NCARRL September 11, 2023 Newsletter

GREETINGS FROM THE HIGH COUNTRY

In the past week, we have had weather which varied from beautiful and clear and near perfect, all the way over to severe weather marked by significant amounts of lighting and thunder including flash flood warnings in locations from the High Country, with the jumble of weather alerts extending all the way over to the eastern edges of the Piedmont.

A few leaves have changed color and the wind caused some leaves to fall to the ground. 

FCC MATTERS

On August 30, the FCC issued a special temporary waiver that allows stations involved in emergency hurricane-related traffic to use Pactor 4.  The waiver is in effect for sixty days.  Information can be found at http://arrl.org/news/hurricane-idalia-fcc-approves-arrl-petition-to-aid-emergency-communications .  Note that the ARRL announcement states:

“The waiver, which was granted August 30, is for a 60-day relief period from the rules, based upon the immediate need related to the threat of Hurricane Idalia. It would cover use directly related to any additional hurricanes that may develop within the 60-day period. Only messages related to these hurricanes would be permitted to be sent via the higher-speed modes, and only publicly documented modes would be allowed.”

ROANOKE DIVISION TOWN HALL – SEPTEMBER 14

You are invited to participate in a virtual Town Hall which will be held at 8 -9 p.m. on Thursday, September 14, which will involve Roanoke Division Director Jim Boehner (N2ZZ), Vice Director Bill Morine (N2COP), plus Section Managers from West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  This will give ARRL members an opportunity to talk with the leaders in the Roanoke Division and the four Sections in the Division.  A link to the Division Town Hall can be found at the ARRL RK Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1508638373237618 .

W1AW/4

Information has been received from the Carolina DX Association concerns the upcoming W1AW/4 operation which starts on September 27 and continues for a week. Portions of the information follows.

“CDXA is again spearheading the NC activation which is from 00:00 UTC on September 27th to 23:59 UTC October 3rd.  CDXA has created a registration form on the CDXA Website at: https://cdxa.org/vota-nc.php .  

Any station in NC can register.  Registrants choose the desired; date, time period, mode and band.  For this event, ARRL limits our band/mode operations to one station on a band/mode at any given time.  For example, for 20 Meter band operations, there can be only one station on CW, one station on Phone, and one station on Digital.  You may sign up for any open period per day and the periods will be assigned on a first come first served basis by timestamp.  Please

Activators will use the W1AW/4 call sign and must provide an .adi logfile to a link that will be provided to activators by me and preferably, in addition, to me also by the October 15th.  I will take all of the files and generate a master log file for the ARRL.  You may use any logging program capable of generating an .adi file; only electronic logs will be accepted.”.  (message received from W1AJT on Sep 1, 2023, 4:30 PM.)

UPCOMING HAMFESTS

a.      09/23/2023 - Lexington Hamfest, Lexington, NC, Sponsored by the Healing Springs Mountain VHF Society, Website: http://www.w4par.org      

b.      10/08/2023 - Maysville Hamfest, Sponsored by Maysville Hamfest Assoc, Website: http://www.maysvillehamfest.org

c.       October 14, 2023, Winston-Salem Fall Fest, Sponsored by the Forsyth Amateur Radio Club, Website: http://www.w4nc.com

d.      November 19, 2023, JARSFEST, Benson, NC , Sponsored by the Johnston Amateur Radio Society, Website:  https://www.jars.net/

SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO KQ4KVB

Word has been received from our friends in the far southwest corn of North Carolina that Anna Grace Davis earned her Technician license in a recent test session held by the Murphy Chapter of the Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society.  Anna Grace appears to be the only person with Down Syndrome known to have earned an Amateur Radio License.  Congratulations, Anna Grace, on your unique achievement in earning your license.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS AND OTHERS WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST ON SEPTEMER 11, 2001

·         343 MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT INCLUDING FIREFIGHERS AND PARAMEDICS

·         23 NYPD OFFICERS

·         37 PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICERS

·         44 PASSENGERS AND CREW WHO DIED ON FLIGHT 93 HIJACKED AND CRASHED IN SHANKSVILLE PA

·         64 PASSENGERS AND CREW WHO DIED ON FLIGHT 77 WHICH WAS HIJACKED AND CRASHED AT THE PENTAGON

·         125 MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WHO WERE KILLED AT THE PENTAGON ON 9/11

·         2016 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WHO DIED IN WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWER 1 AND TOWER 2

The passage of 22 years has not dimmed our memory of how a beautiful morning was transformed into a day of heroism, tragedy and sacrifice that altered our sense of security and left so many families to cope with their losses.

Marv, WA4NC

Boone