He lives on a 50 acre antenna farm outside Little Rock, Arkansas where he practices law. Rick is a frequent speaker at clubs and events, and loves telling stories about what he calls “the greatest hobby in the world – amateur radio!”
Here’s his speech from the 2009 Colorado Hamcon Banquet. 19MB Mp3
For those who use Google Earth or Google Maps and need to easily convert Excel files to kml files with shading and polygons try the following web page;
http://www.earthpoint.us/ExcelToKml.aspx
K5MJE had generated the BernCo ARES repeater coverage maps for Google Earth that are in .kml format. You can look at those maps using Google Earth and obtain the .kmz files from the following web page;
If there is a future major incident in New Mexico and the Incident Commander requests that maps be generated for Evacuation Shelters or local treatment facilities, we will probably use the .kml or kmz (zipped) formats on either Google Maps or Google Earth.
This web page also works using OpenOffice provided you save the file in .xls or .csv formats.
There is a tutorial about using .kml files on the above web page with lots of examples. The most you need to know is how to create an Excel file.
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ARS: W5WHN
Jay Miller
DM65qd
ARRL “Atlantic Division EmComm Webinar” (Second one) – hosted by Bill Edgar, N3LLR, Atlantic ARRL Division Director.
There were 94 People on line (gotomeeting.com).
N3LLR was the host, K2DCD & K1ZZ were on line for a one hour ARRL EmComm Presentation.
Some of the topics covered are the following;
Resource Typing & Terminology (Tanker & Bus example)
ID & Credentialing (International? Local?)
Ham Aid (ARRL Emergency Equipment Loan)
“Well, Nobody’s called us !”
Professionalism – Appearance & Operation
EmComm Courses (on a CD?)
Best Application Practices (Business Plan)
SET Expansion (K2DCD did mention the SET scenario about the attack from outer space)
(Across County, State, Regional & International Boundaries)
Regional & National Preparedness
Response Planning – no boundaries
“Semper Gumby” – Flexible Operation
Amateur Radio the Low Cost Solution for Interop?
RAC/ARRL MOUs (Canada & US)
K2DCD is working with the IEAM – International Emergency Managers
The Webinar was not long enough, scheduled for one hour (actual time one hour & 15 minutes).
The on line poll results were interesting. The majority of the ARES Groups represented on the webinar do not have any requirement for Agency IDs or background checks. I do not have a list of who was on the webinar.
I will request a copy of the webinar presentation slides from K2DCD.
I would encourage the New Mexico ARES/RACES/MARS/NTS Teams to participate in the EmComm Webinars.
…Jay WA5WHN (Sandoval County ARES/RACES Member)
PS For the next few days, most of the State of New Mexico and the SW USA are under a Red Flag Warning. Check your gear & 3 day packs for Field Deployment.
Fellow hams –
We hope that the first few months of 2008 have treated you well!
Included below are some notes of interest to members of the Rocky Mountain Division.
===== ARRL Board meeting =====
The ARRL Board met for its first meeting of 2008 on January 18-19 inHouston, Texas. Brian unfortunately had to cancel his trip the night before due to unexpected work obligations, but Vice-Director DwayneAllen WY7FD hit the ground running and represented our Division well in his absence. Thank you, Dwayne.
A fair amount of business was taken care of at the meeting; here are a few highlights:
— Officers of the League were reelected.
— The authorization of new official Section positions: AssistantSection Emergency Coordinator (ASEC) and Assistant District Emergency Coordinator (ADEC). Many ARES groups across the country probably have an unofficial “#2″ person should the SEC or DEC be unavailable to perform his/her duties. The correct way of handling this is to appoint that #2 person officially, and the new ASEC and ADEC positions will permit that to happen. Please spread the word about these new leadership positions within your ARES organizations. Job descriptions are found at the bottom paragraph of http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/
— The senior dues discount will be eliminated on January 1, 2009. This is something that we spoke about via telephone during the meeting, and opposed strongly despite only being a $3.00/year discount with respect to full membership dues. Your Rocky Mountain Division leadership voted against the motion because we felt there was no compelling reason to do away with the discount.
— As a result of more than a year of studies, back of the napkin ideas, and discussions the ad hoc Committee on Scouting, which Brian is the chairman of, presented numerous recommendations to improve the interface between ARRL and scouting organizations and as well as ARRL literature as it pertains to scouts. The Board authorized the pursuit of an MOU between the Boy Scouts of America and ARRL. Scout groups can no doubt benefit from ham radio while in the backcountry, and ham radio can certainly benefit from having active-by-nature youth and adults within its ranks. While it’s always been possible to promote ham radio and teach Radio Merit badge classes to local scouting units, a formal relationship between the two national organizations will help open more doors. Now that the study focusing on Boy Scouts of America has concluded, the next phase is to make recommendations pertaining to Girl Scouts of the USA. (If you have a history of involvement within the Girl Scouts, ideally beyond the local unit level, and are interested in contributing to this committee please email Brian N5ZGT with details of your present and past involvement)
— Complete details about the Board meeting can be found at
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/01/28/100/?nc=1. Minutes of the meeting are also available at
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/01/28/100/?nc=1. Committee reports should be posted soon.
In an upcoming Division email we will outline how an ARRL board of directors meeting is conducted for those of you who may be interested.
===== Field Day 2008 =====
It’s never too early to plan for Field Day (June 28-29, 2008), whether it’s to be enjoyed with a bunch of friends, a local club, or an ARES group. Field Day 2008 packets and rules have been released; you can read about a few rule changes and download your packet by visiting:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/02/08/101/?nc=1
Please spread the word about Field Day planning at your next club gathering. See you on the air this June!
===== Upcoming hamfests, tailgates & conventions =====
April 5 LarcFest (Longmont, CO)
May 10 Silver City Swapfest Swapfest (Silver City, NM)
May 24-25 Wyoming State Convention (Casper, WY)
July 11-13 Rocky Mountain Division Convention (Bryce Canyon, UT)
August 2 Jackson Hole Area ARC Swapfest (Jackson, WY)
August 17 Denver Radio Club Swapfest (Golden, CO)
Links to websites belonging to the above events are found on the Rocky Mountain Division site: www.tribcsp.com/~arrlrm
If you’re organizing a Hamfest, convention or tailgate, please consider having your event ARRL-sanctioned. Sanctioning details can be found at:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/hamfests/
===== 2008 Rocky Mountain Division Convention =====
This coming June the 2008 Rocky Mountain Division Convention will occur — we’d love to see you there! Highlight July 11-13 on your calendars and please join your fellow League members in beautiful Bryce Canyon, Utah. Count on a bunch of excellent forums, equipment sales, fun competitions, great eyeball QSOs, and wonderful food, all at a gorgeous venue, and all in the company of hams from around the Division. More information can be found at:
===== Upcoming on-air activities =====
In addition to chewing the rag with fellow hams, here are some additional on-air activities which await you on the airwaves.
Upcoming special event stations:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html
Upcoming contests: http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html
Operating awards: http://www.arrl.org/awards/
===== Final note… =====
Please touch base with your Section Manager if he can be of any assistance to you:
Jeff Ryan K0RM (Colorado): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=CO
Don Wood W5FHA (New Mexico): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=NM
Mel Parkes NM7P (Utah): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=UT
Chris Pritchard WY7UPR (Wyoming): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=WY
We also welcome you to contact both Dwayne and I with concerns, questions or ideas. See you on the airwaves!
73,
Brian Mileshosky N5ZGT, Rocky Mountain Division Director
Dwayne Allen WY7FD, Rocky Mountain Division Vice-Director
Division website: www.tribcsp.com/~arrlrm
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ARRL Rocky Mountain Division
Director: Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT
n5zgt@arrl.org
Albuquerque Winter Tailgate
The annual Winter Tailgate will take place January 26, 2008, in the north student parking lot of Del Norte High School in Albuquerque.
From the intersection of San Mateo and Montgomery, take San Mateo north to McLeod, go east on McLeod to San Mateo Place, and south on San Mateo Place to the parking lot. The activities start at sunrise and last until around 1 p.m. Entry and tailgating is free, so bring your treasures and have a good time. This Tailgate is dependent on weather conditions, as there are no indoor areas available. Remember, this is in January, so dress accordingly. Talk in frequency is 145.330 (negative off-set, 100 Hz tone) and 444.000 (positive off-set, 100 Hz tone. For more detailed information, contact Tom Ellis, K5TEE, at (505) 291-8122.
Upper Rio FM Society, Inc.
The situation with the Upper Rio hub building has changed slightly. Yes, the building must be vacated but there has been a change in the eviction date. The Upper Rio Board of Directors is examining the most promising sites for relocation, one at the old Kirtland AFB Officer’s Club on Gibson and the other at an AT&T site at Nine Mile Hill. More information on this will be available from the Upper Rio web site as it becomes available.
By the way, you do belong to the Upper Rio don’t you? Your membership helps maintain the system we all use and in many cases depend on for emergency communications. Check out their web site for information about the organization and about joining at www.urfmsi.org.
Duke City Hamfest
The Duke City Hamfest Board of Directors needs volunteers to fill positions on the board, and to help with the planning and holding of the event. This is your chance to help make this year’s event another success. Contact Mike Pendley, K5ATM, at k5atm@arrl.net for information on how you can assist. We don’t want to lose this event, so please consider volunteering.
Silent Key
It is with a deep sense of regret that we report the passing of Warren Frain, K5PPG. Warren was a virtuoso on the electronic organ and enjoyed playing and entertaining people at Field Day and other events.
December Net Counts
New Mexico Breakfast Club: 1273/140
New Mexico Roadrunner Traffic Net: 931/74
Rusty’s Raiders Net: 699/65
Valencia County ARA Net: 62/15
Yucca Net: 782/35
Four Corners Net: 466/39
SCAT Net: 563/21
Caravan Club Net: 70/6
High Desert ARA Net: 47/3
Closing Thought
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
73, de KM5FT
We all have a special place in our hearts for our beloved hobby, but there are a rare few out there who truly have electrons flowing in their veins. Brian Mileshosky is perhaps our most well known local radio amateur and one of those who bleeds the red, white and black of the ARRL. He knows his technology but also has a passion for community service and a love for the educational and fellowship dimensions that are key to the long term viability of the Art. After good and faithful service as the Vice Director of the League’s Rocky Mountain Division, he’s been elected as one of the youngest Division Directors in ARRL history. Here’s the full story from the ARRL Website
The Duke City Hamfest Board needs volunteers to help with next year’s event. They need board members and others to assist in putting on this event. Most of the current volunteers have been working on this event for a number of years and are retiring. If there are no volunteers it could mean the end of the Duke City Hamfest. Nobody wants that to happen. If you’ve been looking for a way to give back something to the hobby, this is your chance. Contact Mike Pendley, K5ATM, at k5atm@arrl.net to learn how you can become a volunteer and continue a great annual event. Continue Reading “ARRL Section News, September, 2007″ »
The Duke City Hamfest/Rocky Mountain Division Convention went off well.
Attendance was up a bit and everybody seemed to have a good time. Scott Westerman, W9WSW, was the banquet speaker and told about his experience in ham radio as a youngster. Many of us could relate to his experiences. The Duke City Hamfest Board is looking for volunteers to help with next year’s event. They need board members and others to assist in putting on this event. If you’ve been looking for a way to give back something to the hobby, this is your chance. Contact Mike Pendley, K5ATM, at k5atm@arrl.net for information on how to become a member of this event. Continue Reading “September ARRL New Mexico Section News” »
The League has announced the upcoming election for a New Mexico Section Manger. For personal reasons, I do not intend to stand for re-election. The details on the nomination and election process can be found on page 78 of the August, 2007, edition of QST. I have enjoyed my tenure as your Section Manager and I thank you for your support during the past four years. Continue Reading “August ARRL NM Section News” »
