Month: May 2021

Weekly Report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report
Next Testing session

The next FCVET exam will be Thursday May 20 by appointment. We have to restrict the number of our applicants due to parking limitations so we do ask that you register here.

South Wake ARC Swap fest

Souhwake will be hosting a swap fest Saturday May 22, 2021 from 8 AM until Noon.  The cost is free and all are welcome.  at the Golden Corral 3551 Grinnell Street, Raleigh, NC.  

JARS Monthly Meeting

The JARS will have their monthly meeting Thursday May 20, 2021.  If you will be eating dinner show up about 6.  Meeting starts at 7:00. The meeting is at the Cleveland Draft House, 461 Shotwell Rd, Clayton, NC 27520.  

JARS Multi-club cookout big success

The JARS multi-club cookout was a big success Saturday May 15. I saw multiple clubs and many graduates from the FCVET in attendance.  

Randall and Robby

KE4NKY and wife

KG4BBS Tim Davis

Weekly net
Please join us 7:00PM Sunday for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater here If you are not close to the repeater or are unlicensed or you would like to just listen on line try here. Tony Hall (WW4TCH) is our regular net control station. Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help out or join the group click on the link.Tell them FCHRE sent you.

Astronomy Events

A couple of years ago I took a photography course from a friend that is also a member of the Raleigh Astronomy Club. He is a award winning and accomplished photographer and astrophotographer.  He invited me to his observatory and the pandemic hit.  Our schedule finally worked out and I got to go to the observatory Friday night.  He made my camera do things that I didn’t think was possible.  Here is just one result.  I will be posting more on my personal website here.  

We have the first quarter moon on the Wednesday.  It is very interesting to look at the moon with a telescope or a pair of binoculars. Take a look at the area of the terminator to see how the shadows change what you are able to see thru the course of the month.

M65 and M66 and NGC 3628
25 sixty second exposures stacked 102mm F/6.9 refractor

 

Thanks for reading. 73’s and clear skies

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Weekly report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report

Weekly net
Please join us 7:00PM Sunday for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater here If you are not close to the repeater or are unlicensed or you would like to just listen on line try here. Tony Hall (WW4TCH) is our regular net control station. Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help out or join the group click on the link.Tell them FCHRE sent you.

JARS Picnic 5/15/2021 

The Johnston Amateur Radio Society is holding a Multi Club Picnic May 15th, 2021 at the Farm of Todd Lee(N4USS). The address is 298 Allen’s Crossroads, Four Oaks, N.C. 27524.

The picnic is from 11am – 3 pm. Please let us know you are attending so we may be able to provide everyone with hotdogs and hamburgers. Sign up at JARS.NET.See the images from last year’s field day at the same site on N4MQU’s website.

Weekday testing availability 

Thursday May 20 we will have a scheduled exam session.  The FCVET decided to have add a weekday session in May and June. Please pass this onto all your friends interested in taking their exam. Please register here

FCHRE ham badges available 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


N4AED of The Ham Badgers announced the availability of ham badges with Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts Logo and your call sign on them for purchase.  They can be ordered here.

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for reading.
N4MQU

Our return to regular in-person gatherings

Amateur Radio, Dinner

 

 

 

With the overall pandemic requirements seemingly relaxing and one of our members asking when are we returning to our dinner gatherings we did so tonight. We chose to return to our original dinner location where we had three or maybe four show up at our first meeting.  Tonight we had 14!

 

 

 

 

 

FCHRE return to dinner

Members and guests attending tonight included AJ4NX, N4AED, KJ4QNX, KC2ARG, KC2ARH, KJ4TUC, KK4QDZ, KB2TNR, KA2DEW, KC2BXN, and daughter Evelyn, AC1Y, N4MQU, WA2KQY.

The little business that was conducted introducing each other and perhaps changing dinner gatherings to the fourth Thursday.  Individual informal discussions were made. N4AED of The Ham Badgers announced the availability of ham badges with Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts Logo and your call sign on them.  They can be ordered here.

 

Plenty of room to expand

 

 

20210502 First Sunday Report

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing, Weekly Report

Weekly net

Please join us 7:00PM Sunday for the Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts net on the Carolina 440 network. You will be able to find your closest repeater here If you are not close to the repeater or are unlicensed or you would like to just listen on line try here. 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. This net is checkin driven meaning you can bring up other subjects like, building models or astronomy.

Thanks to the Carolina 440 net for the use of the repeater. If you would like to help out or join the group click on the link.Tell them FCHRE sent you.

Our  in person dinner gathering returns!

Tuesday May 4 6:00 PM Mclean’s 418 W Gannon Ave, Zebulon, NC 27597


April by the numbers

22 applicants 11 New Technicians 2 New Generals 6 Upgrades  to General 2 Upgrades to Extra 

Sunday net checkins 

I think the system is missing a net somehow but what it shows is 33 but I know that is in error. I think it is missing the net I called.  Help the numbers look different this month by checking in. You can check in even if you are not from the area.  Check the Carolina 440 link above.

Groups IO

We hit 202 members in April and had an all time record (since June 2019) of 350 messages that means everything was counted responses to posts etc. I’ve had people leave the group due to the number of posts.  Please don’t do that. At the bottom of the email are options like no emails or mute topics.  You have options.

May 1 testing session 

19 Applicants 11 new Technicians 3 New Generals 2 Upgrades to General

A visit from the section manager 

 

WA2KQY, NC4KG, WA4NC, KK4QEF, K7RLH, N4MQU

 

We had a visit from the ARRL North Carolina Section Manager Marvin Hoffman (WA4NC) at the test session May 1.  He presented the FCVET with the SUGAR award.  Supporting Upgrading Growing Amateur Radio. The certificate reads in part “Recognizes The Five County Amateur Radio Enthusiasts for their superior efforts involved in organizing Volunteer Examiner Sessions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Thank you For coming Marv.  We also welcome Marv to the FCVET.  Several times during the year when COVID news got bad I had asked the team to make sure they were still willing to conduct the exams and never got one to say no. 

Astronomy Events

Photo Credit: KD4WJD Hugh Cashion

I see the local astronomy club went out last night.  The weather has been great for astronomy.  I was out Tuesday night. With the pink moon waning looks like May 4 – 6 is a good night for ETA Aquariid meteor shower.  Looks to be partly cloudy but maybe we’ll get lucky.