The busy ham radio operators down at the San Antonio – Austin National Weather Service office in New Braunfels, TX are using the club call sign KD5UMW on the air, using 20/40/80 meters HF, VHF, UHF, Echolink, IRLP, and who knows what other modes?  I know that Skywarn has established standard modes / frequencies to be used, but we aren’t limited to just those.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/

With the inclement weather in the area, operators may be tasked with gathering actual weather info during the event.  So if we are asked for help, lets do all we can.  For those of you working longer shifts you might want to bring food if you think you will want to eat.  Restaurants are a not all that close to the NWS. 

Paul would like to keep operators inside the Weather Service to 3 at a time.  There should be times that we may have 4, so this would be a good time to give Bob a break as he is working the whole event.    Please bring a headset if you have one as we need to keep things fairly quiet inside.  If there are any questions please contact me.

 Bob W2IK has generously offered to handle QSL cards for the event (an SASE will be required) and the KD5UMW QRZ info will be used. 

For those that may need the address:
2090 AIRPORT RD NEW BRAUNFELS, TX 78130 USA

Thanks to all of you,

Wade (w5erx@arrl.net)

On Thursday, December 3rd, 2009, Pat & I went north to Boerne to attend the KARS Christmas Dinner at the Boerne Vistro on Main Street. Food was wonderful, and if anybody left there hungry, well… All I can say is that it was their own fault! They had a wonderful buffet with several selections, and most of us chose that option. A few ordered from the menu, and a few of us even risked ordering from the dessert menu afterward.

Here are my photos from that night…

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All year long, there are opportunities for you to use your Ham Radio skills in events other than contesting, or rag chewing (chatting mindlessly with other hams about nothing in particular).

Coming up in the next couple of months, the event schedule is a bit lighter than the rest of the year, primarily due to all the holidays, or is it?

Here is a list of known Ham Radio Christmas Parties and Events…

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After the remodeling of my shack I still have the following items for sale that I would like to sell asap. If anyone is interested let me know and we can work out a deal……

1.  MFJ 989D full Legal Limit Antenna Tuner: $275.00 {sells for $369 new}
2.  Hy-Gain: 160 to 6 meter ground mounted vertical: $240 {sells for $349 new}
3.  Cushcraft 2 meter 20 element hi-gain beam {10 elements vertical, 10 elements Horizontal}
   Excellent beam when you want one antenna to handle both SSB and FM on 2 meters}  $200.00

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On Sunday, November 29th, members of the Bexar Operators Group will conduct HF communications tests using NVIS antennas along two evacuations routes on RT 37 and RT 10.  These tests will allow us to determine the best bands and locations to deploy should there be a hurricane striking the coastal area. Unlike our earlier tests and drills, the locations we will be operating from will be further east of the locations used (Seguin and Three Rivers). We will be using areas such as near George West, Mathis, Schulenburg and Columbus. If you are an HF operator in the San Antonio or Austin area who would like to participate as a local receiving station, please email us at:  alonestaryank@aol.com  for frequencies  and times. Be a part of this unique and important test without leaving your home.

73  Bob  W2IK – W5BOG

On the morning of Saturday, November 21st, Gary K5GST and Lee N5NTG took a field trip up to New Braunfels, having breakfast with members of the Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club at their favorite restaurant, Los Gallos on Loop 337 near Commons Street.    

After stuffing ourselves on some very excellent Mexican breakfast food, we poured ourselves into Gary’s truck and headed further north on IH-35, looking for the San Marcos Public Library on East Hopkins Street.  This was the location of a meeting for the Hayes Caldwell Hams, a group of hams who has been very active in our recent Hurricane Evacuation Drills.      They were showing a movie from CQ Magazine about Ham Radio, produced in 1994, before the spread of the Internet and Email addresses.

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The following 155 photos were taken and provided by Gary K5GST. Some were taken on Day 1 (Saturday 10/31) and others were taken on Day 2 (Sunday 11/01). 

If you see two riders grouped together wearing the same outfit, those photos were likely taken on Day 2 during the Team Trials. 

Those with single riders  or a few riders not wearing same outfit, were likely takend on Day 1 during the Individual Team Trials.

I’ve edited his photos that were taken sideways, so they would view correctly on your screen… -Lee

Enjoy!
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Here is a collection of about 60 photos taken by myself during Saturday’s Tour de Gruene bike tour and races (10/31/2009).

 A few of these were included in the 8 minute video, but not many of them…

Enjoy!

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The 2009 Tour de Gruene was a big success, with more than 1,800 riders on the first morning’s ride (choice of 15, 30, or 50 mile course), and close to 300 in the afternoon’s individual time trial and Sunday morning’s team time trials. They maxed out registrations for the time trials as usual. Video was taken by Lee N5NTG on Saturday, from the vantage point of 1st Crossing and 2nd Crossing, with some footage from the TT Turn-around near the end of the day. We’ve condensed 8 hours of bike riding down to about 8 minutes.

Visit us at www.HillCountryREACT.org  for more info about our radio team, or www.tourdegruene.com  for info about the races.

Members of Hill Country REACT assisted the Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club in providing ham radio operators along the route, looking for issues affecting the riders’ safety, etc.  We’ve compressed about 8 hours of event down to 8 minutes in this video, but no fast forwarding on the dial was used.  Lance Armstrong was unable to participate in this year’s event due to a reported scheduling conflict with his ex.