SCHH ARC “This & That” – April 23, 2024
Foxes Elude Many SCCH ARC Members in April 20th Hunt
Members and Guests Enjoy a Saturday Morning in SCHH Looking for Hidden Transmitters
A group of ten SCHH ARC members and spouses gathered behind Pinckney Hall early Saturday morning, 2 meter hand-helds at the ready and waiting for signals from two hidden transmitters somewhere in Sun City.
Ed Stratton, W1ZZ, devised two clever locations for the hidden transmitters, which are also called “foxes”. Traffic reports in SCHH surely included Securitas exchanges about several folks rolling around the community with hand held “walkie talkies” and strange-looking portable antennas.
There were five teams of two out and about roaming the roadways and parking lots of SCHH. Teams included Charlie (AD5EN) and Michelle (KD5YNC) Bess; Lon (WB4KSG) and Judy Seward; Jack Frisch (K2ITZ) and Stan Grabiec (KD8VL); Ron Frick (AI4HH) and Bob Officer (WA6WAY); and Harve (KB3FW) and Cyndee Hnatiuk.
Results were mixed. The Sewards found both hidden transmitters using the set-up shown below that was put together by Lon. Charlie and Michelle Bess also went 2 for 2, wrapping things up at 10:16 AM.
The Hnatiuks team and the Frisch/Grabiec team both came up empty. The Frisch/Officer team found one of the two transmitters.
The 147.55 transmitter was located near the Hidden Cypress clubhouse even though two teams swore that it had to be up near the Okatie Creek clubhouse! As Ron Frick said: “The trees and such can play games with VHF signals”…well, that was an understatement when one team reported getting 3 bars on its HT at Sun City Clubhouse Lane and Ansley Place near Okatie’s 10th tee!
The second fox (shown below) was cleverly stashed on a bicycle parked near the Lakehouse amenities complex.
W1ZZ claims that he conceived the bicycle plan only hours before the actual Fox Hunt! Well done, Ed!
Win or lose, success or failure, it was a fun morning. Participation in the event was higher than the past two Fox Hunts!
Thanks to all who made it happen!!
Hungry Group of Hunters and Others Enjoy Saturday Lunch at Jameson’s
Many participants of the Fox Hunt joined others from the SCHH ARC at Jameson’s Char House at Hidden Cypress for lunch after the Fox Hunt was completed.
There was no formal program although club president Harve Hnatiuk thanked all for coming and recognized Ed Stratton, W1ZZ, for coordinating the Fox Hunt and Bob Officer, WA6WAY, for setting up the lunch at Jameson’s.
Fourteen members and guests had a great time telling war stories from the Fox Hunt as well as from other ham radio and life adventures!
Long Awaited CARS Swap Meet/Hamfest Set for This Saturday
The Coastal Amateur Radio Society (CARS) is having its Annual Swap Meet and Hamfest this coming Saturday. The date is April 27th 2024 and the location is at the Savannah Airport Rec Center.
Admission is free.
The event is held outdoors in typical tailgate format. 8 AM til 1 PM.
There are restrooms on site and hotels and fast food outlets close to the site.
Yaesu FT 710 AESS,. FT 891, & FTM 6000R VHF/UHF rigs are the top 3 prizes and we will have many more.
Online ticket sales are available from this link –
https://square.link/u/nj5EjVlv?src=sheet
Site is here, east off exit 104 I95, This is the airport exit but our site is just off I95. X marks the spot:
A good number of SCHH ARC members will be going to this event, including Bob Officer (WA6WAY), Sherwin Tames (W4QNW), Jack Frisch (K2ITZ), and Harve Hnatiuk (KB3FW).
Humor
Patriotic Gator seems to indicate that all was OK to the left of his position (or, maybe not!).
This photo is from Englewood, FL (Editor’s Note: From Harve…my wife Cyndee and I have been to Englewood many times. I believe that this photo is from Boca Royale, a 55+ community that we looked at several times before we decided to come to SCHH.)
Please send your favorite Gator photo to Harve at hnat463@gmail.com for possible inclusion in a future issue of “This & That”.
Upcoming Club Events and Meetings
April 27th – CARS Swap Meet/Hamfest – Near SAV airport. Begins at 8 AM. See above for additional info.
May 2nd — Monthly Membership Meeting: 6:45 PM in the Bayside Room at the Lakehouse. Elmer presentation by Lon Seward on his Fox Hunt set-up followed by presentation on rating ham radio equipment by Rob (NC0B) via Zoom. Meeting to follow the presentations. More details in an upcoming “This &That”.
June 6th — Monthly Membership Meeting: 7 PM in the Bayside Room at the Lakehouse. Field Day Planning Meeting preceded by Elmer on POTA by Jack Frisch, K2ITZ. More details in an upcoming “This &That”.
June 22nd — ARRL Field Day: Lake Somerset. KE4HAM on the air at 2 PM Eastern. Set up begins around Noon. More details at the June 6th Meeting.
August 3rd — Hunting Island POTA Activation and Lighthouses on the Air: More info to follow.
Club Website
Click here to get to the Club’s website: https://www.ke4ham.org.
If you notice any errors or have site-related questions, please email the webmaster; email: webmaster@ke4ham.org.
SCHH ARC Nets Going Strong!
Thanks to all who participate.
These are our nets. Enjoy them. They are very special and give us the opportunity to connect with each other while testing our equipment’s connectivity capabilities.
Russ Treadwell, N1ZK, is taking a sabbatical from our net for a bit. Frank Pollino, K2OS, will help to fill the net control slots that Russ had been handling. We wish Russ all the best and hope to have him back with us on the Wednesday night net.
We thank Frank for agreeing to help.
Please keep our nets alive and well by checking in when we can.
Weekly SCHH ARC Nets
Sunday’s Net (8 PM) operates on 147.550 MHz simplex and EchoLink node: KE4HAM – L except on the Sunday after our club’s membership meeting. On the Sunday after our club membership meeting, the Sunday Net will be on the KE4HAM repeater (147.135 + with a tone of 91.5 on both the input and the output). The KE4HAM Repeater Net can also be accessed via EchoLink at KE4HAM-R. NOTE: April 7th’s net will be on the KE4HAM repeater!
Wednesday‘ ‘s Net (8 PM) operates from KK4ONF/Jasper repeater, 147.060+ and EchoLink node: KE4HAM-R
Net Control Stations and EchoLink Coordinator
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.
Net Control Schedule:
— Wednesday, April 24 @ 8 PM ET: Frank Pollino, K2OS (JASPER COUNTY REPEATER)
— Sunday, April 28 @ 8 PM ET: Bob Officer, WA6WAY (SIMPLEX)
If you are interested in being a Net Control, please let Ron or Harve know.
SCHH ARC Net Reports:
Thanks to ALL who checked in to our SCHH ARC nets last week.
If you have the time, please check into our club’s nets on a regular basis.
Last week’s check-ins and traffic:
— Wednesday, April 17 : KE4HAM/KB3FW, AI4HH, K2ITZ, K2OS, KQ4JKI, KJ4BSM, KQ4KOO, W1ZZ. QNI=8, QTC=0.
— Sunday, April 21: KE4HAM/WA6WAY, AI4HH, K2ITZ, KB3FW, W1ZZ, K2OS, . QNI=6, QTC=0.
Note: QNI = Number of Check-ins to the net, including Net Control; QTC = Traffic handled (Radiograms).
Other Operating:
Daily — Monitor the new KE4HAM Repeater: 147.135 MHz + with a tone of 91.5. You may get some good DX spots from time to time and other members may be there if you want to connect/chat.