Amateur Radio Volunteers needed for the largest OKC event of the year! #ARRL #hamradio

The OKC Memorial Marathon event hosts over 25,000 runners and walkers from every state and several foreign countries. The Mission of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is to celebrate life, reach for the future, honor the memories of those who were killed and unite the world in hope. The Memorial Marathon Public Safety Comm. Chairman is seeking amateur radio volunteers to facilitate in the safety and care of the participants as a 2 meter amateur radio handheld/mobile operator at the numerous medical stations, relay exchanges, start/finish line, etc.  This is not an emergency drill - it's a unique 26 mile opportunity to help people who are injured, lost, or otherwise in need and to exhibit your emergency communications abilities!  New volunteers will be paired up with veteran volunteer radio operators. Date: April 24 Time: Most radio operators may need to be at their stations by 6:00 A.M.  Operators may close down their station once the runners have past.  The event is generally over by 3:00 PM.  More information will be provided once your assigned to a location. The pre-briefs and t-shirt pick-up will be held Tuesday April 19 at the OKC Fire Training Center at 820 N Portland.  A make-up pre-brief is also scheduled for Saturday April 23.  An e-mail will be sent by the safety coordinator regarding the time of day. More volunteers are needed! It's a lot of fun - and 25,000 runners and walkers are extremely grateful for you!

OKC Marathon Information

Amateur Radio Ops Volunteer HERE

NOTE that the 2016 radio operator volunteer registration has changed from last year’s registration – so please use the button above! Make a new login and password, we suggest you use your call sign. Fill out your name, birthday, username, password and check to agree to the waiver. Then type in psc16 in the “Registration Code” box at the bottom. Click Register. Using the “psc16” code automatically puts you in the Public Safety Communication database.

Next, please enter all the appropriate contact information. At the very bottom is a box for you to enter your callsign!  It's easy to overlook!  If you are a spouse/friend and not licensed but working with the licensed person, enter “spouse of (call sign)” or “working with (call sign” or something similar.

When the 'committee preference' menus are presented just skip by that selection. You can also skip the schedule of availability since we pretty much just do the whole thing on Sunday Apr. 24  (0600 to about 1500). For previous experience please indicate if your have volunteered for this event before and where - or if it's your first time. Enter your t-shirt size and you are done.  The 2016 shirts should be red colored. Your done!

West Gulf Division Newsletter April 2016 #ARRL #hamradio

---Annual West Gulf Division Awards
---H.R. 1301 waits for Committee approval
---Dave Sumner, K1ZZ retires April 18th
---Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships (ADRF)
---Planned Events for K5RAV and N5AUS
---Upcoming Hamfests and Conventions

---Annual West Gulf Division Awards

The Annual WGD awards program is now open to receive nominations.  It
is time to start working on your submissions for the WGD 2016
Divisional Awards which will be presented at the West Gulf Division
Convention at HamCom in June. Nominations for the 2016 Award Winners
will be accepted until May 1, 2016.

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.

Go to http://arrlwgd.org/?p=1450 to display the actual forms and
instructions.

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.

Please make 2016 the year that you nominate that outstanding member of
your club that you know deserves Division level recognition for all the
good things he or she do for amateur radio.

---H.R. 1301 waits for Committee approval

H.R. 1301, the Amateur Radio Parity Act, has passed the House
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.  Rep Greg Walden-R
Oregon, W7EQI, is the Chairman of the Subcommittee.  It now waits for a
hearing before the full House Energy and Commerce Committee.  There have
been two behind the scenes compromises to the text of the bill made by
the ARRL's Washington group made up of ARRL's Chief Counsel Chris
Imlay, W3KD, and Mike Lisenco, Hudson Division Director, N2YBB.  It is
my understanding a full hearing of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee will  be scheduled soon.  I don't have a date as yet.


---Dave Sumner, K1ZZ retires April 18th

Dave Sumner, often referred to as "Mr. Amateur Radio" and who has
been at ARRL HQ's in Newington, CT, for 34 years officially retires
April 18th.  The new ARRL CEO, Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, takes the reins of
the over 100 year old ARRL on that date.  Tom is already in residence at
ARRL HQ's and has spent the past several weeks making ready for the
transition.

Tom has agreed to attend HamCom June 10-11 in Irving, TX, and the
Oklahoma Section Convention in Oklahoma City on July 22-23.  He will be
at the ARRL forums at both conventions and will also be available at the
ARRL booths.  Drop by and meet the new ARRL CEO, Tom Gallagher.


---Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships (ADRF)

Killeen, Texas, will be the site of the 2016 USA ARDF Championships.
The Texas ARDF group and the Austin Orienteering Club will stage
classic competitions on two meters and 80 meters, plus sprints,
foxhunting and optional practice courses from April 6 through 10.  Most
events will be at the Parrie Haynes Youth Ranch, which has over 2000
acres of equestrian trails and facilities for other outdoor sports.
USA's ARDF Championships are open to all.  Visiting competitors from
outside USA are welcome.  Some of USA's medal winners will be invited
to compete on Team USA at the ARDF World Championships in Bulgaria next
September.

---Planned Events for K5RAV and N5AUS

Director Woolweaver, K5RAV and Vice Director Stratton, N5AUS plan to
attend the following upcoming events in 2016.

K5RAV
---OK State Convention (Green Country), Claremore, OK April 8
---West Gulf Division Convention (HamCom), Irving, TX June 10-11
---ARRL July Board Meeting, Hartford, CT July 13-16
---Oklahoma Section Convention (Ham Holiday), OKC, July 22-23

N5AUS
---OK State Convention (Green Country), Claremore, OK April 8
---West Gulf Division Convention (HamCom), Irving, TX June 10-11
---ARRL July Board Meeting, Hartford, CT July 13-16
---Oklahoma Section Convention (Ham Holiday), OKC, July 22-23

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 any time that you have a concern or just want to say hello, contact
Director Woolweaver at K5RAV@arrl.org

---Upcoming Hamfests and Conventions

HAMFEST/CONVENTION
04/08/2016 | Oklahoma State Convention (Green Country Hamfest)
Location: Claremore, OK
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Green Country Hamfest, Inc.
Website: http://greencountryhamfest.org

HAMFEST/CONVENTION
04/16/2016 | HamEXPO
Location: Belton, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Temple Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://tarc.org/hamexpo/

HAMFEST/CONVENTION
06/10/2016 | West Gulf Division Convention (Ham-Com 2016)
Location: Irving, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: North Texas Area Clubs
Website: http://www.hamcom.org


HAMFEST/CONVENTION
06/18/2016 | Big Spring Amateur Radio Tailgate
Location: Big Spring, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Big Spring Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.qsl.net/w5aw/
Learn More

HAMFEST/CONVENTION
07/16/2016 | Tidelands ARS Hamfest
Location: Texas City, TX
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Tidelands Amateur Radio Society
Website: http://tidelands.org
Learn More

HAMFEST/CONVENTION
07/22/2016 | Oklahoma Section Convention (Ham Holiday 2016)
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs
Website: http://www.hamholiday.com
Learn More

HAMFEST/CONVENTION
08/05/2016 | Texas State Convention (Austin Summerfest 2016)
Location: Austin, TX
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Austin ARC & Texas VHF-FM Society
Website: http://www.austinsummerfest.org
Learn More

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ARRL West Gulf Division
Director: David A Woolweaver, K5RAV

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Special Event Operators #ARRL #hamradio

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, better know as the 'Run To Remember',
was established in 2001 to remember 'those who were killed, those who
survived, and those changed forever' by the Murrah Federal Building bombing
on 19 April, 1995. The amateur radio community supports the Marathon with
over 80 radio operators providing public safety and logistics communication.

A special event operation, inaugurated in 2015, will return this year to
commemorate the Marathon and share the celebration of the "Run To Remember"
with the world-wide amateur radio community.

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Special Event begins at 0000Z, 16 April
till 1900Z, 24 April.  Amateur radio operators within the State of Oklahoma
are eligible to operate as a Marathon Special Event Station under the call
sign N5M.

If you wish to operate as a Marathon Special Event Station, contact one of
the following event administrators to register your station:
WA9AFM - wa9afm@arrl.net
NE5SD - steve.ne5sd@gmail.com

On race day, a station will also be on the air at Mile Marker 13 (halfway
point) on the race course to close out the event.