Ham Holiday photos

Here are just some of the memories from Ham Holiday in Oklahoma City this year.

Just a few of those attending the ARRL forum at Ham Holiday

Kevin O'Dell, N0IRW, foreground attended Ham Holiday with former West Gulf Director Coy Day, N5OK, and current  West Gulf Vice-Director John Robert Stratton, N5AUS

KE5TGZ holds up your sign at Ham Holiday.

K5FRI was one of the Happy Sellers on the trading floor at Ham Holiday.

Do you know how to send a radiogram?  KE5LTA will help you.

The QCWA group learned about the document that established  Chapter 63.    AB5FS, W5UGM, K5MRK, N5MJ, W5AI, and KA5CNT were there.

More from the Trading Floor at Ham Holiday.

More Ham Holiday Memories

The event would not be what it was without support staff to help with the drawing.

N0IRW gets some moral support from N5OK.

I'll give you $9.95 but you have to do the assembly!

This was the second trading floor at Ham Holiday.

N7XYO signals a TOUCHDOWN!

Another shot of those attending the ARRL Forum at Ham Holiday.

N5AUS discusses League progress and goals with those attending Ham Holiday.

Thanks to Eddie Manley, K5EMS, for these photos.

FEMA Encourages Americans to Participate in National Preparedness Month

WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council, today announced the launch of new web tools that will make it easier for individuals and organizations throughout the nation to join the 2011 National Preparedness Month (NPM) coalition and pledge their support to help prepare their families, businesses and communities for emergencies of all kinds.

The eighth annual NPM will kickoff this September, using the slogan: "A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare." The campaign seeks to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.  

"As we move forward with planning for this year's events and activities, we also recognize that this September marks the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "By doing what we can to ensure that our communities, and our nation, are prepared to respond and recover from all types of disasters and hazards, we honor the memory of those who were lost that day."

Individuals and groups can now register to become NPM coalition members by visiting http://community.fema.gov. Once registered, members have access to a toolkit that includes suggestions for activities and events, templates, articles, banners and customizable materials. Coalition members also have access to an events calendar allowing them to post and promote preparedness events, share success stories, and participate in national and regional discussion forums to engage with fellow coalition members and FEMA representatives.

By hosting events, promoting volunteer programs and sharing emergency preparedness information, coalition members can help ensure that their communities are prepared for emergencies. Becoming a coalition member is easy and free, so register now to get started. Nearly 2,000 coalition members have already joined this year's campaign.

While NPM is held each September, FEMA's Ready Campaign promotes individual emergency preparedness at home, in the workplace, and throughout America's communities throughout the year. Ready is a national campaign, produced in partnership with The Ad Council, designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.

The Ready Campaign's websites (ready.gov and listo.gov) and toll-free numbers (1-800-BE-READY and 1-888-SE-LISTO) provide free emergency preparedness information and resources available in English and Spanish. Additionally, through FEMA's partnership with the Ad Council, public service announcements are available to increase the American public's involvement in preparedness.

###

Online Resources

Do you know about these #Oklahoma resources for amateur radio operators? 

You found this blog so there's no need to mention it.

Are you aware of:

• ARRL-OK mail reflector?
• OK-Traders mail reflector to list items for sale or trade?
• Oklahoma ARES mail reflector to learn of activations and other information related to the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in Oklahoma.
• The Oklahoma ARES web page 
• Twitter and Facebook pages
• The ARRL Daily "paper" 

These are just a few of the ways Oklahoma hams are staying connected and information to the public about what amateur radio in Oklahoma is doing.

KAITLYN COLE, KS3P, NAMED 2011 AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE™ "YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR"

(Santa Clarita, California) -- At age 11, Kaitlyn Cole, KS3P, of Harvest, Alabama, becomes the youngest person* ever to receive the Amateur Radio Newsline™ "Young Ham of the Year Award."  But her lack of chronologic age is more than made up for by her selfless dedication to her community and the youth of Alabama through her chosen hobby/service of amateur radio.

On April 27, 2011, the Huntsville, Alabama area, including the small community of Harvest, was hit by a series of destructive tornadoes.  The severe weather took a heavy toll in lives lost and property damaged. Electrical service was out for over a week. Kaitlyn and her father immediately volunteered to help with amateur radio relief activities. Kaitlyn began by logging contacts and running errands, but in short order took on the role of Net Control Station, working for many days from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  With cellular and wireline telephone coverage being spotty to non-existent, Kaitlyn's duties as Net Control involved dispatching amateur radio operators with chainsaws (and other rubble clearance machinery) and debris pickup teams.  For her efforts, Kaitlyn received many compliments from veteran operators on the professionalism that she displayed during this crisis situation.

Kaitlyn is also Assistant Section Manager for Youth Activities in the ARRL Alabama section.  In this role, she visits many hamfests where she speaks to other young hams. Kaitlyn has also volunteered her services the past three years at the ARRL Expo Youth Lounge at the Dayton Hamvention© and ran a special event operation to honor the local Volunteer Fire Department in her hometown.

A straight-A student entering sixth grade this fall, the 11-year old also enjoys home-brewing and construction, and has posted on YouTube a video of herself building a QRP transceiver (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SK55sbxOj4 and related videos). Kaitlyn hopes her videos will encourage others to pick up a soldering iron and enjoy one of the finest traditions of ham radio.

The daughter of Stanley (NX3P) and Amy Cole, Kaitlyn joined the amateur radio fraternity at the tender age of 8.  She passed her Technician exam in September 2009, her General in October 2009, and her Extra Class on January 3, 2011.  Since then, Kaitlyn has participated in many amateur radio activities, with a special emphasis on the public service and youth activity aspects of the hobby.

Award Ceremony

The 2011 Amateur Radio Newsline™ "Young Ham of the Year Award" will be presented on Saturday, August 20^th at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama.  As the 2011 "Young Ham of the Year," Kaitlyn will receive -- courtesy of Vertex-Standard -- an expense-paid trip to the Huntsville Hamfest, along with a gift of Yaesu brand ham radio equipment.  CQ magazine will treat her to an expense-paid week at Spacecamp Huntsville, and will present Kaitlyn with a variety of CQ products.  Amateur Radio Newsline™ will provide Kaitlyn with a commemorative plaque at the award ceremony.  Once again, the cost of year's plaque has been underwritten by Dave Bell (W6AQ), President of DBA Entertainment Inc., Hollywood, California.  Heil Sound Ltd. will also be presenting Kaitlyn with a ham radio related gift.

The presentation of the award as a regular feature of the Huntsville Hamfest has been made possible through the generosity and kindness of the event's Planning Committee and the good offices of Huntsville Hamfest Association Vice President Charlie Emerson, N4OKL. (See http://www.hamfest.org)

This year's award ceremony will be hosted by Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, of Amateur Radio Newsline™, Rich Moseson, W2VU, and Chip Margelli, K7JA, of CQ Communications, along with representatives of corporate underwriters Vertex-Standard and Heil Sound.

Award Program Background

The Amateur Radio Newsline™ "Young Ham of the Year" award (formerly the Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year Award ) has been presented annually for the past 26 years to a licensed radio amateur (ham) who is 18 years of age or younger and who has provided outstanding service to the nation, his/her community or the betterment of the state of the art in communications through the amateur radio hobby/service.  A website with full information on the award program and background material is located at http://www.arnewsline.org.

Award Sponsors

The award program is sponsored by the Los Angeles, California-based Amateur Radio Newsline™ with corporate support from Vertex-Standard Corporation of Cypress, California, CQ Magazine of Hicksville, New York, and Heil Sound of Fairview Heights, Illinois. 

Since 1976, the Southern California-based Amateur Radio Newsline™ and its predecessor, the Westlink Radio Network, have been providing radio amateurs around the world with up-to-the-minute news at no cost to them.  Amateur Radio Newsline™ also co-sponsors with the Quarter Century Wireless Association the "Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Project" that serves as a clearinghouse to match radio amateurs in need of educational assistance on the hobby with those able to aid them. (See http://www.arnewsline.org)

The award's three major corporate underwriters are world leaders in their respective areas of Amateur Radio product support. 

Vertex-Standard Corporation, which has been a corporate underwriter since the inception of the award program in 1986, is considered the trailblazer in the design, manufacture and distribution of high quality Vertex-Standard commercial two-way radio, monitoring and air-band communications equipment along with its Standard Horizon marine electronics line and Yaesu brand amateur radio equipment. The Yaesu name is known world-wide among ham radio aficionados and is synonymous with premium quality ham radio gear.  (See http://www.vertexstandard.com)

CQ magazine and its sister publications, CQ VHF, Popular Communications and WorldRadio Online, are published by CQ Communications, Inc., and are considered the trend-setting publications serving today's modern radio amateur.  (See http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com)

Heil Sound Ltd. Is considered as a world leader in the development and manufacture of new technology microphones and related audio products for professional sound reinforcement and Amateur Radio communications.  (See http://www.heilsound.com)

Past Recipients

Past recipients of the "ARNewsline Young Ham of the Year Award" include Shawn Alan Wakefield, WK5P, of Bartlesville, OK (1986); David Rosenman, KA9PMK, of Muncie, IN (1987); Jonathan Binstock, NK3D, of Potomac, MD (1988); Erin McGinnis, KAOWTE, of Topeka, KS (1989); Mary Alestra, KB2IGG, of Staten Island, NY (1990); Richard S. "Sammy" Garrett, AAOCR, of St. Louis, MO (1991); Angela (Angie) Fischer, KBOHXY, also of St. Louis (1992); Kevin Boudreaux, N5XMH, of New Orleans, LA (1993); Allison Daneen Zettwoch, KD4CKP, of Louisville KY (1994); Adam Weyhaupt, N9MEZ, of Alton IL (1995); Toby Metz, KB7UIM, of Boise ID (1996); Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, of Albuquerque NM (1997); Richard Paczkowski, Jr., KF4BIA, of Edgewater, FL (1998); Michelle Swann, KE4EZI, of Warner-Robins, GA (1999); Christopher Arthur, KT4XA, of Russelville, AL (2000); Patrick Clark, KC8BFD, of Elkwood, WV (2001); Josh Abramowicz, KB3GWY, of Reading, PA (2002); Jay Thompson, W6JAY, of Santa Ana, CA (2003); Andrea Hartlage, KB4IUM, of Grayson, GA (2004), Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, of Hoover, AL (2005), Catherine Ferry, NC8F, of Streetville, OH. (2006), Grant Morine, W4GHM, of Wilmington, NC (2007), Emily Stewart, KC0PTL, of Leavenworth, KS. (2008), Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB of Houston, TX. (2009), Cody Anderson, KI4FUV, from Harriman, TN (2010).

(* Note:  The previous youngest recipient of the award was Mary Alestra, KB2IGG, in 1990 at age 12.)

Oklahoma ham makes ISS Contact

I've posted details of my tape rule antenna construction and successful APRS contact with a flyover of the International Space Station.

I used our Logan County Scouting "club" callsign of WB5BSA and posted the url of www.troop850.com up there.  Somewhere there a just a few bytes of us on the ISS.

Hopefully my link works below.  Google + is still new but offers better blog-like posts than what I could do with FaceBook.

https://plus.google.com/109750271065200642806/posts

Let me know if you have trouble viewing.  If so, here's the YouTube video of the experience with tips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdS3EqRooN8

A surprise contact was made during the encounter.  Clayton Coleman W5PFG was on an OA campout near Palestine TX and sent us a message after recognizing our callsign.

He was using a small radio and an arrow antenna along with a PC and typed a message which got back down to me.  I didn't realize it until after the flyover was over.  The text is on the video. We contacted each other by email and will be sending QSL cards.

73

--

Doug 

Thanks to Doug Cook, KD5PDN and Oscar Staudt, WB5GCX for details about this event.

 

HF Interoperability Event: 5~15 August

All ham operators are invited to participate in
10 days of HF Automatic Link Establishment
activity on the air. The purpose of this event
is to encourage ALE communication techniques
among amateur radio operators worldwide.

START: 0001 UTC Friday 05 August 2011
END:   2359 UTC Monday 15 August 2011
The HF Interoperability Event is an on-the-air
international exercise sponsored by HFLINK, towards
readiness for HF Emergency/Disaster Relief and
Networking communications for the amateur radio service.

HF Interoperability utilizes the High Frequency
global standard Automatic Link Establishment system
used by governmental agencies and non-governmental
organizations for HF communications around the world.
ALE provides direct HF Selective Calling and Net Calling
for SSB (Single SideBand) voice and/or data modes.
The radio operator can call another ham callsign
directly; the ALE will "ring" the radio just like a
telephone. Nets of hams can be called up in the same way.
Pre-arranged schedules or internet connections are not needed.
This open event is for ham operators to check out
their ALE communications equipment, get real-world
experience initiating and responding to ALE calls,
link up with fellow ALE operators for for text or
voice QSO contacts on HF, and share helpful information
about setting up ALE compatible radio stations.

Thousands of amateur radio operators worldwide now
have ALE-capable stations, and many have been active
in previous years' events. If you have never used ALE
before, this is a perfect way to start. If you are
an experienced ALE operator, this is a good opportunity
to help a friend get on the air with ALE.

MORE INFORMATION:
http://hflink.com/aotaw/
TO PARTICIPATE:
Use an ALE HF transceiver.
-or-
Use your Ham HF SSB rig + computer + PCALE.
Free ALE software here: http://hflink.com
Join ALE operators on the air, and in the Global
ALE High Frequency Network ALE COMM CENTRE
Register your callsign and grid, to appear on the map.
Or enter as "Guest" for instant chat.
http://hflink.net
Chat room, and Real Time up-to-the-minute activity
log and maps of all the ALE signals around the world,
as they happen during the event.
HF Interoperability Event 2011
ALE On The Air Week: 5 to 15 August

Do you have an interesting ham radio story to tell?

Cindy Downes K5CED is a freelance writer looking for ham radio operators who are members of Electric Cooperatives of Oklahoma and who have an interested story to tell related to ham radio.

How do you use ham radio? Have you been involved in disaster relief? Have you used your ham radio in any event that was newsworthy? Have you done anything cutting edge with your radio? Unique? Saved money? Provided jobs? Helped the economy? Preserved the environment? Educated children? Anything else related to ham radio that you think might interest readers?  

If so, please send an email to Cindy. In your email, please provide your name, phone number, name of the Oklahoma electric cooperative in which you are a member, and a little bit about your adventures in ham radio.

If selected, Cindy will set up an interview and photo shoot with you, write the article and submit it to Oklahoma Living Magazine for possible publication. 


Note: If you're not a member of the electric co-op and have an interesting story related to ham radio, email Cindy anyway. She'll pitch it to another magazine. 

NEWS from ARES-Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA – ARES-Oklahoma senior leaders from five of the six
zones (regions) gathered to meet and plan with the Mark Conklin, N7XYO Oklahoma
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) and Kevin O’Dell, N0IRW ARRL Oklahoma
Section Manager (SM). The meeting was held Saturday, July 16, 2011, in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma.


This was an all-day planning meeting covering a wide range of topics including revisions
to the ARES-OK State Emergency Communication Plan. One key concept change
regarding the state plan is, instead of a separate county, district, zone, and section level
plans, the state (section) plan will cover most of the policies and practices of ARES-OK
and a resource appendix for the county, district and zones will be attached to the state
plan. The resource appendix will include contact information for local leaders, local
nets and frequencies, local served agency contacts, and other local resources. Resource
appendixes will be updated and maintained on line via the www.ARESOK.org website,
and can easily be printed off and added to a member’s copy of the plan.


“This was a great opportunity for ARES-OK leadership to discuss and share thoughts and
ideas”, said Mark Conklin, N7XYO Oklahoma SEC. “This was the first time some of our
leaders were able to meet each other face to face, plus some discussions just seem to flow
better in person as apposed to e-mail, phone or radio.”


Also discussed: monthly reporting and the importance of every EC, DEC, and ZEC
reporting to the SEC. The IT manager for ARES-OK Roland Stolfa KC5UNL has worked
very hard to make it easy for leaders to report on-line using www.ARESOK.org. ECs
are required to submit there monthly reports on or before the first day of every month.
Each month the DEC report is due on the third, the ZEC on the fifth and the SEC then
compiles and submits his report to the SM and ARRL HQ by the tenth of each month.
The valuable information gathered from monthly reports is data used to demonstrate to
regulators the service and value Amateur Radio provides to the public. Report results
are also useful information for such projects as grants and discussions with legislative
leaders.


Kevin O’Dell, K0IRW ARRL Oklahoma SM noted, “It was great to see our ARES
leadership working together as a team and planning to grow the ARES program within
Oklahoma.”


Other topics of note were the need to develop a plan for digital message handling within
Oklahoma that is compatible with the efforts in other sections of the West Gulf Division,
a review of the ARES-OK Structure (Chain of Command), ARES image, the new ARES
deployment vest, creating ARES Mutual Assistance Team (ARESMAT), cultivating
partnerships with served agencies - refreshing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs),
volunteer development and training.


ARES-Oklahoma plans to conduct a senior leadership meeting at least twice a year, and
each of the six zones are planning for a meeting together once a quarter.

ARES-OK Senior Leadership at Oklahoma City for planning meeting.

Back row left to right: Duane Henderson KC5NID ASM Zone1, Kevin O’Dell K0IRW SM, Mark Conklin N7XYO SEC, Charles Goodson KC5UEG ASEC, Floyd Grant NV5N ZEC4, Kenny Orr KC5ZDQ ZEC3.

Front row left to right: Larry Goodwin K5LHG Zone1, Stephen Grayson KE5BPL ZEC2, Roland Stolfa KC5UNL ASEC-IT Manager, Ben Joplin WB5VST ZEC5.

N7XYO explains OES

What is an OES (Official Emergency Station)... and how does is fit with ARES-OK?
 
With in the ARES-OK state EmComm plan (under revision and should be released sometime this fall) OES will be appointed at the District and the County level. 
Other applications for this role will be developed as ARES-OK grows and develops. 
 
The primary responsibilities and focus of the OES will be as a liaison* between local ARES-OK nets and NTS nets.    
 
The updated OES role description from the ARRL is listed below: 
 
Mark Conklin, N7XYO
Oklahoma Section Emergency Coordinator
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
918.232.8346
n7xyo@arrl.net
Follow me on Twitter @N7XYO

www.ARESOK.org
 
*****************************************************
 
Official Emergency Station
Amateur operators may be appointed as an Official Emergency Station (OES) by their Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) or Section Manager (SM) at the recommendation of theEC, or DEC (if no EC) holding jurisdiction. The OES appointee must be an ARRL member and set high standards of emergency preparedness and operating. The OES appointee makes a deeper commitment to the ARES program in terms of functionality than does the rank-and-file ARES registrant.

The requirements and qualifications for the position include the following: Full ARRL membership; experience as an ARES registrant; regular participation in the local ARES organization including drills and tests; participation in emergency nets and actual emergency situations; regular reporting of activities.

The OES appointee is appointed to carry out specific functions and assignments designated by the appropriate EC or DEC. The OES appointee and the presiding EC or DEC, at the time of the OES appointment, will mutually develop a detailed, operational function/assignment and commitment for the new appointee. Together, they will develop a responsibility plan for the individual OES appointee that makes the best use of the individual's skills and abilities. During drills and actual emergency situations, the OES appointee will be expected to implement his/her function with professionalism and minimal supervision.

Functions assigned may include, but are not limited to, the following four major areas of responsibility:

OPERATIONS--Responsible for specific, pre-determined operational assignments during drills or actual emergency situations. Examples include: Net Control Station or Net Liaison for a specific ARES net; Manage operation of a specified ARES VHF or HF digital BBS or MBO, or point-to-point link; Operate station at a specified emergency management office, Red Cross shelter or other served agency operations point.

ADMINISTRATION--Responsible for specific, pre-determined administrative tasks as assigned in the initial appointment commitment by the presiding ARES official. Examples include: Recruitment of ARES members; liaison with Public Information Officer to coordinate public information for the media; ARES registration data base management; victim/refugee data base management; equipment inventory; training; reporting; and post-event analysis.

*LIAISON--Responsible for specific, pre-determined liaison responsibilities as assigned by the presiding EC or DEC. Examples include: Maintaining contact with assigned served agencies; Maintaining liaison with specified NTS nets; Maintaining liaison with ARES officials in adjacent jurisdictions; Liaison with mutual assistance or "jump" teams.

LOGISTICS--Responsible for specific, pre-determined logistical functions as assigned. Examples include: Transportation; Supplies management and procurement (food, fuel, water, etc.); Equipment maintenance and procurement--radios, computers, generators, batteries, antennas.

MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT --Responsible for serving as an assistant manager to the EC, DEC or SEC based on specific functional assignments or geographic areas of jurisdiction.

CONSULTING--Responsible for consulting to ARES officials in specific area of expertise.
OES appointees may be assigned to pre-disaster, post-disaster, and recovery functions. These functions must be specified in the OES's appointment commitment plan.
The OES appointee is expected to participate in planning meetings, and post-event evaluations. Following each drill or actual event, the EC/DEC and the OES appointee should review and update the OES assignment as required. The OES appointee must keep a detailed log of events during drills and actual events in his/her sphere of responsibility to facilitate this review.

Continuation of the appointment is at the discretion of the appointing official, based upon the OES appointee's fulfillment of the tasks he/she has agreed to perform.
Official Emergency Stations are encouraged to earn certification in Level 1of the ARRL Emergency Communications Course.

Recruitment of new hams and ARRL members is an integral part of the job of every ARRL appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public

Altus Public Library gets books

Altus Area Amateur Radio Association members Ron Roman, KD5CYW (left)
and James Molledahl, AB5FS (right) met with Donna Smith with Altus
Public Library recently to donate two General Class Amateur Radio
study guides. The guides are available to the general population to
use as part of their preparation for an amateur radio license. (KD5CYW
photo)

AMATEUR RADIO ESTATE SALE (DURANT OK)

ESTATE SALE: KENWOOD 440S HF TRANSCEIVER W/ TUNER INC MICROPHONE BUT NO P.S. - ASTRON 35M 12V POWER SUPPLY - MCP 104R 6 AMP 12V P.S. - ALENCO D175 2 METER HANDHELD - KENWOOD K2A 2 METER HANDHELD - 2 METER HUSTLER MOBILE ANTENNA W/ MAG BASE. ITEMS WILL BE SOLD. CONTACT BILL STANFORD NR5X (REPEATER TRUSTEE) 580-924-0448 OR JOE WHITE K5BQG (DURANT REPEATER PRESIDENT) 580-924-3348. POSTED BY K5BNK
http://texoma.craigslist.org/ele/2491218602.html

License Exam Session in Tulsa

Tulsa Repeater Organization (TRO) is sponsoring an amateur radio license exam session at 6:45 pm, on July 21, 2011, at American Red Cross Tulsa Chapter, 10151 E. 11^th ST, Tulsa, OK. Check with Security for room number. Walk-ins allowed. 

Contact Merlin E. Griffin, 918.520.7668 or wb5osm@hotmail.com for questions or more information.

Pink HAMsters Dinner Fellowship

Pink HAMsters is having its first, monthly, dinner fellowship at 6:00 pm on Thursday, July 28th, at Panera Bread, 81st and Aspen in Broken Arrow, OK. For more information, see the Pink HAMsters Blog.

Pink HAMsters, founded by Cindy Downes K5CED, is ham radio from a feminine perspective. The members get together on ham radio, online and in person. All are welcome.

West Gulf Division Newsletter JULY EXTRA

     K5RAV and N5AUS to operate W1AW
     W5NPR Appointed Interim WTX SM
     John Dyer, AE5B, WG Assistant Director
     Planned ARRL Events
     Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions

News from David Woolweaver, K5RAV your West Gulf Division Director

---K5RAV and N5AUS to Operate W1AW

Amateur Radio should be fun and what could be more fun than operating
the world class HF station at W1AW? Nothing! Every ARRL member is
entitled to be a guest operator at W1AW and, in January 2011, Director
Woolweaver and Vice Director Stratton exercised that privilege.
Taking personal days before the ARRL January Board meeting, the WGD
Leadership team called "CQ West Gulf Division" on 14240 KHz during
brief guest operating periods on January 18th and 19th. A record 210
contacts were made providing many amateurs with their first W1AW QSO.
The station used was composed of a Yaseu FTDX9000, Acom amplifier and a
wide spaced 20 meter beam at 120 feet.

Due to the overwhelming demand for more activity from HQ and by a
special arrangement with ARRL staff, K5RAV and N5AUS are scheduled to
operate W1AW on Sunday July 17th.  The operating times will be 9:00 AM
to 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.  Look for W1AW again calling "CQ
West Gulf Division" on 14240 KHz more or less.  In January, operation
was permitted only on Monday and Tuesday.  We hope that the Sunday
operating hours will allow more amateurs to make contact with W1AW.
Real time updates on operating frequencies and other matters will be
posted to Twitter and Facebook.  See below for contact information.

Twitter:
Receive up to date status messages sent to your phone without a Twitter
account by sending the text: "follow K5RAV" to 40404
If you have a Twitter account you can follow us by clicking on this
link:
http://twitter.com/k5rav or @K5RAV

Facebook:
You can follow us on Facebook by going to the link below and clicking
on "Like".
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ARRL-West-Gulf-Division/169907193031547
W1AW, also known as the Maxim Memorial Station, was dedicated on
September 2, 1938 and contains articles of historical value to Amateur
Radio.

Much of today's ARRL Headquarters as well as the City of Newington grew
up surrounding the W1AW facilities. To learn more about W1AW, its rich
history and current transmitting abilities, visit
http://www.arrl.org/inside-w1aw.

---  W5NPR Appointed Interim WTX SM

It is official!  Bill Roberts, W5NPR, of Alpine, TX takes the reins of
the WTX Section from retiring SM John Dyer, AE5B.  Bill Roberts
presently serves the ARRL as the West Texas Section Traffic Manager and
is alternate net control for the Big Bend Emergency Net and the West
Texas Section Net.  Bill has agreed to act as Interim WTX SM and will
run for a full term at the next election in the fall.  Congratulations
Bill!

---  John Dyer, AE5B, West Gulf Division Assistant Director

John Dyer, AE5B, and Carla Dyer, K5RLA, have been in charge of the West
Gulf Division's booth operations at ham fests and conventions for
several years.   Under their supervision, the booth has taken on a
professional appearance and has set records in recruitment.  John
retired as WTX SM in June following several years of dedicated service
to the ARRL  Since no good deed goes unpunished, Director Woolweaver
appointed John as Assistant Director for Membership in July.  "John
has been doing the job for several years.  He just did not have the
title and now he does!" reported Director Woolweaver.

---Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS

Director Woolweaver, K5RAV and Vice Director Stratton, N5AUS are
planning to attend the following upcoming events:
K5RAV and N5AUS - 2011 Second Meeting (ARRL) Board of Directors
Meeting, Windsor, CT, July 15-16th.
N5AUS - Ham Holiday 2011, OK Section Convention, sponsored by the
Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs, Oklahoma City, OK, July 29-30th.
K5RAV and N5AUS - Austin Summerfest, Texas State Convention, sponsored
by the Austin ARC and Texas VHF-FM Society, August 5-6th.
K5RAV and N5AUS - Texoma Hamarama, West Gulf Division Convention,
sponsored by the Texoma Hamarama Committee, Ardmore, OK, Oct 21-22nd.
ARRL Convention and Hamfest events are a great place to visit with the
Division and Section Leadership!   Each event will also include an ARRL
forum where you can receive additional insight into Division and Section
matters.
At anytime that you have a concern or just want to say hello, contact
Director Woolweaver at K5RAV@arrl.org.

---Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions
07/09/2011 | TARS Hamfest
Location: Texas City, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Tidelands Amateur Radio Society
Website: http://www.tidelands.org
07/29/2011 | Central States VHF Conference
Location: Irving, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Central States VHF Society
Website: http://www.csvhfs.org/
07/29/2011 | Oklahoma State Convention (Ham Holiday 2011)
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs
Website: http://www.hamholiday.org
08/05/2011 | Texas State Convention (Austin Summerfest)
Location: Austin, TX
Type:  ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Austin ARC and Texas VHF-FM Society
Website:  http://www.austinsummerfest.org
08/27/2011 | Gainesville Hamfest 2011
Location:  Gainesville, TX
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor:  Cooke County Amateur Radio Club
Website:  http://www.gainesvillehamfest.org
10/01/2011 | HamEXPO 2011
Location:  Belton, TX
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor:  Temple Amateur Radio Club
Website:  http://www.beltonhamexpo.org
10/21/2011 | West Gulf Division Convention (Texoma Hamarama)
Location:  Ardmore, OK
Type:  ARRL Convention
Sponsor:  Texoma Hamarama Committee
Website:  http://www.texomahamarama.org
11/05/2011 | Enid Hamfest
Location:  Enid, OK
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor:  Enid Amateur Radio Club
Website:  http://www.enidarc.org/enidhamfest
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL West Gulf Division
Director: David A Woolweaver, K5RAV
k5rav@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ham Cram

Are you looking for a fast track to get your Technician's license? There will be a Ham Cram conducted in Elk City, OK, at 8:30 a.m. on July 9, at the Elks Lodge, 108 Blue Ridge Rd. A test session will follow.

The cost is $30. for books and materials. Contact Gary Woodrow, KB5BSA,  580- 210- 9271 for info.

If you can't attend that session, here's a link to a powerpoint one-day HAM CRAM. You'll have to set up your own appointment for testing.

73
Cindy Downes, KF5JFM, Oklahoma Public Information Officer

West Gulf Diviision JULY NEWSLETTER

   National Hurricane Webinar July 7th
   ARRL National HamCom 2011 Great Success
   Field Day Accidents
   Tragedy in NTX
   Ham Radio in the Park
   Summer ARRL Board Meeting
   Walt Mayfield, KE5SOO new Assistant Director
   K5RAV and N5AUS to operate W1AW
   Planned ARRL Events
   Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions

News from David Woolweaver, K5RAV your West Gulf Division Director

---National Hurricane Webinar July 7th
A few months ago, Director Woolweaver held a Hurricane Preparedness
Webinar for SM's, SEC's and other ARES officials in the West Gulf
Division.  Mike Corey, W5MPC, ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response
Manager joined the webinar to add the national perspective.  That
webinar was so successful that Director Woolweaver invited the Delta
Division, Southeastern Division and Atlantic Division Directors to
join
him in organizing a webinar at the national level.  Greg Sarratt
W4OZK,
Southeastern Division Director, invited the National Hurricane Center
staff to present at the webinar and Mike Corey, ARRL HQ, agreed to
return as well.  The notice of this webinar is listed below.
The ARRL will host a webinar from 8-9:30 PM (EDT) on July 7 to present
information about the 2011 hurricane season and the Amateur Radio
response.   This webinar was organized by ARRL Directors N3LLR, K5MC,
W4OZK and K5RAV. The program will offer presentations from
representatives from the National Hurricane Center and WX4NHC, the
VoIP
Hurricane Net, the Hurricane Watch Net and the ARRL. Webinar
registration is open to all, but will be of particular interest to
those amateurs in hurricane-prone areas. If you are interested in
emergency communications and hurricane preparedness
and response, you are invited to attend this online presentation.
To register, please go to
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/249211478.

---ARRL National HamCom 2011 Great Success

Over two days in June, HamCom hosted the 2011 ARRL National Convention
were attendees and venders all enjoyed a successful event.  At the
ARRL
EXPO, attended by 70 ARRL staff and volunteers, members were able to
meet and greet with such notables as ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN,
Directors Dick Isely W9GIG (Central), Greg Widin K0GW (Dakota), Joyce
Birmingham KA2ANF (Hudson), Cliff Ahrens K0CA (Midwest), Jim
Fenstermaker K9JF (Northwestern), Bob Vallio W6RGG (Pacific), Brian
Mileshosky N5ZGT (Rocky Mountain) and Greg Sarratt W4OZK
(Southeastern).   Joining them were Board Officers First Vice
President
Rick Roderick K5UR, Vice President Bruce Frahm K0BJ and, International
Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB as well as many Senior
Officers of the ARRL.
HamCom hosted a record 150 Boy Scouts in their "Radio Merit Badge in
a Day" program, 46 commercial vendors and, 64 forums, notably
including a 250+ person, standing room only crowd for Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, retired FCC Special Counsel for the Spectrum
Enforcement Division, Laura Smith, current FCC Special Counsel, and of
course the National Weather Service SKYWARN classes.  Additionally, to
compliment the recent overwhelming success of the WGD webinars on
Antenna Restrictions (April 27) and Antenna CCRs (June 1), ARRL Chief
Counsel Chris Imlay W3KD, IAVP Bellows K0QB, Midwest Division Director
Ahrens K0CA, and ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson
N1ND
hosted a crowd pleasing forum on Antenna Restrictions.
A great deal of thanks goes to the Dallas Amateur Radio Club for
hosting the Wouff Hong ceremony on Friday night and, also, for joining
the Garland Amateur Radio Club and Dallas County REACT for co-hosting
the special event station of W1AW/5 during the convention.  We also
extend our appreciation to the Ham Association of Mesquite for a great
job of managing the convention Talk-In frequencies.
The ARRL thanks HamCom organizers Bill Nelson AB5QZ, Fred Varian
WD5ERD, Jim McClellan N5MIJ and their countless volunteers for a job
well done!

---Field Day Accidents

Unfortunately, Field Day in the West Gulf was marred by two separate
accidents injuring three amateurs.  Accidents can and do happen.  An
automobile accident in the Irving area injured one amateur and an
accident resulting for the removal of an antenna in the Wichita Falls
area injured two amateurs.  At last report, all of the amateurs
involved are at home and are recovering.

---Tragedy in NTX

Gordon Keahey, KD5TEX, was killed in a two car collision in Rockwall
county June 25, 2011.  Gordon was not only a dedicated amateur and
active in SKYWARN, he was an active member of the North Texas Patriot
Guard Riders who provide motorcycle escort for fallen soldiers. He
also
had served as a paramedic, Volunteer Firefighter and emergency medical
responder. Gordon leaves behind a son and a daughter and a large
extended family.  The loss of anyone is a tragedy and that is
especially true for amateur radio operators who provide such great
service to their communities.  Please be safe out there.

---Ham Radio in the Park

The Genesis of HAM Radio in the Park occurred in February 2008. I had
volunteered to become the Public Information Officer of the Ham
Association of Mesquite (HAM).  I had also been "voluntold" to be the
director of our Field Day efforts for 2009. I had acquired a set of
military surplus fiberglass poles and wanted to experiment with them
for supporting wire antennas. Not having enough real estate to
experiment with, I set out for one of the local parks. Along the way I
talked about what I was planning to do over the local repeater. Some
of the local HAMs picked up on that and decided to join me. Including
myself, I think about half a dozen folks showed up including Paul
Sullivan KD5TKO, Kathy Sullivan (not licensed at the time but now
KE5ZXN) and Bill Mageors KE5PUC (now KB5UFO). Paul and Kathy stopped
by
Subway on the way over and picked up some sandwiches. I seem to recall
that Kathy shared her sandwich with me.
Anyway, we set about figuring out how to use these poles to support a
wire antenna. We did raise a dipole and managed to make a few contacts
before the sun went down and it started to get kind of chilly.
Having been "voluntold" to head up the Field Day effort, it occurred
to
me that a monthly event such as this would be helpful at getting ready
for Field Day. So for March, we decided to set up a formal event by
renting the pavilion at Paschal Park, the most recent site of our
Field
Day efforts. But what do we call this event? Since were using a park
in
Mesquite, I turned to our own Parks and Recreation department for
inspiration.  Mesquite P&R holds a number of events throughout the
year
under the ... "In The Park" banner such as Movies In The Park,
Christmas In The Park, etc. So it seemed natural to call our event HAM
Radio in the Park. A little bit of trivia. HAM Radio in the Park (HAM
in all caps) refers specifically to the event in Mesquite while Ham
Radio in the Park (Ham in upper/lower case) refers to the event
generically. Sometimes it is simply shortened to Radio in the Park.
HRitP was successful at the original purpose of getting HAM ready for
Field Day. We had HRitP all the way up to June. We discussed
discontinuing the event after Field Day. Somewhere along the way,
HRitP
took on a life of its own. Although I can take credit for the original
idea, something like this doesn't happen in a vacuum. You have to have
the right elements. And we were blessed with that. We had a president
that was interested in growing the club and a club with a membership
stocked full of great people. A perfect storm as you will.
There are a number of aspects to HRitP that I think have made it so
popular and successful. First, it held outdoors and is intentionally
unstructured. Obviously this would not work in all parts of the
country. We normally use public park pavilions and shelters. These
structures are available for reservation for a nominal charge. I
should
mention at this point that although the first few HRitP events were
paid
for out of club funds, we now enjoy the support of the City of
Mesquite
by way of the City offering HAM complimentary use of the park
pavilions. This is through the support of our Mayor Mr. John Monaco.
Mr. Monaco has a background that includes emergency preparedness. So
he
appreciates just how important a healthy and thriving Amateur Radio
community can be.
The pavilions are covered and include tables, water, bathrooms and
electricity. Sometimes we use shelters that do not have power, so we
bring our own portable generator. They are usually close to other park
facilities such as playgrounds and walking paths. So it is possible to
turn it into a family outing. The entire family can come out and make
it a picnic.
There are normally a number of different activities going on
simultaneously. Constructing and deploying HF wire antennas is a very
popular activity. New Amateurs can come and get help, prospective
amateurs can stop by to meet the local HAMs, ask questions and get
answers. There are several Amateurs in our club now that are HRitP
success stories. That is, they stopped by to find out what this was
all
about and are now active members of the club. We normally deploy signs
that bring visitors in as well.
I will leave you with this. Underlying all of this is my desire to
make
our community better. There is a specific problem that I am trying to
address. That problem is the decline of young people pursuing
technical
careers such as science, mathematics and engineering. If we do not
reverse that decline, our country is headed for trouble. I am
convinced
that if we can get our youth involved in Amateur Radio at a young
enough
age, we can expose them to a much larger world and send them along a
lifelong path of exploration, discovery and learning.
(submitted by Andy Carstarphen, WY5V)

---ARRL Summer Board Meeting

The ARRL Board of Directors will hold its 2011 Second Meeting July
15-16 in Windsor, Connecticut. Directors, Vice Directors and ARRL
Board
Officers will be in attendance.  The meeting will be preceded on
Thursday, July 14 with meetings of the Administration and Finance
Committee and the Programs and Services Committee. The Administration
and Finance Committee is chaired by Midwest Division Director Cliff
Ahrens, K0CA. This committee studies, advises and makes
recommendations
for all administration and financial matters of the League, including
recommending the annual budget to the Board, making recommendations in
regard to staff management and monitoring investment of ARRL funds.
The
Programs and Services Committee, headed by Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR,
of the Atlantic Division, studies, advises and makes recommendations
for all programs and services the League provides, including operating
activities and the Field Organization.
---Walt Mayfield, KE5SOO new Assistant Director
In May 2009, Director Woolweaver announced a new class of Assistant
Directors, noting in part that "Amateur Radio is so vast and complex
that it is impossible for one or even two people to keep current with
all facets of the service.  I want to represent all interests to the
best of my abilities; consequently, I have created a new class of
Assistant Director called the Special Service Assistant Director.
Each
of these new Special Service Assistant Directors has been chosen to
represent a specific area of amateur radio and each has been asked to
provide information and updates to the Director and Vice Director."
It gives me great satisfaction to announce the appointment of Walt
Mayfield, KE5SOO, as the new Assistant Director for Club Activities.
Walt currently serves as President of the Denton County Amateur Radio
Association and as the NTX Section Emergency Coordinator.
Although Walt is already very busy, he has agreed to take on the
responsibility of assisting the Division in establishing better
communication with clubs in Oklahoma and Texas.  Clubs are the bedrock
of amateur radio and I want the Division to do what it can to support
all of their activities.
---K5RAV and N5AUS to Operate W1AW
Amateur Radio should be fun and what could be more fun than operating
the world class HF station at W1AW? Nothing! Every ARRL member is
entitled to be a guest operator at W1AW and, in January 2011, Director
Woolweaver and Vice Director Stratton exercised that privilege.
Taking personal days before the ARRL January Board meeting, the WGD
Leadership team called "CQ West Gulf Division" on 14.240 Mhz during
brief guest operating periods on January 18th and 19th. A record 210
contacts were made providing many amateurs with their first W1AW QSO.
The station used was composed of a Yaseu FTDX9000, Acom amplifier and
a
wide spaced 20 meter beam at 120 feet.
Due to the overwhelming demand for more activity from HQ and by a
special arrangement with ARRL staff, N5AUS and K5RAV are scheduled to
operate W1AW on Sunday July 17th.  The operating times will be 9:00 AM
to 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM CDT.  Look for W1AW again calling
"CQ West Gulf Division" on 14240 MHz more or less.  In January,
operation was permitted only on Monday and Tuesday.  We hope that the
Sunday operating hours will allow more amateurs to make contact with
W1AW.
Real time updates on operating frequencies and other matters will be
posted to Twitter and Facebook.  See below for contact information.
Twitter:
Receive up to date status messages sent to your phone without a
Twitter
account by sending the text: "follow K5RAV" to 40404
If you have a Twitter account you can follow us by clicking on this
link:
http://twitter.com/k5rav or @K5RAV
Facebook:
You can follow us on Facebook by going to the link below and clicking
on "Like".
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ARRL-West-Gulf-Division/169907193031547
W1AW, also known as the Maxim Memorial Station, was dedicated on
September 2, 1938 and contains articles of historical value to Amateur
Radio.
Much of today's ARRL Headquarters as well as the City of Newington
grew
up surrounding the W1AW facilities. To learn more about W1AW, its rich
history and current transmitting abilities, visit
http://www.arrl.org/inside-w1aw.

---Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS

Director Woolweaver, K5RAV and Vice Director John Stratton, N5AUS are
planning to attend the following upcoming events:
K5RAV and N5AUS - 2011 Second Meeting (ARRL) Board of Directors
Meeting, Windsor, CT, July 15-16th.
N5AUS - Ham Holiday 2011, OK Section Convention, sponsored by the
Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs, Oklahoma City, OK, July 29-30th.
K5RAV and N5AUS - Austin Summerfest, Texas State Convention, sponsored
by the Austin ARC and Texas VHF-FM Society, August 5-6th.
K5RAV and N5AUS - Texoma Hamarama, West Gulf Division Convention,
sponsored by the Texoma Hamarama Committee, Ardmore, OK, Oct 21-22nd.
ARRL Convention and Hamfest events are a great place to visit with the
Division and Section Leadership!   Each event will also include an
ARRL
forum where you can receive additional insight into Division and
Section
matters.
At anytime that you have a concern or just want to say hello, contact
Director Woolweaver at K5RAV@arrl.org.
---Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions
07/09/2011 | TARS Hamfest
Location: Texas City, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Tidelands Amateur Radio Society
Website: http://www.tidelands.org
07/29/2011 | Central States VHF Conference
Location: Irving, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Central States VHF Society
Website: http://www.csvhfs.org/
07/29/2011 | Oklahoma State Convention (Ham Holiday 2011)
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs
Website: http://www.hamholiday.org
08/05/2011 | Texas State Convention (Austin Summerfest)
Location: Austin, TX
Type:  ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Austin ARC and Texas VHF-FM Society
Website:  http://www.austinsummerfest.org
08/27/2011 | Gainesville Hamfest 2011
Location:  Gainesville, TX
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor:  Cooke County Amateur Radio Club
Website:  http://www.gainesvillehamfest.org
10/01/2011 | HamEXPO 2011
Location:  Belton, TX
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor:  Temple Amateur Radio Club
Website:  http://www.beltonhamexpo.org
10/21/2011 | West Gulf Division Convention (Texoma Hamarama)
Location:  Ardmore, OK
Type:  ARRL Convention
Sponsor:  Texoma Hamarama Committee
Website:  http://www.texomahamarama.org
11/05/2011 | Enid Hamfest
Location:  Enid, OK
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor:  Enid Amateur Radio Club
Website:  http://www.enidarc.org/enidhamfest
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL West Gulf Division
Director: David A Woolweaver, K5RAV
k5rav@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------