Third Thursday May 2023 Report

BRTC, PTVET, Testing

Thanks to the Laurel VEC and the FCVET of N4MQU, K3UI and K4EUP and to our host K4PKD and W2CK we had a successful amateur radio exam session. Although we had no applicants everyone got what they came for and the paperwork submitted was perfect. And now another look at behind the scenes of a VE Team. When we arrived the team discovered trees in the front and back yard were down. This apparently was due to a storm in the area sometime Tuesday night. We really appreciate Paulette and Stan hosting us on the third Thursday. Fortunately there appeared to be no damage to the facility. By the way there is paperwork still do be done even if we have no applicants. Be sure to thank a VE next time you meet one. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes.

For more articles on history of Banks Road testing click here.

Banks Road Testing Results April

BRTC, Testing, Uncategorized

Banks Road April Activity

Five County Ham Radio Enthusiast didn’t start as a VE team. A couple of us wanted somewhere in Wendell area to go to to talk ham radio without going to Raleigh or Benson. Then one day I saw that the Hamvention didn’t charge for exams and I started asking questions. I found out that the VECs are able to establish the rates they charge and Laurel VEC made a decision not to charge a fee and that each team took care of their own expenses. I found out they didn’t have any teams in North Carolina so I started one. Our first testing session was in Wendell at my friend KJ4MDY’s Peter Eggimann place of business Electronic Products Design. We had a tech in a day class with 9 students. 5 of them passed. Our regional coordinator for Laurel came down to help as it was my first time leading an exam session. It would have been a disaster without the support of him and the other VEs from other VECs. Anyway I felt a need to give a brief history of the organization as we approach 400 subscribers.

Thanks to the Laurel VEC and the FCVET of K3UI, KO4W, K4WCA, W2CK and N4MQU everyone once again got what they came for.

N9QEQ Upgrade to Extra

KQ4IBO Sorin D Lazareanu of Apex new tech

KQ4HZW Frank Slifer Of Knightdale new tech

KQ4HZV Sudhakar Nagarajan new tech

K3UI renewed his license!

N9QEQ Upgrade to Extra

KQ4IBO New tech

KQ4HZW New tech

FCVET Banks Road Third Thursday for February

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

Thanks to the Laurel VEC for allowing the FCVET consisting of W2CK, N4MQU, K4WCA, K3UI, K4EUP for volunteering to administer no charge amateur radio exams. We had four applicants.

The successful applicants were:

Randall Ricker (KQ4GGU)
Ashley Young (KQ4GGS)
Emmaus Smith (KQ4GGZ)

W2CK, N4MQU, K4WCA, K3UI, K4EUP

Instructions

KQ4GGS New Technician

KQ4GGZ New General

KG4QQL New Technician

Exam Results for Third Thursday 2022

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

Thanks to the FCVET team of KK4QEF, KK4QDZ, K4WCA, K3UI, and W2CK We had a successful third Thursday exam session. Thanks to the Laurel VEC for allowing us to offer no charge amateur radio exams.

Congratulations to K4ZXX on upgrading to General

We have the following new individuals to welcome to the amateur radio fraternity.

David Brown KO4YRT of Durham
Frank Rinaldo KO4YRU of Raleigh
Paul Jameson KO4YRV of Greenville
Haoze Du KO4YRW of Raleigh
Elena Jakubikova KO4YRX of Raleigh
Daniel Brown KO4YRY of Durham
Allan Meadows KO4YRZ of Holly Springs

Be sure to answer their call as they get on the radio.

Banks Road February 2022 Amateur Radio Exam Report

BRTC, Testing

The FCVET famous monthly third Thursday weekday exam was another great success thanks to the VE’s W2CK, K7RLH, K4WCA and N4MQU. Thanks to the Laurel VEC for allowing us to offer No Charge amateur radio exams. All of the applicants happened to be from Durham. Congratulations to Danna Lapple (KO4JYN) on upgrading to Extra.

Dana Lapple (KO4JYN)

We have three new General amateur radio operators. That’s correct from no license to General. All the VE’s were impressed. Robert McFarland (KO4WVN), Jason Burns (KO4WVO) and Deepayan Banerjee (KO4WVP)

Robert McFarland (KO4WVN)

K4WCA, and W2CK Waiting for paperwork. (N4MQU behind the camera)

The applicants reported study materials included Ham Study and No nonsense study guide.

The Bank’s road campus is continuing its famous tradition see the First year article for more information.

Are you a member of FCHRE? Join up on our Membership Registration page and reply when you receive the group io invitation.

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

Launch on need vehicle

Amateur Radio, BRTC, Testing

As the shuttle program came to a close NASA decided to prepare a shuttle in case STS-134 had any issues they would be able to launch another shuttle to rescue the crew. See Launch on needThe rescue shuttle launch was not needed and NASA launched the last shuttle as STS-135 and the Russians provided the launch on need support.

The Banks Road campus was offered to the FCVET for a test facility when the various fire stations closed their doors to the community due to the pandemic. Our first exam at Banks Road was March 7, 2020.

Thanks to the owners of Supreme. T-shirts & Apparel Paulette (K4PKD) and Stan (W2CK) 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 were 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. Here is an article when we celebrated our first anniversary.

At our last scheduled Saturday testing session I congratulate the following upgrades to Extra.

KK4MZS of Fayetteville

KO4TWA of Wake Forest

I congratulate the following upgrades to General

KO4RNG of Garner

KM4BMQ of Cary

And the following new amateur radio amateur radio Operators

New Generals

KO4RUA of Holy Springs

KO4RUG of Cary

New Technicians

KO4RUB of Apex

KO4RUC of Hillsborough

KO4RUD of Raleigh

KO4RUE of Raleigh

KO4RUF of Clayton

KO4RUH of Raleigh

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

We will not have exams in July on the third Thursday but will continue testing at Banks Road on the Third Thursday of the month starting in August. We will also continue testing by appointments at anytime agreeable to any FCVET deputy directors and two other VE team members. If you need this accommodation just check other on the Registration page and make a comment about what day of week and the time frame.

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.

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

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.