47th ANNUAL RARSFEST AND ARRL NC STATE CONVENTION (4/20) – The 47th Annual RARSfest and ARRL NC State Convention will be held on Saturday, April 20th, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, in Raleigh.  The location for the event is the Jim Graham Building, North Carolina State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607.  Talk-in via W4DW 146.64 MHz repeater, no tone.  In addition to the commercial vendor exhibits and flea market, RARSfest will have door prizes, a Get On The Air (GOTA) station, a hands-on construction project area, QSL card checking, an indoor fox-hunt, a satellite communications demonstration, and walk-in VE testing at 9:00 AM sharp.  The open forum sessions will include discussions on the ARRL Roanoke Division and the NC Section.  In addition, there will be presentations on D-STAR, Fusion, and DMR voice mode technology; Activities and opportunities for the new or prospective ham; and, NWS SKYWARN Basic Spotter Training.  Dan Henderson, N1ND, ARRL Regulatory Information Manager / Assistant Secretary, will make a presentation entitled, “Everything your Elmer taught you and then some.”  The 2019 RARSfest is sponsored by the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society.  For further information, see https://www.rarsfest.org  (source: RARSfest website)

TAR HEEL EMERGENCY NET TO BE DISCUSSED AT 2019 RARSFEST (4/20) – Amateur radio operators with an interest in emergency and disaster response are invited to attend the NC Section Forum at the 2019 RARSfest, which will be held from 1:15 – 3:00 PM.  This year, future directions for the Tar Heel Emergency Net will be discussed, including finding new participants, recruiting additional Net Control Stations, training during the Net sessions, and incorporating the Net into the emergency communications plan for our State.  For further information on the Tar Heel Emergency Net and RARSfest, see http://www.ncarrl.org/nets/THEN/index.html and https://www.rarsfest.org, respectively.  (sources: W4CHX; NC ARRL and RARSfest websites)   

SKYWARN SPOTTER TRAINING (4/23, 4/30) – The following information was received from Virginia Enzor, NC4VA:  “SKYWARN Spotter Training will be offered on the Central Carolina SKYWARN Information Net on April 23 and April 30 at 9:15 PM on the 146.88 repeater (Wake County) and via live-streaming audio on the internet.  Training will focus on the role of the SKYWARN spotter, weather safety, and convective basics.  This training may be used to earn initial spotter certification or renew certification, which is required every three years.  Part 1 of Basic Training will be held on April 23; Part 2 on April 30.  The instructor will be Nick Petro, WX3H, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NWS Raleigh.  To fully benefit from this training and to receive certification, you must: a) download the training presentation before each net from www.centralcarolinaskywarn.net (it will be included with the Weekly Weather Impact Briefing; click on the Weekly Weather Impact Briefing on the top menu to download); b) listen and check in at the end of both nets; and, c) email Virginia Enzor, NC4VA, Emergency Coordinator (Central Carolina SKYWARN) at nc4va@nc.rr.com with your name, call sign (if licensed), county, and preferred email address. If you are unable to reach the repeater, email Virginia NC4VA stating you listened and provide the requested information. The NWS will then contact you about completing the spotter certification process.  Scanner listeners and listeners receiving live-streaming audio on the internet at www.broadcastify.com may also participate by downloading the presentations and emailing Virginia NC4VA immediately after both nets.  Again, be sure to include your name, call sign (if licensed), county, and preferred email address.  For live-streamed training, visit www.broadcastify.com and proceed as follows: Listen > North Carolina > Wake > Central Carolina SKYWARN.  If you live outside the Raleigh NWS coverage area, the Raleigh NWS will coordinate with your Weather Forecast Office to ensure your SKYWARN spotter certification.”  Thanks to Virginia Enzor NC4VA, NC COML Type III AHIMT NC0032, NC Deputy AUXCOMM Coordinator STATEWIDE, and Central Carolina SKYWARN Emergency Coordinator, for providing this information!  (source: NC4VA)

UPCOMING HAMFESTS AND CONVENTIONS –   

April 27:  Catawba Valley Hamfest, sponsored by McDowell Amateur Radio Association, Burke County Fairgrounds, 145 Bost Road, Morganton, NC 28655, http://cvhamfest.com

April 27:  RV Radio Network Rally, sponsored by RV Radio Network, Cross Winds Family Campground, 160 Campground Lane, Linwood, NC 27299, https://rvradionetwork.com

May 11:  Rockingham County ARC Swapfest, sponsored by Rockingham County Amateur Radio Club Inc, Community Baptist Church, 509 Triangle Road, Reidsville, NC 27320, http://n4iv.org  (source: ARRL website)