Susquehannock Rally needs radio volunteers - June 3-4

Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) is an exciting and demanding motorsport featuring some of the most challenging roads in the world, drawing top worldwide professional rally teams. STPR® 2016 marks the 40th running of this event, the oldest, continuously running motor sports event in PA. Wellsboro PA is a scenic tourist destination, 2 hours south of Rochester. Licensed amateur radio operators are needed for rally communications, for net control, at spectator and safety checkpoints, to ride in rally vehicles, and other duties. Volunteers get free food, free camping, free t-shirt, pin and bumper sticker, free admission to the fairgrounds, the best rally spectating, and other benefits. This may be the most fun you’ll have as a ham. Go to www.stpr.org for more information and to volunteer check out http://www.stpr.org/volunteers/.

Ask for more info at RARA meetings and someone will tell you their STPR stories. If you’ve never seen this type of motorsport before, it’s similar to world rally or global rallycross, small powerful cars going as fast as they can through the woods on dirt roads.


Performance rallying is the exciting and demanding motorsport. With its high percentage of stage miles and a course featuring some of the most challenging roads in the world, STPR® is one of the America’s best-known rally events.STPR® regularly draws the top rally teams from the United States, Canada and abroad who enjoy putting their skills to the extreme test of performance rally. Competitors from the worldwide professional rally community are also found at this premier event.

References: April 2016 RARA Rag (Jon Dickason,N2JAC) and the STPR website.

Taking the Mystery Out of Echo-link

Stan; N2STC, will be giving a presentation called "Taking the Mystery Out of Echo-link"  at the Madison-Oneida Amateur Radio Club  (MOARC) monthly meeting on Wednesday March 30th at 7:30pm in the library at the Madison-Oneida BOCES complex in Verona NY. The BOCES education complex is only a few miles off the NYS Thruway near the Turning Stone Casino.

All HAMs are welcome.

See the MOARC website for more info:  http://www.moarc.com/ 

Thousand Islands Repeater Club - Swapfest/Hamfest

The Thousand Islands Repeater Club is going to hold a Swapfest/Hamfest on Saturday, May 21st, 2016
Location:  Depauville Fire Department Banquet Hall, 15191 School Street, Depauville, NY 13632
Time:  8:00am – 1:00pm 
(Set-up starts at 7:00) 


Admission:  $2, under 12 freeTables available for $10, Tailgate: $5
W5YI VE Testing @ 10am ($14)
Door Prizes and Raffles

More information at: www.tirepeaterclub.com

(It is the same weekend as Dayton, but we figured many from up this way don't get down there).

For any questions, people can check the website, or email us at tirepeaterclub@yahoo.com.

Finger Lakes Weather Net

John KD2GTA of Geneva, will be starting a Weather Net on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 7pm on the N2MKT 443.250+ (110.9) repeater in Newark, NY. The repeater will also be linked to the WA2AAZ 146.745- (71.9) repeater in Newark.  He would like to have 2 nets a month and when ever there is severe weather event in the area.

John is associated with the Storm Tracker Team in Wayne County.  He can be contacted at: zoger77@gmail.com

NY Storm Trackers team Facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/Storm-Trackers-Team-NY-249878011776436/

Thanks for your support Congressman John Katko!

JOHN KATKO
24TH DISTRICT, NEW YORK
________________________________________
1123 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BLDG
WASHINGTON, DC 20515
________________________________________
440 SOUTH WARREN STREET
7TH FLOOR, SUITE 711
SYRACUSE, NY 13202
(315) 423-5657
________________________________________
HTTP://KATKO.HOUSE.GOV 


March 18, 2016

Mr. xxxx x. xxxxxxx
xxx xxxxxxxxxxx Rd
xxxxxxxx, NY xxxxx-xxxx

Dear Mr. xxxxxx,

I recognize the value of amateur radio stations throughout our nation and due to your involvement in the field, I wanted to inform you of my recent efforts in Washington to support amateur radio stations.

Radio amateurs provide an invaluable service to Central New York by disseminating emergency and disaster relief communications from their personal radio stations.  Without cost to taxpayers, these radio stations can serve to assist with communications from the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, FEMA, and the Department of Defense in times of emergency.  For this reason, I have cosponsored H.R. 1301, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015.

As you may know, on March 4th, H.R. 1301 was introduced in the House and has since been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, where it awaits review.  The legislation would direct the Federal Communications Commission to revise height and dimension restrictions for station antenna structures of amateur service communications, to prohibit a private land use restriction from applying to amateur service communications if the restriction prevents such communications.

Should additional legislation related to this issue come before the House, I will continue to advocate for the interests of amateur radio stations throughout the 24th District.

I hope that you will keep me informed of the issues important to you and your family, as your input helps me to better serve you as your Representative in Congress. If you would like to stay informed of the latest issues coming out of Washington, you can visit www.katko.house.gov to sign up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,


John Katko
Member of Congress


I just received this letter today from my Congressman. I wrote to him at the urging of many local hams some time ago to ask for his support of H.R. 1301, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015. Its nice when someone in government listens these days. Thanks John!

Spring SkyWarn Training

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Binghamton has started spring SkyWarn training. They have both On-line and local training classes available. I can personally speak of the great job the NWS Binghamton office does with this training. (Buffalo and Albany offices are also doing spring training - see their websites for details)

What is SKYWARN?
The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

More on SkyWarn and Amateur Radio: http://www.upstateham.com/p/skywarn.html

See the BGM NOAA-SkyWarn Training schedule here: http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining

Update on the Rochester Hamfest - May 28th

 -Hello all and welcome to this edition of Prez Sez (from the RARA March 2016 Newsletter).

 It’s exciting times at RARA with the official announcement of the 2016 Rochester Hamfest. This year’s hamfest will be on Saturday May 28th at Kodak Park, with some great opportunities! We will have both indoor and outdoor facilities, all of the outdoor facilities being paved, so no worries about getting stuck in the mud even if it rains. Our Hamfest team has been doing a great job putting together logistics and working on some great raffle prizes for all those who attend. I’m looking forward to making a great weekend out of it, with Saturday being our hamfest, and Sunday and Monday being some great Memorial Day events around town. Whether you are from Rochester or visiting from another town, there’s sure to be a bunch of things to do with your family on this fun filled weekend. Also, if you’re from out of town, don’t worry, we’ve negotiated some great rates with an area hotel for you to stay in! Keep an eye on the RAG, our website, and our Facebook page for more information. I’d like to take time again to thank all of those members who serve as volunteers for the club. From our board, to our coordinators, hamfest volunteers, VE teams, public service volunteers, and all sort of other people, thank you for all you do for our club and our hobby. With your help, we’ve been able to organize the hamfest, resume VE testing, and put on a great winter “picnic” for all to enjoy. It’s easy for people to complain when things don’t go completely to plan, and to overlook your contributions when they do; I urge our membership to take time to remember that this club exists due to the continued selfless actions of about a tenth of the club who donate their time and money with no compensation beyond the occasional membership points.


WILL MULLANEY, KC2VSJ—RARA PRESIDENT

more info at: http://www.rochesterham.org/Hamfest.htm

Note from UpstateHam.com - folks this is a great event and the RARA group is working very hard to make this a major success at a new location. So save the date and plan to attend one of Upstate NY's best Hamfests!

Black Fly Challenge in the Adirondacks - looking for volunteers

The Black Fly Challenge is a 40-mile destination (one-way) gravel grinder bicycle race that attracts both serious racers and recreational riders on cyclocross and mountain bikes. It also attracts some serious adventurists, riding unicyles and 3-seat bikes. Over half the BFC race course includes gravel roads through the wild & scenic Moose River Recreation Area between Inlet and Indian Lake with some pavement and/or singletrack at either end. It is a difficult area for communications, as much of the route has no Cellphone coverage, no public safety and no services.

So we are looking for Amateur radio operators willing to participate on Saturday, June 11th. The race starts from Inlet NY this year. We have lots of locations with as much or as little challenge as you desire. We will primarily be operating high power mobiles to repeaters on Blue, Gore and McCauley Mountains, though some HF NVIS and simplex 2M communications may be utilized.

NPOTA - KD2ETP from Ft. Stanwix in Rome NY - March 26th

National Parks on the Air - from Fort Stanwix in Rome with KD2ETP and friends! 

KD2ETP; Steve will be hosting a NPOTA event on Saturday March 26th at Ft. Stanwix in Rome NY. He is looking for interested helpers and chasers to give the guys a call. Operating two stations from 10am through 4pm EST. Starting on 7.210 mhz and moving as band conditions warrant. Stay tuned here!  POSTPONED!

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and radio amateurs will be able to help mark the occasion with the ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event. “As ARRL just celebrated our own Centennial, and Amateur Radio is often enjoyed in the great outdoors, it seemed fitting to devise a program to help NPS celebrate their own 100th birthday,” said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. As Sean explained, NPOTA will run throughout 2016, with activity promoted and encouraged from each of the more than 430 official NPS administrative units and affiliated areas across the US. This includes all 59 National Parks as well as National Battlefields, Historic Sites, Memorials, Preserves, Reserves, Rivers, Seashores, National Scenic Trails, and other units. NPOTA activations: https://npota.arrl.org/nps-events.php

Learn more about NPOTA:  http://www.upstateham.com/2015/11/arrl-national-parks-on-air-2016.html#more

RAGS March monthly meeting - Don't miss it!

Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse (RAGS) MARCH 10th meeting

 “On the Bench” – 6:15 PM - Installing Powerpoles

See POWERPOLE connectors installed. Bring in your wires, Powerpoles, or equipment and we will put on the connectors. Connectors and wire will also be available for a small fee.

Meeting Presentation – 7:00 PM - Microphones!! Gary Kimball – WB2SER

A bit of history, and a review of various microphone types. Pros Cons, and how they influence your on-the-air audio.

NEXT MEETING is Thursday, MARCH 10, 2016

Meeting Starts at 7:00P, Doors Open at 6:00 PM “Coffee is always on!!!”
North Syracuse Community Center
700 South Bay Road North Syracuse, NY 13212

LARC Amateur Radio - Technician License Course

The Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club will be sponsoring a course in preparation for the
FCC Amateur Radio Technician License.

DATES: Tuesdays, April 12 & 19, 6:30-8:30PM
and Saturday, April 30, 9-2PM

PLACE: Cicero American Legion
Space is limited so please sign up online early.

Sign up for the Amateur Radio Course: email to: treasurer@w2cm.com

This course is FREE, however there is a $25
charge for the Study Guide and a $15 charge for
the FCC exam at the end on Saturday.

Learn more at the LARC website: http://www.w2cm.com/

The Rochester Hamfest has moved! (May 28th 2016)

We're no longer at Barnard Fireman's Field! We've moved!


Rochester Hamfest and Tech Expo 2016
Find us at our NEW location at Kodak's "Theater on the Ridge"!
also known as the Eastman Business Park, Outdoor sales space opens at 6:00 AM on Saturday, May 28, 2016
Indoor venue opens to attendees at 7:00 AM
Expect to see regional ham clubs present, too!

New location for 2016!

Moved from the Barnard Firemen's Field to the Eastman Business Park, 200 West Ridge Road, Rochester, NY 14615

1h 45m or LESS from Niagara Falls (Canada), Buffalo, Corning, Oswego or Syracuse

Gates open at 6:00 AM.

Free GENERAL parking.

$5 per person flea market entry fee.

Entry fee WAIVED for RARA members & under 21

$5 for EACH metered flea market slot.

New this year: Indoor venue! (along with outside tailgating as well)

FREE VE License Examinations

FREE ARRL Awards QSL Card Checking

FREE General Raffle ticket for all entries (18 yo+)

FREE Bucket Raffle ticket for all entries (18 yo+)

More at the RARA Rochester Hamfest website!  http://www.RochesterHamfest.org

Balloon over northern NY this morning on APRS

It was a cold morning for a balloon launch from Watertown NY! I stumbled across this team this morning on APRS.fi. I was then able to reach and briefly talk with Chris, KD2ICC on the 145.33 repeater in Remsen, NY as he headed south and east to recover the balloon that looks like it has landed near Schenectady, NY. The APRS equipped balloon and amateur radio equipped chase team were out for a balloon chase. This launch was part of the Maintenance Platoon high altitude weather balloon project (read more below).




APRS map link: http://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FKD2IIC&timerange=3600&tail=3600

Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/deltamishapp/?pnref=story

Flight prediction link: https://www.facebook.com/deltamishapp/photos/a.1091704154194374.1073741828.1090301271001329/1094486080582848/?type=3

The predicted path was pretty close. We will try to get some more details from Chris on the project and a full story of their day and the goals of the project. Stay tuned here!

The Delta Company, 3-10 GSAB Maintenance Platoon high altitude weather balloon project.

Description:
To provide esprit de corps and training in downed aircraft recovery, Maintenance Platoon of Delta Company, 3-10 GSAB will launch, track, and recover a high altitude weather balloon. The balloon will carry a payload of 65 custom company patches, 2 cameras, a ham radio APRS tracker, a satellite based tracker, and a 102 db audible siren to an altitude of 100,000 feet also known as Flight Level 1000. Upon return to earth a team of soldiers will set out to recover the payload which is projected to land in the Adirondack Mountains.

This recovery will require land navigation as well as radio communication, skills needed in real life downed aircraft recovery hence this provides a unique training opportunity to the platoon as well as a morale booster to those who receive a patch that has been to the edge of space.

RAGS March Meeting - Microphones!

RAGS March Meeting

Thursday, March 10, 2016 7:00 PM, Doors open at 6:30pm

(Moved from Feb. to the March Meeting!)

PROGRAM: "MICROPHONES"

BY WB2SER; GARY KIMBALL

Should be a very interesting presentation with many examples and explanations by a guy who really knows microphones!

RAGS meets monthly from September through June on the second Thursday of each month at the North Syracuse Community Center, 700 South Bay Road, N. Syracuse.  See the calendar for details!  Meeting starts at 7pm, doors open at 6:30pm.

Guests are always welcome!  You don't need to be a Ham to join RAGS, and we can help you to become one, if you are interested!!

Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse (RAGS) is an ARRL affiliated club promoting all aspects of Ham Radio in the Syracuse, NY area.
more at: http://www.ragsclub.org/home.html

Interesting AOR AR-DV1 SDR receiver for digital voice modes

The AOR AR-DV1 is the FIRST multi-mode digital voice receiver to receive and decode virtually ALL popular digital modes including: MOTOTRBO, DMR, dPMR, APCO P25 Phase I, NXDN, Icom D-Star, Digital CR, Yaesu, Kenwood®, and Alinco EJ-47U as well as conventional analog signals.


The AOR AR-DV1B wideband communications SDR receiver covers 100 kHz to 1300 MHz (less cellular on U.S. consumer "B" version) in traditional analog modes (SSB, CW, AM, FM, S-FM, W-FM) as well as various digital modes. In fact, we know of no other radio in this category that can decode Icom's D-Star mode, Yaesu's new C4FM mode, Alinco's digital mode, NXDN (note: 6.25 kHz only), P25 Phase 1, etc. Interesting features include:  2000 Memories (in 40 banks of 50), Memory Scan, AM Synchronous Detection, Noise Reduction, Notch, Digital Data Display, Clock, Calendar, Alarm, Timer. The SD/SDHC jack supports logging functions. There is also a micro USB port. This radio will support field firmware updating. High performance is achieved since the receiver employs direct conversion below 18 MHz and triple conversion superheterodyne above 18 MHz.

With this breakthrough development, AOR offers the monitoring community a powerful new tool that receives multiple digital formats in addition to traditional analog operations in a compact receiver built for high sensitivity and selectivity.

Read more: http://www.upstateham.com/p/aor-ar-dv-1-resource-page.html