News from David Woolweaver, K5RAV your West Gulf Division Director

June, 2012 Newsletter

   ---   Texas Governor Declares Amateur Radio Week
   ---   ARRL Field Day, June 23 – 24, 2012
   ---   HamCom 2012
   ---   Got a Hook?
   ---   2011 ARRL Annual Report Now Available
   ---   Museum Ships Weekend
   ---   Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS
   ---   Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions


--- Texas Governor Declares Amateur Radio Week

Director Woolweaver is pleased to announce that Texas Governor Rick
Perry, an avid supporter of Amateur Radio, has proclaimed the week of
June 18-24, 2012, Amateur Radio Week, thanks to the efforts of Chris
Hodgdon, KE5IGO of Kaufman.

Encouraging all Texans to learn more about Amateur Radio in his
proclamation, Perry also recognized the Amateur operators' efforts in
technological advances, supportive functions during times of natural
disasters and commitment to community goodwill.

Amateur Radio Clubs, Public Information Officers and Amateurs across
Texas are encouraged to post this proclamation at local ARRL Field Day
events, in celebration of all of the Amateur community efforts!

The Texas Proclamation is posted on the WGD website.


--- ARRL Field Day, June 23 – 24, 2012

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held
annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each
year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups
or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.  Field Day is
a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and,
most of all, FUN!

It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to
highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other
groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response
capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur
Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an
emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field
Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

The Field Day objective is to work as many stations as possible on any
and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12-meter bands)
and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal
conditions. Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by
the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX
stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are
not eligible to submit entries.

The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as
possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations
and less than optimal conditions.   We use these same skills when we
help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such
as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs,
malls and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency
activities.

For more information visit the ARRL website at
http://www.arrl.org/field-day.

Director Woolweaver's Field Day schedule is:

K5EOK, Edmond Amateur Radio, 12037 S Santa Fe Rd., Edmond, OK
W5MWC, Mid-Del ARC, Midwest City Regional Park, Midwest City, OK
W5MEL, Oklahoma City Autopatch Association, 2808 SE 44th, OKC, OK
W5PAA, Aeronautical Center ARC, OKC, OK
W5NOR South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS), Norman, OK
W5OK, Tulsa ARC & Tulsa Repeater Organization, Tulsa, OK
W5NS, Bartlesville ARC, Osage Hills State Park, Bartlesville, OK

Vice Director Stratton's Field Day Schedule is:

W5ZDN, Heart O' Texas Amateur Radio Club, Hewitt Park, Hewitt, TX
W5BCR, Bosque County Amateur Radio Club, Clifton, TX, Valley Mills, TX
K5HLA, Highland Lakes ARC, 1601 S. Water Street, Burnet, TX
N5TT, Williamson County ARC, 1250 FM 3405, Georgetown, TX
KK5E, Hambuds, Williamson Count Park, TX
KF5MTA, Travis County REACT, 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Rd., Austin, TX
W5HFS, Jim Bryce, 6103 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, TX

The rest of the West Gulf Leadership will be scattered around the
various Sections and visiting as many locations as we possibly can.  We
will look forward to seeing everyone at your local Field Day event!


--- HamCom 2012

HamCom festivities kicked off June 8th and another great year of fun
was had by many in Plano.  The standing room only crowd at the ARRL
Forum enjoyed a conversation with ARRL First Vice President Rick
Roderick, K5UR as he took a trip down memory lane and then accepted his
challenge of bringing more people into the community by mentoring,
attending more club meetings and celebrating Amateur Radio more
distinctly at every opportunity.

On behalf of the ARRL, Director Woolweaver presented the Cover Plaque
Award presented to Phil Salas, AD5X – February 2012, QST Covered
Plaque Award - "A Relay-Based Full Break-In TR Switch for Your
Vintage System."

On behalf of the Division, Director Woolweaver congratulated the
category winners of the 2012 WGD QSL Card Contest:

Winner Best Graphic – Steve Frerking, KE5CNS
Winner Most Humorous –NU5DE, Naturist ARC, represented by Trustee Bob
Redoutey, N5KF
Winner Best Photo – Mike Olbrisch, KD9KC

All of the category winners received a Dual Band HT (donated by our
sponsors Main Trading Company and Austin Amateur Radio Supply).
Director Woolweaver announced that the Grand Prize Winner was KD9KC who
took home an MFJ Antenna Analyzer for his efforts.

Awards were also presented to various Assistant Directors for their
contributions in the past year:

John Dyer, AE5B – 2012 Assistant Director Service Award – Dynamic
Duo Membership
Carla Dyer, K5RLA – 2012 Assistant Director Service Award – Dynamic
Duo Membership
Frank Krizan, KR1ZAN – 2012 Assistant Director Service Award –
Internet Services and Radio Scouting
Gary Lewis, WG5L – 2012 Assistant Director Service Award – Internet
Services (new website)

On behalf of the Amateur community at large, Director Woolweaver was
joined by Tom Whiteside, N5TW in presenting the DX Lifetime Achievement
Award to Richard King, K5NA.

Other HamCom notable items was the launch of the NTX ARRL Mentoring
Booth, where new and experienced hams could go and ask questions about
radio selection, upgrading, antennas, on-air activities and public
service.  The brain child of NTX SM Walt Mayfield, KE5SOO the Mentor
Booth was designed to build on the "elmering" tradition by
providing a place for Hams of all ages and experience levels to come
together, exchange knowledge and make new friends while having fun and
enjoying the great hobby of Amateur Radio.

Now that HamCom is in the record books, we can look forward to two
great events coming up soon; Ham Holiday which is serving as the OK
Section Convention, July 27 and 28th and then the Texas State
Convention being held at the Austin Summerfest, August 3rd and 4th.
Please see the Planned Events detail below for more information on
these and other upcoming ARRL sanctioned events.


--- Got a Hook?

We would love to share your story, Amateur Radio thought or club
activity with all of the West Gulf Division members – in the
Newsletter, or on our website, Twitter and/or Facebook.  We would even
love to see your best video work for consideration on the WGD YouTube
Channel.  Please send your proposed contribution to Director Woolweaver
for consideration at K5RAV@arrl.org.  Volunteer content contributors,
please apply!


--- 2011 ARRL Annual Report Now Available

The ARRL Annual Report for 2011 – now available online -- reviews the
major events of the year and documents the renewed growth of both the
ARRL and the activities of the Amateur Radio Service. For the fifth
consecutive year, ARRL membership grew -- totaling 157,813 members at
year end.
According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, Amateur
Radio is flourishing: "Despite challenges on many fronts, Amateur
Radio and the ARRL were in better shape at the end of 2011 than at the
beginning. In September, we reached a milestone in amateur licensing,
with 700,000 individuals licensed by the FCC, and reached 702,056 at
the end of December, up .86 percent for the year."

Sumner noted that ARRL membership also grew at .86 percent, exactly the
same rate as the licensing numbers. "While membership is still short
of its all-time high, we have achieved five straight years of growth,
straight through the recession," he said. "This record of success
is testimony to the professionalism of our membership staff as well as
to the diligent efforts of everyone, volunteer and staff alike, who
contributes every day to a positive image of the ARRL in the Amateur
Radio community."

According to Sumner, the ARRL had a very positive year financially.
"It is best to regard this as a cushion against the fact that the
next couple of years are unlikely to be as rosy," he pointed out.
"Our major revenue sources are not increasing, and both advertising
and publications sales revenues are vulnerable to the impact of digital
publishing; we are doing remarkably well on both counts, but cannot
expect this to continue indefinitely. Voluntary contributions from
members who have the means and the motivation to provide financial
support above and beyond the basic membership dues are an important
part of our fiscal equation."

Looking to 2012, Sumner noted that the ARRL "will continue to defend
amateurs' access to the radio spectrum in the face of growing
pressure to expand the frequencies available for mobile broadband. We
also will accelerate our planning for a memorable celebration of the
ARRL's Centennial in 2014, not only to honor the past but to set the
stage for an equally exciting Second Century."

"The good news for Amateur Radio is that because the wireless
industry has exploded, Amateur Radio now makes sense to students in
science, technology, engineering and math, drawing into Amateur Radio
the technically oriented students who are aiming at careers in the
wireless industry," Craigie said. "The bad news for Amateur Radio
is that because the wireless industry has exploded, the industry has a
voracious appetite for spectrum above 30 MHz. The ARRL will face the
continuing challenge of deciding how to apply finite resources to the
defense of spectrum. The ARRL has never shrunk from a challenge and we
aren't going to start now as we stand on the doorstep of our Second
Century."

(condensed from the ARRL website)


--- Museum Ships Weekend

Several Amateur Radio groups from the West Gulf Division participated
in Museum Ships Weekend June 2nd and 3rd.

More than 50 amateur radio "hams" in the Galveston-Houston area
descended on Seawolf Park this weekend to activate the radio rooms on
two historic ships there — submarine USS Cavalla and destroyer escort
USS Stewart.

One unique aspect of the event involved the use of amateur radio
satellites orbiting above the earth. Hams from the Brazos Valley Club
used portable transceivers and handheld antennas to transmit a radio
signal to a satellite as it passed over Galveston and relayed that to
another ham station thousands of miles away — in one instance, to the
USS Nautilus, in Groton, Conn., the world's first nuclear powered
submarine, whose first captain sent the historic message, "Underway
on nuclear power."

This year, 99 museum ships worldwide participated, using mainly voice
and Morse code, while hams around the world attempted to contact them.
The Seawolf Park operation is unique, as it is only one of two
locations in the annual event that has two ships on the air from the
same location.

Much of the radio equipment on these old ships no longer works due to
age and lack of parts. So, we bring our own radio gear on board, but
sometimes we are still able to use the original antennas on the ships.

We exchanged contacts this weekend with more than 1,000 amateur radio
operators throughout the United States and Canada, and as far away as
Australia from Seawolf Park. It is an almost perfect venue for radio
operations due to its proximity to salt water and lack of obstructions.


As the park is a public facility, all club activities were performed in
full view of park visitors who were free to observe and ask questions.
Brazos Valley volunteers also acted as guides inside the ship to
explain the sights and sounds of radio communication. It certainly
added a new dimension to the park.

With the Galveston-based tall ship Elissa participating for the first
time, the Brazos Valley club decided to sponsor its own Texas Navy
certificate for confirmed contacts with all five Texas based museum
ships.

The club will verify the eligibility and award the certificate by
comparing the log entries of the other participating ships. In addition
to the Brazos Valley Club KK5W, operating from the Cavalla and Stewart,
the ham groups included the Tidelands Amateur Radio Society
representing the Elissa, N5E, the Battleship Texas Amateur Radio
Station on the USS Texas in Laporte, NA5DV, and the South Texas Amateur
Radio Club operating from the USS Lexington, W5LEX, in Corpus Christi.

Additionally, the U.S.S. Batfish/U.S.S. Oklahoma Amateur Radio Club
hosted a special event radio station as part of the annual "Museum
Ships Weekend" event created by the amateur radio club affiliated with
the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB62). This event promoted the hobby of amateur
radio as well as the preservation of the heritage of sailing ships
around the world.  Past and present U.S. warships and warship museums,
as well as merchant and passenger vessel museums from other countries
participated in this weekend event.

Radio operators at this event used multiple amateur radio frequencies
to contact other ships, as well as other amateur radio operators around
the world, by voice, Morse code and computer.  The contacts that this
club made included radio operators in Moscow, Northern Africa, Hawaii,
New Zealand, and an operator flying above Arizona at 38,000 feet.

A group of students from the Viking Radio Club, a middle school radio
club from Lawton Okla., were among the principal operators making
contacts. Eight students, ranging in age from 11 to 15, camped out
aboard the submarine for the weekend and enjoyed their time talking to
people from all over the world.

(contributed by Ron Litt, K5HM, Bravos Valley ARC and Paul Goulet,
KC5CYY, Viking ARC)




--- Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS

Director Woolweaver, K5RAV and Vice Director Stratton, N5AUS are
planning to attend the following upcoming events:

K5RAV
– Field Day, Oklahoma Section Events, June 23rd, various locations
– ARRL Second Annual Board Meeting, July 20 and 21, Newington, CT
– Ham Holiday, OK Section Convention, July 27 and 28, OKC, OK
– Austin Summerfest, TX State Convention, August 3 and 4, Austin, TX
– ARRL Executive Committee Meeting, September 29, Denver, CO
– ARRL 2012 National, October 12, 13 and 14, Santa Clara, CA
– Texoma Hamarama, October 26 and 27, Ardmore, OK

N5AUS
– Field Day, Austin/San Antonio area, June 23rd
– ARRL Second Annual Board Meeting, July 20 and 21, Newington, CT
– Austin Summerfest, TX State Convention, August 3 and 4, Austin, TX


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.  Visit our website at
www.arrlwgd.org; follow us on Twitter at ARRL_WGD or on Facebook at
ARRL West Gulf Division.

-- Upcoming Hamfests and Conventions

07/14/2012 | 2012 TARS Hamfest
Location: Texas City, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Tidelands Amateur Radio Society
Website: http://www.tidelands.org

07/27/2012 | Ham Holiday 2012 – Oklahoma Section Convention
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs
Website: http://www.hamholiday.com

08/03/2012 | Austin Summerfest – Texas State Convention
Location: Austin, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Austin Amateur Radio Club & Texas VHF-FM Society
Website: http://www.austinsummerfest.org

08/25/2012 | Gainesville Hamfest 2012
Location: Gainesville, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Cooke County Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.gainesvillehamfest.org

10/26/2012 | Texoma Hamarama
Location: Ardmore, OK
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Texoma Hamarama Association Inc.
Website: http://texomahamarama.org

11/10/2012 | NCTECH 2012
Location: Azle, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Tri-County Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.wc5c.org

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