Amateur Radio

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.

20210425 ham radio enthusiasts 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.

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.

Are things opening up?  May activities for hams every Saturday 

FCVET no charge amateur radio monthly testing May 1 or Thursday May 20. Must register here. We’ve had a couple of people postponing their exam until June.  This may be the calm before the storm. I am happy to announce two deputy team leaders. K7RLH and WA2KQY.  They will be able to do most of the things I do with the VE team when administering exams.  This will help out In June because I will be taking off for the first exam in June for the Virginia Fone Net convention.  The operation should be seamless. 

AB4OZ Hamfest

AB4OZ hamlets is on May 8 at 10:00 AM setup for tailgating 9:00 AM. Weather permitting. Pleasant Valley Shopping Center Parking lot,6200 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC

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.

SWARC Swapfest

May 22 from 8:00 AM until NOON.Golden Corral 3551 Grinnell St Raleigh, NC.  

W4CEC Technician Class

May 21-22-23, 2021 at Camp Durant in Carthage, NC must register at W4CEC. See photos from last years class here.

Astronomy Events

Take a look up at the night sky sometime. Not really astronomy but you never know what you might see.  Did you know we can see launches from the cape in the Five County area?  Randall Edge (KO4MSN) and Larkin Folsom (NC4AU)  sent me their video’s from yesterday’s launch.  Thank you Randall and Larkin!  The two video’s show an interesting perspective. The first one is from the Raleigh area and the second one is from Mebane. 

 

 

 

 

With full moon on April 26 not much to look at except the moon.  Take a look at it with binoculars.  Have you tried to look at it through your telescope with different filters?  Here is a look back at the total lunar eclipse video I made in 2019.

 

Thanks for reading.

73 and Clear skies

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

20210411 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.

JARS Meeting

The next scheduled JARS meeting is Thursday April 15

April 8 2021 Exam Results

I love those weekday exams!  We are able to report one new ham getting their license. They received the call the same day they took the test.  The team also decided to support a scheduled weekday session on the third Thursday. We will try it in May and June.  Hope we can support the additional traffic in anticipation of the possible new FCC fees.  

Next exam on May 1 and May 20. Registration https://fivecountyhre.org/registration/. 

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. Due to privacy concerns I have kind of stopped taking pictures and introducing the new hams.  That’s no reason for you not to post your picture with your CSCE to the group. Please answer the question “How you got interested in amateur radio”

Add to your QRZ page

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

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.

Next Step Flyer

We are have started giving out the Next Step Flyer to new hams as the get their CSCE. Click on the link to see it online. 

JARS In-Person monthly meeting

Hopefully April will see JARS first regular meeting on the third Thursday in a couple of months.  We are meeting at The Cleveland Draft House this month 461 Shotwell Rd, Clayton, NC 27520.  Be there at 6:00 PM for dinner.  Program starts at 7:00. We will have some information on History of Tornados in Johnston County.  They have had three in 30 years.

Astronomy Events

New moon is on Tonight.  Time to look at the dimmer astronomy objects. One target suggestion Sombrero Galaxy M 104 in the constellation Virgo. Not interested in astronomy skip this section.  See the story on my new astronomy go box.

Thanks for reading.

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)

Team Leader FCVET 

20210418 Ham Radio Enthusiasts Weekly Report

Amateur Radio, Weekly Report
Weekly net

20 Checkins ain’t bad at all for a small unorganized club.
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 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.

AB4OZ Hamfest Meet and greet

It was great to see everyone yesterday.  If I don’t have your call below your picture send me an email and the number in the caption and I will add it. See the article on the Five County Website. Be sure to check the website frequently.  Sometimes I put content in there and don’t announce it until our Sunday newsletter.

Five County First Contact Program

I contacted 8 people in our first month of the first contact program.  This is where you can sign up to be contacted until you make your first contact.  I had four responses and 3 reported their first contact.  One reported being out of town. The other 3 reported their first contact! I will be following up with the others as I promised. Did you pass your amateur radio exam thru another organization or thru us and haven’t made your first contact yet? Sign up for the Five County First Contact here. Be sure to subscribe to our groups.io email too!

Our Next Testing Session

Is May 1 at the unique Banks Road Testing Club Facility.  See the article about our First Year Anniversary. Have your friends register at the website.  We also have our famous weekday test on May 20.

Astronomy Events

First Quarter moon is Tuesday. The peak of the Lyrid meteor shower is on April 22. That means the waxing moon will interfere with the show. But what about listening to meteors on the radio? Take a look at this article. Looks like something I can look into before the 22 is to figure out how to use my 7100 to make contacts on meteor scatter on the various modes.  Including on 70 cm (Technicians can do).  I talked to several people yesterday but I think it was N4IZE and I talked about grid squares.  Meteor scatter would be interesting to see where you could work during a meteor shower.  Meteor showers occur throughout the year. Find the list here. 

 

 

 

 

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Ham Radio Enthusiasts First Sunday Report April

Amateur Radio, First Sunday

Happy Easter everyone!

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. I will be your substitute NCS tonight.(N4MQU)

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.

March Activity
Our total checkins for March was 39. Thanks to all that checked in. Try to put Five County Net Sunday night on your reminder.

VE Team Report for March
5 new technicians, 3 general, and 2 extra. Thanks a 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. In case you missed we are celebrating our first year of operation from this unique facility offering us a turn key facility. https://fivecountyhre.org/brtc1year/. I don’t have to bring anything to the exam with me.

Groups IO Growth
We had 9 new members sign up in March For a total of 184 people on the list. I invite all the new applicants but not everyone accepts.

April 3 Exam
Thanks to the VE’s KK4QEF, WW4TCH, WA2KQY, N4MQU, K7RLH, K9JWS. And to our curious technician KO4GQM. Chris helped by greeting visitors coming in during the day as they came in for their appointment. Full results will be reported when it is officially announced by the FCC.

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.

New Flyer for New Hams
WW4TCH printed Tri-fold flyers for the new hams as they leave with their Certificate of Successful Completion (CSCE). It gives new hams something to look at as they wait for their license. Mainly links to the New Ham Info page https://fivecountyhre.org/new-ham-info/. Tony also printed professional file folders printed with information for the applicant and the VE’s to use for the exam. Thank you Tony.

Famous Exams by Appointment
FCVET received a request of a weekday exam. Thanks to our unique facility and great VE volunteers we honored that request. We will be holding that exam on Thursday April 8 at 10:00 AM. If you know anyone that would like to take the exam at a different date we just need to work it out with our available VE’s and the applicant. Click other on the FCVET registration page. Select other and comment famous to register for the April 8 exam. https://fivecountyhre.org/registration/

AB4OZ Hamfest
AB4OZ hamlets is on April 17 at 10:00 AM Weather permitting. Pleasant Valley Shopping Center Parking lot,6200 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC

Do you have a telescope with that amateur radio license?
Check out my website and join the group Astronomy Meets Amateur Radio at n4mqu.com. or
https://groups.io/g/astronomymeetsamateurradio. I talk about amateur radio and astronomy with that group. You don’t have to own a telescope or have an amateur radio license just be interested in both.

Mark Gibson (N4MQU)
Team Leader FCVET

Age is no barrier

Age, Amateur Radio, Testing

Are you ever too old to upgrade? On the April 3rd exam we had two people I wanted to mention two that upgraded. One person upgraded to general and the other upgraded to extra. Congratulations to Kathleene Young (KM4BYD) and Robert Sepe (KO4LZT) Kathleen is 70 and Robert is 76. They gave me permission to use their age.

70 year old Kathleen Young (KM4BYD) upgraded to general

76 year old Robert Sepe (KO4LZT) upgraded to extra

20210403 Testing Session Report

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

We had a busy testing session with 13 new licensed amateur radio operators. 11 technicians and 2 new generals. Not to even mention the 1 upgrade to Extra and 6 General license upgrades granted. Congratulations to everyone. Thanks to the VE’s KK4QEF, WW4TCH, WA2KQY, AI8U, K7RLH, N4MQU, K9JWS for the successful session.

Parking lot full of applicants and VE’s

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