************************
MDC Section News
Vol. 7 No. 1
January 13, 2012
***********************

*  MDC SECTION-WIDE ECHOLINK NET FRIDAY JANUARY 20th
*  UPCOMING MDC AREA HAMFESTS
*  WEBINAR ON MONDAY, JAN 16 AT 9 PM
*  T-MARC NEWS
*  SECTION ARES® REPORT
*  SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER'S REPORT
*  FINALLY. . .



==>  MDC SECTION-WIDE ECHOLINK NET FRIDAY JANUARY 20th

This month's MDC section-wide Echolink net will be held on Friday, January 20th, at 8:00 PM EDT on the Echolink WASH_DC node 6154.

If you would like to join in on RF, the following repeaters/IRLP have linked in for previous Echolink nets: KA2JAI-R, WB3GXW-R, N3HF-R, W3ICF-R, N3RO-L and W3SMD-L.

Everyone is encouraged to join in and give any updates on what is going on in your part of the ARRL Maryland-DC Section.

If you don't have Echolink on your computer, you may download the software free-of-charge from: <http://www.echolink.org>.

We thank John Creel, WB3GXW, for making the Echolink server and his WB3GXW-R repeater available for our net.

Everyone is invited to stay connected to the WASH_DC server on Echolink for the ARRL Audio ARES E-Letter and Amateur Radio Newsline which immediately follows our net.

The ARRL Audio ARES E-Letter script is written by MDC ASM Al  Brown, KZ3AB, and voiced by Tony Riggs, W1FHN, in Lanham, Maryland.

You may listen online by clicking on:
<http://www.arrl.org/ares-e-letter-audio-version>.

==>  UPCOMING MDC AREA HAMFESTS

We include hamfests that are within a reasonable driving distance of the MDC Section for those folks who live near a border.

Saturday, January 14, 2012
Winterfest
Type:  ARRL Hamfest
Website:  <http://www.w3uu.org>
Sponsor:  Harrisburg Radio Amateur Club

********************

Sunday, January 29, 2012
Maryland Mobileers Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
Location: Odenton Volunteer Fire Department Hall
1425 Annapolis Road (Route 175)
Odenton, MD 21113
Web: <http://sites.google.com/site/marylandmobileers/hamfest-2>
Sponsor: Maryland Mobileers Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.805 / 146.205
Public Contact: Frank Winner, N3SEO
283 Oak Court Severna Park, MD 21146
Phone: 410-647-3335
Email: N3SEO@aol.com

*******************

Saturday, February 4, 2012
Virginia State Convention (Frostfest 2012)
Location: Richmond, VA
Type: ARRL Convention
Website: <http://www.frostfest.com>
Sponsor: Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society

*******************

Sunday, February 26, 2012
Winterfest
Location: Annandale, VA
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Website: <http://www.viennawireless.org/winterfest.php>
Sponsor: Vienna Wireless Society

******************

Saturday, March 31, 2012
(Greater Baltimore Hamboree & Computerfest)
Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds
2200 York Road
Timonium, MD
Website: <www.gbhc.org>
Sponsor: Baltimore Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.67 (Pl 107.2)
Public Contact: Bill Dobson, N3WD
PO Box 120
Reisterstown, MD 21136
Phone: 443-590-1444
Email: w3ft67@yahoo.com

*****************

April 21, 2012
Delaware State Convention
 (Delmarva Amateur Radio & Electronics Expo)
Location: Georgetown, DE
Type: ARRL Convention
Website: <http://www.radioelectronicsexpo.com>
Sponsor: Sussex Amateur Radio Association & Sussex Technical High School

If you'd like to search for more hamfests outside the Maryland-DC area, you may click on:
<WWW.ARRL.ORG/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar>.



==>  WEBINAR ON MONDAY, JAN 16 AT 9 PM

I'm sure that some folks signed up for a webinar to be put on by Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR entitled "Amateur Radio in the Next 25 Years".  That webinar was postponed to 9 pm Monday, January 16 due to an unexpected conflict of a participant.  All you need is a computer and speakers to join in.  If you did not register before and would like to, please go to:
<http://www.atldiv.org/training.htm>
to register.  You will be sent an email with a link to click a few minutes before 9 pm to join.  If you registered prior to the postponed date, you will automatically receive another email with a link so you don't have to register again.

Following is a description of the webinar from the website:

"Amateur Radio in the Next 25 Years"

Have you ever wondered what amateur radio will be like in the next 25 years?

We've put together a panel that will discuss where they think amateur radio will be in the next 25 years.

Our panelists will be ARRL General Counsel, Chris Imlay W3KD; former FCC Counsel for Amateur Enforcement, Riley Hollingsworth K4ZDH and Ed Hare W1RFI for technical.

Come and see if their thoughts are similar to yours.



==>  T-MARC NEWS

T-MARC is The Mid-Atlantic Repeater Council and coordinates Amateur VHF and UHF repeater operations to keep interference problems to a minimum.

T-MARC's areas of responsibility include the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia.

Please visit the T-MARC website at: <www.tmarc.org>.

  -----
November, 2011 T-MARC NEWS

December 1, 2011

Activity since November 2, 2011

* Applications in Progress:

- DelMarVa VHF and Microwave Soc. – Received application for   move of 53.3700 to Bluemont, Va.  Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.  Sent revised coordination.

- DelMarVa VHF and Microwave Soc. – Received application for
  move of 224.340 to Bluemont, Va.  Sent Notice of Proposed
  Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.  Sent revised coordination.

- K4GVT – Received application for move of 443.500 in Manassas, Va.  Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.  Sent revised coordination.

- AB3FE – Received Certificate of Operational Status of 442.300 in Cumberland, Md.  Sent Final Coordination.

- WA4TXE - Received Certificate of Operational Status of  146.8500 in Charles Town, W. Va. Sent Final Coordination.

- KB3AVZ – Received application for coordination for UHF in  Oakland, Md.  Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.

* Coordinations Withdrawn/Cancelled:

- KB3AVZ 449.0750 Baltimore, Md.
- KB3AVZ 224.4800 Baltimore, Md.

* On Air Status Requests sent to:

- None

* Other:

- Received 3 VHF Notice of Proposed Coordinations from Area Repeater Coordination Council
- Received 2 UHF Notice of Proposed Coordinations from Area Repeater Coordination Council
- Received 1 VHF Notice of Proposed Coordination from Western Pa. Repeater Council
- Received 2 UHF Notice of Proposed Coordination from Western Pa. Repeater Council

- Received new trustee information from Fauquier Amateur Radio
  Assn.
  -----

December, 2011 T-MARC NEWS

January 1, 2012

Activity since December 1, 2011

Applications in Progress:

- KB3AVZ – Received application for coordination for UHF in Oakland, Md. Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.
  Sent Construction Coordination for 442.6000.

- Bull Run Mtn. ARA – Received application for coordination for 220 pair in Haymarket, Va. Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.

- DelMarVa VHF & Microwave Soc – Received application for  coordination for UHF pair in Bluemont, Va.  Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination groups.

- DelMarVa VHF & Microwave Soc – Received application for  coordination for UHF pair in Haymarket, Va.

- E-STAR – Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring  coordination groups and co-channel systems within TMARC for  VHF pair.

- W4GMF - Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to co-channel  system within TMARC area for VHF pair.  Objection received and being reviewed.

Coordinations Withdrawn / Cancelled:

448.3250 KT4ER Bluemont, Va.
927.2125 KT4ER Bluemont, Va.
902.2125 KT4ER Haymarket, Va.
147.2550 SPARC Prince Frederick, Md.

On Air Status Requests sent to:

448.3250 KT4ER Bluemont, Va.
927.2125 KT4ER Bluemont, Va.
902.2125 KTEER Haymarket, Va.
923.2500 WB4APR Annapolis, Md.
923.2500 K3ATV Rockville, Md.
224.9400 K3ATV Rockville, Md.

Other:

- Received 1 UHF notice of proposed coordination from SERA
- Received 1 VHF notice of proposed coordination from SERA
- Reviewed / Updated ARRL Repeater Directory listings

If you have any questions about repeater coordination, please feel free to send an e-mail to the T-MARC Board of Directors
at: <tmarc@tmarc.org> or send snail-mail to: T-MARC,
P O Box 1022, Savage, MD 20763-1022.  


==>  SECTION ARES® REPORT

Monthly Section Emergency Coordinator Report ________________________________________________________
ARRL Section: Maryland-DC  Month:  December   Year: 2011
________________________________________________________

Total number of ARES members: 645
Change since last month: -6

Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 7 Number of ARES nets active: 24 Number with NTS liaison: 10

Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: N3SEO, WR3F, K3UEZ, KB3LJB, N3QHC, WB3KAS, and N3SB.

Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 21 Person hours: 325

Number of public service events this month: 0 Person hours: 0

Number of emergency operations this month: 0 Person hours: 0

Total number of ARES operations this month: 21 Total Person hours: 325

Comments:

Howard County: During our normal December 13th net we took check-ins with drill traffic from the licensing class being conducted at the National Historic Electronics Museum.
Those with traffic were moved to an ad hoc traffic net on the CARA secondary VHF repeater where five pieces of traffic were passed while we conducted routine activities on the primary repeater.

Cecil County: The Cecil County ARES group holds a weekly net every Sunday evening at 2000 local on the WA3SFJ repeaters
(146.850- PL 107.2, 449.825- PL 167.9).  Primary will be the 2-meter repeater.  All within earshot of the repeaters are invited to join in regardless of ARES membership.  Following the net we have a Swap Shop "net" where hams are invited to list their ham-radio-related items for sale or trade.

Calvert County: CALV ARES (N3EDD) checked into the PGRE Hospital HF Net. Our ARES Net had 408 check-ins this year.
December's Net participation was the highest with 54 check-ins.
CALV ARES volunteered a total of 812.8 man-hours for the year 2011.

Prince Georges County: Nets: Held four regularly scheduled training VHF nets on 146.61MHz on Tuesdays at 1930L.  The monthly HF Hospital Net is held the Wednesday following the third Monday of the month. December 14: PRGE ARES held their annual Christmas Dinner at the Collington Retirement Village courtesy of its club station, KB3WOB.  A tour of its inaugural station was the highlight of the evening.  December 17: Held a second Winlink 2000 RMS Express and Airmail Peer-to-Peer training session at the EOC in preparation for the January Quarterly Hospital Drill.  This time we had we had the members put into practice what we learned last month and set up 'station tables' in the room and passed P2P emails among ourselves. Lessons learned: use ruber duckies and VLP. . .
very low power when in this type of close environment!! 
December 21: Conducted last the ARES High Frequency Hospital Net (HFHN) for 2011. We had nine check ins with KC2VUU
checking in from Millport, NY!   December 28: In blustery
cold winds, 10 ARES members came out to the EOC to take down three weather damaged antennas and install a 40m dipole and three new VHF/UHF antennas. More to be done.

Signature: Steve Beckman
Call sign: N3SB
Email: n3sb@qis.net



==>  SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER'S REPORT

FOR THE MDC WEB SITE 1112

MDC NTS NETS:

MEPN 1112 W3YVQ QND/31 QNI/357 QTC/148 MINS/1183 BTN 1112 K3CSX QND/31 QNI/346 QTC/20 MINS/468 MDD 1112 AA3SB QND/61 QNI/362 QTC/206 MINS/710 MSN 1112 W8CPG QND/31 QNI/212 QTC/53 MINS/1207

PSHR: KK3F 140, W3YVQ 135, W3CB 128, KB3LNM 100, AA3SB 94, K3IN 90, N3ZOC 90, WB3FTQ 80;

TFC: KK3F 848, WB3FTQ 169, KB3LNM 165, K3IN 125, N3ZOC 117, W3YVQ 78, AA3SB 50, W3CB 27, KC3Y 4

==========
NETS:

* MEPN/C2, MARYLAND EMERGENCY PHONE NET
3820.5, summer 1800L-DY, winter 1730L-DY
Liaisons: 3RN2/DTN/WVA/MDD/BTN/WL2K-NTSD/EL
* BTN/C4, BALTIMORE TRAFFIC NET
146.67/R, 1830L-DY; Alt. 145.33/R
Liaisons: MEPN/MDD/WL2K-NTSD/EL
* MDD/C4, MARYLAND/DC/DELAWARE NET
3557, 1900L-2200L-DY
Liaisons: 3RN4/DTN/MEPN/BTN/MSN/WL2K-NTSD/EL
* MSN, MARYLAND SLOW NET
3563, 1930L-DY, Traffic Handling and Net Training
Liaisons: MDD/EL
* ECHOLINK, MDC-NTS at WB3GXW-L, (*WASH_DC* conference bridge alternate), daily during MEPN, and Tuesdays at 1920L.
Liaisons: MEPN, MDD, BTN, MSN, ARES(r)
* Radio-Email, Winlink 2000 and direct, daily, 24/7.

---
Thanks to all the MDC NTS Net NCS stations and Net Managers for timely reports of monthly activity.
Well done, again!

N3WK has stepped down after many decades from his MEPN net assignments, director duties, and newsletter writing, to spend more time with the family. The MEPN sincerely thanks Bill for his long service and outstanding contribution to the success of the net. He has and will continue to be a good friend of all of us in the MDC Field Organization. He will continue to check into the MDC nets as time permits. Thanks, Bill.

KK3F has returned to the air due after equipment and antenna failures and is loud and clear thanks to the generous efforts and expeditions of NI2W, WB3FTQ, WA3QPX, N3HFC, KC8SIG, WB3GXW, and others.

Welcome to Don, WB3FTQ, who has joined the NTSD team as DRS with HF PacTor connections to the Eastern Area and 3RN MBOs for handling Radiogram traffic to/from the MDC Section. WB3FTQ and Pam, N3HFC, are also established as PacTor-III Radio-email links on our national network. KB3LNM and W3CB (among others) are maintaining RMS-Packet/Relay Gateways for joint NTS/NTSD/ARES® Radio-email operations in MDC.

The devoted MDC NTS team is maintaining daily operations on MEPN, BTN, MSN and MDD, including liaisons between those Nets and our connections to Region and Area NTS Nets on Cycles 2 and 4, plus our digital links. Many of our operators perform duties on multiple nets and days. They could certainly use some help with traffic handling and NCS and liaison duties on both voice and CW on many days of the week. New and experienced operators are also encouraged to join us on the Radio-email network. Software is free. Training will be provided for operators interested in helping. If you would like to join us in this important messaging service roll, contact the respective Net Managers or me and we will provide the details. These are skills which must be learned before emergency communications situations arise.

(See the NTS Nets tab, Basic Traffic Handling CW and Voice tutorials, and the WL2K tutorial, under General Information, on the Section web page at:
<www.arrl-mdc.net>.)

The MEPN has remained on summer schedule beyond the switch to standard time due to the much improved propagation resulting from this solar cycle. The Net will switch to the winter schedule later if conditions warrant.
Liaisons representing MDC NTS Nets are dispatched at the start of the MEPN to the Echolink WB3GXW-L connection provided by WB3GXW, with backup on the *WASH_DC* conference bridge. Thanks John.

---
MEPN: The MEPN meets on 3820.5 kHz; summer: 1800L, Pre-net 1730L, EDST; winter: 1730L, Pre-net 1700L, EST.
The net may be directed during the pre-net as soon as traffic is posted for handling. Liaison stations will monitor the Echolink WB3GXW-L connection (or the *WASH_DC* conference bridge backup) for check-ins on Echolink during the net. MEPN listed traffic may be pushed directly to county Target Stations on WL2K, outbound traffic to W3YVQ in Batch File format.

EL: The MDC Echolink NTS "Net" meets Tuesdays at 1920L
(directed) and daily as needed (undirected) at the respective MDC Net times on the WB3GXW-L connection (*WASH_DC* conference bridge alternate) to provide access to the NTS for stations not able to QNI the regular nets. Representatives from MEPN, BTN, MSN, MDD, all ARES® jurisdictions and other amateurs are welcome. The MEPN sends liaisons to Echolink daily at net time. Echolink is an internet-dependent function and an off-air function for traffic counting unless accessed via linked repeaters.

WL2K: The Winlink 2000 (WL2K) network provides for Radio-email messaging in the standard email format between served agencies, ARES(r) and NTS/NTSD. It is also used to carry attachments, such as ICS-213 messaging, Radiogram welfare traffic, and provides a protected gateway to addressees on the public internet. WL2K may be accessed via the internet, via packet radio, and via HF PacTor or WINMOR Gateway stations. WL2K is an on-air function for traffic counting when accessed via packet and HF, an off-air function if accessed via telnet/internet. (See the General Information, WL2K tutorial, at <www.arrl-mdc.net>.)

OTHER NETS:
The WVA Net has also remained on their summer schedule at 1800L due to improved propagation.

The WVA Net meets on 3811, summer 1800L, EDST; winter 1700L EST. Liaisons to WVA from MEPN will need to be there promptly at the start of their net, assigned at the start of the MEPN pre-net or the previous night.

The DE net (DTN) is scheduled at 1830L on 3905 kHz., Monday through Saturday, the DELMARVA Net on Sunday.

The EPA Net is operating at 6:00 PM daily for the summer, 5:30 PM winter, on 3905 kHz.

==========

Thank you for your continued support of MDC integrated ARES/NTS operations. Good luck and good health in 2012.

73, W3YVQ, MDC ASM, STM
w3yvq atsign arrl dot net



==>  FINALLY. . .

Happy New Year!  I hope you and yours had a wonderful Holiday season.

Your ARRL Atlantic Division Vice-Director, Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, and I attended several club Holiday banquets during December including the Antietam Radio Association in Hagerstown, the Laurel Amateur Radio Club in Laurel, the
QCWA luncheon and Green Mountain Repeater Association.   

We had a great time and enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone.  Thanks for inviting us.

We also attended an Atlantic Division cabinet meeting in early December to design the framework for an Atlantic Division Convention. It will be totally different than any convention held so far.  More to come as the parts and pieces come together.

Please remember to look at the MDC Section web page, <http://www.arrl-mdc.net>, often for MDC Section news updates.

The MDC Section web page is also a good source for a lot of information. 

The Emergency Response Plan, the list of MDC ECs and ROs, as well as traffic net and hamfest information is located in the "Quick Links Bar" near the top of the page.

As you scroll down, you may see other links to WINLINK
(WL2K) instructions, a list of people who are available to make presentations and speak at your club's meetings, WAS and DXCC Local QSL Card Checkers, how to learn the International Morse Code, links to ARRL MDC Section affiliated amateur radio clubs and more.

During 2011, the MDC Section web page had 9,675 hits. 

Here's a history of our web page hits, year-by-year:
2006    7,394     0.0% (Base Line)
2007    7,066   - 4.4%
2008    7,545   + 6.7%
2009    8,064   + 6.8%
2010    N/A       N/A  (Data Lost)
2011    9,675   + 8.3% (compared to 2009)

I'm glad to see that you are looking at the web page and that it is useful to you.

Also, remember to look at the ARRL's MDC Section web page at <http://www.arrl.org/sections/view/maryland-dc> where you may view this edition of the Section News, any alerts that may be posted and other information about the Section.

I would like to thank my ASM Al Brown, KZ3AB, for keeping these web pages up-to-date and helping me write and edit the monthly MDC Section News.

Keep warm and remember, I am always at your service.
 
73, Jim Cross WI3N
SM MDC
<WI3N@ARRL.ORG>