ARRL NC Section Newsletter
January 2016
Posted Jan 30, 2016
Greetings from Karl W4CHX, your ARRL NC Section Manager!
HR 1301 AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT OF 2015 (UPDATE) - As of January
27th, HR 1301 has 118 co-sponsors, including 5 Representatives from
North Carolina: David Price (D-NC-4); Walter Jones, Jr (R-NC-3);
Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); and, Renee Elmers
(R-NC-2). Source:
S 1685 AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT OF 2015 (UPDATE) - In June 2015, S
1685 Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 was introduced in the US Senate.
The wording in S 1685 and HR 1301 are identical. Senator Roger F.
Wicker (R-MS) introduced S 1685 into the US Senate. As of January
27th, there are 3 co-sponsors: Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the
original co-sponsor of the Bill; Senator Al Franken (D-MN); and,
Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). Source:
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR, HR 1301 SPONSOR TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF AMATEUR RADIO
PARITY ACT - On January 12th, HR 1301 Amateur Radio Parity Act was
discussed during hearings conducted by the US House Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology. For further information, including the
comments from Representatives Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR) and Adam
Kinsinger (R-IL), see
ARRL PRESIDENT KAY CRAIGIE, N3KN, CONCLUDING NEARLY 3 DECADES AS A
LEAGUE OFFICIAL - After completing her third term, ARRL President Kay
Craigie, N3KN, "passed the baton" as the ARRL Board of Directors
elected her successor during its 2016 Annual Meeting on January 15th
and 16th. For further information, including her comments on this
transition, see
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: RICK RODERICK, K5UR, ELECTED AS ARRL'S 16TH
PRESIDENT - At its 2016 Annual Meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors
elected ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR of Little Rock
(AR), as the ARRL's next president. For further information,
including other Board elections, see
TOM GALLAGHER, NY2RF, WILL SUCCEED DAVID SUMNER, K1ZZ AS ARRL CEO -
Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, of West Palm Beach, FL will succeed David Sumner,
K1ZZ, as the chief executive officer of ARRL, effective April 18TH. Tom
NY2RF will join the ARRL staff as CEO-Elect on February 29th, and a
transition period will follow. For further information, see
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS (AuxComm) COURSE TO BE OFFERED IN CONJUNCTION
WITH ORLANDO HAMCATION 2016 (DEADLINE, 2/1) - The Office of Emergency
Communications, Department of Homeland Security will be offering their
Auxiliary Communications (AuxComm) Course on February 9-11, 2016 in the
Orlando, FL area. More than 1,200 amateur radio operators in the US
have taken the course. The purpose of the AuxComm course is train
qualified amateur radio operators to assist local, county, and state
government with ICS-compliant emergency backup communications, if
requested. Registration for the AuxComm course is now open. Please
note that applicants must meet all course prerequisites; and, only
students with pre-approved registration will be allowed to attend the
AuxComm course. The course is limited to 40 students. The deadline
for registration and submitting the copies of your certificates is
Monday, February 1, 2016. It is important that certifications are
received by the OEC prior to the deadline. The requirements for the
AuxComm course are completion of ICS-100B, 200B, 700A, and 800B; and, a
signed copy of their amateur radio license. For further information,
see
NORTH CAROLINA QSO PARTY (2/28) - The following information was
received from Marty Young, W4MY: "The North Carolina QSO Party is
again planned for February 28, 2016, 10am - 8pm EST. Significant
changes this year worth mentioning are new high power categories, Voice
of America Bonus station, and synergy with the South Carolina QSO Party
for "The Carolina Weekend". Be sure to check out the website,
REMINDER! ARRL INVITING NOMINATIONS FOR SIX AWARDS (DEADLINES, MARCH
- APRIL, 2016) - The ARRL is inviting nominations for six (6)
awards honoring excellence in amateur radio. The awards include: 1)
the Hiram Percy Maxim Award, which honors a young amateur radio
operator; 2) the ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award; 3)
the ARRL Microwave Development Award; 4) the ARRL Technical Service
Award; 5) the ARRL Technical Innovation Award; and, the Knight
Distinguished Service Award. For further information on these awards
and others, the nomination procedures, and deadlines, see
FOUNDATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO INVITES SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
(DEADLINE, 4/15) - The Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc invites
applications for the 2016-2017 academic year for the 46 scholarships it
administers. The deadline for applications is April 15th; however, the
applications can be edited until May 7th. For further information, see
HAMS TURN OUT TO HELP AS MASSIVE SNOWFALL STUNS SEVERAL STATES - On
Monday, January 25th, the ARRL website included an article on Hams
providing assistance during the recent snow storm. Tom Brown, N4TAB,
Section Emergency Coordinator, was quoted in that article regarding the
response in our State, see
ARRL NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR 2016 - The ARRL National Parks On The
Air is QRV! Big time! The number of activated stations is impressive
- just take a look at your favorite DX spotting website, or check out
the list of Upcoming Registered Events at
REDESIGNED FCC WEBSITE MAKES IT EASY FOR HAMS TO FILE INTERFERENCE
COMPLAINTS - At the request of ARRL, the FCC has made it easier for
amateur radio operators to file their own RF interference and other
complaints on the redesigned FCC website. For further information,
including detailed instructions on how to file a complaint, see
LICENSING CLASSES -
Wilkesboro (NC): Technician licensing class, February 1 to April 11,
2016, sponsored by Foothills Amateur Radio Club, contact Dave Ritter,
ND4MR by phone at (336) 838-6124 or by email at david dot ritter at
wilkescc dot edu for further information.
Gastonia (NC): Technician licensing class, February 13, 2016, sponsored
by Greater Gaston Radio Society, contact Tony Jones, N4ATJ by phone at
(704) 827-2138 or by email at n4atj at bellsouth dot net for further
information.
Raleigh (NC): General licensing class, February 27 to March 19, 2016,
sponsored by Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, contact Murray Merner K4MHM
by phone at (919) 803-7973 or by email at k4mhm at arrl dot net for
further information. To find upcoming classes, go to
MEDIA HITS AND REPORTS - The following media hits and reports are
included in this month's newsletter:
On Chestley Edward Burton, Jr, KA4ELE (SK), see
On Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, being elected CEO of the ARRL, see
The following report was received from Virginia Enzor, NC4VA:
"SKYWARN Recognition Day 2015: A Success! By Virginia Enzor NC4VA,
CCS Emergency Coordinator. SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) took place
Saturday, December 5, 2015, from 0000-2400 UTC. Created in 1999 by the
National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, the event
celebrated the contributions that SKYWARN radio operators make to the
National Weather Service to help keep their communities safe. During
the event, SKYWARN operators contacted other NWS offices and spotters
across the nation. Radio operators exchanged names, call signs,
locations, signal reports, and a 1- or 2-word weather report. Over 90
NWS offices across the country participated in this annual event.
Central Carolina SKYWARN (CCS) enthusiastically teamed up with the
Raleigh National Weather Service for the 16th annual SKYWARN
Recognition Day, operating under the call sign WX4NC. On the air from
7-10:30pm on Friday and 8am-7pm on Saturday at the NWS office on
Centennial Campus in Raleigh, the WX4NC team consisted of NWS Warning
Coordination Meteorologist Nick Petro WX3H, former NWS
Meteorologist-in-Charge Darin Figurskey KC2IPY, CCS Emergency
Coordinator Virginia Enzor NC4VA, CCS Assistant Emergency Coordinator
Bob Woodson WX4MMM, CCS Assistant Emergency Coordinator Scott Lewis
KJ4BPV, Statewide Deputy AUXCOMM Coordinator Frank Pleshe N3FRP,
Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator - Central Branch Steve Misel
K4WEB, Wake County Assistant Emergency Director Steve Newton KJ4TTU,
Jackson Newton, Lauren Petro KF7RCU, John Stone K3RHJ, Pam Lewis
KB4PAM, Ken Stark W4KJS, Randy Stark WN4RSS, and Jose Guzman KD4JWF.
For VHF/UHF, we used two permanently installed dual band Kenwood TMD7
radios with Diamond dual band vertical antennas and a temporary ICOM
208 with magmount antenna. There were 3 HF radios - the NWS'
Kenwood TS 570S, Scott Lewis' Kenwood TS 120, and Virginia Enzor's
IC-7000. Antennas included a Buckmaster and inverted dipoles for 20
and 40 meters. Good propagation and teamwork favored us to earn the F1
Tornado certificate by contacting 51 NWS offices. We also contacted 44
out of 50 states and accumulated a total of 352 contacts. Our most
distant contacts were 2E0LUN in Kempston Rural, England and OE3CHC in
Vienna, Austria! To see the scores of all participating offices,
please visit
The following information, part of a longer communication sent to the members of the Hamstead Hams, was received from Stan White, KI4NC: "..... It was an honor to present "First Contact Awards" to Max Gregor KM4HFM and Charlie Wilson KM4ODO this morning. These men have hit the ground running and are providing a public service in and around Pender County by using their amateur radio license to help others. Great job, men! ..... Following the [January] meeting, we held our first VE exam session of the year. It was exciting to see 4 leave with their Technician ticket and 2 leave with their General ticket! I would like to extend congratulations to Kirk Binning KD5OSN on passing his General exam. ..... Thanks to all the VEs who helped proctor the exams: Jeff Holmes NC4JF, John Griffith N4JPG, Nick Zedlar KK4FYL, Stan Harts KK4WCW, Ron Bovender KC4RB, Mack Coleman KK4IRV, and Lucas Coleman KK4FVC. No VEs, no new Hams! ..... 73 Stan KI4NC." Eleven days later, the following email from Stan KI4NC was received: "..... The new call signs have posted and are as follows: David Parker KM4QIF, Debra Heath KM4QIG, Jordan Duncan KM4QIH, and Danny Buck KM4QII. Stay warm! 73 Stan KI4NC." Congratulations to everyone on their accomplishments; and, to Stan White, KI4NC, President, Hampstead Hams, for providing this information!
The following (edited) information was received from Lane Kendall,
WK4WC: "Carolina Traffic Information Net. Net Control W2EAG Mark.
Beginning Saturday, January 16th at 5pm local time on 3.923 MHz LSB.
Subsequent nets will be held every Saturday at 5pm, with a possible
shift to Sunday at 5pm after football season. According to Mark W2EAG,
the nets will continue as long as propagation holds out on 80 meters.
Thanks and 73, Lane WK4WC." This is an extraordinary opportunity for
Hams interested in the ARRL National Traffic System (NTS) to learn about
traffic handling from Mark Rappaport, W2EAG of New Bern, a key member of
the NTS. Mark W2EAG wrote the book, "An Instructors Guide To Training
Traffic Handlers", which is available at
The following information was received from Stan White, KI4NC:
"National Parks On The Air (NPOTA). All, I am pleased to announce
that Pender County ARES, along with the Hampstead Hams, will be
operating from Moores Creek National Battlefield on February 27th and
28th for NPOTA. Our activation will be in concert with the 240th
anniversary celebration of the Battle of the Moores Creek Bridge;
February 27, 1776. More information can be found here:
The following information was received from Philip Jenkins, N4HF: "The Road Show ARC is doing a "Two-fer" this Saturday and Sunday, Jan 30-31st. Using the call WA4TRS, the club will be participating in Winter Field Day AND activating a National Historic Site, the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC." Thanks to Philip Jenkins, N4HF, an ARRL-trained Public Information Officer, for providing this information!
NTS SECTION TRAFFIC REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2015 - QNI (total check-ins): 2,050; Total messages passed: 523. Station Activity Reports (SARs), total number: K4IWW 335, KC4PGN 174, WK4WC 163, W4DNA 148, WB4ZIQ 94, W2EAG 79, W4TTO 76, KW4EMG 42, KJ4JPE 41, W4EAT 40, AK4RJ 38, KE4AHC 34, KI4UDZ 25, WC9CW (formerly KM4HSO) 22. Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR), total number: KW4EMG 200, KJ4JPE 150, W4DNA 145, WK4WC 135, K4IWW 130, WB4ZIQ 120, KI4UDZ 115, KK4LGM 115, W2EAG 110, W4TTO 100, WC9CW (formerly KM4HSO) 87, KM4HXX 86, AK4RJ 72. Thanks to all stations for participating in NC Section traffic activities; and, to Dave Roy, W4DNA, Section Traffic Manager, for providing this information!
REMINDER! NET CONTROL STATIONS NEEDED FOR TARHEEL EMERGENCY NET -
Additional Net Control Stations are needed for the Tarheel Emergency
Net (THEN), which meets daily at 7:30 PM local time on 3.923 MHz. If
you are involved in ARES - NC AUXCOMM activities, would like to
participate in net operations, and improve your operating skill please
consider becoming a Net Control Station for the THEN. For further
information on the THEN, see
SILENT KEYS - With deep regret, the passing of the following amateur radio operators is reported: Chestley Edward Burton, Jr, KA4ELE (SK) of Sunset Beach; Elwood Thornton Daughety, Jr, KB4EFE (SK) of Kinston; Eugene Lane ("Gene") Underwood, KE4JZU (SK) of Greenville, NC; and, Daniel L. Whitehead, Jr, KK4DMS (SK) of Durham, NC. Please note it is not possible to post information about an amateur radio operator that has become a Silent Key without confirmation via a copy of an obituary or death certificate.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS -
March 12-13: Battle of Guilford Courthouse - 235th Anniversary,
1300Z-1900Z, N4G, Greensboro, NC. Greensboro Amateur Radio Association.
21.325 14.325 7.235. QSL. N4G Special Event Station, GARA, PO Box 7054,
Greensboro, NC 27417. DSTAR REF054C. This event is NPOTA activation
(MP-04). Request SASE for QSL.
UPCOMING HAMFESTS AND CONVENTIONS -
March 11-12: Charlotte Hamfest, Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Society,
Concord, NC,
Several days later, my wife, Gale K4GGB, and I drove to Orlando to attend a continuing education meeting. We were surprised by the cold weather - at least one day had overnight temperatures (F) in the 30s! The weather in Orlando was a hint of what we would encounter upon our return to Raleigh.
Then, came the weekend of January 22nd-24th..... Wow! I set up some battery-powered emergency communications equipment and on Friday morning (1/22), listened to Central Carolina SKYWARN, which had been activated. That evening, it was noted that 33 Hams from around the State "checked in" to the Tarheel Emergency Net. Thanks to everyone for participating in these nets! I am certain, though, that other Hams, in other locations in our State, were involved, too! With that in mind: thanks to ALL amateur radio operators that responded to the needs of their communities during this adverse weather event!
Finally, to all the clubs and individuals participating in Winter Field Day (1/30-31), have fun and be safe!
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or want
to provide input on our Section. I can be reached via email at