Wednesday, April 29, 2020

RARA - Online DMR class - Saturday 5/2/20


RaRa Academy
Digital Mobile Radio as an Online Class
DMR Image Thanks to KE2YK
Saturday May 2nd, 2020 (10:00am-noon — Note the Time Change!)
Saturday’s RaRa Academy will cover Digital Mobile Radio or DMR. A DMR radio is made up of three layers: Network, Link and Radio. Course topics will include:
•  Brandmeister dashboard and learn about talk groups
•  Repeaters and hot spots
•  Radio with zones, channels and scan lists
•  CPS programming tool, code plugs, and how to program the radio
•  Operations and digital nets
With COVID-19 upon us, this academy will be an online video conference using the Zoom platform. To participate in the conference, first download Zoom to your PC or Smartphone at https://zoom.us/download
The pre-registration link:
Latest information and link also available at:
Please register before the 10:00am session. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to the actual Academy Zoom Session. Please remember to mute your audio after you enter the zoom session (mute icon located in the lower left portion of the zoom screen).
Presenter: Rich Hoffarth, K2AXP
Fusion will be covered in separate online class on May 16th.
Take advantage of the RaRa sponsored training and operating opportunities, have fun!

Timothy Brown,
FCC Callsign: WB2PAY
RaRa Education Coordinator
cell: 585 750 2087

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Covid-19 Heroes - Special Event station - May 1st-31st


April 17, 2020

As New York amateur radio operators, we have a unique opportunity to do something positive during a pandemic that has also turned New York State into a deadly hotspot.

We can express our gratitude to all those men and women on the front lines who are taking personal risks every day to tend to the needs of the healthy among us as well as the sick and even those whose lives were taken in this crisis.

Special Event Station K2H will help us do that. With the coordination of the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club in Lindenhurst, N.Y., Suffolk County, we will be on the air starting May 1st and will continue our operation through the end of the month in each county throughout the state.

That’s where you come into the picture; By joining us in activating K2H (with the suffix of your NY county appended, for example, K2H/SUF for Suffolk), you will be able to help everyone say thanks to those who are helping guide us through an unprecedented crisis – whether by keeping watch on quarantine enforcement, keeping food store shelves well-stocked or tending to the sick.

Friday, April 3, 2020

ARRL update on Field Day 6/27-28, 2020


Field Day (6/27-28) 2020 — A Time to Adapt

03/27/2020
Many individuals and groups organizing events for Field Day 2020 have been contacting ARRL for guidance on how to adapt their planned activities in this unprecedented time of social distancing and uncertainty.
“Due to the unique situation presented this year, this can be an opportunity for you, your club, and/or group to try something new,” ARRL Contest Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, said. “Field Day isn’t about doing things the same way year after year. Use this year to develop and employ a new approach that is in line with the current circumstances.”
Social distancing and state and local requirements very likely will impact just how — and even whether — you are able to participate in Field Day this year. ARRL continues monitoring the coronavirus situation, paying close attention to information and guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If social distancing means that Class A with a 30-member team set up in a city park won’t work this year, then it’s time for a Plan B. Part of the Field Day concept has always been adapting your operation to the situation at hand. At its heart, Field Day is an emergency communication demonstration. Field Day rules are flexible enough to allow individuals and groups to adjust their participation and strategies in a way that still addresses their needs while being fun. Some possibilities:
  • Encourage club members to operate from their home stations on emergency power (Class E).
  • Use the club’s repeater as a means for individual participants to keep in touch during the event.
  • Family members interested in operating Field Day and unable to participate as part of a larger group may want to consider setting up a portable station in the backyard with a temporary antenna.
One big impact this year will be a decline in public visibility and any interaction with the visitors. Prudence may dictate dispensing with the ham radio PR table to attract passersby, should you set up in a more public location. It’s okay not to score all the bonus points you may have attempted in the past. Local and served agency officials may be unwilling to visit, which is understandable under the circumstances. Do be sure to reach out to them as part of your preparations and remind them that you look forward to continuing your working relationship with them in the future.
The impact will differ from place to place, so ARRL recommends that all amateur radio clubs participating in Field Day stay in regular contact with local or state public health officials for their advice and guidance on hosting Field Day activities.
Demonstrating an understanding of the health crisis we all face and your willingness to adapt will show that you and your club or group are good working partners with local or served agencies.
“With any emergency preparedness exercise, it’s not about adapting the situation to your operation, it’s about adapting your operation to the situation that presents itself,” Bourque said. “Try something different. Learn something new about how you prepare. It may be a challenge, and you may have to ask yourself if you’re up to the challenge. We hope to hear you on the air over the June 27 – 28 weekend.” — Thanks to Paul Bourque, N1SFE, and Dan Henderson, N1ND