November 2014

Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators.  This is Marc, N4UFP with the November 2014 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report.  Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrlsc.org/  where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina.

I would like to begin by congratulating Kent V. Hufford KQ4KK of Graniteville, South Carolina who will share the 2014 Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award with David W. Anderson K4SV of Tryon, North Carolina.  The Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award was instituted in 1968 by then Roanoke Division Director Vic Clark, W4KFC. Vic intended the award to be recognition for a long history of significant and consistent contributions to Amateur Radio. The amateur selected would have, over the years, dedicated much of his or her time to Amateur Radio and the ARRL.  Those of you who know Ken know that anything he decides to do is done well and is seen through to the finish; he is certainly deserving of this honor and I am thrilled that his accomplishments have been recognized.

 The award presentation is currently planned at the 2015 Charlotte Hamfest on Saturday, March 14, 2015 during the ARRL forum:
http://www.charlottehamfest.org/

Please join me in congratulating Kent, our 2014 Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award winner!

One of the things that Kent has been involved in is D-STAR operation. To help spread the word about D-STAR, he has organized a half day “D-STAR University” that will take place on the afternoon of 17 January 2015 at USC-Aiken.  Additional details appear below. This is one example of Kent’s service to our amateur community, for which I am thankful and I hope is that it will lead to wider acceptance and use of D-STAR.

CSRA (GA-SC) D-STAR University, January 17, 2015
University of South Carolina, Aiken campus, Aiken South Carolina
Saturday, 12 noon to 5PM Eastern

The Aiken SC D-STAR Club will hold a one day D-STAR workshop that will provide information and training on all levels of D-STAR, the Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio.  Classes will be organized to allow participants on all levels from new users to repeater system administrators gain knowledge about D-STAR’s digital voice and data technology. 

The class will feature will cover topics of interest to beginning D-STAR users including:
• D-STAR basics
• D-STAR user registration process
• Getting started with your D-STAR radio
• Programming your D-STAR radio
• Using DR mode for easy D-STAR operation
• Updating your memories
• Linking to repeaters and reflectors

More experienced users will enjoy:
• Using the DV Dongle and DV Access Point (DVAP)
• Making and using a Hotspot with a Raspberry Pi
• D-STAR Nets and Reflectors
• Using D-STAR data capabilities including D-RATS and the ICOM ANDROID free application
• Where to find D-STAR Resources
• History and Competitive Analysis between, DSTAR, DMR, FUSION, and P25
• A look at operating DSTAR Voice on the HF bands.

Class will be given by experienced instructors of the Georgia D-STAR group and DSTARinfo.com who have presented dozens of seminars and training across the country, John Davis, WB4QDX, Ed Woodrick, WA4YIH, and Robin Cutshaw, AA4RC who developed the DVDongle and DVAP, and others will present high speed data and other advancements in communication using D-STAR systems. The target audience for this session is those new to DSTAR, emergency management, hospital administrators and the more advanced D-STAR users.

No matter what your D-STAR experience, if any, there will be a wealth of information provided so that the beginner can go home and put his / her equipment on the air and the more advanced operator can explore the new data transfer methods which will have Emergency Management application. The cost for the D-STAR University is free, light refreshments will be served. You may register for this course by sending an email to kq4kk@aikenradio.org.  More detailed information about class schedule and instructors will be forthcoming.

Door prize at the DSTAR University will be an ICOM DSTAR HT, you must be present to win. Addional  prizes during the day.

We encourage amateur radio clubs to make this information available to their members and include it in their newsletters.

Kent Hufford, KQ4KK
Kq4kk@aikenradio.org

Tom Lufkin, W4DAX, has asked me to pass along information on the H L Hunley special event operation, N4H, which will occur on 17 February 2015. This marks the 151st anniversary of the sinking of the U.S.S. Housatonic by the submarine H. L. Hunley in Charleston SC, the first successful sinking of a warship by a submarine.

The Trident Amateur Radio Club will be operating a special event station, N4H, on February 17th from the site of the launch at Breeches Inlet, on Sullivans Island, SC.
Proposed frequencies are 7.262 14.262, 28.562 MHz. 
To request a certificate send contact information to PO Box 60732 N Charleston, SC 29419  A certificate will be sent upon receipt of a self-addressed envelope and one dollar ($1) cash. Complete information is available at www.tridenthams.org/hunley.htm

We have two hamfests coming up in the next few weeks. The first is the Greenwood Hamfest, which will take place this Saturday, 10 January 2015 at Piedmont Technical College’s James Medford Family Event Center, 620 North Emerald Road Greenwood, SC 29646. For more details, visit: http://w4gwd.org

Second is the Charleston Hamfest, which will be held  7 February 2015 at the Armory Park Community Center (32.885 N - 79.993 W) 5000 Lackawanna Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29405. For more details, visit http://www.wa4usn.org

Before I leave the subject of hamfests, I would like to thank the Grand Strand Amateur Club for their efforts in putting on Beachfest in Conway, SC in early November. Family obligations out west prevented me from attending, but the feedback I got was that attendance was good and that the event is growing. I look forward to getting over to Conway this coming November for Beachfest 2015 and I hope that you’ll be able to make it too.

That’s all for this month. Now let’s do the numbers….
 

November  2014 National Traffic System Report for South Carolina
By Rusty Kirkpatrick, WU2T, SC STM

Net Reports
Net / Check Ins / Traffic / Sessions / Reported By
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Net  / 1665 / 42 / 30 / K4SUG
Carolina’s Net  / 208 / 71 / 60 / N0SU
Columbia ARC 2M Net / 240 / 0 / 13 / KI4VRO
CSN / 137 / 15 / 30 / WS4P
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net  / 163 / 25 / 14 / KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net / 716 / 34 / 30 / KE4GV
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net  / 104 / 4 / 4 / AI4WN
Florence ARC 2 Meter Net  / 40 / 3 / 4 / AK4BH
Kershaw ARC 2 Meter Net  / 82 / 13 / 4 / KF4UKC
Midland Emergency Response Net / 66 / 9 / 5 / KF4UKC
PALS Net  / 846 / 40 / 30 / WD4HEM
SC SSB Net / 1438 / 85 / 30 / WU2T
Trident ARC 2M Net / 27 / 12 / 4 / W4DAX
Upstate Carolina ARS 2M / 440 Net / 240 / 8 / 13 / ND2Z
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net / 824 / 62 / 50 / N3TKC

4RN Cycle 2 Rpt.       Chk-ins 525     Traff-in 307     Traff-out 305 Relays 37

AJ4TH Digital Relay Station              Rec  16            For  - 20          Total  - 36

N4RNM Digital Relay Station           Rec  - 16          For  - 6                        Total  - 22

Station Activity Reports
Station / Sent / Received / Delivered / Originated / Total
WU2T / 6 / 56 / 2 / 0 / 64
AJ4TH / 30 / 30 / 10 / 0 / 70
WS4P / 27 / 19 / 0 / 0 / 46
N4RNM / 34 / 24 / 0 / 2 / 60

Public Service Honor Roll
Station / Cat1 / Cat2 / Cat3 / Cat4 / Cat5 / Cat6 / Total
AJ4TH / 40 / 40 / 20 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 100
WS4P / 40 / 40 / 20 / 0 / 0 / 10 / 110
N4RNM / 40 / 40 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 90

Until next month…..

73 de Marc Tarplee N4UFP
ARRL Section Manager, South Carolina Section
www.arrlsc.org