ARRL-SC
Section News Archives
2007
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Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the January 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
Happy New Year to all! On January 1st, I began my third term as Section Manager of South Carolina. It has been my privilege serving as your ARRL representative, and I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last four years!
It was my pleasure to attend the Greenwood Hamfest on January 13th. The weather was excellent, and the turnout was reportedly better than last year! I am pleased to report that we had an ARRL Forum at the hamfest for the first time since I became Section Manager. The room was filled, and there was a lot of interest in the latest FCC actions, including their “Omnibus” Report and Order and the dropping of Morse Code for USA licensing requirements. Incidentally, there has been no mention of the latter action being published in the Federal Register. It will become law one month after publication in the Federal Register, perhaps by February. Check the www.arrl.org website for further developments.
I would like to thank the ARRL-SC team for coming out in force. Those attending were: Bob WA2EMF, ASM2; Marc N4UFP, TC; Brian KR4SP, ACC; Sue N4ENX, OCC; Mac N4MEH, STM; Charlie AE4UX, SEC; Adam WY4N, ASM Youth and Bob, K4NJN, ASM6. As many know, I have been looking for an Assistant Section Manager for AREA 1, which is in the Western part of the Upstate. I have had many express interest, and gave careful consideration to all. I thank everyone for offering to assist me in this capacity. After much consideration, I offered the position to our former Roanoke Division Vice Director, Les K4NK. Les is well known in the Upstate, as he has lived in several locations there, and has been a member of several Upstate clubs. Les is a former Section Manager of SC and also was an Affiliated Club Coordinator at one time. After much thought, Les agreed to become part of the ARRL-SC team! Les, thanks and congratulations!
For those who have still not become part of the arrl-sc@yahoogroups group, please consider joining. Send an e-mail to arrl-sc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com , and after approval, you will become a member! Please include your call when you subscribe.
I mentioned last month that the PALSNet Association applied for the vanity call W4APE. The call belonged to Jack Pegues who became a silent key in September 2003. Mac K4AVR reports that as of December 27th, 2006, the Association was granted that call. It will not be long before that call will again be heard on the PALSNet repeaters! Remember; be sure to set your rigs to transmit a 123.0 Hz tone if you use the PALSNet repeaters, as we mentioned last month.
I noted that Bill KA4TWK copied VE testing information off the ARRL-SC website to publish in the Midlands newsletter. I do want this information to be as helpful as possible, so if you are involved in testing and your club has set times to give exams, please send me a current update on your testing sessions. Please do not give individual dates. A notice that says, for example, “Testing will be on the third Saturday of each month at 9AM” is preferred. Please send it to me n2zz@arrl.org in “cut and paste” format, and include day, time, location and contact information. Please indicate any special instructions, and if the testing information will expire at a certain time. This will ensure that I have current information. Thanks! If you do join the arrl-sc@yahoogroups.com group, you will receive a copy of Bill’s newsletter. It has a lot of very useful information, and I appreciate the time he takes to compile all the information in a quick-read format!
Mac, K4AVR also report that the Sandblast Rally will be held on February 17th this year. Information on the event can be found at www.sandblastrally.com . The CCARS club will again sponsor the Sandblast Communications, and they need volunteers. I did not receive contact information, but if you do have an interest, send an e-mail to Mac fbcullom@worldnet.att.net , and I’m sure he will pass it on!
Well, that is it for this month. Be sure to mark your calendars for the Charleston Hamfest on February 3rd. It is the South Carolina State Convention, and Allen Pitts W1AGP, PR manager from ARRL HQ will be there with a presentation. As the Forums are currently planned, I will preside over the ARRL Forum at 10am, and Allen will give his presentation at 11 am! I hope to see everyone there!
Again, Happy New Year 2007!
December
2006 National Traffic System Report for SC by Mac N4MEH, STM
Net Reports:
(Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By)
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/944/49/31/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2125/54/31/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/355/186/62/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/210/60/31/W4EAT
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/208/19/14/N4XML
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/841/38/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/97/5/4/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/548/52/31/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/116/20/11/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/295/19/13/KE4OGG
SC SSB Net/1338/75/30/WB4DLD
York County ARS 2M Net/630/9/50/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports:
(Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total)
KA4LRM/2/3/1/0/6
KA4UIV/29/51/17/0/97
WB4DLD/2/35/8/2/47
N4MEH/8/39/4/2/53
Public Service Honor Roll:
(Station/Cat. 1/Cat. 2/Cat. 3/Cat. 4/Cat. 5/Cat. 6/Total)
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the February 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
I had the pleasure of attending the Charleston Hamfest, the South Carolina State Convention, held in Ladson, SC. The Exchange Park building was packed with both vendors and hamfest attendees! I spoke with Jennie Myers, Hamfest Chairperson, after the hamfest and she estimated about 500 participants! I spoke with a number of the hamfest committee members and vendors, and they were very happy with the turnout. We were pleased to have Allen Pitts, Media and Public Relations Manager from ARRL HQ at the hamfest. Allen was happy to return to South Carolina, as he has roots here; He is a graduate of USC, worked for SLED earlier in his career, and has family in Lexington! The ARRL Forum was held at 10 am, and I am very happy to say that it was packed! It was the best turnout for an ARRL forum that I have seen! There was a fairly extensive discussion of the SCHEARTS Project, which deals with the statewide linking of hospitals. Charlie AE4UX, SEC initiated the discussion, and John Crockett KC4YI, Manager of Transmitter Operations at SCETV also made a presentation. I thank them and all involved in the SCHEARTS project, as it appears to be rapidly moving forward! Following the ARRL Forum, Allen Pitts W1AGP gave a presentation on Emcomm and Public Relations activities for 2007. His main message was that we are doing an excellent job in providing communications during emergencies, but not telling anyone about it! He mentioned that there was not one picture of a ham providing communications during the Katrina disaster. He envisions PIO's being close to ARES activations to document their efforts; one at the Joint Information Center, and one in the field.
Being a media guru, I asked Allen to give us a comment:
One of the joys of traveling to various sections is to watch the reactions of hams when an idea or opportunity is presented and see who picks up on the situation. The SC trip has been more than usually enjoyable as not only were ideas presented, but within hours there was a response and a plan formed by the attendees.
There is no question but that we must create closer ties between PIOs and ARES activities so that ham operations in emergencies are not only recognized, but shared with the public through the media. For most of the American population, it is only through the eyes of the media that they hear or see anything about us, and without PIOs in in the right place with a good message, this will not happen. By presenting this need and to the SC convention, I had hoped that there would be some thought given to the problem. Well, not only was there thought, but before the end of the day there was a plan and even some well-qualified volunteers reporting to the Section Manager to make it happen.
The “can-do” attitude of the South Carolinian ham community, in this PR/ARES effort, in the SCHEARTS project, and in support for the Amateur Radio Service overall, is a credit to the Section leadership and once again will result in templates for activity that can be reproduced in other areas. This indeed is a joy to see.
--Allen Pitts W1AGP, Media and Public Relations Manager, ARRL HQ
As Allen mentioned above, two PIO's came
up to me after the talk, and offered me their services as PIC (Public
Information Coordinator).
Thanks to Jenny Myers WA4NGV, Hamfest Chair; Doc W4MUR, Forum Organizer; and the
entire Charleston Hamfest Committee for a wonderful hamfest!
As I mentioned above, the South Carolina Section now has a Public
Information Coordinator! Dennis Zabawa KG4RUL, PIC was appointed to that post
this month! Dennis has functioned as PIO for the Trident Amateur Radio Club,
currently is an ARRL PIO for the SC Section and also an Assistant EC and
Information Officer for Berkeley County South Carolina ARES. He has maintained
several informational websites and is currently the webmaster for Berkeley
County ARES. Dennis has experience in formal traffic net operations both with
ARES and MARS and as Net Control for ARES traffic and training nets. He has a
background in Computer System Analysis and Programming, specializing in Embedded
Computer Systems. He has experience in technical and training publications and
as a technical instructor. We welcome Dennis to his new post!
It is official! Proficiency in Morse Code will no longer be required for obtaining any class of amateur radio license in the United States, as of February 23rd. It is important to realize that there will be no automatic license upgrades on that date, with the exception of Technician licensees who will automatically gain Technician Plus privileges. For those licensees with a valid CSCE for a higher class license, Applicants must upgrade at a VE test session by presenting the certificate for element credit, fill out an application and pay any applicable exam session fee. There are a few clubs that have scheduled special testing sessions immediately after the February 23rd date, and I have listed them on the home page of the www.arrl-sc.org website. Realize of course, that there are many scheduled VE sessions, and that information is also available on that same website and the www.arrl.org website The ARRL anticipates a large influx of new HF users, and will have a special 8 page insert in March QST that reports on the new opportunities for every ham including newcomers to Ham Radio and the HF bands. I have reviewed a copy, and it looks great! There will be quite a lot of “Elmer” opportunities in the very near future!
Information has come out from ARRL Headquarters that a number of states are considering laws that would restrict the use of wireless devices by the driver from a moving vehicle. Fortunately, South Carolina is not one of those states….yet. Full information is available on the most recent ARRL letter, available by e-mail or on the www.arrl.org website.
In closing for this month, I wanted to bring attention to a door prize being offered by the Charleston ARS at their meetings. A drawing is held each meeting, and the winner is awarded an ARRL membership! I thought this might be a great idea for other clubs to consider, even if the drawing is held only a few times each year!
That’s it for now! See you next month!
January 2007
National Traffic System Report for SC by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM
Net Reports:
(Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By)
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/950/40/31/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2403/41/31/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/445/136/62/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/216/35/31/W4EAT
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/143/18/12/N4XML
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/809/35/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/104/5/4/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/480/63/31/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/155/23/13/N4WMB
PALS Net (December 2006)/893/79/31/KG4KOE
PALS Net (January 2007)/839/67/31/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/1868/111/31/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/683/3/50/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports:
(Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total)
KA4UIV/36/44/13//93
WB4DLD/6/31/6/6/49
N4MEH/16/36/4/10/66
Public Service Honor Roll:
(Station/Cat. 1/Cat. 2/Cat. 3/Cat. 4/Cat. 5/Cat. 6/Total)
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the March 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
As of February 23rd, Morse Code Proficiency was removed as a requirement for Amateur Radio Licensing in the United States. Maria Somma AB1FM, ARRL VEC has indicated that there are nearly 800 exam sessions on the books for March, with another 600 for April. She indicates that she does not think things will slow down any time soon. She mentions that the majority of test session paperwork is being received at ARRL HQ in good order, and she thanks the VE teams for their diligence.
There was a great deal of furor by ARES groups over the American Red Cross requiring background checks on their volunteers. The ARRL has released a position statement on this matter and it is available on the ARRL website: http://www.arrl.org/announce/ARRL-ARC-bg-check.html . It is apparent from the position statement that there are still questions to be answered, and the ARRL will inform its members of any changes conveyed to the ARRL by the American Red Cross immediately.
I was asked to bring the following information to my Section Report by John Crockett KC4YI, Manager of Transmitter Operations, SCETV. This is a letter from William Dease, KI4PKO, Project Coordinator, USC Center for Public Health Preparedness:
Amateur (Ham) Radio Training/License
Course
The South Carolina Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team (SCHEART)
project is a state-wide initiative designed to provide backup
communication support for the Palmetto 800 MHZ system, using an amateur
radio network to link healthcare facilities. This system will be open
to all licensed operators for routine transmissions. However, in the
event of an emergency or during training exercises the system will be
strictly controlled and operated by trained hams under the direction of
the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) organization.
The SCHEART project will begin testing systems in June 2007 and the
infrastructure is schedule for completion on August 31, 2007. To meet
the demands of the hospitals that will be a part of the SCHEART network,
the USC Center for Public Health Preparedness (USC-CPHP) in partnership
with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
(SCDHEC) and the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) will sponsor
a two day training and licensing course via satellite broadcast on April
20- 23, 2007. We have decided to have the training on Friday and Monday
to encourage weekend study prior to taking the exam. The USC-CPHP will
cover the cost of training materials and food, however, each participant
will be responsible for the
testing fee on day two ($14.00). The actual viewing location will be
determined after each region has had the opportunity to sign up.
I have attached a flyer for circulation or posting. Please take a look
at your calendars and send us the name and e-mail address of each
individual interested in attending a session in your area. Participants
may contact us at 803-978-7570 or e-mail
dease@sc.edu , additional
information can be found at
http://www.sph.sc.edu/acphp/hams_scheart.htm.
Note: The flyer mentioned above is available on the www.arrl-sc.org website.
I am happy to report that the next SCHEARTS meeting will be held in Columbia this coming Tuesday the 20th. I look forward to bringing a report of their activities and findings to my Section Report next month. For questions regarding the SCHEARTS meeting, please contact Charlie AE4UX, SEC ae4ux@arrl.net .
I was contacted by Brian KR4SP, ACC, and found out that his wife Cecelia is in the hospital. She is improving, and should be home soon. We give our best wishes to Cecelia, and wish her a speedy recovery!
February 2007 National Traffic System Report for SC by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM:
Net Reports:
(Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By)
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/719/30/28/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2101/34/28/K4SUG
Carolina’s Net/348/155/56/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/173/42/28/W4EAT
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/165/8/8/K4RKC
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/215/16/12/N4XML
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/796/40/29/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/109/5/4/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/418/40/28/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/143/25/11/N4WMB
Oconee
2M Net/279/19/12/KE4OGG
PALS Net /675/69/29/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/1657/80/28/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/611/4/43/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports:
(Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total)
KA4LRM/1/8/1/1/11
KA4UIV/26/51/34/0/111
WB4DLD/4/31/4/4/43
N4MEH/19/31/7/4/61
Public Service Honor Roll:
(Station/Cat. 1/Cat. 2/Cat. 3/Cat. 4/Cat. 5/Cat. 6/Total)
KA4LRM/40/11/20/0/0/0/71
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the April 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.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 congratulate the South Carolina Sideband net on their 49th anniversary! The net celebrated their anniversary on April 7th and held a special net session with what appeared to be a record number of check-ins. Regrettably, I was unable to attend, but I appreciate Bob K4NJN, ASM6 reading my prepared announcement congratulating the net on their many years of service to Amateur Radio and to the people of South Carolina. I was also pleased to hear that Riley Hollingsworth K4ZDH, FCC Enforcement Special Agent and Allen Pitts W1AGP, PR director from ARRL Headquarters participated in this special net session. I was also fortunate to receive the SC SSB net roster, which is full of useful information. For those who participate in the SC SSB net and did not receive a roster, please contact Ms. Emmie KA4LRM. Emmie will also be collecting donations toward next year’s 50th anniversary issue, and any help would be greatly appreciated!
I enjoyed attending the 29th annual Lake Hartwell Hamfest in Anderson this past Saturday, the 14th. Charlie AE4UX, SEC and I traveled to Darwin Wright Park, a new location for the Anderson hamfest. The turnout was excellent, and the fine weather was enjoyed by all! I would like to make special mention of a few individuals who took it upon themselves to put on an estate sale for the widow of Roy Sisk, KD4KIE, now a silent key. WD4BUH, Jimmy; KA4LRM, Emmie; and K4NK, Les, ASM1; They together dismantled his station, stored his equipment, and then sold his equipment at the Anderson Hamfest, with proceeds going to his widow. Les did a fantastic job as auctioneer. Thanks to all! This is one of those deeds that show the true spirit of amateur radio!
I was asked by Rodger, N4NRW to pass along this information: The Ridge Amateur Radio Club of Batesburg/Leesvillle invites you all to a free TAIL GATE PARTY on Saturday, April 28th 8AM - 2PM at Shealy’s BBQ grass parking lot on US # 1. Breakfast is available at 6AM at the Whistle Stop one block from Radio Shack toward the RR tracks (BYOB). Have lunch at Shealy’s BBQ from 11 AM. Come join the fun, fellowship and great food! Swap, sell, buy, trade and do it all in sun and shade.
The ARRL has released an update regarding background checks by the American Red Cross. The full report is on the ARRL website: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/16/100/?nc=1 . It states that if Amateur Radio volunteers provide communications to the Red Cross for more than seven days, that they would be subject to the same background checks as Red Cross volunteers. The background checks are not only criminal background checks, but also credit and mode of living checks. The Red Cross was not willing to modify their background check procedure or accept background checks from other companies for ARES volunteers. The ARRL cautions all that decide to submit to these background checks review any consent carefully prior to signing.
The SCHEARTS licensing class that will be held state-wide and reported in my Section Report last month will have a two day training course on Friday April 20th and Monday April 23rd. For further information, please refer to my March SM report on the www.arrl-sc.org website along with the flyer that is available there.
I received this link from KE4RVF via WA4GPS. This is emergency communications, 1950's style: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2943570522939177086&hl=en
I am happy to report that Brian KR4SP, ACC’s wife Cecelia is recovering from her hospitalization, and other than becoming tired easily, she is in excellent spirits!
That’s it for this month! I’m enjoying the warmer weather, and thinking of putting up a few more antennas!
National Traffic System NET REPORTS
FOR MARCH by Mac Heaton, N4MEH, STM:
Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported by
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/811/30/11/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2339/38/31/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/372/148/62/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/229/42/31/W4EAT
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/169/8/8/K4RKC
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/232/22/13/N4XML
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/988/35/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/106/6/5/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/473/41/31/W4JAK
Oconee 2M Net/322/17/13/KE4OGG
SC SSB Net/2068/81/31/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/663/7/49/KI4NBA
STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:
KA4LRM/7/3/0/0/10
KA4UIV/28/52/33/0/113
WB4DLD/2/29/2/2/35
N4MEH/8/39/1/3/51
PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:
Station/Cat1/Cat2/Cat3/Cat4/Cat5/Cat6/Total
KA4LRM/40/10/20/0/0/0/70
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the May 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
Suzie KG4YVJ and Mac K4AVR report that there will be an Air Show at the Florence Regional Airport on Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27 (Memorial Day weekend). Radio operators with 2 Meter HTs are needed to help with safety communications on each of the two days. The show runs from 8AM to 5PM both days. The more Hams that help, the shorter the shifts will be. If you can assist, please contact John Germain, KA3JAL, at ka3jal@aol.com or Bob Austin, K7DVB at k7dvb@bellsouth.net as soon as possible. You will receive two passes for your family ($15 each value) together with an entry pass and a lunch pass for yourself for your help and efforts. For further information about the event, check out www.mayflyairshow.com.
Kudos to the Columbia Amateur Radio Club for their Amateur Radio demonstration at the 2007 Sparkleberry fair held at Clemson Extension at Sandhills on Saturday April 28th. Tammy Livingston, CARC PIO reports that the event was a success, and presented a highly public opportunity to share with the community what Amateur Radio is doing today!
The South Carolina Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team (SCHEART) project is a state-wide initiative designed to provide backup communication support for the Palmetto 800 MHZ system, using an amateur radio network to link healthcare facilities. This system will be open to all licensed operators for routine transmissions. However, in the event of an emergency or during training exercises the system will be strictly controlled and operated under the direction of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) organization. The SCHEART project will begin testing systems in June 2007 and the infrastructure is scheduled for completion on August 31, 2007. It is my understanding that the tower work at the Whitehall site (900 feet!) is complete, and Conway is the next site on the list. Thanks to Dennis Zabawa KG4RUL, PIC for the above information.
The two day training and licensing course sponsored by the USC Center for Public Health Preparedness (USC-CPHP) in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) on April 20 and 23, 2007 was a success! Charlie AE4UX, SEC reports that 85 individuals were tested across the state, with 77 granted licenses, giving a pass rate of 91%! Congratulations to all involved in this project!
I had the pleasure of traveling to Spartanburg for the Upstate Hamfest on Saturday, May 5th. This was the South Carolina Section Hamfest, and we were pleased to welcome Dan Henderson N1ND, Regulatory Specialist from ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Dan’s talk at the ARRL Forum covered a number of topics ranging from the influx of new hams into Amateur Radio and their need for mentoring by experienced hams to DX and Field Day. He talked about the BS7H DXPedition to Scarborough Reef and gave a brief discussion on Logbook of the World. My thanks to the ARRL-SC team who attended: Adam WY4N, ASM; Bob WA2EMF, ASM2; Marc N4UFP, TC; Brian KR4SP, ACC; Mac N4MEH, STM and Sue N4ENX, OOC.
Foxhunting is alive and well! YCARS in York County had a foxhunt on Saturday, May 12th, conducted by Brent KI4RAY. Congratulations to first place winner Mike WA2TGE and second place winner Terry KG4RFQ! Bob WA2EMF, ASM2 reports that a good time was had by all, and valuable experience was gained from the exercise.
I went to my local club (North Augusta-Belvedere ARC) meeting tonight and was pleased to be presented with my SC RACES ID card by Charlie AE4UX! When I started as Section Manager in January 2003, I traveled with Charlie to the state EOC to discuss Amateur Radio involvement with the SCEOC Director, Ron Osborne. One of his (and our) goals was to produce a State recognized RACES ID card that would identify us as emergency communicators and allow us access to EOC’s throughout the state. Charlie has spent a great deal of time working through the SCEOC system to make this a reality, and deserves a lot of credit in seeing this project through! Another plus is that this project was not held up in requiring photographs. The ID card is linked to an individual’s driver’s license, so no photograph is required on the card itself. In order to obtain a card, you must register for ARES/RACES through your county Emergency Coordinator.
Well, this week is the Dayton Hamvention and I will be making my annual trip. I was asked to make a presentation at the Section Manager Forum within the ARRL EXPO, so I am currently gathering information to present.
That’s it for this month! Have a great month, and see you in June!
April 2007 National Traffic System
Report for South Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM:
Net Reports
Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/835/47/30/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2225/40/30/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/359/125/60/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/209/48/30/W4EAT
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/164/9/9/K4RKC
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/187/18/12/N4XML
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/945/36/30/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/87/5/4/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/344/61/30/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/127/18/12/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/277/17/17/KE4OGG
PALS Net for March 2007/816/64/31/KG4KOE
PALS Net for April 2007/723/72/30/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/2222/81/30/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter SSB Net/698/19/51/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/6/14/0/0/20
KA4UIV/27/48/25/0/100
WB4DLD/2/31/2/0/35
N4MEH/6/49/5/4/64
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat1/Cat2/Cat3/Cat4/Cat5/Cat6/Total
KA4LRM/40/20/20/0/0/0/80
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the June 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
This coming weekend, the fourth full weekend in June, is Field Day! This is a chance for all amateur radio operators to shine by showing the public what we are all about, and demonstrate our ability as professional communicators in less than perfect conditions! For us, we again have an opportunity to meet and defeat Murphy and hone our operating skills. I hope that everyone has an opportunity to operate, set up, tear down or just socialize this weekend. The ARRL Field Day Packet can be downloaded from the ARRL website here: http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/fd-2007-packet.pdf . Charlie AE4UX, SEC and I will again be traveling around the state to visit Field Day sites throughout South Carolina. I ask that everyone that would like us to visit this weekend to send me n2zz@arrl.org and Charlie ae4ux@arrl.net the following information As Soon As Possible: Your club or organization name, detailed driving directions (address if possible) and whether you will be operating both Saturday and Sunday. Charlie will be mapping out the route again this year, so please send your information along today! Over the last few years, I was fortunate to have Bob K4NJN, ASM6 divide the state with us. Bob and Paul KB4GYT have different plans this year. They are traveling to Montana to operate Field Day as KB4GYT/7. Bob asked me to pass along to the SC section that they will be looking for stations from the Roanoke Division (of which we are a part) to work prior to the contest, and during the contest. So, if you are looking for Montana to boost your Worked All States totals, now is the time! Don’t forget your extra points for sending an NTS message to Charlie or me. I plan to have someone take traffic for me and Charlie on the SC SSB net which meets at 7pm local time on 3915 kHz. Full information is contained in the FD Packet noted above. Have a great weekend!
Governor Mark Sanford has declared the week of June 18-24 as “Amateur Radio Week” in South Carolina. Thanks to all involved in making this proclamation a reality!
Dayton 2007 has come and gone, and I enjoyed the opportunity to attend the Hamvention again this year. The ARRL EXPO was one of the highlights, and was a success. I encourage all who have not had the opportunity to experience the Dayton Hamvention to make plans to visit next year. Hotel reservations open up in about one week, and information can be found at http://www.hamvention.org/ . I had the honor of being the Section Manager selected to present the topic “Messages to Newington from SM’s” at the Section Manager Forum. The topic was intended to formulate a better working relationship between ARRL HQ and the 71 Section Managers who administrate the ARRL field service in their respective sections. I spent a great deal of time with Harold Kramer WJ1B, Chief Operating Officer of the ARRL, discussing these issues, and I am very pleased to see how receptive he was to our needs. Perusing through July QST, I noted a very complimentary article on page 13 written by Harold. I thank him and all the HQ staff for the support they give us in performance of our ARRL functions.
This year’s state-wide emergency exercise was held on June 6th and 7th. The scenario was that of a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in the Charleston area. As most know, amateur radio stations have been placed in various hospitals throughout the state, and this was the first opportunity to test them out with a major exercise. Charlie AE4UX, SEC/State RACES officer is currently requesting reports from all that participated so that he can complete his report regarding Amateur Radio involvement. Please forward that information to him at ae4ux@arrl.net as soon as possible. Thanks to all involved, especially to the PALS repeater system for the use of their linked repeater system throughout the exercise.
That’s it for this month! Hope to see everyone on Field Day!
May 2007
National Traffic System Report for South Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM
Net Reports
Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/788/37/31/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2206/39/31/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/325/83/60/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/205/46/31/W4EAT
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/174/11/9/K4RKC
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/211/22/13/N4XML
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/931/36/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/127/7/5/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/299/40/31/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/144/12/13/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/255/16/13/N9GSX
PALS Net/739/88/31/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/1963/72/31/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/682/12/50/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/4/4/1/0/9
KA4UIV/20/29/12/0/61
WB4DLD/2/31/2/2/37
N4MEH/5/51/7/4/67
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat1/Cat2/Cat3/Cat4/Cat5/Cat6/Total
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the July 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
Field Day was a success! Charlie AE4UX, SEC and I traveled around the state again this year, logging about 700 miles and spent over 15 hours driving from site to site. Charlie took all replies from Field Day Chairmen and mapped out a route the Wednesday before Field Day. There were a few replies after the mapping was completed, and we were able to visit those sites if they were near our original route. Our visits included North Augusta/Belvedere, Batesburg-Leesville (Ridge Club), Columbia (CARC/PARC), Walterboro (Coastal), Beaufort, Charleston (CARS), Grand Strand, Kershaw County and Rock Hill (YCARS). Charlie and I were hoping to loop back towards the Upstate but found that our travels would be cut short by the 1400 hr deadline on Sunday. I do appreciate everyone’s hospitality during our visits, and all the messages originated to Charlie and me for the extra credit points! Charlie and I have been modifying our route over the last several years. We realize that there are some sites we have not visited in a while, and some that we usually visit we missed this year. I would like everyone to know that we wish we could visit every site, but South Carolina is a huge state! Hope to see everyone next year! On a side note, Bob K4NJN, ASM6 and Paul KB4GYT who traveled to Montana for Field Day had a great time, great location, and worked several stations from the Roanoke Division, as they had planned!
I was asked to pass some information about JOTA (Jamboree on the Air) from Jim Baker, KQ4BH: Jamboree on the Air 2007 is the 50th year for JOTA, and of course 2007 is the 100th year for World Scouting. Scouts from all over the world will be contacting each other via ham radio on the third weekend of October. This year JOTA will run 50 hours instead of the usual 48 in recognition of the anniversary. Radio Scouters (a Yahoo Group) have proposed to try to get every ARRL Section represented in this year's JOTA October 20-21. I have been trying to find other radio scouters in the local council to plan our local event, but have not had much luck. There are six local councils in South Carolina. More information on this years JOTA event is available at http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=xx&c=ds&terms=jota Please make plans to participate. Jim Baker can be contacted by e-mail: mirkwood@sccoast.net .
I received a note from John KC4YI, regarding updates on the SCHEARTS repeater system: The first SC HEARTS hub repeater is on the air as of 12:30 7/24/2007. We are range testing the VHF antenna with the 147.36 100 Hz PL repeater until the 146.715 repeater is ready to go on the air. The tower crew is moving on to Awendaw in the morning (Wednesday 7/25). If all goes well the antennas will be up there by the 31st of July. That will give us antennas installed at Whitehall, Conway, Florence, Columbia and Awendaw.
Regarding SCHEARTS, I did want to add a note. I have been receiving e-mails and even certified letters asking me to not let SCHEARTS take their repeater away. I have been a ham since 1969, and the most highly charged political issue in amateur radio that I have seen in my years is that of repeaters. I must emphasize that the SCHEARTS program will not take away your repeater or frequency pair. What the program offers is that if your club, organization or individual owner of a repeater in a critical area desires to become part of the SCHEARTS system, your repeater can be replaced with a state-of-the art commercial grade repeater, a professionally installed antenna system and professional maintenance of the repeater. Additionally, it will have linking capabilities. The only requirements that I see at this time is that during an emergency or drill, SCHEARTS will use your repeater. Additionally, there will need to be some coordination of nets to prevent conflicts on the linked system. Otherwise, local hams would be free to use the repeater during all other times. This is entirely voluntary. I also see that SCHEARTS is looking for local hams to work with them on a local level as engineers of the repeater. I do encourage all who desire to do so to work with the SCHEARTS system. It is the first of its kind in the US, and it has definitely captured the attention of the ARRL Headquarters personnel. It will provide a strong backbone for Hospitals to communicate during emergencies. Finally, during this time of frequency auctioning and Homeland Security, It shows the public what we can do, and how we are needed during compromising times. If there are attempts to take away our frequency spectrum (such as the 220-222 MHz segment we lost several years ago) it will be much easier to protect our spectrum, with non-hams knowing our capabilities. The SC Hospital Association, as well as their national organization would be a strong ally in this case.
From The ARRL Letter vol 26, no. 30: The ARRL Board of Directors named four ARRL award recipients at their July 20-21 meeting in Windsor, Connecticut. The recipient of the 2006 Maxim Award is Greg S. Davis, N3ZL, of Florence, South Carolina. This award, given annually to a licensed radio amateur under the age of 21, takes into account the nominee's most exemplary nature of accomplishments and contributions to both the community of Amateur Radio and the local community. Davis, first licensed at 14, upgraded to Amateur Extra class before he turned 16. While his first love is ragchewing, he likes to DX, contest and operate all digital modes and SSTV. Davis is interested in and active in emergency communications. As part of his Eagle Scout project, he was responsible for planning, assembling and installing emergency communications antennas at Red Cross emergency evacuation centers. Congratulations to Greg!
Well, that is it for July! I apologize for the late issue this month. I just returned from a two week vacation in Mainland China and Hong Kong. My older son works in Beijing so we decided to pay him a visit, and have him travel with us to other areas of China where he did not yet have a chance to visit. The 12 hour time difference really produces the jet lag!
June 2007
National Traffic System Report for South Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM
Net Reports
Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/762/32/30/N4MEH
BRARS 2 Meter Net/2013/40/30/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/629/127/56/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/878/48/30/W4EAT
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/187/0/8/W4RWL
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/200/16/12/KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/863/34/30/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/99/5/4/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/369/51/30/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/107/17/13/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/296/15/13/N9GSX
PALS Net/884/65/30/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/1608/87/30/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/717/42/53/KI4NBA
York Co. ARS 2 Meter SSB Net/11/0/1/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/6/11/4//21
AE4FA//3/2//5
KA4UIV/11/31/23//65
WB4DLD/2/27/2/2/33
N4MEH/9/46/7/6/68
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat. 1/Cat. 2/Cat. 3/Cat. 4/Cat. 5/Cat. 6/Total
KA4LRM/40/21/20/0/0/0/81
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the August 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
The Trident Amateur Radio Club (TARC), Charleston, SC, had their first annual Tailgate Party on August 11th. I’m happy to report that Charlie AE4UX, SEC and I were able to attend their inaugural event! Twelve sellers attended along with many lookers and buyers, and a good time was had by all. My thanks to Dennis KG4RUL, PIC and Vince KI4AOC, EC for taking Charlie and me on a guided tour of the Berkeley County Emergency Operations Center during our visit!
Our best wishes to Johnnie WA4UGD who is recovering from Back Surgery. I was notified by Jim WB4DLD that Johnnie is undergoing physical therapy to get him back on his feet, and that things are going well.
I just returned from the Huntsville Hamfest, the site of the 2007 ARRL National Convention. The hamfest was preceded by the GAREC (Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communication) conference http://www.iaru.org/emergency/garec2007.html . Charlie AE4UX, SEC attended the GAREC conference. He indicated to me that the conference allowed a great deal of networking between attendees. The difficulties and hurdles faced by hams around the world in providing emergency communications were truly eye-opening. It is anticipated that this opportunity of hams around the world to interact and share ideas regarding emergency communications will break down barriers, both technical and legal, over time. A position statement was agreed upon during the conference, and should be published and on the internet soon. Keep a watch on the website above as well as the www.arrl.org website for updates!
The Huntsville Hamfest was a great opportunity for me to meet and interact with a number of ARRL officials. I arrived in Huntsville after the GAREC conference, and while looking at the emergency vehicles parked outside the hotel, Dave K1ZZ, CEO of the ARRL came up to speak with both me and Charlie, discussing the conference and the future of emergency communications. He introduced us to Dennis Dura K2DCD, who is the new manager of ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response. We had the opportunity to apprise both of the work being done in South Carolina, including the SCHEARTS program. Dennis had a chance to review our new SC RACES ID cards, and was intrigued that our cards are referenced to our driver’s licenses for photo identification. Dennis has only logged two weeks on the job, but I can tell you that he has the drive, interest, and personality to move the ARRL forward with emergency communications. I also had the opportunity to meet with other SM’s and several Directors. In fact, I had a pleasant breakfast with Earl Smith VE6NM, President of Radio Amateurs of Canada and George Isely W9GIG, Central Division Director. Both were former pilots, and they certainly had some interesting “war stories”! One of the highlights, however, was the retirement party of Frank Butler W4RH, Southeastern Division Director. Frank is completing 50 years of elected service to the ARRL. Frank was honored at a reception in his honor on Saturday. Dave Sumner K1ZZ presented a plaque to Frank for his service to the ARRL and to Amateur Radio in general. There will be at least four individuals running in the next Southeastern Division election to fill the resulting vacancy.
I had a pleasant surprise when returning home. I, like many others, spent a great deal of time trying to work BS7H, Scarborough Reef, despite poor propagation to the East Coast. After the online logs were uploaded, I had no QSO’s listed in the log. I was sure I worked them at least one time, and after submitting my QSL to their QSL manager with a request to re-examine the logs, I received a QSL card from BS7H in the mail! I hope others in SC had the same opportunity to work this much needed DX entity!
That’s it for August! Have a great month, and don’t forget the Shelby Hamfest in North Carolina which now is a three day hamfest, August 31st, Sept 1st and 2nd. Information can be found at: http://www.shelbyhamfest.com/2007brochure.pdf . See you next month!
July 2007
National Traffic System Report for South Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM
NET REPORTS:
Net Name/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/812/37/31/N4MEH
Carolina's Net/302/97/57/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/180/32/31/W4EAT
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/242/0/9/W4RWL
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/175/15/13/KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/752/33/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/87/5/4/W4DEW
Oconee 2M Net/255/20/13/N9GSX
PALS Net/937/63/31/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/1742/65/31/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/718/10/50/KI4NBA
York Co. ARS 2 Meter SSB Net/3/0/1/KI4NBA
STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/6/10/4/0/20
AE4FA/1/1/1/0/3
KA4UIV/24/43/26/0/93
WB4DLD/3/28/1/3/35
N4MEH/7/48/7/5/67
PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:
Station/Cat1/Cat2/Cat3/Cat4/Cat5/Cat6/Total
KA4LRM/40/20/20/0/0/0/80
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the September 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
The Shelby, NC hamfest was held over Labor Day weekend, and one of the highlights was the presentation of the Hiram Percy Maxim award to Greg Davis, N3ZL. The prestigious award was presented to Greg at the ARRL forum by Pat N4ROS, Vice Director of the Roanoke Division, who also presided over the forum. The Hiram Percy Maxim award is a national award, presented to a ham under the age of 21, who has an exemplary record of accomplishments and contributions to both the community of Amateur Radio and their local community. I regret I was unable to attend due to my medical call responsibilities, but I would like to offer my personal congratulations to Greg, and I know that all of us are very proud of him and his contributions to Amateur Radio.
Our next hamfest will be the 55th annual Rock Hill hamfest, which will be held on October 6th at the American Legion Post #34, 199 South Cherry Road, in Rock Hill, SC. Gates open at 7 am, and talk-in will be on 147.03- . Admission is $7 at the gate, and Flea Market/Tailgate spaces are available on a first come-first served basis. There is a large indoor dealer area. VE testing will be held and door prizes will be given! Go to the hamfest website: WWW.RockHillHamfest.com for more information! I will be presiding over the ARRL forum at 9:30a, and hope to see a great turnout for the hamfest!
While on the subject of hamfests, I received convention approval letters for the Charleston ARS who will host the SC State Convention on February 2nd, 2008 and the Blue Ridge ARS who will host the SC Section Convention on May 3rd, 2008. Congratulations to both!
Well, the 2007 South Carolina QSO party is now history, and I hope that everyone had a good time. I thank the Columbia ARC for sponsoring the event! Be sure to submit your logs by the October 16th deadline! Go to <http://carc.ham-radio-op.net/scqsoweb2007.shtml> for details.
Congratulations to our newest Affiliated Club, The Coastal Amateur Radio Association! Their affiliation date was August 7th, 2007 and their primary contact is Steven English KG4WNL. Please welcome the Coastal ARA to our South Carolina family of affiliated clubs!
A note from Suzie, KG4YVJ: This years PALSNet Picnic will again be held at Cheraw State Park on Sunday Sept. 30, 2007, food starting at about Noon. All Amateurs interested in Two Meters and all PALSNet users are invited. The picnic is a family reunion style picnic where everyone brings something they would like to share, we pile it all on the table and everyone eats too much. We again have the Boat Launch Picnic Area reserved and this year the signs say that the Parking Fee is a donation and is not mandatory. Be sure to read the sign on the collection box in case they change it again before the Picnic. The Boat Launch Picnic Shelter can be reached by turning into the Cheraw State Park Main Entrance on US-52, just south of the intersection of US-52 and US-1 south of Cheraw. Follow the main road to the Stop sign. The picnic area is to the left beyond the old bathhouse/Main Park Office, the Golf Course Clubhouse, where the VE session will be held, is to your right. For those interested in upgrading, the Florence WCARS VE Team is scheduling a session at the PALSNet Picnic. The session is scheduled for 1:30PM, so mark your calendars. The VE session will be held in the Golf Clubhouse in the room across from the Pro Shop. Further information can be found on the www.arrl-sc.org website.
A note from Ralph Mott N4RM: The Palmetto State Chapter #89, QCWA will hold a meeting Saturday September 29, 2007. The meeting will be held at Ryan's 1304 Bower Parkway (exit 104 off I-26) in Columbia, SC. The meeting is in the same restaurant as before. Please try to arrive about 11:00 AM for a period of fellowship prior to the meeting, which will begin about 11:30 AM. Please make every possible effort to be present. Note that there will be a presentation of certificates to Forrest, W4MPR (60 years), Ken, K4KXO (50 years) and Don, W3MIF (50 years). Congratulations to these three on attaining these milestones. P.S.....Dues Renewal! Please join the QCWA Palmetto State Chapter #89 net held every Saturday at 9:00 AM on 3930 kHz. Come join in the fun!
Congratulations to our Roanoke Division Director Dennis Bodson W4PWF! From the ARRL Letter, Vol. 26 No. 38: The Radio Club of America (RCA) has named ARRL Roanoke Division Director Dennis Bodson, PhD, PE, W4PWF, of Arlington, Virginia, as the recipient of the Sarnoff Citation. The award is given to recognize significant contributions to the advancement of electronic communications. Barry Goldwater, K7UGA (SK), was the first recipient of the Sarnoff Citation in 1973.
Well, that’s it for September! See you next month!
August 2007
National Traffic System Report for SC by Mac N4MEH, STM
Special Thanks to Ms. Emmie KA4LRM, for her support in relaying these
totals!
Net Reports
Net/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/778/37/31/N4MEH
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Net July 2007/2146/44/31/K4SUG
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Net August 2007/2163/30/31/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/382/112/62/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/152/40/31/N0SU
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/256/0/9/W4RWL
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/188/16/13/KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/787/45/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/103/7/5/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/370/30/29/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/112/16/12/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/336/15/14/N9GSX
PALS Net/911/58/31/KG4KOE
SC SSB Net/1785/79/30/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/663/0/50/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/1/15/10/0/26
AE4FA/1/0/0/0/1
KA4UIV/11/21/15/0/47
WB4DLD/3/28/1/0/32
N4MEH/4/52/7/2/65
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat. 1/Cat. 2/Cat. 3/Cat. 4/Cat. 5/Cat. 6/Total
KA4LRM/40/20/20/0/0/0/80
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
KA3UIV/40/3/0/10/0/20/73
We are still maintaining Day By Day.
Thanks for your continued support.
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the October 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
I hope everyone is enjoying our cooler Fall weather! The holidays will be upon us before we know it!
Since my last report, we have had two hamfests, the Rock Hill Hamfest, and the Sumter Hamfest. The Rock Hill Hamfest, sponsored by the York County Amateur Radio Society was a successful event from all aspects, according to Bob Bacharach WA2EMF, ASM2 and hamfest chair! Attendance was up this year, with 454 paid admissions. A good time was had by all, with a number of inside and outside dealers and a sizable number of tailgaters! A surprise to all was that the Wireman was scheduled to be present, but did not show up. Bob found out later that Don fell ill during his trip to Rock Hill, and had to return home. I understand that Don took a few days to recover, but is doing fine now! We will look forward to seeing Don and Deborah at future hamfests! The ARRL forum was hosted by me, and the turnout was fantastic! Thanks to all who participated! Congratulations to Bob and YCARS for a great hamfest!
The Sumter “Open-Air” Hamfest was this weekend, and I’m happy to say that this is the first year I didn’t get lost going to the hamfest! The location was at the Sumter Jaycee hut, and the weather was excellent! There were a few inside dealers and a number of tailgaters, with a variety of equipment for sale and trade. The food was good, and the friendships were even better! Congratulations to the Sumter ARA for another successful hamfest!
The next hamfest will be the Myrtle Beach BEACHFEST which will be held at the Conway National Guard Armory on Saturday, November 10th. BEACHFEST is sponsored by the Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club! Full details are available on their website: http://www.w4gs.org/beachfest/
I am sad to report that we will be losing one of our most prominent ham radio couples to another state. Sue N4ENX and John ND4N will soon be moving to Southern Indiana. I asked Sue to give me the details:
“The move is to a 40 acre farm, with the mailing address of English, Indiana. The farmhouse is 100 years old and has been completely updated to include air conditioning. The heat is propane backup with the main heat source a wood furnace that is outside. John's brothers and sisters all live within a 25 mile radius of the farm, so family is close by. We have enjoyed all of the friendships and acquaintances around the state through the years and hope to continue them through ham radio. The plan is to put up a tower and get an HF station up, plus 2, 220, 440 stations to see if you all can hear us from Indiana. We don't plan to change our calls, so listen out for us. Thanks again for the great times and wonderful friendships”---John, ND4N and Sue, N4ENX
Sue and John were very active in WCARS, and were very instrumental in providing VE testing to a great number of SC hams. Sue was very active in the ARRL Field service and occupied the positions of Official Observer Coordinator and Emergency Coordinator for Greenville County. I would like to welcome Tom Bailey WV6Z who will be filling Sue’s OOC post, and Jim Austin W4JWA who will be filling Sue’s EC post! Sue took an active part in training and recommending Tom and Jim, and I would like to thank them for becoming part of the ARRL-SC Team!
I am also sad to report that Riley Hollingsworth, Special Counsel in the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, announced his retirement this week, effective Friday, January 3, 2008. While his successor has not been named, Hollingsworth was quick to point out that the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement program will continue. The full story is on the ARRL website: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/10/24/102/?nc=1 . I sincerely hope that Riley’s replacement has the same love for the Amateur Radio Service as he does. Rather than blindly enforcing the rules set in Part 97, Riley enforced the spirit of those rules. Riley has been honored multiple times by the Amateur Radio Community, and has given very inspiring talks about the Amateur Radio Service at a number of hamfests. I am proud to say that he was the representative “Novice” as a number of us joined the Royal Order of the Wouff Hong at the Dayton Hamvention a few years ago! We will miss him at his FCC post, but I’m sure Amateur Radio will remain one of his passions in retirement!
I had the opportunity to participate in an ARRL teleconference on Thursday October 25th. ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs hosted an ARRL telebridge teleconference with the Section Managers of the Roanoke and Southeastern Divisions. I’m happy to say that all SM’s in the Roanoke Division were represented. Discussions centered around a national database of ARES volunteers, promotion of ARRL membership, and RACES/ARES relationships in different sections. Just think of it as a party line (remember those?) with 16 people on the line! It was a great experience!
There was an announcement on the SC SSB net that there was a survey sent to all Section Managers regarding a number of topics, but apparently centering around whether Section Managers should be elected or appointed by Directors. This is indeed true. Jay Bellows K0QB, Director of the Dakota Division, has been charged by the ARRL Board of Directors to “Study the Governance of the Section Field Organization” and submit a preliminary report to the Board of Directors at the January 2008 Board meeting. My response to the question as to whether SM’s should be elected or appointed was definitely that they should be elected. I do feel that the ARRL members of a section have the right to decide who will represent them and who they will be working with as leader of the Field Services in their section. From comments on the SM reflector, I believe this is the opinion of the majority of SM’s.
I was sent an interesting You Tube Video by Tom K2PJ about the early years of Amateur Radio! It is worth watching! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBGIdf0VjQ4
Ken N2IXX ASM3 just sent me the results of the 2007 SC QSO Party held in September. Full details will be on the Columbia ARC website but here are the high scores in each division: In State Mobile: KA4NWS 148800; In State Fixed: N4XML 25780; Out of State QRP: WB0IWG 550; Out of State: N4JF 4566. Congratulations to all who participated!
Well, that’s it for October! See you next month!
September
2007 National Traffic System Report for South
Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH
Net Reports
Net/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/797/33/30/N4MEH
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Net /2175/49/30/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/359/140/60/W2EAG
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/243/0/9/W4RWL
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/187/14/12/KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/707/50/30/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/89/4/4/W4DEW
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/108/28/12/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/282/17/12/N9GSX
SC SSB Net/1982/77/30/WB4DLD
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/4/8/1/0/13
W4NVO/0/1/1/3/5
KA4UIV/16/21/12/0/49
WB4DLD/3/28/2/3/36
N4MEH/7/44/2/2/55
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat1/Cat2/Cat3/Cat4/Cat5/Cat6/Total
KA4LRM/40/13/20/0/0/0/73
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a great month!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the November 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
Since my last report, the Myrtle Beach BEACHFEST, sponsored by the Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club, was held at the Conway National Guard Armory on Saturday, November 10th. Due to commitments at home I was unable to attend, but Bob N4XML relayed to me that the hamfest was a success, and they had great weather for their event! He stated that the drinks could not have been colder and the food could not be hotter or more delicious! This is a great hamfest, and I hope next year that I will be able to attend. Congratulations to the GSARC for a great hamfest!
Last month I reported that Riley Hollingsworth W4ZDH, Special Counsel for the FCC’s enforcement bureau, had decided to retire as of January 2008. I am very happy to report that he has decided not to retire! Riley states, "After spending the entire weekend thinking about the decision [to retire], it became more and more clear to me that it just isn't the right decision for me right now. There are several issues on the table that I want to continue to work through with the amateur community." I sent an e-mail to Riley thanking him for his decision, and I was happy to see his reply of thanks.
I mentioned last month that Tom WV6Z OOC, has taken over the Official Observer Coordinator position for Sue N4ENX who has moved to Indiana. In support of Tom, I completed the ARRL training and testing to become part of the Amateur Auxiliary (Official Observer). I learned quite a bit from the program. Tom has already “hit the ground running” and I again wish to thank him for his offer and desire to become part of the ARRL-SC team!
Upon my review of November QST, I was surprised to see that I was given photo credit for my photograph of Frank Butler, W4RH on page 51! Frank is the Director of the Southeastern Division and is retiring this year after 50 years of volunteer service to the ARRL. The race for his successor included 4 candidates, 3 of whom were Section Managers. Greg Sarratt W4OZK, SM-Alabama won by a large margin. Greg is well known for his volunteer service during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I know Greg will be a great addition to the ARRL Board of Directors and will hopefully bring in new thoughts and ideas to those who decide ARRL policies.
Interesting news on the amateur radio equipment industry has been announced. From ARRL Special bulletin #7: Motorola USA has announced its intention to launch a tender offer to acquire a controlling interest in Vertex Standard Co, Ltd. Vertex Standard is the parent company of Yaesu. Motorola will own 80 percent of Vertex Standard; Tokogiken, a privately held Japanese company, controlled by current president and CEO of Vertex Standard Jun Hasegawa, will retain 20 percent, forming a joint venture. The total purchase price for 80 percent of the outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis will be approximately US $108 million. There has been much speculation as to how this will affect the Amateur Radio Market. Time will tell, but I did see an e-mail from Dennis Motshenbacher who currently works for Yaesu, but previously was the ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager. He has a very optimistic outlook on the arrangement, so hopefully things will work out for the best!
While I was in Huntsville for the ARRL National Convention, I spoke with a number of the Section Managers about PRB-1 type legislation. PRB-1 is a document issued by the FCC which states on a national level that Amateur Radio antennas must be “reasonably accommodated” by municipalities. This document does not address private contracts such as deeds, covenants and restrictions. Many states are now enacting PRB-1 type legislation to protect our ability to erect antennas to communicate. North Carolina is one of those states, and their legislation is now on the books. I feel that this is an effort that we should undertake in South Carolina. I am issuing a call to all those who have the time and ability and/or contacts in the SC legislature to assist in this project. I am particularly interested in someone who can review legislation from other states, and develop a bill that could be introduced into the legislature, perhaps an Amateur Radio Operator who is a lawyer. Once our bill is complete, I need those who have political contacts to contact their representatives to assist in introducing this bill. Please contact me at n2zz@arrl.org if you can assist!
Well, that is it for November! See you next month!
October 2007
National Traffic System Report for South
Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM
Net Reports
Net/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/710/35/31/N4MEH
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Net /2277/44/31/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/359/140/60/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/161/34/31/K4IWW
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/229/0/9/W4RWL
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/189/16/13/KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/639/40/31/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/110/5/4/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/402/43/31/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/119/17/12/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/466/16/15/N9GSX
SC SSB Net/2115/88/31/WB4DLD
York Co. ARS 2 Meter FM Net/427/6/37/KI4NBA
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/2/8/1/0/13
KA4UIV/24/21/12/0/49
N4MEH/4/31/1/3/39
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat.1/Cat.2/Cat.3/Cat.4/Cat.5/Cat.6/Total
KA4LRM/40/13/20/0/0/0/73
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a Great Month!!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org
Greetings to all Amateur Radio Operators. This is Dr. Jim, N2ZZ with the December 2007 South Carolina Section Manager’s Report! Please remember that the SC Section website can be found at: www.arrl-sc.org/ where my full SM report will be listed as well as up-to-the-date information on Amateur Radio in South Carolina!
As I write this report late this month, I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season. The temperatures have not been extreme, and the Sun has been peeking through the clouds from time to time. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year 2008!
Our first hamfest of 2008 will be the Greenwood Hamfest on Saturday January 12th at the Greenwood Civic Center, 1610 Hwy 72 / 221 East. Talk-in will be on 147.165+, alternate 443.900+. Several indoor vendors have registered, and there is ample tailgating space available outdoors! VE exams will be “walk-in” and the ARRL forum is scheduled for 12 Noon. Door prizes will be given, and food will be available on-site and nearby! Further information is available on the www.arrl-sc.org website under “Hamfest Alert”. Please make plans to attend!
Last month I issued a call to those who could assist in developing a PRB-1 type legislation for our State. PRB-1 is a document issued by the FCC which states on a national level that Amateur Radio antennas must be “reasonably accommodated” by municipalities. This document does not address private contracts such as deeds, covenants and restrictions. Many states are now enacting PRB-1 type legislation to protect our ability to erect antennas to communicate. I am happy to say that I did get a response from a few hams who wish to help, and I have provided those individuals with the information they needed to begin their efforts. I hope to receive an update soon!
Good news for the DX world!
A “new one” is out there! From the ARRL Letter, vol. 26, No. 50: The ARRL
DXCC Desk is pleased to announce the addition of St Barthelemy (FJ) to the DXCC
List, making the island entity number 338 with an effective date of December 14,
2007. Cards with contacts dated December 14, 2007 or after will be accepted for
DXCC credit. New card submissions for St Barthelemy will not be accepted until
January 1, 2008 in order to allow time for administrative adjustments.
On February 21, 2007 the French Ministry issued a decree making St Barthelemy an
Overseas Collective, where its status is now equal to that of Guadeloupe,
Martinique and other French territories currently on the DXCC List. On November
8, 2007 the President of Association Des Radio Amateurs De St Barthelemy,
Philippe Delcroix, FJ5DX, contacted the DXCC Desk, requesting that St Barthelemy
be considered a new DXCC entity. Best of luck on working the “new one” in
our midst!
The Aiken County Amateur Radio Emergency Trailer is again in the news! Bob K4NJN ASM6 Reports: Under the leadership of Aiken County Emergency Management Officials, the Aiken County Amateur Radio Communications Trailer has received a second Homeland Security Grant from the Department of Homeland Security to enhance emergency communications. The $32,000 grant has been awarded to Aiken County, South Carolina to enhance voice and data communications by upgrading the on-board satellite system, by adding Voice over Internet Phone lines (VOIP) as well as a Tellular Phone line, and adding an additional radio rail with fixed antenna positions. The project also includes installing a new elevated antenna rail on the existing Wilburt mast that will support both VHF/UHF and 800 MHz antennas. David Ruth, KI4DLR, Aiken County's Emergency Management Director stated that he was glad to see the State of South Carolina through Federal DHS funds enhance the already successful amateur radio project. "It is important to include the amateur radio trailer whenever we improve our abilities to communicate, and through this grant we will be able to accomplish just that."
It is time for the Sandblast Rally again! From the FARC QSO: We are pleased to announce that the annual Sandblast Car Rally to be held in the Sandhills State Forest near Cheraw on February 9th will be adding motorcycles to the schedule. Any of you who have helped in the past know how much fun it is to watch these little cars run through the hills on the sand truck trails approaching 100 miles an hour. This year we will have motorcycles doing the same thing following the car stages. Several of the FARC members who usually participate in this event will not be able to help this year due to conflicting obligations so we will need extra Hams to man the start and end of the nine stages and at least four spectator locations. The addition of the motorcycles will increase the time each operator is needed at a particular location. All you need is either a mobile or an HT. All participating Hams receive a Tee Shirt, lunch and a Pizza Party in the evening. Please think about helping and having a great time. For additional information, go to www.sandblastrally.com .
The SCHEARTS program is moving along. Here is an update from John Crocket KC4YI: On Tuesday December 11, 2007 the 146.76 repeater was installed at Awendaw. The repeater is a Motorola MSF5000 with a Sinclair Q202G duplexer, same as installed in Columbia during November, 2007. The repeater is operating with handheld coverage in Charleston and mobile coverage to sixty miles out. Wednesday December 12, 2007 the 146.715 repeater at Columbia was added to the IRLP system as node 7. Today, Monday December 17, 2007 the 146.76 repeater at Awendaw was added to the IRLP system as node 4. Now that four nodes are on line at two locations, there will be an opportunity to test the system using the *0 reflector feature. This will give SC HEART the ability to demonstrate the full system capabilities at the SC Hospital Preparedness Program Summit in Columbia on January 15 - 16, 2008. January and February should bring equipment installations and linking at Conway and Florence and equipment upgrades and linking at Whitehall. I had the opportunity to speak with John this past week, and I can tell that he was very thankful for all the cooperation he has received from the amateur radio community in South Carolina for this very important project! Thanks to John and ALL involved in moving the SCHEARTS project along so well!
Well, that is it for December! See you next month!
November
2007 National Traffic System Report for South
Carolina by Mac Heaton N4MEH, STM
Net Reports
Net/Check Ins/Traffic/Sessions/Reported By
Anderson Radio Club 2M Net/793/31/30/N4MEH
Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Net /2310/51/30/K4SUG
Carolina's Net/297/86/60/W2EAG
Carolina Slow Net/144/30/30/N0SU
Columbia ARC 2 Meter Net/227/0/9/W4RWL
Grand Strand ARC 2M Net/171/13/12/KI4HEE
Greater Pee Dee 2 Meter Net/677/37/30/K4DTT
Greenwood ARC 2 Meter Net/124/6/5/W4DEW
Greenwood Friendly Net/319/35/30/W4JAK
Lancaster County 2 Meter Net/111/15/12/N4WMB
Oconee 2M Net/297/19/12/N9GSX
SC SSB Net/1052/47/30/WB4DLD
Station Activity Reports
Station/Sent/Received/Delivered/Originated/Total
KA4LRM/8/10/2/0/20
KA4UIV/15/40/40/0/95
WB4DLD/2/29/3/2/36
N4MEH/9/47/12/6/74
Public Service Honor Roll
Station/Cat1/Cat2/Cat3/Cat4/Cat5/Cat6/Total
N4MEH/40/40/20/0/0/0/100
Have a Great Month!!
’73 de Dr. Jim N2ZZ
ARRL Section Manager
South Carolina Section
www.arrl-sc.org