EVARC Upcoming Events/Announcements
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Covid 19 reference linksYou may find these links useful on the latest COVID-19 information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Google COVID-19 Information & Resources Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health
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Next meeting of the Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio ClubDate: Saturday,
December 11, 2021 NOTE: This is the annual election of officers meeting. Please attend and vote for the 2022 Club Officers! Minutes from the November 13, 2021 meeting minutes are available and can be read here Visitors and guests are always welcome to the meeting. |
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Northeast Nebraska Hamfest - Nov 20, 2021Thank you everyone that attended the Northeast Nebraska Hamfest. It was a success even though our Vender could not make it to the event. In case you didn't know his truck broke down and he unable to get it fixed in time to drive from Kansas for the hamfest. There was lots of buying and selling at the Flea Market, and people enjoying conversation with fellow hams. Thanks to Aaron, KT0Q, and Mark, WD9FYU for their seminars on the Adrino and the basics of digital radio. We home to see everyone again next year. Happy Thanksgiving to all. |
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Amazon SmileThe club is now an Amazon Smile donation recipient. If you purchase items from Amazon and have and account, go to your Amount & Lists, Click "Your Amazon Smile", and search for and select "Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio Club". Then when your order an item from Amazon, start each shopping session at the "amazon smile" web site. A small portion (0.5%) of your order price will then be donated to the club. The club is a registered 502c3 non-profit organization. The club recently received a check from Amazon for over $25.00. If you haven't set your "charity" to "Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio Club", please do so! Then order through the Amazon Smile home page! |
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Special Operating Events
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Local VHF/UHF Nets
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Midwest and Nebraska Section NewsThe Midwest Division Monthly Newsletter can be read on their web site. http://www.arrlmidwest.org. The latest Nebraska Sections news can be found on the Nebraska Section Facebook page or the ARRL Nebraska Section news web page. -... -.- |
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Test Sessions within 200 miles of
Norfolk, NE
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12/11/2021 - Boone IA 50036-2222 Sponsor: Boone Amateur Radio Klub
Date: Dec 11 2021
Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Steven C. Huffman
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Boone Pioneer Center
1112 Story St
Boone IA 50036-2222
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12/14/2021 - Yankton, SD 57078-1317 Sponsor: Prairie Dog Amt Radio Club
Date: Dec 14 2021
Time: 4:00 PM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead)
Contact: Fred L. DeRoos
(605) 665-2590
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Christ the King Luthern Church
305 W 25th St
Yankton SD 57078-1317
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12/18/2021 - Sioux City, IA 51101 Sponsor: Sooland Amt Radio Assoc Date: Dec 18 2021 Time: 10:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed) Contact: Tim T. Jarman (712) 223-4033 Email: [email protected] VEC: ARRL/VEC Location: Downtown Public Library 529 Pierce St Conference Room Sioux City IA 51101
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12/21/2021 - Hastings, NE 68901-3445 Sponsor: Armature Radio Assoc of Nebras
Date: Dec 21 2021
Time: 6:00 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Allen D. Harpham
(402) 462-4619
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Hastings Municipal Airport Terminal
3300 W 12th St
Hastings NE 68901-3445
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01/06/2022 - Lincoln NE 68506-5428 Sponsor: Lincoln ARC
Date: Jan 06 2022
Time: 6:30 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Christopher W. Evens
(402) 613-3484
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: College View SDA Church
4801 Prescott Ave
Heartland Hall B MASKS REQUIRED
Enter E Ent #1 Handicap main
Lincoln NE 68506-5428
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02/03/2022 - Lincoln, NE v68506-5428 Sponsor: Lincoln ARC
Date: Feb 03 2022
Time: 6:30 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Christopher W. Evens
(402) 613-3484
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: College View SDA Church
4801 Prescott Ave
Heartland Hall B
Enter E Ent #1 Handicap main
Lincoln NE 68506-5428
MASKS REQUIRED
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02/12/2022 - Papillion, NE 68046 Sponsor: Bellevue ARC
Date: Feb 12 2022
Time: 1:00 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Michael Turner
(402) 291-2034
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Midlands Hospital
11111 S 84th St
Papillion NE 68046
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02/17/2022 - Norfolk, NE Sponsor: Elkhorn Valley ARC
Date: Feb 17 2022
Time: 5:30 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: John L 'Monty'. Wilson
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Norfolk Public Library
308 W Prospect Ave
Room A
Norfolk NE 68701-4138
MASKS PROVIDED
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For more testing locations see the ARRL Testing Web page and the W5YI-VEC page -... -.- |
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Hamfests/Conventions
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NOTE: Recommend you
check the event before scheduled date. Events may be cancelled with short
notice. A source is the
ARRL
Hamfest data base for canceled events. | |
04/09/2022 - Spring Cleanup Hamfest, Bellevue, NE Start Date: 04/09/2022
End Date: 04/09/2022
Location: Reed Community Center
1200 Lord Blvd.
Bellevue, NE 68005
Website: http://www.bellevuearc.org
Sponsor: Bellevue Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 147.39 PL 131.8
Public Contact: Dennis Mitchell , KC0YKN
8519 S. 47th Ave.
Bellevue, NE 68157
Phone: 402-690-2587
Email: [email protected]
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05/14/2022 - ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, NE Start Date: 05/14/2022
End Date: 05/14/2022
Location: Lancaster Events Center
4100 N 84th Street
Lincoln, NE 68501
Website: http://lincolnhamfest.org
Sponsor: Lincoln Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
Type: ARRL Convention
Talk-In: 146.760-
Public Contact: Ed Holloway , KØRPT
8310 Sandalwood Dr.
Lincoln, NE 68510
Phone: 402-326-1139
Email: [email protected]
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10/15/2022 - Hamboree 2022, Boone IA 50036 Start Date: 10/15/2022
End Date: 10/15/2022
Location: Boone County, Iowa fair community building
1601 Industrial Park Rd
Boone, IA 50036
Website: http://www.3900club.com
Sponsor: 3900 Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.850-, no tone
Public Contact: Clay Conard , W0FS
PO Box 286
Stratford, IA 50249
Phone: 515-838-2285
Email: [email protected]
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For a complete listing of Hamfests go to the ARRL Hamfest Search page -... -.- |
News From the ARRL Letter December 2, 2021 |
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Two 160-Meter Events in December Give Nod to 1921 Transatlantic TestsIn December, there will be two opportunities for 160-meter operators to fill the airwaves with activity and to test skills and stations on that band. The events take place a century after the transatlantic tests of the 1920s, which ushered in the dawn of international amateur radio communication. The annual ARRL 160-Meter Contest [began] at 2200 UTC on Friday, December 3, and end[ed] at 1559 UTC on Sunday, December 5. [Hope you had a chance to participate]
During the QSO Party, ARRL will activate W1AW from Newington, Connecticut. RSGB will activate GB2ZE with help from a team of stations, including members of the GMDX Group of Scotland sharing the operating duties. GB2ZE commemorates the call sign of Paul Godley, 2ZE, who was sent by ARRL to the UK to lead the second Transatlantic Test in December 1921. W1AW will be active for all 6 hours. Stations operating as GB2ZE will follow this schedule: 0200 UTC, from the commemorative station at Ardrossan, Scotland 0300 UTC, from GM3YTS 0400 UTC, from GM0GAV 0500 UTC, from MM0ZBH 0600 UTC, from MM0GPZ 0700 UTC, from GM4ZUK until 0800 UTC, or until the band closes at sunrise. The GMDX Group will award a quaich -- a traditional Scottish drinking cup representing friendship -- to the first stations in North America and the UK to complete contacts with both W1AW and GB2ZE during the QSO Party. A commemorative certificate will be available for download. Participants will not have to submit logs. The official logs from W1AW and GB2ZE will be used to determine the winners and for certificates. For additional details, visit http://www.arrl.org/transatlantic or rsgb.org/main/activity/transatlantic-tests. -... -.- |
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Dayton Hamvention Expects to be Live Event in 2022Dayton Hamvention® organizers are planning to mount the first in-person show in 2022, following 2 years of COVID-related cancellations. The event is set for May 20 – 22 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Last January, Hamvention organizers from the sponsoring Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) announced they were calling off the 2021 event after considerable planning was already under way. The Hamvention Executive Committee cited lagging COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the US and the emergence of a more communicable form of the virus.
Nominations for the 2022 Hamvention Awards opened on November 1. Hamvention seeks “the best of the best” nominees for its Technical Achievement, Special Achievement, Amateur of the Year, and Club of the Year awards. Nominations close on February 15, 2022. Submit nomination forms via email or USPS to Hamvention Awards Committee, Box 964, Dayton, OH 45401-0964 Contest University (CTU) will take place on May 19 in conjunction with the annual Hamvention Super Suite activities, which will be moving to the Hope Hotel in Dayton. In addition to CTU, these activities will include the Top Band Dinner, the Contest Dinner, and the KC DX Club’s CW-copying competition, among other possible events. -... -.- |
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YOTA Month Continues to Expand into the AmericasDecember is
YOTA Month, celebrating and encouraging Youngsters/Youth On the Air.
Amateur radio operators who are 25 years old and younger will be helming
special event stations around the world throughout December in
celebration of youth in amateur radio. YOTA Month stations will be on
all bands and modes at various times.
In the US, the call signs will once again be K8Y, K8O, K8T, and K8A. Three new DXCC entities will be participating for the first time. Argentina will be active as LR1YOTA, Cuba as CO0YOTA, and Peru as OA0YOTA. Other countries may be added. Listen for these stations, as well as other call signs with YOTA suffixes. Last year, 28 operators in the Americas participated in YOTA Month, and this year, Youth in the Americas anticipates an increased level of youth activity from South America. Last year, young hams around the world surpassed their goal of 100,000 contacts during YOTA Month, with a final tally of 137,000. Stations in the Americas logged 14,700 of those contacts. Overlapping with YOTA Month is Round 3 of the YOTA Contest, December 30, 2021, 1200 - 2359 UTC. More information about YOTA Month is available on the Youth on the Air website, which is sponsored by Icom America. -... -.- |
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IARU Reports Another Over-the-Horizon Radar System is Under Construction in IndiaIn October, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) newsletter reported on the continuing run of over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) troublemakers that often cause severe interference on amateur radio bands — primarily in IARU Regions 1 and 3 but are audible in the rest of the world. Now, another threat is looming, IARU Region 1 says.
According to the report, the radar prototype is to have two different types of radar arrays — a log-periodic wire antenna array and a broadband monopole antenna array. It is believed that the log-periodic antenna array will be used to determine the best maximum usable frequency (MUF), which is known to depend on current conditions in the ionosphere and the sunspot cycle. The monopole antenna will consist of a 32-element array. The actual system will be developed after extensive testing and evaluation, but the report gave no timeline or completion date. “OTHRs often massively interfere with amateur radio,” the IARU Region 1 report said, citing the well-known Russian “Contayner” OTHR, an OTHR at the UK base in the Republic of Cyprus, and others in Iran and China. “They are present daily on several frequencies within the exclusive amateur radio HF bands,” IARU Region 1 said. The best-known Chinese OTHR — called “Foghorn” because of its distinctive sound — has signals at varying sweep rates that occupy 10 kHz of spectrum. The IARUMS newsletter reported other OTHRs occupying 160 kHz of bandwidth with 10 scan-per-second rates. “Depending on propagation, some familiar broadcast stations were also audible almost daily in Europe, including Radio Ethiopia on 7110 kHz with an often very strong signal,” the newsletter also reported. -... -.- |
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ARDC Grants Will Expand Emergency Capabilities in Haiti and the US Virgin IslandsGrants from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) will benefit amateur radio emergency communication networks in Haiti and the US Virgin Islands (USVI). The $14,864 grant to the Haiti International Friendship Amateur Radio
Club (HIFARC) will enable the club to set up a network of HF stations to
provide emergency communications to remote areas cut off by the August
2021 earthquake. The 7.2-magnitude earthquake made evident the urgent
need for better emergency communications. The earthquake completely cut
off communications to some areas of the country, making emergency
responders unable to get information on the extent of the damage caused
and what supplies and equipment were needed. The lack of communication
capability hindered the ability of responders to deal with the
humanitarian crisis.
The HIFARC, in coordination with the Radio Club d’Haiti, plans to set up an HF emergency communications network. Haitian amateurs have identified six potential stations, and HIFARC plans to provide the equipment and personnel to set them up. Grant funds will allow HIFARC to outfit each station with a small generator, an HF transceiver, a power supply, and a wire antenna. Working closely with the Radio Club d’Haiti, HIFARC helps to train new hams and bolster the emergency communications network there. The St. Croix Amateur Radio Club (STXARC) in the USVI will use its ARDC grant to augment the territory’s repeater infrastructure, enabling the purchase of backup repeaters, improving repeater coverage, and training and equipping new hams. When two Category 5 hurricanes — Irma and Maria — hit the USVI in 2017, hams gathered to help. The two monster storms left the power grid and communication infrastructure in shambles, with 95% of St. Croix’s electric utility poles and antenna structures dismantled. The USVI government’s primary land mobile radio (LMR) trunked radio system was essentially non-functional, and the Army National Guard couldn’t be heard on any radio frequency for a week following the storms. Territory amateur radio clubs went into action, employing skills learned during hundreds of hours of training exercises. St. Croix ham operators quickly established a daily HF net to support first responders. A single surviving ham repeater provided limited communications between islands. These links provided critical information and communications for governmental and non-governmental agencies, as well as local emergency managers and law enforcement. The $27,955 ARDC grant will enable USVI hams to bolster the amateur radio infrastructure and train new operators to improve ham radio’s ability to respond to future disasters. The funds will allow the Virgin Islands Amateur Radio Group (VIARG) — a group formed after the 2017 hurricanes — to purchase backup repeaters, more resilient antennas that will also expand coverage, and training materials. ARRL US Virgin Islands Section Manager and VIARG President Fred Kleber, K9VV/NP2X, commented, “The generous ARDC grant will allow VIARG to improve and harden the territory’s critical amateur repeater system, and adding digital communications capabilities marks a new chapter for new and future territory amateurs.” ARDC funds projects and organizations that follow amateur radio’s practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science and technology. -... -.- |
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In Brief............
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Education and Training
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CLOSING ITEMSThe EVARC weekly net meets every Monday evening at 7:30 PM on the club 2 meter repeater (146.73 -). Check-in to the net to hear an update on activities of other club members, announcements of local interest, and any late breaking information. Everyone is welcome to check in. The EVARC weekly rag chew net meets every Thursday evening at 7:30 PM on the club 440 repeater (444.250 +). Check-in for general discussion and a weekly trivia question. Want to try your hand as Net Control? Contact Fred, K0FJW, or Shane, KE0APG. ... -.- |
The purpose of this
newsletter is to provide information to local hams with items of interest.
It is compiled from local, regional, and national sources. Created by Monty Wilson, NRØA.
Contact the Webmaster with
comments or questions..
(1).jpg "The cover of the December 2021 issue of QST commemorates the centenary of the Transatlantic Tests, which contributed to the rise of international amateur radio communications in the 1920s")
On
December 12 -- and not to be confused with the ARRL 160-Meter Contest --
ARRL and the RSGB will jointly sponsoring the 160-Meter Transatlantic
Centenary QSO Party. This 6-hour event will run from 0200 to 0800 UTC.
The event coincides with the 100th anniversary of the successful Second
Transatlantic Tests. Participating stations will operate only on CW,
trying to contact the two official call sign activations, W1AW and
GB2ZE. The stations may listen for callers 1 kHz above their
transmitting frequency, to shift the pileup from their transmit
frequency. They may also periodically ask for DX callers only. The
exchange is call sign and signal report. 
Southgate
Amateur Radio News quotes Hamvention General Chairman Rick Allnutt,
WS8G, as saying that Hamvention committees “have been meeting, and
volunteers are committed to making up for the time lost to pandemic
cancellations.” The Hamvention website is already accepting bookings
from vendors and inside exhibitors, and individual visitors can already
buy tickets, which Allnutt said, “are all printed and ready to go.” 
.png "An over-the-horizon radar antenna system.")
IARU
Region 1 has cited a report by Alpha Defense India that the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (.jpg)
Solar activity was up this week. Average daily sunspot number
increased from 26.9 to 46.1, and average daily solar flux was up
10.8 points to 90.9. Geomagnetic indicators were a little
higher. Average daily planetary A index increased from 7.9 to
8.7, and average daily middle latitude A index from 5.4 to 6.3.
The
latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 23)
features an in-depth discussion of Q-Signals, along with several
on-the-air examples.
The
latest episode of the Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 48)
features a conversation about the technical aspects of the 1921
Transatlantic Tests with Clark Burgard, N1BCG. We also chat about
on-air activities surrounding the upcoming anniversary.
PH21XMAS
will be a special Merry Christmas 2021 operation, conducted
jointly by Radio Scouting, PI4RS, and Plusscouts, PA3EFR/J, from
various locations in the Netherlands. PH21XMAS will be on the
air December 6 - January 3, and PH22HNY will be on the air
December 10 - January 31. Operation will be on SSB and digital
modes.
With authorization from the US Navy's 3rd Fleet Spectrum
Manager, the Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (