With great sadness, Jim Devno KG5UHP a member of AARO went silent key yesterday. Cousin In-Law to Mario K5NKK. He was U.S. and Reserves Army. Mario asked AARO to pass this along via FB. Jim final QRT and 73s. God Speed. Prayers going out to the family.
Service Information: Friday the 29th July 2022
Place: Puentes & Son
14315 Judson Rd, San Antonio, TX 78233
Time: 1500 – 2000 (3pm – 8pm)
*Masks will be required for the safety and protection of the family and other loved ones.*
Date: Friday the 5th August 2022
Place: Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209
Time: 10:45-11:15
* his site will be shelter #5. This will be outside so mask is encouraged but not required*
by Stan Waghalter
Put Wednesday, December 8th on your calendar for our Christmas/Holiday Party.
NOTE: This is a new location.
The party will be held at La Hacienda de Los Barrios, 18747 Redland Road.
Party starts at 6PM.
This year, the grand prize will be a Yaesu FTM-300DR. 2nd Prize will be a Yaesu FT-70DR. There will be other prizes to be won as well.
Hosted by AARO & SARC
Posted on July 6, 2021 by Stan Waghalter
Gilbert Santana (N5CDA) has become a SK. He had been in poor health for several years, undergoing an organ transplant, but finally gave up the struggle. Most of us knew Gilbert from the AARO Ham Club where he served on the board and was even president for a while. We also know him from Altex Electronics.
Funeral services have been announced. On Monday, July 12, visitation and viewing from 3:30PM – 7:30PM at Castillo Mission Funeral Home, 520 N General McMullen. Rosary at 6PM.
On Tuesday, July 13, 9:30AM, depart the funeral home to the Mass of Christian Burial at St. Paul Catholic Church, 350 Sutton at 10AM with burial at San Fernando Cemetery 11.
From Carol Watson, via her Facebook post…
It is with a broken heart that I share the news that my husband, business partner, and best friend, Andrew J. Watson, K5NNN, passed away on Wednesday, March 10th at the age of 65. His death was due to complications of living with Type II Diabetes.
The family will be preparing a “Memory Book” so that future generations will know how Andrew loved life, cared about people, and had an amazing sense of humor. Please send your thoughts and stories for the memory book to friendsofandrewwatson@gmail.com. Please provide your name and contact information in the email.
Condolences may be sent to friendsofandrewwatson@gmail.com or mailed to 3530 Huntwick Lane, San Antonio, TX 78230. The family is grieving and unable to respond to personal calls at this time.
As of today, the day before Field Day weekend, almost all of the local clubs have canceled their field day plans and a few of them are planning to use the amended rule that lets the members operate from their homes and congregate the point for a final score.
The San Antonio Radio Club (SARC) is canceling their field day operation, after originally planning to do a smaller version over at Joe Bruno’s place on FM 78. The members have decided that operating from home would be a safer bet.
The Radio Operators of South Texas (ROOST) Club will be holding a normal, but perhaps scaled down, Field Day event at their clubhouse. No camping overnight as they normally have done in past years. Masks are required to be worn for any visitors. Radio equipment such as microphones, headsets, etc., will be sanitized between operators. See their website, www.w5ros.org, for location and details.
Alamo Area Radio Organization (AARO) has decided to cancel their participation in field day. Individual members may be operating from their homes.
Kendall Amateur Radio Society (KARS) has canceled their group Field Day event, but their members will be operating from their homes.
Guadalupe Valley ARC (GVARC) will not be holding a field day operation this year. They are looking for alternate locations to hold VE Testing, but they think their July session may not happen either. They have resumed their Saturday breakfast tradition, but attendance is limited due to the restrictions on how many people the restaurant can hold under the current government orders.
Medina County (McARC) will not be holding a group field day, but their members will be operating from home under the new rules.
The word I’m getting from the different clubs around the Ssn Antonio metro area, is that in compliance with the various emergency health declarations, all in-person club meetings and test sessions have been canceled.
Several clubs are experimenting with using various forms of Teleconference services, such as Freeteleconferences.com, Skype, or Zoom. One group was overheard suggesting they all get on their club repeater and hold a net.
<gasp!> What will they think of next?
As of this morning, I’ve been told by different VE groups that they will be unable to hold test sessions until the ban on social gatherings (greater than 10) has been lifted.
While ROOST holds their exams at their own clubhouse, they posted on Facebook this morning that they are suspending their 1st & 3rd Saturday VE exams for the time being.
SARC holds theirs on the 4th Saturday in even numbered months, so perhaps the crisis will be over before the end of April?
AARO holds theirs the 3rd Saturday of odd numbered months, which would have been today, March 21st.
GVARC holds quarterly exams in New Braunfels, but the facility normally used has been placed on usage restrictions, which prevents them from using it.
KARS normally offers test sessions after their monthly meetings, but since they can’t hold their meetings in-person, no exam sessions will be possible.
Field Day is a nationwide ARRL sponsored event on the fourth full weekend of June where many local ham clubs set up in a field environment to simulate the operation of amateur radios under emergency conditions.
While there is a contest aspect to Field Day, the real objective is to give members experience operating in an austere environment like those that may be faced in emergency situations.
It’s that time of year again to start up those generators, dust off those solar panels and charge up those batteries. Oh, and get your temporary antennas tested and move those radios from the boxes over to the field day location of your choice.
ARRL has a list of registered Field Day sites nationwide at this link, http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator , but some clubs choose not to get registered prior to the event weekend. Just put in your city / state in the search bar to find your nearest event location.
Note: Any contact information listed below was found published at the ARRL site locator map, or was provided to me for this purpose. None of the email links are live, so you will need to cut/paste in order to send that person an email about their event.
Don’t expect many of them to be checking their emails frequently during the weekend, they will likely be on the radio instead. Most will have a station monitoring 146.52 simplex to gain contacts in that manner.
Side Note: The San Antonio Radio Club (W5SC) will be holding a morning VE Test Session on Saturday, June 22nd, at the Great Northwest Public Library (Near Grissom Road and Timberwilde) beginning at 10am. While walk-ins are welcome, preregistration is requested via email at hamtest@gmail.com.
Pat AD5BR will be conducting the exams with her VE team. There is the usual $15/test attempt fee payable in cash and you will need the usual ID and proof of existing license (if upgrading). Please contact Pat AD5BR for more info.
This is the last chance in the San Antonio area to upgrade to General before the question pool changes on July 1st.
Area Clubs whom I know are conducting Field Day Events, include:
Clifford James Buck passed away on June 19, 2017. Born in Kirksville Missouri, he is survived by his wife, Jill, his son, Jamie Buck and his wife, Stepsons Edward, Lee and Robert Hocking and their families, his Aunt, Betty Mudd, and his sister, Dorotha Drittler and her family.
A Marine Vietnam vet who served two tours, he was proud of his 10 years of service. He was active in amateur radio as W5CJB which will now be a Silent Key.
No service is planned. Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Helotes Humane Society, at 10675 Shaenfield Rd, San Antonio, TX 78254, the Poquita Paws Rescue, at 1248 Austin Hwy. #106 PMB 324 San Antonio, TX 78209 or a charity of their own choosing in his name.
Published in Express-News on June 25, 2017
[Editor Notes: Jim and his wife were / are members of at least 2 ham clubs in the area, Alamo Area Radio Organization (AARO) and Medina County Amateur Radio Corporation (MCARC). Jim was well liked and will be missed. – Lee N5NTG]
Want to win a radio?? We are giving away three!!
Alamo Area Radio Organization would like to invite all area hams to the Alamo Area Radio Organization Holiday Party on December 14, 2016 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. The party will be held at Blanco BBQ located at 13259 Blanco Road, San Antonio, Texas.
AARO is providing some great prizes this year including two Yaesu Mobile rigs: One of them is System Fusion enabled the other is FM only. We also will be giving away a handheld transceiver, ham radio related tools, baked goods, ham radio jewelry and much more.
We have prizes for the whole family!
There is a suggested $5 per person entry fee for those 18 years old and older.
That $5 will get you your first raffle ticket. Additional Raffle tickets can be purchased at the door for $1 each.
You will order off the menu and then sit in the private room. This will allow you to cater your meal to your budget and your tastes and dietary needs.
Please bring the entire family! Enjoy BBQ, eyeball QSOs and perhaps win a radio!
All hams are welcome to attend, you do not have to be a member of AARO to attend.
For more details check out Alamo Area Radio Org on Facebook or aa5ro.org
-Posted by K5NON, AARO Vice-President.