West Gulf Division January, 2014, Issue 1 Newsletter
--- From the Directors Chair
--- Congratulations 3V/KF5EYY Ashraf Chaabane
--- ARRL Foundation Scholarships
--- WGD Annual Award Nominations
--- WG Leadership to Operate Special Event Station
--- Austin Amateur Radio Supply Owner, WA5BGO, SK
--- Centennial Celebrations
--- ARRL Centennial QSO Party Off and Running
--- Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS
--- Upcoming Hamfests/Conventions
News from David Woolweaver, K5RAV, West Gulf Division Director
--- From the Directors Chair
Welcome to 2014, the year of the Centennial Celebration for the ARRL! Years in planning, the ARRL has
created a wealth of member participation events beginning with the Centennial QSO Party that kicked off on
January 1st. This year long event is the first ARRL-sponsored operating event for which every member is
worth a point. Be sure to visit the Centennial QSO Party website for more information.
As mentioned in the December newsletter, Vice Director Stratton and I will be hosting the first weekend
opportunity for folks to work the special event station W100AW on January 19th calling “CQ West Gulf
Division!” More than 160 West Gulf Division members have pre-registered for the opportunity to make
contact on that day. Details on this occasion can be found on page 2.
While we hope that many WGD members will be able to travel to Hartford for the ARRL Centennial
Celebration/National Convention in July, it is not too early to start planning to attend the West Gulf/Delta
Division Regional Centennial Celebration in June; hosted by HamCom in Plano. As announced in December,
you will be able to work W100AW/5 at this event, enjoy our featured presenters Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH
and Ward Silver, N0AX. Pre-registration for the ARRL Centennial and HamCom can be found on their
respective websites.
73, K5RAV
--- Congratulations 3V/KF5EYY Ashraf Chaabane
The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has announced the nine recipients of its Excellence Award for
2013. The Foundation says the award “honors individuals who, through their own service, creativity, effort
and dedication, have made a significant contribution to Amateur Radio” — technical, operating, or
organizational. The Yasme Excellence Award is in the form of a cash grant and an engraved crystal globe.
Recipients for 2013 included West Gulf Division Member, Ashraf Chaabane, 3V/KF5EYY, who has become an
energetic representative on all fronts of Amateur Radio in Northern Africa and globally, presenting a positive
role model for Amateur Radio throughout the Arab world with his enthusiasm and competitive spirit. His
mission is to see the day when Tunisia issues him that country’s first individual Amateur Radio license.
Chaabane will represent Africa as the team leader for the African team in WRTC-2014.
Other winners included Tom Roscoe, K8CX, Lee Sawkins, VE7CC, John Devoldere, ON4UN, Ken Claerbout,
K4ZW and the team of Michael Carroll, N4MC; Eldon Lewis, K7LS; Dean Gibson, AE7Q, and Joseph Speroni,
AH0A for their accomplishments. You may read the full story on the ARRL website.
The Yasme Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation, organized to conduct scientific and educational
projects related to Amateur Radio, including DXing, and to the introduction and promotion of Amateur Radio
in developing countries.
(from the ARRL website with thanks to Ward Silver, N0AX, Yasme Foundation President)
--- ARRL Foundation Scholarships
The ARRL Foundation is now receiving scholarship applications for the 2013/14 scholarship season. Each
year the ARRL Foundation awards more than 70 scholarships that have been 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 all ARRL Foundation Scholarship opened October 1 each year and
closes promptly on February 1, 2014. 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.
--- WGD Annual Award Nominations
It is time to start working on your submissions for the WG 2014 Divisional Awards which will be presented at
the ARRL Regional Centennial Convention at HamCom in June. Nominations for 2014 Award Winners will be
accepted until April 15, 2014. Nomination forms for each nominee (by category) must be supported by at
least three ARRL members on the award nomination form, a minimum 150-word statement and any available
supporting documentation. Other rules do apply and can be found on the nomination forms.
The Division Awards judging panel consists of four (4) ARRL members, selected by each of the Section
Managers in North Texas, Oklahoma, South Texas and West Texas Sections. The Section Manager may opt to
appoint his/herself to the committee. The fifth judge is selected by the Division Director and may reside
anywhere within the West Gulf Division. Neither the Division Director nor the Vice Director will participate
in the vote.
--- WG Leadership to Operate Special Event Station
On Sunday, January 19, 2014, Director Woolweaver and Vice Director Stratton will be operating from W1AW
in Newington, CT with the Special Event Station call sign, W100AW, beginning at 9:00 AM until 2:00PM CST.
Look for the WG “Boys” on plus or minus 14.285 (+/-) Mhz USB. They will be calling, “CQ West Gulf Division.”
If you ever wanted to make a contact with W1AW, now is your chance! QSL 100%.
If you have pre-registered on the Call List, Director Woolweaver and Vice Director Stratton will be calling
those call signs alphabetically by last name, beginning at 9:00 AM for a minimum of 10 minutes and a
maximum of 15 minutes at the top and called a minimum of two (2) times. Please be patient as heavy traffic
is expected, and QSO’s will be made very quickly “contest style” in order to accommodate as many amateurs
as possible and remember contacts are always dependent on propagation.
NOTE: Contacts made with ARRL Officials through W100AW are not eligible for extra points in the Centennial
QSO Party. Those contacts will receive W1AW points only.
Real time posting of frequency and the operating schedule will be made on the West Gulf Facebook Page at
“ARRL – West Gulf Division” and on the WGD Twitter Page “ARRL_WGD.”
--- Austin Amateur Radio Supply Owner, WA5BGO, SK
The owner of Austin Amateur Radio Supply, John E. “Johnny” Paul, WA5BGO, of Austin, Texas, died December
10. He was 74. Paul was the proprietor of Austin Amateur Radio for 45 years. First licensed in 1960, Paul
was a past president of the Austin Amateur Radio Club and was an avid photographer of nature and
landscapes. Services were December 16. Survivors include his wife Grace and a son and daughter.
(from the ARRL website)
--- ARRL Centennial Celebrations
Registrations for the ARRL National Centennial in Hartford and the West Gulf/Delta Division Regional
Centennial Celebrations in Plano become available in January. Start your planning now by bookmarking
these two great events for regular updates!
--- ARRL Centennial QSO Party Off and Running
As part of the mix of events marking the League's 100th anniversary, the ARRL Centennial QSO Party got
underway at 0001 UTC on January 1. This is a year-long operating event, in which participants can
accumulate points and win awards, as well as work new stations and make new friends. During 2014 W1AW
will be on the air at least twice from every US state and from most US territories, and it will be easy to work
all states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations. This will be the first ARRL-sponsored operating
event for which every member is worth at least one point. The event is open to all, although only ARRL
members and appointees, elected officials, HQ staff, and W1AW are worth points. Working the ARRL's
president, for example, earns 300 points!
K5CM, Connie Marshall of Muskogee, OK will be operating W1AW/5 the week of January 22nd and
Christopher Terkla, N1XS will be operating W1AW/5 the week of January 29th. Be sure to reach out to these
stations when they are on the air.
To qualify for points, all contacts must be two-way (no cross-band or cross-mode contacts), using CW, phone
(FM, SSB, AM, digital voice), digital (any digital mode, such as PSK31, RTTY) on 160, 80, 40, 30, 17, 15, 12, 10,
6, 2 and 1.25 meters, plus 70 centimeters and satellite. Stations exchange signal report and ARRL
abbreviation. Contacts do not have to be contest-style, and providing ARRL organizational information is not
required. A centennial database will assign point values to all logs submitted electronically. Those not
submitting electronically, however, will need to obtain the QSO information during the contact. Since this is
not a contest, participants may make contacts in any fashion they prefer.
The Centennial QSO Party is scored by totaling the values of all eligible contacts. There are no multipliers or
bonus points. Logs submitted via Logbook of the World (LoTW) will be scored automatically.
For full information, visit the ARRL Centennial QSO Party webpage.
--- Planned ARRL Events for K5RAV and N5AUS
Director Woolweaver, K5RAV and Vice Director Stratton, N5AUS plan to attend the following upcoming
events:
K5RAV
-- ARRL Annual Board Meeting, January 17-18, Windsor, CT
N5AUS
-- ARRL Annual Board Meeting, January 17-18, Windsor, CT
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
01/17/2014 | 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.org
02/22/2014 | Orange Hamfest 2014
Location: Orange, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Orange ARC & Jefferson County ARC
Website: http://www.qsl.net/w5nd/
03/01/2014 | 25th Elk City Hamfest
Location: Elk City, OK
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: West Central Oklahoma Amateur Radio Club
03/01/2014 | Irving ARC Hamfest 2014
Location: Irving, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Irving Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.irvingarc.org/iarchamfest.html
03/07/2014 | West Gulf Division Convention (Green Country Hamfest)
Location: Claremore, OK
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Green Country Hamfest Committee
Website: http://greencountryhamfest.org
03/08/2014 | Williamson County ARC Hamfest
Location: Georgetown, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Williamson County Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://wcarc.com
03/15/2014 | West Texas Section Convention (59th Annual St. Patrick's Day Hamfest)
Location: Midland, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Midland Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://hamfest.w5qgg.org
03/22/2014 | South Texas Section Convention (Greater Houston Hamfest)
Location: Rosenberg, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club (BVARC)
Website: http://houstonhamfest.org
03/29/2014 | HamEXPO
Location: Belton, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Temple Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://tarc.org
