************************
MDC Section News
Vol. 10 No. 1
January 13, 2015
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* MDC SECTION-WIDE ECHOLINK NET JANUARY 16th
* RESULTS: VOICE OF AMERICA ARC OPERATED AS W1AW/3 FROM DC
* SKYWARN CLASS - WINTER WEATHER
* UPCOMING EXTRA LICENSE CLASS
* UPCOMING HAMFESTS
* DECEMBER, 2014 T-MARC REPORT
* MDC SECTION ARES® REPORT
* SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER'S REPORT
* FINALLY. . .
==> MDC SECTION-WIDE ECHOLINK NET JANUARY 16th
I would like to thank Affiliated Club Coordinator Marty
Pittinger, KB3MXM, for acting as net control during the
December Echolink net. Kudos on a job well done.
This month's MDC section-wide Echolink net will be held on
Friday, January 16th at 8:00 PM on the Echolink *WASH_DC*
node 6154.
The echolink net is held on the third Friday evening of
every month at 8:00 PM local time.
If you would like to join in on RF, the following
repeaters and IRLPs have linked in for previous Echolink
nets:
- KA2JAI-R operates through the KB3CMA repeater 442.300(+),
PL=107.2 in Annapolis, MD
- WB3GXW-R, 147.225(+), PL=156.7, located in Calverton, MD
- N3HF-L, 443.45(+), PL=151.4, located near Ocean City, MD
- N3HF-R, 443.45(+), PL=156.7, located near Silver Spring, MD
- W3ICF-R, 146.73(-), PL=141.3, located near Frederick, MD
- K3CAL-R, 146.985(-), PL=156.7, located near Sunderland, MD
- W3SMR, 147.150 MHz(+), PL=114.8, Brandywine, MD
- N3RO-L, 145.545, Simplex, Frederick Co
- W3SMD-L, 147.51 Simplex, N. St Mary's Co
- K3GMR-R 146.61, No PL, Cheverly, MD
Everyone is encouraged to join in and give any updates on
what is going on in your part of the ARRL Maryland-DC
Section.
If you don't have Echolink on your computer, you may
download the free software from: <www.echolink.org>.
As always, we thank John Creel, WB3GXW, for making the
WASH_DC Echolink server and his WB3GXW-R repeater
available for the Echolink nets.
==> RESULTS: VOICE OF AMERICA ARC OPERATED AS W1AW/3 FROM DC
The Voice of America (VOA) Amateur Radio Club operated as
as W1AW/3 from the VOA headquarters in Washington, DC during
the ARRL 10 meter contest in December as part of the ARRL
Centennial QSO Party.
VOA ARC President Ken Claerbout, K4ZW, reported that 2,011
QSOs were made; 917 on CW and 1094 on phone.
Ken notes: On CW and on SSB we worked 57 US states, Canadian
provinces, and Mexican counties. That's 57 on each mode.
On CW, we worked 57 countries and on SSB we worked 65 countries.
Some of the more interesting countries we worked: Israel, Japan,
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Turkey, New Caledonia, Australia,
New Zealand, Chile, Falkland Islands, Madagascar, Morocco,
Namibia, South Africa, and all over Europe.
Our final score was 1,382,016 points.
==> SKYWARN CLASS - WINTER WEATHER
Prince George's Office of Emergency Management and Prince
George's County REACT are sponsoring a Skywarn Class on Winter
Storms to be conducted by the National Weather Service, Skywarn
Program.
The class is Thursday, 29 January 2015 from 6:30 PM to
approximately 8:30 PM. The class will be held at the Prince
George's Fire Services Building, 6820 Webster Street in Lanham,
Maryland.
To register, click on:
<www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-winter-storm-15-02-tickets-14679293161?aff=Email>
or <www.PGCountyREACT.org>.
Basics 1 is a prerequisite of the class.
Questions may be addressed to Paul Bowling via e-mail at:
<Paul@W4ATN.com>.
==> UPCOMING EXTRA LICENSE CLASS
An Extra license class will start on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 6:30, barring
any further major snow events which cause cancellation of classes. It
will be held at the National Electronics Museum, which is located at
1745 West Nursery Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090. Folks can contact
Rol Anders, K3RA, at 410-796-4792 to enroll.
They will use the ARRL Extra Class Manual as the text. There is no
charge for the classes or the exam, which will be conducted at the
museum at the end of the course.
==> UPCOMING HAMFESTS
Post Holiday Hamfest
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Location: Odenton Volunteer Fire Department
1425 Annapolis Road
Odenton, MD 21113
Website:
<https://sites.google.com/site/marylandmobileers/hamfests-1/hamfest-2>
Sponsor: Maryland Mobileers Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.805/146.205 (PL 107.2)
Public Contact: Bruce McPherson, AB3AC
484 Peach Leaf Court
Odenton, MD 21113
Phone: 410-456-2500
Email: <bmcpherson73@verizon.net>
----------------
Virginia State Convention (Richmond Frostfest)
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Location: Richmond Raceway Complex
600 East Laburnum Avenue
Richmond, VA 23218
Website: <www.frostfest.com>
Sponsor: Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society
Type: ARRL Convention
Talk-In: 146.88 -600 (PL 74.4)
Public Contact: DeeDee Farrell, KK4AVC
PO Box 14828
Richmond, VA 23221
Phone: 804-657-7038
Email: <info@frostfest.com>
----------------
BARC Father's Day Hamfest
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Location: Arcadia Volunteer Fire Company Grounds
16020 Carnival Avenue
Upperco, MD 21155
Website: <www.gbhc.org>
Sponsor: Baltimore Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.67 (PL 107.2)
Public Contact: Bill Dobson, N3WD
PO Box 120
Reisterstown, MD 21136
Phone: 410-842-5019
Email: <w3ft67@yahoo.com>
You may view upcoming hamfests which are nearby in Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland-DC, West Virginia and the Virginia area by
clicking on the ARRL MDC Section web page at:
<http:www.arrl-mdc.net/hamfest.htm>.
==> DECEMBER, 2014 T-MARC REPORT
T-MARC is The Mid-Atlantic Repeater Council. T-MARC coordinates
Amateur VHF and UHF repeater operations to keep interference
problems to a minimum.
The areas of responsibility include the District of Columbia,
Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia and the eastern panhandle
of West Virginia.
If you would like to contact T-MARC, you may send an e-mail to
the Board of Direcrors at <tmarc@tmarc.org>.
Our snail-mail address is:
T-MARC
P.O. Box 1022
Savage, Md. 20763-1022
Please feel free to visit the T-MARC web page at:
<http://tmarc.org/>.
December, 2014 Report
Applications in Process:
KA4DCS
– Received application for move of unpublished 449.xxxx- repeater
from Alexandria, Va. to Culpeper, Va. and also a freq. swap of
same pair to 444.xxxx+.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
- Awaiting testing.
- Cancel application per KA4DCS
K3WS
– Received application for coordination for UHF pair in Laurel, Md.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
- Sent Construction Coordination for 447.9250-
K3WS
- Received application for coordination for UHF pair in Berwyn
Heights, Md.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
- Sent Construction Coordination for 447.3750-.
- Received on air confirmation.
- Sent Final Coordination
K4USS
– Received application for location change of 145.3900 from
Berryville to Winchester,Va.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
- Objection received.
- Options sent to K4USS.
Ashton Radio Comm. Soc.
– Received request to add 147.600 as digital input to 147.000
repeater.
- Sent notice to neighboring coordination groups.
- Sent revised coordination to include 147.6000 as additional
repeater
input.
W4ATN
– Received application for coordination for UHF repeater in Riva,
Md.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
- Sent Construction Coordination for 443.8000+.
St. Mary's County ARA
– Received request for UHF control freq.
- Sent revised coordination.
N3JFW
– Received application for coordination for UHF narrow-band pair in
Rockville, Md.
- Sent Construction Coordination for 442.4875+.
AE4ML
– Received application for coordination for 2 meter pair in
Madison, Va.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
- Sent Construction Coordination for 147.0300+ at Madison, Va.
WX3M
– Received application to modify location of 147.105+ in
Cumberland, Md.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
K4KLH
– Received application to modify location of 147.2250+ to Singers
Glen, Va.
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
K8JLE
– Received application for coordination for UHF pair in
Rixeyville, Va.
Mid-Atlantic DX & Repeater Assoc.
– Received request to change CTCSS to 146.2 hz on 448.1250-
- Sent Notice of Proposed Coordination to neighboring coordination
groups.
On Air Status Requests sent to:
145.4900- Univ. of Md. ARA College Park, Md.
923.2500 Ches. Amateur TV Soc. Laurel, Md.
1289.250 Balto. Radio Amateur TV Soc. Baltimore, Md.
Coordinations Withdrawn / Cancelled:
145.3900- K4USS Berryville, Va.
==> MDC SECTION ARES® REPORT
____________________________________________
ARRL Section: Maryland-DC December Year: 2014
____________________________________________
AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE
Total number of ARES members: 598
Change since last month: 0
Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 5
Number of ARES nets active: 15
Number with NTS liaison: 6
Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: KB3FMJ, N3SEO, NI2W, W4OTN, WB3KAS
Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 8
Person hours: 86
Number of public service events this month: 0
Person hours: 0
Number of emergency operations this month: 0
Person hours: 0
Total number of ARES operations this month: 8
Total Person hours: 6
EmComm Events and Comments from around the Section
de Section Emergency Coordinator WB3KAS:
I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to write their monthly
EC reports. We are seeing the same five-six reports each month for
the last several months of the 'old year.' Let's work on changing this
for the coming new year.
There is one vacant DEC slot left for the Central Region Section. If
you are interested, and up to the challenge, please contact me or the
Section Manager, WI3N for more information.
Wanda, KA3AHI, and I continue to schedule visit to as many ARES and
club groups as possible. We have two presentations I think would be
worth your while to hear. One on Section Interoperability and the
other is the Section Hospital EmComm Program. If you have interest in
this, and have room on your meeting agenda for us, please contact me.
We will be visiting the Damascus emergency Communications Team Tuesday
January 13.
We introduced a new MDC Section reflector, ARRL MDC Section Winlink
Training Group for P2P and Hybrid networks, or MDCQRV for short.
Please make use of this tool to sharpen skills and fine tune your
configuration files. Located at:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MDCQRV/info
2014 MDC SET Highlights
======================
de ANAR County N3SEO:
ARES meetings usually the third Saturday at 0900 at the EOC. ARES nets
each Sunday night at 2000 hours on 146.805 Repeater. Supported
Rosaryville 50K and the Cold Turkey run.
======================
de CALV County W4OTN:
The monthly ARES meeting was held in Prince Frederick on 2014-12-16.
We trained on communications capabilities of federal, state, and local
emergency response agencies and our own capabilities. Familiarization
of federal training requirements, as well as, ICS chain-of-command was
also discussed.
======================
de GARR County KB3FMJ:
The Garrett County ARES team held its annual holiday dinner party on
December 8th.
The next Garrett County ARES (GCARES) monthly meetings will be held at
the Southern Garrett County Rescue Squad board room in Oakland Maryland
on Monday January 12th at 7:00 PM.
The GCARES net is held weekly on Sunday evenings at 8:00 PM on the
146.805 repeater, dup PL 123 and is linked to the WAN and Target Link
Repeater Systems. All traffic is FM voice
======================
de PRGE County WB3KAS:
PRGE ARES Web Page: http://www.pgares.org
PRGE ARES Internet Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PG-AresRaces/
December 9: On short notice Wanda and I were asked to be interviewed
by the Prince Georg's Cable TV new service on what is ARES. Two news
crew members spent 90 minutes at the house taping the interview that
resulted in a 90 second news release on PGCTV. You can see it on
U-Tube at: http://youtu.be/Wa0_7OkbYQQ
Nets: Held four regularly scheduled monthly training VHF nets on
145.23MHz on Tuesdays at 1930L. The monthly HF Hospital Net is held
the Wednesday following the third Monday of the month on 3820KHz at
1930L.
Meetings: Monthly meeting held the 3rd Monday of the month at the Fire
Services Building, 6820 Webster St, Landover Hills, MD at 1930. Eyeball
QSOs at 1900. All are welcome.
=====================
de KA3AHI AEC PRGE Hospital Project:
17 December: We had 7 check-ins to the HF Hospital Net! Appreciate
the support and participation! Next HFHNets are scheduled for : Jan
21, Feb 18, Mar 18 and Apr 22.
The HF Hospital Nets are held on 3820 KHz at 1930L. It is always the
Wednesday following the third Monday. I'd like to hear more check-ins
from our MDC Section.
======================
Signature: Jim Montgomery
Call sign: WB3KAS
Maryland-DC SEC
Email: wb3kas@aol.com
==> SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER'S REPORT
MDC NTS NETS:
MEPN 1412 W3YVQ QND/31 QNI/371 QTC/92 MINS/800
BTN 1412 KB3MXM QND/31 QNI/279 QTC/24 MINS/508
MDD 1412 AA3SB QND/58 QNI/296 QTC/130 MINS/582
MSN 1412 W8CPG QND/31 QNI/129 QTC/64 MINS/768
PSHR: KK3F 140, W3YVQ 135, W4OTN 110, W3CB 109,
AA3SB 100, KB3LNM 100, WB3FTQ 90, NI2W 78, AB3WG 48,
NF8I 47, N3ZOC 39;
TFC: KK3F 4510, WB3FTQ 155, AA3SB 111, W3YVQ 93,
W4OTN 89, KB3LNM 78, AB3WG 21, NI2W 18, NF8I 18,
N3ZOC 16, W3CB 3
==========
HF CONDITIONS
NTS nationwide nets have enjoyed generally good evening
Cycle 4 conditions with some late net MUF problems at
northern latitudes. Some difficult Cycle 2 conditions
continued with solar activity absorption and noise in the
afternoons. Continued active sunspots kept the 3,000 KM
MUFs above ten meters for most days of December.
LOCAL MDC RADIOGRAMS AND OTHER MESSAGING
Outlets in each ARES(r) jurisdiction are needed for daily
Radiogram and Radio-email traffic, particularly for
messaging welcoming new hams to the Amateur Service.
There is also a "real", but smaller, messaging rate coming
in to addressees all over the Section. The NTS takes this
daily traffic voluntarily as a public service and in order to
provide for practice in sustaining our messaging capability.
Messaging for new hams, those who have upgraded, and
those due for renewal, are often delivered to local hams
by a few of our Section´s NTS operators with wide area
phone service. For new hams, unless our VECs are
reporting new calls to our clubs, this means that our NTS
operators at Section level might be the only ones aware of
these new licensees. Local club and ARES(r) stations are
in the best position to deliver such traffic and welcome the
new ham with local information and help. This is a
particularly difficult issue these days with so many people
switching from land-line phones to portable gear. Local
hams, new or long-licensed, may be reachable only via
local repeaters or club meetings, etc. Imagine the thrill of
a new ham at his first club meeting being called out in
the order of business to receive his first welcoming
Radiogram from elsewhere in the country, or perhaps
even from Germany.
Please help us find local operators with interest in
providing this service. Our local groups provide the roots
of the joint ARES(r) and NTS network system, whether via
voice, CW, or digital modes. This is an essential part of
our emergency preparedness capability. Wide-area Section-
level telephone or internet delivery of messaging during
emergencies is not likely to be possible. Direct on-air
liaison with our Section-wide NTS/NTSD services and the
Radio-email network can provide these services, and also
helps prevent the overloading of local emergency nets
during activations.
We therefore request that each jurisdiction either send
a daily liaison to a Section NTS net, or designate a
Target Station on the WL2K network to exchange daily
Radio-email as needed. Having network stations in each
jurisdiction can dramatically reduce manning and net
control requirements during emergencies. A list of such
Targets may be sent through the SEC or to me to be
shared off-line by Section leadership. If you have done
so in the past, please refresh your status so we may
maintain a current listing.
MANPOWER - TRAINING
All of our operations, voice, CW, and digital, are in need
of additional supporting manpower. If you can operate
any of these modes, please consider joining our MDC
net fleet. Becoming familiar with methods and practices
now will pay big dividends should an emergency
communications situation arise in your local area or
over a wider region. All of our operators and managers
will be glad to help you learn the skills and find out
about various types of equipment and/or software used.
There are lots of "career" openings in the local NTS and
NTSD, for liaisons to higher level voice/CW nets, and for
digital network operators. We will be glad to help you
learn how to do these jobs. By participating you will help
keep alive the ARRL traditions of public service. This is
your pathway to joining the national ARRL Field
Organization Public Service Communications team.
ARESMAT teams invited to assist our Section during
emergencies will come in expecting to find pathways
for messaging via these various modes to all levels of
the national networks.
The MDC NTS staff continues to offer to conduct
Echolink training conferences to teach Radiogram
handling and directed traffic net operations, and to
familiarize stations with operations on the NTSD and
Radio-email layers.
MEPN representatives check for Echolink check-ins
starting at 6 PM daily via the WB3GXW-L link node
(or *WASH_DC* conference node backup).
Remember that the MSN provides CW training daily
for newcomers to the mode, or those wishing to
refresh their skills, daily at 7:30 PM on 3563 kHz.
---
Thanks to all the NTS net controls, DRS and WL2K
stations, liaisons, and traffic handlers for the continuing
effort to keep the nets running and traffic moving. Well
done!
Thank you for your continued support of MDC integrated
ARES(r)/NTS/NTSD operations.
73, W3YVQ, MDC ASM, STM
w3yvq atsign arrl dot net
w3yvq atsign winlink dot org from WL2K
==> FINALLY. . .
It has been my pleasure to serve as your ARRL Maryland-DC Section
Manager since January, 2006. After almost ten years of service, I
believe that it's time for fresh leadership. I may even gain a little
more time to spread among other interests. It has certainly been an
honor and an enjoyable experience to have been able to work with the
Amateur Radio community in the MDC Section.
My term as ARRL MDC SM will end on June 30, 2015 and I will _not_
accept a nomination to run for another term.
On the other hand, I promise to continue to perform my SM duties to the
best of my ability as a "lame duck" through the end of June.
Now, it's time for you, the MDC ARRL members, to select a new Section
Manager. Nominations are now open for the MDC Section Manager's term
July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017.
To learn about the nomination process for Section Manager, take a look
at the "ARRL Section Manager Nomination Form" by clicking on:
<www.arrl.org/section-terms-nomination-information> and submit
completed form FSD-129 so that it is received on or before the closing
date for nominations, Friday, March 6, 2015 at at 4:00 PM Eastern
Time.
The snail-mail address is:
Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager,
ARRL
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
And remember, I am always at your service.
Thanks and 73,
Jim Cross, WI3N
<WI3N@ARRL.ORG>
ARRL MDC Section Manager (SM)
