20210321 Ham Radio Enthusiasts Weekly Report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report

Weekly Net
Please join us tonight at 7:00PM for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater at Carolina 440. If you are not close to the repeater or are unlicensed and you would like to listen on line try Broadcastify  Tony Hall (WW4TCH) is our regular net control station.

If you have thought you would like to serve the community during an emergency the best way to get ready is to learn to call a net. Let me know if you are interested in becoming a net control operator.

Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help see Carolina 440. Tell them FCHRE sent you.

New Nova
There is a new star to witness. I think even I can spot it once the weather clears. It is in the constellation of Cassiopeia. See this astronomy article. If you are a licensed amateur astronomer and have a telescope (or are interested in astronomy) join the group Astronomy Meets Amateur Radio.

April 3 Exam
Our First Saturday of the month exam is coming up on April 3. It starts at 10:00 AM and has 14 people registered. You must register. There is no charge for the exam. People taking the General exam is catching up to the technician exam count. I call the Virginia Fone Net on Wednesday at 4:00 PM if you wish to try your new privileges out. 3.947 Mhz.

JARS In-person meeting
The monthly JARS in person meeting is Thursday March 18 Dinner at 6:00 PM. This was postponed from last week. This month it is at the Holt’s Lake – Holt Lake Bar-B-Que & Seafood – 3506 U.S. Hwy 301 S, Smithfield, NC 27577. (I like the fried scallops and shrimp) Stan Disbrow (WA2KQY) will give a history of Land Mobil radios.
If you are interested in emergency communications and the Citizen Emergency Response Team JARS bored of directors has just approved the constitution and bylaws of the JARS Cert team organization. CERT-JARS teams. You must be a JARS member and get the required CERT training. To join JARS you may apply online. If you are interested in more information send me a private message. JARSCom the converted ambulance vehicle will be a part of this endeavor.

JARS 8:30 Net
JARS has a net at 8:30 PM every night. The net controls try to pause for new hams to check in. The frequency is 147.270. They are also on echolink. There is no tone on the repeater. The original AK4H Bill LImbert did not like repeater tones and did not allow it when that feature started. If you can ever get a chance to talk to the older hams that have been around when amateur radio first got started well you know (1950- now) talk to them about the history. You may be in for a treat.

If you are new to the group please introduce yourself
Please post an introduction to yourself if you haven’t don’t so. Just post a new message to the group.io account. Also please add your call sign to your profile (If you are licensed) I usually put it in the name block.

Add to your QRZ page
If you are a US Amateur you have a QRZ page. Go to their FAQ section to get help. I was talking to a new ham the other day and wanted to send them information and they hadn’t updated the QRZ page. I neat feature I discovered when you join their subscription service is you can post your activity on a website. See my logbook on my personal website. Scroll to the bottom of the page. You do not have to subscribe to the website to add to your page.

FCC Application Fees
They don’t make it obvious when the new License fees take affect. Not to me anyway. Just try to remember this is not for your exam. Laurel VEC does not charge any fees for your exam. The talk I’ve seen is that the new fees will not take place until June. See the file here.  

DMR Net
Our weekly DMR net is Wednesday at 9:00 PM on the TGIF Talk Group 1870. The net is kind of in a stand by mode. Feel free to throw out your call at any time. A few of us try to monitor that channel.

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)
Team Leader FCVET

Amateur Radio Fee Effective Date April 19, 2021

Amateur Radio, Testing

By: Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

I just started reviewing this document. Looks like Amateur radio fee of $35 will go into effect April 19, 2021. This is not for your license exam this is for your License. Laurel VEC will not be collecting any fee.

38. After reviewing the record, including the extensive comments filed by amateur radio licensees and based on our revised analysis of the cost of processing mostly automated processes discussed in our methodology section, we adopt a $35 application fee, a lower application fee than the Commission proposed in the NPRM for personal licenses, in recognition of the fact that the application process is mostly automated.[66]

Link to Rule for the Application Fees.

 

Please if you know anyone considering taking an amateur radio exam please do so before April 19. For tips on how to study for the technician exam see Steps to tech. Five County VE team will do anything we can to support additional activity. We have 14 registered to take their exam at this time.

Our next no charge In-Person exam is April 3, 2021. Please register at Fivecountyhre.org .

  • For the nearest free exam near you see Laurel VEC
  • For the Amateur Radio License exam in your area try ARRL
  • For online testing sessions and in-person exams try HamStudy.org.

73,

Mark Gibson– N4MQU
Laurel VEC Team Leader

N4MQU At the FCC

20210314 Weekly Report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report

Ham Radio Enthusiasts Weekly Report

Weekly Net
Please join us tonight at 7:00PM for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater at https://www.carolina440.net/440uhf-repeaters/repeaters-on-link.html. If you are not close to the repeater or are unlicensed and you would like to listen on line try https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/34503 Tony Hall (WW4TCH) is our regular net control station.

If you have thought you would like to serve the community during an emergency the best way to get ready is to learn to call a net. Let me know if you are interested in becoming a net control operator.

Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help see https://www.carolina440.net/membership/support.html. Tell them FCHRE sent you.

April 3 Exam
Our First Saturday of the month exam is coming up on April 3. It starts at 10:00 AM and has 12 people registered. You must register at https://fivecountyhre.org/registration/. There is no charge for the exam.

Scanner & SWL Sig Monthly Zoom Meeting
For those interested in Short Wave and Scanners the monthly meeting is Monday March 15 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. Please attend the meeting using the Zoom link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87382892945?pwd=aVE2YWlHdmY3bTRpZ3FRQkZBVUx6Zz09

Meeting ID: 873 8289 2945
Passcode: 146640

Thanks to Kelly AE4FG

JARS In-person meeting
The monthly JARS in person meeting is Thursday March 18 Dinner at 6:00 PM. This month it is at the Holt’s Lake – Holt Lake Bar-B-Que & Seafood – 3506 U.S. Hwy 301 S, Smithfield, NC 27577. (I like the fried scallops and shrimp) Stan Disbrow (WA2KQY) will give a history of Land Mobil radios.
If you are interested in emergency communications and the Citizen Emergency Response Team JARS bored of directors has just approved the constitution and bylaws of the JARS Cert team organization. CERT-JARS teams. You must be a JARS member and get the required CERT training. To join JARS you may apply online. If you are interested in more information send me a private message. JARSCom the converted ambulance vehicle will be a part of this endeavor.

FREEDV: Open Source Amateur Digital Voice
FreeDV is a Digital Voice mode for HF radio. You can run FreeDV using a free GUI application for Windows, Linux and OSX that allows any SSB radio to be used for low bit rate digital voice. Is anyone interested in this? See https://freedv.org

DMR Net
Our weekly DMR net is Wednesday at 9:00 PM on the TGIF Talk Group 1870. The net is kind of in a stand by mode. Feel free to throw out your call at any time. A few of us try to monitor that channel.

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)
Team Leader FCVET

We Put Back the Fun in Amateur Radio

Banks Road Testing Club Celebrates 1 Year

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

By Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Raleigh, NC The Five County VE team celebrates 1 year operating from their new home location.  When the fire departments and the other community facilities closed down for community activities they sought out other facilities to hold their no charge amateur radio testing. Thanks to the owners of Supreme. T-shirts & Apparel Paulette (K4PKD) and Stan (WA2KQY) Disbrow that allows us to use their office in the capital city of Raleigh for amateur radio testing. While some the other established clubs in the area are cutting out the in-person exams in favor of the on-line exams or not doing it all the informal Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts (FCHRE) clubs VE team FCVET decided to continue to offer regular scheduled amateur radio exams. The group added rules to restrict the number of their applicants to 4 per hour and started scheduling their testing for each applicant to enforce social distancing rules.  They also ask the applicants to take the Coronavirus Self-Checker.  In addition to regularly scheduled exams the group has the ability to offer exams at any times mutually agreed to by the team and the applicant.  They have had several exams during the week when the new amateur radio operator received their call sign before they got home. It has been reported to the group that some applicants aren’t able to meet the requirements of the on-line testing requirements. 

The FCVET has tested118 applicants, issued 68 Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE)  for technician 33 for general, 11 for extra from the Banks Road campus. We conducted our first exam and the Banks Road campus on March 7, 2020.

The VE team members comes from many of the area clubs including, Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, South Wake Amateur Radio Club, Johnston Amateur Radio Society and Franklin County Amateur Radio Club and may be others.

The FCVET will still support the Five County (Central NC) area  of the community as the communities open up to the group to allow the testing. All the Volunteer Examiners are being cross trained to be able to take over each of the area of responsibilities of the VE Team. The team has deputy directors that can do a testing session when the team leader schedules time off.  The team will be able to expand when the eastern communities open up again and keep their home campus. In case you are wondering we take our name from the five county area of Wake,  Franklin, Harnett, Nash, Johnston  and Wilson County in North Carolina.

Thanks to the Laurel VEC for allowing no charge testing. Thanks to the ARRL for promoting amateur radio and allowing all VEC’s to promote their testing opportunities on their website. 

To schedule an exam go to FCVET Registration Page.  If the scheduled exam is not convenient click other and make a comment as to what day of the week you would like to test. The FCVET will respond usually with 24 hours. 

Our History in Photos.

First FCVET function. Tech in a day class. Five out of 9 students passed their technician exam.

Thanksgiving Fire Department

Archer Lodge Fire Department

Contentnea Vol Fire Dept

FCVET Testing at 2020 JARS Field Day. VE KM4TC with one the new amateur radio operator that passed his exam.

20210306 Test Session Report

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

The FCC surprised us by updating their files after telling us there may be delays.
Congratulation to all.

Upgrade to Extra
Samuel Robinson (KN4RWI) of Raleigh
Dennis Oeistreich (KO4IBL) of Raleigh See his story here.

Upgrades to General
Brian Boender (KO4LHQ) of Raleigh
Tyler Mcgee (KO4BZA) of Raleigh
Kenneth Bigley (KO4DHJ) of Durham

New Amateur Radio Operators
Thomas Stacy (KO4NSE) of Raleigh
Kevin Codd (KO4NSF) of Garner
Luke Wilkening (KO4NSG) of Raleigh
Joseph Pirozzi (KO4NSH) of Raleigh
Bryan Daniels (KO4NRU) of Cary

Please be sure to answer their call as they get on the radio. One of our new amateur radio operators will be starting college at UNC Greensboro. (I actually forgot who it was) I suggested they find out if there is a amateur radio club there. Does anyone know any amateurs there or know if there is a club there? I did a google search but didn’t find any.

Our next exam is April 3. Please register https://fivecountyhre.org/registration/

Last nights net
Thanks all for checking in. I don’t know why I wasn’t transmitting when I was closing the net but Thanks to Stan for closing it out for me.
73

20210307 Ham Radio Enthusiasts Weekly Report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report

Weekly Net

Please join us tonight at 7:00PM  for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater at https://www.carolina440.net/440uhf-repeaters/repeaters-on-link.html.  If you are not close to the repeater or  are unlicensed and you would like to  listen on line try  https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/34503 Tony Hall (WW4TCH) is our regular net control station. 

If you have thought you would like to serve the community during an emergency the best way to get ready is to learn to call a net. Let me know if you are interested in becoming a net control operator.

Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help see https://www.carolina440.net/membership/support.html.  Tell them FCHRE sent you.

February Activity

Our total checkins for February was 25. Thanks to all that checked in.  Try to put Five County Net Sunday night on your reminder.

VE Team Report for February

Thanks to the VE’s KK4QEF, WW4TCH, NC4KG, WA2KQY, K9JWS, KI4CFS, N4MQU K7RLH

25 applicants 14 Technicians 5 New Generals,2 Upgrade to General, 1 New Extra, 1 Upgrade to Extra

Groups IO Growth

We had 25 new members sign up in February. For a total of 175 people on the list.  I invite all the new applicants but not everyone accepts.

March 6 Exam

Thanks to the VE’s KK4QEF, WW4TCH, N4MQU, K7RLH and new VE KY4EC

8 new technicians, 1 general, and 1 extra.  Unfortunately the FCC.gov website has the following notice Title: Effective Friday, March 5, 2021 from 10:00 PM to Tuesday, March 9, 12:00 AM: Nightly Batch Processing Down for Scheduled Maintenance.  So they may not be able to get their call signs until after that period.  

DMR Net

Our weekly DMR net is Wednesday at 9:00 PM on the TGIF Talk Group 1870.  The net is kind of in a stand by mode.  Feel free to throw out your call at any time.  A few of us try to monitor that channel.

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Team Leader FCVET 

https://fivecountyhre.org/

 

FCVET Statistics for 2021

Amateur Radio, Testing

At $15 an applicant this represents a savings of $840 for our applicants. Not including re-takes.

 

 

20210227 Test Session Report

Amateur Radio, Testing

KG4BBS Timothy Davis Clayton Upgrade General

WD4CMS Paul Smith Cary Upgrade Extra 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Bagley KO4NIN Raleigh New Tech

Richard Thomas Jr. KO4NIJ  Raleigh New General

Stephen Worth III KO4NIK Holly Springs New General

Tim Carter Hurdle Mills  KO4NJD New Tech

Gregory Garretson II KO4NIL Fuquay Varina New Tech

20210228 Weekly Report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report

Weekly Nets

Please join us tonight at 7:00PM for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater at https://www.carolina440.net/440uhf-repeaters/repeaters-on-link.html. If you are not close to the repeater or are unlicensed and you would like to listen on line try https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/34503 Tony Hall (WW4TCH) is our regular net control station.

If you have thought you would like to serve the community during an emergency the best way to get ready is to learn to call a net. Let me know if you are interested in becoming a net control operator.

Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help see https://www.carolina440.net/membership/support.html. Tell them FCHRE sent you.

Our weekly DMR net is Wednesday at 9:00 PM on the TGIF Talk Group 1870.

VE Team Report

We had a great testing session yesterday. Thanks to the VE’s WA2KQY, K7RLH, K9JWS and N4MQU. We had 7 Applicants, testing for 10 Elements. 3 New technicians, 2 new generals and 1 upgrade to extra. They should be getting their callsigns tomorrow. This session was planned at the last minute to help to relieve some of the crowd from the test session next week. A savings of $105 was made for our applicants.

First Contact

Five County’s First Contact program started with yesterdays new applicants. Each new applicant was informed of the new program. Our intention is to follow up with the new applicants until they let us know they have made their first contact and even longer if they need us. I have had several new technicians tell me they were interested ham radio in high school many years ago and got interested in it again this year. I love those stories. Feel free to send me a private message with your story and I will put it on the website.

Have you got on the air yet since you’ve been licensed? Reach out to us if you have questions or just don’t know how.

NC QSO Party
Look for me on the band today. I most likely will be on 40 meters and hope to work a little CW and phone. De n4mqu