This article was about the 2012 event and is now out dated. SEE THE 2013 Austin Summerfest Info here

Its once again time for the Summer Fest in Austin. This ham fest is like none other in the state! They offer different forums and classes on things such as Military radios and aircraft, Antenna building, DXing, Antique radios and Software Defined Radios (flex). Representatives from the ARRL and the TX-VHF Society will also be on hand. A short hop up to Austin is where all the fun happens!

When: August 3rd and 4th. Friday and Saturday (Friday from 6pm to 9pm and Saturday from 8am to 3:30)

Where: Austin Airport Marriott hotel on the south side of Austin.  It is at exit 228 (only 56 miles from I35 and 1604!)

Cost: $8 per person if paid in advance by July 25th. $10 at the door.

Here is a link to the Summer Fest web site: http://www.austinsummerfest.info/

Here is a link to the registration forms: http://www.austinsummerfest.info/images/stories/Flier2012.pdf

Continuing a Ham tradition!

Special Features of this event include:

AMSAT, ARES,  HSMM-MESH, SDR, Vintage Radio. ARRL Forum,FCC License Exams, DX and Contest Session,

Weather Session, ARES Session, Microwave Forum, Indoor Swapfest, Tailgate Swapfest, Crafts & Skills, QRP, A Special Friday Night presentation, and the Summer Meeting of TX VHF-FM Society.

Ed Kirk has the following stuff for sale. Contact him at 210-347-7690 for  pricing, condition, viewing, etc.

• Heathkit SB-201 amp with 10 meters
• Heathkit SB-601 station monitor
• Clipperton-L amp
• Dentron Super Tuner
• Kenwood TS-430 transceiver
• Kenwood TS-530S transceiver
• Kenwood TR-9130 2 meter all mode
• Yaesu FT-901DM with matching speaker/phone patch
• Yaesu FT-7B transceiver

All needs cleaning, testing, etc. Some have manuals.

The staff at the Austin Tour de Cure office have been busy, with the help of donated video services during this past event. Here is their story….

If you are a Ham Radio Operator and work for Boeing, then BACS Wants You!

The Boeing Auxiliary Communications Service (BACS) is a team of employees and contractors who are FCC-licensed amateur radio (“ham”) operators, who provide backup communications when normal channels become damaged or overloaded due to natural or man-made disasters.BACS is a Boeing Enterprise S&FP Disaster Preparedness Org. and is the only official ham radio organization that supports Boeing S&FP DP.

BACS primary task is to provide Emergency Communications, using Amateur Radio Frequencies to communicate from Boeing site EOC’s to Boeing site EOC’s during a disaster. Secondarily, provide emergency communications between local government authorities and local Boeing site EOC’s.

Other duties may include but are not limited to (depending on your sites needs):

• Supporting Volunteer Disaster Responders (VDRs), facilities personnel, and anyone else responsible for protecting lives and property at Boeing.
• “Shadowing” fire and security personnel.
• If needed, field communications.
• Operate company radios during all three phases of a disaster.

BACS teams are all ready operating at Boeing sites around the country. Including; Enterprise ECMC and 14 other sites in Washington/Oregon, California, Texas, Utah, Alabama. More are coming on line as they learn about us.

This is your opportunity to use your amateur radio skills to protect yourself and your coworkers in an emergency. All you need are your ham license (technician or higher) handheld radio, and a desire to help.

Don’t have a team at your site?? We can help with that too. For more information, contact Tom Wells (thomas.e.wells@boeing.com) Or visit our (INTERNAL WORK PC’s ONLY) web site: http://bacs.web.boeing.com/bacs.htm

Locally – Steve Castle N7FUL and Bill Mayfield KF5QVM  both work at the Boeing facility at Kelly Field here in San Antonio. They have volunteered to help recruit and organize licensed ham operators, who are also employees here, to participate in the Boeing Auxiliary Communications Service at this facility.  But so far, other than Steve and Bill, they have not found any other hams here. There is bound to at least a dozen, we just need to put the word out.

Here is the PDF brochure with application.  Only Boeing Employees & Contractors may join.  BACS_recruiting_flyer

Bill Mayfield KF5QVM
mvmayfield@gvtc.com
210-932-7368
Supplier Quality Assurance Engineer
Boeing Global Services & Support, Kelly Field San Antonio, TX

There are three main types of flood warnings issued by the NWS:

Flash flooding – a flood that occurs within 6 hours of excessive rainfall and that poses a threat to life and/or property. Ice jams and dam failures can also cause flash floods.

River flooding – any high water flow, overflow, or inundation event which is threatening lives and property along main stem rivers.

Areal flooding – any high water flow, overflow, or inundation in a defined area such as a group of counties or an area along a river or stream which threaten lives and property that is not covered by an river flood, or flash flooding. The main difference between flash floods and areal floods is that areal flooding applies to longer duration precipitation, (greater than six hours), causing slow rises on rivers and streams.

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

I am selling some HF antenna equipment and coax, and I thought some of you would be interested.  I am moving to Hawaii, and will not have the ability to use my HF antennas at my new shack, so I’m looking for a new home for them. Here’s what I have:

• S9 Antenna Package (just over one year old, installed in March 2011)
• 31″ S9 Vertical Antenna
• Portable Pipe Mount
• Radial Plate
• 80 meter coil for S9 Antenna
• 4:1 Unun for S9 Antenna (300 watt version, or the 5k version for $20 more) Original cost was $260, and I’m asking half: $130 (or $150 for the package with the 5K unun)

S9 antenna package has worked great for me.  I was able to put it up in the back yard with little effort (though laying down radials is another story!).  It’s a great way to work HF if you are limited on space.  The only issue I ever had with this antenna was the bottom section would slip occasionally (sections are held together with clamps), rubbing the casing off a 6 inch section of the interior wire.  I repaired the wire with electrical tape and used tape and a heavier clamp to hold the bottom section.  Worked great ever since.

Also have a 50 foot run of LMR 400 coax with PL-259 connectors, spent a year outside with the S9 antenna, for $40.

Lastly, a used Alpha Delta DX-B single sloper 160-80-40-30 m antenna in good shape.  Retails for $109 new, I paid $65 and am asking $40.

All equipment is in good shape.  I live in NW SA near Sea World and would be happy to meet the buyer.  I am disassembling the equipment this afternoon.

Shoot me an email with your contact info if interested.  Anything I don’t sell by Sunday I’ll put up on eBay.  Thanks!

Wade Martyn WB5C
wmartyn@gmail.com

I need some help getting my quad on the tower. It’s built, but I can’t be on the ground and on it at the same time. Getting a bit old to climb, so I really need someone who can stand on top of the crankup at the 20 foot level and do some bolting of the spiders to the boom and then orient the boom to the rotor control box. Would only be working at 20 feet or so and I have a new belt. Know anyone who could help?

I’m in the Pipe Creek area and would gladly pay for gas for some help.  Probably only take a couple of hours or so.

Mike Goins, K5WMG
wmgoins@gmail.com

June 16, 2012 Tech Class

The weather was good, there was plenty of parking, and the 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. schedule went even better than planned. That was the experience the Saturday before Father’s Day as volunteers from the Alamo Area Radio Organization and the Southwest Research Center Amateur Radio Club co-hosted their eleventh crash class for entry into ham radio, the one day Technician License Review Course.  Location was in Fair Oaks Ranch, near Boerne.

Eight of the eleven participants passed the exam and at least two are already preparing for the General License exam. Several were interested in visiting Field Day sites the next weekend. One student was a first responder for a statewide health agency, one was a geologist, and one was a retired police detective.

A very big thank you to the guest instructors: David W5QS, Teri KC5BJI, Johnny K5POP, Jeremy N5HIM, David AD5TE, Erik KD5YZU, and Don W5DK. Super thanks to Andy for the splendid AV service and to Teri for providing so much event preparation, coordinating the lunch, the treats and the beverages.

Effective immediately, Joe Bruno W5AUQ is appointed as EC for Guadalupe county in District 12.  Joe replaces Joe Thompson W4CTH who became a silent key July 7th.  Joe Thompson was a terrific EC and all around ham and will be missed…

Our thanks to Joe Bruno for reassuming the EC slot.

Tom Whiteside, N5TW
ARRL South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator