San Antonio Hams

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.

http://www.arrl.org/news/dayton-hamvention-announces-cancelation-of-2020-show

For the first time in its 68-year history, Dayton Hamvention® will not take place this year, due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. The glum news was not entirely unexpected, given widespread cancelations of public gatherings and a national state of emergency. 

“The Hamvention Executive Committee has been monitoring the COVID19 pandemic. We have worked very closely with our local and state health departments. It is with a very heavy heart the Hamvention Executive Committee has decided to cancel Hamvention for this year,” Hamvention General Chair Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT, said in announcing the cancelation on March 15. “This decision is extremely difficult for us, but with around 2 months until the Great Gathering we felt this action necessary. More specific details regarding the closure will soon be posted. Thank you for your understanding in this time of international crisis.”

Clarification from the ARRL News Site. Looks like ham repeaters are welcome on state lands under the following proviso (requires hoops to be jumped through):

“Our contact in the California Office of Emergency Services suggests that, if any affected repeater is in any way involved with local emergency or government support activity, they should ask that agency to engage with CAL FIRE concerning the repeater. If the agency makes the case, there is a good chance that the repeater will be unaffected,” Tiemstra added.

http://www.arrl.org/news/report-causes-concern-and-confusion-in-california-s-amateur-radio-ranks

DUKE CITY HAMFEST ALBUQUERQUE

The weekend of September 21, I attended the Duke City Hamfest, along with about 400 other amateurs. While well organized, this size of an event, isn’t large enough to attract first-line vendors often seen at Dayton and Visalia. Nonetheless, the organizers did a great job with the various classes, including two excellent talks by Rob Sherwood, NCØB. With these thoughts in mind, here are my observations and comments.

That whole world of vendors has dramatically changed. In days past, the vendors could come and with the help of the manufactures cover their expenses, maybe make a little money, and would continue to support their mutual customers. This was a win-win situation. With the advent of the $100 + per night per person room costs and high transportation costs, it has become too expensive for the manufacturers, much less vendors, to attend a hamfest. This is not an ideal scenario.

Another big change is the resale market. Once upon a time, amateur radio gear tended to hold its value over time, as long as it was smoke-free, and well maintained. Good, bad or indifferent, Icom changed that with the introduction of the IC-7300! At a street price of $1,495, it literally blew away the used market place. However, there is a hidden issue, applicable to any, used, solid-state transceiver—replacement parts!

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http://radioaficion.com/news/new-fcc-rules-that-impact-ham-radio/

I couldn’t copy an excerpt from this article, so I made a quick screenshot instead. Click the above link for the full article.

Some of the changes may impact certain popular models of the Baofeng HT radios. These radios can operate outside the Ham Radio bands and might not be type accepted for GMRS / FRS, etc..

It restricts the sale of combined FRS/GMRS radios. It drops the cost of a GMRS license from $85 to $65 / family and increases the license period from 5 years to 10 years.

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2ND Annual HAMSTER Lunch and Learn Event

JULY 1ST 2017

Welcome to the HAMster Weak Signal Group Lunch and Learn. The purpose of this event is to bring a large group of HAMs together for some education and fun. We want to introduce you not only to the HAMster Group, but also to VHF/UHF Dxing. If you have never experienced the trhill of working stations on 2 metersa nd up 500, 1000 or even 1,500 miles, with daily contacts in the 100 to 150 mile range, then come join us.

Join us for Hot Dogs, Chips, Soda and VE Session with VHF/UHF training classes. Special Weak Signal Training by FLEX Radio, and the HAMster Group.

Flex Radio will be on hand to demonstrate the new products and advantages for VHF/UHF Weak Signal/EME/Meteor Scatter.

License Testing available for new hams or upgrades to your license will be held at 2pm. $15 per test taker. Please contact Pat AD5BR at HAMTEST@GMAIL.COM for details and to RSVP for the test session (not same address as used to register for the Lunch and Learn).

Raffle and Swap Meet
RAFFLE TICKETS $5 EACH OR 5 FOR $20

1ST PLACE: YAESU FUSION RADIO
2ND PLACE: K5VH 2 METER SSB OMNI ANTENNA
3RD PLACE PRIZES AND DOOR PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AS WELL

TRAINING AND LUNCH IS FREE

Saturday July 1st 2017
8:am Kick-Off to 3:Pm

Event to be held at the American Red Cross, 3642 E. Houston St, San Antonio, Tx. (Please use the Houston St side entrance to enter the building.)

RSVP to: N5xo@144200.net
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Fellow hams:

My name is John Ralston, K0RVB, Net manager for the San Antonio Area Rainfall Net. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I send you the following official communication.

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that Sunday, July 13^th, 2014, will be the last day for the rainfall net.  This decision did not come easily, was not made quickly and involved a great deal of communication with the National Weather Service and board members of the net’s sponsor, the San Antonio Radio Club.

The decision to end the net was based solely on our data presentation to the NWS and how they receive their main data stream for daily rainfall amounts. Their main source of receiving daily, timely rainfall data is from CoCoRaHs, a web based reporting model, giving the NWS real time data on a 24 hr model from 8a to 8a.

I encourage each of you to sign up with CoCoRaHs, at http://www.cocorahs.org/ if you have not already done so. Our rainfall reports can still be utilized by the NWS by reporting through the website.

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I’ve replaced the older calendar of events application that I had been using, with a new version.  I feel the new version will be easier and more intuitive for users to add their own events to the calendar.  All users, who have been bumped higher than the default “subscriber” level, should be able to add their own events.

With this new version, if you have a repetitive event (like a monthly meeting, etc.), you can create the first event, then return back to that event and change the date and click the “COPY” button at the bottom of the input screen.  That will duplicate the entry and place it on the date chosen.  I’ve started entering dates for most of the local ham clubs, but it becomes such mind boring / dumbing work after awhile, that I took a break.  I’ll resume when I have some more spare time.

I will be adding in future public service events as well as posting the info to the BLOG area (where you are reading this article).

Volunteers are always needed, so don’t hesitate about raising your hand. Prior experience is not a requirement, as we all started out with the same amount of experience in the beginning, that being “none”.  We’ll place you in a position or with another more experienced ham, according to your comfort level and equipment abilities.

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