August 8, 2023 Weekly This & That Newsletter
de KB3FW…an Op-Ed re the Future of Our Hobby
So What? I Can Do THAT with My Cell Phone!
A photo shown on the Huntsville (AL) Hamfest web site shows a “line-up” of five hams, who I am assuming are the officers of the Alabama ARRL Section. They are a fine-looking group of guys…mostly older guys. There’s a lot of grey going on there..one younger guy in there too!
The same goes for our SCHH ARC, although the “older” and “grey” attributes are a “GIVEN” here, right?
You can’t “get in the door” in SCHH unless you are “older”! If you don’t want to be “grey”, there are ways around that.
However, that photo brought to mind a conversation that I had with a ham at the Savannah Hamfest last year (2022) …one that everyone who was in that conversation had a good laugh about.
The ham who was speaking related that he told a friend of his that he had “spoken to” this country or that country or this state or that state via ham radio. His friend, obviously not impressed, said: Yeah, but “I can do that right now with my cell phone.”
So, as we are getting older and greyer here in SCHH (beats the alternative, right?), we may want to think about the best way(s) through which to introduce and engage the “younger generations” in the Low Country to ham radio.
Why would we want to do that? Perhaps, to create some sustainability for amateur radio…to put more “members in the chorus”, to have more voices for our hobby in the future.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more voices and the more VOCAL voices, the more the message gets out. Voices (aks, Voters) create the sound level’s Volume!
See the piece below about the ARRL’s response to the FCC’s “ask” for comments about radio spectrum usage using high power near the band bands.
Numbers count when such responses are delivered. The FCC knows how many hams there are for sure. As the “greyer ones” in our ranks move to the inactive and yes, Silent Key status, who is filling in? How will the numbers of active hams be sustained?
If using “100 Watts and A Wire” to talk to Juh-Bip doesn’t impress someone regarding ham radio, what will? And what can we in the SCCH ARC do to make that happen?
See the info below regarding an upcoming new activity planned for our club in the Fall about EME communications…maybe that is one of the answers as someone cannot (at this time at least) do that with a cell phone!!
What are your thoughts? Please email them to me at hnat463@gmail.com.
73.
ILLW Event on Hunting Island – August 19th!
ILLW = International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
Have you ever been to Hunting Island? It is an eye-opener, for sure, even if you have been there before.
Please consider coming to our club’s ILLW activation of KE4HAM (our club’s call sign) on Hunting Island on Saturday, August 19th. We have reserved the pavilion near the lighthouse for our club! It is open-air…shaded for the most part but bring sunscreen anyhow!
All club members are encouraged to get to Hunting Island State Park by 9:30 AM on August 19th to assist with setting up the three stations that we plan to operate. If you can’t get there by then…no problem, please come anyhow!!!
We will look to get on the air by 10:30 AM and operate up to three HF stations until about 3-3:30 PM. We may adjust the time that we close down our operation based on band conditions.
Plans include:
— Operating on SSB with two stations, one on 20m and the other on 15m or 40m.
— Operating on CW with one station on 10 through 20 meters, including the WARC bands.
And, of course, having a GREAT time!
Lunch will be around Noon and will include the grilled hot dogs that were so popular at last year’s gathering. Rumor has it that a nice salad will be provided as well.
Feel free to bring whatever you like to eat and/or drink and, if you are inclined, bring some for others to enjoy as well (no alcoholic beverages please).
The club asks that participants voluntarily chip in $5 apiece for food, etc. Note: Voluntarily.
Final details will be in next week’s “This & That”.
If you have not yet RSVP’d, please do so via email to Harve at hnat463@gmail.com.
Enjoy one of SC’s treasured State Parks as part of the KE4HAM Team!
Humor
Can You Hear Me Now????
Thanks, Bob (N0DQD) for the photo!
What’s Bouncing Around with EME??
SCHH ARC Will Be Shooting for the Moon This Fall!
Frank Pollino, K2OS, will be leading our efforts on the 50-1296 MHx weekend(s).
You can’t do this with a cell phone!
More details will follow!
QSL Card of the Week
Thanks to Eric Kullberg, KN4MIY, for this week’s QSL card. This is a piece of DX located on the East Side of Manhattan in NYC. Eric worked the UN station in 1982 when his call sign was KA2OAZ and his QTH was in Boonton, NJ.
Please send one of your favorite cards in .jpg format to Harve at hnat463@gmail.com.
Next Membership Meeting
The Club’s next Membership Meeting will be on Thursday, September 7th, at the Lake House. Plans are to have an Elmer Presentation by Frank Pollino, K2OS, at 6:45 PM followed by the evening’s main program, which will be presented by Ken Finke, KN8F, and cover how to get an antenna installation approved here in Sun City. The business meeting will follow Ken’s presentation. More info will be sent about a week before the meeting.
Club Website
The URL is https://www.ke4ham.org. If you notice any errors or have site-related questions, email: webmaster@ke4ham.org.
Nets:
Sunday NET (8 PM) operates on 147.550 MHz simplex and Echolink node: KE4HAM – L
Wednesday Nets (8 PM) operates from KK4ONF/Jasper repeater, 147.060+ and Echolink node: KE4HAM-R
Thanks to our regular Net Controls: Bob Officer, WA6WAY; Russ Treadwell, N1ZK; and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW.
Thanks to Ron Frick, AI4HH, for keeping the nets on Echolink.
Please check into our nets when you can. The nets are informative and interesting and foster club camaraderie.
If you are interested in being a Net Control, please let Ron or Harve know.
Other Operating:
Daily — DX spotting and open chat 24/7 on 147.550 MHz simplex and the Jasper Repeater, 147.060+ (no Echolink).