San Antonio Hams

Besides the deer, “Murphy” came out in force when the Bexar Operators Group, W5BOG, assembled for their Field Day 2009 operation at Lost Maples State Park.

Despite “Murphys” best efforts, the Group would not bend whether it be from the 108 degree heat, no wind to drive the wind turbine, lack of park water and sewage due to a clogged septic system, the searing sun which blasted our digital camera after only a few shots nor the nearest ice machine being 5 miles outside the park entrance.

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W2IK- NNN0KSI – NNN0GBY2, from San Antonio, Texas, will be donating 150 copies of his amateur radio emergency communications training course (on CD) so they may be given out at EmComm East, held in Rochester, New York in early October 2009.

In the past, he has given out hundreds of copies of this training guide, for free, to dozens of clubs, including REACT and ARES groups throughout the country and Canada, Pacificon 2008 (held in California last year), as well as two special emergency antennas of his design and plans, and authoring a special “white paper” for Communications Academy 2007 as per their request when health problems prevented him from giving a lecture.

He will also be donating one of his VHF emergency antenna kits to this event as a free raffle.

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The picture to the right was taken in March of this year when former President George W. Bush met up with Bob Hejl, W2IK, while the former President was touring the “Center For The Intrepid” where W2IK works.

The Center For The Intrepid is part of the BAMC military hospital complex in San Antonio where “Wounded Warriors” have physical therapy and are outfitted with the latest in prosthetic limbs.  

W2IK explained to Bush that the last time he had seen him was when he was doing emergency communications work at “Ground Zero” during the World Trade Center Disaster in 2001. After hearing that, Bush slapped him on the back and said : “God Bless you for being there. It’s an honor to shake your hand.”

After some small talk, such as W2IK explaining how he moved down to Texas in 2002, married a “good Texas woman” (Krissy, KD5YTN)  and how he knew it was a Texas residency requirement to root for a Texas football team, the former President finished his building tour.

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual Military/Amateur Radio Crossband Communications Test in celebration of the 59th anniversary of Armed Forces Day.

The AFD Military/Amateur Crossband Communications Test will be conducted on May 9 – 10, 2009. The annual celebration features traditional military to amateur crossband communications SSB voice tests and copying the Secretary of Defense message via digital modes.

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Basic talks are underway to help our “Wounded Warriors” find a new path within the military, unencumbered by their physical restraints. Bob Hejl, W2IK – NNN0KSI (MARS Ecom), who works at CFI (Center For The Intrepid) at BAMC/ Ft. Sam, has begun discussions with officials at BAMC and CFI for ways in which our soldiers can redirect their abilities by using amateur radio as a stepping stone with their next goal being communications careers within the armed forces or in the private sector after their military careers are completed.

Planned are a special events/demo station so soldiers can see the possibilities of communications and the vital roles they can assume during an emergency or in everyday military communications work. Tri- Service MARS operations will also be integrated so they can get an actual “taste” of  military communications in a relaxed atmosphere.

An amateur radio course will be offered with actual “hands on” operation using W2IK’s portable MARS Ecom station. After the classes have been completed, there will be on base testing so many can obtain their amateur radio licenses.

If any local ham or group is interested in this project, please write W2IK at alonestaryank@aol.com.

A Short Note On Hurricane IKE

de Bob Hejl W2IK – NNN0KSI – NNN0GBY2 Ecom STX

One of the advantages of preparing for a hurricane is that it may take a few days before it “concerns” your area. As the projected path of hurricane IKE became more focused on the Texas Gulf coast area, it became evident that I might be called upon to deploy as a MARS Ecom station to report conditions at whatever location I might find myself. I was, of course, going to use my station with one of my NVIS antennas due to it’s ability of having lower noise floor reception and wouldn’t be prone to too much of an increase in “static crashes” caused by distant lightening.

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August 18 , 2008 – MOU Signed between Texas MARS and Texas REACT

August is hurricane season but apparently it is also the season for cooperation between various radio communications agencies as well.  On August 18, 2008, Charles Land, president of the local San Antonio based Hill Country REACT Team, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South Texas Navy – Marine Corps MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System).  Minutes later, Texas State REACTCouncil Secretary, Lee Besing, signed a similar agreement with the Texas Navy – Marine Corps MARS. The MARS signature was NOT that of Bob Hejl, W2IK, but rather that of a MARS officer higher up in the chain of command for Texas. See links at bottom of this article for PDF copies scanned with signatures of both agreements.

{Photo Left – Right; Charles Land (KC5NKK) signing as president of Hill Country REACT, Bob Hejl, (W2IK, NNN0GBY2) representing MARS, and Lee Besing (N5NTG) signing as the secretary for the Texas State REACT Council.} Read the rest of this entry »

May 10, 2008 – NAV3 – Armed Forces Day

Two pix of my “NAV3” operation for the Armed Forces Day Cross Band event. I contacted about 100 stations from my set up at Bullis Cnty Park, San Antonio, using one of the 40 meter “inverted V” antennas I’ll have for the N5D event next weekend. – Bob W2IK