Great Radio E-magazine!

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 back 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. It's probably the Best $24.00 that we spend each year on this hobby!

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/

147.00 NY Swap Net is back Wednesdays at 7:00pm

 147.00 CNY Swap Net is back Wednesdays at 7:00pm 

The Central NY Swap Net is now being hosted by WB2KAO; Tim McGee on the W2QYT Auburn 147.00 repeater with a PL of 71.9. The purpose of this net is to sell, buy or swap gear of interest to Ham radio operators.

Have something to sell? have a question? Join Tim most Wednesdays at 7pm to carry on a CNY net tradition started by W2QYT; Jack Smith (SK).

Hope to catch you there!

Marathon Hamfest - Saturday 1/13/24

 The Upstate NY Hamfest season will be kicking off again in Marathon NY!

The Skyline Ham Radio Club Winterfest will take place on January 13, 2024 at the Marathon Civic Center in Marathon NY.

When: January 13th 2024 @ 7:00 AM till Noon 

Where: Marathon Civic Center, 11 Brink Street Marathon NY 

Admission is $6.00 per person

Tables are $10:00 per table. 

You can reserve tables at K2IWR@ARRL.net  or 315 395-7640. 

VE testing will be available as well at 9:00 AM across the street in the Historical Society building.

Oswego County Pathfinder Net changing to the 147.390 repeater

 

The Oswego County Pathfinder Net will be changing to the 147.390 repeater, +0.600 offset, and PL tone 103.5.  The Pathfinder Net will still operate Monday thru Friday at 9:00pm. 

Thanks,

Michael….KD2DVC 

Net manager 

Santa Nets - 2023

 

For the 16th 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 7:00 PM (Central) starting Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, through Christmas Eve, December 24th.

Pete Thomson (KE5GGY), of The 3916 Nets, commented on The 3916 Santa Net. He said, "Christmastime is a very special time for our nets every year. We enjoy helping young people and their families have a shared Christmas experience that they'll always remember. And we're thrilled to introduce young people to the excitement of amateur radio."

FCC to vote on elimination of the baud rate limit in the amateur radio bands

 

The FCC is expected to take action at its November meeting on a Report and Order that would eliminate the baud rate limitation and establish a bandwidth limitation in the amateur radio bands below 29.7 MHz. 

The order being circulated for tentative consideration by the commission would remove the baud rate limitation — the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude, frequency and/or phase is varied to transmit information — for data emissions in the amateur radio bands, the FCC says. The current baud rate limits were adopted in 1980.

The order would implement a 2.8 kilohertz bandwidth limitation in place of the baud rate in amateur radio bands. The 2.8 kHz limitation is consistent with the commission’s treatment of other wireless radio services, the FCC says.

Read more here: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/fcc-wants-to-bolster-amateur-radio

FCC fact sheet: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-397992A1.pdf

Skywarn Fall/Winter 2023-24 training - NWS Binghamton

 Fall/Winter Spotter Training 2023-24

more info: https://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining

Most Upstate NY NWS Offices are holding similar training this Fall. See the links below.

SKYWARN - Severe weather reporting program

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.

Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

Learn more at the National SKYWARN web site: https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN
Binghamton NY NWS SKYWARN page: http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining
Buffalo NY NWS SKYWARN page: http://www.weather.gov/buf/Skywarn
Albany NY NWS SKYWARN page:  http://www.weather.gov/aly/skywarn

60 Meter band changes proposed by FCC - PLEASE COMMENT

Updated on 10/30/23 to reflect the extended dates for the comment period.

Comments are now due November 28, 2023 and replies December 28, 2023.

from the ARRL:

ARRL; The National Association for Amateur Radio® is asking that all radio amateurs urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to continue the existing use of the 60-meter band. The ARRL is encouraging expressions of support to the FCC for the current 100 watt ERP power limit (instead of reducing the power limit to 15 watts EIRP) and continuing secondary access to the current channels.  An opportunity to reply to comments ends on October 30,2023. Comments should be submitted in FCC Docket No. WT 23-120.

ARRL has assembled a web page with instructions on how to submit your comments, as well as background information on the issue: www.arrl.org/60-meter-band 

Its really pretty simple to comment on the FCC site. Just follow the ARRL instructions and link above that will take you directly to comment section form on the FCC web page.

And better yet, when you are done writing a comment consider checking in on the 60 Meter "Short & Sweet" net each day at 5:30pm EST on 5346.5 khz.

Operators still needed! Can You help? - Onondaga County Pumpkin Patrol -

10/18/23 update: Operators still needed! Can You help? 

Please contact John Edwards, K2JSE at Larcppoc@gmail.com or by phone at 315-453-7264 

Technician Class - Nov. 11-12, 20223 - Clay NY

Bear Bait Radio Club - upcoming Amateur Radio Technician licensing class and testing

(from The Bear Bait Radio Club web site:https://bearbaitradioclub.com/ )

Sign-up info email: WA2DTN1@gmail.com

LARC - Amateur radio licensing

 from the LARC October 2023 Longwire:

Solar Eclipse QSO Party Seeks Amateurs

 

ARRL is proud to partner with HamSCI to help promote participation in the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP). SEQPs are a series of global experiments -- and you can be a part of them. Solar eclipses will pass across the continental United States on October 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024.

During these celestial events, you can join thousands of fellow amateurs as part of the largest crowd-sourced event for ham radio scientific exploration. The SEQP is part of the Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science and is for learning more about how the ionosphere works.

All radio amateurs need to do is operate using any mode and any band for all or part of the day, then upload their logs. Participation can be from anywhere; you don't need to be near the path of the eclipse to contribute valuable data. You don't even have to be a licensed ham to participate in the experiment (only to transmit).

More information at: http://www.arrl.org/news/solar-eclipse-qso-party-seeks-amateurs-and-radio-enthusiasts-for-global-experiment

Elmira Hamfest - This Saturday 9/30/23

 One of the last hamfests of the year! Always a good one!

More info at: https://www.arast.info/arast_website/public/hamfest.php

Pumpkin Patrol 2023

 from the LARC "Longwire" September 2023 issue

Most upstate NY counties along the NYS Thruway are also participating in this event. Check with your local club to see if they are participating!

Other 2023 Upstate NY Pumpkin Patrol links:

Rochester (RARA) 2023 Pumpkin Patrol: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScF35sB9Mxma6RMcsiW4SuI78SC_e1TU6lBp_XPToXZzxQArQ/viewform

Antique Wireless Assoc. Conference - 9/26-30

 

More info at: https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/conf-main-page/