HFU HF Underground
General Category => Amateur Radio => Topic started by: Fansome on April 11, 2020, 1744 UTC
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Update on Issues, April 11, 2020
Hi, folks,
I hope this finds you well and following the guidelines set forth to
protect us from the COVID-19 virus. I pray that technology and good
leadership will prevail and keep our losses to a minimum – but I know
that some of you that have been sick and others may have lost loved
ones. My sincere condolences. We may not know your personal grief, but
we share the grief of loss that this tragedy has become.
We should all recognize those of us who are healthcare workers and first
responders who are on the front lines protecting, rescuing and trying to
save our lives. Thanks to these heroes, many lives are saved.
We can all contribute to their safety by following the guidelines and
orders issued by our government officials.
Cancellations
Issues around this public health crisis have resulted in a number of
cancellations, delays and rescheduling.
ARRL affiliated events should reflect the status at
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar If you find that
this is incorrect, or have updated information on an event, email Eric
Casey KC2ERC at ARRL HQ – ecasey@arrl.org – or contact me.
Field Day is not cancelled!
Your ARRL Section Managers have relayed a number of requests and I’ve
heard these requests for rule changes to accommodate the social
distancing mandates around the Corona Virus. The most popular requests
were to expand the rule requiring all transmitters and receivers fit
within a 1,000 foot circle, and to suspend a rule that didn’t allow
credit for contacts between Category D (home station, line power)
stations.
These were issues that were the subject of polite debate during the ARRL
Program and Services committee meeting this past week. We spent a lot of
time discussing the challenges around field day this year and potential
rule changes.
Field Day rules were published in January. Now, in April, people are the
subject of an unanticipated health emergency, the likes of which we have
never seen. Some groups have likely already made plans to rent or buy a
generator to be class E instead of D or to remotely connect to a central
location using the Internet or an RF link. If we changed the rules, then
these people would be upset with us.
As has been pointed out, Field Day is not a contest, but an operating
event.
Field Day is designed to be an exercise for each amateur, group or club,
to measure their adaptability - their capacity to respond to events and
circumstances.
Therefore, the rules as published will not be changed and everyone
should adapt their effort to circumstances.
We will simply leave the rules as they are, request that membership
follow instructions given by authorities and act in a safe and prudent
manner and move forward.
Remote Testing - ARRL VEC
Board members raised this issue repeatedly with Barry Shelley, Interim
CEO of the ARRL, to get Staff to address this issue now that we cannot
meet in groups for testing. Some ARRL VE teams have taken it on
themselves to certify remote testing and have done testing via
teleconferencing tools.
The CEO has worked with ARRL Staff and they have created a way to submit
forms and test remotely that will be condoned by the ARRL VEC and will
use a secure online exam tool. We will need to recruit some fairly
sophisticated VE’s who understand and can participate in video
conference technology, PCs, and understand the current VE testing policy
well. Reach out to your section manager if you are a technology savvy VE
and want to help remotely.
Look for an official announcement upcoming soon.
NTS, ARES and Messaging
Our own W4CHM, John Wells, Section Emergency Coordinator from South
Florida, performed an experimental origination of NTS traffic that was
sent to section managers across the US.
Unfortunately, a full 1/3rd of the messages were never delivered!
This would be terrible in the event of a disaster.
If you take traffic as a traffic handler, you should have a plan in mind
about how you are going to relay or deliver that traffic. Please don’t
let that message get stuck in your station. Keep a log of messages and
make sure you send them along.
One of the most valuable skills that we will need in an emergency is the
ability to connect amateur radio to the Internet for messaging. How are
your skills with packet radio, Winlink and MESH networks? Could you
stand up a data router with a microwave link? Have you ever used a
Ubiquiti network devices? Is your HT or mobile radio connected to a
packet link?
The ARES job requires more than sitting in an EOC passing NTS messages.
If you have any of the skills above, we want you to get in ARES! Contact
your Section Manager or any Emergency Coordinator to sign up! Training
is free!
Section Manager Elections
Every full ARRL member is eligible to vote in two elections – the
Section Manager election and Division Director election.
Qualification periods for each of these elections are published in QST
Section Manager terms are staggered so that half of them are elected
each year, but at different times of the year. As I wrote in an earlier
message, Kevin Bess was declared re-elected earlier in the year because
no one qualified to run against him.
The next Section Manager qualification periods are for Puerto Rico,
Southern Florida and the US Virgin Islands. Petitions are due at ARRL HQ
in Newington, CT, before 4pm EDT on June 5, 2020, and if multiple
candidates qualify, ballots will go out before July 1.
For details look on page 66 of your May QST, or look at nominating
petitions at http://www.arrl.org/section-terms-nomination-information
Activities
I attended one of the best hamfests I’ve seen in years at the Dalton
Hamfest in late February. It was surprisingly large, well attended and
well managed. My only complaint is that it was very cold in the forum
rooms, but we all bundled up and had a great time! My compliments to the
Dalton Amateur Radio Club for an outstanding event and a great club.
Jim Schilling and I both attended the Birminghamfest in Alabama and
received a warm welcome from folks there. There were great prizes, an
active indoor sales floor and a number of well attended forums at a
great, large indoor venue at the Trussville, AL, civic center.
Vice Director Schilling
Jim continues to work on the ARISS committee and a number of ARISS
contacts occurred before the schools shut down for Coronavirus. You can
read Jim’s newsletter at
https://www.arrl-se.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Report-032020.pdf
where he covers the Birminghamfest in detail and the nuts and bolts of
other things.
Section QSO Parties
Georgia
The 2020 Georgia QSO Party is being held TODAY April 11th from 1600 -
0400Z.
http://georgiaqsoparty.org/
Florida
The Florida QSO Party is 4/25/2020 through 04/26/2020
https://floridaqsoparty.org
Two 10-hour operating periods, with a 10-hour break: Saturday, April 25
1600Z (Noon EDT) - 0159Z (9:59 PM EDT) Sunday, April 26 1200Z (8 AM EDT)
- 2159Z (5:59 PM EDT)
Let me know what I’m missing. There’s a lot going on, including
potential award and contest changes. I’ll let you know as things
happen.
Be safe, do your best to stay healthy.
73,
Mickey Baker, N4MB
Director, Southeastern Division
ARRL
N4MB@arrl.org
561 320-2775
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ARRL Southeastern Division
Director: Mickey V Baker, N4MB
n4mb@arrl.org
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