BIARC Newsletter
September 2004

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

The successful work on the Kulani repeater, completed by Robert Schneider, AH6J, and Ralph Fontaine, AH6RF, is greatly appreciated.  They were assisted by Ron Phillips, AH6HN, and Ed Breen, NH6HT, who went to the Jagger Museum in Volcano National Park where they tested frequencies and made sure that the link was working between Kulani and Na’alehu.  It has made a big difference in the reception on 146.76.  We have had hams from Punalu’u on our 2 meter net the past couple weeks.  Ted Ross, AH6GD, of Hilo was so pleased with the improvement that he sent BIARC a check to cover the cost of the new antenna.  A special thanks to Ted for this donation and a special thanks to the men who did the work.

As we anticipated, the Volcano Rim Run was a big success.  All nine aid stations were covered by volunteers.  We have determined that we need improved maps for the volunteers as some found it difficult to find their station.  We also need a training session for proper radio use during events like this.  Radios with rubber duckie antennas do not do a good job from some areas.

There was a testing session at the Volcano Rim Run location in which three hams tested (all three passing.)  BIARC member Josh Stueber, NH7SW, is now an Extra class.  Way to go Josh!  Have heard Josh on the air and he is handling those pileups like a pro.  I hope he allows his Dad Sean, NH7SA, and his sister Elisa, NH7SX, to get on occasionally.

Hurricane Charley has been quite traumatic for the residents of Florida.  The eye of the hurricane passed directly over the retirement community of Southport Square in Port Charlotte where my parents are living.  All the residents have been evacuated and it may be 6-7 months before the facility will be repaired and ready for re-occupancy.  Our family is very lucky, in that my daughter Judy from Lake City, Florida was able to go down to Port Charlotte and move my parents to North Florida.  Like my parents, age 89 and 91, many of the people living in that area are retirees and many are living (or were living) in mobile home parks.  I imagine quite a few of these mobile homes were unoccupied during the storm as many people from the North descend on that area come wintertime.  Since electric and phone are still out in many areas, the ham radio operators are probably being kept quite busy.

Congratulations to John Buck, KH7T ,for accepting the appointment of District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) for the northern part of the Big Island.  He will be assisted by Norm Cohler, NH7UA, who will be taking the position of AEC.

The Aloha Chapter of 10-10 International net held on Monday evenings at 7 PM local time on 28.485 has had only Hawaiian stations checking in recently.  That is, until August 16th when I was shocked to hear YB0AWA, David from Jakarta, Indonesia, checking in with a good 59 signal.  We all got a chance to talk to him.  We would appreciate getting more of our Hawaii hams checking in on Monday evenings.

At our last Board meeting it was decided to try a new format for our General meeting.  After Introductions and Announcements we will have our program, followed by refreshments/social time and end with our business meeting.  It seemed to work well at our meeting on August 14th where Ted, NH6YK, presented his excellent program on Dxing on a Shoestring.  Ted made mention that BIARC members might want to consider doing a DXpedition to Kalaupapa in Kalawao County (USA’s rarest county for County Hunters around the world) on Molakai, or to an Island on the Air DXpedition on one of the islands in the Northwest Hawaiian Archipelago, or Pacific, or a DX entity DXpedition to one of the other entities in the Pacific.  Possibly an area easy to get to, low in cost, but full of fun and excitement could be found.  Anybody else have any other ideas?

Speaking of DXing there was recently a DXpedition to Aves Island off the coast of Venezuela.   This is a very low island so when a storm headed their way the hams had to leave after only 58 hours of operating.  A few of us were lucky enough to get contacts with YV0D

Chester Zynel, KH6G, a silent key from Hilo, had requested that his radio equipment be donated to the club.  Ron Phillips is handling the sale of this equipment, which if not sold, will be taken to the Swap Meet in October.  We’d like to thank the Zynel family for contacting us about the equipment.

At our program next month we will have astronomer Christian Villet as our guest speaker.  Hope to see many of you there.
Barbara Darling NH7FY

NEXT MEETING

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11th   2:00 p.m. At the Kea’au Community Center located behind the Fire Station on Old Volcano Road.

At the last Board meeting it was decided to start with the program, then refreshments, and then have our short membership meeting.

Our guest speaker this month will be astronomer, Dr. Christian Villet.

Anyone interested in ham radio is welcome to attend.

September Birthdays

  • Dennis Carvalho 10th
  • Joyce Carlson 14th
  • Don Bartron  21st
  • Maureen Fontaine 29th

Happy Birthday to all !!

EAST HAWAII NET

The East Hawaii Net meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8AM, local time, on 146.76 mhz-, Sign on and check us out !!

BIG ISLAND AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Minutes of the Membership Meeting


Saturday, August 14, 2004

The Big Island Amateur Radio Club monthly membership meeting was held in the Kea’au Community Center building on Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.  President Barbara Darling, NH7FY, welcomed the 24 members and guests that were in attendance.  The sign-in sheet listing those in attendance is made a part of these minutes.

The President explained to the membership that at a recent Board of Directors meeting the membership survey was discussed.  The survey revealed that the members were interested in seeing some changes in the way the meetings were conducted.  It is because of these survey findings that the Board suggested a change to the format of this meeting. President Darling, NH7FY, told the members that the agenda would be:  1) Welcome, Announcements and Introductions, 2) Introduction of the program and Speaker/s, 3) Refreshment Break and lastly 4) Business Meeting and Adjournment.  (Aside: She hinted that if enough members didn’t stay for the meeting the format could change.)
After all of the membership and guests Introductions were made, President Darling, NH7FY, welcomed the speaker, Ted Brattstrom, NH6YK.  Dxing on a Shoestring was the title of his presentation.  He shared with us his experiences through some of his travels and encouraged members to Plan Ahead and try Dxing themselves.  He displayed a table of just what items he took with him and cautioned everyone to do their “homework” ahead of time.  Mr. Brattstrom, NH6YK, again, gave an exciting presentation that was thoroughly enjoyed by all.  He agreed to Barbara Darling’s, NH7FY, request to come back again in 2005 with another of his programs for BIARC.

The President invited all to enjoy a break and the refreshments that were provided by Gloria Whiteley, BIARC’s Hospitality Chairman.

Call to Order

The August 14, 2004 BIARC monthly membership meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.

The Minutes from the last membership meeting held on Saturday, July 10, 2004 were approved as published.

Treasurer, Ron Phillips, AH6HN, reported that BIARC now has 90 paid members.  He reminded those in attendance that new members could join until December 31, 2004 by paying only ½ the regular membership dues.  The Board’s goal is to have 100 members by the New Year, 2005.  The Treasury has not increased since his last report.  The total Cash on Hand remains $1,244.73.

Committee Reports:

  • Repeater Committee: Ron Phillips, AH6HN, Chairman of the Repeater Committee reported that Bob Schneider, AH6J, Ralph Fontaine, AH6RF, and Ed Breen, NH6HT, and he had worked for 8 hours on the Kulani repeater.  The Committee still has some electronic work to do to complete the job.  Ron mentioned that the repeater at Pepeekeo, the oldest repeater, is noisy and in need of repairs.  Ron reported that he had recently received a very generous donation to the Repeater Fund in the amount of $150 from Ted Ross, AH6GD.  The Board of Directors and membership applauded Ted Ross’s generosity for covering the cost of the antenna placed on Kulani, which increased his receiving ability.
  • HamFest Committee: Reporting for Bob Schneider, AH6J, who was unable to attend this meeting, Ron Phillips, AH6HN, reminded the membership that the HamFest would be held on October 9, 2004 at the same location as last year, in the Waimea Intermediate School Cafeteria. John Buck, KH7T, welcomes helpers to set up the HamFest at 8:00 a.m.  The actual trading will not begin until 10:00 a.m.  This will give the members a chance to view all the items available. The unsold items that were donated to the club will be available at the HamFest.
  • Christmas Party: Chairman Dennis Carvalho was not in attendance.  The Christmas Party will be held at the Seaside Restaurant on the second Saturday in December.
  • Health and Welfare: President Barbara Darling, NH7FY, thanked the Chairman, Nancy Parry, NH7RT, for the Get Well card Dick Darling, AH7G, recently received.  She reminded the membership to contact Nancy Parry, NH7RT, and advise her of any members that are ill so that the club can send their best wishes to them 808 982-6219.

Old Business
  • Audit Completed:  The Audit Committee consisting of Ron Phillips, AH6HN, Bill Parry, NH7RQ, and Nancy Parry, NH7RT met on Monday, July 5, 2004 to audit the books of the 2003 Treasurer.  Barbara Darling, NH7FY, was the club Treasurer during that term.  She was in attendance at the meeting to answer any questions regarding her work.  The Committee completed the audit and did not find any exceptions.  Barbara Darling, NH7FY, was complimented on a job well done.
  • Volcano Rim Run: Ron Phillips, AH6HN, reported that the Volcano Rim Run was handled very well.  The run is the toughest run in the world forcing the runners to run on uneven lava trails.  All the Ham stations were covered.  Comments from the floor:  Prior to the run make sure that Hams bring the right equipment.  Hams should bring better antennas, perhaps a J-Pole.  Maps to their station location could be improved and made easier to read.
  • Donated Radio Equipment: The disposal of equipment that was donated to the club, radio equipment and antennas, was discussed.  The equipment will first be offered to the membership. The HamFest will then feature the remainder of the equipment for sale.  The membership volunteered their ideas to the Board for the disposal of the equipment.  The Board will take the ideas to their next Board meeting.  One idea submitted by Nancy Parry, NH7RT, under consideration is to raffle off items by selling tickets at each meeting, until the amount needed to pay for the item is reached.   Perhaps the tickets would sell for $5 for 6 tickets.  Funds received would be used for the maintenance of the repeaters.  Another idea presented was to advertise the equipment for sale in the Newsletter and in Newspapers Island wide.


New Business
  • World Radio Subscription:  MOTION: By Ron Phillips, AH6HN, That BIARC purchase a one year subscription to World Radio in the amount of $65 that entitles the club to advertise and receive ten free subscription. Seconded: Bill Parry, NH7RQ, CARRIED.
  • Nominating Committee 2005:  President Barbara Darling, NH7FY, appointed Mary Brown, K6FK, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, with Bob Schneider, AH6J, and Ron Phillips, AH6HN, on her committee.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Nancy Parry, NH7RT.

CERTIFICATES

After the August meeting the BIARC Emergency Coordinator, Harry Nishiyama, KH6FKG, awarded the following members of BIARC a BEAUTIFUL certificate for completing a short Message Handling course on 12 June at the HHC classroom.
Ron Phillips   AH6HN
Ken Cutting  KH7ZJ
Clarence Smith  AH7A
Barbara Darling  NH7FY
Richard Darling  AH7G
James Adams  NH7UH
Harvey Motomura  AH6JA

Pacific Section SM Report

18 August 2004
Except for the heat, the weather has been tolerable this last month. We did see some rain and flooding, but I have not received reports of extreme hardship. However, gearing up for emergency communications continues. Just read the following reports:
Saipan:
Bong Malasarte, WH0X, DEC, will be inducting several new Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AEC). We congratulate them and will announce their names and callsigns as soon as Bong confirms the listings. He recently conducted a basic amateur radio emergency communications training course under the auspices of the MDX Amateur Radio Club of Saipan. Bong, also, plans on visiting Rota to help them with strengthening ARES there. You can join them on their ARES net on Echolink on Mondays at 0930Z (Sunday 11:30pm, HST) on node 51302 WH0ABP-R.
O'ahu:
Numerous volunteers led by Wayne Jones, NH6K, helped support the American Heart Association's Heart Walk on Saturday, August 13, 2004. As usual, some stations had difficulty getting into the repeater. Telescoping antennas with gain and higher power helped.
The Big Island of Hawai'i:
The Big Island Amateur Radio Club (BIARC) supplied communication support for the Volcano Rim Run event held on 31 July 2004. There are actually four races; a marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a 5K walk. BIARC support was mostly for the marathon which is classified as a "Wilderness Run" and is considered one of the toughest off road marathons in the world. Unfortunately injuries are common.

Sixteen members of BIARC participated. The 26.2 mile race has 9 stations located along the race route. BIARC members manned all nine stations with 2 meter equipment using the Kulani 146.76(-) repeater.
The marathon started at 6AM which means BIARC members had to arrive before 5:30AM. Some members at the more remote sites had to hike in the night before and camp on site.

The number assigned to each runner was reported back to the control station located at the finish line. This allowed the race officials to keep track of all runners and to make sure all persons are accounted for. In addition to providing communications for the event, BIARC gave license tests to three people. All three passed, with one getting a Technician, the second a General, and the third an Extra.

The marathon winner was Matt Stevens from Oahu who finished the course in 3:07:51. This was 20 minutes ahead of the number two person however it is still only the fourth fastest time for the race. This year 152 people started the marathon. There were 143 finishers. Number 143 finished in 7:44:34. (Hawaii Tribune-Herald 8/1/04)
Also on the Big Island: Congratulations go out to John Buck, KH7T, for accepting the appointment to District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) for the northern area of the Big Island. He will be assisted by Norm Cohler, NH7UA, who will be taking the position of AEC. Congratulations go out to Norm for this appointment and for recently completing the ARRL ARES Emergency Communications Course EC001. In his studies, Norm found an excellent training resource and passed on the link to me. Check out http://www.cupertinoares.org/preparedness/FieldCert.html.
The 146.72-MHz repeater on Mauna Kea was tested again. Some stations on O'ahu checked in. Please come up on September 7, 2004 at noon to 1:00 pm for the next testing and report your findings to Bob Schneider, KH6J, ASM, by email at his callsign at @arrl.net.
Final word: Emergency Communications is taking a step forward with the continuing implementation of Winlink 2000 (http://winlink.org). This mode of communications allows a user to utilize his/her own email account (e.g., Outlook) to send messages that are delivered over HF and/or the internet. Please take a look at this. We will be talking about it more in the future.
73 & Aloha,
Kevin, AH6QO SM/SEC Pacific
 
 

HAM RADIO "ONLY RELIABLE COMMUNICATION" AT HURRICANE CHARLEY GROUND ZERO

Once again, Amateur Radio has proven its value in an emergency. With conventional telecommunication systems unreliable and power still out after the Category 4 Hurricane Charley blasted across the Florida Peninsula August 13, Amateur Radio has proven to be a communication mainstay. "The only reliable communication we have here is Amateur Radio," ARRL West Central Florida Section Manager Dave Armbrust, AE4MR, told ARRL earlier this week. He was one of the three dozen ARES volunteers at the Charlotte County command post. "We're out in the field trying to handle so many different things that it's almost overwhelming," he said five days into the activation. By week's end, the need for additional ARES volunteers in the Hurricane Charley relief and recovery effort had stabilized. Communications and Warning Officer John Fleming, WD4FFX, of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) told ARRL that ham radio volunteers already on duty in the five most severely affected counties were holding their own in maintaining necessary emergency communication. But he advised Amateur Radio volunteers to remain at the ready, just in case, and recommended that ARES teams, clubs and individuals work through their ARES Section Emergency Coordinator. The FDEM says Hurricane Charley caused two dozen deaths and nearly 4000 injuries, and almost a quarter-million residents were still without power at week's end. Other reports indicate that as many as 10,000 homes were badly damaged or destroyed. The most severely stricken communities are in largely rural areas of western and central Florida made up of smaller towns. Among other storm relief duties, hams have been part of an effort to check on residents and determine what they need and to "make sure everyone's okay," Armbrust said. Amateur Radio operators have been handling emergency traffic and assisting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in setting up HF communication to the state emergency operations center in the capital of Tallahassee. ARES also has provided communication for search-and-rescue teams and supported American Red Cross and The Salvation Army humanitarian relief efforts. In addition, ARES operators handled outgoing health-and-welfare traffic from storm victims now taking refuge in shelters, provided or supplemented public safety communication and even took on some dispatching duties. Amateur Radio volunteers also deployed to hospitals, some of which have experienced spotty communication. Several VHF and UHF repeaters have been buzzing with emergency traffic all week. Armbrust emphasized that Hurricane Charley cut a broad swath across Florida, and the devastation was widespread. "This looks like a war zone," he remarked. Hot, humid weather has aggravated the relief effort, especially for emergency medical service personnel who not only are dealing with storm-related health issues but with those resulting from the heat. ARES teams from Florida Miami-Dade, Martin, St Lucie, Broward, Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties deployed to relieve or assist the amateur operators on duty in the affected communities. In Sarasota County, Ron Wetjen, WD4AHZ, has been working at the county EOC and assigning volunteers to assist in neighboring Charlotte County, where Armbrust has been holding down the fort. "We've had offers of help from guys in Montana, Ohio, and New York!" Wetjen said August 19. "We have a couple from Tennessee here now, with two more on the way for the weekend." The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14.265 MHz spent nearly five days in continuous operation. It's also used Amateur Radio for its logistical communications. The Salvation Army has been providing meals, household necessities and other assistance to residents displaced by the storm and has been relying on its own Amateur Radio resources. SATERN also has taken on responsibility for health-and-welfare inquiries, both via Amateur Radio and through its Web site http://www.satern.net/. In advance of the storm, SKYWARN teams were active the Hurricane Watch Net and WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center cooperated to gather ground-level weather data and damage reports. "It seems as if the Amateur Radio world is listening and waiting to help when an event such as this occurs," observed SATERN National Director Pat McPherson, WW9E, "and it's edifying to realize the positive impact of their dedication to the task of helping others."
(Reprinted courtesy of the ARRL Letter)

ARRL TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

During September, the ARRL will be among dozens of organizations and agencies participating in National Preparedness Month. "The Ready Campaign," produced by the Ad Council in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is aimed at making citizen preparedness "a priority for every city, every neighborhood and every home" in the US. The League is an official affiliate of Citizen Corps, a DHS initiative to enhance public preparedness and safety. ARRL will combine its role in National Preparedness Month--which starts September 9--with its own "Amateur Radio Awareness Day" on September 18. "The two events offer great opportunities for Amateur Radio to showcase its valued service to the nation," said ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. She encouraged ARRL-affiliated clubs and Field Organization volunteers to use the occasion to set up public demonstrations of Amateur Radio and to present or even demonstrate--under the banner of National Preparedness Month--the free services Amateur Radio provides to communities. ARRL Club/Mentor Program Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, suggests that while displays should be informative, they also need to be neat and simple. "This is also an excellent opportunity to recruit prospective hams for licensing classes that clubs may be forming for the fall," he added. In addition, ARRL encourages all Amateur Radio operators to have a family emergency communication plan in place in case of an emergency, such as a severe weather event. "Get Ready Now" brochures are available. Visit the Ready.gov Web site http://www.ready.gov/ for more information. On Amateur Radio Awareness Day, September 18, W1AW/90 will be on the air from 10 AM until 10 PM Eastern Time with ARRL staff members, new Section Managers in town for the annual Section Managers' Workshop and volunteers from the Newington Amateur Radio League as operators. White encourages amateur groups to invite public officials, representatives of served agencies and first responders to visit their public displays to discuss plans for their Simulated Emergency Test (SET), typically in early October, or other drills. Some clubs already have jumped on the National Preparedness Month/Amateur Radio Awareness Day bandwagon, Fusaro notes--in some cases by taking advantage of already scheduled events during September. The Middletown Amateur Radio Club--W2MAR--in New Jersey will take part in Middletown Day activities September 18 with a public ham radio display, information table, traffic handling and ARES/RACES displays. The club expects some 3000 visitors in town, including state and local officials. In Illinois, Amateur Radio Awareness Day falls on the same weekend as the three-day Peoria Superfest 2004 Amateur Radio and computer show. The Peoria Area Amateur Radio Club will have an all-day demonstration at the Exposition Garden Fairgrounds on September. The Space Park Employees Association Amateur Radio Club (W6TRW) in Redondo Beach, California, will have its emergency communications team (ECT) van at the Northrop Grumman Space Technology open house September 18. The ARRL has printed materials available for ARRL-affiliated clubs, ARES groups and others to use for public exhibits and ham radio demonstrations. Brochures may be downloaded free of charge from the ARRL Web site http://www.arrl.org/htdig/?method+and&words=brochure. For a small shipping fee, exhibit kits also are available. Contact Linda Mullally, KB1HSV, "lmullally@arrl.org; to order. The League also offers a sample news release http://www.arrl.org/pio/handbook/sample-news-release.html that clubs and groups can customize to help spread the word. More information about National Preparedness Month or Amateur Radio demonstrations in general is available from ARRL "clubs@arrl.org;.
(Reprinted courtesy of the ARRL Letter)