Sunday, December 30, 2018

Cortland Hamfest - Marathon, NY - Saturday 1/12/18


One of the first Upstate NY Hamfests of the new year!

WHAT:    Cortland Winter Hamfest
WHEN:    January 12, 2019, 7am - Noon
WHERE:  Marathon Civic Center, 16 Brink St. Marathon NY

Sponsored by the Skyline Amateur Radio Club of Cortland, NY

Admission: $5.00 each, 12 and under free. Tables: $5.00 each plus admission

Please note: We are unable to offer VE testing this year.

More info: http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sarc-winter-fest

Directions: (Signs will be posted)
From Syracuse (north): I-81 south to Marathon exit 9. Turn left on to Route 11 south. At the traffic light, turn right on to route 221 west. Turn left on to Peck St. immediately before the green steel deck bridge.
From Binghamton (south): I-81 North to Marathon Exit 9.Turn left on to route 221 west. Go straight through the traffic light. Turn left on to Peck St. immediately before the green steel deck bridge.
From Ithaca: Route 13 east to route 38 south to route 221 east. Turn right on to Peck St. immediately after the green steel deck bridge.

--
Andrew C Slaugh KB2LUV - Secretary

Friday, December 28, 2018

Listen to VE0JS on her RTW sailing attempt

Jeanne Socrates - Maritime Mobile on her Round The World (RTW) Record Setting Sail 


Jeanne Socrates; VE0JS is about 3 months into her around-the-globe voyage that could set a new world record. The 76-year-old sailor set sail from Victoria BC, Canada in early October aboard her 38-foot sail boat.Jeanne is attempting to the be the oldest person to sail solo, unassisted and non-stop around the globe. She already holds the record as the oldest woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Socrates has made two attempts to be the oldest person to sail alone, but has experienced several challenges during her initial voyages. Well underway on her current attempt, Socrates officially crossed the equator on November 4th and the tip of Africa on December 20th.


If all goes according to plan, Socrates is aiming to circumnavigate the globe in eight months which would bring her back to Victoria in May of 2019. Check out her progress, radio schedule and other trip details on her QRZ link below:

Jean's QRZ page:
https://www.qrz.com/db/VE0JS/?mlab=

Check out her latest status update on her blog: 
https://svnereida.com/blog


Saturday, December 22, 2018

Holiday Serenade on Sideband Set from Antarctica


Each year, volunteers at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, celebrate the holidays by serenading those at the remote, Antarctic field camps via HF radio. This year, ham radio operators and SWLs around the world are invited to listen in and email listener reports. The broadcast will be on Sunday, December 23, 2300 UTC [6pm EST] (December 24, 1200 New Zealand Time), on 7,995 kHz USB.

Email reports to Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF. Request QSLs via W2NAF on QRZ.com.

(from the ARRL website)


McMurdo Station is a real-life U.S. Antarctic research center on the south tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.

McMurdo Station webcams and info:
https://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm

More station info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Station

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Canadian National Parks On The Air - 2019

Much like the NPOTA 2017 here in the USA, Canada will begin its own version on January 1st 2019.


From the CNPOTA web site:

Well hello hams from all over the world. Welcome to the Canadian version of working Parks and Historic Sites managed by Parks Canada. This is the brainchild of a small dedicated group of Hams in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area. We are all volunteers and we have a $0.00 budget to make all this happen.

We needed and received moral support from Radio Amateurs of Canada ( RAC ) and Parks Canada to welcome hams to come and operate at Historic Sites and Parks as listed elsewhere on this site. It is also very important to have Hams from all over the world chasing these adventurous operators  while operating in these Parks & Histor

More info at: https://cnpota.ca/

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Shortwave News and Information - SWLing Post blog

I know a lot of people say that shortwave listening is dead, but I would tend to disagree. Though its not what it once was, there is still a lot of interesting content out on the low bands. If you want to know the real state of SWL and get the latest news and reviews, we would suggest you check out the SWLing Post blog (https://swling.com/blog/ ).

The SWLing Post is a community of shortwave radio and amateur radio enthusiasts sharing shortwave radio reviews, news, broadcasting, pirate radio, numbers stations, interviews, and much more.

They aim to provide quality content in the form of:
- Everything radio, with a focus on the HF/Shortwave portions of the spectrum
- International broadcasting news
 - Amateur radio news
- Interviews
- The internet and, specifically how it influences radio broadcasters
- The history and future of shortwave radio
- Shortwave radio reviews

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Great Radio publication!


I recently received my December issue of The Spectrum Monitor (TSM). I really look forward to getting this publication each month! I am a charter subscriber since its beginning in 2014. It is very similar to the former Monitoring Times magazine which discontinued publication in 2013.
Check out TSM on their web site at: http://www.thespectrummonitor.com/index.aspx

TSM is usually around 100 pages and is packed with the latest on Amateur Radio, Shortwave, Scanning, Satellites, Radio/TV, Vintage radio, etc. The news and articles are always up to date and relevant. TSM is available only in PDF format and can be read on any device capable of opening a PDF file. I read TSM both on my tablet and PC. I also occasionally print out interesting articles that I might need for future reference in the shack.

The TSM publisher, Ken Reitz KS4ZR, is the former managing editor, features editor, columnist and feature writer for Monitoring Times. As well as a former feature writer and columnist for several other publications. TSM has some very experienced and talented writers that do a great job of covering many interesting topics each month! (learn more about the TSM staff here: http://www.thespectrummonitor.com/about-us.aspx )

Check out an older SWLing blog post review of TSM: https://swling.com/blog/2014/12/the-spectrum-monitor-only-24-for-a-years-subscription/

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Winter Field Day - January 26-27, 2019


Its not too early to start planning for Winter Field Day 2019. Winter Field Day is coming up on January 26-27, 2019 and is an opportunity to hone your winter outdoor operating skills.

Purpose: To encourage emergency operating preparedness in the winter.

When: Winter Field Day runs for 24 hours during the last full weekend in January each year from 1900 UTC (2pm EST) Saturday to 1900 UTC (2pm EST) Sunday. For 2019, the dates are January 26th and 27th. On all the bands and modes, except the WARC bands.

Winter Field Day rules: https://www.winterfieldday.com/rules


We are back! The Winter Field Day Association brings you Winter Field Day.

Join Us on Saturday, January 26 at 1900z (2:00 PM EST) until Sunday, January 27 at 1900z (2:00 PM EST). 

We have changed the rules so now it will be similar to ARRL Field Day. For example the exchange will be WX4ET 1O TN, for the Multi Ops. It will be by the number of stations, for example WX4TN 10O TN.




Operate solo, in pairs, or as a team (multi) from home, a remote location, indoors, or outdoors... it's up to you! Earn bonus points for outdoor operation, non-commercial power, and remote locations. Winter Field Day is a perfect opportunity for your club or team to put together an outing.

Check us out on the web at www.winterfieldday.com and we are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/winterfieldday/

If you post on Twitter and/or Facebook, use the hashtag #WFDA19

Hope to hear you calling CQ WFD on the bands on Winter Field Day 2019 !!!!

Saturday, November 24, 2018

UpstateHam site update


Our web site HTTPS settings have recently changed. All visitors are now able to view our site/blog over an encrypted (secure) connection by visiting https://www.upstateham.com. Existing links and bookmarks to this site will continue to work.

A few months ago a Google Chrome browser update started checking and identifying non-secure web site addresses. If you were using the Chrome browser you might have noticed the "Not secure" message in your address bar. We decided that we should upgrade our settings to insure a more secure connection for our visitors. You will now notice a closed padlock icon and "https" in the address.

Please email us with questions or comments at UpstateHam@gmail.com

Friday, November 23, 2018

A History of Curtis Keyers

(VA7GUR picture)


A friend; Brad Mitchell; N8YG, sent me a link to a presentation he did back in the 90's. Later he also wrote a follow up article on the history of Curtis Keyers for QST (August 2016 issue of QST). He recently annotated the presentation and shared it on YouTube. It's a pretty interesting story. Check it out! (Thanks for sending that along Brad!)




Link to the You tube video of the annotated PPT presentation from Pacificon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjsUctIE3-I&feature=youtu.be

Link to a ARRL brief article on John G. “Jack” Curtis, K6KU, SK:
http://www.arrl.org/news/curtis-keyer-chip-developer-jack-curtis-k6ku-sk

Thursday, November 22, 2018

The future of tracking radio signals from above


I recently stumbled upon a few news references to a new company that is working to advance the tracking of Radio signals from above. The company; HawkEye 360 just launched their first satellite based system, named Pathfinder, on the most recent SpaceEx rocket launch.


The company expects the US military to be increasingly interested in the technology, especially considering that HawkEye 360 can deploy its sensors on airplanes and high-altitude balloons (in addition to satellites). That feature could allow for real-time tracking of drones and weak signals on a battlefield.

Another planned use of Pathfinder is more down-to-earth: The technology could detect improper use of the radio-frequency spectrum, including interference between cell-phone towers. Such interference can cause data loss between mobile devices and towers, leading to slow and unreliable internet, among other problems.

From the companies web site: "HawkEye 360 is developing a new, geospatial information solution that will use radio frequency (RF) technology to help monitor global activity across air, land and sea and assist with emergencies. Our constellation of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) will collect information on specific radio signals worldwide to provide high-precision radio frequency mapping and analytics that we can customize to our clients’ needs."

Read the full referenced article below for more details on their future plans.

article link: https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-to-launch-70-satellites-radio-tracking-2018-11

HawkEye360 company web site: http://www.he360.com/

More of the story: http://www.satmagazine.com/story.php?number=2060893990

Monday, November 19, 2018

Santa Net returns on 3.916 Mhz beginning November 23rd

For the 13th consecutive year, The 3916 Nets will be presenting The Santa Net on 3.916 MHz. Good girls and boys can talk to Santa Claus, via amateur radio, nightly at 7:30 PM (Central) starting Friday, November 23, 2018. The Santa Net will run nightly at 7:30 PM Central through Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018. Link: http://www.tailgatersnet.com/santa-net.html

Pete Thomson (KE5GGY), of The 3916 Nets, commented on The 3916 Santa Net. He said, "Christmastime is our favorite time of the year on 3.916 MHz. Our group thoroughly enjoys helping young people and their families have a shared Christmas experience that they'll always remember. In addition, Santa Net has introduced a lot of young people to the magic of amateur radio."


Youngsters can talk to "Santa at The North Pole" via strategically placed operators who relay the voice of Santa. Thomson said that The Santa Net is a team effort that involves the efforts of a number of 3916 Net members. He said, "In our first year, we connected 10 kids to Santa on Ham Radio and it's grown steadily since. For 2018, we're expecting between 600-700 children to participate."
Prenet check-ins are welcome each night starting at 7:00 PM central time.



The Santa Nets are presented annually by The 3916 Nets. The Rag Chew Crew, The Tailgaters and The Freewheelers are all amateur radio nets that meet on 3.916 MHz nightly. For more information on The 3916 Nets, go to http://www.3916nets.com For more information on The Santa Net, email KE5GGY at Gmail dot com.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

2018 SKYWARN Recognition Day - December 1, 2018


2018 SKYWARN™ Recognition Day - December 1, 2018 from 0000z to 2400z

SKYWARN™ Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN™ radio operators make to the National Weather Service. During the day SKYWARN™ operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world.

SKYWARN Recognition Day Operating Instructions:

1. Object For all amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many National Weather Service Stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meter bands plus the 70 centimeter band. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. SKYWARN™ Recognition Day serves to celebrate the contributions to public safety made by amateur radio operators during threatening weather.

2. Date NWS stations will operate December 1, 2018, from 0000 - 2400 UTC.

3. Exchange: Call sign, signal report, QTH, and a one or two-word description of the weather occurring at your site ("sunny", "partly cloudy", "windy", etc.).

4. Modes: NWS stations will work various modes including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW, FT8 and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their call sign (e.g., N0A/NWS).

5.Station Control Operator: It is suggested that during SRD operations a non-NWS volunteer should serve as a control operator for your station.

6. Event and QSL Information: The National Weather Service will provide event information via the internet. Event certificates will once again be electronic and printable from the main website after the conclusion of SRD.

7. Log Submission: To submit your log summary for SRD use the online submission form.

Deadline for log submission is January 31, 2019.



For More Information: http://www.arrl.org/skywarn-recognition-day

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Save the date! Next CNY Ham Breakfast 1/26/19

The next breakfast is scheduled and the event is open to ALL local Hams. It will be Saturday, January 26th 10th, 2019 at 8:00 am. This is a great chance to meet up with some of the folks you talk to on the air, but possibly have never met in person. Come on all you drive time radio jockeys, "6M QCWA Netters", 220mhz NET, CNY SWAP and Hobby Net check-ins - we hope to see you all there.

Location: The "Finally Ours Diner" is at 3788 West Seneca Turnpike, at the corner with Cedarville Rd. in the Onondaga Hill area of Syracuse (see directions here: http://finallyoursdiner.com/hours-contact ).


Thanks to K2WOP; Curt for his continuing efforts to put together this excellent get together.

Questions? contact Curt; K2WOP on the 146.67 repeater.


Finally Ours Diner link: http://finallyoursdiner.com 

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Cayuga County SkyWarn Class Wednesday 10/24


We are having a  Winter SKYWARN class  Wednesday October 24th, 2018 from 630 pm to 830 pm
at the Cayuga County Office of Emergency Services 160 Genesee Street
Auburn, NY  13021.

See:  https://goo.gl/maps/wGtr5WHoEJG2  for a map.

To register go to here:  https://goo.gl/forms/40qjY4KVfeZh0EP82

The Winter Skywarn class will train you to become an official National Weather Service SKYWARN spotter, learn all about winter weather including coastal snowstorms, lake effect snow, blizzards and ice storms. If you are interested in weather this is the class for you. If you are already a spotter, we recommend taking a skywarn class every 3 years.

Attached is a flyer with more information on the winter skywarn class. Please join us!

Thanks, 
Dave 

David J. Nicosia
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
NOAA-National Weather Service Binghamton NY

Brochure details:

Become a VE Examiner

RRRA (Rochester Radio Repeater Association) will be giving a "How to Become a Volunteer Examiner (VE) at their October 19th meeting at Pittsford Town Hall, 10 S.Main St. Pittsford, NY at 7:30 PM. All are welcome.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

NYQSO Party 2018 - Saturday 10/20/18


We're getting close........the NYQSO Party is this Saturday.   

Check out the activation page at NYQP.org:
  

 Please upload your NYQP plans...please activate your county or one close to you.  Please ask your friends to get on the air on Saturday.  The spotlight will be on NY this Saturday from 10am-10pm eastern time. 
  
Oh yeah....rules are here. 
  
  
Exchange is:  Signal Report and County Abbreviation for in-state and Signal Report and state, province, DX for out-of-state.

Also check out the current plaque page:
  
  
NYQP has the best Sponsorship Team in the game.  When you see one of the sponsors, please tell them thank you.  Without them, a healthy NYQP could not exist.
  

See you on Saturday!  73, Dean, NW2K

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Pumpkin Patrol 2018



The Pumpkin Patrol will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday October 30-31st for Bridges on the New York State Thruway.

This event contributes to the safety of travelers on the New York State Thruway. It is a statewide event and is held in cooperation with the New York State Troopers and Amateur radio groups.

The Pumpkin Patrol was initiated as a volunteer effort in 1976 by Katherine St. Jacques in Fort Johnson, Montgomery County.  Ms. St. Jacques was talking to a truck driver on her citizens band radio when the windshield of his vehicle was struck by an object thrown from an overpass.  The driver sustained injuries from the broken glass of his windshield.  St. Jacques and two companions decided to stand watch on the three over passes that crossed the Thruway in the Fort Johnson area. The State Police assumed control of the Pumpkin Patrol in 1990 as part of the State Police crime prevention effort.  More than 300 volunteers will participate in this year’s safety efforts.

Upstate Counties participating:

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

DMR Training by LARC


Please email: training@w2cm.com

VE Exams by TCARA in Ithaca

From TCARA Secretary, Janis Carson AB2RA:


The W5YI affiliated Tompkins County Amateur Radio Association has upcoming VE exam testing in Ithaca NY.


Dates for VE tests by TCARA  group:

November 26, 2018   Monday 7:00pm at  Department of Emergency Response  92 Brown rd. Lansing NY.

January 21, 2019 Monday 7:00pm at DOER,  92 Brown rd.

March 18, 2019  Monday 7:00pm at  DOER,  92 Brown rd.

August 3, 2019 Saturday 9:00am at Hamfest at Trumansburg Fairgrounds

November 18,2019 Monday 7:00pm at the DOER, 92 Brown rd. Lansing NY.

Bring signed copy of license if you have one,  social security number or FRN if you don't.

Also two forms of ID, (one with a photo),  $14 cash preferred, pen and pencil.

For further information call 607-257-6066  or  email NE2T@ARRL.NET

-  Doug Reid ,  NE2T
more TCARA info at; http://tcara-ny.org/

Monday, October 1, 2018

CNY Ham Breakfast - Saturday 10/6/18

The next breakfast is scheduled and the event is open to ALL local Hams. It will be Saturday, October 6th, 2018 at 8:00 am. This is a great chance to meet up with some of the folks you talk to on the air, but possibly have never met in person. Come on all you drive time radio jockeys, "6M QCWA Netters", 220mhz NET, CNY SWAP and Hobby Net check-ins - we hope to see you all there.

Location: The "Finally Ours Diner" is at 3788 West Seneca Turnpike, at the corner with Cedarville Rd. in the Onondaga Hill area of Syracuse (see directions here: http://finallyoursdiner.com/hours-contact ).


Thanks to K2WOP; Curt for his continuing efforts for this excellent get together.

Questions? contact Curt; K2WOP on the 146.67 repeater.


Finally Ours Diner link: http://finallyoursdiner.com 

Friday, September 28, 2018

XRX Fall Foxhunt - October 13, 2018 (Rochester)

XRX Radio Club Fall Foxhunt Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018


The XRX Radio Club's annual Fall Foxhunt (radio direction finding) is scheduled for Saturday, October 13th.

The hunt will start from the Webster Recreation Center parking lot, 1350 Chiyoda Drive in Webster. Please check the club website (xarc.us/) for any last minute updates.
Registration is 9:00AM with the hunt to begin at approximately 9:20AM.

The planned contest run time is between 9:30 and 11:30 with lunch and awards at a local restaurant to follow. The hunt is free (except for lunch) and open to all amateurs regardless of club affiliation or previous experience. Most of us hunt in teams of two or three. Many teams (including the winners of the last hunt) aren't formed until the day of the hunt. Novice hunters will be linked up with experienced hunters if they wish. If you ’re new to foxhunting, all you need to get started is a radio capable of receiving 2 meters. Fox hunting is challenging and fun.

 We hope you can join us. For more information, please contact Bob Karz, K2OID (rkarz@rochester.rr.com)

(From the October 2018 RARA Rag newsletter)

Monday, September 24, 2018

Winter SkyWarn Training


Winter SkyWarn Training in Upstate NY

Folks its that time again!

Winter SKYWARN Spotter Training Classes are coming!

Most upstate NY counties are conducting Winter SkyWarn Training in October and November.


The training will be held at various area locations and on-line. This class is for beginners or anybody that has a general interest in weather. These classes train volunteers how to accurately measure and report snowfall totals to the National Weather Service. The class is free and open to everyone; no age requirements, previous training, or equipment is required.

The SKYWARN program is a nationwide program that provides real-time severe weather reports to the National Weather Service. "Trained weather spotters provide valuable lifesaving information to the National Weather Service and we encourage those who have an interest in weather to participate in this critical program," said David Nicosia, Warning Coordination Meteorologist in Binghamton NY. "Despite all the technological advances, SKYWARN Spotter reports are still crucial to the National Weather Service in providing more accurate severe weather warnings," Nicosia continues.

Note: Cayuga, Madison, Cortland and Oneida counities all have classes this fall!

See the full training schedules at:

Binghamton (Syracuse):  http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining
Buffalo (Rochester): http://www.weather.gov/buf/Skywarn
Albany: http://cstar.cestm.albany.edu/skywarn/Talks.htm

Learn more about SKYWARN and Amateur Radio at: http://www.upstateham.com/p/skywarn.html

Sunday, September 9, 2018

LARC upcoming DMR College and General Class


It is time to get started with LARC's Fall Educational Schedule.  LARC will conduct our first DMR College on Saturday October 13th 27th (more on that to follow), along with a General License License Course to start on Tuesday, October 16th.

All sessions will be held at the North Syracuse Education Association, 210 South Main St, in North Syracuse.  I have attached the course schedule.  I anyone is interested in presenting a topic, please let me know.  We have all the slides needed to follow along with the Current Edition of the ARRL General Class License Manual.  As always, on the final day of class, the ARRL Exam will be given.  There is no cost for the class.  Cost for the exam is $15, cost of the textbook is $25. 

Thanks again for your support.  Stay tuned for more about our first “DMR College”.

LARC

General Course outline:

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Don't forget - Sartoga Hamfest tomorrow!

Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association
presents our 33rd annual HAMFEST 2018

Sunday, September 9th; Gates open at 7:00 am

Saratoga County Fair Grounds, 162 Prospect St, Ballston Spa, NY 12020

full details here: http://www.upstateham.com/2018/08/saratoga-hamfest-sunday-september-9th.html

Thursday, September 6, 2018

DMR and D-Star workshop on 9/8/18


Seats Still Available!

Saturday September 8th, 2018 — DMR AND D-STAR WORKSHOP
The Digital Communications Association of Perinton, DCAP, will present a workshop to describe D-Star, DMR and FUSION modes.

 Mike Moore, KC2NM will be the lead for this program. The topics for the session include:
•  Why These Modes are Different
•  Demonstration of Each Mode On the Air
•  Connection Methods for Internet Linking
•  Repeater Types That Support These Modes
•  Multimode Repeaters and Hotspots
•  Radio Programming
•  Rochester Usage — Summary of Local Use of the 3 Digital Modes
More info on this and other sessions available at https://www.rochesterham.org/rara_academy.htm
Time and Location: 10AM at the BSA 2320 Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd
Timothy Brown,
FCC Callsign: WB2PAY
RaRa Education Coordinator
cell: 585 750 2087

Monday, September 3, 2018

MOARC - 30 year celebration!

In December of 1988 a group of ham radio operators came together to create their own radio club. Thirty years later we would like to take an afternoon to remember all of the good times we've shared. The picnics, pancake breakfasts, public service events, auctions, banquets, bunny hunts and field days we've shared have created lasting friendships and memories.

We'll be having a catered meal in the TriPlexus at Madison-Oneida BOCES with a couple of stations setup for making contacts on 20 and 40 Meters, photos and newspaper clippings from our archive and a 50/50 raffle.

So join us Sunday, September 16 from 12-4pm and let's reminisce about the last 30 years. Please RSVP to Dave Roy, N2SMJ, by September 5th at (315) 724-1596 (leave a message if no answer) or David@N2SMJ.com.
~Rick KC2ABQ / MOARC Secretary



Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Proposed shutdown of funding for WWV



WWV and WWVH are on a list of proposed cuts in the White House's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST https://www.nist.gov/) Fiscal Year 2019 budget request. The proposed cuts, which only recently came to light, would also include the Atomic Clock signal from WWVB.
"It is important to note that no changes to NIST services have occurred, and if the proposal were to be implemented, public notice would be provided," NIST said this week.


According to the NIST Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request the specific cut would come from the NIST Fundamental Measurement, Quantum Science, and Measurement Dissemination budget and would amount to $6.3 million.

"NIST has a long-standing history of providing time and frequency services through our radio stations and we appreciate that many people use these services," NIST said in a statement. "WWV is the longest continuously operating radio service in the US. At the same time, the proposed NIST budget for FY 2019 required difficult choices about budget priorities."

NIST said that it plans to eliminate "efforts that have been replaced by newer technologies, measurement science research that lies outside NIST's core mission space, and programs that can no longer be supported due to facility deterioration."

WWV and WWVH broadcast 24/7. Announcements include time announcements, standard time intervals, standard frequencies, UT1 time corrections, a BCD time code, geophysical alerts, and marine storm warnings. Transmissions are broadcast from separate transmitters on 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. An experimental 25 MHz signal is also currently on the air. WWVB transmits standard Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) signals on 60 kHz to appropriately equipped devices
(from the ARRL Letter 8/23/18)

Two petitions have been started on the White House's "We the People" petition site calling for restoration of funding for these two essential radio stations. Each needs at least 100,000 electronic signatures by mid-September to generate a response from the White House. The petitions can be found at:

Sign both of the petitions here:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/maintain-funding-nist-stations-wwv-wwvh

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/proposed-shutdown-nists-wwv-and-wwvh-radio-stations

Very good articles from CQ News Room and others:
https://cqnewsroom.blogspot.com/2018/08/petition-drive-to-save-wwvwwvh-sept-15.html
https://w8edu.wordpress.com/save-wwv/
https://swling.com/blog/2018/08/nist-fy2019-budget-includes-request-to-shutdown-wwv-and-wwvh/



Monday, August 27, 2018

LARC Evaluation DMR Repeater is on the air!

LARC Evaluation DMR Repeater Available for Testing! (Facebook update from LARC on 8/27/18) 

LARC is pleased to announce the evaluation DMR repeater is available for testing. We would like to thank Len Signoretti, N2LEN, and Dennis Hudson, N2LBT, for their assistance to LARC in configuration of the repeater and integration into the larger NY DMR MARC C-Bridge network. For those knowledgeable in DMR code plug programming (radio programming) reference the following information for code plug modification
Network: DMR-MARC
Rx: 443.3MHz
Tx: 448.3MHz
Color Code: 1
Repeater Location: Cazenovia, NY

link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/larcw2cm/
Note: PARROT is currently unavailable due to issues on the DMR MARC network and the DMRX group is working to resolve.
If you have any issues with configurating your code plugs, please contact Ron Panetta (r o n at p a n m a n . u s). If you have questions and are not familiar with code plugs, feel free to send them to Ron and he will either answer them real time or batch them up for Q&A at the September meeting. Please be sure to include your phone number in any email as some issues will be easier and faster to work via telephone than via email. For those of you who have yet to obtain a DMR identification number, please go here and register. It usually takes a couple of hours to get your ID. We cannot program your radio without that ID number.
We recognize many of you are unfamiliar with code plug programming. Fear not, LARC will be assisting in HT radio programming along with meeting programs on the topic should the membership move forward with procurement of the system.
Note that the repeater is temporarily staged at our Cazenovia location, co-located with the 147.21 repeater and will remain there until we 1) ensure any programming issues are addressed and 2) the membership votes on purchase authorization at the September meeting. Pending closure on both items, we will relocate the DMR repeater to the Pompey, NY location which is where the 146.91 repeater is located and the location of the recently disabled 443.3MHz Fusion

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Roc City Hamfest hits a home run!

 Great Hamfest today! Hats off to K2ZX; Joe and the Roc City crew! Beautiful weather, great location and lots of tailgaters, along with Rich from the RW Antenna Store. We were impressed with the nice set up and with plenty of room for the large crowd. It was nice to chat with folks and run across quite a few friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. Can't wait until next year Joe!


Sunday, August 12, 2018

LARC proposes a new DMR repeater for Syracuse

Pretty cool news! The Liverpool Amateur Radio Club is investigating a a DMR repeater and providing DMR tech training sessions In Syracuse.



Press release from LARC on their DMR plans:


Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club (LARC) Plans for Digital Mobile Radio (DMR)
August 6, 2018

DMR has been a hot topic of late and the LARC Board of Directors (the “Board”) has engaged in many discussions on the topic over the last year.  At the August 6 board meeting, the Board passed a motion to bring to the membership at the September meeting a funding authorization, pending successful evaluation (see below), for the purchase, configuration and deployment of a LARC DMR repeater for the greater Syracuse area.  If one looks at some of the DMR footprints in Upstate NY, there is a very noticeable DMR void in the Syracuse area.  Repeaters exist both to the East and West of us.  The Board believes now is an opportune time to embrace the technology as it is clearly here to stay.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Bear Bait ClubTail gate fest - 9/22/18

Bear Bait radio club is having a Tailgate fest coming up on Saturday September 22, 2018 from 7am to 1pm.

Location: Clay Historical Park
4939 State Route 31, Clay NY 13041.

Admission $5.00 Tailgate/Venders:$5.00.


Saturday, August 4, 2018

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Radio Shack revival? ...maybe in Syracuse too?

Note from Jim/WA1KPG:

I just read on the ARRL website that Radio Shack is opening "Express Stores" in some HobbyTown stores across the country.

I just called Walt's HobbyTown on Dwight Park Dr. (near the John Glenn Blvd. exit off I-690) asking if Walt's would be one of the stores in the chain that would have a Radio Shack department. The person I spoke to said they haven't made a decision but are considering it.

I told him that I'm a ham radio operator and that having a Radio Shack back in Syracuse would be of interest to the many hams in the area. He said that was good information and appreciated the call, that he already received 2 or 3 other calls,  and repeated that they are definitely considering bringing in Radio Shack and are trying to determine if it would be a good business decision.

If other hams from LARC & RACES call, that may help them decide. 

Give Walt's a call!

Walt's HobbyTown
2 Dwight Park Dr.
Syracuse, NY
315-453-2291
https://www.waltshobby.com/

73,
Jim/WA1KPG


Wednesday, July 11, 2018

International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend - August 18-19th, 2018


August 18-19th, 2018






A few years ago the International Association of Lighthouse Keepers decided to have an annual open day for lighthouses all around the world to encourage visitors to visit at their lighthouses. They decided that no better day could be decided upon other than the Sunday of the ILLW. This move has been highly successful as the media have become involved in quite a few of the countries involved in the event. The ILLW takes place on the 3rd full weekend in August each year and attracts over 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. It is one of the most popular international amateur radio events in existence probably because there are very few rules and it is not the usual contest type event. It is also free and there are no prizes for contacting large numbers of other stations. There is little doubt that the month of August has become "Lighthouse Month" due largely to the popularity and growth of the ILLW.

This year’s event takes place on the 3rd full weekend in August so if you haven’t done so already, find a lighthouse nearby and get a group together or do it solo and fire up a lighthouse station. In most cases if you don’t intend operating from within the lighthouse itself or one of its cottages, you really don’t need to get any approval. Most first time entrants are so enthused with the event that they return year after year. More info at: https://illw.net/


Several Upstate NY Lighthouses will be participating.

Charlotte Lighthouse - Rochester, N.Y. - more info at: http://www.geneseelighthouse.org/

Fort Niagara - Lewiston N.Y. 

Oswego Harbor Pier lighthouse, Oswego, N.Y. - I have received permission to operate an amateur radio station from the pier of the H. Lee White museum near the Oswego Harbor Pier lighthouse. While I can not operate from the lighthouse yet (construction and restoration in process) I will be as close to the lighthouse as possible. Set up and operation times are August 18th from 8am to 8pm. I will be evaluating set up location and details over the next few weeks. I may set up inside one of the boats from the museum!! This set up will be in conjunction with International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend and we will endeavor to contact over 500 other lighthouses and lightships with similar set ups all over the world!! See illw.net for further details. From Fred Legawiec, W2LGA (7/10/18)

Check it out and see if you can't contact some of these lighthouses around the world!