Welcome to the Virgin Islands page on the ARRL website. Please take time to visit the Virgin Islands section website too, at www.atthehelm.com. 

HAMS IN PARADISE – MAY 2012


CHANGES  

We are saddened by the departure of John (NP2B) and Jeanette (NP2C) Ellis. After 24-years the Ellis’ are headed for Northern Florida. They moved here a couple of months before Hugo and took a direct hit on their house. Many folks would have packed up & left, but not this dynamic duo.   
On behalf of the entire VI ham fraternity I would like to thank them for their years of service toward the betterment of our obby. Please join me in wishing them well in this new chapter of their lives. We will miss you both dearly! Let’s hope they have an antenna up soon to stay in touch with their many island friends!  

Phyllis Benton, NP2MZ has decided to retire her creative writing pen. After many years of dutifully keeping us informed as our Public Information Coordinator, she will now be on the receiving end of these updates. From the entire readership of these updates, and the VI hams, a BIG thank you to Phyllis for her years of contribution. We wish you well Phyllis and we will always welcome your feedback and guest editorial columns should you ever desire!   

REPEATER UPDATES  

147.25 MHz – Mt. Welcome - The St. Croix club is in the process of replacing the aging 147.25 MHz machine that John Ellis, NP2B, originally built 32 years ago. The replacement repeater has been successfully interfaced with a new controller. Wess, K2AHU, Bob, WP2E, Doug, KP2CX and Fred, K9VV are spearheading the project. Next on the agenda is aligning the transmitter and receiver.   

147.11 MHz – Mt. St. George – Frequency coordination has been obtained for a new repeater to be located on Mt. St. George. The repeater will provide coverage to the western portions of St. Croix, including the city of Frederiksted. The repeater is a modified Motorola Radius mobile and is functional. It needs to have a controller interfaced with it, and the duplexer is in the process of being retuned. 


ST. CROIX HAMS PROVIDE TRIATHLON COMMUNICATIONS  

The St. Croix ARC provided communications for the annual 70.3 mile IronMan® triathlon. Triathletes from around the world participate in this grueling swim-bike-run event,. Points earned in this race count toward the grand-daddy IronMan® held in Kona, Hawaii. An exciting part of the race was the return of well known cyclist Lance Armstrong who competed in the event.  Communications for the event were organized by Wess, K2AHU. 
The club had 14 amateurs staffing 12 locations at strategic locations around the island. The old NP2B repeater held together for what will hopefully be its last triathlon function. Thankfully there were no injuries or other major mishaps, however the inclement weather made for a record number of passengers in the sag wagon. Thank you to all who participated.  


WHAT IS A MESH NETWORK?  

A group of enterprising hams found out that older Linksys wireless routers can play an important role in amateur radio. By flashing the routers with new firmware, they can magically be transformed into a mesh network in the 2.4 GHz ham / WiFi band. (Hams share this frequency with WiFi) OK, so what exactly can you do with this mesh network? How about simultaneous peer-to-peer IP connectivity, IRC (internet relay chat), VoIP, and IP video? Remember that as amateurs we can run a lot more power than traditional WiFi, but of course our callsign has to be imbedded in the SSID for the mesh.   This concept was developed by a group of hams in Texas. They are currently deploying mesh nodes in a variety of emcomm & public functions. As an example, they deploy nodes along a parade route and provide IP video from each node to parade officials.   

Peter, KP2US is our VI pioneer in experimenting with this technology. He has become a mesh junkie and has “flashed” over a dozen wireless routers. He has recently installed a mesh repeater at the KP2O repeater site. We look forward to additional updates from him in the future. Additional information about this exciting technology is available at www.hsmm-mesh.org.   


EMERGENCY PREPARDNESS  

June 1^st marks the beginning of hurricane season. While the VI has been largely spared in recent years, everyone should still be ready for another Hugo type scenario. Off-island evacuation is generally not an option, so individual and family preparations should be made. Isn’t it easier to repair that finicky generator starter now versus when a storm is approaching? Shouldn’t you check your emergency water supply now? Same for food. Oh yes, don’t forget about meds and needs for your pets.

On the Virgin Islands emergency front, just a few reminders: Every day of the year, there are two nets on 14.300 MHz from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. The Intercontinental Traffic Net, otherwise known as Intercon, runs from 7 a.m. to noon Eastern Time; and the Maritime Mobile Service Net takes over from noon to 10 p.m. 14.300 MHz is where local hams should go to get help setting up a go-to frequency (beyond local 2 meter communication) in an emergency, or to call for stateside storm-related assistance.  Please see the LOCAL NETS section below for other net information. Additional Caribbean weather network information may be found at http://cewn.net/

Unless other club-specific procedures have been established, hams should listen to local 2-meter repeater frequencies at 15 minutes after the hour for any important information when emergency conditions arise. This protocol conserves precious battery power. VHF equipment should also be programmed for simplex operation on local repeater output frequencies. This allows for communication on frequently monitored frequencies should a repeater system go off the air.  


AMATEURS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE RELATIONSHIP WITH VITEMA

Amateur radio clubs in the US Virgin Islands, continue to team with VITEMA (Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency) for the betterment of emcomm in the Territory. Current developments can be followed at: http://www.vitema.gov/radio/index.html A large-scale training class for the codeless technician license is planned for the near future. 


ALL HAZARDS EXPO

VITEMA will be holding the annual All Hazards Expo on all three islands. The expo aims to raise public awareness and readiness for disasters which may be encountered. The expo will be held on all three islands: Additional information may be obtained at:  http://www.vitema.gov/news/releases/2012/03/vitema-to-host-2012-all-hazards-expo.htmL

·        St. Croix – May 27, 2012 - Christiansted National Historical Site (Fort) – 1pm – 5pm
·        St. John – May 24, 2012 – Frank Powell Park – 10am – 3pm
·        St. Thomas – May 25, 2012 – Emancipation Garden – 4pm to 9pm  


CONTESTING FROM THE VI  

We are in the contesting doldrums at this time of the year. The WPX CW contest is at the end of the May and the ARRL VHF contest comes in June. For additional information on contests, please see the ARRL’s contest calendar at http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar

Don’t forget that ARRL Field Day is the last full weekend in June. Please let the editor know what your club is doing and don’t forget to register it on the ARRL’s Field Day locator webpage at http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

St. Croix - KP2M will host well known contester Tine, S50A from Slovenia. Tine will team with stalwarts KT3Y and NP2X in the WPX CW M/S category.  


A CHALLENGE FROM NP2L  

NP2L's 2012 Ham Radio Challenge – Get More Out of your License!!!

Mal Preston, NP2L, is always quick to help other hams when there is a radio project (including the new repeater for St. John) or technical question. So, I am taking his 2012 Ham Radio Challenge to heart. Mal is encouraging other hams to jump on the airwaves with him and get more out of this great hobby/avocation. Sign me up!!! Here is Mal's challenge, in his own words:

My latter day ham mentor and our good friend, Bob Deniston, W0DX, VP2VI, always reminded me that “your ham license is a license to learn”. There’s a fascinating world of activities in our hobby out there to explore. Taking advantage of the “license to learn” can open up many rewarding avenues of endeavor available to us beyond chatting on 2 meters. I made a list of some things that we could undertake in the next year that can expand your horizons.

1. Go for a license upgrade. Study materials are available on-line from ARRL, W5YI and other sources.
2. Make a satellite contact. You can do this with your HT and a simple antenna made from #12 wire and a short piece of junk PVC.
3. Build a new antenna. You can work the world with a simple dipole or a short vertical.
4. Complete a FEMA course. IS-100,200, 700, 800 to better prepare yourself for an emergency These are available on-line from FEMA's On Line University.
5. Work all 50 states (and maybe some foreign countries). Collect QSL cards.
6. Build a radio kit. Many are available ranging from crystal radio sets to high end transceivers.
7. Learn about propagation and use of computer aids. ARRL has a good on-line course. The W6EL program for Windows is simple and easy to use.
8. Make a contact using packet, PSK231, Amtor, Pactor or other digital mode. This will probably require either a very recent radio or an interface such as Rig Blaster invented by Dan Gavereaux, N1ZZ for West Mountain Radio. (Dan is a frequent visitor to St. John and owns property on Privateer Point). The “NOMIC” model sells for about $50.
9. Improve operating skill by participating in a contest. There’s something going on almost every weekend.
10. When you are off island attend a local ham club meeting.
11. Go to a hamfest, either a local one when you are in the states or Dayton or Orlando (take your wallet).
12. Check into an hf net. A good start is the Maritime net on 14.300 USB. They welcome all check-ins.
13. Take a turn at net control on the weather net – 6:40 AM on the St. John repeater.
14. Receive and send pictures on 20 meters. (14.230 or 14.233)

This list is by no means exhaustive of the different things you can do with your 'license to learn'. There is pretty much something for every interest. 

 --- Mal Preston, NP2L, St. John, USVI  


LICENSE EXAM INFORMATION  

Are you thinking about upgrading your license, or know someone who is preparing to take his or her first licensing exam?  Maybe an existing ham that wants to upgrade their license? Exams are generally given on an "as needed" basis. Contact the coordinator for your island to schedule a test.

·         St. Croix - Standing exam times are one hour before the monthly club meeting mentioned elsewhere in this bulletin, however this must be arranged in advance with Al Rymsha, NP2V, at 340-718-4725 - alvinr26@Gmail.com

·         St. John - Exams are usually held twice yearly, in the spring and fall. Please contact Mal Preston, NP2L, at 340-693-8782 or np2l@arrl.net

·         St. Thomas - To take an exam, or find out about becoming a Volunteer Examiner, contact Peter Sinkowski, KP2US, at HamTestingVI@yahoo.com 340-513-8708 (or at KP2US@yahoo.com) The St. Thomas exam sessions usually coincide with the Tuesday luncheons at Hook Line and Sinker in Frenchtown.

For all exams, applicants must bring the following.

·         Government issued photo ID. (Driver’s license, military ID, passport, etc.) 
·         Social Security number or taxpayer ID (TIN) number if you are a US citizen or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence or US employment. (If possible, non US residents should contact the FCC at (202) 414-1250 or email them at ulscomm@fcc.gov  to obtain an Alternate TIN (ATIN) prior to the exam).
·         If upgrading please bring the original and either your valid US amateur license OR completion certificate (CSCE) to claim element credit. ·         Required fee of $14.00.   Also, if you have an FRN (FCC Registration Number), please use that instead of your social security number on your form 605. If you don't, the FCC will reject your application. To obtain your FRN number go to the following link & enter your callsign:  http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp  


VI CLUB MEETINGS  

St. Croix – The St. Croix Amateur Radio Club meets on the first Saturday of the month at the Deep End Bar at Tamarind Reef Hotel at Green Cay Marina. The group gathers around noon for lunch; an informal meeting begins around 12:30 pm.  Meeting dates are occasionally moved to accommodate special events and holidays. The club invites resident hams and visitors alike to join. Contact Fred Kleber, K9VV (NP2X) – k9vv@arrl.org (Annual dues are $1 per year.)

St. John – the St. John Amateur Radio Club meets at Ham (and Eggs) Breakfast -- 9 am, first Sat. of each month; alternates between Cruz Bay and Coral Bay; BYOB (Buy your own breakfast). Contact Paul Jordan, NP2JF, President, St. John Amateur Radio Club, 340-776-6568 reeladventuresstjohn@yahoo.com or George Cline, KP2G Tel: 340-693-5137; KP2George@gmail.com (Annual dues are $5 per year.)

St. Thomas - The St. Thomas Club meets every Tuesday at the Hook, Line & Sinker restaurant in Frenchtown, just west of the Seaplane base and the Veterans Drive Post Office. 12 noon to 1 pm. The Club meets in the back room. (Annual dues are $10.00 per year.) The club invites resident hams and visitors to join. Think about stopping in to Hook, Line and Sinker one of these Tuesdays!

BVI - The British Virgin Islands Amateur Radio League meets the fourth Monday of each month at 5 pm at the office of the DDM in Road Town. Anyone with an interest in Amateur Radio is welcome. For more information, contact league secretary Jasen Penn, VP2VJ, at pinniepenn@yahoo.com or call 284-468-4200.  


LOCAL HAM NETS

Virgin Islands Weather Net – Meets daily on the KP2SJ St. John Repeater (146.63 (-) offset, 100Hz PL); 10:40 GMT (6:40 am local) each morning; hams provide local weather conditions. Get to know your fellow hams (and know that your rig is working!) Many local boaters also congregate here. 

The Friendly Net – The Friendly Net meets daily from 12:00 GMT (8:00 am local) on 7.188 MHz. Net control is generally KP2T, KV4BT or KV4BW. Additional information may be obtained at http://www.friendly7188net.net/

Caribbean Maritime Mobile Net - Meets daily, except Sundays, 11:00 GMT (7:00 am local) on 7.250 MHz.  Caribbean weather forecasts, emergency traffic, enroute position reports.  Net control is KP2G. Cocktail & Weather Net – Activated when severe weather threatens. Meets daily at 20:30 GMT (4:00 pm local) on 7.086 MHz    Net control is KP2G. An expanded list of Caribbean HF nets may be found at http://www.friendly7188net.net/admin/carib_nets.php 


LOCAL REPEATERS

·         St. Croix – NP2B - 147.250 MHz (+) offset; no tone now. 100 Hz tone in the future
·         St. Croix – NP2VI - 147.11 MHz (+) offset; 100 Hz PL ** FUTURE – FEW MONTHS ** 
·         St. John - KP2SJ - 146.63 MHz (-) offset; 100 Hz PL
·         St. John - NP2OW - 146.91 MHz (-) offset; 100 Hz PL
·         St. Thomas – KP2O - 146.81 MHz (-) offset; 100 Hz PL – IRLP node # 8784  - Dial 929 for time and date. Dial 878, unkey and wait for “Ready” command. Talk 4 seconds & stop transmitting. Repeater will echo 4 sec recording. Great tool to see how well you’re making the machine!
·         St. Thomas – NP2GO / NP2GS – 146.95 MHz (-) offset; 67 Hz PL
·         St. Thomas – KP2T (former NP2IA)  – 146.97 MHz (-) offset
·         St. Thomas – NP2Q – 146.47 MHz; no offset; IRLP node #7851
·         St. Thomas – NP2GO – 447.45 MHz
·         British VI - VP2R - 146.73 MHz (-) offset; no tone required
·         Puerto Rico Listing - http://kp4boricua.org/pr/coordinaciones-de-repetidores-prvi/
·         Other Caribbean - http://www.friendly7188net.net/documents/repeater67.php  


INCOMING QSL BUREAU

The U.S. Virgin Islands ARRL section incoming QSL bureau is managed by Fred and Lisa Kleber, K9VV (NP2X) and W4LIS. QSL bureaus from other countries (including the U.S.) send VI inbound QSLs to the bureau PO box. The cards are then distributed to the bureau subscribers who have funds and/or envelopes on-file with the bureau. The postal address for the incoming QSL bureau  

ARRL QSL Bureau
P.O. Box 25782
Christiansted, VI 00824.  

Further information on the operation of the bureau can be found on the ARRL website.  http://www.arrl.org/incoming-qsl-service. Although the Incoming Bureau system operates under the guidance of ARRL, you are not required to be an ARRL member to use it.   The V.I. QSL Bureau does sell envelope and postage credits. In fact, the V.I. QSL sorters prefer that you send credits (read cash) rather than SASEs since they are easier to keep track of, postage rate changes are much less of a hassle, and we can use exactly the postage which is needed for your shipment. If you send credits, a check payable to Fred Kleber is fine; send cash at your own risk. The funds are credited to your account which is then charged the current envelope cost and face value for postage used.  The amount you send depends on the quantity of cards you expect to receive, but most folks send $10 or $20. 

We periodically pick up mail from the post office. When you have a sufficient quanity of cards to warrant a mailing (usually 5 or 6 minimum), the cards are mailed to you. A statement of funds in your account is also included do you can monitor your credits with the bureau. Note that stations who operate portable from the VI should have their cards sent via their home bureau. (E.g. W1AW/KP2 or WP2/K1ZZ should go to the W1 and K1 bureaus respectively.) 


OPERATING SUGGESTIONS FOR VISITING HAMS  

If you are contemplating HF operation here, consider the following:   Most hotels are eager to please their guests, but before you come down and start stringing wires all over the place, make arrangements with the hotel management.  They may be able to put you in a room that is more ideally suited for your operation.  Many folks enjoy operating VHF from the cruise ships which regularly visit the islands. Our repeaters provide good coverage far from shore, especially if you’re on a high deck of the ship.  Put out a call and perhaps one of us will be listening and be happy to answer any questions you may have about the USVI. 

Please don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a reply.  It’s not that we are trying to be rude, it’s just that there are not many hams here on our small islands.  

For HF, one should remember that much of the islands are rock.  You might think that in this idyllic environment, surrounded with salt water, that a good ground would be easy to come by. Wrong assumption!  A balanced antenna that works without a counterpoise will probably give you better performance as well as less RFI problems than a multi-band vertical that relies on a good ground.  The new half wave verticals seem to be popular and of course nothing beats a dipole fed through a tuner's balanced output, with ladder line.  

The U.S. Virgin Islands is a territory of the United States, so no reciprocal permits are necessary.  It never hurts, however, to register your gear with U.S. Customs before you leave the states.  In this way, you have proof that you brought the equipment OUT of the U.S. and eliminate any problems should a customs official question whether you bought your equipment in the states or abroad. (It's a good idea to do that with anything like cameras, computers, etc.)


ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION  

Director:
Greg Sarratt, W4OZK 912 Pine Grove Road, Harvest, AL 35749 256-337-3636 w4ozk@arrl.org

Vice Director:
Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM PO Box 608, Grayson, GA 30017 404-509-4054 KG4IUM@arrl.net

Interim VI Section Manager
Fred Kleber, K9VV (NP2X), PO Box 24275, Christiansted, VI 00824-0275, k9vv@arrl.org

Assistant Section Manager
Malcolm M Preston, NP2L PO Box 1318, Cruz Bay, VI 00831-1318 – Tel: 340-693-8782 np2l@arrl.net

Public Information Coordinator
Wess Tester, K2AHU, - 340-513-9107 - k2ahu@earthlink.net

Volunteer Exam Coordinators

• St. Croix - Alvin F Rymsha, NP2V, 96 Judith’s Fancy Estate # 4018 Christiansted, VI 00820-4407  Tel: 340-718-4725 alvinr26@gmail.com
• St. John - Mal Preston, NP2L, at 340-693-8782 or np2l@arrl.net
• St. Thomas- Peter Sinkowski, KP2US, at 340-513-8708 or KP2US@yahoo.com

VI  Incoming QSL Bureau Fred Kleber, NP2X (K9VV) and Lisa Kleber, W4LIS, P.O. Box 25782, Christiansted, VI 00824 k9vv@arrl.net

--------------------------------------------

Hams in Paradise is compiled by Wess Tester, K2AHU, k2ahu@earthlink.net Please e-mail him with any ham-related info you would like included in the next e-letter.   

Very 73,   Fred, K9VV / NP2X