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ALERT: Wed, November 19, 2008; 12:30 PM ET Special Event conmemorating the Arecibo Observatory's 45 anniversary was postponed to November 23. Operation will be on SSB on 20 meters from 1300 UTC to 2000 UTC and those that make contact with KP4AO will receive a certificate via W3HNK. As of late there is a possibility of PSK courtesy of the Puerto Rico Ham Amateur Group. Thanks in advance and hope you contact the still biggest antenna/receiver in the world. Angel Santana - WP3GW |
News last updated: Mon, November 3, 2008 at 9:23 PM ET
New Mexico Section Report for October, 2008
Well October is a memory, and a very busy month. I attended the new section manager's orientation at ARRL HQ and was fortunate enough to be in one of the largest new section manager's classes. There were 14 of us. It was interesting to see that many of the sections face many of the same problems we face here in New Mexico.
We had two hamfests this month. Roswell put on a really good get-together. This is their annual cook out and it was really great. BBQ chicken (messy but some of the best I have ever had), hamburgers and the chili poppers were worth the drive down to Roswell.
We just had the Socorro Hamfest with the annual ARES/RACES state meeting. Thanks to the Socorro folks for making this possible. The weather was the best we have had in many years. As usual many great prizes, great tailgating and DONUTS!
Thanks again to Larry Springsteen for his weekly updates from El Paso and Southern New Mexico. They are really active down there. If you want to receive this information contact Larry at - wb8lbz@earthlink.net .
Jerry Aceto, K6LIE, has set up his 220 repeater in Rio Rancho. This repeater covers the valley very well so if you have a 220 rig, you are encouraged to use the repeater. It is an open repeater with no PL and the frequency is 224.480.
Wayne Greaves, W0ZW, reminded me of this and it is worth repeating.
The Sierra Blanca ARC received a $3,500.00 grant from the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation. The money will be used to replace obsolete equipment at the Alto Crest VHF repeater and link it to the Camelot repeater. The Sierra Blanca ARC is located in Ruidoso. This will greatly increase coverage in the mountain and high desert area. The club call sign is KR5NM. If your club is having problems with funding for your repeater check out what might be available from your town, county or general area for not-for-profit help.
Frank Warren, AB5WJ, was at it again this month. He ran a Boy Scout class and got 9 technicians, one general and one general "off the street". Unfortunately the technician class scheduled at CNM did not have enough applicants for the school to approve the class. He will be giving a general class on November 10 at CNM if enough sign up and then going to OMI (Office of Medical Investigation) on November 18 to give tests to 5 biologists. He will also be holding an extra class in January 2009. If interested, contact him so he can get the manuals in. Contact him at fwarrensr@earthlink.net. Where do you and Kenny get the energy? Oh yes he also gives classes in electronics!
Wayne, W0ZW, tells us a new packet node was installed on Sierra Grande Mountain in northeast New Mexico. The alias for this node is UNION. A group of packet enthusiasts from Texas, including WA5ETK and W5EBS, were responsible for this new packet resource. Additional information about this node can be found at the following URL:
http://almostangels.org/PCG/union.htm
Once it is fully operational it should reach into parts of southern Colorado and Texas. These fellows have activated several other new packet nodes in west Texas and in the Texas panhandle.
Packet seems to be enjoying a resurgence of sorts! If you have a packet station running give this node a try. If not, find a TNC and get on the air.
Brian, N5ZGT, our Rocky Mountain Division Director, is trying to get some interest in an awards program to honor outstanding hams in our division. These awards are:
Rocky Mountain Division Ham of the Year
Rocky Mountain Division Young Ham of the Year
Rocky Mountain Division Technical Achievement
Complete details, rules and a nomination form can be found on the Division website www.RockyMountainDivision.org. Awards will be announced and presented at the Division Convention.
ARRL PRESENTS NEW MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT
ARRL members can now access the online QST magazine archive <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qqnsearch.html>. This new benefit -- a service of the ARRL Technical Information Service (TIS) <http://www.arrl.org/tis/> -- provides PDF copies of all QST articles from December 1915 through December 2004, enabling members to view and print their favorite article, project and more. Access to the new online digital QST archive is free for ARRL members, and is for their personal use only. Material in the archive may not be freely distributed or copied.
Upcoming events:
JOTA - The Boy Scouts "Jamboree On The Air" - JOTA is held the third weekend in October of each year. This is a great opportunity to expose the scouts to a wonderful hobby (they also can get a merit badge). If anyone is interested in helping set up a program for next year please contact me and I will put you in touch with others who are involved. JOTA takes place starting Saturday at 0000 hours local time (12:00 AM) to Sunday, 23.59 hours local time (12:00 PM), though some activity continues over from Friday to Monday to take advantage of long distance (DX) time differences.
SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 6.
The 10th annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) special event will take place Saturday, December 6, 2008. SRD is co-sponsored by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. SKYWARN Recognition Day is a way to recognize the commitment made by Amateur Radio operators in helping keep their communities safe. During the 24-hour special event, amateur radio operators visit their local National Weather Service (NWS) office and work as a team to contact other hams across the world.
The on-air event will be held from 0000 UTC to 2400 UTC December 6. If you haven't joined in the fun, 2008 is your year! To learn more, check out this web site: http://hamradio.noaa.gov.
There is a new club called Delsa Amateur Radio Club. They will be operating special event station K5GTG from 8 am to 5 pm on January 6th, 2009. The purpose is to celebrate New Mexico's Statehood (January 6th, 1912). Although this will be a very informal operation certificates will be issued for all valid contacts. For more information contact N4CYV at n4cyv@arrl.net.
Mark your calendars - January 31, 2009 is the ARRL approved Hamfest (tailgate) Sponsored by the 146.580 Simplex Group - stay tuned for location & time.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR ACTIVITIES IN THE MONTHLY REPORT YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT THEM. I WILL BE HAPPY TO INCLUDE ANY AND ALL ACTIVITIES IN THE SECTION.
The Net Counts for October are:
NET NAME CONTACTS /QSTs
Caravan Club Net: 52 /5
NM Breakfast Club: 1199 /125
NM Roadrunner Tfk. Net: 1203 /110
SCAT Net: 833 /112
Rustys Raiders Net: 738 /84
Valencia Cnty. ARA Net: 69 /15
High Desert ARC Net: 62 /3
Yucca Net: 857 /54
Four Corners Net: 525 /52
For a listing of all nets in New Mexico please go to http://www.swcp.com/~n5zgt/abqham.htm#nets
This list is provided by Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT who is our Rocky Mountain Division Director. Thanks again Brian.
Silent Key Report, October, 2008
As of October 30 we had NO Silent Keys.
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for errors, omissions, and accuracy of items appearing on this page. All
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