ARRL

Register Account

Login Help

ARRL Sections - Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Contact Information

Section Name:
Virginia
Contact:
Jack Smith KE4LWT
Daytime Phone:
(662) 523-0000
Email:
ke4lwt@arrl.org

Basic Information

Division:
Roanoke
Description:

(Corrected Copy) Virginia Section of the ARRL March Section Manager’s Report (Covering February)

++Legislative News++

I have received several inquiries about the Amateur Radio Protection Act (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4006), which has the full title of "To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the application of certain private land use restrictions to amateur station antennas, and for other purposes". The Senate has a companion bill of the same name, (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3690/text), and virtually identical wording. I recommend reading over the bill and if you feel that it is something that would benefit amateur radio operators, write your representative and encourage them to co-sponsor it. You can find that information at these links: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm.

++Affiliated Club Coordinator++

Next Generation of Amateur Radio. As you may have read in QST, the League is focusing attention of the next generation – mostly by influencing teachers and STEM education curriculum to incorporate radio fundamentals into middle and high schools across the US. In fact, over $2 million in new funding grants have been set aside by the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and The ARRL Foundation to kick start a three-year commitment to support scholarships for radio amateurs, radio technology for classroom teachers, and amateur radio club grants. ARRL encourages clubs to revitalize this critical aspect of their role by applying for funding to support programs in one of the available categories, including ham skills development, STEAM learning and education, or club station improvement, among others. This transformational program will launch in the Spring of 2024. More details will be provided through upcoming informational sessions and on The ARRL Foundation website at www.arrl.org/club-grant-program.

If you'd like to assist with the affiliated club coordination, please get with Mike WA8AHZ at WA8AHZ AT arrl DOT net . The goal is to divide Virginia into a few smaller, more manageable sections.

++Section Youth Coordinator++

Amateur Radio in Support of Tidewater Council University of Scouting - Join Us!

Greetings from the Virginia Youth Section Leader! Exciting news for amateur radio enthusiasts! On March 9, 2024 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM), join us at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, for the Tidewater Council University of Scouting, supported by the VA Section Youth Coordinator and local Amateur Radio Clubs.

Amateur Radio Outreach: As part of our commitment to fostering interest in amateur radio among scouts, youth, and the general population, we will be setting up a dedicated station (K2B) and display. This initiative aims to stimulate curiosity and promote the fascinating world of amateur radio.

What to Expect: At this scouting jamboree-style event held at Old Dominion University, participants can look forward to a plethora of engaging scouting opportunities, including interactive training sessions and certifications, hands-on activities, and adventurous experiences. Merit badges and avenues for personal advancement will be in abundance, alongside personalized Scout quests offering fantastic prizes and rewards.

Anticipated Attendance: We anticipate a vibrant gathering with an expected turnout of 300-400 attendees, representing a diverse cross-section of participants, including 150-250 adults (aged 18 and above), 75-125 middle/high school-aged Scouts, and 50 elementary school-aged Scouts.

All scouts and volunteers are welcome. Don't miss this unique scouting and amateur radio experience!

73

McKenzie Denton (KO4GLN)

McKenzie Denton

Virginia Section Youth Coordinator

KO4GLN@arrl.net

++Upcoming Events++

+++Virginia QSO Party+++

Activate Rare Counties & Cities for VQP

Want to work a pileup? You may already be in the right place! The Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC) hosts the annual Virginia QSO Party, and has provided a wealth of information on which Counties/Independent Cities are the rarest. If you want to get a top score, go set up in one of those rare counties and the QSOs will come rolling in!

You can find all the information on the ARRLVA.com page at https://www.arrlva.com/vaqsoparty2024.php

++ Get On The Air For Life (GOTA 4 Life) ++

Ed Gibbs KW4GF is still available to present GOTA For Life to clubs or club officers at their meetings via ZOOM. Please contact Ed at beachteach15@yahoo.com.

I highly encourage your clubs or ARES units to get with Ed to go over this information. There are a lot of valuable tips that can help you recruit and retain members, and keep them active, from the time they are first licensed until they become silent keys.

+++Hamfests+++

03/10/2024 - Winterfest - The National Capital Area Ham Radio Fair

Location: Vienna, VA

Type: ARRL Hamfest

Sponsor: Vienna Wireless Society

Website: https://viennawireless.net/wp/events/winterfest/

04/13/2024 - Thawfest II

Location: Ruckersville, VA

Type: ARRL Hamfest

Sponsor: Greene County VA ARC

Website: https://thawfest.net

06/01/2024 Ole Virginia Hams Tailgate

Location: Manassas, VA

Type: Regular Hamfest

Sponsor: W4OVH Ole Virginia Hams

Website: https://w4ovh.net/tailgate/

08/03/2024 - Roanoke Hamfest

Location: Vinton, VA

Type: ARRL Hamfest

Sponsor: Roanoke Valley ARC

Website: https://roanokehamfest.info/

08/04/2024 - SVARC Berryville Hamfest / Virginia Section Convention

Location: Berryville, VA

Type: ARRL Hamfest and Virginia Section Convention

Sponsor: Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club

Website: https://berryvillehamfest.com/

8/10/2024 - Tidewater Hamfest and Swap Meet

Location: Portsmouth, VA

Type: ARRL Hamfest (application submitted)

Sponsor: Tidewater Radio Conventions (Formerly Va Beach Hamfest)

Website: http://VirginiaBeachHamfest.com

For more information see: https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/search

+++Contest Calendar+++

You can download the handy reference at: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Contest%20Calendar/ARRL%20Contests%20Calendar%202023-2024.pdf or see the interactive calendar at http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar

++Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)++

The League will be releasing the first two new EmComm courses April 1. Basic EmComm and Intermediate EmComm will be live in the ARRL Learning Center April 1. With the new courses being released the legacy courses will be removed April 1. Anyone who is currently enrolled in EC-001 or EC-016 will need to complete these courses by April 1 to receive credit for them. We hope to have Advanced EmComm and ARES Leadership courses complete by early summer.

+++ARES February Report+++

The ARES Monthly Report continues to be sent out as a separate document. This goes both via the ARRL mailing list and to ARES Leadership for further distribution.

If you are an EC and do not have the current link to the report, please contact Jack at KE4LWT at GMAIL dot COM. The report format was changed by HQ to capture more hours better. And speaking of hours, each hour is equivalent to our partner organizations spending $31.84 in training an operator.

+++ARES Leadership Updates+++

Beginning with this edition, we'll be listing any new ARES leadership appointments so that you can welcome them to the team.

Ass't District Emergency Coordinator, District 3: Rory Griffin, W4RJG

Emergency Coordinator, Portsmouth: Dickie King, KW3LDR

Emergency Coordinator, Westmoreland: Lora Lemons, NJ2J

Stepping aside from Emergency Coordinator for District 2 is John WA4JN. John, thank you for all the help you've given us, and enjoy your break!

We have vacancies for District Emergency Coordinators for Districts 2, 3, and 4. If you or someone you know would be a good fit for these, please reach out to me.

I will be distributing the link to the leadership directory to ARES leadership for review and update. This is what we and our partners use to contact each other if the need comes. Keep an eye out for it and directions.

Also, as you complete your ARES Position Task Books to Levels 2 or 3, let us know so we can get that information out as well.

Welcome, and thank you for volunteering to serve your communities!

+++ARRL/ARES MOU with VDEM Update+++

After almost two years of work between the Virginia Section of the ARRL, the Virginia Dept. of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Virginia Attorney General's (VA AG) Office, and ARRL HQ, we have a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the process of being signed. With this revision we can begin the process of updating the ARES Virginia Standard Operating Procedure, and the timing on this couldn't be better. The updates to the National ARES training program are occurring at the same time, so this will be the first time that all documents are synchronized.

+++Simulated Emergency Test (SET)+++

The ARRL has made a substantial change to the SET planning and execution that recognizes that many Sections may have real-world events occurring during the Fall window, and now allows for the scheduling and execution of the SET throughout the year. The annual SET report will remain in the September QST.

+++Partner Sponsored Exercise+++

None reported at this time.

++Section Traffic Manager Report++

Va Section Traffic News

Station Activity Report (SAR) and Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR) Reports for February 2024

N3SW – SAR- 79, PSHR – 90

W4CAC – SAR – 41, PSHR – 137

Net Reports for February

Va Sideband Net – QTC – 66/27 QND-259, QNI – 168, Sessions - 29

VN – QTC- 28, QND- 271, QNI- 123, Sessions - 29

Ports ARC - QTC – 0, QND-47, QNI – 28, Sessions – 4

NVTN – QTC – 15/11, QND – 1160, QNI – 733, Sessions - 29

Floyd ARS - QTC-0, QND-75, QNI-29, Sessions – 4

South Central Va ARES – QTC – 0, QND – 218, QNI – 26, Sessions - 4

We have a new net in South Central Virginia. The South Central Virginia ARES Net

meets weekly on Wednesday evenings at 8:00 PM local time. They will be on 147.000

with a 77hz tone. Coverage is Nottoway county, Brunswick, Mecklenburg, and parts of

Greenesville and Dinwiddie Counties. Glenn Wells, KY4LP, is the net manager.

He filed his January report in time for the Section report! Stop by and say Hi!

73, Carl, W4CAC, w4cac@cox.net

++Section Manager Close-out++

There are a lot of initiatives coming out this year that will help us to recruit younger members. But that doesn't mean we have to wait for them to begin formulating plans and programs to work with our unique challenges. We have a lot of very knowledgeable people in Virginia, and I'll be asking for a lot of help developing contacts and outlines in the coming months. The goal is to roll these out initially as the school year comes to an end, and then again just before the new school year begins. We have done a lot of work renewing our contacts with the emergency management and volunteer communities, and now it's time to strengthen our efforts with the education communities to get tomorrow's amateur radio operators on the path to licensing. I'll be sending out a separate email on this and other ways you or others can help out. Be on the lookout for this in the coming weeks.

Speaking of getting folks interested, participate in the VA QSO party, especially if you're from one of the rarer counties or can get to one. And advertise your participation. Make it a team effort. And find ways to tie it into education, outreach, and public service/emergency service. And take pictures! Like a vacation to the Bahamas, pics or it didn't happen!

As always, if you have any ideas, questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me.

73,

Jack KE4LWT

Virginia Officials

  • Wayne Rash

    Public Info Coordinator

    Wayne Rash N4HCR

  • Jack Smith

    Section Manager

    Jack R. Smith KE4LWT

  • Martin Krupinski

    Section Emergency Coordinator

    Martin A. Krupinski KE4KEW

  • Carl Clements

    Section Traffic Manager

    Carl A. Clements W4CAC

  • Michael Aimone

    Affiliated Club Coordinator

    Michael A. Aimone WA8AHZ

  • Edward Gibbs

    Assistant Section Manager

    Edward P. Gibbs KW4GF

  • Howard Wood

    Technical Coordinator

    Howard E. Wood WA4PGI

  • John Kanode

    Assistant Section Manager

    John C. Kanode N4MM

  • Brendan O'Neill

    Assistant Section Manager

    Brendan P. O'Neill KM4HRR

  • Gurney Grant

    Assistant Section Manager

    Gurney W. Grant W4WIN

  • Robert Myers

    Assistant Section Manager

    Robert W. Myers K2TV

EXPLORE ARRL

Instragram     Facebook     Twitter     YouTube     LinkedIn