Sunday, July 31, 2016

Volunteers needed for the Tromptown Run in DeRuyter NY - August 11th

Hams are needed to provide communications for the annual Tromptown Run ½ marathon in DeRuyter NY on Thursday evening August 11th. We meet at 5 PM and the marathon run begins at 5:45PM. We are usually finished not too long after dark. If you can not be there for the start of the race that is fine, as it takes time for runners to get around the course. We will assign you to a post no matter when you arrive. This race runs rain or shine. 12 hams will keep us from having to “leapfrog” from post to post.

We are there primarily for safety communications, however the race organizer (Win Skeele) likes to know where the first runners {male and female} are and of course the last runners.
NCS will be set up at the finish line at the corner of Mechanic and Railroad St., and we can meet there; however it is difficult to get in and out of the village because of the crowds and traffic, so we tend to make assignments over the air as hams near the region. We will use 147.420 simplex. This is not an HT event; mobile radios with some power and good antennas are needed. Cellular telephone and repeater coverage are spotty.

PLEASE RSVP to kb2luv@arrl.net

SARC members, please RSVP if you are or are not planning to be there. Email or call with questions.

Thanks in advance, and I hope to see you there.

from:
Andrew C. Slaugh KB2LUV
Secretary, Skyline Amateur Radio Club

145.490 Repeater PL 71.9 Cortland, NY

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

QCWA Chapter 29 meeting is coming up this Friday, July 29th

Just a reminder that the July meeting of Chapter 29 is coming up this Friday, July 29th at 11:30. It takes place at Denny's, 201 Lawrence Rd E   (N. Syracuse) (see the QCWA web site for more info at: http://www.qcwa.org/chapter029.htm

In addition to the usual camaraderie the program will be as follows:

•        Tickets for the Chapter 29 50th Anniversary Luncheon on September 23rd will go on sale at the subsidized price of $10/person.
•        Tom Shaw-AB2PG will talk about Honor Flight and an upcoming flight to Washington, DC.
•        Fred Legawiec-W2LGA will update us on the International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend on August 20-21 and how you can visit/operate/contact the station he will be operating at the Verona Beach Lighthouse.
•        Steve Auyer-N2TKX will bring us up to date on the Antique Wireless Association’s August 18-20 Convention near Rochester, the large fleamarket, and the presentations at the convention.

Should be an interesting meeting (except for Steve who will probably be boring).

73, Steve; N2TKX

These monthly meetings are open to all. You don't need to be a member or have 25 years in the hobby to attend.


Friday, July 22, 2016

Does using your amateur radio in the car qualify as "distracted driving"?

An interesting topic came up on the commute this morning. One of our groups daily Ham radio commuters finishes his QSO with "well I will be taking a standby guys, as I am being pulled over by a NYS Trooper". Then there was silence from our friend for about 10 minutes until he came back with the story. Well, you can almost imagine the story, but he did get a ticket and it brings up a lot of questions. (With that persons permission, we will try to update this article after he goes to court).


After this incident, another local Ham suggested that we might share some of the legal opinions and references on using our amateur radios in vehicles here in New York State.

So here goes....................

NYS DMV DRIVING OPINION from the Hudson Division ARRL, August 2013:

"Given the concern that many hams have regarding the new “Distracted Driving Law” that went into effect in New York this past July, particularly since the law increased the penalty to 5 points on a license, I recently asked the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Counsel’s office for an explanation of both the cell phone and distracted driving laws and how they apply to hams.

The opinion, is attached.  I suggest that you read it thoroughly.  It’s very detailed but simply put, it says the following:

Monday, July 11, 2016

NY Military Communication Exercise 7/12-13 - Can you help?


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND US NORTHERN COMMAND ARE HOLDING EXERCISE VITAL CONNECT IN LEWISTON NEW YORK THIS WEEK AND HAVE ASKED FOR AMATEURS TO MONITOR THE 60 METER INTEROPERABILTY FREQUNCIES SPECIFICALLY 5.330.5Mhz (Channel 1) AND PROVIDE RECEPTION AND PROPAGATION REPORTS.
INFORMATION NEEDED:

  1.  DATE & TIME YOU WERE MONITORING.
  2.  SUMMARY OF CONTENT HEARD WHILE MONITORING.
  3.  READABILITY OF TRANSMITTING STATIONS.


AMATEURS ARE ASKED TO MONITOR FROM 10:00AM UNTIL 3:00PM 12 JULY 2016
AND FROM   09:00AM UNTIL 3:00PM ON 13 JULY 2016 AND PROVIDE THEIR
PROPAGATION AND RECEPTION REPORTS TO THE DESIGNATED POINT OF CONTACT BY EMAIL.

POINT OF CONTACT FOR WNY IS JOSEPH TEDESCO KC2DKP/AAR2JI AND HIS EMAIL IS KC2DKP@VERIZON.NET

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT IN MONITORING THIS EXERCISE AND PROVIDING THE INFORMATION REQUESTED


JOSEPH M. TEDESCO KC2DKP/AAR2JI
W.N.Y. Section Emergency Coordinator
RACES Coordinator New York State DHS/OEM Region 5 Asst. RACES Officer Erie County ARES/RACES United States ARMY MARS AAA2R73
716-574-9693 Cell (Best 24hr contact)
716-649-3611 Home

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ARRL Western New York Section
Section Manager: Laura Mueller, N2LJM
n2ljm@arrl.org
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Friday, July 8, 2016

Batavia Hamfest Saturday July 16, 2016


Batavia Hamfest
Saturday  –  July 16,  2016
Alexander  Firemen Grounds

10708 Alexander Rd.Route 98,
One mile south of Rt 20 , Alexander NY   14005   MAP

Outdoor  Flea Market –  FREE Tailgating    6:00am – till
Buy/Sell   Ham radio gear

RW Antenna Store will be at the hamfest
Overnight Camping Allowed- Arrive after 6PM on Friday ( the night before hamfest) .
Only $7.00   admission includes free tailgating and free indoor spaces

VE  Exam 8:00 AM   To  Pre register for test –
contact John Maxwell      maxwell@acsu.buffalo.edu  or Call  716–404-9256

Talk In: 147.285  PL 141.3    Batavia repeater

Breakfast  and  lunch   available

Sponsored by: The Lancaster Amateur Radio Club  –      w2so.org

Questions :   contact  – Luke n2GDU
luke48@gmail.com

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

AES going out of business..........sad day!

From CQ magazine blog today:

Amateur Electronic Supply (AES) Going Out of Business

Amateur Electronic Supply (AES) has announced that it is ceasing operations as of the end of July, 2016.


The Milwaukee-based retailer has four locations around the country, including Milwaukee; Cleveland (Wickliffe), Ohio; Las Vegas, Nevada and Orlando, Florida. It has long been the nation's second-largest ham radio dealer, after Ham Radio Outlet. No reason was given for the decision to close the business.

 I will miss the AES guys in Cleveland! ...they have always been very helpful and stocked almost everything. Place an order before 2 pm and it was standard UPS shipping to my house in just 2 days. ........Always stopped at the Orlando store when I was in Central Florida!