San Antonio Hams

SanAntonioHams.org is celebrating it’s 10th year of existence this year in 2013. But there are still some hams out there who don’t know they can sign up (for free) and post their own stories, or that of their clubs, totally free on SanAntonioHams.org.

You would  think that by now every Ham Club in Central South Texas would be aware that this website is allowing other hams from any ham club to post their own articles, photos and calendar events, but apparently that’s not so.

Now while this site is aimed at Ham Radio events and activities located in Central / South Texas, if you have an event that is happening elsewhere, but you feel it would be of general interest to hams residing in this geographical area, feel free to register as a user and contact the webmaster (Lee N5NTG) to bump your editing privileges up high enough for posting to this site. Read the rest of this entry »

The Unusual Suspects UNCLUB group came together in 2006, during that time I think we as a GROUP have done an amazing job of promoting Amateur Radio. I thought I would share some of our events and Activities. It is  these projects and the friendships of an incredible group of people that make me proud to be part of this fine group.   – Greg N5XO

Website: We built a new website, http://www.wx5us.us/, where we featured photos and news from various ham radio events that our members participated in, plus a list of our proud members.

Tower Raising:  I think we have had more tower raising projects than about any group around. Since every thing we do is about Taco’s… it would explain why as a group we seem to be getting fatter {grin}. We have helped  each other raise towers, design systems and improve our stations. I am impressed with our accomplishments. When we first started operating simplex like many ham’s and clubs we relied on repeaters and  our stations showed it … now we have stations that anyone can be proud of … and have outstanding simplex coverage.

In fact within the members of our group…

• we have 3 more tower projects coming along in the next month to month in a half…
• 2 of them 72ft towers with large antenna arrays….

PROMOTING SIMPLEX AND WEAK SIGNAL  is our thing {grin}

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Gary over at Grumpy Shop (ham store) is planning to install some antennas on Sunday, June 2nd, starting at 9am.

We were asked to extend an open invitation to any hams wanting to come help, or just watch.   The store will likely be open,  but he is NOT normally open on Sundays.  Store phone 210-829-8030

Grumpy Shop is located at 2002 CeeGee Lane, Zip 78217, which is on the east side of the San Antonio International Airport, off Broadway, north of Loop 410. 

Here is a Google map Link http://goo.gl/maps/mccb7

Directions: From Loop 410 in San Antonio, go north on Broadway to the second traffic light (CeeGee Lane) and turn left (toward the airport).  Go to the end of the street, and Grumpy Shop is on the left corner of that intersection. White one story building with a chain link fence around the side parking lot (Aero Street).

Ham Radio . me
http://www.hamradio.me

Ham Radio . Magnum Experimentum – Experiments, engineering and other articles of interest to radio folks.

1. Extreme      NMO – Subaru, Silver and the Sixty Inch Whip – 2012-03-11 20:28:59-04
   A reinforced Subaru through-hole NMO installation using silver epoxy and      metal plate to accommodate the 62 inch Diamond SG7900A dual-band mobile      antenna.
2. LNR      Precision EF-10/20/40MKII Examination – 2012-04-14 21:50:16-04
   We examine the LNR (Par Electronics) EF-10/20/40 end fed half-wave      multi-band antenna. Come see what’s inside the mysterious “black      box.”
3. LNR      Precision EF-10/20/40MKII Test Data – 2012-04-16 01:00:27-04
   Basic tests of an LNR Precision EF-10/20/40 including S11, SWR and a      bandwidth check of the match box.
4. Field      Day Logging Computer Networking Tips – 2012-06-15 13:41:12-04
   Learn from our six successful years rolling out a computer network for the      ARRL Field Day. Tips, techniques, dos and don’ts are among the highlights.
5. Geographic      Coordinate Transmission Efficiency – 2012-07-04 00:07:46-04
   What’s the best format to send your geographic coordinates using Morse      Code? Degrees, Degrees-Minutes, Degrees-Minutes-Seconds, Grid Squares? We      take a look at the various formats and use a stopwatch to measure the send      time.

John@hamradio.me

A few weeks ago, we were quietly told that Craig Kennedy, owner of  KComm The Ham Store, would likely be closing his doors at the end of March. 

 March 31st was to be the last parking lot tail-gate sale.   We were asked to keep the news quiet until all the final arrangemens had been made with the employees, etc., before publicizing the news. 

During the past couple of weeks, the word was spread by rumor, by email, by phone calls, during Ham Breakfasts, etc. that the store was closing. 

The San Antonio Radio Club, W5SC, has been holding their monthly meetings in the store, and had their club station setup for visiting hams to use while at KComm.  That era has also come to an end, with the club needing to move their equipment & trailer (in back parking lot) to another location, and to find a new meeting location.   I was told today, that April’s SARC meeting will still be at KComm, but starting in the month of May, the meetings are moving to Jim’s Restaurant on San Pedro & Ramsey.

Store on Gulfdale

Yesterday, we stopped by the store around 9am to find that it was the most crowded that we’ve ever seen it, including during a SARC Club meeting night.  

Craig was playing “lets make a deal” with old equipment, furnishings, anything that wasn’t nailed down to the floor or wall it seemed. 

It was our opinion that he likely did more sales that day in a few hours, than he had likely done all month.  Several folks commented that if Kcomm had seen this much business every weekend, we wouldn’t be there for the closing today.

When I got my ham license back in the late 80’s, Kcomm The Ham Store was located over on the NW side of town, on Mobud Street, just off Loop 410, between Evers & Bandera, in a small industrial complex. 

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I came away from the San Antonio meeting (8/1/2011) with the Texas VHF Society very disappointed. First off, based on the wide range of comments, complaints, etc from hams around town on the air and via e-mail I expected a much greater turn out, the turn out was a major disappointment. People if we do not stand up and count, we are going to lose a chunk of our simplex freq and it was CLEARLY JUST A STARTING POINT.

First off, the Texas VHF Society reps stated they are trusties of the band based on ruling by the FCC. Well if they are trusties then they represent ALL HAM RADIO OPERATORS, not the special interest groups in Houston, etc. In a case that impacts all of Texas Hams, I think it is inexcusable that you have to pay to vote on an issue that impacts us. On this issue, if you have a Ham lic then you should have a vote. A select group should not be able to run roughshod over thousands of ham radio operators.

I went to this meeting yesterday thinking they were looking for input from ham radio operators around the state and that a solid voice could help make a difference. That is not what the meeting was about, it was to tell us what they planned and basically that we needed to LIVE WITH IT.

Multiple things about this band plan concern me.

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On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, AARO’s own Luke Ham (KF5CSK) achieved the Boy Scouts of America highest rank, Eagle Scout. 

Shown with Luke are his proud parents, David (KF5BGT and also an Eagle Scout) and Lisa Ham.   Click on photo for larger view.

Time to take a look at the events calendar once again.  Did you know we post a regular calendar of events on this site, and let other hams post club events directly?  If your club has an event they want other Hams to know about, or want help with, post it here for free.  Contact the webmaster, Lee N5NTG, to get a userID upgraded to let you do this.

2010 Events Happening Soon!

• April 17-18th – BPMS150 – Houston – Austin Bicycle event, 2 days.  Contact Milton N5HMJ for details.  Almost to late for new volunteers, but hey, give it a try!
• April 16th – Belton Ham Expo -Contact www.tarc.org
• April 16-17th – Texas State Ladies Championship Chili Cook-off – Starke Park, Seguin, TX. Help out Friday evening, Saturday daytime.  Easy work.  Contact Louis K1STX
• April 18th – Fiesta 100 Bicycle event, Contact Gordon K5SUZ
• April 24th – Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce BBQ – Contact Charlie KC5NKK
• May 1st – 5K Run @ Bulverde Senior Citizens Ctr – Contact Wade W5ERX
• May 1st – Special Olympics Spring Games – Harlendale Stadium – Contact Lee N5NTG
• May 22-23rd – Tour de Cure Bicycle event, San Antonio to Austin, 2 days.  – Contact Lee N5NTG
• June 11-12th – Plano HamCom
• June 12th – Texas Water Safari 
• June 26-27th – Field Day Weekend – various locations
• July 4th – Fourth of July Parade – Startzville – Contact Wade W5ERX

The Austin Amateur Radio Club has announced that the 146.940 repeater will require a 107.2hz CTCSS (PL) tone to engage the repeater beginning April 1, 2010.

The AARC repeater is currently the last 146.940 carrier squelch repeater in Texas.

This is NOT an April Fools Day Joke, thus the reason for advance announcements far and wide.  You can program your radio now for using the 107.2 tone, because it will still work fine between now and then.

The repeater will also transmit a 107.2hz CTCSS (PL) tone for users wishing to use the tone squelch feature in their radios which allows them to hear only the Austin repeater.

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Santa used Paul Guido’s Vision motorcycle on Saturday December 19th, 2009 to deliver gifts to seven family’s in San Antonio. 
Here is a video from the local station.  Click here, or on the image to play…

It is too funny that they called my Vision a Harley in the title.  It was 65 degrees and Santa was sweating quite a bit in his suit.

Background on Elf Louise The Elf Louise Christmas Project is dedicated to providing a little bit of joy to Bexar County’s (San Antonio) less fortunate children.  The project began in 1969 when our founder, Louise Locker, was a student at Trinity University in San Antonio.

She found that for many San Antonio families, Christmas just did not exist.   Louise began to look for a way to provide a few Christmas presents to some of these children. That first year, with the help of a friend, she collected gifts for children in 13 families.

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