ARRL WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION LINKS

WCF SECTION WEBSITE:  http://www.arrlwcf.org

WCF SECTION FACEBOOK PAGE:  http://www.facebook.com/arrlwcf

WCF SECTION TWITTER PAGE:  http://www.twitter.com/arrlwcf

WCF PRESSER:  http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-section-presser-arrl-west-central-florida-section-news/.

WCF EXPERIMENTER:  http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-experimenter-technical-newsletter/.

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LATEST WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

ANNOUNCEMENT - LOCATION OF THE WCF PRESSER:  The WCF PRESSER, the monthly newsletter of the ARRL West Central Florida Section will no longer be available on the ARRL Main Site Section News due to the new graphical layout of the WCF PRESSER and the Section News Section does not support the new graphical layout. 

You may download all current and past issues of THE WCF PRESSER at http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-section-presser-arrl-west-central-florida-section-news/.

Listed here will be the WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASES for the current and previous calendar month.  For all current and past WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASES go to http://www.arrlwcf.org.

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-36 - 11/01/19:  THE WCF PRESSER ISSUE #42 OCTOBER 2019 IS NOW PUBLISHED

The WCF PRESSER Issue #43 November 2019, has been published on the Section website.  An announcement of the publication of the WCF PRESSER will be disseminated on the ARRL remailer shortly. If anyone has any information that is amateur radio related that you would like to go into the next issue of THE WCF PRESSER, please send that to our newsletter editor, Jim Weslager K3WR via email at weslager@gmail.com.

For the PDF version of this newsletter and past issues in PDF format go to http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-section-presser-arrl-west-central-florida-section-news/.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-35 - 10/31/19:  MIKE SPRENGER W4UOO IS AWARDED THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE TO SCOUTING AWARD

The ARRL Amateur Radio Service to Scouting Award has been awarded to Mike Sprenger W4UOO.  Sprenger, who resides in Valrico in Hillsborough County, is an Extra Class amateur radio operator first licensed in 1992 at the USF Radio and Electronics Club and himself achieved Eagle Scout rank in 1982.  Currently, Sprenger serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster in BSA Troop 686, currently teaches Radio Merit Badge, and is a member of the Tampa Amateur Radio Club and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association.  Combining a lifelong interest in space and NASA, operating highlights include applying for and operating a successful Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) 2m radio contact with Dr. Ronald Parise WA4SIR/SK aboard STS-67 in 1995 from the South Florida Museum / Bishop Planetarium enabling 11 middle school students to ask Dr. Parise questions about life in space.  Sprenger has served on staff at two BSA National and one World Scouting Jamboree, which include operating the 2013 National Scouting Jamboree and facilitating a 2 Meter ARISS contact enabling Scouts to speak with Major Luca Parmitano KF5KDP about life aboard the International Space Station.  At the 2019 World Scouting Jamboree, Sprenger operated the NA1WJ telebridge connection to ON4ISS enabling the ARISS contact for 16 Scouts to talk to Astronaut & Scoutmaster Drew Morgan KI5AAA aboard the ISS.  Sprenger in his professional career works as a Production and Digital Event/Webcast strategist and in his spare time can be found enjoying the pace of an Florida AM group QSO with a Hallicrafters SX-43 receiver, that belonged to his uncle Ken Wise who originally held the callsign of W4UOO and is now a silent key, and using a BC-610 transmitter for the ultimate reclined armchair QSO.  Sprenger is also active in his church technology ministry, and plays the bass guitar.

The Amateur Radio Service to Scouting Award was officially established through a resolution that the ARRL Board adopted at its 2013 Annual Meeting. It builds on the long relationship between the BSA and ARRL that began with the development of the Wireless Merit Badge in 1918 and is today Radio Merit Badge.  The League’s award recognizes radio amateurs who, as registered Scouting leaders, make a significant contribution to give Scouts a memorable experience with Amateur Radio.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-34 - 10/11/19:  BIKE MS CITRUS TOUR 2020 DATE ANNOUNCED AND VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED

The MS Society has announced that the date of the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2020 will be Saturday March 7, 2020 and Sunday March 8, 2020, which is two months before the tour was held this year and in previous years.  Mike Bresse W2YS, our Assistant Section Manager and amateur radio coordinator for the Bike MS Citrus Tour, has opened up the Citrus Tour website for new and returning volunteers for the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2020.  Amateur radio operators who wish to volunteer for the first time for this event should register at http://www.citrustour.org.  Volunteers returning from a previous Bike MS Citrus Tour do not need to register again but should login into the Citrus Tour website with their credentials and will be prompted to update their contact information.  If a returning volunteer needs assistance with their login credentials, please contact Mike Bresse W2YS via email at mbresse@slbsservicesgroup.com and Mike will be glad to assist you.

Bresse has been informed by the National MS Society that the route for the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2020 will be similar to this years route.  The ride on both days will start and end at the Omni Hotel at Champions Gate which is just off of I-4 just inside of Osceola County.  Approximately 98 percent of the route will be on the northeast, east and southeast side of Polk County, which is in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  Darrell Davis KT4WX said the following about the Bike MS Citrus Tour, “The Bike MS Citrus Tour is basically an ’emergency without the emergency’.  The Bike MS Citrus Tour is a great opportunity for ARES, ACS, and CERT volunteers to practice their communications equipment, their operating skills, and to build camaraderie with other amateur radio volunteers.  When you have done the tour once you will want to do it again.  ARES personnel from ARES groups in all three ARRL Florida Sections participate in this event and work together as a team.”

More details about the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2020 will be coming out as they are made known.  The amateur radio communications has been sponsored by the ARRL West Central Florida Section since 2018.  This will be the third year that the ARRL West Central Florida Section has sponsored amateur radio communications for the Bike MS Citrus Tour.  For more information you may go to the Bike MS Citrus Tour web page on the Section website at http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-special-events/bike-ms-citrus-tour/.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-33 - 10/01/19:  THE WCF PRESSER ISSUE #42 OCTOBER 2019 IS NOW PUBLISHED

The WCF PRESSER Issue #42 October 2019, has been published on the Section website.  An announcement of the publication of the WCF PRESSER will be disseminated on the ARRL remailer shortly. If anyone has any information that is amateur radio related that you would like to go into the next issue of THE WCF PRESSER, please send that to our newsletter editor, Jim Weslager K3WR via email at weslager@gmail.com.

For the PDF version of this newsletter and past issues in PDF format go to http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-section-presser-arrl-west-central-florida-section-news/.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-32 - 9/30/19:  SECTION NET CANCELLATIONS FOR OCTOBER

The HF edition of the WCF Section ARES and Information Net that is scheduled for Saturday October 12th and Saturday October 19th at 0730 on 3940 KHz or immediately following the Florida Phone Traffic Net, will be cancelled due to Melbourne Hamfest on Saturday October 12th, which is also the ARRL Florida State Convention for 2019, and the WCF Section ARES Meeting on Saturday October 19th.  The HF edition of the WCF Section ARES and Information Net will resume its normal operation on Saturday October 26 at 0730 on 3940 KHz or immediately following the Florida Phone Traffic Net whichever is later

END OF PRESS RELEASE.

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-31 - 9/30/19:  NEW EMERGENCY COORDINATOR FOR SARASOTA COUNTY ARES APPOINTED

Gary Wells WB9AYD was appointed as the ARRL Emergency Coordinator for the recently formed Sarasota County ARES.   Wells is active on SSB, CW, digital modes such as PSK31, FT8, Pactor, VARA and several other modes, and is also am involved with HF,VHF, and UHF Winlink both involving ham radio and SHARES.  Wells enjoys experimenting with his go box capabilities utilizing NVIS and AREDN and enjoys using his Flex Radio for DXing from home.  Wells was first licensed in 1969 as a novice as WN9AYD and then progressed to WB9AYD as an Extra Class ham.

Wells in his professional carreer was in the process control/industrial/factory automation world and has been retired for 11 years.  Wells and his wife moved to Sarasota from the Chicago/Milwaukee area in 2009 and now live in Sarasota County year around.  Wells said the following about his new role as ARRL Emergency Coordinator, “Ham radio is my passion and I look forward to working with other ARES members and hams going forward in my new role.”

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-30 - 9/10/19:  STATEMENT CONCERNING VOLUNTEERING FOR HURRICANE DORIAN RELIEF IN THE BAHAMAS

There have been recently some inquiries about amateur radio operators volunteering for possible communications duty in the Bahamas following the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian.  The following statement from the ARRL West Central Florida Secton will hopefully address and clarify some of these questions:

“Any mutual aid that is to be mobilized through the ARES program, which is under the ARRL Field Organization, must be at the direction of ARRL Headquarters in Newington, CT.  Per ARRL policy, any mutual aid that is requested outside the Southeastern Division must be directed by ARRL Headquarters.  The Bahamas is a foreign county and therefore outside the Southeastern Division.  If there are any request for assistance either from or through the ARRL, the ARRL will notify the West Central Florida Section and the West Central Florida Section will issue a WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE concerning that request.  Individual amateur radio operators or informal groups of amateur radio operators may volunteer for another served agency on an individual basis if that served agency requests such assistance.  That arrangement must be made between the served agency and that individual amateur radio operator or a group of amateur radio operators.  As is normal, the ARRL recommends that amateur radio operators do not self deploy to a disaster but volunteer through a served agency.”

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-29 - 9/04/19:  FLORIDA ARES EMERGENCY NET TO BE DISCONTINUED
ARRL WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION ARES DEMOBILIZING FOLLOWING HURRICANE DORIAN RESPONSE

Per request of the State EOC, the Florida ARES Emergency Net on 3950 KHz, that was scheduled to run from 0700 through 1900 daily is to be discontinued after 1900 EDT this evening.  The Florida ARES Emergency Net on the SARNET repeater system is being discontinued after 1900 EDT this evening.

Due to the discontinuance of the Florida ARES Emergency Net on 3950 KHz and on the SARNET repeater system, the response to Hurricane Dorian by ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES is concluded.  ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES will demobilize at 2000 this evening and return to a No Activation status.

According to Karl Martin K4HBN, the Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator, 41 amateur radio operators had filled out the Florida ARES Operator Application and were willing to be deployed for mutual aid if necessary, which never materialized.

The ARRL West Central Florida Section Manager Darrell Davis KT4WX said the following, “I am extending my sincere thanks to all of you who took time away from your familes, friends, and even jobs, to serve the public interest with your amateur radio skills. Without you, we could have not served our served agencies.  Again, thank you for your service.”

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETINS - HURRICANE DORIAN

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #13 – 1300 – 9/04/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #12 – 2000 – 9/03/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #11 – 1300 – 9/03/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #10 – 1930 – 9/02/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #9 – 1300 – 9/02/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #8 – 1700 – 9/01/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #7 – 1200 – 8/31/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #6 – 1900 – 8/30/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #5 – 1100 – 8/30/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #4 – 1100 – 8/29/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #3 – 1100 – 8/28/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #2 – 2000 – 8/27/19

WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #1 – 1100 – 8/27/19

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-28 -9/03/19:  THE WCF PRESSER ISSUE #41 SEPTEMBER 2019 IS NOW PUBLISHED

The WCF PRESSER Issue #41 September 2019, has been published on the Section website.  An announcement of the publication of the WCF PRESSER will be disseminated on the ARRL remailer shortly. If anyone has any information that is amateur radio related that you would like to go into the next issue of THE WCF PRESSER, please send that to our newsletter editor, Jim Weslager K3WR via email at weslager@gmail.com.

For the PDF version of this newsletter and past issues in PDF format go to http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-section-presser-arrl-west-central-florida-section-news/.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-27 - 8/27/19:  SECTION NET CANCELLATIONS FOR LABOR DAY

In observance of Labor Day on Monday September 2nd, the ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Saturday August 31st on 3940 KHz at 0730 EDT and the ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Monday September 2nd on the NI4CE Repeater System at 1930 EDT are cancelled.  These nets will resume normal operation on Saturday September 7th and Monday September 9th respectively.  All other Section nets will operate as scheduled.  The ARRL West Central Florida Section wishes everyone a Happy Labor Day weekend.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-26 - 8/22/19:  FDOT TALKING WITH SARNET MANAGEMENT TEAM ABOUT RESUMING SARNET SUPPORT

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Chief Engineer issued the following statement on Wednesday August 21, which was posted on the SARNET website, concerning the initial decision to discontinue maintenance on the SARNET:

“Thank you for your input regarding the Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARNET) devices on the Florida Department of Transportation (Department) communications infrastructure used by amateur radio operators.  We are currently evaluating several options available to the Department concerning the future of the SARNET devices and no decision has yet been made.  Thanks again for your input.”

The SARNET management team has reported that the support for SARNET has been overwhelming and that FDOT has been in contact with them to see what the next step might be.  Sending in your email and letters has sent the right message:  Letting FDOT know how SARNET supported emergency management and the communities during the past hurricanes have alerted them to what SARNET means to emergency communications in the state of Florida.

The SARNET management team extends their thanks and asks for everyone to be patient. The team is working with officials, and as soon as they know more they will post it to SARNET website.

Also announced today on the SARNET website was the donation of a Hytera repeater to the SARNET network to provide a link into SARNET for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

For the latest information the SARNET website can be found at http://www.sarnetfl.com.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-25 - 8/21/19:  SARNET SUPPORT FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DISCONTINUED.

On Thursday August 15, the management team of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that FDOT support of SARNET would be discontinued and was effective immediately.  SARNET stands for Statewide Amateur Radio Networking in Florida.  SARNET, which began operation in 2012, is a series of UHF repeaters that are linked together via the Florida Department of Transportation microwave network that runs along the Florida interstate system.  The primary purpose of SARNET is to provide amateur radio communications support in times of emergencies.  The SARNET was quite extensively used in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in October of 2018.  Some of the repeaters are privately owned and most are owned by FDOT.  As of the date of this press release, there are 35 repeaters on the air and 8 more that have been approved for construction and or were in various phases of construction.

Although the SARNET is still currently in full operation, the discontinuance of this support will, according to the statement on the SARNET website, will have detrimental effects to the SARNET system over time.  A quote from the SARNET website says the following, “This action will have an immediate affect on SARNET since ongoing maintenance activities have also been stopped.  In addition, it will lead to the slow-death of SARNET as problems occur that are not addressed. It is particularly disturbing that this decision was made in the middle of hurricane season”.

The management team for SARNET is requesting that amateur radio operators write a letter, sign it, and mail it to the chief engineer of the Florida Department of Transportation.  They also ask that everyone be courteous and professional in your comments, so FDOT can persuaded to come back to a supporting position for this important communications resource.  A template of a suggested letter in Microsoft Word format can be downloaded from the SARNET website directly at https://www.sarnetfl.com/uploads/6/1/7/0/61701057/william_watts.docx.  A template of a suggested form letter in PDF format can be downloaded from the SARNET website at https://www.sarnetfl.com/uploads/6/1/7/0/61701057/william_watts.pdf  The SARNET website is located at http://www.sarnetfl.com.

For more information on SARNET, including maps of the repeaters in the system, coverage maps, facts and history of SARNET you may go to the SARNET website at http://www.sarnetfl.com

END OF PRESS RELEASE

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WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #19-24 - 8/01/19: THE WCF PRESSER ISSUE #40 AUGUST 2019 IS NOW PUBLISHED

THE WCF PRESSER Issue #40 August 2019, has been published on the Section website.  An announcement of the publication of the WCF PRESSER will be disseminated on the ARRL remailer shortly. If anyone has any information that is amateur radio related that you would like to go into the next issue of THE WCF PRESSER, please send that to our newsletter editor, Jim Weslager K3WR via email at weslager@gmail.com.

For the PDF version of this newsletter and past issues in PDF format go to http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-section-presser-arrl-west-central-florida-section-news/.

END OF PRESS RELEASE