Section Manager’s Newsletter – August 2018

While time is short, you can still plan to attend the Alamogordo Hamfest this coming Saturday.  You can find all the details at:  http://www.qsl.net/k5lrw/hamfest.htm.  I look forward to seeing many of you from Southern NM there!

I’m am writing this edition from the 2018 Homeland Security and Emergency Management Conference.  I’ve already met a couple of other hams attending the event. I mention this because the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) has significant changes pending in its Strategic Plan.  Our Section Emergency Coordinator, Jay, W5WHN, and I are reviewing the plan, which is available at:  http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Media%20&%20PR/ARES/ARES%20Strategic%20Plan%20-%20final%20-%20PSC.pdf.  Your comments are important to us!  Please send your comments to us no later than Sept. 30.  Thanks!

Don’t forget to register for the Duke City Hamfest and ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention at:  https://www.dukecityhamfest.org/reserveandregister.  This event will have everything you expect from a first class amateur-radio convention. This event runs Sept. 21-23.  I’ll be there, too, and look forward to meeting many of you.

On Oct. 18-19, the Socorro Hamfest will host the ARRL NM Convention.  The event details are found at:  https://www.socorroara.org/socorro-hamfest/.  This will be a busy weekend starting with a tour of the Very Large Array and an evening banquet with a full day Saturday.  BCNU!

I will announce the annual awards for the Section at this event.  I have received only one nomination to date.  I have extended the deadline to Sept. 30. Submission details are at:  http://www.arrl-nm.org/wp/section-awards/arrl-new-mexico-section-ham-of-the-year-award.

The weekend prior to the DCHF/RMD Convention TAPR will hold its annual conference in Albuquerque.  If you have an interest in digital radio communications, I highly recommend you join me there!  You can see what they will offer and register at:  https://www.tapr.org/dcc.

You may have heard the NIST budget request for FY19 called for shutting down WWV, WWVH, and WWVB.  However, on both the Senate and House sides, funding for the NIST will essentially remain the same.  Our watches and clocks will keep updating and we’ll still be able to HF check propagation with WWV and WWVH.

As always, you can reach me at K8TE@ARRL.org with your comments and questions.  Section officials are always available to you too.  You can find the list at:  http://www.arrl.org/sections/view/new-mexico.

I look forward to receiving invitations to visit, even speak at, your club meetings!  My schedule is full in September, but I’ll consider visits in October.

Until next month, 73,

Bill, K8TE
ARRL New Mexico Section Manager

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