Sunday, May 1, 2016

Dale's Tales for May..


Greetings everyone, welcome to "Dale's Tales" for May, 2016.

MAY is here and soon we'll be enjoying the Dayton HamVention®.  ARRL will host the ARRL
EXPO again this year and we will include about 20 exhibit booths.  We will also include booths from
our friends at the Radio Society of Great Britain, the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, Japan Amateur Radio League, and the Quatar Amateur Radio Society.  The League is also presenting a number of forums this year.  On Friday, we will host "The ARRL Laboratory- Behind the Scenes", and "Amateur Radio and the Law".  Saturday will include "ARRL National Parks on the Air" and the "ARRL Member Forum".  Sunday's forums are "Maximizing your ARRL Field Day Effort" and the "Amateur Radio Disaster and Emergency Communications Panel". 

As the Great Lakes Division is the hosting division, I will have the opportunity to moderate the ARRL Member Forum and have booked the League's "Heavy Hitters" as guest speakers.  We will hear commentary from ARRL President Rick Roderick K5UR, ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher NY2RF, 1st VP Greg Widin KØGW, 2nd VP Brian Mileshosky N5ZGT and our International VP Jay Bellows KØQB.  These people are on top of the latest happenings in our hobby and this is the perfect setting for everyone's introduction to the League's new leadership team.  We will also include a member Question and Answer Session.  Last year's Forum was a full house, and with our new team in place this year, this is an ideal opportunity to introduce and discuss new ideas and plans.  Every one of our guest speakers will also be spending time at the ARRL EXPO. Do take to opportunity to stop at the EXPO's Meet-and-Greet area to say hello.

We plan to have many of our Headquarters staff on hand as well.  They will be present at the EXPO Booths to discuss your ideas and concerns and help you with your special interests.  Here is the EXPO booth line-up: ARRL Development/Foundation, Education and Technology, ARRL Lab, Radiosport/DXCC, National Parks on the Air, Public Service, ARRL VEC, ARRL Store, ARRL Logbook of the World, NTS, Advertising, RFinder, ARRL News, Amateur Radio Parity Act, Scouting, Discover the HF Experience, US Bank and Liberty Mutual Insurance, Field Organization / Ohio Section, Youth Rally, and IARU.   Remember the dates, May 20 - 22. 

KUDOS to the Dial Amateur Radio Club as they celebrate their 75th Anniversary.  Based in Middletown, OH, they recently hosted their Anniversary Party and displayed many interesting memorabilia from the club's history, including several hundred video slides collected and compiled for the occasion.  Ohio SM Scott N8SY, Vice Director Tom W8WTD and I were pleased to attend and help the club celebrate.

NVIS Test:  Ohio SM Scott Yonally N8SY reports that the planned NVIS event went very well last weekend.   There were many participants cross Ohio and a number of neighboring states.  The object was to simply have fun making contacts with an NVIS (near vertical incident skywave) antenna system and allow everyone to find out how well these low-to-the-ground antennas actually work.  Scott's question is now: "Is there any interest in making this a national event?"  Let him know at n8sy@arrl.net.

TOM'S COMMENTS:  Comments from our Vice Director Tom Delany W8WTD

April was the month for club meetings –for me, at least.  More than I usually go to in several months.  But a good opportunity to observe the health of amateur radio around here.  These were very different events, with a variety of topics and attendance.  All of the participants were engaged and interested in whatever aspect of ham radio was being presented.

Two events stand out.  One was a celebration –75 years for the DIAL radio club of Middletown, Ohio.  There was a proclamation and a visit from the Mayor of Middletown, and some of us representing the ARRL were there as well.  The club is aware of its history.  They have a long tradition of education and helping people once they get licenses.  They do Field Day and other events together.  Seems like a strong club.  All the best, ladies and gentlemen, and keep up the good work!

Maybe because it’s a little more rural, I was surprised by the turnout at the Highland Amateur Radio Association’s meeting.  People came from several surrounding counties.  But then when you look at the effort they put into education, it’s not so surprising.  In the month or so before the meeting, classes were held, and the week before the meeting 28 people took tests, some of them for upgrades, and 18 new people got licenses.  Given the level of involvement during the meeting and afterwards, I’d say that most of those people will be on the air and quite active in ham radio over the next year.

At two of the other meetings, there were technical presentations.  We can’t all be involved in all aspects of ham radio, but when people are willing to share new technologies, then we all find what interests us and what doesn’t.  That’s what keeps us coming to meetings, and gets us on the air in new modes, or variations of old ones.

If you’re reading this and you don’t belong to a club, think about joining one.  And if you belong already, pitch in, get active, and meet some of your fellow hams or help someone new in the hobby.  With the Dayton Hamvention® coming up, stop by your club’s table, or go to a forum and learn something new.  And while you’re at it, come and meet your Division and Section leadership teams, and meet some of the new ARRL leaders at the ARRL Expo.  See you there!

73, Tom W8WTD  Vice Director, Great Lakes Division


AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT:  Our Legislative Action Team is continuing its efforts to achievehttp://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act .  Thanks to so many of the Great lakes Division hams who have sent letters supporting the legislation.  If you have not done so, you can find a sample on the listed web page.  Please be sure to route your letters through ARRL Headquarters: ARRL, Attn: Amateur Radio Parity Act grassroots campaign, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111.  Our Legislative Action Team will hand deliver the letters, thus avoiding delays caused by the postal inspection system in DC.
passage of these bills in the House and Senate. You can find the latest information at

ARRL SANCTIONED HAMFESTS:  Here is the current Great Lakes Division ARRL Sanctioned Hamfest Schedule covering the next few weeks.  These swaps have received their sanctioning approval from ARRL HQ at the time of this publication.  We have approximately 65 hamfests each year in the Great Lakes Division.  I do encourage each Hamfest Chair to register early for ARRL Sanctioning.  It is never too early to register your hamfest with Headquarters.  Be sure to invite your ARRL Officials as soon as your date is set.  Help avoid date conflicts, do it early!

May 7 - Cadillac - Cadillac, MI
May 14 - Chassell Hamfest - Chassel, MI
May 20-22 - Dayton HamVention - Dayton, OH
May 28 - Ashland - Ashland, KY
June 4 - Fulton County - Tedrow, OH
June 4 - Princeton Hamfest - Princeton, KY
June 5 - Portage Hamfair - Ravenna, OH
June 11 - Luce County - Newberry, MI
June 18 - Midland Hamfest - Midland, MI
June 18 - Milford Hamfest - Milford, OH
June 19 - Monroe Hamfest - Monroe, MI


73, See you on the bands.

Dale Williams WA8EFK
Director
Great Lakes Division