KDØCL
West Bloomington 147.090+ Tone: None Central Bloomington Analog/Fusion 443.175+ DCS: 165
The forecast on Sunday afternoon looks quite nice, so I’m planning to operate portable on 20 meters at Kenwood Park, somewhere on the hill near the center of the park from 2-5 PM CDT. If you’d like to come by and join me, you’re welcome to do so. It’ll be a bit like Field Day, except shorter (but very likely good weather). Bringing a pair of headphones/earbuds and a logging device (pad of paper, notebook, phone, computer) is recommended.
Left to my own devices I’ll be operating using Morse code, but I’ll have capability for all modes including voice, FT8, and RTTY for anyone who wants to join in and doesn’t know code by ear.
April Meeting Canceled
After consultation with the forecast products from the National Weather Service forecast office in Chanhassen, we have decided to cancel the in-person meeting tonight. Heavy snow throughout the day will make travel difficult this evening, and the BARA meeting is not sufficiently important to hold in-person.
However, we will take this opportunity to make use of the BARA repeater (147.090 MHz, +600 kHz offset, no tone), and will hold a net at 7:30 PM CDT. The BARA amendment vote will be held in May.
I hope to hear you on the air tonight!
April 3 Meeting: Bylaws Change
At the February meeting, a change in the Constitution and Bylaws was proposed to eliminate the requirement to hold a post office box. We did not reach a quorum at our March meeting. The change is now on the agenda for the April 3 meeting (7:30 PM, Haeg conference room, Bloomington Civic Plaza). The document showing the changes (eliminating the post office box requirement, updated dates, and a few minor corrections to names and locations) can be found here.
Meeting Date Change: Next Meeting Tuesday Feb. 13
Because of a conflict with precinct caucuses on Tuesday Feb. 6th, the BARA meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday Feb. 13th. We will still meet in the Haeg conference room at Bloomington Civic Plaza at 7:30 PM, and our program will be on Logbook of the World.
As a reminder, if you haven’t already downloaded the TQSL program and submitted your request for a certificate, you should do that soon. To get your certificate you will need to receive a postcard the ARRL sends through the postal system, which can take a while. Instructions on how to do all this can be found here.
Similarly, the November meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday November 13th, 2018, to avoid conflict with the general election. See the Secretary of State’s website for information on voter registration, early/absentee voting, sample ballots, polling places, and other elections-related information.
2018 January Meeting Slides and Grid Square Chase Presentation
Here are my January 2018 meeting slides and my presentation on the grid square chase
2018JanuaryBARA
The ARRL International Grid Chase begins January 1st
A new and exciting operating event will kick off on January 1, 2018, at 0000 UTC (New Year’s Eve in US time zones), when the ARRL International Grid Chase gets under way. The year-long event hopes to build on the success of the highly successful 2016 National Parks on the Air (NPOTA). The objective is to work stations on any band (except 60 meters) in as many different Maidenhead grid squares as possible, and then upload your log data to ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). Registration is free, and it costs nothing to use LoTW. Many hams are familiar with grid squares from the VHF/UHF and satellite realms, and everyone lives in one. ARRL’s VUCC is based on grid squares, and some contests on HF, as well as on VHF and UHF, also use them as a scoring factor.
John Morris, G4ANB, came up with the locator system, which the VHF Working Group adopted in 1980 at a meeting in Maidenhead, England — thus the term “Maidenhead grid square.” The system divvies up the entire globe into 324 fields, each containing 100 grid squares 1° latitude by 2° longitude in size. With 32,400 potential grid squares, it’s not likely that anyone will run out of challenges, even though some grid squares are surrounded entirely by water, are in areas that are uninhabited, or are difficult to access.
If you don’t know your grid square, David Levine, K2DSL, has an online calculator. Just enter a postal address, ZIP code or a call sign, and his site will tell you the grid square for that location. For example, enter “W1AW” and the site will return “FN31pr.” For the purposes of the ARRL International Grid Chase, though, just the two initial letters and the two numbers that follow (e.g., FN31) are all you need to know.
Once you get active in the chase and start uploading your log data, each new grid square contact confirmed through LoTW will count toward your monthly total. Getting started is simple: Turn on the radio and call CQ or “CQ Grid Chase,” or listen for others doing the same. Make the contact, exchange grid squares, log it, and move on to another. At the end of each month, your totals on the Grid Chase Leader Board will reset to zero, although the system retains all monthly data to determine top finishers in various categories at the end of the year.
Any contact you make in 2018 can count for your Chase score; it doesn’t have to involve an exchange of grid squares. As long as the other operators participate in LoTW, you’ll get credit automatically when they upload their logs. This means that contest contacts will also count, as will contacts with special event stations, or other on-air activity that uses LoTW to confirm contacts.
Some radio amateurs live in sparsely populated grid squares, and if you’re one of those, you could find yourself handling a pileup! Expeditions to hard-to-reach or rare grid squares will undoubtedly evolve. You also can travel to one of those grid squares yourself. Some vehicle or hand-held GPS units can be set to display when you are in a particular grid square. Apps are available for smartphones or tablets, such as Ham Square for iOS devices or HamGPS for Android devices.
There are no restrictions on modes or bands, as long as they are legal. Satellite contacts are valid for the Chase. The event is open to all radio amateurs.
Awards
As all contacts are uploaded to LoTW, participants may use their contacts toward other ARRL awards, in addition to the overall monthly and annual Grid Chase recognitions. These other ARRL awards include the grid-based VHF-UHF Century Club (VUCC) and Fred Fish Memorial Award, as well as Worked All States (WAS), WAS Triple Play, DX Century Club (DXCC), and Worked All Continents (WAC).
Complete details of the ARRL International Grid Chase will appear in the December 2017 issue of QST. The digital edition is available on Friday, November 10.
St. Cloud Cabin Fever Reliever January 27th
The Best Hamfest In Central Minnesota
Saturday, January 27th, 2018
The National Guard Armory
1710 Veterans Drive
Saint Cloud, MN 56303
Breakout Sessions Throughout the Day
QSL Card Checking
All ARRL Awards – All Bands
DXCC VUCC WAC WAS WAZ
VE Testing Starting at 10:00 am
Admission Fee NOT Required for Testing
General Admission: $8.00
Doors Open at 9:00 am – No Exceptions!
Vendors ONLY Allowed Entry at 7:00 am
Tables/BYO Table Spots are LIMITED
Vendors MUST Preregister/Prepay to Guarantee a Spot
Click on ‘Vendors’ at hamfest.w0sv.org to Register
Talk-In: 147.015+ MHz, Tone 100 Hz
For Complete Information Please Visit:
Club Officer Elections at January 2nd Meeting
Its the start of a new year and time to elect the club’s officers for 2018.
Please consider stepping up to be club president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.
See you all on Tuesday January 2nd at 7:30 P.M.
Metro Skywarn got it’s start in Bloomington in the 1960’s
Did you know Minnesota Skywarn got it start, on 80 meters, in the 1960’s. It was Bloomington hams, working with the Weather Bureau at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport, that got it started. Enjoy Dave’s article…
The History of Metro Skywarn, Inc By Dave Johnson, NØKBD
Skywarn in the Twin Cities has been around for nearly 40 years in various forms. Emerging from HF as Minnesota Amateur Weather Network in the late 1960s, the W.I.N.D.S. program was focused on Bloomington Emergency Management. In 1984, Irv Norling, then Director of Emergency Communications in the City of Bloomington, in a memo to Robert Heland (Unit 495) welcomed the Multi-county Skywarn team into the Bloomington Communications Group. A Multi-county Skywarn Net lead by a net control using call sign WCØAAA was established.Until 1992, Skywarn remained an informal organization involving the National Weather Service, the City of Bloomington represented by Charlie Kolar NØDCR, a police officer and the Bloomington Emergency Manager as well as Ramsey County Emergency Management and Homeland Security represented by Bill Hughes NØQHP. Since the mid 1980’s, a few dedicated volunteer meteorologists and Amateur Radio Operators worked year round. They trained and organized Amateur communications for 500 amateur radio operators in the seven county metro area. For awhile, some of meteorologists took a turn getting up before the sun, and writing their own severe weather outlook and read it to interested hams at 7am every morning during the severe weather season on the 146.85 repeater. Those involved included Dave Blair WBØYUC, Tom Nelson NØGQA, Dave Floyd KBØCIE, Mike Langfus NØJJL, Bob Adams KCØJJ, Rich Bann KAØBZK, Don Heppleman NØJOO and Donn Baker WA2VOI.Many of the core members moved on in their careers between 1991 and 1993. Don Heppleman led a series of meetings with a group of leaders from Bloomington Emergency Management, Ramsey County Department of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Bloomington RACES, Dakota County ARES/RACES, Carver County Radio Club, Anoka County Radio Club and Emergency Services, and Ramsey County ARES/RACES.
Skywarn in the Twin Cities has been around for nearly 40 years in various forms. Emerging from HF as Minnesota Amateur Weather Network in the late 1960s, the W.I.N.D.S. program was focused on Bloomington Emergency Management. In 1984, Irv Norling, then Director of Emergency Communications in the City of Bloomington, in a memo to Robert Heland (Unit 495) welcomed the Multi-county Skywarn team into the Bloomington Communications Group. A Multi-county Skywarn Net lead by a net control using call sign WCØAAA was established.Until 1992, Skywarn remained an informal organization involving the National Weather Service, the City of Bloomington represented by Charlie Kolar NØDCR, a police officer and the Bloomington Emergency Manager as well as Ramsey County Emergency Management and Homeland Security represented by Bill Hughes NØQHP. Since the mid 1980’s, a few dedicated volunteer meteorologists and Amateur Radio Operators worked year round. They trained and organized Amateur communications for 500 amateur radio operators in the seven county metro area. For awhile, some of meteorologists took a turn getting up before the sun, and writing their own severe weather outlook and read it to interested hams at 7am every morning during the severe weather season on the 146.85 repeater. Those involved included Dave Blair WBØYUC, Tom Nelson NØGQA, Dave Floyd KBØCIE, Mike Langfus NØJJL, Bob Adams KCØJJ, Rich Bann KAØBZK, Don Heppleman NØJOO and Donn Baker WA2VOI.Many of the core members moved on in their careers between 1991 and 1993. Don Heppleman led a series of meetings with a group of leaders from Bloomington Emergency Management, Ramsey County Department of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Bloomington RACES, Dakota County ARES/RACES, Carver County Radio Club, Anoka County Radio Club and Emergency Services, and Ramsey County ARES/RACES.
What emerged in 1993 was Metro Skywarn, a regional organization serving the 11 county metro area, newly conceived as a consortion of amateur radio, emergency management organizations and the National Weather Service. The idea was that a consortium of organization sending representatives would ensure the future of Metro Skywarn as an organization he new organization was co-chaired by Walt Marty NØRCY and Dave Johnson NØKBD. By the end of 1994 Metro Skywarn was on the path to incorporation.
Others involved in the 1990s included John Kelley NØTGY, Lynn DeLong NØCVI, Doug Reed NØNAS, Leland Helgerson WBØMLL, Matt Stepaniak NØTNL, Dave Zellman WBØYDF, Audrey Zellman NØOKX, Gene Clemens KBØMIP, Paul Emiott KØLAV, Jim Richardson WMØX, Bill Hughes NØQHP, Todd Krause KBØSGH, and Fred Fey K9LQQ. Millennial members added Curt KCØFQZ, Tim Arimond NØBYH. John Wetter KØWDJ, John Blood, Sandra Johnson KCØTSB, Steve Levens ABØYQ, Joe Chesney KCØGYJ, Kevin Huyek KB9WOB, Nick Elms WXØSVR, Lara Rodriquez WXØGRL, Mike McIlheran KØMWM, Kris Pierson KØKMP, David Gawboy KCØTRZ and Jeff Goodnuff WØKF.
Then 2010s brought the next generation of leaders, Theresa Caspers KCØGWW, Todd Megrund KØTSW, Sue Megrund KØTSM, Chris White NØCJW, Paul Johnson NØCRC, Howard Lund KCØWNL, David Riviera KØDJR (Webmaster) and Ryan Kelzenberg NØYFE.
Thanks to all the past leadership of Metro Skywarn. Without you all, none of this could have happened. For those of you I missed, I’m truly sorry. Let me know and I’ll add you to the list.
Metro Skywarn today is a consortium of Amateur and Government Public Service organizations and other individuals. Metro Skywarn’s mission is to provide trained amateur radio operators capable of making accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS. Metro Skywarn has focused it’s mission to serve the core counties of the Metro area, five counties of Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Scott, Washington and Carver. In addition, Metro Skywarn has a collaborative agreement with Wright Co. Skywarn. Organizations which send representatives include (but are not limited to) Bloomington Communications Group, Ramsey County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Twin Cities Radio Club, Twin Cities FM Club, Metro Area Repeater Association, Wright County Skywarn, the National Weather Service, Maple Grove Radio Club, and Ramsey County RCES.
Metro Skywarn is a RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) organization of volunteer Amateur Radio operators trained in emergency communications and severe weather spotting. Authorized and regulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), RACES organizations provide essential communications and warning links for state and local governments and the Red Cross during emergencies.
Trained Skywarn observers provide the Weather Service with accurate, and timely reports. If the NWS infers severe weather from radar and confirms it with spotter information, it then notifies local authorities who then can activate Civil Defense sirens. The news media receives notification so they can make reports on local broadcast stations. The volunteer spotters each spend hundreds of dollars for their equipment and gas, and together contribute thousands of man hours of volunteer time each year as spotters and net control operators. Additional expenses and time are spent in training and travel. All are Amateur Radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.
The NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Todd Krause, and NWS Skywarn Coordinator, John Wetter, put together a training program for weather spotters. Metro Skywarn adds operations training. Nearly 600 spotters are trained every year. Spotters are trained to identify severe weather and to report observed weather to Metro Skywarn Net Operators. Metro Skywarn develops the net procedures, trains net personnel, and plans and coordinates with ARES/RACES and Emergency Management organizations and repeater owners to put together several teams of operators prepared to run Skywarn nets on local Amateur Radio repeaters.
Before the 1970s, tornado outbreaks were known to kill dozens and sometimes hundreds. Minnesota statistics were not quite as staggering but bad none-the-less. Since tornado education for the general public became a priority in the late 1960s, the rate of deaths and injures have dropped precipitously. Skywarn deserves some of the credit. Again, thanks to all the volunteers that make Metro Skywarn work!
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Call sign license plates processing problems
Since the State of Minnesota implemented new software, at motor vehicle license centers, it has not been possible to transfer amateur radio license plates from one car to another. Fingers crossed they fix this problem in 2018.
Vehicle titles and tab renewals are still a problem in Minnesota. What’s going on?