New Mexico Section News for July 2011
From the ARRL letter:
+ Amateur Radio in the Classroom: ARRL Executive Committee Approves Equipment Grants for Six Schools
In June, the ARRL Executive Committee reviewed grant applications for the ARRL’s Education & Technology Program (ETP), awarding equipment valued at nearly $5000 to six schools. More than 575 schools across the country have received support from the ETP in the form of grants for equipment, curriculum and resources, as well as teacher in-service training through the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. Applications for equipment and resource grants are accepted twice each year; application deadlines are May 1 and November 1.
A central goal of the ETP is to develop a foundation of wireless technology literacy among America’s teachers and students. It employs Amateur Radio to explore radio science and electronics and provide hands-on activities that engage students’ minds and imaginations, opening doorways into math, science and technology curriculum topics, as well as other core curriculum areas such as geography and language arts. Read more here.
SPECIAL NOTE: The Mesilla Valley ARC operated special event station N5S during the entire final flight of space shuttle Atlantis STS-135. They netted 2,839 contacts. This was an outstanding effort by the club members to man the station during the entire flight and worked closely with N4S special event station in Florida. Congratulations to the MVARC for an excellent effort to commemorate this final step in the space shuttle program. Special thanks to Fred, WB4AEJ and Carl, AA4MI for keeping us informed.
Hero’s Club
Robert Fox, KA5VRV
Christopher Aas, NB5T
William L Nohrn, N5UNB
Raymond J Caraveo, N5IZV
Evan R. Newlon, WB5HAM
Stuart Simon (Stu) K2QBU with a second donation
Jess Wright, W5QDW – SK
The “Hero’s club” is a listing of those generous hams who have contributed equipment for our efforts to get radio clubs into the schools and encourage the students to become active hams. The donated equipment will be available to any school amateur radio club in the state. A licensed amateur will be needed as the custodian of the equipment. There are only three requirements to obtain this equipment. 1) The custodian of the equipment must be 18 years of age or older and a General Class licensee or better, 2) The club must be sanctioned by the school, 3) A member of the school staff must be the sponsor of the club. The school sponsor does not have to be a ham. Contact Don Wood, W5FHA (w5fha@arrl.org) for a listing of the available equipment
***I would like to remind everyone to check out the New Mexico Section web page www.arrl-nm.org. Thanks to Mike Pendley, K5ATM for the design and implementation of the site. If you are not set up on the site contact Mike Pendley, K5ATM at k5atm@arrl.net.
***Greyhound Radio Club – Has a new repeater up. 444.925 +(5 MHz) pl 131.8 Hz
Great going!
*** June 30, WA5DJJ, Dave Hassell, broke his personal low power record when his 48.8 microwatt 10.140 MHz signal was clearly heard by W4HBK, Bill Houghton in Pensacola, FL. That calculates out to be over 23.8 x 10^6 miles per watt (about 100 times the distance to the moon Dave has been working with QRSS (a low power activity) for several years. This program involves hams who are interested in seeing how far they can send a very low power signal using a variety of techniques. The one Dave uses requires a super – stable transmitter at his end and a special receiver at the other that runs a variety of digital programs to process the received signal. Averaging is the name of the game. Dave’s signal showed up on the computer screen when four frames of 10 minutes each were added together. The transmitter has to be stable because the times involved are large. One mode that Dave used required dots to be 80 seconds long and dashes 240 seconds. Obviously that is not a high-speed mode. There are a number of stations all over the world that are interested in this part of our hobby. Dave has an extensive section on his web site that gives a description of this sub-hobby and much information on how to get started. The site can be accessed at http://www.zianet.com/dhassall/QRDD_A.htm.
PS – He just broke 8.51 uW transmitted signal to his friend in Pensacola, Florida and I complain about 100 watts!
***July 16 – High Plains Drifters – W5YI/VEC testing. Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth St. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123. Contact Darryl, NX5W at 505-286-1672 – nx5w@arrl.net
*** July 16 – High Desert ARC – Had a VE testing session. One person passed and upgraded from General to Extra. Thanks to Marty Soffran, NM5MS.
*** July 24 – High Desert ARC held a VE test session for Search and Rescue following a Technician License class with 12 students. El 2 – 12 persons passed El 2 and El 3 – one person passed. Thanks to Marty Soffran, NM5MS.
***July 28 – The Santa Fe and Los Alamos ARES groups were praised for their work on the Las Conchas fire in the ARRL Letter. ASM Bill Boedeker, NM5BB and Santa Fe / San Miguel County District Emergency Coordinator William Beardsley, KE5ZAV were the prime ARES managers for the operation. Congratulations to the Los Alamos ARES and Santa Fe ARES groups for a job well done. You can read the entire write up at http://www.arrl.org/news/new-mexico-hams-provide-communications-support-during-wildfires
Coming Attractions
***August 5 to 7 – The Rocky Mountain Division annual convention will be held at the Sagebrush Inn and Convention Center in Taos, New Mexico. Confirmed vendors include Yaesu, Southwest Antennas and Accessories, DZ Kit, HRO, Elecraft, Buddipole, Icom plus many more. Guest speakers will be Chip Margelli, K7JA, Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, Dan Henderson N1ND and Rick Roderick, K5UR. For more information go to www.2011convention.org for more details
***August 7 – – La Luz Trail Race. This event will be coordinated by Rees Bevan, WB5DEJ, and/or Jay Miller, W5WHN. Amateurs provide communications support for this annual race up La Luz Trail from positions in the starting area, at the finish, and from trailside points along the course. Information/volunteers: please contact Ed Ricco, N5LI, n5li@arrl.net, 247-4866(h); 768-7314(w).
***August 27-28, 2011 – MS 150. This is a two-day, 150-mile bicycle ride to raise funds to fight multiple sclerosis. The event organizers count on radio amateurs for essential communications support year after year. Tentative plan: There will be two rides starting and ending in Pojoaque. The first day route will be a circuit running through San Juan Pueblo, Ojo Caliente, El Rito, and Abiquiu. The second day route will be a circuit through San Ildefonso Pueblo, Espanola, and Chimayo with an out-and-back spur going to the Puye Cliffs. We will need volunteers for one or both days to operate mobile along course segments with the riders, to accompany tour officials and supply trucks or medical personnel, and to operate from rest stops. Please contact Ed Ricco, N5LI, n5li@arrl.net, 247-4866(h); 768-7314(w).
***August 23 to 29 – General Class License – Class is $79.00 and includes the manual ($25.00 and exam fee $14.00). Class is dependent on student sign ups. They require at least 5 students minimum. They will be held at the CNM Workforce Training Center, located just west of I-25, and north of Alameda. Class is listed under Public Safety on the catalog and descriptions and registrations may be found at www.cnm.edu.wtc. Frank Warren, Sr., AB5WJ will be the instructor for this class.
***September 3, 2011 – Alamogordo Hamfest – 27th Annual Hamfest in Alamogordo will be held at the Otero County Fairgrounds starting at 7 AM till everyone is tired. Admission is free Pre-Registration door prize tickets are $5.00 or $6.00 at the door. Swap meet tables are $5.00. Main door prize is a Yaesu FT-857D, 2nd prize is a Icom IC-208H and 3rd prize is a MFJ – 4225MV. Contact Dave Pote, AE5OV (ae5ov@arrl.net) (575-446-4441) or Jim O’Leary, N7DRB (n7drb@arrl.net)
***September 18, 2011 – Tour of the Rio Grande Valley. This popular bicycle tour ran for more than 20 years during the 1970s-1990s. Long-time public service hams may remember it. It is being revived this year by a new sponsor. It encompasses rides of 25, 50, 65, and 100 miles originating in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. The longer rides go through Isleta and Los Lunas and south of Belen. Communications support for the event is expected to involve amateurs positioned at rest stops, with event officials, mobile along segments of the course, and possibly in support vehicles. A coordinator is needed for this event. Please contact Ed Ricco, N5LI, n5li@arrl.net, 247-4866(h); 768-7314(w).
***September 16-18 – Sixth IARU Region II ARDF Championships – the Albuquerque Amateur Radio Club, the Albuquerque Transmitter Hunters, New Mexico Orienteers and the amateur radio community is hosting the Sixth IARU Region II ARDF Championships. Central headquarters will be at the Marriott Albuquerque Pyramid North and participants will be bussed to the competition sites. For full details go to http://www.wb8wfk.com/2011_ARDF_WEB/main.html. Thanks to Jerry Boyd, WB8WFK. Co-Chairman.
***October 15 – High Plains Drifters – W5YI/VEC testing. Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth St. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123. Contact Darryl, NX5W at 505-286-1672 – nx5w@arrl.net]
***October 23, 2011 – Duke City Marathon. Albuquerque area amateurs have supported this event for more than 20 years. Tentative plan: The marathon will follow an out-and-back course from downtown Albuquerque north along the Bosque bike path to Paseo del Norte and east to a turn-around point near Edith Blvd. A half marathon and 5K race is included in the event. We will need a substantial number of volunteers to cover rest stops along the course or to shadow race officials, as well as a few bicycle mobile stations. Information/volunteers: Please contact Ed Ricco, N5LI, n5li@arrl.net, 247-4866(h); 768-7314(w).
***November 19 – High Plains Drifters – W5YI/VEC testing. Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth St. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123. Contact Darryl, NX5W at 505-286-1672 – nx5w@arrl.net
The Net Counts for July are:
NET NAME CONTACTS QSTs
NM Roadrunner Traffic Net: 1157 62
NM Breakfast Club: 1161 113
Yucca Net: 657 23
Four Corners Net: 405 27
Rusty’s Raiders Net: 487 100
Valencia County ARA Net: 52 19
SCAT Net: 798 109
Caravan Club Net: 93 6
220 Ragchewers Net: 75 0
2 meter SSB Net: 30 0
40 Meter Boat Anchors Net: 62 0
6 Meter Net: 21 0
It is our objective to be able to publish this newsletter on or before the 6 of each month. It is important that all nets report their numbers before that date to Don Grab, K5BIS. (Many thanks to Don Grab, K5BIS, for keeping track of all the nets and reporting each month.) If you do not see your net here, send your end of month numbers to Don Grab, K5BIS! I would like to see the ARES nets represented as well.
For a listing of all nets in New Mexico, please go to www.arrl-nm.org
ARRL Silent Key Report, July 2011
THERE WERE NO SKs IN JULY.
Several club newsletters are sent to me and I greatly appreciate receiving them. I have also received information from people for inclusion in the newsletter. Be sure to give me all the information. Don’t assume I know names, calls, dates and locations. They are all important. This is your Section and what you do is important. If your club does not have a PIO please get one and let me know the important things your club is doing. Have a great month.
Don – W5FHA
Thought For The Day: We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
