New Mexico Section News for December 2011

 After four years of having the privilege of being the New Mexico Section Manager my term has come to the end.  January 1 your new Section Manager Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ, will tell you all the things you need to know.  Bill is taking over when we are faced with many problems in Amateur Radio from the FCC “sharing” our frequencies with business to the challenges to our participation in emergency services.  Having known and worked with Bill for several years I can assure you that the section is in good hands.

During these past four years we have seen many challenges both local and state wide.  We have risen well to these challenges and have prevailed.  This was not by my doing but by the leadership and hard work of the forty plus members of the Section staff without whom I would have been an abject failure.  Those people are too numerous to mention individually here.  Each and every one of them was an integral part of the success of our Section.  To you all I say thank you for your dedication and hard work.

There is one member of the Section Staff that I will mention and that is Pat Wood, KE5FVS, the PIO for the Amateur Radio Caravan Club.  Oh yes, she is also my better half.  Without her backing and continuous support I would have not been able to keep up with all that was going on.  Now she can cheer me on to do all those things I have not done at home during the last four years.

To each of you in the Section I say thank you for your support, your concerns, your advice and your friendship.  I look forward to hearing you on the air.

73,

don – W5FHA

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 2012 is New Mexico’s 100^th birthday.  Jay Miller, W5WHN, has checked with the FCC, Bill Cross to be specific, and he said that in 2012 we can all give our calls with a /100 to symbolize the 100^th anniversary of New Mexico becoming a state.  It must be stated by voice as “slash one hundred” or on CW as “/100”.  Thanks, Jay. This will set off 2012 very nicely.

Many of the new hams to our amateur community are unaware of the community service that we provide through ARES/RACES.  If you have an interest in community service please contact Mike Scales, K5SCA at k5sca@arrl.net and ask for information in your area.  You will find it very satisfying to aid your community in time of emergency.

Tim Allen -- star of Home Improvement, Toy Story, The Santa Clause and Galaxy Quest, just to name a few -- stars in Last Man Standing, an ABC comedy airing at 8 PM (EST) on Tuesday nights. Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT.  While Amateur Radio has not been prominently featured in the first episodes, according to John Amodeo, NN6JA -- the producer of Last Man Standing -- it is a part of the show and an important part of Mike's character. At press time, the episode that will establish Mike as a radio amateur is scheduled to air mid-January.  For the full story go to the ARRL Letter for December 15.

On Tuesday, December 13, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that States ban the non-emergency use of all cellular telephones and other "portable electronic devices" (PEDs) by drivers of motor vehicles.  The section will keep an eye out on this.  We went through this a few years ago here in New Mexico and were able to have amateur radio excluded. 

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 (HR 3630) -- the bill to extend the payroll tax reduction that passed the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 13 -- includes among its many other provisions the "Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum Act" or "JOBS Act" that passed the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on December 1. The JOBS Act makes up Title IV of HR 3630. Read more here.

Hero’s Club

Robert Fox, KA5VRV

Christopher Aas, NB5T

William L Nohrn, N5UNB

Raymond J Caraveo, N5IZV

Evan R. Newlon, WB5HAM

Stuart Simon (Stu) K2QBU with a second donation

Jess Wright, W5QDW – SK

Don Wood, W5FHA

The “Hero’s club” is a listing of those generous hams who have contributed equipment for our efforts to get radio clubs into the schools and encourage the students to become active hams.  The donated equipment will be available to any school amateur radio club in the state.  A licensed amateur will be needed as the custodian of the equipment.  There are only three requirements to obtain this equipment.  1) The custodian of the equipment must be 18 years of age or older and a General Class licensee or better, 2) The club must be sanctioned by the school, 3) A member of the school staff must be the sponsor of the club.  The school sponsor does not have to be a ham.  Contact Don Wood, W5FHA (w5fha@arrl.net) for a list of the available equipment

***I would like to remind everyone to check out the New Mexico Section web page www.arrl-nm.org. Thanks to Mike Pendley, K5ATM for the design and implementation of the site.   If you are not set up on the site contact Mike Pendley, K5ATM at k5atm@arrl.net
 

***December 17 – The High Desert ARC held a VE session.  10 people came to take exams and all examines passed at least one exam

El 2 – 7 people passed

El 3 – 3 people passed (including one person who passed El 2)

El 4 – 1 person passed

Thanks to Marty Soffran, NM5MS

 
***December 29 -- The High Desert ARC held a special exam session.  3 people came to special test session

El 3 – 3 people passed

El 4 – 1 person took exam and passed

Thanks to Marty Soffran, NM5MS

*** Congratulations to the High Desert ARC – During 2011 the club’s ARRL VEC VE team had the following results:

·       142 people taking exams

·       El 2 – 110 people passed

·       El 3 – 38 people passed

·       El 4 – 15 people passed

Great job gang!

 Coming Attractions

 ***January 8 – ARRL Kid’s Day – The High Desert ARC will set up at the Darling Tribes Preschool, located in Corrales   The school is owned by Susan and Phil Darling (KF5LEG & KF5LEF).  The event runs from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.  The club will be operating a GOTA station to give the kids a chance to experience amateur radio.

Fred Lete, KC5IPK, will have his Hot Air Balloon in the parking lot of the school to add some additional interest to the event if the weather cooperates.

***January 28, 2012 - the 146.580 Simplex Group will hold an ARRL approved tailgate in Albuquerque at the TransCore – Amtech Technology Center, 8600 Jefferson St. NE (East parking lot) ** GPS Coordinates – N35, 10.91  W106, 35.42 ** Talk-in on the Caravan Club repeaters 145.33 (- offset, 100 Hz PL) or 444.0 (+ offset, 100 Hz PL) THIS IS A FREE TAIL GATE!  The burrito wagon will be there.  For more info contact Gary KH6JTM at 505-299-3280.

 *** January 1 to 15 - The Penasco Valley Amateur Radio Association, an ARRL affiliated club whose call is K5PVR, in Artesia, NM will be operating special events stations under the call of N5M to celebrate the New Mexico Centennial from Jan. 1-15.   A special QSL card will be sent to each contact logged.  The Club MUST receive your card before THEIRs will be sent.  NO SASE necessary. 

The club intends to operate on or about the following frequencies; But NOT ALL at one time, so YOU may have to look for US.

                           PSK                        SSB

                      1.838                       1.868

                      3.580                       3.880

                      7.070                       7.180

                      10.140                      --------

                      14.070                     14.280

                      18.100                     18.148

                      21.070                     21.280

                      24.920                     24.958

                      28.120           28.380

We are giving special operation emphasis on these dates:  Jan. 1, 6,7,8,14,15.  But, may be found at other times within the period. 

                      50.290                     50.138

Our QSL info is: 

PVARA/k5pvr

P. O. Box 1557

Artesia NM 88210

USA

.  For more information contact Randy Hazelbaker-KD5EDB at rhazelbaker@pvt.com or :  ke5yd@plateautel.net

***March 25 -- Bataan Memorial Death March – This is a little early but it takes time to plan and execute.  If you are interested in participating here is the info:

POC for planning communications support for this event is George Kopp, KD5OHA, geokd5oha@yahoo.com.

Arrival time is NLT 0400, Races end at 2000, period.  Event is simplex, 146.550

You get a ‘T’ shirt for participation.   Location is White Sands Missile Test Range.

If you want to volunteer, George needs your info sooner rather than later as he needs to coordinate access with the Army.

Thanks to Jarret for this info.

The Mesilla Valley ARC annually runs K5B Special Event station for the annual Bataan Death March.  Information can be found at http://www.n5bl.org/bataan

 

The Net Counts for December are:

 

NET NAME                                       CONTACTS                                     QSTs

 NM Roadrunner Traffic Net      1378                                         /127

NM Breakfast Club                  1271                                         /131

Caravan Club Net                     47                                             /3

SCAT Net                                894                                           /131

Yucca Net                                477                                           /41

Four Corners net                       507                                           /57

Rusty’s Raiders Net                  477                                           /82

Valencia County ARA Net          61                                             /17

40 Meter Boat Anchor Net          49                                             /0

220 Ragchewers Net                  58                                             /0

 

It is our objective to be able to publish this newsletter on or before the 6 of each month.  It is important that all nets report their numbers before that date to Don Grab, K5BIS.     (Many thanks to Don Grab, K5BIS, for keeping track of all the nets and reporting each month.)   If you do not see your net here, send your end of month numbers to Don Grab, K5BIS!  I would like to see the ARES nets represented as well.

 

For a listing of all nets in New Mexico, please go to www.arrl-nm.org

 

ARRL Silent Key Report, December 2011

Name, Call, and Address of Silent Key:

             Ole Jorgensen, WA5IPS
             Alamogordo, NM 88310

                Reported by:  Don Grab, K5BIS

       Obituary: In the Alamogordo Daily News.

Name, Call, and Address of Silent Key:

            Bruce Bryant, KC7ENB
            Las Cruces, NM

            Reported by: David R. Hassall, WA5DJ

Name, Call, and Address of Silent Key:

            ROY E HOLLENBACH
            ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87111

               Reported by: Don Grab, K5BIS

Obituary in Albuquerque Journal

 Name, Call, and Address of Silent Key:

              LEONARD M RAWLES, N5BVS
              ALAMOGORDO, NM 88310

              Reported by: Don Grab, K5BIS &  Larry Moore, WA5UNO

              Obituary in Alamogordo Daily News

 

            Several club newsletters are sent and they greatly appreciated. Please continue to send them to Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ.  People also send information for inclusion in the newsletter. Be sure to provide all the information. Don't assume that names, calls, dates and locations will be known. All of the information is important. This is your Section and what you do is important. If your club does not have a PIO please get one and let Bill know the important things your club is doing. Have a great month.

 

73,

 

Don - W5FHA

 

Thought For The Day:  Amateur Radio is a great hobby.  Along with the fun comes skill, talent, equipment and an obligation to serve our community in times of crisis.