San Antonio Hams

From our friends up in Kerrville, comes the following useful information to make it easier to spot the ISS…

You can now spot the International Space Station (ISS) commanded by Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams without a telescope as it passes your house, thanks to NASA’s new SMS service.   “Spot the Station” will send you a text message as the ISS passes over your house.

The International Space Station is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, however, most people still cannot tell where the orbiting laboratory is.

NASA will send an email or text message to those who sign up for the service a few hours before they will be able to see the space station, the US space agency said in a statement.   Once you know where to look, people should be able to see it easily – even without a telescope.

The service was launched to celebrate the 12th anniversary of crews living and working aboard the station presently commanded by Williams.

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Saturday was the 43rd Annual Veterans Day Parade in Universal City Texas, and the ham radio operators from Hill Country REACT and other volunteers were there to help the UC Police Department manage the parade route.   Our “job” was to move the barricades or police crime scene tape into place, blocking selected major streets, side streets, and parking lot exits.  Our “job” was NOT to direct traffic, but to call in by radio whenever we had a “runner” that bypassed the barricades once they were in place.

This year, we had aerial maps of the route, to help the ham operators assist any drivers who didn’t know the back roads / alternate routes.  It’s amazing how many local residents ignore the big banners crossing Pat Booker Road for a month before the parade, or the posters placed at local businesses, and then get upset because they forgot to allow time to leave early before the parade, or to figure out an alternate way of getting from point A to point B during the parade.

This year we had about 2 dozen volunteers, mostly  ham radio operators, including 7 motorcycle marshals, to assist the UCPD.  I’ll get a full listing posted here later, but it’s already 1:40am in the middle of the night, and I still need to be up at 5am to go help out with the Tour de Gruene at my assigned location on River Road, just south of Sattler, Texas.

Here is a 28 minute video posted to YouTube.com by your’s truly, that I took during the start of the parade as the entries left the staging area onto the main route.  The route went down Pat Booker Road, from UC Blvd, almost all the way to Randolph AFB and FM78.  A map of the route is shown at the start of the video.  Enjoy!

Title: Bandera 100K Ultra-Marathon
Location: Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera, Texas
Link out: Click here
Description: 12th Annual Bandera 100k Ultra-Marathon held at Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera County.
Communications over the last 8 years has been covered by Hill Country REACT and several other teams and individuals. The Amateur Radio community plays a valuable role during the event, providing real time tracking and safety for the participants and crews. Over the years, our role has increased from basic communications relays to an integral part of the timing, scoring and tracking of the participants.
This 24 hour event typically requires 15 – 16 Amateur Radio Operators in an environment that is similar to what an Emergency Communications Operator would experience in a disaster zone. UHF, VHF and Packet communications are used during this event.
Interested operators should contact the Communications and Safety Team coordinator – K5STX, Louis Upton at k5stx@arrl.net or 830-305-2889
Start Date: 2013-01-12
Start Time: 06:00
End Date: 2013-01-13
End Time: 07:00

TEXAS QSO PARTY ! September 29-30thJust a reminder….

Hello Fellow HAMS:

Pedal Festival ride/run is asking for our assistance with communications again this year.  They have moved their date to September 29th this year to draw in the people that want to prepare for the BikeMS.  This move in date along with the La Vernia ride being moved or canceled is drawing more riders to this event.  OLPH already has 100 riders registered and they are anticipating about 300 this year.  This ride is 4 different routes (18 mile, 32 mile, 60 mile, and 103 mile) plus a 5K run and several other small events all rolled into one.  Our primary goal is the 103 mile route and the breakpoints.  All the routes start and finish in Selma at the OLPH church and school.  I am in need of operators for the 8 break points and some motor cycle marshals to help keep an eye on the course.  If I get a large response, we can look at putting operators with the 4 SAGs.

This event is 2 weeks before the BikeMS, use it as a test run to get your feet wet before the big one.  If you are interested in helping with this event, please contact me with your info.

Information Summary:

Event: Pedal Festival 2012 (www.pedalfestride.com)

When:  Saturday, September 29, 2012

Open Positions:  Breakpoint Operators, Motor Marshals, SAG Comms How to volunteer:  Email Jeremy Davenport (jeremy@heitx.com) or phone 830.743.0004

Thanks and I look forward to working with you.

Jeremy Davenport

KE5ELI

jeremy@heitx.com

830.743.0004

Dr. Simon Pierre Zeitlin (Pete) WA5BJM is now a silent key at age 99.    He supported Ham Radio and was a personal friend and family doctor from the late 1940’s.  Those that knew him would be enlightened by reading the Obits in today’s Express News.  In his 99 yrs, he made quiet a journey.

73s de Jim Hargrave,  W5IFP

From the Express News OBIT…

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This year’s JOTA event in San Antonio will be held at McGimsey Scout Park in Castle Hills, near Northwest Military @ Lockhill Selma.  Members from the San Antonio Radio Club, Alamo Area Radio Organization and others will be setup for a one day event, Saturday October 20th, from around 8am til 5pm ??, helping Scouts get on the Ham Radio and showing them our hobby.

The Jamboree-on-the-Air, or JOTA, is an annual Scouting event that uses amateur radio to link Scouts around the world, around the nation, and in your own community.

Held on the third full weekend of October each year, this worldwide jamboree requires no travel, other than to a nearby radio amateur’s ham shack. Many times the hams will come to you by setting up at a Scout camporee, or perhaps they already have a ham shack at your council’s camp.

Tell Me More

Scouts of any age can participate, from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and Venturers. Once at the ham radio station, the communication typically requires speaking into a microphone and listening on the station speakers. However, many forms of specialized communication can also take place, such as video communication, digital communication using typed words on the computer screen transmitted by radio, communication through a satellite relay or an earth-based relay (called a repeater), and many others. The exchanges include such information as name, location (called QTH in ham speak), Scout rank, age, and hobbies. The stations you’ll be communicating with can be other Scouts across town, across the country, or even around the world! The World Scout Bureau reported that the 2011 JOTA had nesrly 750,000 Scout participants from over 6,000 amateur radio stations! A participant patch is available, as is a certificate/log sheet that can also be used to fulfill a Radio merit badge requirement.

When Is It?

The 55th Jamboree-on-the-Air is October 20–21, 2012, but in San Antonio, our event will be Saturday only. The official hours are from Saturday at 00:00 hours local time (right at midnight Friday) to Sunday 24:00 (midnight Sunday evening). So you’ve got the whole weekend to make JOTA contacts.  Even if you aren’t able to help out in person, locally, get on the air and be there when other Scouts around the world are looking for folks to talk with, especially if you are a female ham radio operator!  They love to talk with the girls!  Hmm, wonder why that might be?  LOL

The Unusual Suspects group will have an “upgraded” monthly meeting at a new location this next Saturday, September 1st, at 9am.   Instead of the usual meet & greet at the Taco Cabana in Universal City, the group will be meeting in San Antonio, at the Astro Bowl, near the intersection of Austin Hwy, Eisenhauer Rd & Harry Wurzbach.

LOCATION:ASTRO BOWL {PRIVATE PARTY ROOM}  3203 Harry Wuzbach, San Antonio, TX 78209

Recommend early arrival to get breakfast ordered.  Food & Drink available for purchase.

PROGRAM:

• 9:am to 9:45     Meet & Greet Breakfast…..Casual enjoy your meal and chat
• 9:45 to 10:15    Technical Training:      Topic: Introduction to APRS by Lee Besing

Note: As we are still setting up our VE training sessions, unless we have PRE-SCHEDULED NEW AND UPGRADING HAMS,  there will not be a VE Session this month.  We are putting together a VE Team to hold regular test sessions in the future, following our meetings.   So if interested in testing, please e-mail Greg Lewis right away: n5xo@satx.rr.com.   Effective with the October meeting, this will be a regular scheduled event and walk in’s will be welcome.

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