Greetings everyone, welcome to "Dale's Tales"
for May 2015.
The ARRL 2015
Great Lakes Division Convention is set for August 1 in Columbus. The Voice of Aladdin Amateur Radio Club will
serve as hosts this year. We are in the
process of completing the list of forums and presenters at this time, so please
feel free to check the Division Web pages at http://arrl-greatlakes.org/ for updates
as the details and plans are finalized.
Tentative forums include DX, NVIS, Digital Voice, ARES, HF Sound Card
Modes, OSSBN/NTS, plus a couple of (pending) surprises.
HB 1301 the
"Amateur Radio Parity Act" has been introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives. The purpose of the
legislation is to allow ham radio operators living in areas controlled by
homeowners associations and on deed-restricted properties, to reasonably
install antennas. It is nice to see the
list of co-sponsors continuing to grow and the list now includes Kentucky Rep.
Brett Guthrie KY-02 who agreed to co-sponsorship this week. So, in addition to Rep. Guthrie, we currently
have support from the following in our Division: Dan Benishek MI-01, David
Joyce OH-14, and Tim Walberg MI-07. The
ARRL Web Page http://www.arrl.org/hr-1301
contains the complete text of the bill.
Please take some time to thank them and be sure to
implore your Congressperson to support HB 1301.
As I mentioned
last month, we will have a booth in the ARRL EXPO at the Dayton Hamvention to
allow you to send an appropriate letter to your congressman in support of HB
1301.
Michigan Trails
Day On the Air Two-fer Coming Up!
On May 30th, the
ever energetic Hank Greeb, N8XX and a corps of fellow enthusiasts will be
operating special event station W8T from the Long Lake Park pavillion, 10 to 4
p.m. May 30, Krauskopf Rd & M-46 in Kent County recognizing National Trails
Day along the North Country Trail. The Western Michigan Chapter of the North
Country Trail Association (NCTA) will be holding their annual public trails
event that day, and there should be plenty of people to chat with about the NCT
and amateur radio. Hank expects to be operating mostly QRP CW.
In the UP, the
Alger and Lake Effect ARC’s are joining forces during the weekend of June 6-7
to put on a Trails Day on the Air event at Muskallonge State Park, east of
Grand Marais and NW of Newberry. The NCT actually runs through the park and the
Superior Shoreline Chapter of the NCTA will have an information booth and be
offering public hikes along the NCT. Station N8T will be operating sideband and
PSK-31both days. At least one hour of Hellschreiber each day, too, for the
really odd ducks out there. Maybe even some 6-meter if someone wants to try a
sked.
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As usual, an
unusually attractive QSL card has been designed by Marge, KD8AIL to commemorate
these two events. Check out the W8T and N8T pages on QRZ.com starting May 10th
for developing operating schedules and band plans. And, as always, amateurs in
the area who would like to take a turn at the key or the public contact table
are welcome to enlist. Contact respectively Hank (n8xx@arrl.org)
and John (kc8ule@arrl.net)
for more information and coordination.
The sponsors
say: "Thanks! to the North Country Trail Association
(longest of America’s scenic trails network at 4,600 miles, traversing seven
states Vermont to South Dakota!), the Western Michigan and Superior Shoreline
NCTA chapters and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for their
cooperation in helping us put on these Trails Day on the Air events!"
My sincere
thanks go out to the large number of radio clubs around the Great Lakes
Division who distribute all or part of "Dale's Tales" in their club newsletters. This really helps getting the news out and
keeping everyone informed about what is happening in the Division and elsewhere. Of course, ARRL Members have the option of
receiving this newsletter and other bulletins directly by signing up for
e-mailed subscriptions on their Personal Web Pages at ARRL.ORG. To do this, you simply log on to the ARRL.ORG
web page and click on "Edit your profile" in yellow letters contained in the blue banner. Then select "Edit Email
Subscriptions" and click the boxes for those items you want to receive, be
sure to include "News and information from your Division Director and
Section Manager". Lastly, click
"Save" at the bottom of the page.
Hamfesting: Here is the current Great Lakes Division ARRL
Sanctioned Hamfest Schedule for the next few weeks. These swaps have received their sanctioning
approval from ARRL HQ at the time of this publication.
May 2 - Cadillac, Cadillac, MI - WB8R
May 9 - Big Sandy, Louisa, KY - KY1O
May 9 - CCRA-KCRA - Chassell, MI - WB8R
May 15, 16, 17 - Hamvention® - Dayton, OH - Everyone!!
May 30 - Ashland - Ashland, KY - KY1O
June 6 - IRA Hamfest - Hudsonville, MI - WB8R June 6 -
Princeton Hamfest - Princeton, KY - KY1O
June 6 - Fulton County - Tedrow, OH -
Ohio Cabinet
June 7 - Chelsea - Chelsea, MI - WB8R, WA8EFK
June 13 - Luce
County - Newberry, MI
June 20 - Milford - Milford, OH - N8SY
June 21 - Monroe -
Monroe, MI - WB8R, WA8EFK
Hamfest
officials: When you receive your
"Hamfest Package" from ARRL, open it immediately. Read it over and look at all of the material
you received. There is a form included
to order additional material if you deem it appropriate.
Your Division
and Section officials want to be at your events and we strive for insuring that
the ARRL is properly represented at every ARRL Sanctioned Hamfest. Conflicts can arise, such as hamfests which
might occur on the same day. It is
always a good idea for your hamfest chair to contact the Section Manager,
Vice-Director or Director early in the planning stages to insure his attendance
at the activity. This will allow time to
prepare for alternate representation in the event of time conflicts.
The ARRL
Director, Vice Director and Section Managers are available to visit local radio
clubs and give presentations about ARRL and what is happening in your Section
or Division. Please feel free to invite
any of us for an "ARRL Night" at your club. Most of the talks are prepared in a video
presentation format and can include a Q&A session as well. Advance scheduling really helps and gives you
an opportunity to publicize the event.
See pages 15 & 16 of a recent QST for contact information.
73, see you on the bands.
Dale Williams WA8EFK
Director
Great Lakes Division
