SCHH ARC “This & That” — February 18, 2025

South Carolina QSO Party This Saturday!

It is not often that we hams here in Sun City Hilton Head have a chance to be on the other side of…the solo side of…a pile-up.

The South Carolina QSO Party (SCQP) can actually get you to that spot! You may even have stations from around the world calling you. Everyone, it seems, wants to contact South Carolina stations on one Saturday every year in late February.

The SCQP lasts for only 11 hours, beginning at 10 AM and ending at 9 PM on February 22nd.

There are lots of contacts out there waiting for you on SSB, CW, and even digital modes! Here is Harve/KB3FW’s 3830 summary from the 2024 SCQP. Harve indicates he may actually get on SSB for an hour or so during this year’s contest to see what happens. Otherwise, he will be on CW.

Dave Edmonds (WN4AFP) in Greenville, does a great job in organizing this yearly event. If you go to his QRZ page, you can see his “shack cat” getting ready to crank up 30 words per minute on CW.

Check out the SC QSO Party details here.

Hope to hear you in the QSO Party!

Morse Code on Mars!

Curiosity, the MARs rover, was designed and built by the JET Propulsion Laboratory.

The design of the wheels included the MORSE CODE “JPL”, such that as the rover moved the wheels imprinted in the MARS surface the letters JPL in Morse code.

Thanks to Ed Stratton, W1ZZ, for sending this info and these photos.

Raleigh (NC) Hamfest – April 5th

This from Nancy Torborg, KB2TNR, up in Raleigh, NC:

I invite you to RARSfest, The Raleigh Hamfest, on April 5, 2025.

100,000 all-indoors! 250+ flea market tables, testing, forums, and dealers of new equipment like HRO, Chatt, Wiremn, etc.

Clubs get a free table; no selling is allowed other than memberships. Admission tickets are required.

Volunteers get *FREE* admission, an event T-shirt, and entry into a “volunteers only” drawing for a Yaesu FT-70D HT!

Admission purchase is required for any other prizes.

More info: www.rarsfest.org

Note that the Columbia (SC) Swapfest, a little shorter of a drive, is set for April 26th.

The Basics of Single Sideband

Ever wonder about what makes Single Sideband a great mode of voice communications? Some of the basic answers can be found here. This informative and educational piece was sent in by Charlie Bess, AD5EN.

Better Antennas on the Horizon for Hams in HOAs?

Here’s news from the ARRL. Not quite time to order a tower but as Kodak said: Let’s see what develops.

ANTENNA RELIEF BILL REINTRODUCED – Identical versions of The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act have been reintroduced in Congress in both the House and the Senate. If passed and signed into law, the legislation would require homeowner associations to accommodate the needs of FCC-licensed Amateur Radio operators by prohibiting the enforcement of private land use restrictions that ban, prevent, or require the approval of the installation or use of Amateur Radio station antennas. Among other provisions, this legislation would prohibit homeowner association rules that would preclude or ban Amateur Radio antennas, specify an approval process for installing Amateur Radio antennas, and provide a federal private right of action to Amateur Radio operators in disputed cases. The bill numbers are HR1094 for the House version and S459 for the Senate bill. ARRL will be coordinating a grassroots campaign to have members contact their congressional representatives for support.

Humor

From Chip Miller, KQ4JKI. Hopefully, most of us will pass this test!!!

Pass or Fail, surely there will be a lot of LOLs out there for this one!

What’s Coming Up?

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 — SCHH ARC 10m SSB Net. 28.450 MHz.

Thursday, March 6, 2025 — Elmer Presentation, Program, and General Membership Meeting, Pinckney Hall. Details will be in upcoming issues of This & That.

SCHH ARC Nets

Please keep our nets alive and well by checking in when you can.

Can you help our nets by being a Net Control Station?

We have two regular net control stations…a third and fourth net control station would really help lighten the load. Please consider giving it a shot!!!

Weekly SCHH ARC Nets

Sunday’s Net (8 PM) operates on 147.550 MHz simplex on the last two Sundays of the calendar month. The Sunday net will be on the KE4HAM repeater (147.135 + with a tone of 91.5 on both the input and the output) on all other Sundays of the calendar month. Check-in can be done even if you don’t have a radio up and running via EchoLink by using the link KE4HAM-L when the net is on SIMPLEX and KE4HAM-R when the net is on the SCHH Okatie Repeater.

Wednesday‘s Net (8 PM) operates through the KK4ONF/Jasper repeater, 147.060+. The net can be accessed via EchoLink using the link KE4HAM-R.

Next 10m SSB Net: Currently set for Tuesday, March 4th at 8 PM on 28.450 Upper Sideband. Net Control will be K2OS, Frank Pollino.

Net Control Stations and EchoLink Coordinator

Thanks to our regular 2m Net Controls: Frank Pollino, K2OS; and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW.

Thanks to Bob, WA6WAY, for being an alternate Net Control Station and 10m Net Coordinator.

Thanks to Ron Frick, AI4HH, for working diligently to keep EchoLink up and running for our nets.

Net Control Schedule:

— Wednesday, February 19, 2025 @ 8 PM: Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW (KK4ONF Jasper County Repeater)

— Sunday, February 23, 2025 @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (SIMPLEX).

SCHH ARC Net Reports:

Thanks to ALL who checked in to our SCHH ARC nets last week. We had 9 check-ins on our 10m SSB net and whopping 13 stations on board for the Wednesday 2m repeater net!

Last week’s check-ins and traffic:

— Wednesday, February 12 2m Repeater Net: KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, KJ4BSM, WA2LWO, KQ4KOO, K2ITZ, KQ4JKI, WB1DXN, AA4KK, WB4KSG, WA6WAY, W1ZZ, KO4AQI, AD5EN, KB3FW . QNI=15, QTC=0.

— Sunday, February 16: KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, WA6WAY, WB1DXN, K2ITZ, KB3FW, KO4AQI, KJ4BSM, W8NCA, WB4KSG. QNI=10, 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.