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The HOTLINE |
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Federally-Graded Defense Exercise: May 21 |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
Steve Vaughn, KE5RKR, Assistant Coordinator for Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management, is coming to our Club meeting this Thursday to ask for our help in the 2009 Radiological Defense Exercise (RDD) on May 21, 2009. This is a federally graded exercise which includes the 6 counties in the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG).
Steve has had jobs as city coordinator, RLO-Regional Liaison Officer
and Assistant State Coordinator for the Governors’ Division of Emergency Management.
He has experienced disasters from A to Z. Steve also attended HOTARC’s
Technician Licensing Class in 2007 to obtain his amateur radio license.
I first met Steve and family in the late 70s. He helped me with my training over the years. With Steve’s help, I came to Waco in 1989, and took the position of Assistant Coordinator for Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management—the very same job that Steve now holds. It has been a joy to know him, and I am honored to call him a true friend.
Please come and listen to what Steve has to say about the May exercise. Not only will you learn about the purpose and planning behind such exercises, but we also need you to consider volunteering to participate, if at all possible.
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President’s Corner |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
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Rodney, K5YKC |
Happenings
Regarding our recent Race for the Cure participation, I would like to thank Zak Bolin-W5ZAK, Dell Bredemeyer KE5MZS, John Chamberlain AC5CV, Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, Joe Funk AF5D, Karl Funk KB5WAM, Ed Hynan KC5KNI, James Jud KA5QKL, Paul Moore KE5UBN, Ray Read AD5CK, Terry Williams KD5KJU and, of course, our Special Events Coordinator, Jim Jud KA5KQL. Jim did a great job. We had some situations come up before and during the Race, but with our great team work and Terry Williams KD5KJU’s leadership they were solved without a hitch.
Our next special event is Field Day at Hewitt Park. As some of you know, this takes a lot of teamwork and coordination also. If you have questions or ideas let’s get them on the table now, so we all have a good time operating that weekend. I hope we will have plenty of elected officials come out and visit with our group. We would love to have lots of questions about our hobby.
I hope all of you will come to the next meeting where Steve Vaughn KE5RAR will present a program on the May 21, 2009 RDD Exercise in which the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG) counties will participate.
Rodney
Baden, K5YKC
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC Annual Meeting of Members
March 26, 2009
HOTARC’s March Meeting was called to order by Rodney Baden K5YKC Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 7:07 pm at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Chaplain Dell Bredemeyer KE5MZS, opened the meeting with a prayer.
Present were 21 full members, 1 associate member, 2 family members and 5 visitors. Visitors were Scott Brandt KC0BIG and Connor Humphries of Waco, Patrick Tolbert KE5ZOG of Woodway, Stacey Bolin of McGregor, and Nicole Blanchard of China Spring.
A motion to approve the Minutes for the February meeting as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Ed Hynan KC5KNI, with second by James Jud KA5QKL. The motion was approved by the members.
A motion to approve the February Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, with second by Jerry Tollison KD5JML. The motion was approved by the members.
Committee Reports:
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 5,862.52 Income Dues 240.00 Interest 0.26 TOTAL Income $ 240.26 Expenses Skywarn refreshments $ 45.89 Tech Class books (12) 193.03 TOTAL Expenses $ 238.92 Ending Account Balance $ 5,863.86 Outstanding (as of 4-10-2009) Submitted by |
· ARES: Ed Hynan KC5KNI reported that you should be getting your ARES ID cards around April. Also, if a severe weather event is occurring and you are a Net Control Operator, go ahead and start the Net and take check-ins and reports while KC5KNI and Terry Williams KD5KJU get to the EOC.
· Trailer: Mike Ross N5MVL reported that the trailer cleanup day will have to be postponed till sometime in May due to event conflicts. A motion to donate the broken generator to TSTC Automotive was recognized from N5MVL, with second by Robert Hicks KA5BLB. The motion was approved by the members.
· Repeater: Norris Martin KB5SLI reported that the .15 repeater is back up and running at the channel 25 tower site.
· D-Star: No news.
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV updated most of the pages to use “style sheets.”
· ATV: No news.
· Education: K5YKC reported that the Technician class will be canceled due to low enrollment. If you know someone who would like a Technician study guide for $20 contact KD5UEW. A motion to reimburse AC5CV $193 for the purchase of study guide was made by KD5UEW, with second by KA5QKL. The motion was approved by the members.
· Public Relations: No news.
· Special Events: James Jud KA5QKL reported that the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be on April 18th. Volunteers are needed.
New Business:
· A motion was made by KD5UEW with second by Scott Hamilton K5ZOH to pay $38.61 for the trailer license.
· KD5KJU and Bill Cox W5JRM have completed the financial audit for 2008 and recommend approval of the treasurer’s report as submitted.
Motion to adjourn was recognized from KD5UEW at approximately 7:42 pm.
James Jud KA5QKL discussed the final details of the 2009 Bearathon race with the club and we all enjoyed a great meal provided by the Baylor Student Foundation. Thank You!
Submitted by:
Jeremy Neal KE5PRG
HOTARC Secretary
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by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI |
Hurricane season began on
1 June and ends on 30 November. It is during this time that Hurricane Watch
Net, (HWN) the primary wide-area amateur radio hurricane response and
information source, is activated. The HWN serves as eyes and ears for the
National Weather Service, and relays official weather bulletins to those
monitoring the net in affected areas. The net also serves as a back-up
communication link between NWS forecast centers, EOCs, and other disaster
relief efforts. Just as our local Baker’s Dozen Weather Net provides real time
confirmation of severe occurrences in central Texas to the NWS, the HWN does
the same over coastal areas.
The HWN is activated for all hurricanes that are a threat to land in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. The net will normally activate when a hurricane is moving towards land at a range of 300 miles. The National Hurricane Center may occasionally request activation for a tropical storm or a storm that is more than 300 miles from land.
Once activated, the HF HWN has the following primary functions:
1. Disseminate hurricane advisory information to marine interests, Caribbean island nations, emergency operations centers, and other interests in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific.
2. Obtain weather information from reporting stations and observers who are not part of the routine network for the National Weather Service.
3. Function as a back-up wide-area communication link for the National Hurricane Center, emergency operations centers, and the National Weather Service, and other vital interests involved in the protection of life and property before, during, and after hurricane events.
4. Relay initial damage assessments to the National Hurricane Center.
The HWN and the operation of W4EHW at the National Hurricane Center in Miami are staffed entirely by volunteers. Net operations are usually conducted on 14.325 MHz, although when band conditions warrant the net moves to 3.950 MHz. Standard operating procedures, operating tips, reporting forms, and tips on taking observations can be found at: http://www.hwn.org, and also covered extensively in the ARRL Emergency Communications Course Level 3.
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Special Events Report |
by John Chamberlain AC5CV |
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Since our last meeting, HOTARC members have been busy supporting local organizations’ special running events, as well as sharpening their and emergency deployment and Net operating skills. Under the leadership of Special Events Coordinator Jim Judd KA5QKL, HOTARC provided communications support at: 1. The 2009 Bearathon, sponsored by the Baylor Student Foundation, on March 28, 2009. 2. The 2009 Race for the Cure, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, on April 18, 2009. |
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Both events had inclement weather this year: the Bearathon with unseasonably cold and windy temperatures, and the Race for the Cure with rain showers. Nevertheless, event participants and HOTARC volunteers persevered! See the HOTARC Events page for more details. |
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The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given to the source.
Edited and Published by John Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
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2009 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2009 Board of Directors
President: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Secretary: Jeremy Neal KE5PRG, 881-2123, JeremyLeeNeal@gmail.com
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.com
Director (2010): Ed Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, KC5KNI@arrl.net
Director (2011): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, D-Star)
442.875 MHz (input at +5.0 MHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is scheduled for Saturday May 16, 2009 at about 4 PM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg (#70 on the map), Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $15 (cash only); 2) a photo ID (two for first-time licensees); and for already licensed amateurs: 3) current license and photocopy of it; and 4) photocopy of any relevant CSCE. Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe next Meeting of HOTARC Members will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday April 23, 2009 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
It’s “special
event” season…
…practice for a real disaster.