Title: ACTHA Competition and Benefit
Location: Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera, TX
Description: When: June 12th and 13th
Where: Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera, TX
What: ACTHA (American Competitive Trail Horse Association) Event – a not-for-profit event.

Details: We need 8 -10 radio operators each day.

Saturday, June 12th – event will run from 0900 to 1300hrs – lunch at 1400hrs – Breakfast for volunteers will be provided 0730. Proceeds benefit the AQHBA youth scholarship Program.

Sunday, June 13th – event runs from 1400hrs to 1700hrs – Breakfast at 0730, lunch at 1200hrs – The late start time is due to a nationwide event that is attempting to break a Guiness Book of World Records title. Proceeds from Sundays event benefit ACTHA Horse Rescue Operations.

ACTHA events judge the ability of a horse and rider to negotiate natural obstacles, handle standard task, and the overall condition of the horse. Although rare accidents and injuries do occur.

Our Task: as most know, cell phone coverage is slim to none, closer to none at the park. Our number one purpose is safety, secondary is to assist the Event Observers to track the participants through the course. Each course is approximately 7 miles long, with Saturdays course being of mild to moderate difficulty, and Sundays course utilizing the moderate to difficult terrain.

Read the rest of this entry »

Title: PedolPhest Bike Ride
Location: Selma, TX – Guadalupe, Bexar and Comal Counties
Link out: Click here
Description: Fellow Hams:

I have had the pleasure of working with most of you at many public service events (Bike to the Beach, Ride to the River, BPMS150, Water Safari, Bandera 100K Run, etc.) for several years, so when I was asked to organize amateur radio support for a new bike ride I accepted knowing that the local amateur radio community has a long history of supporting these events.

We have been called upon to support PedOLPHest, a bike ride similar in size to the Wildflower ride. More information about the ride itself can be found at www.pedolphest.com. The ride will have 4 routes, 15
mile, 30 mile, 60 mile, and 100 mile. It will have 8 breakpoints along the route and starts and finishes at OLPH church is Selma, TX.

Read the rest of this entry »

Frances Louise Draper, born December 21, 1938, passed on May 6, 2010. She was preceded by husband Bennie Sr., parents and 1 brother. Survived by children, Bennie Jr. (Judy), Barbara, Lee, Kenneth (Annie), Bobby (Gina), 2 brothers, 10 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be May 12, 2010 from 4-8 at Funeral Caring USA 2200 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78230. Funeral Services by Pastor Timothy Soukup on May 13, 2010 at Our Savior Lutheran Church 11503 Vance Jackson San Antonio, TX 78230 at 10:00 am. Burial to follow at 3pm in Corpus Christi, TX.

Frances was a member of the SARO ham club.

On a personal note when organizing local MS150 rides I have counted on having Frances and Barbara working a breakpoint.  Frances will be missed, and I am sure I speak for the local ham community when I tell Barbara that she is in our thoughts and prayers.

June VHF QSO Party
 for details. In July of last year, we traveled to several counties during the CQ VHF Contest stopping to operate from 4 grid squares south and east of Bexar County. see: San Antonio Hams » Blog Archive » CQ VHF Contest 2009 W5BOG – Diary   If anyone is interested in joining me for this event, or would like to operate their own station during this contest along with me, feel free to email me at: alonestaryank@aol.com

No, not a magic trick or a hockey play, W2IK recently scored a “hat trick” by having top scores in three 2010 state QSO Party contests.

He scored tops in the country in the New Mexico QSO Party as an out-of-New Mexico mobile station, tops in the country in the Louisiana QSO Party event as a fixed, phone, out-of-state station and in the Idaho QSO Party had the top score from Texas, and may be tops in the country when the final scores are posted after the 25th of May.

 See the blog about  San Antonio Hams » Blog Archive » Little Contests For “Little Guns”  to see the basic operating techniques he used.