Author: n4mqu

Third Thursday of September Exam

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

By: N4MQU 

KK4ZQ Jeffrey Webster Team leader Piedmont Triad VE Team

Thanks to the VE team KK4QEF, K4WCA, W2CK, N4MQU, KX4ZQ

We have three new amateur radio operators to announce!
KO4TIN of Raleigh
KO4TIO of North Myrtle Beach, SC
KO4TIP of Raleigh

Be sure to welcome them as they get on the air.

I love those weekday exams the new amateurs getting the call the same day as the exam. Thanks to KX4ZQ for being the session manager. Good luck to him as he establishes his new team in Winston Salem.

K4WCA, KK4QEF

Family Fun

Amateur Radio, Family, Member Submitted

By Duane Cutlip (AI8U)

AI8U, KO4TAQ(daughter),KO4TAS (brother), KE4SSV (nephew, N8LPZ, brother

A child of the 60’s, Dock’s bent toward anything with a wire was fed by a burgeoning DIY home electronics industry.  Heathkits, three-inch-thick technical manuals, and a variety of radios (and radio parts) littered his childhood.  A shortwave radio purchase in the 70’s surpassed all the old transistor experiments, and it was on.  A variety of scanners (and experiments on them) fed the move to Amateur Radio in the 80’s.  But, he fell short of convincing any of his family to take up the hobby along the way.

For more than 30 years, Dock’s hobby was his own.  He found friends in Ham and roped any family members he could into attending Ham Fests in multiple states along the East Coast, but couldn’t get any to “officially” join him.  Finally, in 2021, all that changed.

At the beginning of this year, Dock sent his youngest brother a radio and unwittingly sparked a competition.  You see, unable to gain the interest of his family in the intervening years, Dock had been content to achieve his Novice, Technician, and then General licenses, but (despite all intentions) had not yet attained his ultimate goal – Amateur Extra.  After learning this, on the first Saturday of February 2021, Duane snuck by Dock and passed his Amateur Extra exam with the FCVE Team (much to Dock’s chagrin).  Dock promptly earned his Extra license a couple of weeks later (but forever after his youngest brother had earned his).

That competitive nature, with a few HF conversations over the 300 mile distance, and the rest of the family soon took interest and gathered in Wendell on the first weekend in September 2021 for some last-minute group studying to take exams with the Wendell FCVE Team.  Dock’s son Austin, brother David, and niece Amelia (Duane’s daughter) passed their Technician exams on September 4.  Austin doubled down and also passed his General exam the same day.

Thanks to Laurel VEC, Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts, and the FCVETs, Dock went from no family to four in the hobby in the space of a few months.  The wait (and a radio investment) paid off.  Word has it, David, Austin, and Amelia intend to take their Amateur Extra exams in the next month so they can join Dock and Duane on the full spectrum.  There’s also been talk that they’re planning to bring some of their friends into the hobby, too.

Editors note:  Duane was our first Trifecta meaning he went from not being licensed to extra in one sitting.  Due to nepotism rules he did not participate in the testing session when his family tested.

FCVET First Trifecta and how he did it!

 

 

August Activity

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report

August Activity

We welcome the following new members to the group. N4EWE, KY4SLR, NC1PA, KO4SFQ, KO4SFQ, and Jetter Lewis to the group so far this month.  They completed the application on our website at https://fivecountyhre.org/application/. If you receive our group io emails and have not completed your application I invite you to do so.  We have 240 group io subscribers and 103 members on our application.

JARS Meeting

The meeting of the Johnston Amateur Radio Society will be Thursday.  We meet at the Cleveland Draft House 461 Shotwell Road, Clayton, NC 27520.  It is not uncommon to belong to multiple clubs. The meeting starts at 7 if you want dinner be there at 6 PM.

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.

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.

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.

Third Thursday Exam Session

Due to a scheduling need at Banks Road Thursday we will reschedule the exam there to Wednesday if we get any applicants so far we have no applicants.

CQ POTA, CQ POTA, CQ POTA!

Amateur Radio, Camping, Member Submitted, POTA

By:Ken Castille (KN4GUS)


Many of you may have heard the call when scanning the bands but have you ever thought about venturing outdoors to activate a park?  If you enjoy the aspects of amateur radio on Field Day, you’ll equally enjoy doing a POTA (Parks on the Air) activation.  I exclusively do portable operations with my radio and while I’ve setup outside near my home for field days, special events or regular ops, I wanted to explore the option of taking my gear to a park to participate in POTA.

 

The idea of amateur radio in parks was brought to the forefront in 2016 when the ARRL wanted to help the National Park Service celebrate their 100thanniversary and encouraged amateur radio operators to promote the parks and show amateur radio to the public.  The event was widely accepted and shortly after, a non-profit Parks on the Air organization was formed to continue encouraging Hams to venture out into the Parks.  Awards are given out to Hams for their activations and there is a Facebook group where members can publish their activation pictures and stories.  While the event started with National Parks, the organization now recognizes State Parks to include recreation areas, wildlife management areas and state game lands among others but does not include any City or County parks.  The excitement of the initial U.S. event has spread to Canada, Europe and Japan where POTA activity is gaining traction.

 

As I mentioned, I personally do all portable ops.  I recently went out to William B. Umstead State Park on Wednesday, July 17th and did a POTA activation with a couple of non-hams and had a really fun time.  After checking in with the Park Office, I took out my Yaesu FT-891, LDG-100 tuner, Bioenno 12V-30ah LiFePo battery and my Buddipole antenna and set up in a small clearing near one of the parking lots. I had posted on the POTA website that I would be operating from 1430-1730 hrs. UTC to help spot me for any “hunters” searching for a POTA call.  I didn’t have to wait long.  The frequency got hot quick.  In the the first 90 minutes, we got 59 contacts!  I actually had to deal with mini-pileups to sort through all the stations trying to call in.  We ended our time with 108 contacts total and had a blast.  I had so much fun, I couldn’t wait to head out to another local park.

Yaesu FT-891, LDG-100 tuner, Bioenno 12V-30ah LiFePo

On Saturday, July 24th, after a breakfast meetup with some Ham friends, I took my gear and headed to Clayton, NC and the Clemmons Educational State Forest for a solo activation.  I wasn’t disappointed. I checked in with the Park Office again and started talking to Kevin, one of the Forest Rangers.  I gave him an information sheet on POTA and invited him to come out to see how the operation is done. During his lunch break, he came out and sat with me while I went on and on about POTA, ham radio, propagation, solar weather, Q-codes, etc and he was very interested, even expressing he might want to get licensed.  I ended the day with 54 contacts with stations as far away as CA, AZ and NM – all with 100 watts in a forest!  

As you can tell, POTA is a fun and exciting part of our hobby and I am already planning another POTA activation at some of the State parks around Cary and Apex.  I encourage you to  do “POTA – Where every day is Field Day!”

Same no charge service two new locations

Amateur Radio, Testing, Weekly Report

By: Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Next Saturday August 7 is the date when the new team of Central Carolina VE team will have their first exam at the American Legion in Fuquay the exam starts at 10:00 AM. Wendell will have the HF antenna workshop at 1:00 PM exam will be at 2:30 PM details for the Wendell event https://fivecountyhre.org/high-frequency-antennas-for-beginners/.

Registration for both exams 

https://fivecountyhre.org/study-tips-and-registration/

Five County expands to Virginia!

Not really but it sounds good.  My Virginia Fone Net friend Mark Horner (KX4ZG) started his own Laurel VE Team Westmoreland Amateur Radio Club VE Team and asked me to come up to train the new members.  I was blown away by Mark and his wife’s hospitality.  He had his first exam session and one of the applicants came away with Extra.  Be sure to send your friends in the area to that club.

KX4ZG and N4MQU

Berryville Hamfest 

The Berryville Hamfest came the next day after the exam session.  I didn’t buy anything but met a great many friends and even shook hands with Marv Hoffman (WA4NC). He is currently the NC section manager but is running for the Roanoke Division Director and would appreciate ARRL members  support.  We need more volunteers and I applaud anyone that steps up and run for office.
I took some video I hope to post on the website.

Sunday night at 7:00 PM

14 Repeaters are on the Raleigh Carolina 440 UHF Link System full time covering over 45,000 square milesof mobile coverage. In addition to the RF Linked repeaters *Expandable coverage using IRLP, AllStar and EchoLink are available. 

Thanks for reading.  Remember I know some post you are not interested in.  There are various options like muting the topic.  You don’t have to leave the group.
Mark Gibson 

High Frequency Antennas for Beginners

Amateur Radio, Antennas, Test, Workshop

A rod to support one end of an HF antenna

The public is invited to attend an introduction to high frequency antennas at Wendell United Methodist Church. The speaker will be Curt Phillips The workshop takes place on Saturday August 7 at 1:00 PM.

This one-hour workshop will be focused on HF (shortwave) antennas for those new to HF and those with space or other restrictions.  Handouts with web links for additional information will be distributed.  

Curt Phillips (W4CP) has been a licensed amateur radio operator since he was 13 years old, over 50 years now.  He has written on radio, electronics and engineering topics for numerous national publications, and has taught radio, electronics and energy engineering topics at NC State and Virginia Tech among other universities, as well for several local community colleges.  He is a Life member of the American Radio Relay League. 

Amateur radio exams will be given following the workshop at 2:30. All applicants must have a FRN issued by the FCC or a call sign and a valid email address.  There is no charge for the exam. Walk-ins will be accepted but registration is preferred.  Please register at https://fivecountyhre.org/study-tips-and-registration/

For background

FCHRE was recently recognized by the largest amateur radio fraternity in the United States the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) North Carolina section manager for their superior efforts involved in organizing Volunteer Examination Sessions during the COVID 19 Pandemic.

From the Federal Communication Commissions website

The amateur and amateur-satellite services are for qualified persons of any age who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest. These services present an opportunity for self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigations. Twenty-nine small frequency bands throughout the spectrum are allocated to this service internationally. Some 1,300 digital, analog, pulse, and spread-spectrum emission types may be transmitted.  
HF antennas provide more choices for communication at all times before during and after communication outages. Amateur radio operators are licensed by the FCC to operate on amateur radio frequencies.

Johnston County Tornado Photo By Paul Dunn

 

August Dinner Gathering

Amateur Radio, Dinner

By: Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

We had great food at Mclean’s for our dinner.  I appreciate all those that came.  We had a great informal discussion on various topics.  Looks like we have a lot of talent in the group.  It looks like our August gathering will again be on the fourth Thursday for August but we did talk about maybe changing. 

August 2021 Dinner

 

Amateur Radio Workshop HF Antennas

Testing, Workshop

By: Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Wendell, NC Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts (FCHRE) is pleased to announce it’s first amateur radio workshop topic and speaker.  The topic will be HF antennas by Curt Phillips (W4CP). The workshop will take place on August 7, 2021 at 1:00 PM. The location will be Wendell United Methodist Church, 129 N Main St, Wendell, NC 27591

Curt Phillips has been a licensed amateur radio operator since he was 13 years old, over 50 years now.  He has written on radio, electronics and engineering topics for numerous national publications, and has taught radio, electronics and energy engineering topics at NC State and Virginia Tech among other universities, as well for several local community colleges.  He is a Life member of the American Radio Relay League.

Amateur radio exams will be given following the workshop at 2:30. All applicants must have a FRN issued by the FCC or a call sign and a valid email address.  There is no charge for the exam. Walk-ins will be accepted but registration is preferred.  Please register at https://fivecountyhre.org/study-tips-and-registration/

For background

FCHRE was recently recognized by the largest amateur radio fraternity in the United States the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) North Carolina section manager for their superior efforts involved in organizing Volunteer Examination Sessions during the COVID 19 Pandemic.

From the Federal Communication Commissions website

The amateur and amateur-satellite services are for qualified persons of any age who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest. These services present an opportunity for self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigations. Twenty-nine small frequency bands throughout the spectrum are allocated to this service internationally. Some 1,300 digital, analog, pulse, and spread-spectrum emission types may be transmitted.

Our regular dinner gatherings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month at Mclean’s in Zebolon starting at 6:00 PM.  

Image Description:  A rod supporting one end of a HF antenna.  The antenna was used at a special event station celebrating 80+ years of the Virginia Fone Net. 

 

Poll results

Amateur Radio, Testing, Weekly Report

 

Our Monthly Gathering 

Please Join us Thursday July 22 at 6:00 PM at our monthly gathering at Mclean’s  in Zebolon. 418 W Gannon Ave, Zebulon, NC 27597

Dinner starts at 6:00 PM tell them at the front the radio club.  

Repeater in that area is 444.875+  100.0 PL. 

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. 

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.

Add to your QRZ page

If you are a US Amateur you have a QRZ page.  Go to their FAQ section to get help.  

Poll Results 

Amateur Radio Workshop topics top votes.  Looks like more of our voters are interested in HF Antennas with 17 votes followed by a tie Basic home amateur radio station and Portable HF antenna considerations.  Both of those had 9 votes.  If you have expertise in this area please send me a message we will get you scheduled.  We can start at 1:00 PM for the workshop and the exam would start at 2:30 so that will give you 90 minutes.  Our workshop will be on August 7at Wendell United Methodist Church.  

Our next exam

Don’t forget we will have two locations for our first Saturday exam.these exams will be August 7 in Fuquay Varina and Wendell.  Details and registration at https://fivecountyhre.org/study-tips-and-registration/

We have exams available at Banks Road on the Third Thursday and by appointment.

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. 

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.

Mark Gibson 

Being A CERT Volunteer

Amateur Radio, CERT

By Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Third quarter moon at 3:30 AM

As an amateur radio operator we are able to serve our community using our amateur radio communication skills during emergencies or reporting changing weather conditions to Skywarn.  As a person with basic Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training you will get CERT Volunteer recruitment notices. I saw one the other day that sparked an interest in volunteering for it.  It said Could you be a decoy for a TSA K-9?  I thought that was interesting so I signed up for the first date available. The day came so I woke up at 3:30 AM and followed the directions to the airport they gave me and called my handler when I arrived at 4:30 in the morning.  I am not at liberty to tell you what I did exactly but I pretended to be a passenger going through the screening process.  They hid something on my person and had me go through the line.  I think I went through the line four times and the dogs discovered me each time.  I was handcuffed and pulled out of the line.  (Not really the handcuffs I made up) I was pulled out of the line.  You do have to wake up early for this activity but I had a lot of fun. I encourage you to get your basic CERT training and look for other than amateur radio opportunities you may wish to volunteer for.  I made sure the handler knew I was a member of JARS CERT.

One of the K9 dogs