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Greetings to all Hams across North Carolina from Karl W4CHX, your ARRL

Posted Oct 30, 2014

HR 4969 AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT OF 2014 AND THE ARRL GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN - As we enter late-Fall 2014, the grassroots campaign in support of HR 4969 Amateur Radio Parity Act continues. As a reminder, there 2 parts to the grassroots campaign: letter-writing by individual ARRL members; and, small group meetings with Members of Congress or their staff, at or through their district offices. The goal of the grassroots campaign is to gain co-sponsors for the Bill. There are now forty-seven (47) co-sponsors for HR 4969, including 2 Representatives from North Carolina: Mike McIntyre (D-NC-7); and, Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-NC-3). Please see http://www.arrl.org/news/list-of-amateur-radio-parity-act-of-2014-co-sponsors-swells-before- congressional-recess for more information and additional comments from ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN on HR 4969 and the grassroots campaign. Important information regarding the HR 4969 grassroots campaign can be found at http://www.arrl.org/hr-4969 Please monitor the news section of the ARRL website for updates. Thanks for all that you are doing for the HR 4969 grassroots campaign!

ARISS: APPLY NOW FOR SPACE STATION HAM RADIO CONTACT OPPORTUNITIES - The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program has announced that the application window is open for proposals from formal and informal educational institutions and organizations to host an Amateur Radio contact with an ISS crew member. The deadline for proposals is December 15th. Educational entities may apply individually or in concert with other institutions or organizations. ARISS anticipates that ham radio contacts with the space station will take place between May 1 and December 31, 2015. The ARRL website has more information about the ARISS program, including details on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines and application form, and the dates and times of informational sessions. ARISS is a cooperative educational initiative of the ARRL and AMSAT, in partnership with NASA and other international space agencies. For further information and related links, see http://www.arrl.org/news/educational-entities-apply-now-for-space-station-ham-radio-contact- opportunities

PROMOTING REPEATERS THAT AIR THE ARRL AUDIO NEWS - An email communication was forwarded from ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X indicating that he would like to start promoting repeaters that air the ARRL Audio News. If you or your club would like to have your repeater added to the list of ARRL Audio News repeaters, see www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news for further information. Thanks to Steve Ewald, WV1X, ARRL Field Organization Team Supervisor for providing this information!

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR ARRL INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD - The nomination period is open for the ARRL International Humanitarian Award for 2014. For further information on this award, see http://www.arrl.org/international-humanitarian-award For information on all ARRL awards, see http://www.arrl.org/arrl-award-nominations Please consider nominating a deserving candidate for an ARRL award. Thanks!

TWO NEW ARRL-AFFILIATED CLUBS IN NORTH CAROLINA SECTION - Congratulations to the newest ARRL-affiliated clubs in the North Carolina Section! The Carolina Amateur Radio Club has 27 members, it is based in Lincolnton, and is our first ARRL-affiliated club in Lincoln County. The Carolina ARC meets most Thursday nights at 6:00 PM. More information can be found at www.carcnc.net The Hampstead Hams - NC4PC has 18 members and it meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM at the Hampstead Public Library. For more information, see http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/hampstead-hams Thanks to Tim Slay, N4IB, Affiliated Club Coordinator and Assistant Section Manager, for providing this report!

THE GEEK FEST 2014 (11/13) - THE Geek Fest 2014 is an annual event held at Central Piedmont Community College (Matthews), which pays tribute to the "geek" in everyone. The event is focused on teaching and motivating students and the public by examining the innovative technologies used by everyone daily. W4BFB - Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Society will be participating by having a two-table setup with many types of amateur radio equipment on display, along with brochures and information packets. The club members are planning on having a packet station up-and-running, using the call sign NC4DP; and, an HF digital station, using the call sign W4BFB. For more information on THE Geek Fest, see http://w4bfb.org or http://thegeekfest.com Thanks to Charles Comerford, KK4HOK for providing his report!

NAVASSA ISLAND (KP1) DXPEDITION APPROVED FOR JANUARY, 2015 - The KP1-5 Project has been notified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that their proposal to activate Navassa Island (KP1) has been approved for January, 2015. This is great news for DXers worldwide since Navassa Island is very high on the priority list of "most wanted" DX entities. For further information, see http://www.arrl.org/news/kp1-5-project-gets-permission-to-activate-navassa-island-kp1-in-january- 2015 and http://navassadx.com/

W1AW CENTENNIAL QSO PARTY - The 100th anniversary of the ARRL is still being celebrated! The W1AW Centennial QSO Party is still "on the air" and consists of two main activities: 1) portable operation of W1AW in each state and most territories; and, 2) The Centennial Points Challenge which is the accumulation of points from qualifying contacts made throughout 2014. For further information on the W1AW Centennial QSO Party, see http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party

W1AW/4 IN NORTH CAROLINA (September 17-24) - The W1AW/portable operations returned to North Carolina on September 17th at 0000 UTC (September 16th, Tuesday, 8:00 PM EST). Team leader Nate Moreschi, N4YDU of Youngsville and 36 operators from NC were on the air until September 23rd at 2359 UTC (7:59 PM EST). Here is the report from Nate N4YDU on their operations:

"..... (The) official QSO count was 36,635. We operated on all HF bands as well as 6M and 2M using SSB, CW, RTTY, PSK and JT65. We also ended up with 138 total countries for the week. The big modes were SSB with 17K QSOs, CW with 14,700 and a little more than 4K for RTTY. We also logged more than 2,200 JA QSOs. We often had to work split to control the pile-ups. The NC operators did a fantastic job of managing the intense pile-ups and helping people who had specific requests for a band or mode. It really was a great event and produced some very exciting moments for all. It was an honor to celebrate the ARRL Centennial and we are all thankful for the opportunity. The League has done a fantastic job with this event - too bad we have to wait another 100 years! 73, Nate/N4YDU"

There were 37 operators of W1AW/4, including James Atkins W4UX, Karen Wetherill WA4CR, Robert Cole N4KQ, Dan Atchison N3ND, Robert Barts N4GU, Ken Boyd K4DXA, Cameron Conover III AJ4TW, Lou Dietrich N2TU, Forsyth Amateur Radio Club W4NC, Bill Garwood N4GBK, David Hockaday WB4IUY, Javier Henderson K4JH, Howard C. Hoyt WA4PSC, Howard N. ("Howie") Hoyt N4AF, Robert Katz K4OV, Brian Kuebert N4UEZ, Edward Kuebert K5EK, Tony Lewis KG4TAH, Tucker McGuire KK4UNZ, Nyles McKeithan KS4S, Irv McWherter K3IRV, Laurie Meier N1YXU, Bruce Meier N1LN, Carl Moreschi N4PY, Nate Moreschi N4YDU, Christopher Price WW4CP, Jack Ritter W0UCE, Will Roberts AA4NC, Eric Sossoman K4CEB, Wayne Starnes Jr KU4V, Marc Sullivan W4MPS, Michael Thurman KB7NLA, Charlie Vaughan K4UWH, Cliff Wagoner W3ZL, Richard Weinbaum KK4RR, and Dick Williams W3OA. Thanks to all operators for everything they did to make the W1AW/4 operations successful; and, thanks to Nate Moreschi, N4YDU for providing this report!

JOTA: JAMBOREE-ON-THE-AIR (October 18-19) - The following communication was received from Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer: "To all, JOTA 57 was a busy day along the Crystal Coast. Onslow Amateur Radio Club, New Bern Amateur Radio Club, Carteret County Amateur Radio Society, and the Pamlico Amateur Radio Society took part in the 57th JOTA. Wonderful weather and smiling faces, what a combination!" In addition, Janice KJ4PJE provided a link to a media hit, see http://www.jdnews.com/news/local/local-ham-radio-operators-link-on-global-airwaves-1.389020/ It is known that several other hams and/or clubs participated in JOTA, but reports on those operations have not been provided. If you or club participated in JOTA, it would be appreciated greatly if information on your JOTA station could be forwarded to me. Thanks to all hams and clubs that participated in JOTA; and, thanks to Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer, for providing her report!

PPD BEACH2BATTLESHIP FULL AND HALF IRON DISTANCE TRIATHLON (10/25) - Last weekend, the PPD Beach2Battleship Full and Half Iron Distance Triathlon was held in Wilmington. Assistant Section Manager Bill Morine, N2COP was a volunteer at the event and here is his report: "45 Hams turned out to help with the 7th annual Beach 2 Battleship (B2B) iron distance triathlon in and around Wilmington on Saturday, October 25th. The race is one of only 25 iron distance triathlons in the U.S., and is now ranked by athletes as the second best triathlon in the U.S. and fifth best in the world. Iron distance means a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a full 26 mile marathon totaling 140.6 miles. 1,000 athletes running the full course get 17 hours to complete the race; there were also 1,200 half triathlon (70.3) mile participants. The B2B is North Carolina's longest, continuous public service event because COMMS run uninterrupted for 18+ hours over six FM repeaters and a dedicated APRS digipeater. B2B COMMS are run as an Incident Command Structure (ICS) exercise. Special thanks to the Wilmington VHF Association, Azalea Coast Amateur Radio Club, Hampstead Hams, and ARES groups from New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick and Wake counties, and to COMLs Bob Kiehlmeier, WA3IRG; Stephen Russ, NI4SR; Wayne Pearce, KI4WDY; and Dwight Danner, W4DCD." Thanks to Bill Morine, N2COP, Assistant Section Manager, for providing this report!

WESTERN BRANCH ARES/AUXCOMM FALL MEETING (10/25) - The Western Branch of ARES/AUXCOMM met in Morganton on Saturday, October 25th. Approximately 35 hams attended the event, which featured a presentation by Tom Brown, N4TAB, Section Emergency Coordinator, on ARES and Auxiliary Emergency Communications (AUXCOMM) activities in NC; and, VIPER training. Tom N4TAB reported that, for the period ending September, 2014, there were 199 reported public service events and 6,238 reported service hours by hams in NC. He commented that many public service events are conducted under the ICS model. Tom N4TAB also stated that the reported numbers probably do not account for the many public service events conducted outside the ARES environment by clubs and other entities. Allan Sadowski, AH6LS, and 3 VIPER technicians from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) conducted a training session on the State-wide VIPER communications system. After a short presentation, all attendees participated in a hands-on exercise, using hand-held VIPER transceivers provided by the NCSHP for this meeting. For further information on VIPER, see https://www.ncdps.gov/Index2.cfm?a=000001,001148 Thanks to Paul Robinette, KD4OZI, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, for coordinating the Western Branch Meeting; Tom Brown, N4TAB, Section Emergency Coordinator, for providing the information in this article; and, Allan Sadowski, AH6LS and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for their assistance with VIPER training!

FSD 157: PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITY REPORT - Ever wondered what is the equivalent dollar amount of time and equipment, which Hams donate to public service events? It's more than you think, and shows what a valuable resource we are when we give back to the community. ARRL form FSD-157, the Public Service Activity Report, documents in terms of money the total donated to specific events. For labor costs, you can use the latest published rate of $21.40 per hour for North Carolina found at www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time In calculating the cost of equipment, FSD-157 uses the full, unamortized cost of equipment used, both what is owned personally by each operator and the costs of repeaters. Supporting a local race or charity event can equate easily to thousands of dollars. Try documenting recent past public events your club supported by completing a FSD-157 form, which can be found at: http://www.arrl.org/fsd-157-public-service-activity-report These reports are enormously helpful when dealing with government officials who want to see the benefits which Amateur Radio brings to communities. Thanks to Bill Morine, N2COP, Assistant Section Manager, for providing this report!

LICENSING CLASSES - Skyland (NC), General licensing class, November 6 to December 18, 2014, sponsored by The Road Show Amateur Radio Club, Inc. For further information, contact Bill Van Nuys, N4OOC via phone at (828) 551-3779 or email at n4ooc@aol.com To find upcoming classes, go to www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-class Please note that a licensing class sponsored by your club or organization will not be listed on the ARRL website unless you register your class. ARRL Registered Instructors may list upcoming classes on the ARRL website. For further information, see http://www.arrl.org/License-instructor-registration Also, please let me know if your club is sponsoring a licensing class. Thanks!

MEDIA HITS AND REPORTS - The following media hits and reports are included in this month's newsletter: George Huffman, KD4MXA of Salisbury appeared on Ham Nation, Episode 167, see http://twit.tv/show/ham-nation/167 Thanks to Ralph Brown, WB4AQK for providing this information! Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer, provided the following report: "To all, Sunday Oct. 12th will go down in history! The Maysville Hamfest had its first VE session run by the Onslow Amateur Radio Club's VE crew headed by David Wager, W4JKU and OARC President Dobie Hoffman, KK4MGK. OARC and Maysville Hamfest graduated its youngest Ham - Joshua Bean who just turned 11 years old. We are all proud of Joshua as is his Father, Loy Bean, KN4SA. Also upgraded to General was Tom Skirving, KK4SUD, who was very happy also!" Thanks to Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer, for providing this report! And, congratulations to Joshua Bean, KM4FEA and Tom Skirving, KK4SUD! By the way, check out Joshua's entry at QRZ.COM, see http://www.qrz.com/db/KM4FEA Michael Callum, KD4UJC was interviewed on WARZ TV 34 about amateur radio and JARSFEST, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ5fLGiMSFM Thanks to Michael Callum, KD4UJC for providing this information!

On the Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock Ultra Marathon, see http://www.pilotmountainnews.com/news/news/150164793/Race-draws-from-15-states

On the recent solar flare, see http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/10/22/5259226/solar-flare-knocks-out-some- radio.html#.VFIpRSj9q20

On Hurricane Hugo and Iredell ARES in 1989 (historical article), see http://www.mooresvilletribune.com/news/a-timeline-for-storm-s-arrival/article_0ac9bbd2-425c-11e4- 9b1e-001a4bcf6878.html

On Joshua Bean, KM4FEA receiving his Technician class license, see http://www.jdnews.com/features/neighbors/bean-receives-technician-class-license-1.393154/ Thanks to Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, Public Information Officer, for providing this information!

NTS SECTION TRAFFIC REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER, 2014 - QNI (total check-ins): 2,748; Total messages passed: 553. Station Activity Reports (SARs), total number: K4IWW 333, W2EAG 135, W4DNA 131, AK4RJ 105, WB4ZIQ 102, KC4PGN 86, WK4WC 86, KF4OCU 78, KJ4JPE 56, W4TTO 50, KE4AHC 39, KW4EMG 33, N2RTF 18 Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR), total number: W4DNA 160, KW4EMG 148, KJ4JPE 140, WB4ZIQ 140, K4IWW 130, WK4WC 120, W2EAG 110, AK4RJ 100, W4TTO 100, N2RTF 83, KF4OCU 80. Thanks to all stations for participating in NC Section traffic activities and to Dave Roy, W4DNA, Section Traffic Manager, for providing this information!

SILENT KEYS - We regret to report the passing of Lewis D. Barnes, KI4MGO of Vanceboro; Curtis Maxton ("Mack") Clark, W4EIF of Garner; James Bernice Evans, K4PRJ of Kinston; and, Harold J. Harbert, KE4ONS of Taylorsville. Please note it is not possible to post information about amateur radio operators that have become Silent Keys without confirmation via a copy of an obituary or death certificate.

SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS - November 8-9: Warbirds over Monroe, NC4UC, Monroe, NC, sponsored by Union County Amateur Radio Society, will be in operation at the Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport with the callsign, W4W, for the Warbirds over Monroe Airshow - a truly unique air show that focuses on history. For more information, see http://nc4uc.org or http://warbirdsovermonroe.com. Thanks to Charles Comerford, KK4HOK for providing this report!

As of October 27th, there were no Special Event Stations posted on the ARRL website that will be operating in NC during the next 6 months. Recently, it was learned that several Special Event Stations were operated in the NC, which were not posted on the ARRL website. Special Event Station listings in this newsletter are based on what appears on the ARRL website, see http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations Please consider listing your Special Event Station at least 60 days before the event, see http://www.arrl.org/special-events-application Also, please let me know if your club is sponsoring a Special Event Station. Thanks!

UPCOMING HAMFESTS - November 16: JARSFEST 2014, Johnston Amateur Radio Society, Benson, NC, see http://jars.net April 4, 2015: 43rd Annual RARSfest/North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, Raleigh, NC, see http://www.rars.org/rarsfest September 5, 2015: 59th Annual Shelby Hamfest/Roanoke Division Convention, Shelby Amateur Radio Club, see http://shelbyhamfest.org It is not too early to apply for ARRL-affiliation of your club's 2015 hamfest! For more information, see http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events QUA* - As you can tell from the Newsletter, there were many events going on in our Section during September and October! I want to thank everyone for providing capable and effective support for these public service and amateur radio-related activities!

In October, I visited and made presentations at two clubs - the Johnston Amateur Radio Society in Garner (10/16) and W4BFB - Mecklenburg ARS in Charlotte (10/28). I have attended the outstanding hamfests sponsored by these clubs, so the invitations to attend their meetings and interact with their club members were appreciated greatly. Thanks!

In addition, I attended the Western Branch ARES/AUXCOMM Fall Meeting in Morganton (10/25). I would like to thank everyone that made room in their busy schedules to attend the Western Branch Fall Meeting. Please note that similar meetings are in the planning stages for the Central and Eastern Branches. Stay tuned!

I look forward to seeing everyone at JARSFEST 2014 in Benson on Sunday, November 16th.

In closing, 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 w4chx@arrl.org or via cell phone. Thanks for everything you are doing for amateur radio and public service! Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season! 73, Karl Bowman, W4CHX, ARRL North Carolina Section Manager, (919) 669-6068 (cell)

*QUA is an international Q signal (prosign) meaning, "Have you news of _____?" In the absence of a question mark, QUA means, "I have news of ____."