FCHRE Net Preamble

Amateur Radio, Net

Calling the Five County ham radio net Calling the Five County Ham radio net. The purpose of this net is to promote amateur radio activity among ham radio operators. This net is directed meaning to go thru the net control station to address your traffic to another party. If there is any emergency traffic break into the net by saying emergency traffic and your call.
Do we have any net announcements of interest to the ham radio community this is (Your Call Sign)
The topic of the net is fluid meaning it can be checkin driven. If you have any topic of interest to the ham radio or other hobbies you may bring it up. Net control may restrict any topic and topics must be compliant with the repeater trustee and fcc regulations.
I will stand by for stations to checkin by the first letter of your suffix
Stations Alpha – Gulf
Stations Hotel – November
Stations October -Zulo
Do we have any echolink stations wishing to check in                                                       I will now accept check-ins from any stations who missed the earlier call up. Call net control, (call sign).
(Call each station for their comment or discussion)
I will now accept check-ins from any stations who missed the earlier call up. Call net control, (call sign).
(Call remaining stations for their comment or discussion).
Before I close the net, are there any stations with announcements, questions or comments?
We hope everyone enjoyed the net tonight. I want to that the Carolina 440 System for the use of their repeater network and for their support of ham radio.
This is (call sign) and I am securing the Five County ham radio net and returning the Carolina 440 repeaters to normal amateur use. Stations may now contact each other without going through net control. (call sign) clear.

 

W4CEC Technician class and Exam at Camp Durant

Amateur Radio, Camping, Class, W4CEC

Some groups have had to change the way we do things during Covid.  This is definitely true with groups testing for amateur radio.  When Chris Cancilla (W4CEC) offers a amateur radio class you should take it! See his About page for his credentials. Chris found a outdoor venue using Camp Durant in Carthage, NC. Chris offered anyone wishing to camp to do so. Only three of us ended up camping in the Cold winter of North Carolina. The only problem I had was that I got cold Friday night.  The 23 degree weather we had Friday Night on December 11 gave me an issue. Chris insists that the low was 43 but I know It was 23. I had camped earlier this year with putting a sleeping bag in my Ford Flex but hadn’t done any tent camping in 28 years.  This was billed as a free amateur radio technician class and exam. Free amateur radio exams you ask? Check the LAUREL VEC website for testing near you or how to start your own free VE team.  

Chris built a small repeater for the licensed attendees to use while at camp.  You can get the details here. https://www.facebook.com/chris.cancilla/posts/10160339222342738

Chris went thru all the technician questions and students were able to practice fox hunting, hunting for a hidden transmitter.

 

 

Father and Son practice finding the hidden transmitter

 

We also heard the repeater on the International Space Station (ISS) Check this Youtube Video

Group shot getting ready for ISS

We were not successful in making a contact but it was fun trying.

Chris had 8 students register but some had to cancel out at the last minute due to other issues. Exam results revealed 6 new technicians, 1 General Upgrade, and 2 upgrades to Extra Class. 

We were successful with the HF radio contact. Making contents in Maryland and Georgia.  The radio was a Icom 7100 using a 40 meter commercial dipole antenna. 

 

 

Icom 7100 Demo for Tech Class

40 Meter Dipole Commercial Antenna

Sorry about the formatting for the images but I haven’t quite got the word-press formatting figured out.

 

20201208 Testing Session Results

Amateur Radio, Testing

Thanks to the VE’s AJ4NX, KK4QDZ, N4MQU, WA2KQY and K7RLH for helping at the testing session today. It’s fun testing on a work day so they new licenses ae issued the same day a lot of times.
The new call signs have been issued and I have notified everyone with their new callsign. The upgrades have been updated in the FCC database.
As you hear KO4JZQ,Yang, James KO4JAT, and Audrey KO4JZS be sure to give them a warm welcome.
Congratulations to the upgrades, Dennis, Serge, and James.
I call the Virginia Fone Net on 3.947 at 4:00 PM Wednesday.
RA|0009324492|Yang||LU||27332|KO4JZQ|T|0030121693|G|||
RA|0009324494|Dennis|P|Oestreich||27613|KO4IBL|G|0030051817|G|||
RA|0009324495|James|C|Crawford|Jr|27502|KO4JZR|T|0030213631|G|||
RA|0009324496|SERGEY||KRANIN||27502|KN4MJV|G|0027512391|G|||
RA|0009324497|James|D|Morris||27712|KO4JAT|G|0030149439|G|||
RA|0009324498|Audrey|A|Low||27517|KO4JZS|T|0030266522|G|||i

Don’t forget the DMR net Wednesday night at 9:00 PM TGIF Talk Group 1870.

20201205 Testing session results

Amateur Radio, Testing

Raleigh, NC – We had a great testing session. Four new Technicians, two new Generals, two upgraded to General. We had more registered but they were no shows. May have been scared off by all the Covid news. We kept our social distance by dividing the applicants into three different sessions. Thanks to the VE’s K7RLH Richard Hall, KK4QEF Lannie Godwin, WA2KQY Stan Disbrow, WW4TCH Tony Hall, NC4AU Larkin Folsom

Banks Road testing facility may be a unique facility for amateur radio testing in this area. We now have a turn key operation where all the testing supplies and hardware are at the facility. Thanks to Stan (WA2KQY)and Paulette (KM4RMW)Disbrow owner of Supreme. T-shirts & Apparel, for the use of the facility and the keyboard, monitor and mouse. When I was telling people about loosing access to the fire stations due to Covid he said he had a place we could use. I paid a visit and it looked ideal to me. I reached out to the group for a printer so I wouldn’t have to lug my bulky printer around and K7RLH Richard Hall stepped up donated a nice laser printer. W4CEC Chris Cancilla donated a laptop computer that required a new battery pack that I purchased.
The morning of the exam I connected everything together and it all work.
I am happy to report the VE team is supportive of continuing our testing schedule on the first Saturday of every month in 2021. I am dragging my feet a little to see if we get any more restrictions due to Covid. However we will support amateur exams by appointment. Exam Registration