San Antonio Hams

At the end of 2012, without any trumpets blaring or other fanfare, Gary WF5Y, aka Grumpy, opened his new store location at 2002 CeeGee Lane, San Antonio, TX 78217.

He’s currently offering a line of Ham Radio pieces and parts, plus some Baofeng HT radios, antennas, wiring and coax, the various kits and electronic parts available thru his website, www.grumpyshop.net, etc.  He has a small selection of used equipment on consignment, and takes the attitude of “if you don’t see what you want, ask me about it.”   He is waiting on a shipment of stuff from MFJ, who apparently back ordered it.

To get there from where ever, get on Loop 410 and travel to Broadway. Exit Broadway and go north (outside the loop) to the 2nd traffic light. Turn left on CeeGee (toward the airport) and follow the street until you reach the end of the block.  GrumpyShop is on the left. He has one sign up out in front, but it’s facing Aero Blvd, which is the street that CeeGee dead ends into.  Parking is on the side of the building, off CeeGee, since the front parking area is mostly fenced off with chain link fencing.

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We are fortunate that the Ham Radio community has members willing to help with multiple other non-profit or public service type events through out the year. 

Here is a (not so) short list of the major 2013 events that hams from the San Antonio metro area can usually be found helping with. Contact links for future events are included, but contacts for past events aren’t included since it’s too late for this year.  If you know of an event that ought to be on this list, please contact the webmaster by email.

• January 12-13 – Bandera 100k Endurance Run – coordinated by REACT
• January 12 – San Antonio Radio Fiesta  Hamfest (Schertz)  – coordinated by SARC
• January 19-21 – Big Bend 50 Run (Big Bend National Park)
• March 2 – MS Walk  – coordinated by SARO – Contact N5MYN
• March 2-3 – Heart of the Hills 36 hour Ride (HCSNA – Bandera) coordinated by REACT – Contact K5STX
• April 19-20 – CASI Ladies State Championship Chili Cook-off (Seguin) coordinated by REACT – Contact K5STX
• April 20-21 – Houston’s BP150 BikeMS (Houston – Austin) (2 days) – Contact N5NTG
• April 25 – Fiesta Battle of the Bands –  coordinated by SARO – Contact N5MYN
• April 28 – Wildflower 100 Bicycle Ride (1 day, San Antonio) – coordinated by REACT- Contact N5NTG
• May 4 – Special Olympics Spring Games Region 21 coordinated by REACT  – Contact N5NTG
• May 4 – Run for the Hills 5k Run (Bulverde) – coordinated by REACT– Contact K5STX
• May 11 – ADA Tour de Cure Bicycle Ride (1 day, San Antonio) –  coordinated by REACT – Contact N5NTG
• May 26 – 3rd Annual American  Hero 25k Run / Relay / Concert  – coordinated by REACT – Contact N5NTG
• June 8 – Texas Water Safari (Canoe race from San Marcos – Gulf Coast) (5 days) – Top of route assignments coordinated by SARO– Contact WB5ZJQ
• July 4 – Canyon Lake Fourth of July Parade (Startzville) coordinated by REACT – Contact K5STX
• September 7 – Children’s Transplant Bicycle Ride (Helotes – Boerne) coordinated by REACT- Contact N5NTG
• October 12-13 – BikeMS – Valero Alamo Ride to the River Bicycle Ride (2 days) – coordinated by SARO- Contact N5NTG
• October 31 – Canyon Lake Halloween Event (Sattler) – coordinated by REACT – Contact N5NTG
• November 2-3 – Tour de Gruene (New Braunfels / Canyon Lake) – – coordinated by GVARC – Contact K5GST
• November 9 – Universal City Veterans Day Parade (date may change to Nov 2) coordinated by REACT – Contact N5NTG
• November 17 – San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon (date change updated 01/26/2013) – coordinated by AARO – Contact N5NTG
• December 6-7 – National Skywarn Recognition Day (24 hrs, New Braunfels NWS Office)  – coordinated by NWS – Contact K5STX
• December 14 – Canyon Lake Christmas Parade (Sattler, TX) – coordinated by REACT- Contact K5STX

For more info about the above list of public service events, or to volunteer for an event, please click on the CONTACT link for the specific event, or contact info@sanantoniohams.org.

We’ll work on getting all of these events, plus any others as they get listed, into the calendar on this website.  In the meantime, if you want to voluteer, don’t be bashful! It’s lots of fun, and a different way to make new ham radio friends!  If you know of an event that wasn’t listed here, but should be, please contact us to get it added into the calendar.

The San Antonio Repeater Organization has unveiled a brand new website design, same address, with lots of new features for sharing information about the club to both the public and to its members.

Please check the new website out at Sarepeater.net when you have a moment.  Website design and hosting for the club has been provided by Lee N5NTG, as usual.  Additional work is on-going, therefore you will see some changes to the layout or design from time to time.

All SARO members are encouraged to register on the website for access to the member only area, using their Amateur Radio Call Sign as their userID. 

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls…..

It is that time of month once again, yes the monthly event you have all been waiting for……..This Saturday (Feb 2nd) at 9:am at the Astro Bowling Alley Conference room is our 1st Saturday of the month MEET & GREET session.

SWAP MEET, TECHNICAL TRAINING, GOOD FOOD AND GREAT FOLKS TO MEET.

Agenda       

• 9am to 9:45am – Meet & Greet Casual Breakfast (on your own expense)
• 9:45 to 10am  – Quick intro-planning information for up coming Unusual Suspect Remote Field Day.
• 10am to 10:30am   – Guest Speaker Bob Rodriguez will be giving this month’s training class.
• 10:30am –  Monthly Swap Meet. Bring your stuff to sell, your money to buy….. LOT’S OF GOODIES

Normal turn out for our monthly Meet & Greet’s is in the 20 to 30 range. GREAT chance to meet that voice on the other end of the microphone……

COME JOIN US
When: 9 AM Saturday, February 2, 2013
Where: Astro Bowling Alley, 3203 Harry Wurzbach {by Austin Hwy},
Conference room. Just to right of main desk.
Who: Anybody interested in Amateur Radio Service

Title: 2013 AERC Heart of the Hills Endurance Event
Location: Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera, Texas
Link out: Click here
Description: The AERC Heart of the HIlls is a 25 and 50 mile equestrian endurance event that test the horse and rider.
Hill Country REACT as well as members of other organizations have provided Amateur Radio Communications, Safety and Tracking for the last 3 years. Amateur Radio has become and important part of this event due to the remoteness and terrain, and our familiarity of the facility. In being able to consistently and accurately track the competitors at various checkpoints, we have become more than just a safety net!

Any licensed Amateur Radio Operator with interest in Public Service and Emergency Communications are invited to assist with this event. Events like this are the best way to test equipment and hone skills that would be useful during a disaster deployment.

This years event will be two days, with the major emphasis and need on Saturday March 2nd, as the largest group of competitors will be on this day. Sunday March 3rd will be the same course for the most part, but the expected group is smaller.

Communications for this event is typically VHF simplex voice and the utilization of a event specific packet spreadsheet utilized for tracking.

We need 8 – 12 operators for Saturday March 2nd and 5 – 8 on Sunday!

For more information or to sign up, contact Louis – K5STX at k5stx@arrl.net

Thank You!
Start Date: 2013-03-02
Start Time: 06:00
End Date: 2013-03-03
End Time: 15:00

The January 23rd Hill Country REACT meeting has been cancelled.
Our next meeting will be on the 27th of February 2013

Thank You,

Louis Upton – K5STX
Hill Country REACT President

From time to time, amateur radio operators find themselves in a situation where either another operator is causing  malicious interference on the same frequency or repeater they are using, or a non-ham user is doing it.  

When that happens, the local ham radio community usually gets together, organizes a DF Hunt (Direction Finder) similar to a Fox Hunt, and tracks down the offender’s location.  In some cases, thanks to the very strong law enforcement resources that various members of our community can provide, the identity of the offender can become known and published for all other operators to be aware of.

But the best behaviour / response when faced with such “problem children” on the air, is to simply ignore them.  Yes, you read correctly, ignore them.  If you ignore them, they can’t be sure that their radios are being heard by the other ham radio operators and may move over to a different frequency / repeater in search of more lucrative feedback per se.  

If you talk with them, or discuss their actions on the air, you are doing 2 things.  You are encouraging them to continue, and if the operator isn’t a licensed ham, you are violating your own ham license by talking with a non-amateur radio operator using your ham radio equipment.  Oops!

In the San Antonio area, when such interference happens, we have a team of operators who have an excellent record of tracking down the individual(s) involved, documenting the interference, and taking legal steps to eliminate the interference from happening. 

While the entire process can take a while, since documenting the actions and getting the FCC involved is always slow.  But once the FCC commit to action, that illegal operator has his/her days numbered and will be likely facing a cash fine and/or time in jail, especially if the operator knows what he/she is doing to break the law.  We’re talking Federal laws, not local laws, so the penalty can be higher in many cases.  The FCC has been known to confiscate all radio equipment, issue fines, and take such operators to court which can result in jail time.

I just thought it was time to remind our law abiding, and non-law abiding operators in the San Antonio area, that with your ham radio license, comes a certain level of responsibility, and if you aren’t a licensed ham radio operator you ought not be using a radio on amateur radio frequencies.

Merry Christmas to all my readers and friends!

Lee N5NTG
Webmaster for SanAntonioHams.org

Location:

Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera, Texas

When: 12th and 13th of January 2013

Description:

It is that time of year, to start forming the roster and making preparations for the 11th Annual Bandera 100k Ultra-Marathon held at Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera County.

Tejas Trails Communication Group – Sponsored by Hill Country REACT has been the lead team for communications for this event the past 8 years with the assistance of many hams from the San Antonio, Austin and other areas around the state..

This event typically requires 15 – 16 Amateur Radio Operators in a situation that is similar to what an Emergency Communications Operator would experience in a disaster zone. UHF, VHF and Packet communications are involved in this event.

This is a fun event with challenges. The participants of this event, are of a type you will not encounter at most other events we deal with throughout the year. Over the years, we have made some lasting friendships!

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The ARRL newsletter has the following story in it:

“FCC Seeks to Assign Entire Amateur Portion of 160 Meter Band to Primary Status to Amateur Radio Service, Proposes New LF Amateur Band at 135.7-137.8 kHz”

 “Most of the NPRM does not concern the Amateur Radio Service, but the FCC is requesting comments on the three parts that do: changing the allocation to the amateur portion of the 160 meter band, allocating a new Amateur Service band at 135.7-137.8 kHz and cleaning up the rules for the 10.0-10.5 GHz band. ”

“In the US, the 130-160 kHz portion of spectrum is allocated to the Fixed Service and the Maritime Mobile Service on a primary basis for both federal and non-federal use. Delegates at WRC-07 allocated 135.7-137.8 kHz to the Amateur Radio Service in all ITU Regions on a secondary basis”

That’s right! The end is finally near. According to one of the three Mayan Calendars, the End of the world will occur on December 21, 2012.

To celebrate this—literally—oncee in a lifetime event, Special Event Station N0D (Now Zero Days) will be activated for three days during and possibly after the end of the world. December 20; is a celebration of the end of the world. December 21, the day of destruction, we will be on the air as long as possible. December 22…that is a little iffy right now.

Amateur radio stations around the crumbling globe are invited to contact N0D, who will be operating from a secret undisclosed location. QSL with SASE to the address in QRZ. If Doomsday actually does happen, we regret that a QSL will not be possible so hold on to your SASE until the 22nd at least.

You can celebrate Doomsday by contacting N0D directly on the air. Amateurs can also become an official Doomsday station by registering on our website. You will be given a registration number and the authority to identify yourself as an Official Doomsday Station. followed by your Doomsday number.

73, N0D

N0D-Now Zero Days
Special Event Station for Doomsday!
The End of the World!

Contact Us On Dec. 21, 2012 
It might be your last 73.

www.nowzerodays.com
N0D.Doomsday@gmail.com

Countdown to Doomsday