San Antonio Hams

Never to early to put it on the calendar!

Local Time: 1800 hrs Friday December 5th to 1800 hrs Saturday December 6th, 2014

This annual event is always the first Friday / Saturday of December each year.  Ham Operators, operating from their local National Weather Service Offices around the country, are trying to contact as many other NWS offices as possible during a 24 hour period that runs from 6pm CDT Friday until 6pm CDT Saturday.  Modes used include HF Voice, EchoLink, and IRLP.

Access is limited at the local NWS office due to space constraints and the fact that the meteorologists are actively working in the same room, so the noise level and disruption factor is a concern.

Operators are scheduled to work in groups of no more than 3 in multiples of 2 hour shifts!

All classes of licensed Amateur Radio Operators are encouraged to participate.  This is a great opportunity for Technician class operators to get some HF time in the early morning shifts with a General or Extra class on the roster!

All equipment is on-site and set up except for headphones!  Highly recommended!

Visitors are limited to those who RSVP before the event! No drop in visitors!  Please, if you would like to come by just to visit, you MUST be on the roster!

To volunteer for a 2 hour shift or more, Contact event coordinator Louis – K5STX at k5stx@k5stx.net or k5stx@hillcountryreact.org!  Sign up early, the based slots go fast!

Title: Tejas Trails – Cactus Rose 100/50 Ultra-Marathon
Location: Hill Country State Natural Area – Bandera County, TX
Link out: Click here

Description: Public Service Event coordinated Hill Country REACT and supported by Highland Lakes Amateur Radio Club and other Amateur Radio Operators from around the state.
Amateur Radio Operators provide voice and data communications between Race Central and 2 remote check points along the course. As this event has grown substantially since it’s inception, reliable communications for Safety and Logistics has grown in importance. Amateur Radio Operators are challenged during this 36 hour long event, having to provide everything to keep their stations up and running, with no permanent infrastructure to support communications.

We utilize 2m and 70cm voice, as well as packet communications for various needs during this event.

As with all Tejas Trails events, the recognition and appreciation of all the volunteers, especially the communications group is heartfelt, from top to bottom of the organization and the participants. Having worked various types of events throughout the years, the Tejas Trails group knows how to take care of it’s volunteers.

Individuals interested in assisting or more information should contact coordinator Louis – K5STX at k5stx dot net or 830-305-2889
Start Date: 2014-10-25
Start Time: 05:30
End Date: 2014-10-26
End Time: 17:30

This year the San Antonio area volunteers staffed 6, of the 35 SAG Vans, to help out during last weekend’s BPMS150.  Five of the six were ham radio operators. We had a couple other SAG Teams scheduled, but they unfortunately had to drop out for various reasons.

We picked up our vans at CAPPS Van Rental near the SA Airport, filled up the gas tanks at the nearby Valero, and headed to Houston after we got all of our equipment hooked up inside.

The event was extremely windy both days, but we did not get any rain until we reached Bastrop around noon. Fortunately the forecast for nasty weather (rain & temperature drops) did not materialize, so the riders only had to contend with that wind (gusting up to 30+ mph).

Here are the names & call signs (if applicable) of our 6 SAG Teams.

• SAG 11 – Charlie KC5NKK & nephew Jason
• SAG 12 – Lee N5NTG & David KD5MTJ
• SAG 18 – Joe W5AUQ & grandson, Tristan
• SAG 19 – Russ K5FJR and Duane
• SAG 24 – Jeffery & Mary Anne N5MYN
• SAG 27 – Mark & Barbara Brigance

Be sure to watch the video I just uploaded to YouTube.com.

I put one typo in the headers to see if anyone was watching it! 🙂

Spring is in the air, and that means our public service events have started up again, just like Spring flowers.

Help is needed for all of these events.  Contact person will be listed for each event below. Don’t wait to be asked, volunteer now!

• April 19th – Bexar County ARES – HT Rodeo. See link to story already posted.  Pre-register by sending your name and call sign to HTrodeoRSVP@gmail.com.  Only those pre-registered by April 12th will be able to participate in the weeklong Roundup event leading up to the rodeo. Details on how to participate will be return emailed. Bring your HT to the event -preferably charged up and ready to rodeo!
• April 27th – Fiesta Wildflower 100 Bicycle Tour.  This is a one day, Sunday event, starting / ending at Morgan’s Wonderland, near Wurzbach Parkway & Thousand Oaks, on the NE side of San Antonio.   Routes go up toward Canyon Lake and over past New Braunfels toward Seguin.   Hams are needed to staff around 9-10 rest stops, plus net control. We’ll have motorcycle marshal support on the course, but no active SAG support (unless the organizer changes their normal operations).  Rumor has it that the event organizer will be reimbursing fuel expenses by the hams and motorcycle marshals who support the event.  I’m still trying to confirm that rumor (that I got from one of the organizers).Please contact Lee Besing N5NTG direct via email at info@sanantoniohams.org with “Fiesta Wildflower 100” in the subject line. Cell contact is 210-771-7075 (voice / text okay).
• May 3rd – Bulverde 5k/10k Senior Citizens Run.  This is a half day (morning) event held in Bulverde, Texas, starting / ending at the Bulverde Senior Citizens Center next to the Fire Station on Cougar Bend & FM1863. Around 8 hams are needed for this event.  Hill Country REACT is coordinating the event. This is a mobile /  HT event using a local repeater.Please Contact Charlie Land KC5NKK via email using kc5nkk@hillcountryreact.org with “Bulverde Run” in the subject line.
• May 10th – American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure.  This is a one day Saturday event, with the start/finish at Retama Park (loop 1604 & IH-35). We expect 4 different routes this year, instead of 5, but the coverage area is still spread out.  We anticipate having around 9 break points, plus 10 SAG vans that need Ham teams to drive / navigate. We’ll also have the Safellite Auto Glass cars helping out on the shorter routes as usual.     We need hams for break points (rest stops), SAG drivers and net control help.  We normally have APRS coverage for this event, but that hasn’t been locked down yet due to personal health issues affecting our usual APRS team from Austin. No background check or DMV check required, but drivers will need to provide copies of their current valid drivers licenses.Please contact Lee Besing N5NTG direct via email at info@sanantoniohams.org with “Tour de Cure” in the subject line. Cell contact is 210-771-7075 (voice / text okay).
• May 25th – 4th annual American Hero 25k Relay Run.  This annual event has a new location on the south side of town. This is a one day Sunday event. The start / finish will be at the Texas A&M University – San Antonio Campus, near south Loop 410 and Zarzamora (Address is on University Way).  Unknown route at this time, but it will be a 5k looped route, that the participants will run 5 times. Since it’s a relay run, some of the runners will be relay runners while others run the full length.   Last year it lasted until around 2pm.   This will likely be a simplex mobile to mobile or HT operation since repeater coverage in that area is very skimpy.  See http://americanhero25krelay.org/ for event details.  I expect to need about 8-10 hams to cover the route.Please contact Lee Besing N5NTG direct via email at info@sanantoniohams.org with “American Hero 25k Relay” in the subject line. Cell contact is 210-771-7075 (voice / text okay).