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Getting on the air at Diamond Head

The Art of Making a Contact By Radio

While "amateur" means "for love", many amateur radio operators approach the pastime and contributions of amateur radio with as much zeal and passion as their professional interests. It is more than a hobby. It's a world of continual discovery, knowledge, and friendships beyond compare. Lifetime friendships and knowledge that enhance careers, families, your community.

The menu on the left will take you to my regular web pages. The notes below capture recent activities and tell of upcoming events. You can also get news at the ARRL Pacific Section web page.

There's so much to write about amateur radio, and there's just not enough time to make all the web pages that I would like. Enjoy, and feel free to drop me an e-mail if you have any questions. -- Ron, KH6D

The Tinyurl shortcuts to this web page are: http://tinyurl.com/ah6rh-0 and http://tinyurl.com/dzrwel

"Amateur Radio -- Staying connected in times of emergency." - Robin, AH6CP January 18, 2010

"Get knowledgeable and proficient in amateur radio now. There's not enough time to learn during an emergency." - Ron, KH6D October 24, 2010


Hawaii Calendar of Events for 2023

December 25, 2022, updated November 16, 2023

Amateur radio clubs and organizations around Hawaii sponsor or participate in a variety of operating events and meetings. This is a list of key events around the state. Dates marked with (?) are guesstimates based on previous year's schedule.

Date Event
2023 Official ARRL Contest Calendar
Thu December 31, 2022 2:00 pm HST to Fri January 1, 2023 1:59 pm HST ARRL Straight Key Night
January 7, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to 1:59 pm HST
ARRL Kids Day
January 7, 2023+
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL RTTY Roundup
January 21, 2023+
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 5:59 pm HST
ARRL January VHF Contest
January 28, 2023
Sat 9 am to 2 pm HST
Big Island International Hamfest, BIARC and KHRC, Big Island, Waimea Community Center, 65-1260 Kawaihae Road, 146.94- PL 114.8 Haleakala, 147.32+ PL 100.0 Waimea, 443.650+ PL 100 Kona For more information: Steve Milner – [email protected]
February 13-17, 2023
Mon 3 am to Fri 1:59 pm HST
School Club Roundup
February 17-19, 2023
Fri 2 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL DX Contest - CW
March 3-4, 2023
Fri 2 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL DX Contest - Phone
March 24-25, 2023
Fri 2 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
CQ WPX Contest - Phone
March 25, 2023
Sat 9:00-12:00 noon
EARC Swap Meet, 891 Valkenburg St. For info and to reserve a seller's table, contact Pono WH6CPH at gmail.com
April 16, 2023
Sun 8:00 am to 1:59 pm HST
Rookie Roundup - Phone
Fri May 26-27, 2023
Sun 8:00 am to 1:59 pm HST
CQ WPX Contest - CW
Sat May 27, 2023 (?) American Red Cross Hurricane Exercise
June 3-4, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 1:59 pm HST
International Digital Contest
June 3, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 2:00 pm
Museum Ships Weekend (See USS Missouri)
June 10-11, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 5:59 pm HST
ARRL June VHF Contest
June 17, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to 2:00 pm HST
ARRL Kids Day
June 24-25, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 10:59 am HST
ARRL Field Day and Hawaii Field Day
July 8-9, 2023
Sat 2:00 am to Sun 1:59 pm HST
IARU HF World Championship
Aug 5-6, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 1:59 pm HST
222 MHz and Up Distances
August 12, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL EME - 2.3 GHz & Up
August 19, 2023+
Sat 6:00 am to Sun midnight HST
ARRL 10 GHz & Up - Round 1
Aug 20, 2023
Sun 8:00 am to 1:59 pm HST
Rookie Roundup - RTTY
Sat August 25, 2023+ Hawaii QSO Party
September 9-10, 2023
Sat 8:00 am to Sun 5:59 pm HST
ARRL September VHF Contest
September 15, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
CQ World Wide Contest - RTTY
September 16, 2023+
Sat 6:00 am to Sun midnight HST
ARRL 10 GHz & Up - Round 2
September 17, 2023
Sun 1:00 to 5:00 pm HST
Hawaiian Island Grid Madness
September 24, 2023
Sun
Geek Meet XIV
October 4, 2023
Wed 8:20 am HST
Nationwide Emergency Alert Test, Hawaii Winlink Test New
October 14, 2023
Sat 9:00 am to 12 noon HST
ARRL Simulated Emergency Test New
October 16-20, 2023
Mon 3 am HST to Fri 1:59 pm HST
School Club Roundup
October 27, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
CQ World Wide Contest - Phone
October 27, 2023+
Fri
ARRL EME - 50 to 1296 MHz
November 3, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest - CW
November 17, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest - Phone
November 24, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
CQ World Wide Contest - CW
Fri December 1?, 2023+ SKYWARN Recognition Day
December 1, 2023+
Fri 12:00 pm to Sun 5:59 am
ARRL 160 Meter Contest
December 8, 2023+
Fri 2:00 pm to Sun 1:59 pm HST
ARRL 10 Meter Contest
December 10, 2023
Sunday HST
Communications for Honolulu Marathon. Email Greg NH6ZS for more details.
December 17, 2023
Sun 8:00 am to 1:59 pm HST
Rookie Roundup - CW
December 23, 2023
Saturday HST
EARC Mini-Field Day, Wahiawa
December 26, 2023-January 4, 2024
Tue 2:00 pm-1:59 pm HST
D-STAR QSO Party 2023 New
Sat Sept 2, 2023(?) USS Missouri, KH6BB, Anniversary of the End of WWII
Updated Monthly ARRL Pacific Section News

COVID Travel Information for Hawaii, State Portal

January 8, 2022

For information on COVID travel information for the State of Hawaii, click on this link.

State of Hawaii Mobile Electronics Law

January 8, 2022

For information on the State of Hawaii law regarding using electronic while mobile, click on this link.

Information on Hawaii VHF/UHF Repeaters

December 25, 2022

For information on the Amateur Radio VHF/UHF Repeaters in Hawaii, click on this link.

Information on Hawaii Emergency Communications

January 8, 2022

For information on the Amateur Radio emergency communications in Hawaii, click on this link.

Hawaii ARES

January 8, 2022 updated April 30, 2022

For information on the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) in Hawaii, click on this link.

FCC removes symbol rate restrictions for amateur radio

November 16, 2023

The FCC amended Part 97 of the Commission's Amateur Radio Service Rules to Permit Greater Flexibility in Data Communications. Click on this link for details. Click on this link for the proposed rulemaking. Click on this link for ARRL's news report.

For information on this rule making WT Docket No. 16-239, RM-11708, click on this link.

NEWS RELEASE: HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY LAUNCHES SIREN STATUS MAP, OFFERING VISUAL TOOL TO SHOW LATEST STATEWIDE TEST RESULTS

October 24, 2023

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) on Wednesday posted an interactive map showing the location of 418 alert and warning sirens across the state, as well as their operational status as of the most recent monthly test.

For information on this news release, click on this link.

Nationwide Emergency Alert Test, Hawaii Winlink Test

September 30, 2023, updated October 4, 2023

From Carter Davis, KH6FV

As many of you know, a Nationwide Emergency Alert Test will be conducted by FEMA/FCC on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at approximately 8:20am HST. I thought this would be another great opportunity for amateur radio operators in Hawaii to use Winlink and the Hawaii Siren report to show who and where the messages were received.

Open Winlink and select a new message. Then under the SELECT TEMPLATE dropdown menu in the Hawaii section select the Hawaii Siren report. Leave the message check marked as a monthly test. provide your county and location. The big change is select "Other w/Remarks in Comments", then place in the comments section how you got the alert: cell phone (include your cell phone carrier), TV (include the station call letters), AM/FM Broadcast Radio (include the station call letters). If by 9:20am HST (1 hour later), you did not receive any alert, please send a "Did not Hear Siren" report and place in the comments, FEMA National Test and what means (cell phone, TV, AM/FM radio) you were monitoring.

This Winlink reporting is only being done in Hawaii using the Hawaii Siren Report. Do not send a report from a non-Hawaii location.

Mahalo for practicing sending Winlink messages, participating and reporting you received this national test.

Carter, KH6FV

Test Messages Will be Sent to All TVs, Radios and Cell Phones

WASHINGTON -- FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET (8:20 am HST) on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.

October 2023 IPAWS Test Results

Ron KH6D reported that the cellular phones alerts were activated at 8:18 am HST. The radio and TV alerts were activated at 8:20 am HST. The regular local broadcast stations that were on the air had a banner at the top of the screen carrying the text of the alert. For the channels on the Spectrum Cable TV system, two text pages containing the alert message was displayed on the screen a total of three times. The Spectrum Cable alerts overrode the local broadcast station programming and alert that was in progress at 8:20 am.

Carter Davis KH6FV reported the following results. A total of 33 stations reported via Winlink. 30 stations were on Oahu, 3 from the Big Island, 6 from Kauai and 3 from Maui. All stations except one from Kailua-Kona on the Big Island reported receiving at least the cell phone text message alert. The Kailua-Kona station reported getting no cell phone test alert.

The Winlink generated maps have orange pins for stations reporting at least a cell phone test alert. The single red pin reported receiving no cell phone test alert.

Amateur Radio Operators Invited to participate in Asteroid Bounce Experiment

December 23, 2022

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign/experiment on December 27, 2022, with transmissions between 1100 - 2300 UTC (0100 - 1300 HST).

This experiment will reflect HAARP transmissions off of Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 2010 XC15, and the echo will be received by the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA) at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and by the University of New Mexico's Long Wavelength Array (UNM-LWA). The target asteroid will be roughly two lunar distances away from Earth at the time of transmission. Characterizing the interior structure and composition of NEAs is critical for advancing the understanding of solar system evolution and aiding in planetary defense.

Actual transmit times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric conditions and all information is subject to change. Currently, the Asteroid Bounce (2010 XC15) experiment will take place Dec. 27, 2022, from 1100 UTC to 2300 UTC; 9.6 MHz, LFM (linear FM), 0.5 Hz WRF (waveform repetition frequency), 30 kHz bandwidth. Reports recording echo are encouraged; demodulated recordings in .wav or .mp3 are recommended.

For information on this event, click on this link.

Rep. Bill Johnson Introduces Bill to Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio

December 23, 2022

Congressman Bill Johnson (OH-6) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R.9670) on Thursday, December 22, 2022, to eliminate private land use restrictions that prohibit, restrict, or impair the ability of an Amateur Radio Operator from operating and installing amateur station antennas on property subject to the control of the Amateur Radio Operator.

The exponential growth of communities subject to private land use restrictions that prohibit both the operation of Amateur Radio and the installation of amateur station antennas has significantly restricted the growth of the Amateur Radio Service. These restrictions are pervasive in private common interest residential communities such as single-family subdivisions, condominiums, cooperatives, gated communities, master-planned communities, planned unit developments, and communities governed by community associations. The restrictions have particularly impacted the ability of Amateur Radio to fulfill its statutorily mandated duty of serving as a voluntary noncommercial emergency communications service.

For information, click on this link.

The AH6RH archives

January 3, 2024

If you're looking for past items, click here.

Find out more by contacting:  KH6D.73 (remove this part) @ gmail . com
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Updated: January 3, 2024
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