On January 23rd at 1600 UTC, W5BOG, the Bexar Operators Group, will go on the road (operating ROVER) during the 2011 ARRL January VHF SweepStakes. We will attempt to cover a few rare grid squares during this operation: EM00, RT 41 North Of Leakey, DL99, RT 55 South of Rocksprings, EL 08, La Pryor, DL98, West of La Pryor on RT 57, and DM90 at Rocksprings with a quick stop at EL09 at the “look out” North of Leakey. (Grid square operation in the following order but subject to change especially if we get any pileups) We will be operating on both 6 meter (horz. loop) and 2 meter (horz. beam) SSB.:  EL09 (1600 utc), EM00 (1730 utc), DM90 (1930 utc), DL99 (2100 utc), DL98 (2300 utc),  and EL08 (0030 utc).  Anyone who wishes to join us may do so by emailing: alonestaryank@aol.com   See what it’s like to operate vhf rover and hand out QSOs from rare grid squares.

Where: Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera County Texas

When:  January 8 and 9th, 2011

What:  Tejas Trails – Bandera 100k Ultra Marathon

Start: 0700 hrs Saturday, the 8th

Finish: 0700 hrs Sunday, the 9th (radio operations typically stand down at 0430 hrs, when the last aid station closes down)

The event is three races in one, a 25k, 50k and 100k that incorporates nearly every trail on the 5400 acres of Hill Country State Natural Area. This is a unique situation to train and test EmComm abilities in a remote environment, provide a service, as well as enjoy the Texas Hill Country!

Duties:  This is a 24 hour all weather event! Amateur operators man the Aid Stations and duties are basically like any other bike or running event (BP150, MS150, River Safari, etc), relaying supply needs, runner counts and times, and coordinating the Horse Patrol with Safety and SAR operations!  Operators support Race Control, Aid Stations and the HCSNAP Coordinated Horse Patrol! Operators will stay in constant contact with the Aid Station Captain and/or Race Recorder, in order to keep the Database up-to-date.

Needed:  We need 10 or so licensed Amateurs to assist with this event. The more the merrier! Minimum 50 watt dual band portable/mobile EmComm type set-ups required in case we need to go simplex, if the repeater fails to produce.  Most communications will be done with 5 watts or so through the hilltop repeater, but just in case of a catastrophic failure of the repeater, we can go to simplex. All the Aid stations allow close proximity of your vehicle, so proper crossbanding can be utilized!

Even if you can only help out for a part of the event, we can still use you!

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Every year, hams go to their local National Weather Station to operate for 24 hours, contacting other National Weather Stations and ham radio operators.    Locally, our NWS station for Austin / San Antonio is located in New Braunfels, next to the New Braunfels Airport, just east of that town.

Louis Upton K5STX, Member of Hill Country REACT and Chaparral Amateur Radio Club, was the coordinator.  He established a 24 hour schedule from 6pm CDT Friday, December 3rd, thru 6pm Saturday, December 4th.  The following hams participated in this year’s event.

We made contact with 56 National Weather Stations and about 270 total contacts, using HF, VHF, UHF, EchoLink, PSK31 and IRLP modes.

The following hams worked many long hours to make this event a success.

• JC Smith – N5RXS
• Wade Boling – W5ERX
• Jeremy Davenport – KE5ELI
• Richard Graham – N5RAG
• Bob Hejl – W2IK
• Joe Bruno – KE5YWO
• Wade Martyn – WB5C
• Louis Upton – K5STX
• Lee Besing – N5NTG

Visitors Friday:

• Chuck – WB5FWI
• Danny – WA5KRP

Photos from the event…

An amateur radio operator from Australia, VK4ION, recently posted on her website a story about reading W2IK’s Emergency NVIS antenna construction plans and with some adaptation building her own portable ENVIS antenna system for emergency communications. Her website, VK4ION Emergency N.V.I.S. antenna, shows in detail, with many pictures, her construction of this antenna along with NVIS theories on how low antennas are perfect for local (under 400 mile) emergency communications. A photo of her ENVIS antenna is shown below.

Her report included comments such as when it was used during their “field day” operation it was the “hit of the show”. On her website is also a link to W2IK’s 4 part website on building the original antenna including the adapter for 80 meter and MARS operation. This antenna is the only NVIS antenna posted in the NAVMC MARS websites.

Bob W2IK

Due to lack of response, W2IK and the Bexar Operators Group (W5BOG) have decided to cancel the 2011 Jump Team Boot Camp  for emergency communicators. It takes a great deal of lead time and planning to run this program, reserve the wildlife refuge area, line up the two Army survival specialists, check out several tons of jump team gear, etc. With no inquiries, usually by now the reservation list would be almost full, we can only assume no one feels this training is needed so we will also retire from offering it in the future.

Bob  W2IK

2010 National Weather Service
Skywarn Recognition Day
December 4, 2009 (Friday Night – Saturday)
0000-2400 UTC

SKYWARN Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN radio operators make to the National Weather Service. During the day SKYWARN operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world.

The National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio will again be a part of this year’s Skywarn Recognition Day event. If you wish to be a part of the Austin-San Antonio effort, contact Louis Upton – K5STX who will be spearheading the schedule.  Please contact him at: k5stx@arrl.net

In other areas of the country, check with your local National Weather Service office to see if they are participating in this event or having an “open house”. It is not a contest, but rather an operating event. Amateur radio operators will be on the air from National Weather Service offices and from their home stations as well. Depending upon how many NWS stations a ham operator contacts they will be given certificates of varying levels.
The certificate (shown to the left) was given to W2IK in 2006 for contacting over 40 different NWS stations all across the US. Be a part of this fun event by either visiting your local NWS or by making contacts with as many stations as you can.

For updated information concerning this event, just go to:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/hamradio/

At this site, you can get a list of participating NWS offices, their call signs, and other useful information. Check this site often as additional participating offices will be listed as the day approaches. I hope you’ll join in on the fun and learn more about the National Weather Service and the function Skywarn plays in keeping the country safe during severe weather conditions.

Last year, we made 360 contacts from our site which was a major increase from previous years. This year, we want to break that record. Contact Louis to join us or go on the air from your home station to work us.

Good Morning,

Sorry for the late notice on the location, but here we go!
As requested during post race briefings last year, we are having a test and tune for the Bandera 100k, which also benefits the Water Safari Volunteers!
Jeremy and I will be holding a test and tune session of the spreadsheet program and packet equipment that is used for the Texas Water Safari and Bandera 100k events.
Saturday, Nov 13th between from 8:00 a.m. to around noon! Jeremy and I will be on site at 0800 hrs, with the majority of the group coming in around 0900 hrs!
Location: Guadalupe County Office of Emergency Management: 415 E. Donegan St. Seguin, TX
Two blocks East of the Courthouse, one block south!

The purpose of the test, is to try the new configuration with various computers, to make sure the spreadsheet will communicate with the computers comm port settings correctly.
Bring the set-up you plan to use during the Bandera 100k event or Water Safari!
Note: We have found already, that the new Windows 7, running 64 bit is not working correctly(Jeremy may find a fix for this).  Windows 7, running 32 bit appear to be functioning properly.

We will be running the program through the digi-peater, back and forth, and really try hard to crash the system to try and eliminate any problems that could occur during the events.

If you can make it, fantastic!  If not, one we have the bugs worked out, the files will be sent out with detailed install instructions for you
to try prior to the race.
The session is primarily for Bandera 100k/Water Safari volunteers running packet, but anyone with an interest is invited to attend. This spreadsheet and packet software could have many uses!

If you have any questions, please contact me @ trlrider@gvec.net or 830-305-2889.
Also, PLEASE RSVP if you can make it!

Thanks,

Louis – K5STX

Medina County ARC
Great Antenna Shootout & Tail Gate Swap Fest

Date: November 13, 2010       Time: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Hondo Community Center
1014 18th Street
Hondo, TX 78861

Contact: Walter Hock/KK5LO (281) 684-8075

Entry: FREE – ZIP – NADA

Categories: (Commercial & Home Brew)
1. Beginners – Single Element
2. Beginners – Multi Element
3. Old Pro – Single Element
4. Old Pro – Multi Element

• Are you the next Marconi or Tesla?
• Have you designed and built the best 2M antenna ever made?
• Do you want to know how yourfavorite commercial 2M antenna stacks up?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then you need to come to the
Great Antenna Shootout & Tail Gate Swap Fest

Make your YL happy and bring your “old” stuff to sell too!
Or buy just one thing you’ve been looking for..

Food & drinks will be sold to raise funds for the Mediina County Amateur Club!

The Annual Universal City Veteran’s Day Parade will be held this year on November 6th, actually the weekend before the San Antonio Rock N’ Roll Marathon.

We are still in need of more volunteers so if you are available and would like to help please contact me Gary S. Tangrady, K5GST, either at K5GST01@gmail.com or phone me at 210-619-6217. This is my cell phone number and I use it for work, so if I do not answer your call right away feel free to text me or leave me a message.

The parade route is from the staging area on Universal City Boulevard where it will turn left onto Pat Booker and head towards Randolph AFB. It will turn right at Byrd Boulevard just before the main gate into Randolph and from there take the first left and travel to the end of that street and break up at the VFW Post.

Between the hours of 0800 and 0900 people will start showing up at the Universal City Police Department on Universal City Boulevard.  (note: when you come to the front of the building there are two doors, take the door that says Police Station and tell the dispatcher you are there for the parade. He will direct you to the training room where the briefing will be held.) Coffee and donuts will be provided by the police department and I plan on being there at 0800. I need one other person to show up with me at 0800 to run the talk-in on the 147.000 New Braunfels repeater, negative offset with a PL of 88.5.

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