Hams ,,, the original Do It Yourselfer

The launch of the new “Do It Yourself”, or “DIY”, video and accompanying PR campaign is a major initiative for ARRL. 

In 2006, ARRL’s Public Relations Committee began three major recurring themes aimed at the general public and inactive Hams.  There are: 1) the “Hello” campaign which describes on air fellowship, DXing and contesting, 2) “Emergency Radio” emphasizing emergency communications, and 3) “We Do That Radio” concentrating on experimentation and design.  All three have web pages on the main ARRL website and are designed to be destination web pages through search engines.  Please take a look at each after finishing this explanation posting (URLs below).

It’s no secret that the “Emergency Radio” website has been the theme with the greatest emphasis and dedicated resources following Hurricane Katrina and other disasters.  The time became ripe, however, to return to a balance by focusing again on the other two themes.  Until today, ARRL has not released a major, general purpose video since “Amateur Radio Today” hosted by the late Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD.  The DIY video is aimed at hobbyists, a segment which makes up a large portion of Hams, and reinforces the “We Do That Radio” campaign.

Accompanying the video are printed materials and PowerPoint presentations.  Please use them and encourage your fellow section officials to use them too.  Experimentation, kit building and design are a growth industry.  If you haven’t already, find a “Maker Faire” event near you and plan to attend, or better yet, host an ARRL table using DIY materials.  Maker Faires, a DIY movement, now holds dozens of “faires” which are like hamfests across the country.  The people who attend Maker Faires are prime candidates to become Hams, and these faires draw thousands.  You can find one near you at http://makerfaire.com   Also, with renewed interest among educators in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), DIY is a natural area to share with schools and colleges.

Please take advantage of the new DIY materials, and check out the three websites mentioned above at:

http://www.arrl.org/helloradio-org

http://www.arrl.org/emergency-communications

http://www.arrl.org/wedothat-radio-org

If you have any questions, please contact me or ARRL’s Media & Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP.  Thanks and Happy New Year.

73,

Bill Morine, N2COP

North Carolina Section Manager

ARRL Public Relations Committee Chairman

Technician Radio Class Oklahoma City Metro area

The South Canadian Amateur Radio Society has announced a class at the National Weather Center starting January 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The class will continue through March 8 with a test slated for the last night.

The Club has also developed a web page for mobile phone users.

Thanks to Allan, KB5DOH for the information.

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-class lists this class.  Are there others?

Oklahoma Section News – December 2011

Hello Oklahoma!!

First of all, I’d like to apologize for my lack of updating on this news page.   Things have been VERY busy around the QTH. Between the Texhoma and Enid hamfests, working on my new shop, occasionally baby sitting the new grandson, Wilma preparing to retire and OSU football, I’ve been booked up.   I didn’t even get to attend the Noble Co. Repeater Groups Christmas Dinner because of baby sitting the aforementioned grandson.   So, after the holidays, I hope things will get back to some semblance of normalcy.

The Texhoma hamfest, was a great success! Lots of attendance, lots of forums and lots of goodies. Being the West Gulf Division hamfest was an opportunity for the fest to really shine and show folks how good a fest it is and will be in the future. I look for more and more great things from Henry Allen and the committee. I know our Director and Vice-Director had a great time and David Woolweaver, K5RAV, presented some books to the Viking Radio Club out of Lawton….but I got to beat him to the punch. He gave them the 2011 Handbook……..I got them the 2012 version!! Sorry, David! Those Vikings are really going great guns. Be listening for them on the bands, especially during the School Roundup and other events.

Next, the Enid hamfest was another big success. The Enid crew did an excellent job with it. They were worrying about being able to pull it off, but I’m here to tell you, they did a superb job. In addition to the League/ARES forum, Mary Peelman and Jack Skinner gave a traffic handeling forum. Really good stuff. I’m going to see if they will give it at all the hamfests in 2012. I want to thank Jay Kruckenberg, K5GUD for handeling the ARES forum in the absence of our SEC, Mark Conklin, N7XYO.

Speaking of 2012 Hamfests…….

Elk City, OK

Elk City Civic Center

March 3, 2012

Contact Earl Bottom, N5NEB



Green Country Hamfest – Oklahoma State Convention

Claremore, OK

Claremore Convention Center

March 9 & 10

For more info, go to: http://www.greencountryhamfest.org/

Those are the only ones I have with firm dates through the League. As the others come online, I’ll get out the information

I will not be able to attend Green Country hamfest this year as my son is getting married that weekend. I know, I know, but some things take precedence. Director David Woolweaver, K5RAV will be there as well as most of the section cabinet, so they should be able to answer any questions you may have at the booth.

I will try to post some pics from Texhoma and Enid in a few days. (Holidays!)

Well, that’s about all I have for now…..remember, contact myself or one of the section cabinet members if you need anything. We are all listed on the ARRL Oklahoma Section part of the website at the bottom of the page.

http://www.arrl.org/sections/view/oklahoma

I do want to wish everyone in the section a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope Santa brings you all the new goodies you want!

73, and I look forward to seeing you down the log,

Kevin O’Dell, NOIRW

Oklahoma Section Manager

Resolve to be READY

WASHINGTON - As 2011 - one of the most active years for disasters in recent history - comes to a close and Americans get ready to ring in a new year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is encouraging all Americans to Resolve to be Ready in the by making a new year's resolution to be prepared for emergencies.

As a recent report by the National Climatic Data Center highlights, 2011 has seen more billion-dollar natural disasters than any year on record. This year alone, the U.S. experienced its first hurricane landfall since 2008, the most deadly series of tornadoes since the 1950s, significant earthquakes and severe flooding - hazards that impacted every region of the country. All of these events have served as important reminders that disasters can strike anytime, anywhere, and being prepared is one of the most effective things we can do to protect our homes, businesses and loved ones.

Today, FEMA kicked off its annual campaign, Resolve to be Ready in 2012, which urges Americans to make preparedness a priority during the holiday season by making a new year's resolution to be ready for disasters or by thinking about preparedness tools for last minute gift ideas.

"One of the most important lessons we can take away from this year is that disasters can impact all of us, no matter what part of the country we live in," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "While we can't control where or when they might hit, we can take steps in advance to prepare for them - efforts that can go a long way toward protecting our families, homes and business. Resolving to be Ready in 2012 could be the most important pledge you make this year."

By making a resolution to take a few simple steps in advance, Americans can minimize the impact of an emergency on their families, homes or businesses. To take the pledge, visit www.ready.gov/resolve or www.listo.gov, which includes free information, checklists, and guidelines about how to put together a kit, make a plan, and stay informed.

Resolve to be Ready in 2012 is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies in the New Year. This effort is led by FEMA's Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and The Advertising Council. For more information, visit Ready.gov and CitizenCorps.gov or follow the campaign on Twitter using the hashtags #ready2012 and #resolve.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

###

How to Join ARES Oklahoma

The following are the steps to become an ARES Oklahoma Member

1. To become a Volunteer with ARES-Oklahoma you simply register at www.ARESOK.org (see #3 below). You do not need to be a member of any group, club or the ARRL.
2. To be an Leader within the ARES-Oklahoma, you apply at www.ARESOK.org. ARRL membership is required for all appointed leaders at the time of appointment to the leadership role.
Note: you can join the ARRL on-line at www.ARRL.org and/or you can typically join at many local hamfests.
3. To register with ARES-Oklahoma:
* Go to www.ARESOK.org
* On the left side of the page click "* APPLY *"
* On the map that is displayed, click on your county.
* Scroll down under the map and from the pull-down (next to Position Applied For) select VOLUNTEER or leadership role
* Fill in the blanks, and click "apply."
This adds your name to the ARES-Oklahoma register. For Leaders, once appointed (AEC and above), you will now have access to all the tools on the website that you'll need, such as reports, volunteer data, resource information, and more. Registering on-line associates your name and call sign with ARES-Oklahoma.

Keep in touch with ARES-Oklahoma - go to groups.Yahoo.com/group/AresOklahoma and click "Join this Group!" on the right hand side of the page and sign up to receive all the latest ARES-Oklahoma news.

Thanks to Mark Conklin, N7XYO for this information.

Christmas Party!

The Oklahoma City Autopatch Association will hold its' annual Christmas dinner on 20 December (our regular meeting night) at 6:00 PM.

We'll gather at the Furr's Buffet In Moore.

All family members are welcome and one of Santa's elves will be bringing lots of goodies!!!

Thanks to Tom, WA9AFM for this update.

Echolink Resource

KB9WCO edits a database of Echolink stations. It's searchable at http://www.brenet.com/Echolink.htm

The search today produced this result. If it's not correct, contact KB9WCO directly.

Todays date is Friday 9th December, 2011.

Station ID Node Number Type Band Local Frequency Offset Tone PL In Operation Country State City Common Language Added By
W5YJ 190497 Repeater 2M 146.715 - None None 24/7 United States OK Stillwater English KB9WCO
W5DEL 164664 Repeater 70CM 443.300 + 162.2 None 24/7 United States OK Del City English KB9WCO
W5CQU 15497 Repeater 70CM 443.650 + None None 24/7 United States OK Pauls Valley English KB9WCO
W5DEL 164664 Repeater 2M 145.250 - 103.5 None 24/7 United States OK Del City English KB9WCO
KB5KZS 162489 Repeater 70CM 443.125 + 88.5 None 24/7 United States OK Bartlesville English KB9WCO
K9KK 4244 Repeater 1.25M 224.440 - None None 24/7 United States OK Norman English KB9WCO
K5GUD 24204 Repeater 70CM 444.875 + 88.5 None 24/7 United States OK Woodward English KB9WCO
K5GUD 24204 Repeater 2M 145.390 - 88.5 None 24/7 United States OK Woodward English KB9WCO
K5CAR 47285 Repeater 2M 147.090 + None None 24/7 United States OK Choctaw English KB9WCO
K5CAR 47285 Repeater 2M 147.090 + 0 None 24/7 United States OK Choctaw English KB9WCO
K5GUD 24204 Repeater 2M 145.390 - 88.5 None 24/7 United States OK Woodward English KB9WCO
K5GUD 24204 Repeater 70CM 444.875 + 88.5 None 24/7 United States OK Woodward English KB9WCO
K9KK 4244 Repeater 1.25M 224.440 - 0 None 24/7 United States OK Norman English KB9WCO
KB5KZS 162489 Repeater 70CM 443.125 + 88.5 None 24/7 United States OK Bartlesville English KB9WCO
W5CQU 15497 Repeater 70CM 443.650 + 0 None 24/7 United States OK Pauls Valley English KB9WCO
W5CQU 270884 Repeater 70CM 443.650 + 0 None 24/7 United States OK Pauls Valley English KB9WCO
W5DEL 164664 Repeater 2M 145.250 - 103.5 None 24/7 United States OK Del City English KB9WCO
W5DEL 164667 Repeater 2M 145.250 - 103.5 None 24/7 United States OK Del City English KB9WCO
W5DEL 164664 Repeater 70CM 443.300 + 162.2 None 24/7 United States OK Del City English KB9WCO
W5DEL 164667 Repeater 70CM 443.300 + 162.2 None 24/7 United States OK Del City English KB9WCO
W5YJ 190497 Repeater 2M 146.715 - 0 None 24/7 United States OK Stillwater English KB9WCO
KY5C-R 241727 Repeater 2M 147.150 + None 88.5 24/7 United States OK Guymon English KB5IIM
*ARES_OK* 391281 Conference 2M 144.55 Simplex 88.5 88.5 24/7 United States OK Guymom English ke5sua
AB5CC-L 27358 Link 2M 147.54 Simplex None None 24/7 United States OK Durant English AB5CC
WX5ASA-R 473649 Repeater 70CM 444.650 + 100 24/7 United States OK Altus English kc5fm

Amateur Radio In Space Station program seeks Schools

Greetings!

In case you missed the recent announcement,  here’s the information you’ll need if you’re thinking about applying for a scheduled Amateur Radio contact with the ISS through the ARISS program. Proposals are currently being accepted for contacts to be scheduled during the 2^ndhalf of 2012. Here’s the news story: www.arrl.org/news/apply-now-to-host-a-real-time-conversation-with-crewmembers-onboard-the-iss.

Read more about the ARISS program at: http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-on-the-international-space-station.

Following is a list of states that have never participated in a contact with the ISS through the ARISS program:   Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota,  Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, American Samoa,  Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin  Islands.  ARISS would love to receive proposals from schools in these states and territories!

Debra Johnson, K1DMJ

Education Services Manager

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio™

225 Main Street

Newington, CT 06111-1494

(860) 594-0296

Fax: (860) 594-0259

djohnson@arrl.org

Altus Ham Extra Upgrade Class

The Altus Amateur Extra Class was at the Altus Area Amateur Radio Club
Christmas Party.  From left to right, the are Dale N5VX (instructor), Carole W5ORN, Ron AF5AS, Brian KF5BII, and James AB5FS (instructor)

If you have photos to share, please email them to any of the Public Information Officers in the Section.

New Oklahoma Licensees

Just look at the number of Amateur Radio operators getting notices of their licenses in one day!

N5VIC	BUTLER, RONALD R	ATOKA	OK
KD5RHF	ARNOLD, KEVIN W	CUSTER CITY	OK
AF5AV	FITZGERALD, GARY H	HARRAH	OK
N5AVV	WRIGHT, JONATHAN D	HARTSHORNE	OK
KD5REO	BECH, STANLEY R	MIAMI	OK
KF5NRW	HARVEY III, JAMES F	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRV	HARTLING, ERIC M	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
N5CEL	LOOPER, CURTIS	OWASSO	OK
N5XMX	SMITHER, RICKY D	QUINTON	OK
N5WBK	GOUGHLER, FRED C	SKIATOOK	OK
N0BCO	SANTANGELO, BRYAN D	TULA	OK
KE5LTU	LANGLEY, DEREK D	WAGONER	OK

Are local clubs reaching out to them to make them feel welcome to the hobby?  Any of them needing help making their first contact?

USS Oklahoma

USS Oklahoma 

The USS Oklahoma Memorial Amateur Radio Club is holding a Special Event Station WW2OK in memory of the battleship, USS Oklahoma, which was lost along with 429 servicemen when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.  

WW2OK will activate from the War Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma, from 6pm CST on December 6th and run until 6pm CST on December 7th. Multi-Op and Multi-Band operations will take place in the general portion of the HF ham bands, with all modes and bands, except 60m, possible.

The  largest remaining part of the USS Oklahoma, a section of the mast, is on display at the War Memorial Park in Muskogee, along with the USS Batfish, the World War II submarine built to avenge the losses at Pearl Harbor. 

A special “70th Anniversary” QSL card for contacts made during this event will be available after the first of the year. 

For more information about the event and the QSL cards, see the QRZ website.


Thanks to Cindy Downes, K5CED for this update.


http://www.dxwatch.com/dxsd1/dxsd1.php?f=0&c=ww2ok&t=dx gives up spots for the special event station operation.  There was no specific times or frequencies were given in the report.

VE Test Session

Great Salt Plains Amateur Radio Club testing center will be holding ham radio testing for all license classes at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday December the 10th 2011 at the Radiofrequency Safety International Building 543 main St. Kiowa, Kansas

Good day for Ham Radio

According to Ron, AF5AS, it was a good day for amateur radio in Oklahoma.

http://www.wm7d.net/fcc_uls/call_report4.shtml

 

This report lists calls, sorted by state, issued or updated on: 11/30/2011.

---

Callsign	Name	City	State

 

AF5AS	ROMAN, RONALD S	ALTUS	OK
KF5BII	OHAIR, BRIAN C	ALTUS	OK
W5ORN	TOWN, CAROLE J	ALTUS	OK
AF5AT	WILHELM, MICHAEL J	EDMOND	OK
KF5NRB	SADE, SUSAN T	HARRAH	OK
KF5NPI	CEELY, CRAIG R	LAWTON	OK
KF5NPH	PETERSON, ZACHARY N	LAWTON	OK
KF5NPG	KLINERT, CALVIN E	LAWTON	OK
AF5AU	LABROSSE, DONALD J	MUSTANG	OK
KF5NQZ	BRADLEY, GLORIA A	MUSTANG	OK
KF5NQY	BRADLEY, RICHARD E	MUSTANG	OK
KC5ZHY	DAVIDSON, ROBIN D	MUSTANG	OK
KF5NRA	SADE JR., RALPH L	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRJ	PATISON, CHRISTOPHER L	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRI	HALL, JACOB C	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRH	RAY, KENT A	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRG	TUCKER, SCARLETT N	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRF	TUCKER, SHAWNA F	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRE	TUCKER, JAMES T	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRD	RODDY, MICHAEL S	NORMAN	OK
KF5NRC	MALLES, VASILEIOS V	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5NRL	DOAK, DARA K	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5NRK	MCCOY, JENNIFER D	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5NQW	FAHEY, HENRY M	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5NQV	SIEGER, ROBERT H	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5NQU	SIEGER, TIMOOTHY R	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5GTV	BURDEN, JOHN D	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
KF5KWT	JONES, BONNIE M	PIEDMONT	OK
WD5DFH	REID, BILLY D	VICI	OK
KF5NQX	BROWN, CHERYL	WYNNEWOOD	OK

New Lawton Hams

Please welcome the newest amateur radio operators to our ranks.

Congratulations to all of the young Vikings. The most recent licensed members of the
Viking Radio Club are:

Tristan, KF5NNP
Isaiah, KF5NNQ
Thomas, KF5NNR
Kameron, KF5NNS
Sh'Kyra, KF5NNT
Laura, KF5NNU, who was hoping that she would have a "U" in her name,
something to do with magical unicorns!

Mr. Harper, KE5YZB the school club trustee, now has the unenviable task of
deciding who will get the radio donated to his project by Santos, KB5MQL. How
would you decide?

Thank you, Pam, KF5JXO, for your continued efforts, working with the
students during Saturday Study Hall. Pam picked up the project during the
last school year and continued this year.

The Viking Radio Club is also thankful to the local VE (Testing) Team, lead
by Claude KD5RQ. All of these members donate their time and resources to
support the school radio club activity.

Yes, when it comes to amateur radio, there are a of on-going local
activities to be thankful for.


Thanks to Paul Goulet KC5CYY, for this report.

West Gulf Division November Newsletter

   ---  ARRLWGD.org – The New WGD Website & Social Media
   ---  ARRL Foundation Announces Grant to KF5CRF
   ---  FCC Releases New Rules for 60 Meters
   ---  WG5L Gary Lewis, Appointed Assistant Director
   ---  ARRL Foundation Scholarship Season
   ---  Webinar Training Soars to New Heights
   ---  Recent Hamfest Reports
   ---  Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS
   ---  Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions

News from David Woolweaver, K5RAV your West Gulf Division Director

--- ARRLWGD.org – The New WGD Website & Social Media

”This will be the year of communication improvements in the West Gulf
Division,” said Director Woolweaver in January of 2011 and one example
of improvement is the introduction of the ARRL West Gulf Division
Facebook page which was followed up over the summer with the ARRL_WGD
Twitter account.   Enhancing these efforts to spread information across
the division, on November 1st, the new WGD website was launched bringing
a new look, new opportunities, and fresh information to our internet
presence.   Check out the new site at

 www.arrlwgd.org.

Mark Mireles, AD5CA, developed the original West Gulf Division internet
site several years ago.  Recently, Frank Krizan, KR1ZAN, has been
maintaining it and will continue to assist on the new site.  Wanting to
provide a fresh look and utilize the new mediums available on the net,
it was decided to start anew and develop a website from scratch.

After talking to WGD members and seeking their thoughts on what they
would like to see in a website, Director Woolweaver put our new website
designer, Gary Lewis, WG5L,  to work pulling all of the information
together to develop a progressive and informative platform.   We have
added more educational information, linked to all of the Section
websites (check out their new websites as well!), and will continue to
build on the “Links” page so that you can easily find information
pertaining to the Amateur service and especially the WGD.   With the
new website, we are also introducing the ARRL WGD Channel on YouTube
where we hope to publicize videos that promote the best of the Amateur
Community in all areas – educational and informational.

Please bookmark the new WGD website and check it frequently for new
information.  We added a new calendar feature and will be listing all
of the ARRL sanctioned events as soon as they are approved by Director
Woolweaver and HQ.  Over the next few months, we will introduce you to
some of our content contributors and will be seeking your input on
questions that pertain to the WGD.  Remember to also join us on
Facebook at ARRL West Gulf Division and follow us on Twitter at
ARRL_WGD.

Contributions to our mass media endeavors are important to the success
of the web site.  If you have something you (or your club) would like
to share with the WGD membership on our website, Facebook, monthly
newsletter or Twitter, please let us know, so we can consider it.
Additionally, we would enjoy hearing your feedback on how you think we
are doing in our communication efforts.  Please email Director
Woolweaver at K5RAV@arrl.org with your thoughts or news contributions.


--- ARRL Foundation Announces Grant to KF5CRF

Director Woolweaver is a member of the ARRL Foundation Board of
Directors and it was his privilege to announce at the West Gulf
Division convention at Ardmore, OK the approval of an equipment grant
of $2,018 to the Viking Radio Club of Lawton, OK.  The grant was
approved for the purchase of a Kenwood 590 radio, a Hustler 5-BTV
antenna and for coaxial cable and connectors.   “The grant
application received Board approval in the fastest time that I have
seen since being elected to the Foundation Board”, reported Director
Woolweaver.

As outlined in Viking’s grant application, this grant will provide
funding for resources to strengthen the club and provide for a pilot
program at the Eisenhower Middle School in Lawton.  The ARRL Foundation
Directors shared the hope that the program will expand to encompass the
entire school district of 18,000 students applauding their two-fold
plan to encourage Amateur Radio and educate students in accord with
state standards.  The West Gulf Leadership joins the Foundation
Directors in applauding the Viking Amateur Radio Club’s goal of being
a model for other schools.

You may learn more about the Viking ARC by visiting their websites at
http://www.qrz.com/db/kf5crf and http://www.qrz.com/db/k5usa.

--- FCC Releases New Rules for 60 Meters

On November 18, the FCC released a Report and Order (R&O), defining new
rules for the 60 meter (5 MHz) band. These rules are in response to a
Petition for Rulemaking (PRM) filed by the ARRL more than five years
ago and a June 2010 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).  In the R&O,
the FCC replaced one of the channels in the band, increased the maximum
authorized power amateur stations may transmit in this band, and
authorized amateur stations to transmit three additional emission
designators in the five channels in the 5330.6-5406.4 kHz band (60
meters).

The Amateur Radio Service in the United States has a secondary
allocation on 60 meters.  Only those amateurs who hold General,
Advanced, or Amateur Extra class licenses may operate on this band.
Amateur stations must not cause harmful interference to -- and must
accept interference from -- stations authorized by any administration
in the fixed service, as well as mobile (except aeronautical mobile)
stations authorized by the administrations of other countries.

For a complete reading of the rule, please refer to
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-releases-new-rules-for-60-meters.  Please
note that these changes have not yet taken effect. These new rules will
take effect 30 days after they are published in the Federal Register.
The ARRL will announce on its website when the rules are published.

--- WG5L Gary Lewis, Appointed Assistant Director

Director Woolweaver is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary
Lewis, WG5L, as an Assistant Director for Internet Services.  Gary has
been involved in electronics and communications since his Navy days in
the 1970's, where he was an electronics technician working on shipboard
communications equipment.  After leaving the Navy, Gary obtained his
degree in Management Information Systems.  He first worked in the oil
industry and he has spent the last 23 years working for IBM.  He also
holds an MBA from LeTourneau University.

It wasn't until the year 2000, that Gary returned to his electronics
and communications roots, spurred on by his son who showed an interest
in ham radio.  After almost 30 years of being largely absent from the
communications scene, all of that past background came flooding back.
However, it was not until he returned to Texas in 2002, that he really
became active in pursuing various aspects of the Amateur Radio service.


Gary has held various positions within his local ham radio club,
Longview East Texas Amateur Radio Club (LETARC). He started that club's
current VE team and has become very involved in emergency
communications, bringing ARES to his county and revitalizing the local
EmComm program.  He currently holds the following positions within the
North Texas Section:

•Gregg County EC and RACES ALT CLO
•North Texas District 8 DEC
•North Texas Section ASEC

In addition, Gary is a registered ARRL Volunteer Instructor and
Volunteer Examiner.  Beyond being the primary developer of the new WGD
website, he is also the webmaster for both the LETARC and North Texas
Section websites.  Recently, in a return to his Navy roots, Gary has
become involved with Navy-Marine Corps MARS.  An avid user of both
voice and digital modes, you can usually find him on most of the 40 and
80 meter southwest traffic nets, as well as PSK31 on 20 meters.

 --- ARRL Foundation Scholarship Season

The ARRL Foundation is now receiving scholarship applications for the
2012 scholarship season.   Each year the ARRL Foundation awards more
than 70 scholarships that are funded entirely by the generosity of
radio amateurs and friends to young hams that are pursuing higher
education.  The awards range from $500 to $5000.

All applicants must submit a full application and transcript to be
considered (other rules may apply to specific scholarships).  The
application period for ARRL Foundation Scholarships opened on October
1, 2011, and will close promptly on February 1, 2012.   Awards are
usually announced to the winners by letter in mid-May.   Applicants
should review the scholarship descriptions as some awards have specific
geographic criteria or requirements as to course of study.

Governed by a nine member volunteer Board of Directors, the ARRL
Foundation is devoted to providing valuable programs to serve the
Amateur Radio community.  To learn more about the ARRL Foundation or
its scholarship program please visit their website at
http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundation-overview.

--- Webinar Training Soars to New Heights

ARRL Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, has been extremely
proactive in the promotion of Amateur Radio education in his division
by incorporating internet webinars for everyone’s benefit – at zero
cost to the ARRL or to his Division.  Topics such as Winlink 2000 Intro,
Amateur Radio Kit Building, and D-Star and EmComm are a few of the
Atlantic webinars that have been hosted.  With Bill’s encouragement,
the WGD has joined him in supporting this endeavor by hosting Antenna
CC&R’s, You and the ARRL, Antenna Ordinances, You and the ARRL
webinars as well as Hurricane Preparedness webinars.

The next webinar, scheduled for December 5th, is Amateur Radio in the
Next 25 Years, a conversation with former FCC Special Counsel Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH; ARRL General Counsel, Chris Imlay, W3KD; and Ed
Hare, W1RFI, ARRL Laboratory Manager.  To join this webinar, visit

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/154043400.

Past webinars have included notable presenters such as Laura Smith, FCC
Special Counsel; ARRL Chief Legal Counsel, Chris Imlay, W3KD; noted
antenna zoning lawyer, Fred Hopengarten, K1VR; and the developers of
the NBEMS system, Harry Bloomberg W3YJ and Dave Kleber, KB3FXI.  We
invite you to bookmark the Atlantic Division Training website
http://www.atldiv.org/training, for future reference.  You may also
purchase DVDs of previous presentations at a nominal cost, which
supports the hosting expense only and does not benefit the ARRL
Atlantic Division.

--- Recent Hamfest Reports

Texoma Hamarama

The West Gulf Division Convention was held in Ardmore, hosted by the
good folks of Texoma Hamarama the weekend of October 21 and 22.
Visitors from the Midwest and Delta Divisions also joined in the fun
this year, checking out the many bargains that were available.
Joining Director Woolweaver at the ARRL Forum was ARRL Emergency
Preparedness and Response Manger, Mike Corey, W5MPC.  Mike  announced
the placement of an ARRL HF “Go Kit” in the Oklahoma Section.  This
brings the total number of “Go Kit’s” deployed in the West Gulf
Division to nine.  Each has been placed strategically in the Division
to meet communication needs in the event of an emergency.
Prepositioning “Go Kits” in the West Gulf places the kits in a
central location in the nation should the kits be required elsewhere
for EmComm purposes.   Under an agreement with Southwest Airlines that
Director Woolweaver negotiated, an ARRL “Go Kit” could be
transported free of charge to any destination that Southwest serves.
This translates to one day delivery to most parts of the United States.


During the forum, Director Woolweaver recognized the astounding efforts
of the Viking Radio Club and its mentors, Clifton Harper, KE5YZB, and
Paul Goulet, KC5CYY.  (See also ARRL Foundation Announces Grant to
KF5CRF)

Also at Hamarama, it was announced that Megan McClellan, K5MEM, was the
recipient of the Texoma Hamarama Scholarship Award for 2011.
Congratulations, Megan!

The WGD Leadership thanks and appreciates all of the hard work of
Henry, W5TYD, Tina Allen and the entire Hamarama Board of Directors for
their hard work in putting together the 2011 WGD Convention!

NCTech Hamfest

The NCTech Hamfest, sponsored by the Tri-County & DiRECT Amateur Radio
Clubs in Azle had a good turn out this year.  Presentations by AMSAT,
CERT, ARRL West Gulf, and ARRL NTX were well attended.   Director
Woolweaver and NTX SM Walt Mayfield, KE5SOO had an opportunity to visit
with the attendees and they acquired several new memberships.  As the
final sanctioned event for 2011, it was a great way to end the year,
and we will look forward to another successful event at NCTech in 2012.


--- Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS

Director Woolweaver, K5RAV, and Vice Director Stratton, N5AUS, will
attend the following events:

K5RAV and N5AUS – 2012 ARRL Annual Board Meeting, Windsor, CT,
January 12-14, 2012

K5RAV – Cowtown Hamfest, North Texas Section Convention (Pending
Executive Committee approval), sponsored by the Lockheed Martin ARC,
Ft. Worth, TX, January 20-21, 2012

N5AUS – Williamson County ARC Hamfest, sponsored by the Williamson
County ARC, Georgetown, TX, February 25, 2012

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 and Conventions

01/14/2012 | San Antonio Amateur Radio Fiesta
Location: Schertz, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: San Antonio Radio Club
Website: http://w5sc.org

01/20/2012 | North Texas Section Convention (Cowtown Hamfest)
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Type: ARRL Convention pending Executive Committee approval
Sponsor: Lockheed Martin Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.cowtownhamfest.com

02/25/2012 | Williamson County ARC Hamfest
Location: Georgetown, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Williamson County Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://wcarc.com

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ARRL West Gulf Division
Director: David A Woolweaver, K5RAV
k5rav@arrl.org