Greetings everyone, welcome to "Dale's Tales"
for September 2017.
With the nominations now closed for the Great Lakes
Division Awards, the Committee is now
reviewing the applications. Thanks to so many for offering nominations
for these awards. Without doubt, the
committee will have its job cut out for it as the selections are made from so
many well-qualified individuals in Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. The following Division awards are under
consideration: George S. Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award;
Technical Achievement Award; DX Achievement Award; Young Radio Amateur of the
Year Award; and the Joseph J. Phillips, K8QOE, Newsletter Award. The award
presentations will be made at the Great Lakes Division Convention Banquet in conjunction with Great
Lakes HamCon at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI on October 7
& 8.
Speaking of that, the Great Lakes HamCon and the ARRL
Great Lakes Division Convention will be
upon us in a month. We are pleased that our selection of Forums will bring some top-notch events
to the Convention.
On Saturday:
Opening Ribbon Cutting and Kickoff Session and ARRL Forum
Dan Romanchik KB6NU will present his Tech-in-a-Day
License Class
The Ford Amateur Radio League will conduct FCC exams
following the class
Marsha Fleming N8FE will host the gathering of the Young Ladies
Radio League, the YLRL
South East Michigan DX Assn will host the DX Forum - Al
K8SIX and Stan AC8W will moderate
The Ohio Section will host our Clubs Forum - Tom WB8LCD
will be the moderator
The Mad River RC will host the Contesting Forum - Dave
K8CC will moderate
Carl Leutzelschwab K9LA will conduct the forum on Radio
Propagation
Joe Eisenburg K0NEB will host the forum Kit Building
Techniques for Success
Tom Bosscher K8TB will conduct a forum on Fox Hunting,
followed by an actual hunt on the MIS track infield
The Michigan QRP Club will host a forum on Operating QRP
- Pete W8KS will moderate
Carole Perry WB2MGP will lead our 2017 Youth Forum
Yaesu will present a forum on their Fusion digital
products - hosted by John Kruk N9UPC
In addition to all of these activities, Saturday's events
will be followed by the ARRL Banquet featuring ARRL President Rick Roderick
K5UR as the featured speaker. Here will
present the Divisions Awards and the banquet will be followed by an initiation
for new members of the Royal Order of the Wouff Hong.
Sunday's activities includes these forums and events:
The Toledo Mobile RA will host a forum on operating from
Museum Ships - Glenn W8MUK will moderate
Dan KB6NU will host the Forum on Operating CW.
ARES Forum hosted by the Division SECs
NTS Forum hosted by the STMs
Grand Prize Awards
The HamCon team really feels that a great cross-section
of amateur radio activities is represented with this selection of forums and
events. The emphasis has been focused on
learning activities, each session offering an insight to a particular facet of
ham radio, ranging from sessions for new YLs, the latest in youth activities,
plus information for both the new comer and the seasoned veteran. You can stay up to date with the planned
activities at: glhamcon.org
TOM'S COMMENTS:
Comments from our Vice Director Tom Delaney W8WTD
We're all very aware of disasters this month as we watch
the still-unfolding events in Texas. It
was interesting to check into a net last week and be asked "how well
prepared are you to shelter in place for several days?" The responses varied. Some sounded quite ready, others not so much. Those who didn't have enough preparation
reluctantly agreed that perhaps they needed to do some more. If you're one of those people, resources are
available to help, such as "www.ready.gov."
As a long-time Red Cross volunteer who has worked on
disaster relief in a number of situations, and been in on even more planning
exercises, I see the question for hams as having two parts. First, of course, is keeping yourself and
your family safe. Some of that is just
having the necessary items to either shelter in place or to evacuate to a place
of safety when necessary. And many of us
have stand-by power for our radios, so we can communicate from home either for
our own needs or for those around us.
The second part is what a lot of dedicated ARES
volunteers do --be prepared to help others, whether in your local community or
someplace farther away. And for that,
you need the various go-kits that we all put together. I was thinking about how my own
"go-kit" has evolved over the years.
I finally took out the phone wires and telephone that have been in there
a long time. And the roll of quarters
for that pay phone that may have still been operational on a corner
somewhere. Don't laugh. At one point, those were important. So now we have new tools, but we need to keep
up with the times. An annual review of
what is in there is probably very useful for each of us to stay ready. Maybe at your next club meeting everyone
could do a "show and tell" of go kits.
We always inspire each other to think about that one item
we've overlooked.
Ham radio has always had a component of public
service. We each need to do our part to
be ready when the time comes.
73, Tom W8WTD Vice Director, Great Lakes Division
HAMFESTING: Here
is the current Great Lakes Division ARRL Sanctioned Hamfest Schedule covering
the remainder of the year. These swaps
have received their sanctioning approval from ARRL HQ at the time of this
publication. We have approximately 65
ARRL hamfests each year in the Division.
I do encourage each Hamfest Chair to register early for ARRL
Sanctioning. Be sure to invite your ARRL
Officials as soon as your date is set.
9/9/17 Grand
Rapids GRAHamfest Wyoming, MI
9/9/17 Greater
Louisville Hamfest Sheperdsville,
KY
9/10/17 Findlay Findlay,
OH
9/16/17 Richmond
Fall Hamfest Richmond, KY
9/17/17 Adrian Adrian,
MI
9/23/17 GM
ARC Trunk Swap Shelby
Twp, MI
9/23/17 OHKYIN
ARS Hamfest Cincinnati,
OH
9/24/17 Cleveland
Hamfest Berea, OH
9/30/17 Mich-a-Con
& Iron Range Crystal
Falls, MI
9/30/17 Paintsville
Hamfest Paintsville,
KY
10/7/17 Cave
Run Hamfest Moorehead,
KY
10/7/17 Vette
City Bowling
Green, KY
10/7 & 8 Great
Lakes Div. Convention Brooklyn, MI
10/7/17 Scioto
Valley Chillicothe
OH
10/15/17 Conneaut
Hamfest Conneaut,
OH
10/21/17 Muskegon
Color Tour Muskegon, MI
10/22/17 Kalamazoo Kalamazoo,
MI
10/28/17 Hazard Hazard,
KY
10/29/17 Massilon Massilon,
OH
10/29/17 USECA Madison
Hts, MI
11/4/17 Grant
ARC Hamfest Georgetown,
OH
12/3/17 Lanse
Creuse Madison
Heights, MI
Be sure to check your Section's news pages for the latest
local happenings, club and net information.
73, Let's be radio-active.
Dale Williams WA8EFK
Director
Great Lakes Division
