Greetings ARRL members and friends,
Hopefully, you survived Covid without too much trouble. I had a bout of it but it wasn’t too bad. My doctor thinks it was because I had all my shots and boosters. Things are slowly returning to whatever normal is. There will be Field Day this year, maybe in the field. Best wishes to all, where ever you participate. Just get on the air.
BVARC is sponsoring an on-air commemoration of the burning of HMS Gaspee. Special stations K1G and W1G are active. Work both and be eligible to receive a beautiful certificate. To this date, the stations have made well over a thousand contacts and expect at least another thousand before going QRT on the 20th. They have seen far more international interest in making contact than expected and they have opened the door for donations for postage to mail out the DX certificates which mail for about $3 each. Full details of the Gaspee event are at http://www.w1ddd.org/gaspeedays.html . A re-enactment of the Gaspee burning will take place on Sunday, June 12 at the spot where the wooden ship HMS Gaspee was torched by American Colonists in 1772.
Did you go to Dayton? If not, 31,367 of your friends did and enjoyed their visit. The Dayton Hamvention this year celebrated its 70th anniversary. The event is run by the Dayton Amateur Radio Club and many volunteers. It was held for many years in Dayton, but now meets at the Greene County Fair Grounds in Xenia, a short distance east of Dayton. It will still be known to old timers as the Dayton Convention.
I heard this morning that the Visalia DX Convention is on for next April. Hooray!!! Covid and other factors have cancelled the event for the past few years and we DXers have missed it. Those of you who wish to make a trip west and take in the biggest DX Convention in the US, check details at https://www.dxconvention.com/ . The announced location of the convention is the Visalia Convention Center, the same place as it has been held for many years. There was talk of moving to another location but apparently, a deal was worked out to stay. Visalia is in the central coast of California, near Fresno and in the middle of orange grove country. It’s a 45 minute freeway drive from the Fresno airport to the Convention Center. I am planning to go in April. I hope my old bones hang together.
The New England Director has created an RFI team with sub groups in each section. Sadly, RI has not stepped up with many volunteers yet. Here is a copy of the request: One of the biggest problems faced by amateur radio in this era of new technologies is the growth of noise that interferes with nearly every aspect of our hobby. Solar panels, LED (including pot farm grow lights) power supplies, dimmer switches, computers and many other devices generate interference as do power line failures, cable TV leakage and other service malfunctions.
“The New England Division is creating RFI teams, trained and equipped to help hams find and fix noise problems. Almost every section has one (see https://nediv.arrl.org/new-england-division-rfi-teams-by-arrl-section/) and our goal is to have at least one in every section. Training is available, funding will be requested for equipment of the type already in hand and the most important qualification is a curious nature and the willingness to help with hams’ noise issues. The larger the team, the less the time impact on any one member but our experience so far is that most hams will find their noise source themselves using https://nediv.arrl.org/rfi-troubleshooting-guide/ and those that do need assistance can often be helped over the phone or by email.”
The text above came from Rob, K1UI who was named by Director Fred, AB1OC to lead this effort and is titled New England Division Assistant Director, Spectrum Protection and Use. If you feel that you can contribute your knowledge and time to helping this program, please contact Rob at robleiden@comcast.net. Thank you very sincerely. RFI is a serious problem. I personally know several good operators who face S7 to S9 noise on many HF bands most of the time. How on earth can one operate with that? I experience no noise at my location, so I’m spoiled.
Field Day is coming soon, on the 25th and 26th of June. Get on the air and make some noise. It’s not a contest as such but it is competitive with regard to what you did in the past and with previous band conditions. Do your best and have fun. But above all else, operate very safely and carefully. Don’t forget the higher bands. Conditions have improved and if you’re lucky, maybe 10 or 6 meters will open and crank out a bunch of contacts.
In a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture or NAL, FCC levied a record $34,000 fine against WA7CQ for serious offenses, for interfering with the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Land in fighting the 1,000-acre Johnson Creek Fire in July, 2021. Just to underline how important this matter is taken, this is the largest fine they have ever handed down. The Amateur claims that he meant no harm and was trying to offer assistance because he was familiar with the area that was being worked. FCC took a different view. They really mean it when they tell us that violations of their rules can result in penalties.
The 2022 Youth on the Air (YOTA) Camp will be on the air and streaming online. Activation of W8Y will begin on the evening of Sunday, June 12, and conclude at 1 PM EDT on Friday, June 17. Try to give these young folks a contact with RI.
That’s all I have for this month See you after Field Day. Good Luck, all.
73,
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ARRL Rhode Island Section
Section Manager: Robert G Beaudet, W1YRC
w1yrc@arrl.org
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