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News last updated: Wed, August 20, 2008 at 12:14 PM ET
West Texas Section News August 2008
Corrected 8/20/2008
News from around West Texas
The Panhandle ARC and the Northwest Texas ARC provided communications and logistics support for a 2-day MS150 bike event that started in Amarillo and ended the next day in Canadian, Texas. Numerous repeaters across the Texas Panhandle were used in supporting the 150-mile bike race. Moore County ARES EC W5ABR organized the communications support. Participants included KD5DYP, KE5KUL, N5HPJ, N5YXN, N5ZLU, WB5BUL, KD5AZO, KB7H, AD5EZ, W5RAW, KD5DYN, N5LTZ, WA5ETK, W5ABR, K5BOB, and WD5FOI.
The Amarillo QCWA Chapter will again be participating in the Route 66 Event from September 13-21 using the special callsign W6I. Look for the Amarillo group during this fun event. They always have a neat QSL.
Taylor County ARES continues to work on their IRLP project linking several repeaters in the Big Country area. They have secured a site for the Callahan County 30 repeater and ARES coverage will extend eastward to interface with North Texas ARES. Abilene is an official hurricane evacuation point and Taylor ARES is making contingency plans in case they are needed during the upcoming hurricane season.
Congratulations to our Affiliated Club Coordinator Jim Musgrove (K5BZH) of Amarillo. Jim and Carol (WD5DCZ) now have three generations of hams in their family. Their son, granddaughter, and grandson recently passed the Tech license. Thanks to a spark generated by a GOTA Field Day experience, we have three new hams. Jim and I are working on a couple of projects and we need more involvement from the ARRL Affiliated Clubs and our membership. ARRL HQ recently announced the Triple Play WAS Award for working all 50 states on all three modes (SSB, CW, and Digital). Initial reports are that the new award will have a January 1, 2009 starting date. During our initial discussions, two WTX clubs expressed their desire to support a plaque honoring the first West Texas recipient of the Triple Play Award. We are still working on the details but mark your calendar...the race begins New Year's Day.
The Midland ARC invites everyone to their September 8th Tailgate party at the MARC Clubhouse. Spaces are free. J.T. will have the coffee and donuts ready at 8:00 AM. Make a few trades, swap a few stories, or just hang out. Hot dogs will be ready around noon. Bring your own tailgate and join the fun. More information at http://www.w5qgg.org See you there.
The San Angelo ARC will be operating a Special Event Station September 20, 2008 commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Butterfield Overland Mail. They will also be participating in the Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) in October.
The August issue of QST had an interesting Op-Ed piece entitled "We Must Lead to Advance". El Paso County ARES Coordinator Lew Maxwell (KB5HPT) wrote a follow-up article for the August issue of the El Paso ARC newsletter. Here is a portion of what Lew wrote.
"If we want to be invited to the party we must have something to offer that our clients want and need. It must be something they cannot procure elsewhere. For complex messages, voice, Morse code, radiograms, and traditional Packet radio won't do. They are too slow, translation is required, they are inflexible, prone to error, no permanent record, not self-originating, and not point-to-multipoint delivery. Like the article says we use to be on the cutting edge of technology. We had a service that was in high demand. Over the years we have set idle and let technology pass us by. We have to get back on top and the way to do that is to have a service that is in tune with today's technology. That is what our clients are use to and that is what they want. It's their party and we want to be invited. If you would like to be in the forefront of reviving EMCOMM in El Paso County join our ARES® group and play an active role."
You may not agree 100% with the QST guest author, but the topic is certainly something that we need to discuss. Dig your August QST out from under the stack of round tuits on your operating desk and reread the article on page 100. Discuss it at the next club meeting, talk it over with the ARES team...even better, drop me a note with your thoughts. I will try to summarize and include them in the next newsletter.
John Dyer
AE5B
West Texas Section Manager
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ARES® NEWS from WTX SEC J.T. Caldwell, WA5ZFH
ARES REPORT FOR July 2008
Total Number of ARES® members: 282
Number of DECs/ECs reporting: 11
Number of ARES® nets active: 11
Number with NTS liaison: 2
DECs/ECs reporting: KD5HYB, NL7C, W5ZOX, W5ABR, KB5HPT, KJ5DX, KE5NYB, KB5JXO, KD5URW, W5RAW, KM5VM
Number of drills, tests and training sessions: 14
Man-hours: 98
Number of Public Service events: 2
Man-hours: 69
Number of emergency operations:
Man-hours:
Total number of ARES operations: 7
Man-hours: 75
Comments SEC:
July finds many of us involved with our families, vacations and getting kids ready for school. Soon we will be getting ready for our set drills. This year we will be giving all WTX ARES a chance to participate. I will send a HF frequency that we will be using during the Midland ARES Set Drill to all the EC and DEC's. It will be active between 10AM and 12 noon October 4. Several WTX units are planning there Set Drills for the 4th of October and this will add something new and a good test of our abilities. We have areas in WTX where there are only a couple of members and this will help them to become more involved. Much is being done in many of our ARES groups. The addition of both fixed and portable repeaters, mobile communication units, communication trailers and dedicated go kits will greatly enhance our ability to respond to any situation. In addition, there has been much work on new methods of communicating with an emphasis on getting the message through.
Signature: J. T. Caldwell Call Sign: WA5ZFH
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Silent Key Report
C. B. Smith (W5FLA) Kermit
George Parker (WB5JLG) Midland
Ronnie Skaggs (WA5PTO) Abilene
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West Texas Net Reports July 2008
Name/sessions/checkins
Big Bend Emergency Net: 4/168
Concho Valley 2 Meter Net: 4/68
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Coming 2008 WTX Events
Aug 23 noon-3PM Skywarn Spotter Appreciation Day Midland NWS (MAF)
Sept 6 8:00AM until??? Midland Tailgate Sale
Sept 13-21 Route 66 Event W6I Amarillo
Oct 4 West Texas Simulated Emergency Test
Oct 4 Belton Hamfest
Big Bend Emergency Net/ West Texas Section Net 3922 Khz Sunday at 8:30 AM CDT
Panhandle Traffic and Emergency Net 3933 KHz 7:00PM CDT
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