Posted 10:47 PM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
Volunteers Needed October 18, 19 and 20 for Special Olympics Fall Games
Ham radio operators are needed as volunteers for the Special Olympics Fall Games in Gainesville, GA, October 18, 19 and 20. This is a joint activity between the Georgia Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Lanierland Amateur Radio Club and the Georgia Baptists Association and all volunteers will get hats, t-shirt, and a name badge for participating!
So far only about 15 people have signed up for these events, and we are in need of at least 18 operators each day. If you can volunteer, please let Todd Bowden, AF4CZ ([email protected]) or Phil Loggins, K4PDL ([email protected]) know your NAME, T-SHIRT size, and DAYS that you will be able to work. All this must be turned in by the week of August 26, or else it may not be possible to get a tshirt and hat for every volunteer.
In addition to the seven venues we will have shadows and other positions for communicators. Please let Todd or Phil know as soon as possible what days you can volunteer. The event director with the radio group needs to know how to proceed and can only do so when he finds out what volunteers he has. Currently, we do not have enough volunteers to commit to these events, and we will have to back out if we do not get more support. Please volunteer whenever you can and show your support of the ham radio community in hosting large events like these.

Posted 12:14 PM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
VE Sessions
August 25 will be the "new beginning" of the VE sessions back at the GA Tech Student Center (Room 301) at 2:30 PM. For more info, contact DAVID ZISKIND, KE4QLH, at [email protected], or at (404) 966-6864.
Talking about VE sessions, to date, I've only heard about 15 different VE sessions around the state: Acworth, Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Cartersville, Columbus, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Lilburn, Marietta, Newnan, Peachtree City, Snellville, and Stone Mountain. If YOUR session isn't listed, please send the info my way. I'd appreciate it. Thanks a lot.
Y'all take care, now. And keep the news a-coming!
73, Susan

Posted 12:11 PM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
Ellijay Hamfest, August 24
Also, on August 24 is the ELLIJAY hamfest. However, it will be held in a different location this year. It has been moved to the City/County Park, just south of the intersection of Old Hwy. 5 South and State Route 282, just across Rte. 282 from the Dairy Queen. I've been told that it's not hard to find at all, so maybe I'll see you there....73, Susan

Posted 12:08 PM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
Technican Classes "Train the Trainer" August 24 in Fayetteville
Heard about the one-day technician classes that have been so successful in helping folks get that entry level license? Well, as promised, WADE MASSENGILL, KU4OJ, will be conducting a "train the trainer" class on Saturday, August 24, at 10AM at his home in Fayetteville, to enable other instructors to take his methods back to their own area to set up the same sort of classes. Although this was originally set up to instruct some potential instructors from Cherokee county, Wade has graciously offered to open up this class to any other interested hams.
So, if you've been wondering about how the one-day classes work, and thinking that it might be something that you'd like to be able to offer in your neck of the woods, here's your golden opportunity. Although there's no charge for the class itself, Wade does have a CD with a power point show that he's developed that costs 20 dollars. If you'd like to learn how to do it from the fella who knows how.... get in touch with Wade at [email protected]. He said that if necessary, the class can be re-located to better accomodate a larger number of folks. Sincere thanks to Wade for so generously offering his time and his talents to benefit other hams, and other prospective hams, as well.
73, Susan

Posted 12:00 PM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
Cobb, Cherokee and N. Fulton County ARES to hold Simulated Emergency Test!
Beginning at approximately 12 noon on Sunday, August 18, 2002, the Cobb, Cherokee and North Fulton County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), in conjunction and with the cooperation of the Marietta Fire Department�s Crisis Management Center (CMC), the Cobb County EOC and the Red Cross Service Center will hold a joint simulated emergency test (SET) operating under the scenario that a Tornado has developed and has been sighted over Marietta Georgia.
Amateur Radio Operators (HAMs) volunteers from the three counties will be mobilized and participate in the exercise simulating an actual disaster. Upwards of fifty licensed HAM radio operators together with their personal sophisticated communications equipment will deploy in the same manner they would should a disaster occur. Under the direction of Bob Butler W4RBB, the Emergency Coordinator for ARES, Cobb County. Pre-designatedTeams will be dispatched to locations which include the Crisis Management Center, The Cobb EOC as well as the Red Cross Service Center to establish initial communications and control.

Posted 10:42 AM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program registration (Aug 16, 2002) -- Registration for the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level II (EC-002) and Antenna Modeling (EC-004) courses will remain open through the weekend of August 17-18. Registration for Level III and HF Digital Communications courses opens Monday, August 19, at 4 PM Eastern Time. Updates on the federally funded Amateur Radio emergency communications training program have been posted. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page and the C-CE Links found there. For more information, contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program, [email protected].

Posted 10:36 AM by Mike Boatright, KO4WX
Homeland Security Grant Training Set to Start September 1 (Aug 16, 2002) -- Amateur Radio emergency communications training supported by a $181,900 federal homeland security grant will begin within a few weeks instead of next year as reported initially. The grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) special volunteer program was announced July 18. During its first year, the grant will reimburse the cost of Level I ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course training for up to 1700 volunteers.