Follow us on Facebook at Illinois Section--American Radio Relay League!

SM--Tom Ciciora KA9QPN
ASM/SRM--Ron Morgan, KB9NW
ASM/SEC--Brad Pioveson, W9FX
ASM/ASEC--Shari Harlan, N9SH
ACC--Scott DeSantis KB9VRW
SGL--Charles Richey, K9DUE
STM--Roy Eades, KA9MZJ
PIC--Fritz Bock, WD9FMB
TC--John Dinella, WA9IL
OOC--Tim Childers, KB9FBI
ASEC--Curtis Williams, W5DTR
ASEC--Kelly Robertson, KC9FVK
ASEC--Pat Ryan, KC6VVT
ASEC--Pat Stowell, N9PN
ASEC/Digital Ops--Danny Pease NG9R
DEC: Region 2--Lloyd Sherman KB9APW, Region 3--Dale Marzano N9JH, Region 4--Neil Ormos N9NL, Region 6--Gary Shanks KA9FAJ, Region 7--OPEN, Region 9--John Van Sandt N9YRX, Region 8--Curtis Williams W5DTR, Region 11--Bruce Talley WA9APQ

From the top...
**Did you get them? Did you hear them? K1N from Navassa Island is history. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has said that this won't happen again for at least another 20 years (Insert long discussion as to why this would be so about a rock covered in bird poop). Hopefully, you got your contact. I heard very little in the moment about deliberate QRM during the exercise, although I'm sure that it was out there. Some people just can't help themselves.
**The crew from Navassa did make a request early on for folks to turn off the speech processors. Apparently, those without amplifiers (and some with them!) feel that the best way to crack the pileup is to crank up the processor. And, you will get noticed: as the lid who's trashing that frequency and several kHz to either side. In any case, it's a sound practice to use minimal or no processor. Just because the button is there doesn't mean that we have to push it.
**Now, all that we need to do is get Dennis Rodman to ask his close personal friend Short Round about allowing a DXpedition to the DPRK.
**No new version of HR-4969
 

Get informed...
**Concerning is a 2 year duration Part 5 Experimental License issued to the MITRE Corporation. The license allows them to test wideband communications transmitters in the bands between 2.5 and 16MHz. The maximum bandwidth permitted for the duration is 1MHz. That can raise a lot of Cain with Amateur communications in that range. The League has already gone on record stating that MITRE should not plop their tests in the allocated Amateur bands. More disturbing is that MITRE appears to be a fair sized government contractor. We can safely assume that there is a perceived need somewhere for this type of wideband communications. Which is my long way of saying that it's not just 2 meters and above that are attractive to commercial interests. Now, the HF bands are also under attack. The FCC has not really shown great concern for our allocations recently. Witness the Recon Scout debacle, where a piece of 70's technology was given a home in the 70cm band and marketed to public safety as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Never mind that the thing uses obsolescent and unencrypted technology that anyone with a sliver of technical prowess can monitor or take control. But, I digress. We need to be aware of these encroachments and be prepared to make a stiff fight as they are made reality.
**Severe Weather spotter training season is in full swing, with spotter talks scheduled by each local Weather Service forecast office. Check with your local NWS office or with your local/county EMA/ESDA.
**News that the FCC will stop issuing paper licenses has created no small irritation. My personal concern is the ability to produce an 'official' paper license to public safety so as not to be charged with hands-free violations. Most of us have ink-jet printers whose cartridges cost more than the printer itself. Not very conducive to producing an FCC quality copy from the website. Also hoping that there's an option to produce something without "Reference Copy Only" across it.
 

Around the Section...
**While we're discussing severe weather, John Simon N9TMM sends news of the upcoming Tri-State Severe Weather and Preparedness Conference. This is to be held on 28 March in Quincy at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. There is a fee as they are going to feed you and the presenters appear to be top notch. Details at the Adams County EMA website.
**I've given word that I will again speak at the West Central Illinois Hamfest on 1 August in Carlinville. It was a good crowd last year and a nice ride The flyer hasn't yet been posted, but details will appear on the Macoupin County ARC website when available. If invited to speak somewhere, I'll do my best to be there.
**In their Feedline Newsletter, the Western IL ARC contains a pretty comprehensive list of other DXpeditions and DX of note. There is some other stuff going on.
**Closing with a hearty congratulations to all involved in the Navassa exercise, especially our own Craig Thompson K9CT and Jerry Rosalius WB9Z. The total? 138409 contacts!

Ye Olde Traffic Report DE KA9MZJ...
 

Illinois Side Band Net - Net Manager WB9QPM
Daily on 3905 at 1800 local time
QNI 365 QTC 79 Sessions 31
 
Illinois Phone Net - Net Manager K9GYI
M-F on 3857 at 1645 local time
Sunday on 3940 at 0810 local time - right after the Illinois Emergency Net
QNI 249 QTC 36 Sessions 26
 
Illinois Emergency Net - Net Manager K9HEZ
Sunday on 3940 at 0800 local time
QNI 73 QTC 3 Sessions 4
 
North Central Phone Net – Net Manager K9HEZ
M-F on 3912 at 0700 local time
QNI 435 QTC 12 Sessions 23
 
Illinois CW Net (ILN)   Net Manager WB8SIM
Daily on 3838 at 1915 local time   
QNI  69 QTC 24 Sessions 23
WB8SIW reporting