Area-11 Weekly Nets

New News

Please pass this to your EC's and let us see if we can get a number
of those that plan to attend.

NC ARES Fall Meeting

Presenters: SM N4IB Tim Slay
SEC WA4MOK Bernie Nobles

Date: October 18, 2008
Time: 930 AM Ending Time: 1230 PM
Place: Western Piedmont Community College
I40 exit 103 in Morganton.

Address: 1001 Burkemont Ave.
Morganton, NC 28655-450

We have plenty of room, bring a friend or two and come and join us for the State fall meeting. Morganton was picked as a central location for those in the Western Branch. Don’t let us down, be there and we hope to see you at the meeting.

E-mail Paul – KD4OZ

More Information

The campus is fully ADA accessable.  There are handicap places
immediately in front of the building, ramps to the building and an
elevator since the room is on the 2nd floor.

Michelle - KD4YTU

IS-700 "instructor-taught" class this Sunday.
The course is free.
If you need additional information please let me know.
.... You hotshots who already have this course, don't ignore this email... find members of your crew who need the motivation of a scheduled, live class and get this email to them...

9:00am Sunday 12 October, Heritage International Ministries, Fort Mill, SC, Grand Cafe

There is no fee or registration for this course.

==================================
ARL SIX 73 de KF4Voo, Brian Mulder

Hi, folks,

Just a quick update on the NCEM Winlink system.

All of the electronics has been received at NCEM Raleigh (746 Pro, P/S, Pactor III modems, antennas, cables). Non-penetrating roof mounts for the Western and Eastern Branch offices, coax cables and other installation stuff is on-order and expected at NCEM Raleigh within the next couple of weeks.

Here's the initial implementation plan:

Next week, I will sign-out 1 (one) hardware group (radio/modem/cables), take it to my office and integrate it. I will make drawings of the configuration for future use. I will then load Winlink software onto a dedicated Windows XP machine and get it configured and operational. I will make installation CDs of the configuration for later use.
Then, we will install the first hardware group at the State EOC in Raleigh and clean-up any remaining hardware/software/firmware configuration issues and update the CDs with a working configuration. Generation of initial training info/documents will begin at this point.
Next, we will get the hardware delivered to the Western and Eastern Branches, along with supporting documentation.
NCEM will arrange for any contractor work (wall penetrations, lift/setup of the roof mounts, etc.).
Hams at the Western Branch and Eastern Branch will need to arrange a short work-party to pull-up the dipole antennas and connect the coax.
The undersigned and others will conduct the training on-site[s] and help with any configuration issues. This will be coordinated with NCEM personnel that will also participate in training. This will include installation of configured software.
Following the foregoing, we will want to "wring-out" the system for a few weeks and understand the inherent characteristics and finalize any operational guidelines.

This is the culmination of a lot of effort by a lot of folks in the Ham community and at NCEM over some years and is the backbone for a larger digital system for NCEM in NC. Thanks to all that have participated and in particular, Clay Benton and Mike Sprayberry at NCEM. Mike said "you present me with a workable plan and I'll make funds available". We did and he did.

Thanks and 73,

Tom N4TAB
ASEC Central Branch

Distribution:
Bernie Nobles NC SEC
Paul Robinette ASEC Western Branch
Ron Knapp ASEC Eastern Branch
Tim Slay NC SM
John Guerriero EC NCEM

cc: Clay Benton, Operations Center Manager, NCEM
Mike Montague NCEM Communications Coordinator

Way to go team. It looks like that we had a lot of activity
for the SET Drill on October 4th. Now it's time for the
paper work. Here are the list of ARRL forms. Special
thanks to all Counties that participated.

EC - SET Reports NM - SET Reports EC Annual - SET Reports
All can be found here.

Paul - KD4OZI
------------------------------------------------------------
SET DRILL October 4TH
State Wide H.F. 3.927 Mhz
Here are the 15 counties in the Western Branch that will be involved in the S.E.T. drill on October 4, 2008.

Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Henderson, Iredell, Mitchell, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Stanly, And Union County

To: Western Branch Digital Operators

First of all, I wish to apologize to all who responded promptly (some time ago) to my query about Western Branch digital operations. At that time it was my intent to assemble information and mail it out to you with some ideas about using our digital networks during the Oct. 4. SET. I realize I have been slack in accomplishing this. In September I made two long trips, one each to LA and TX, to assist in disaster relief operations to assist the victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The time spent away from home as well as "catch-up" tasks have contributed to this slackness.

I am attaching a MS Word file with information about the five Winlink 2000 RMS Gateway stations that are currently operating in the Western Branch. I have connected successfully to each one, except KG4HJU, from my home in Concord
If this information is not correct, please email me with the correction(s).

Information about ARES Area 11 digital stations can be found at URL http://www.ncares11.com/Packet.htm.

So, what can we do digitally during the SET? I have the following ideas.
1) Exercise your digital equipment and try to connect to as many of the RMS gateway stations as possible.

2) Send email via the WL2K system to ARES officials including the SEC and SM. Send at least one to Paul, KD4OZI, our Western Branch ASEC. His email address is KD4OZI@bellsouth.net. I have inquired of our SM, Tim Slay, as to the email addresses at the State EOC and the Branch EOCs. I have not yet received that information from him. The Section Manager's email address is N4IB@arrl.org. The email address for Jim Rogers, N4EUX, the DEC for Area 12, is bozo38@charter.net. The email address for Duke, W4DK, the DEC for Area 15, is W4DK@arrl.net.
A list of Western Branch ARES officials may be found at URL http://bellsouthpwp2.net/k/d/kd4ozi/DEC/DEC%20EC%20ORG.htm

3) Send WL2K email messages to county ECs (both your own and other counties.). In order to do this we will need gather some more email addresses. If you are interested in providing an email address use the REPLY ALL button on this email and send to all on this address list.. The email address for Sam Roberts, Cabarrus Co. EC, is sroberts@pipeline.com

4)If some of you will have packet mailboxes active during the SET, tell us the call signs, frequency, and location (including county). Use the REPLY BUTTON as described above to give us this information as well. The mailbox for Cabarrus County will be W4LN-1 on 145.09, accessible via dual frequency node K4CEB-7.

Please send me other ideas and information to me or the group in the address list.

I realize this a late date for preparing for the SET. Thank you for your cooperation and participation.

73
Richard W4LN
AEC Cabarrus County

S. 3429, "Giving Incentives for Volunteers Everywhere (GIVE)" Act of 2008 has been introduced into the US Senate .... bipartisan for a change. Here's the URL where you can read all about it, but I urge your support by writing Senators and Congressmen asking for their support. Fourteen cents a mile is ludicrous! Please pass this on to everyone you know who volunteers their time and automobile.

http://www.cvnl.org/community/documents/volmil.pdf

73,

Duke

Duke Knief W4DK
ARES DEC NC Area 15

Extra Class Exam Booklet Minor Fix

This message is for VE Teams that have been officially field stocked with
the 2008 Extra class exam booklets.
In Extra class exam booklet version 4-3-2008, there is a minor error with
Question 15.
The candidate is given 5 possible answers to choose from instead of 4.
Simply put a line through the last answer line, which is the second (D)
answer, with a pen or marker.
Do not use a permanent marker as it will bleed through the paper.
Once fixed, question 15 should look like the example shown below.
15. On which of the following frequencies is one likely to find
FMTV transmissions? (E2B19)
(A) 14.230 MHz
(B) 29.6 MHz
(C) 52.525 MHz
(D) 1255 MHz
(D) 240 ohms at an angle of 36.9 degrees
As always, please contact the ARRL/VEC at _vec@arrl.org_
(mailto:vec@arrl.org) or by phone if you have any questions or concerns.

All District Emergency Coordinators Copy
All your Emergency Coordinators Copy
All Emergency Coordinators Copy
all ARES members pass it on

I thought this info to be important enough for all to know about. Please read!!!

Jim - N4EUX

Scans or Scams? The Skinny on "Scareware"

Web sites that offer to scan your computer for free are all over the internet - there are scanners that detect viruses, find registry or hard drive errors, or check the health of your entire computer. These scanners can check your drives, registry, or memory and then will show you a list of any errors detected.

While legitimate companies - including iolo - (System Mechanic) do offer free system scans, a growing number of unscrupulous companies are beginning to use these free scans merely as a ploy to generate a rushed, fear-based buying decision.

Here are some of the tactics that iolo researchers have found:

Error inflation. Like the dishonest mechanic who keeps finding problems under the hood of your car, some of these scans over-report. Many of these "errors" may not be errors at all, or a single problem may have been divided into dozens of subparts prior to reporting. You should question the accuracy of reported issues numbering in the hundreds or thousands.

Empty promises. After running a scan, the software will show an incomprehensible list of errors and simply "promise" to fix your computer, only after your purchase. In most cases, the reason for the vague reporting is that the product doesn't have the technology or ability to back up its claims. Better tools will be upfront about what was detected and will be clear in describing the problems - regardless of whether or not you buy the company's products.

Intimidation. To lure you in to making a fast purchasing decision, some scan reports have dramatically dire predictions of what will happen to your computer without a repair. Reputable software does not use such exaggerated wording and will provide straightforward, useful information about the status of your PC, not frightening alarms.

Shoddy technical design. Some scanners incorporate carelessly designed functions that can harm your computer and cause conflicts with your valid software. Or they come bundled with so much resource-hogging adware that your PC's performance worsens rather than improves. As with any downloaded file you run on your computer, only install files from software manufacturers you know and trust or refer to trusted sources for objective information.

System scans can be a great way to find out the health and security of your PC, but to get the most accurate results, don't feel coerced or pressured into making a purchase and be sure to check the credibility of the software's manufacturer. A reputable company that stands behind their software won't need to pull the wool over your eyes and can let their products speak for themselves.

From: Pitts, Allen W1AGP [mailto:w1agp@arrl.org]
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 8:45 AM
To: pr list
Subject: [pr:9540] News Release - please send out in your home areas

News Release

Contact for more information:
Allen Pitts, w1agp
ARRL
(860) 594-0328
apitts@arrl.org

Radio hams set stage as storms play out
The volunteers "behind the curtain" make the actors look good

Newington, Ct Sept. 3, 2008 -- Dubbed as the most “fail-safe” form of interoperable communications in the world, amateur radio and its regions of volunteers swung into action in advance of Hurricane Gustav to provide communications support for government agencies and other volunteer response groups in areas affected by Hurricane Gustav. Those preparations may be a dress rehearsal for the parade of impending storms marching across the Atlantic – Hannah, Ike and Josephine. Emergency workers know that the fastest way to turn a crisis into a disaster is to lose communications, and the hams work in the background to make sure that does not happen for many emergency response groups.

Many of America’s 650,000 licensed Amateur Radio – or “Ham” - volunteer operators have been positioned in shelters and emergency management centers in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas to coordinate vital public safety communications in areas where landlines, cell phones and the internet went down or were overloaded. In Georgia, ham radio operators stationed at welcome centers at the Georgia-Alabama border greeted evacuees and radioed ahead to shelters in the Atlanta area where they could be assigned. Hams are also aiding evacuated families in contacting relatives and in the coordination of needed supplies. Hams also worked with the National Weather Service in outlying areas though the Skywarn program in reporting conditions below the service's radar

-more-

__________________________________________________________

levels. In Mississippi, the hams tracked tornadoes that surfaced during Gustav’s

rage. Although electricity has been restored to shelters outside the immediate strike zone, ham radio operators are remaining to provide the most reliable means of communications into areas where thousands are still without power.

While Gulf Coast regional Amateur Radio volunteers are managing the demands for communications in the aftermath of Gustav, other volunteer operators are gearing up for the potential onslaught of storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine. Regional plans are taking shape and local Amateur Radio leadership is planning for equipment and personnel that will be needed to respond when the next storm hits - most likely along the Southeastern coast of the US in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. “It’s part of our century old mission of ongoing vigilance and preparation”, said Dave Sumner, Executive Vice President of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio based in Newington, Connecticut. All the ham radio operators are FCC licensed volunteers, donating their time and equipment without compensation. Their Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) program provides background communications services to many government and non-profit response organizations. In addition to their public service, Amateur Radio operators experiment with new technologies and have added those technologies, such as digital radio and hybrid radio-internet modes, to their emergency communications capabilities. Ham radio operators are constantly testing their equipment and operating skills to ensure that they are ready when communications systems are damaged or destroyed during disasters.

Dear NC PIOs:

First, a tip of the hat to Cliff Fox, KU4GW, from Alexander County. An ardent contester and ARES member, he appeared on WACB 860 AM in Taylorsville, NC at 5 PM on the radio show titled "What Do You Think?" hosted by local radio personality Norris Keever. It is a listener call-in show. Never overlook any media opportunity, and some smaller AM radio stations are the perfect format on which to promote amateur radio. Great job, Cliff!

The other reason I wanted to write you tonight is the emerging seriousness of Tropical Storm Gustav. While it is not slated to come ashore in North Carolina, Gustav is on a course tonight to hit the U.S. mainland through the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, Labor Day, about 2 PM. It is projected to be a category 2 or 3 hurricane by then. Gustav could later pose rain threats to the western part of our NC Section, just as the ravages of Fay blanketed our state yesterday and today with ample rainfall.

Amateur radio operators and ARES organizations are mobilizing in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and we think Alabama will be gearing up shortly too. CNN already called ARRL headquarters this afternoon and spoke with Media Manager Allen Pitts about preparations. Hurricanes are “media magnets” for amateur radio. They present an opportunity for the public to learn more about our vital role in public service. I urge all of you to have media “Go-Kits” ready, and by that I mean download the PIO background information you can find at www.arrl.org/pio or on copies of the “Swiss Army Knife”, if you have one. If you’re not already on ARRL’s PR Reflector, please take a moment to send an email to Allen Pitts at w1agp@arrl.org and ask him to activate you. The PR reflector is abuzz with practical tips and insights that will help you sound and look great before the media. Remember: you only represent amateur radio, and you cannot speak for other organizations like Red Cross, Salvation Army, government emergency management, etc. Here are some quick dot points:

ü 650,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the U.S.

ü 18,000 in North Carolina

ü All know basic emergency communications skills by becoming licensed as hams

ü Almost 2,000 NC hams have gone a step further to join ARES.

ü Numerous ham radio clubs in NC are participating in the Dept. of Homeland Security’s “National Preparedness Month (NPM)” (September)

ü There will a statewide Simulated Emergency Test (SET) exercise in NC October 4^th to keep skills and equipment up to peak performance.

ü The Tar Heel Emergency Net (THEN) has been meeting on the air daily for 59 years since 1949 to keep amateur radio operators vigilant

ü Today’s ham radio operators use modern digital modes that look like email and GPS mapping technologies as well as traditional voice

Those of you who will be going to the Shelby Hamfest this weekend might run across media. If so, please defer all hamfest questions to the Cleveland Club/Shelby organizers and encourage media to check in with them. However, if the opportunity arises for general background, please incorporate the material above. I will, unfortunately, miss Shelby this year, but there are many of you who will do a great job if asked.

Later, I’ll pass along a release you can share as part of NPM. Please stay alert over the next few days.

73 es TNX,

Bill N2COP

9/01/08

The North Carolina Section Simulated Emergency Test will be held
Saturday morning, October 4 from 8am to 12noon.  The Tarheel Emergency
Net will be active on 3.923kHz during this time to handle traffic and
coordinate the exercise.  While local SET's can be scheduled any time
during the fall, I encourage you to consider holding your local SET on
the same day.  Our neighboring sections are holding SET's on October 4
and we are planning a wide-area disaster exercise related to
hurricanes.  More details will be available soon, but mark your
calendars for October 4!

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL North Carolina Section
Section Manager: Timothy B. Slay, N4IB
n4ib@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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If you do not want to receive further messages, go to the site at:
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Log in with your username and password and change your email options.
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Folks...
We had a nice turnout last Saturday for the AREA 13 District Meeting. Catawba County was not represented because
Joe W1FAI was deployed with the Red Cross in Iowa, and Dorney KG4YNM was in the hospital. Those attending were
Cleveland County… Susan K4ZXN, Todd KG4UZT, & Ben KM4C. Gaston County (Our hosts)… Jim KI4OCC, Mark NC1G,&
Milt KC4YOT. Lincoln… Cliff WD4PIC. Mecklenburg… Brain KF4VOO, John WB2NH, Michael W4DXC, & Randy KE4JXF.
Union… David KI4PWO. We were also pleased to have Paul Robinette KD4OZI ASEC for the Western Branch in attendance.

During a discussion regarding the AREA 13 Web Page, Milt KC4YOT asked all counties to send him a copy of their
county logo, information pertaining to county emergency services, web page address if they have one, the name and
address of the EC & PIO and their email addresses, net days along with times and frequencies, dates/locations and
times of ARES and local radio club meetings, and links to other sites of interest. Milt also said that because the
location of the current site is free, we do have a bit of a space problems so we will not be able to handle many
pictures initially. He asked that the information be forwarded to him as soon as possible at his email address
(kc4yot@arrl.net).

The proposed database of AREA 13 ARES Members was also discussed. A suggestion by Bill W4WNT that we use
“Microsoft Access” was considered. It was decided that not enough people were familiar with “Access” and that
because the information to be contained in the database was limited that it would be easier for us to just continue
to use “Microsoft Excel.” We will build on the Excel file that has been improved by Milt KC4YOT. Information will
be entered by county and will contain the members name, call sign, county, ICS/ARECC/ and other certifications,
home/business/cell telephone numbers, and email address(s). The new “Excel” database will be forwarded to all ECs
and AECs shortly. When it is completed or revised, a copy of the database will be forwarded to all ECs, AECs, and
all emergency services managers in AREA 13.

It was announced that the final goal for 2008 is to have 75% of all ARES members certified in ICS 100, 200, & 700
by year end. A suggestion was that perhaps counties consider having a two tier ARES membership. The “Basic” group
would be available to work on events such as a MS Walk, Go For Blood, or other non emergency related activity.
The “Advanced” tier would be those with the required ICS certification or other training who would be available for
any ARES activity.
It was also noted that there will be a statewide EC meeting in Morganton on October 18th. Paul KD4OZI has been
working to encourage NC ARES to have a meeting every year in the Western Branch. Bernie WA4MOK should be thanked for
scheduling the meeting. Now it is up to all Western Branch ECs and AECs to turn out and show Bernie that we support
his effort.

During his comments to the group, ASEC Paul KD4OZI stressed the importance of having the ECs complete and forward
their monthly report. If for any reason the EC cannot complete the report, they should delegate the responsibility
to one of their AECs. Those reports are due to K4RLD by the 6th of each month. He also reviewed the Western Branch
web page with the group explaining some of the information that is located there.

Our next regular meeting would be scheduled for October. However, it was decided that because of the state ARES
meeting on October 18th, AREA 13 will not have its next meeting until January 2009. There are five Saturdays in
January (3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th,& 31st. Please review your calendars and let me know if you have conflicts on one or
more dates. I will then select a date with the fewest conflicts. Cleveland County has agreed to serve as our host
for the meeting.

Bob DeWitt K4RLD
DEC
AREA 13 ARES

NEW ARRL APPOINTEES

Congratulations and thanks to the following who have this year been appointed
to ARRL volunteer positions in the North Carolina section.  Thanks to these
folks and all 218 ARRL appointees in our section for your willingness to fill
for these important positions

Larry Sloop, WB4UYY:  EC, Wilkes County;  John Sprouse, N4VJJ:  EC, Beaufort
County;  James Craig, KI4OCC:  EC, Gaston County;  James Wright, KS4O:  EC,
Craven County;  Phillip Whisnant, K4PDW:  EC  Rutherford County; Robert
Rodgers, KC4TVO:  EC Mitchell County;   James Johnson, KI4TAT:  PIO;  Dewey
Cook, KJ4BYU:  PIO;  Cliff Fox, KU4GW:  EC, Alexander County;  Mark Bradshaw,
KJ4WY:  ORS; James Stevens, WB4JFX:  EC, Lee County; George Walden, ORS.

CHARLOTTE HAMFEST MOVES IN 2009

The Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Society has announced that the Charlotte Hamfest
is moving.  The 2009 event will be held at the Cabarrus Arena off Highway 49,
just north of Harrisburg, NC. It's just minutes away from North Carolina's
most visited tourist destination, Concord Mills Mall (believe it or not!). 
The MARS club says that everyone will enjoy the excellent facilities. 
Cabarrus Arena is only six years old and very well maintained. Since the
weather in March is so iffy -  it can be cold, wet, warm, or even snowy - so
the Charlotte Hamfest will continue to be an indoor show.  MARS says feedback
from attendees and vendors indicated that the high cost of parking and food
were the biggest concerns about their old location.  Concessions at the new
facility should be improved, but the biggest change will be free parking! 
The 2009 Charlotte Hamfest will be held March 14-15 and will be the ARRL's
Roanoke Division Convention.

The Charlotte Hamfest joins the Shelby Hamfest in moves to new facilities. 
The Shelby Amateur Radio Club announced earlier this year that they had
signed a five year contract at Biggerstaff Park near Dallas, NC in Gaston
County.  The 2008 Shelby Hamfest is coming up soon on held August 30-31.

NEW OFFICIAL RELAY STATIONS

Participants who completed Mark Rappaport, W2EAG's on-air traffic handling
course are encouraged to submit applications to become ARRL Official Relay
Stations.  More info and an application are available online at www.arrl.org.
 Also, keep your new skills sharp by participating in one of the North
Carolina section traffic nets.  The SSB nets include the North Carolina
Morning Net (NCMN) on 3927 kHz at 0745L and the North Carolina Evening Net
(NCEN) on 3923 kHz at 1830L.   Our CW nets are the Carolinas Slow Net on
3571kHz at 2000L, the Carolinas Net (Early) on 3573kHz at 1900L and the
Carolinas Net (Late) on 3573kHz at 2200L.  From there you can take traffic to
your local areas for delivery or liaison to your local (VHF/UHF) traffic
nets, as the need may be. Another option would be to participate with your
local nets: The Eastern North Carolina Traffic Net (ENCTN), the South Eastern
North Carolina Traffic Net (SENCTN), the Piedmont Coastal Traffic Net (PCTN)
or the Central North Carolina Traffic Net (CNCTN).

Folks… Please be advised that the 2 meter packet digipeater frequency here in Monroe has been changed from 145.050 to 145.010. The UHF digipeater remains on 446.500 MHZ. If you have any questions, please contact me. 73

Bob DeWitt K4RLD

Acting EC
7/15/08

Forward please..... Widest distribution .... 73 W4DK

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2008
Release #08-319

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 843-7422
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall
of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products
immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: 13.8V DC Power Supplies

Units: About 160,000

Importer: RadioShack Corp., of Fort Worth, Texas

Hazard: The recalled power supplies are wired incorrectly, posing
           electrocution and fire hazards.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recall involves RadioShack 13.8V DC Power Supplies,
                catalog numbers 22-507 and 22-508 with date codes from
              08A04 through 01A08.

Date code format is MMAYY where MM is the month and YY is the year. The
catalog number and date code are located on the back of the power supply.
Power Supplies with a green dot on the product and the product's packaging
have already been repaired and are not included in the recall.

Sold at: RadioShack stores nationwide from October 2004 through January
            2008 for between $50 and $85.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should unplug the recalled power supply immediately and take it to
any RadioShack store for a free repair. Registered owners of the recalled power supplies
will be mailed a notice.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact RadioShack at 800-843-7422 anytime,
or visit the firm's website at:

         http://www.radioshack.com/recall

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to:

         http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtm108/08319.html

E-mail me on your e-mail experience with Field Day....
KD4OZI@ARRL.NET

Another excellent Field Day article from Cleveland county.

Take 3 minutes of you time and pass it on. Very good information.

http://tinyurl.com/46okjp

Cleveland County -

ARES group was named Outstanding Volunteer group for the 2008 Over the Mountain Triathlon in Kings Mountain. They gave us a resolution and a pewter cup, it was pretty nice. Several of the Gaston County ARES members helped out and were on hand for the presentation. There is a copy of the resolution at http://www.shelbyhamfest.org/ares/resolution06-24-08.pdf

From: Slay, Tim [mailto:tbslay@duke-energy.com]
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 8:20 AM
To: N2COP
Subject: Coverage in WS Journal

FYI, from the Winston Salem hamfest.
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/jun/15/old-pros-and-novices-flock-to-forsyth-to-share-an-/

Tim Slay, N4IB
NC Section Manager
704-382-4646

6/16/08

From the ARRL Bulletin:

Be Careful on 10 Meters: With recent band openings beginning on 10
meters, ARRL has received word that a number of US amateurs have been
heard using SSB below 28.300. "We urge everyone to remember that 28.000
to 28.300 MHz is reserved for RTTY and data, including CW," said ARRL
Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG. "Phone is
permitted from 28.300 to 28.500 for Novice and Technician class
licensees with a maximum power of 200 W. Phone and image are allowed
from 28.300 up to 29.700 for General, Advanced and Extra class license
holders." Skolaut, who manages the Official Observer and Intruder Watch
programs, said that people have called and e-mailed ARRL HQ inquiring
about hearing IDs repeated in code on various 10 meter frequencies.
"What they are hearing are beacons," Skolaut said; he suggests checking
out some Web sites for more information on beacons you might hear on 10
meters <http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=1114> and other
bands <http://www.ncdxf.org/beacons.html>.

Information Provide By George (K4GLP).
6/06/08

__._,_.___

Known as the "Magic Band," 6 meters QSO Party

The Grand-daddy of them all! 50+ Years of Radio Fun and Great Fellowship

The 2008 Shelby Hamfest has NOT been cancelled.
SHELBY HAMFEST at DALLAS, NC

Click Here for the Official Cleveland County ARES ® Website

Folks… We ARES members in AREA 13 have a BIG goal in front of us! The goal is to have one half of all of our ARES members certified in IS-100, IS-200, and IS-700 by mid July. According to my records, sixty-three of you are already participating in the exercises. All three of these classes can easily be completed in one afternoon or evening on line. What the courses are designed to do is give you a basic understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS) which is now used during all emergencies. It is no longer sufficient to merely know how to communicate. Unless you have a understanding of ICS, your effectiveness as a communicator will be severely limited. I like to look at this training as continuing education for our members.

I urge you to invest a couple of hours of your time and take the courses. As I have said, the courses can be completed on line. A test is given upon completion of the material, and you will benotif1ed within minutes if you have passed. It’s as simple as that! I ask that you forward a copy of your completion certificate to your EC via email. He can then inform me of your certification. The URL for the courses is: http://training.fema.gov/is/nims

If an emergency strikes us here in AREA 13, we will certainly be called upon to play a role. Let’s make sure that we are ready for the challenge. 73

Bob DeWitt K4RLD

DEC AREA 13

North Carolina ARES

PS… I ask that you forward this email to all of your ARES members

Who should be your County's
ARES PIO ??

5/02/08

Congratulations to members of the Azalea Coast Amateur Radio Club for
orchestrating a successful amateur radio contact between the battleship
USS North Carolina and her namesake, docked in Wilmington for a
commissioning ceremony this weekend.  The director of the museum ship
and the Captain of the new attack submarine USS North Carolina made a 2
meter contact yesterday.  The event was covered by WWAY TV and video
can be seen at the link below:

http://www.wwaytv3.com/video/sub_battleship_share_historic_radio_call/04

This is the first known conveyance of radio greetings between two
namesake military vessels since the cold war era. This weekend the
ACARC will be operating a special event station from the radio room of
the battleship North Carolina to celebrate the commissioning of the new
submarine.

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Area-15 is Growing.

Welcome to Clay County new EC. Kenneth Bryant (KF4CZB)of 
Hayesville, North Carolina. Kenneth will be 
reporting to the Area-15 DEC Duke (W4DK).

Kenneth, welcome Aboard the Western Branch.  Hope to visit you at your
next quarterly meeting.

Paul - KD4OZI
4/23/08

There's an email making the rounds in our section that refers to a new

law in California that prohibits the use of cell phones by drivers

unless they are using a hands-free device.  The law goes into effect on

July 1 and it's not clear that 2-way radios are exempted.  There are

bills that prohibit the use of cell phones in North Carolina by teenage

drivers and school bus drivers. But there is NO law and no active bills

in the North Carolina State Legislature that would ban cell phone usage

in automobiles by adults or have any impact on the use of 2-way radios

in vehicles.

Last year, two bills were developed in committees that would ban the

use of cell phones in automobiles. In the Senate, Senator Dannelly of

Mecklenburg County introduced SB 1399. In the House, Representatives

McAllister of Cumberland County and Luebke of Durham County introduced

H527. The Bills have almost identical language, and did not directly

prohibit the use of two way mobile radios. I expect that these Bills

will become active in this Legislative session, which begins May 13th.

We need to monitor these, as do commercial two way radio services.

However, any Bill that comes out of committee needs to be voted on by

both the House and Senate; then, have a congruence between the two

Legislative bodies; then, be signed by the Governor before it becomes

law.

We are actively monitoring these upcoming bills and will work with the

legislature to make sure the needs of our critical service are

protected.

Bob Conder, K4RLC

ARRL State Government Liaison

North Carolina

4/24/08