Recent Articles
Join the 57th Jamboree on the Air This Saturday!
The Scout Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) is an on-air event centered around scouting. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other members of scouting work with ham radio mentors to make contacts on the air. This is one of the best ways to get the Amateur Radio merit badge.
This world-wide event is in its 57th year and it is intended to introduce scouts to ham radio, and let them talk to other scouts around the world, or around the country. There is a companion event, Jamboree On The Internet.
Lots of information at http://www.scouting.org/jota.aspx
Some of the calling frequencies the JOTA website above lists include:
- 40M – 7.190
- 20M – 14.290
- 15M – 21.360
KI4YBH will be setup with scouts at the LDS Church, 2034 Great Falls St, Falls Church, VA, hoping to get on the air at 0700, until 2200.
All pictures in this post were taken at special event station W4B.
King George County Repeater Work
The new repeater in the old cabinet… Significantly more sensitive than the old MFS5000 Motorola.
Left to right: Steve, Dale, Wes, Dwayne. Northern Neck ARC repeater committee members. Pic taken by Dave Jordan, WA3GIN.
CQ’s July Editorial: Emergency Communication is not just Public Service
CQ’s July Editorial rebuffs ARRL’s inartful attempt to downgrade Emergency Auxiliary Communications Volunteers to a basic Public Service category!
What’s in a name? The name we give to what we do greatly influences how people perceive it. From things like car accidents to supporting local government communications in an disaster, we definitely provide an effective means of emergency communications. Arlington County Races was activated in the 2012 Drecho storm that came through. When 911 didn’t work, we were stationed at fire stations providing needed communications between the county government and its residents.
Rich Moseson, W2VU, reacts in his editorial to the ARRL’s efforts to de-emphasize emergency communications as a term and replace it with public service communications. Rich makes some great points in his editorial. We encourage you to check out what he wrote in the July 2014 CQ Magazine.
Summer Is Finally Here…
Finally winter is gone. The leaves are on all the trees . . . and absorbing RF. It’s time for antenna work, Hamfests, and Field Day. Think about insuring that your VHF and UHF path to our great ARPSC repeater system is solid. Check out the mast height, coax connections, and lightning protection. And take a few minutes each Wednesday at 9:00 pm to check into the RACES net. You don’t have to be in Arlington to check in or even be a certified RACES member, although that should be goal. Our robust repeater system has remote receivers to the North, South, East, and West. Regulars and Visitors are always warmly welcomed. Remember 146.625 (- 600) and 447.625 (- 5 MHz) with a PL of 107.2 for each.
Two of my favorites Hamfests are Manassas on Sunday, June 8th and Berryville on August 3rd. If you go switch your HT to 146.625 Simplex and see who from the club is on the grounds.
Field Day is June 28/29. Each year we do something a little different. Check into the Wednesday net for updates. In any case Field Day is the perfect time to review your equipment and state of preparedness should you need to provide emergency communications.
Keep safe, be prepared, and we’ll see you on the radio.
– Gerry, N3EVT
