9/29/2010
News
From Around
I have been having some health issues this
month and, as a result, the newsletter is very late. Most of this month’s WTX
news comes from the internet or emails because of my temporary travel
limitations. The Big Bend ARC provided
communications support for the Alpine Labor Day Balloon Festival. Weather
cooperated Saturday and 13 balloons were able to launch. Sunday and Monday was
a different story. High winds prohibited the balloons from safely launching
both days. The Key City ARC assisted with the Big Country Balloon Festival this
month. Seldom does anyone in
The
Midland ARC will be operating KD5C as a Special Event Station at the Midland
CAF Air Show on October 8-10. In addition to the Special Event Station, they
also will be displaying WW2 aircraft radios and doing backup communications for
the event. A special online certificate will be available for those who work
KD5C. The San Angelo ARC operated a Special Event Station for the annual
Butterfield Stage Fly-in. The annual Scout’s Jamboree-On-The Air (JOTA) is
coming up in October. I know that
Assistant
WTX SM Larry Springsteen (WB8LBZ) recently posted pictures of the Sun City ARC’s Field Day. They abandoned the 100-degree heat of
For
those of you that suffer from the incurable DX bug, there is good news on the
immediate horizon. I wish I could say that Professor Horitiz
Von Dxmeister has discovered where this cycle’s
sunspots have been hiding but that is not the case. You are going to have to
settle for a slew of new countries in the
Long
time W5 QSL Bureau Manager Jerry Chouinard, K5YAA,
has retired due to his health problems and his replacement is Peter Mann,
KF5RD. Peter has been a volunteer sorter for our bureau for several years.
Jerry’s situation is a reminder that we all need to be careful when
participating in Field Day. June heat can be dangerous.
The
new address for the Bureau is:
W5
Incoming QSL Bureau
It
is party time. Break out the cake, break
out the punch. (Some of us may have to settle for a Diet Coke) The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is
celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year. West Gulf Director Dr.
David Woolweaver (K5RAV) featured the anniversary of ARES in a recent issue of
the West Gulf Division News and recognized several ARES heroes who have given
their time, effort, and expertise in disaster situations. One of those recognized was our own former
WTX SEC Bob Ward. Bob (WA5ROE) was one
of my first Field Service appointments during my first term as Section Manager.
Bob probably did not realize what I was getting him into and I definitely did
not realize what I had volunteered for. Bob retired as SEC and continues as District
Emergency Coordinator for his area with
Normally,
I would not comment on anonymous emails but I received an interesting one this
week that prompted me to do some research. I really do not know if he/she was
serious or not but he suggested that it was time for a West Texas Tea Party.
His basic theme was that his ARRL dues were too high and the Section Managers,
etc. were not doing enough to support local clubs/groups. If I had a way of replying
directly, I would point out that the last dues increase was in 2001. Wish I
could roll some of my other bills back to the 2001 level. As far as being more
involved with the membership and clubs, I checked my travel log and came up
with some numbers that even surprised me. In the last 12 months, Carla and I
have traveled over 8000 miles, spent 47 days on the road, and 28 nights away
from home on behalf of the ARRL. No way to even estimate
how many ARRL members we have been able to visit with but I do know that we
have been directly responsible for 260 new/renewed ARRL members so far in 2010.
My travel expenses for the past year have run in excess of $6000. Your dues offset $1596 of those expenses. The
remainder I pay out-of-pocket. Fellows,
I am not sure how much more volunteerism I can afford, or how many more hotel
breakfasts my stomach can handle. Please do not take this as a complaint. Just
an honest appraisal of the cost of volunteerism and without volunteerism, our
organization would cease to exist.
I am having some health problems that require
daily treatment at
See
you in the
John
Dyer
AE5B
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Monthly
Section Emergency Coordinator Report to ARRL Headquarters
ARRL
Section:
AMATEUR
RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE
Total
# of ARES members: 301 Change since last month: +4
DEC's/EC's and Net reporting
this month 20: ARES nets active: 15 Number with NTS
liaison: 3
Calls
of DEC's/EC's reporting:
W5NPR, KM5VM, W5ZOX, KD5HYB, WT5C, KD5KBU,
KD4LXC,
KD5URW, KE5GRQ, KC5NHV, NL7C, KB5HPT, N5DO, WA5NBP, KB5HGM,
N5SQK,
KE5UAL, KE5NYB, N5DO, AE5SN
Number
of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 16 Man
Hours: 190
Number
of public service events this month: 2 Man hours: 29
Number
of emergency operations this month: 0 Man hours: 0
Total
number of ARES operations this month: 16 Total Man hours: 219
Comments
SEC:
Thankfully,
we have continued to have little in the way of emergency needs. That is great
but we need to stay ready to respond should the need arise. Ares is now
celebrating 75 years since its beginning in amateur radio. It is ARES, RACES,
MARS and Skywarn combined today that all support emergency communications
needs. It is changing in scope continually as new methods of communicating become
available and more services are defined.
I
strongly support those who experiment with new methods, antennas, digital,
internet, and a never-ending supply of new and exciting radio's and software
programs. I have received several e-mails asking about HF antennas for
emergency use. If you have experience with the NVIS antennas, I would like you
to drop me an e-mail. Maybe during your set drills this year you can give it a try. All input is appreciated.
J.T.
Caldwell WA5ZFH
Following
Comments taken from EC Monthly Reports:
The Tom Green County ARES group held their monthly meeting
on 19 Aug 2010. We had a good group meeting discussing several items on the
group’s agenda. Went over some ideas for some possible
exercises in the upcoming SET in October or November time frame; reviewed what
still need to be done with the last antenna installation on the roof of the EOC
and what still need to be done with radio room at the city/county EOC; looked
at another work day for working in the radio room; and reviewed training dates
for the WebEOC and discussed a possible new project
for the group.
Signature: Mike Dominy Title: Tom
Green County EC Call sign: KD5URW
The
equipment testing this month was with the HSMM-MESH nodes. We are still
exploring the DRATS program. We were able to use the chat features, send and
receive message forms such as the ICS-213, memos, etc. We could upload and
download files to and from each station. The radio used in this exercise is a
Linksys WRT54 series router. The D-RATS program is the DSTAR
low speed data program. On July 28 El Paso County
ARES participated in a Tactical Interoperable Communications Plan (TICP)
exercise with Dona Ana County, NM ARES. This was a State of New Mexico Region 6
(including Otero, Dona Ana, Grant, Sierra,
Dale, KD5YBG, Warren, KE5APX, Ed, KD5MFS, and myself, KB5HPT.
Signature:
Lew Maxwell Title: ARRL Emergency Coordinator,
Call
sign: KB5HPT
Brewster County ARES participated in the regional hospital /
EOC net from three locations: the Brewster County EOC located at the Sheriff’s
Office, the Alpine EOC located at the Alpine PD, and the
Signature: David L. Cockrum Title:
EC Call sign: N5DO
Traffic
Reports:
W5NPR
Cycle 1, 11 Cycle 2, 13 KM5VM Cycle 1, 30 Cycle 2, 29
Traffic
Delivered: 0
Traffic
Relayed: 0
As
much as I would like to acknowledge all Counties and Nets
it would create more than we can
accommodate in our report. All are read that are
sent in and it gives me and John AE5B the
important input we need. Thanks for your input....
As
time permits I will attempt to drop in on your nets...
J.T.
Signature:
J.T. Caldwell WTX Section Emergency Coordinator Call Sign:WA5ZFH
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Silent
Key Report
Billy G. (Bill) Yarbrough N5ENW Odessa (formerly of
C. A. Ross KM5OK
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Name/sessions/checkins