January 2012 Nebraska Section News
Happy 2012!
I’m running late again. Now that I’m teaching a course at UNL, I find my time to be in really short supply.
I was impressed last weekend with how much the world of broadcasting has changed. We sat in our living room and watched an Internet streamed video broadcast of a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Ann Chang, Artistic Director of the Lied Center for Performing Arts (in Lincoln) played a piano concert as part of the Kennedy Center’s Millennium concert series.
Twenty years ago, if anyone had said that I would be sitting in my living room watching a computer screen, I would have said they were nuts. But we also watch streaming Netflix and Hulu. Cable companies are losing customers because many young people watch streamed television rather than traditional real-time broadcast TV.
When I was young, ham radio opened the world for me. Today the Internet, and “free” calling and texting on cell phones do that for young people. Keeping ham radio relevant and alive could be a challenge. There is a group here in Nebraska that is doing a great job meeting the challenge.
Dar Piatt, W9HZC, head of the Nebraska Elmer Squad and Assistant Section Manager, heads the Midwest HomeBrewers and QRP Group. The group meets at 11:00 am on the second Saturday of each month at Breadeaux Pizza in Ashland, NE. Their meetings are pretty informal and consist primarily of people getting together to work on homebrew projects.
I attended their January meeting. The other attendees ranged from fairly new, young hams to experienced veterans. The projects they were working on ranged from a 10 meter HT and QRP transmitters through a 6 meter loop. The attendees were Dar, W9HZC, Steve, WB0QQT, Dan, WB0YYE, Ray, N5SEZ, Sean, AC0VD, Mike, W8MZ, Jim, K0EMC, Bill, KA0VXK, Darrel, K0AWB, Joanne, W0WAC, Dale, N0XAS, and Arnie, KA0NCR.
Even though everyone concentrated on their own projects, they all had time to kibitz with each other. And if anyone ran into a problem soldering a component or understanding an instruction, there was a lot of help readily at hand. This is ham radio the way I remember it -- hams building equipment, the smell of solder, and the camaraderie of people helping each other. Congratulations to Dar and the group for what they are accomplishing.
You are welcome to attend the meetings. You can learn more about the group at their website: http://www.hbqrp.org/.
Last month, I reported on the retirement of Danny Baer, KA0DBK, as Buffalo County EC. There was a nice article published in the Kearney Hub about Danny. You can read it at: http://tinyurl.com/7h48c7l
73 until next month
Art Zygielbaum, KØAIZ
ARRL Nebraska Section Manager
Section Traffic Manager and Section Emergency Coordinator
[Note: The new ARRL website has some wrinkles to be ironed out. I can't post tables, yet. Sorry for the harder to read format in this section--Art, KØAIZ]
Net Reports - December 2011
Nebraska 40 Meter Net, Sessions 28, QNI 168, QTC 2, Reported by KL7MH
Nebraska Cornhusker Net, Sessions 28, QNI 418, QTC 7, Reported by WA0ASM
Nebraska CW Net, Sessions 23, QNI 99, QTC 4, Reported by WA0ASM
Nebraska Morning Phone Net, Sessions 31, QNI 1910, QTC 31, Reported by KA0DOC
Nebraska Storm Net, Sessions 31, QNI 1680, QTC 7, Reported by AG0L
One Sixty Meter Weather Net, Sessions 30, QNI 789, QTC 1, Reported by W0EJL
West Nebraska Net, Sessions 27, QNI 1439, QTC 120, Reported by K0RRL
Buffalo County ARES, Sessions 9, QNI 50, QTC 0, Reported by KA0DBK
Dodge County ARES, Sessions 4, QNI 25, QTC 0, Reported by KC0KKE
Douglas County ARES, Sessions 4, QNI 70, QTC 12, Reported by W0AAI
Eastern Nebraska ARES Net, Sessions 31, QNI 616, QTC 0, Reported by KN0RKY
Mid-Nebraska ARES Net, Sessions 14, QNI 86, QTC 0, Reported by KC0MWM
NPPARC, Sessions 3, QNI 23, QTC 0, Reported by W0DED
Platte Valley 2-Meter Net, Sessions 4, QNI 42, QTC 0, Reported by KW0R
W0IRZ Memorial ARES Net, Sessions 4, QNI 81, QTC 3, Reported by W0WHY
* Net Report Legend: Sessions=Number of times net called, QNI=Number of Station Check-ins, QTC=Formal Traffic Count
Traffic Totals
Traffic Count: KØPTK 156, PSHR total=100
Public Service Honor Roll
(Please visit http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/pshr/ for more information about the honor roll.)
KAØDBK 88 points
KBØYTM 26 points
Nebraska Section Nets
Net name, frequency, meets, time CDT, time utc
40 Meter Net, 7.282, Daily, 1300, 1800
Cornhusker Net, 3.982, Daily, 1230, 1730
CW Traffic Net, 3.540, M-F, 1900, 0000
Morning Phone Net, 3.982, Daily, 0730, 1230
One Sixty Weather Net, 1.995, Daily, 1930, 0130
Storm Net, 3.982, Daily, 1830, 2330 or 0130
West Nebraska Net, 3.950, M-S, 0700, 1200
Notes from the Section Traffic Manager:
Ed, W0EJL penned some notes about the beginnings of the Nebraska Storm Net. (Taken from the CNARC "Mini-Watt" Issue XLII)
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NEBRASKA NETS:
The Nebraska sandhill area had a rather severe snow storm in the late 1960s.. The phone company had been experimenting with a cost saving system called wide span. They were using 1 pole where 3 had been before.. On this 1960s storm, ice collected on the lines and if broadside winds didn't break the poles, up to 1/2 mile sections of poles were turned over in the ground and then it snowed. The CNARC Club was active at the time and usually hung out on 3.960.. We handled orders for a drug store in Atkinson, directed tank trucks with gas to snow plows and several other storm related situations.
When the "dust" settled, Larry KØJXN, a handicapped operator on a ranch in Loup county drew up a plan to start a network that became the NE Storm Net and I'm not sure when, but finally it gravitated to 3.982 where we still meet.
Wayne, KØPZS near Broken Bow and WØFIG, Ed near Burwell were selected as the first NCS operators. We had mobile operators at the Wolbach , Primrose tornados and handled traffic for individuals, law officers even the National Guard. I remember at Primrose, a state trooper drove up with a 5 gallon can of gas for our generator. We left the next day when the phone company got a couple out going lines hooked up. We were at the Halsey Forest fire sending reports to the EOC in Lincoln and assisted with H & W messages after the Grand Island tornados in 1980. For some reason Wayne and I quickly tired of the NCS duties and through the years, several people acted as net control operators. Somewhere along the way, a net manager system appeared and different NCO stations are assigned different days which works very well.
I'm expecting some data on the Western Nebraska Nets soon. If anyone has memories of the other Nebraska nets’ past histories, send them to me and we'll fit it in during the next few months.
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Although I don’t have a 160 meter antenna, I tuned up on my 80 meter dipole with my Elecraft K3 and the Net Control heard me. This is my official first time on the 160 net. For those who have an antenna, this net is a very friendly net and is definitely worth checking and being part of the group. Kudos to the guys and gals on 160.
Looking for any historical notes you may have about any of the Nebraska Section Net’s. Please send me your articles, stories, remembrances, pictures or anecdotes you may have. We will add to the monthly summaries.
Please report your individual traffic monthly totals to me at: nf0n@arrl.net I also check in to several net’s daily, you can send to me on the net.
Mike, NF0N
OFFICIAL OBSERVER REPORTS
OO Call, Hours
KE6DZD, 165
WBØMWB, 0
KBØZZT, 30
WBØWXS, 39
W3PRR, 54
WØHXL, 35
WBØCMC, 30
KEØXQ, 160
KAØJTI, 40
ACØDQ, 50
NØXY and WØWFM - no report
**********SPECIAL EVENTS STATION**********
(none listed - please send KØAIZ your announcements!)
WEB PAGES
AKSARBEN ARC http://www.aksarbenarc.org/main/
Amateur Radio Association of Nebraska (used to be: Hastings ARC) http://www.w0wwv.org
Ashland ARC http://ashlandarc.org/
Bellevue ARC http://www.bellevuearc.org
Boyer Valley Amateur Radio Club (IA) http://www.bvarc.net
Buffalo County ARES http://www.bcares.info
Douglas County ARES http://www.mdares.org/home/
Elkhorn Valley ARC http://www.qsl.net/evarc
Heartland Amateur Radio Association http://www.qsl.net/hara
Heartland DX Association http://www.hdxa.net
Lincoln ARC http://www.k0kkv.org
Midway ARC http://wØky.kearney.net/
Midwest Home Brewer's & QRP Group http://www.qsl.net/hbqrp
Nebraska EMA http://www.nema.ne.gov/
Pine Ridge ARC http://www.pineridgearc.org/
Pioneer Amateur Radio Club http://www.k0jfn.com
Strategic Air Command Memorial ARC http://www.sacmarc.org/
Quarter Century Wireless Association http://www.qcwa.org/
Society of Wireless Pioneers http://www.sowp.org/
South East Nebraska Radio Club http://www.senrc.farmpond.net
1Ø-1Ø International http://www.ten-ten.org/
3900 Club http://www.3900club.com
Other Links of Interest
ARRL DX Bulletins http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/
ARRL Propagation Bulletins http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/
ARRL Keplarian Elements http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/kep/
ARRL Transmission Schedule http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html#w1awsked
ARRL General and Special Bulletins http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/
ARRL Emergency Communications http://www.emergency-radio.org
SICK CALL
These are Amateur Radio Operators who are ill and need our support. Please send get well cards or QSL cards with your best wishes on them as they recover from their illnesses or surgeries. I will post along with their names what they are recovering from only with the permission of the families or the member themselves.
SILENT KEYS
While we celebrate the friends that they were, it is with sadness that we recognize the loss of these hams from our fold.
2011
KAØFZW - Raymond E. Sheridan
WØGFQ - Leo Meyerson
WØJCB - William A. Rice
WØJCP - Dick Dyas
WØJJL - Jim Monk
KCØKOG - Jim Nitz
WØKQX - Ronald L. Frame
KI0KS - Robert Dunn Jr.
KAØLAR - Dan Tinkham
KBØLLZ - Bud Watson
KA2NIC - John Mark
KA0S - Doug Mibourn
WCØP - Don Duckett
KCØQR - Jerry Robb
KØTVP - Stanley Prokes
KØUDB - Gaylord Ottun
KBØWIC - Richard W. Harter
NØWWO - James Kuehn
KØYAB - Dick Moen
KCØYE - Robert M. Hill
NØXII - Steve Peterson
KCØYFU - Steve Rudolph
NØZRV - Vernon (Vern) Berggren
2010
WB7ABG - Donald Spray
K1AHL - Nelson Dahl
KAØCPO - Jack Higgins
NZØG - Paul Leslie
NØGTP - Kevin Leslie
N6KVA - Richard Jones
NØLWL - Bill Gesch
NØMSM - Jeff Warren
WBØQAJ - Jake Jakob
WBØQIZ - Bob Blankenau
KØSZ - H. Dayle Johnson
WØVAD - Bill Schlickbernd
NØYTC - Roger Derr
WBØYXS - Frances Scott
WEB RESOURCES
ARRL External Noise Handbook
HAMFESTS AND CONVENTIONS
ARRL Listing
Nebraska Section Convention: http://www.lincolnhamfest.org
VE TESTS
When attending a VE session, make sure you bring the following: your original license, a photocopy of your original license, 2 forms of identification (one with a photograph of you), any CSCE's and $14.ØØ cash or check.
NEBRASKA
http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml?State=NE
Lincoln Amateur Radio Club
First Thrusday of every month at 7pm CT, T&R's Garden Restaurant, 5250 Cornhusker Highway, Lincoln. For more information, the club website is http://www.k0kkv.org.
IOWA
http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml?State=IA
NOTICE
You may reprint items from this webpage/newsletter without prior permission if attribution to this source is provided.
Art Zygielbaum KØAIZ
ARRL Nebraska Section Manager
k0aiz@arrl.org
