We will set up three antennas. One for 20 meters, one for 40 meters, and one for 40-80 meters. These will be dipoles in the trees in front of the building. They will be made up before hand. We have to put them into the trees and also run the coax up through the trees to the second floor room where we will operate. All this material is from the club’s inventory.

Chuck, KI4DHW will also bring his radio with the Winmor setup for messaging. We need to send a message to the ARRL Section Manager. We can also send 10 regular messages.
So bring messages to someone you know in the ARRL format, but also with an e-mail address. We will send these during the Field Day period.

Our preliminary schedule will be as follows:

Saturday - June 23 -
9:45 - 10AM - Arrive at Knights of Columbus. Park in the designated parking area.
10AM - 2PM - Setup time - Install antennas and run coax to station area in Board Room.
2PM - 6PM - Nominal operating time on Saturday (on 20 and 40 meters). You are welcome to stay later. The last person out has to make sure the Board Room is secured
in accordance with FCC regulations.

Sunday - June 24
9:45 - 10AM - Arrive at Knights of Columbus. Park in the designated parking area.
10AM - 2PM - Nominal operating time on Sunday (on 20 and 40 meters).
2PM - 4PM - Tear down time- All antennas and equipment must be removed. Everything
to be put back in original condition. We are responsible.

Operating Guidance - We will log all contacts on two laptops that will be there. It is best to operate as a two person team. One person operates and the second logs the contacts. We will try to provide enough head phones so that this will be easy to do.

Captains Needed - We need a captain for putting up each antenna. Nominally two captains for 20 and 40 meters. We will do 80 meters later in the day. All antennas have to be installed above ground level. So bring your rope slinger or other appropriate equipment. Volunteers should contact me.

Your Radio - If you want to bring your radio and operate, that is fine. We will let you use
the appropriate antenna. Bring either 110 VAC power supply or batteries.
No generators.

Additional Questions and Comments - Contact Ken WB4AKK at: kenheitner@hotmail.com.

President Norton called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM. Minutes of the April meeting were approved. Field Day plans were discussed. We need a volunteer to act as the Safety Officer for the setup. Volunteers are also needed to set up the antennas. The club noted that the previous Saturday had been the Armed Forces Day Cross Band Test. In order to operate in this event, you must operate your radio in the split frequency mode.

Net operations and the club’s repeater are operating well. The Amateur Radio Newsline is transmitted each week before the club’s regular net.

CERT has been conducting “realistic” exercises with the police and fire departments. It was noted that three new radio amateurs are now in the Space Station.

Mike NW3V demonstrated how FD Log will be used to record Field Day contacts. It records all contacts automatically and notes duplicate contacts.

In attendance were: Ken WB4AKK, Chuck KI4DHW, Dennis W4WPF, John KK4EBG, Roy AI4GO, David KJ4EMI, Randy WB4MJF, Mike KK1MM, Mike KA8OPJ, Mike NW3V, Pat KJ4OCA, and Mike KG4RKL.

The meeting will begin with a “Show and Tell” program in which Chuck, KI4DHW, will demonstrate digital communications using WINMOR, and will segue to the business meeting, with agenda items (emailed by President Chuck, KI4DHW) including planning for our ARRL/RAC Field Day 2012 operation at the Knights of Columbus, 5115 Little Falls Road..

–Mike, nw3v

Dennis mentioned that the ARRL is implementing new procedures for DXCC Awards, including field checking of entries and this is working well. Even cards for 160 meter contacts are now field checked.

Discussion of the club’s net operation indicated that they continue to work well with typically 12 to 14 check-ins. New members and current members are encouraged to both serve as net controls or to play the Amateur Radio Newsline recording. The club’s repeater is continuing to work well and provide good coverage. CERT classes are nearly finished for this year and some new radio operators are in the pipeline.

Discussion included Field Day plans. We still need a person to volunteer to lead Field Day for 2012.

In attendance were Benn AK4AV, Chuck KI4DHW, John KK4EBG, Roy AI4GO, David KJ4EMI, Randy WB4MJF, Mike KK1MM, Mike KA8OPJ, Mike NW3V, Arthur W4ART, Dennis W4PWF, Pat KJ4OCA, Ken WB4AKK, and Mike KG4RKL.

The meeting will begin with a “Show and Tell” program (bring _something_) and will segue to the business meeting, with agenda items (emailed by President Chuck, KI4DHW) being ARRL Field Day 2012 plans and a QTH for W4WVP (not W4WVP/R).

–Mike, nw3v

Gary Sessums KC5QCN
Arlington County Emergency Coordinator (EC), Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
KC5QCN@arrl.net

• Noted that Part 97 includes emergency communications in its purpose of the Amateur Radio Service (for example, Rule 97.1(a), “Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications).
• ARES established 1935
• There are approximately 35,000 ARES members.
• ARRL membership is not required for ARES members; FCC license is required. ARRL membership and other requirements are imposed on the Emergency Coordinator.
• ARES provides supplemental communications to agencies when requested, as well as planned public service events.
• The Virginia ARES Section structure currently includes the Section Manager Carl Clements, W4CAC; a Section EC (SEC), Ed Krom, WD4KHP; the National Capitol District 2 EC Howard Cunningham, WD5DBC; and our County EC Gary KC5QCN. In ARES, the County EC can appoint Assistant ECs if needed. [Info from aresracesofva.org.]
• The Virginia Section has a formal understanding with VA emergency management, such that ARES members can become RACES members if/when
  necessary.
• ARES is sponsored by ARRL, unlike RACES which is typically sponsored by government agencies. The FCC website notes that “The key component of the RACES program is the direct and recognized affiliation between the amateur radio operators and local authorities since RACES may provide a critical alternative communications link for local officials.”
• Gary advocated combined ARES/RACES organizations and noted that he and Chuck KI4DHW had met with state officials on that subject.
• Local operating facilities include a well provisioned MARS station in the Pentagon, which could be made available to Arlington County ARES if needed. An article with photos about this station is at: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=56335.
• Gary also noted the K4AF repeater, located at the Naval Support Facility (former DISA/NCS compound) on 444.550 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz. Information at K4AF.org.
• ARES guides available on the ARRL website at http://www.arrl.org/public-service include the ARES Manual at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARES%20Manual.pdf and the Public Service Communications Manual at http://www.arrl.org/public-service-communications-manual.
• Not a part of the ARES presentation: AK4AV co-authored an introduction to the Amateur Radio Service for local officials concerned with energy assurance, that is, preparedness for energy/fuel outages. It is free at: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14265518/Role_Of_Amateur_Radio_2011.pdf.
• Gary distributed forms for AARC members to join ARES.

Minutes

Additional items at the meeting included a review of the Virginia QSO Party activities at Knights of Columbus with photos; discussion of the forthcoming digital format of QST magazine; the new 5 MHz frequencies and the giant ham antennas at Arcala, Finland among others. The possibility of meetings and a station at the Knights of Columbus was briefly mentioned.

73, Benn Kobb AK4AV

Attendees

In attendance were Benn, AK4AV, Chuck, KI4DHW, John, KK4EBG, Roy, AI4GO, David, KJ4EMI, Randy, WB4MJF, Mike, KK1MM, Mike, KA8OPJ, Jack, K5OTZ, Dennis, W4PWF, Gary, KC5QCN, and Mike, KG4RKL. [Thanks to Mike, KG4RKL, for this list.]

• On 1st Tuesdays, NCS will be KC5QCN, backup will be NW3V.
• On 2nd Tuesdays, NCS will be KR4MU, backup will be NW3V.
• On 4th Tuesdays, NCS will be KK4EBG, backup will be NW3V.
• On 5th Tuesdays, NCS will be NW3V, backup will be KC5QCN.

Net Managers:

Net Managers KC5QCN (representing ARES) and NW3V (representing the Arlington Amateur Radio Club) will solicit volunteers to act as NCS or backup NCS, and will consult or endeavor to notify one another of amendments to default or latest agreed duty roster.

Net Preamble:

Net Control Stations may use the following as a script or guideline:

QST, QST, QST calling the Arlington County Net. Net control station for this evening is __. My name is ___, and I am located at ______.

Before we begin this net, does anyone need to use the repeater?

The Arlington County Net meets every Tuesday except the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM local time on 145.47 megahertz and is sponsored by the Arlington Amateur Radio Club and the Arlington County Amateur Radio Emergency Service, ARES. A PL tone of 107.2 Hertz is required to access the repeater.

On the third Tuesday of each month the club meets at 7:00 PM at the Saint Thomas More Cathedral School, 105 North Thomas Street.

All stations are invited to participate in tonight’s net, and all operators and listeners are welcome to our meetings.

The purpose of this net is to practice controlled net procedures for use in emergencies, and to keep the amateur community informed of ham radio activities in and around Arlington. Information about the club is available at its website, w4wvp.org.

PROCEDURE

After the preamble, ask for check-ins with name, call in ITU phonetics, and location. Do in the following order: Check-ins

• Which have traffic (i.e., announcements, information, questions);
• Which are mobile or short-time;
• Which are current or past club officers;
• Other stations, any type, any jurisdiction.

Go through the list in above order for their traffic, comments, etc.

Take breaks for check-ins; re-identify the net every 10 minutes.

When all topics are exhausted, close "with thanks to the Arlington Amateur Radio for the use of the W4WVP/R repeater" and give the time.

*Several exposures, I think, with some panoramic post-processing to produce the .jpg.

VQP is upon us. Chuck, KI4DHW, and I aim to be at the Knights of Columbus (KofC) building on Little Falls Road at 0900 tomorrow, to set up, with others to arrive soon afterward. This is both a VQP operation and a preview of Field Day 2012. Please come!

ARRL News - ARRL is beta testing a digital version of QST, the monthly magazine. It will start being used to distribute an electronic version of QST by June. Award submissions for DXCC will also be digitized. When you submit your award, the local card checker will check your cards. The new awards process will be very quick. CQ awards will also be included in this streamlined awards process.

The new 60 meter band will be under a band plan proposed by the ARRL. It will still be based on five channels. The is also a new WARC allocation for amateurs at 479 kHz. However, this will take some time for the Federal government to fully implement.

Repeater Net and Repeater Operations - The repeater is operating well. The nets are well attended. Plans are being be made to remove the repeater time-out so it will be easier to run the Amateur Radio Newsline before the regular net.

CERT - New CERT training classes will begin on March 15 and March 20. Contact: ArlingtonCERT@aol.com for further information.

Satellite - The Fox 1 CubeSat will be launched by NASA at some future time. It will have advanced Digital Signal Processing and effectively be a replacement for AO-51.

President Norton reminded members to take the on-line FEMA ISO 100 and ISO 700 courses.

Old Business - The club was reminded it needed to protect itself by having a general liability insurance policy. The cost of this policy was about $ 200 per year. The insurance would be bought from the ARRL program that insures about 2000 amateur radio clubs nation-wide. A motion was made and passed to obtain this insurance.

Future Programs - Randy asked the club members about a program in message handling. The club members should indicate their interests in this topic to Randy. He wants to clarify if the emphasis should be on formal message traffic or tactical message traffic.

The meeting adjourned at about 8:50 PM. In attendance were: Roy AI4GO, Prentiss K4PDJ,
Mike KA8OPJ, Mike KG4RKL, Cynthia KJ4CLK, Chuck KI4DHW, David KJ4EMI, Pat KJ4OCA, Mike KK1MM, John KK4EBG, Mike NW3V, Dennis W4PWF, Ken WB4AKK, Randy WB4MJF, Don KK4GOM, Art W4ART, and Mark KI4OBT.