San Antonio Hams

Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club (GVARC) is now offering the opportunity to test for your FCC Amateur Radio License through the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Volunteer Examiner (VE) program.

When: April 6, 2013, Testing starts at 10:00 am.

Location: New Braunfels Fire Department Training Center Emergency Operations Center (1311 Industrial Dr. Suite A New Braunfels, TX 78130)

Exam Fee: $15.00 – Payable by cash or personal check

Requirements: Photo ID or 2 alternate forms of identification, plus your Social Security Number (SSN) or Federal Registration Number (FRN – Free registration on FCC.GOV website).   Note: Testing for License class upgrade also requires applicant’s ORIGINAL License or Certificate of Successful Completion and an additional photocopy of such documentation.

Morse code is not required for any Amateur Radio License

Contact: Gary S. Tangrady K5GST – Volunteer Examiner (VE) via email – K5GST01@gmail.com
or call one of the VE’s at phone – (210) 619-6217

GVARC is now sponsoring an ARRL affiliated VE Team and will conduct test sessions on a quarterly or more frequent basis as the demand for such requires.

When: March 2nd and 3rd, 2013 0600 hrs briefing, 0700 event start
Where: Hill Country State Natural Area, Bandera, TX

Ham Radio support needed for the 2013 AERC Heart of the Hills Endurance Ride.
We will be providing communications and check point support during the event.
The team will be the eyes and ears of the Event Director by providing timely and accurate tracking of the horses/riders on the course and any safety/medical coordination as needed!

We have a briefing at 0600hrs at event control with enough time to disperse and set-up prior to the start.

Voice Communications will be on VHF simplex for the majority of the event. We do have access to an off-site repeater should HT communications be weak.

Packet: if you have portable packet capability, that is a plus, but not required! The set-up we use is similar to the Texas Water Safari program!

For more information or to volunteer, contact Louis – K5STX at k5stx at arrl dot com!

Hill Country REACT Team #4804 is the coordinating group of this event. All licensed Amateur Radio Operators with an interest in Public Service and Emergency Communications are invited to participate!

Thank You,
Louis – K5STX

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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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

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

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

When I got home late this evening I had a message on my answering machine that Doris Patti N5QEL passed away this morning.  Those who knew Doris will surely miss her.  Those who knew her will remember her generosity such as serving as editor for our KARS Newsletter for so many years.  There will be no service, however, I believe her church will accept flowers/donations on her behalf.  The Kendall Amateur Radio Society will certainly donate where appropriate.

73s

-Mark Rosier, President
Kendall Amateur Radio Society

Joseph Richard Funk, AF5D, 83, of Robinson, Texas passed away, Thursday, September 27, 2012 at his home. Joseph was born January 16, 1929 in Ironton, Missouri to Oscar and Jewell Funk. He graduated from Esther High School in 1947 and received a teaching certificate from Flat River Junior College.

He served as a Corporal radio relay operator in the US Army during the Korean War during which he received the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars and the United Nations Service Medal. Upon returning from the service he continued his education in electronics and communication equipment in Port Arthur, Texas. On May 25, 1957 he married Ruby Gene Culpepper in San Antonio, Texas. He was employed by Missouri Pacific Railroad later known as Union Pacific Railroad as a communications maintainer.

He enjoyed his hobby of being an Amateur Radio Operator for over 60 years under the call letters of AF5D. He shared his knowledge and love of radio operations by helping many young and old to pass their tests to become amateur radio operators, including his wife, sister in-law and sons. He had a fascination with radios, electronics and computers that helped him form many friendships that spanned out across the world. He enjoyed traveling back to visit with his friends and family in his birthplace known as Funk Branch as often as was possible for their reunions.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, his three children; Kathryn Funk-Baxter (Steve) of Corpus Christi, Texas, Keith Richard Funk (Kim) of San Antonio and Karl Matthew Funk (Crystal) of Robinson, Texas; six grandchildren and one great granddaughter. He is proceeding in death by his parents and only brother Carl Franklin Funk.

Louis B. Turner, K5LT,  age 75, passed away on Sunday, November 4, 2012 in San Antonio.  Louis was an extra class ham.

He was born May 2, 1937 in Kemp, Oklahoma to Andrew and Inez Turner. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Thomas; his daughter Barbara; and his wife, Betty. Louis is survived by his sons, Les Turner and his wife, Laura and Lyle Turner KB5BSU and his wife, Mandi; and grandchildren, Brooke and Luke Turner.