“This & That” — April 15, 2025

The Weekly Newsletter of the Sun City Hilton Head Amateur Radio Club (SCHH ARC)

Editor – Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW

Hidden Transmitter Hunt Set for April 26th

The SCHH ARC’s first hidden transmitter hunt of 2025 will happen a week from Saturday on April 26th.

Bob Officer, WA6WAY, is asking all participants to gather at 9:15 AM in front of Pinckney Hall. The hunt itself will begin at 9:30 AM. Instructions will be given to everyone that morning including the frequency on which the hidden transmitter will be broadcasting on 2m FM.

Word has it that Bob Kennedy, N0DQD will be this hunt’s “fox”.

Bob is a veteran of hidden transmitter hunts and one can only imagine what he’ll come up with in terms of hiding the transmitter!

ARC members who are not licensed should note that they can fully participate in the hunt with a 2m hand held as long as they do not transmit. Hidden transmitter hunts are 99.9999% about listening! No radio transmissions are needed to take part in this activity!

Following the hunt, members and guests are invited to a “Dutch Treat” lunch at the Okatie Creek Clubhouse. Note that you can come to the lunch even if you did not participate in the morning’s activities. It is anticipated that the transmitter hunt participants will get to the lunch location around Noon that day.

Please let Bob Officer know by Thursday April 24th (text him at 1-864-884-3244) if you are coming to the lunch and if you are bringing a guest.

Note: Let Bob Officer know that you are coming to the lunch whether or not you are in the hunt.

The restaurant needs us to provide a good “count” to make sure that we are properly accommodated.

QST Racked Up at Lakehouse

As they used to say at Kodak: “Let’s see what develops”.

Foreboding Solar Forecast for Hams

From a report read on Monday, April 14th from a service that reports on “Space Weather”:

“Amateur radio operators, expect the noise on the bands to die down slightly over the next 24-48 hours, but then the noise might pick up again as more (solar) regions continue to rotate into view through week’s end. Sadly, expect R1-level radio blackouts to remain an issue over this week with conditions possibly worsening as we move into next week.”

POTA Activation in August at Lake Warren State Park

Planning for our August 9th event will begin in earnest after ARRL Field Day. Here are some photos from Jack Frisch, K2ITZ that he took at the site to whet your appetite!

Roger, Roger…R…RRR…Where Did All This Come From?

Who was “Roger”? Was there a “Roger”? Why do we say it, send an “R” on CW, or have FT8/FT4 transmit “R” or “RRR” for “Roger”?

Click the link below to find out a little bit more.

If you are a fan of the movie “Airplane”, click the second link. Roger? Ober. And don’t forget the vector, Victor.

Roger that here.

But not here! Ober?

How Far Can You Go When You Go Low?

A poke at a popular facet of ham radio that many hams explore…low power (aka QRP) operations.

ARRL Field Day

Mark your calendars now for the SCHH ARC’s annual participation in ARRL Field Day at Lake Somerset on Saturday, June 28th.

Bob Officer, WA6WAY and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW have volunteered to lead our club’s efforts for ARRL Field Day. Lots of help is needed!

Are you interested in participating? Can you be a part of the planning team for this great annual event?

Please let Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW know (hnat463@gmail.com).

What’s Coming Up

Saturday, April 26, 2025 — SCHH ARC Hidden Transmitter Hunt! 9:15 AM. We’ll kick things off at Pinckney Hall go from there! More details above.

Thursday, May 1, 2025 — May Membership Meeting in the Bayside Room at the Lakehouse. Presentation by Jim Boehner, N2ZZ and Bill Morine, N2COP (ARRL Roanoke Division Director and Vice Director) who plan to join us that evening via Zoom. The ARC plans to invite Matthew Crook, W4MRC, our SC Section Manager to join the Zoom! More details on our May 1st meeting will be in an upcoming issue of This & That.

Thursday, June 5, 2025 — June Membership Meeting and ARRL Field Day Planning Meeting at the Lakehouse.

Saturday, June 28, 2025 — ARRL Field Day at Lake Somerset. More info to follow in upcoming issues of This & That.

Saturday, August 9, 2025 — KE4HAM Parks on the Air Activation at Lake Warren State Park. See preliminary info and photos above.

SCHH ARC Nets

Net News

Wednesday nets are on the 147.135 Okatie Repeater until further notice.

Our nets continue to have a lot of support, which is much appreciated. All SCHH ARC members and licensed friends are invited to join the fun! The more the merrier!

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) will operate until further notice on the KE4HAM Okatie Repeater (147.135 + with a tone of 91.5 on both input and output). The net can be accessed via EchoLink using the link KE4HAM-R.

Next 10m SSB Net: Tuesday, April 29 at 8 PM on 28.450 Upper Sideband. Net Control to be determined.

Net Control Stations and EchoLink Coordinator

Thanks to our regular 2m Net Controls: Frank Pollino, K2OS; Rick Garan, WA8NLX; and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW.

Thanks to Bob Officer, WA6WAY, for being an alternate Net Control Station and overseer of our KE4HAM repeater.

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

Net Control Schedule:

— Wednesday, April 16, 2025 @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (KE4HAM Okatie Repeater).

— Sunday, April 20, 2025 @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (SIMPLEX).

— Wednesday, April 23, 2025 @ 8 PM: Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW (KE4HAM Okatie Repeater).

SCHH ARC Net Reports:

Thanks to ALL who checked in to our SCHH ARC nets last week.

Last week’s check-ins and traffic:

— Wednesday, April 9th 2m Repeater Net: KE4HAM/WA8NLX, AI4HH, KJ4BSM, WB1DXN, K2ITZ, N0DQD, WA6WAY, KB3FW, K2OS, W1ZZ. QNI=10, QTC=0.

— Sunday, April 13th 2m Okatie Repeater/KE4HAM Net: KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, AA4KK, WA6WAY, KJ4BSM, WBDXN, KB3F, WB4KSG, N0DQD, W1ZZ. 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 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. If you are listening to the repeater, feel free to announce your call and that you are “monitoring”!