Below is the newsletter for March 11, 2024. I could use some help with the newsletter so we can keep sending one out weekly. If you can help, please let me know.
Steven Christy, N5ZQ
n5zq@n5zq.us
March Board Meeting
EARS holds a monthly board meeting on the second Tuesday of each month. The next board meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12 at 7pm. The meeting is still at Edmond Fire Station 5 but the location at the fire station has changed. It is now in the training building down the hill by the tower. The blue pin on the map below shows the meeting location.
Fire Station 5 is located at 5300 E Covell Rd which is just East of I-35. If you need any help finding the meeting location, please give us a call on the repeater and we can help you out.
We look forward to see you there!
Larry Romine, WD5DFK, SK
Unfortunately I need to share that we received the sad news that Larry Romine, WD5DFK, became a silent key last week. Larry was a club member and a regular on the Monday evening net. Every time I read his callsign I can hear his distinctive voice.
A celebration of life gathering for Larry will take place on April 13th (Saturday) from 10am – 11:30am at Meadowood Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 2816 N Woodcrest Dr, Midwest City, OK 73110. A link to Larry’s obituary is below.
Larry will be greatly missed. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Ham Holiday – July 26-27, 2024!
Preregistration for Ham Holiday 2024 is now open!!!!
Ham Holiday 2024 will be on Friday, 26 July and Saturday, 27 July at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). Preregistration tickets are available on the Ham Holiday website at hamholiday.com/tix.
More information on prizes, forums, special drawing, and other Ham Holiday 2024 activities will be announced over the next few months. Please visit hamholiday.com regularly for all of the updated info!
Tickets Available Now – Click To Get Yours Today
Membership Renewal
As we embrace the spirit of renewal this spring, we want to extend our gratitude to each one of you for the energy, knowledge, and camaraderie you bring to our society. Your involvement is crucial in making our community a thriving hub for amateur radio enthusiasts.
We express our heartfelt thanks to all members who have already renewed. Your prompt action and ongoing support are instrumental in the vitality of our society. It allows us to sustain and expand our array of offerings, from educational events to engaging activities, all dedicated to enhancing our amateur radio experience.
Membership Renewal Reminder:
With the March 31st deadline on the horizon, we urge members who have yet to renew their memberships to do so without delay. To avoid the discontinuation of your membership, please ensure your renewal process is completed by this date. We are keen on continuing our journey with every one of you and do not wish to see any member’s journey with us interrupted due to non-renewal.
For your convenience, we offer an opportunity to renew your membership in person at our upcoming Tuesday meeting. This is a perfect occasion to address any questions you might have about the renewal process and to enjoy the fellowship of our society members.
For those who prefer digital convenience, please remember that you can renew your membership via our website or reach out to our membership coordinator for assistance. Your active participation and support are essential in fostering our shared passion for amateur radio and enabling our society to flourish.
Chris, KD5OOJ,
membership@k5eok.org
Ham Corner
Last week I used this space to discuss the question of “What radio should I buy?”. This week I am going to keep it a little simpler and provide some good resources for amateurs and especially those who are just starting out.
Recently I wrote about the ARRL, what they do and why they exist. One huge benefit of the organization is their vast content library. Not only do they have tons of books, they also have great content available on their website. While some of it is only for members, other content is available to anyone.
Let’s start out with their magazines. Many of you are familiar with QST but do you know about On The Air? This is a newer publication available to members that is aimed at newer hams. While this is the target audience, much of the content is still great for everyone. If you are a member, please check it out.
While the magazine is only for members, they have a podcast and blog at https://www.arrl.org/On-the-Air-Magazine that is open to anyone. Another really good link is https://www.arrl.org/newly-licensed-learn-more which links to content to help answer questions like “What radio equipment should I buy first?“, “How do I build a simple antenna?“, “What can I expect when I make my first contact?” along with downloads such as a band plan chart and a grid square locator form.
If you know someone who is looking to get licensed, they also have content to help answer those questions. This page gives some good overviews with links to more information: https://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed.
We recently talked about public service in amateur radio. The ARRL also has public service resources at this link: https://www.arrl.org/public-service. They have everything from ARES to Skywarn and NTS info. I know I have encouraged everyone to get involved in public service but I will do so again. This is one great aspect of our hobby. Please consider volunteering when EARS helps with public service events.
Don’t totally discount books either. The ARRL has a large library of books in their online store: https://home.arrl.org/action/Shop/Store. From antennas to electronics to licensing they just about have it all. One of the mainstays for 100 editions is The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications. This book is not cheap but it is very good.
While the ARRL does have some very good info, there are plenty of other sources as well. I am not necessarily vouching for the validity of all of these sources but they seem to have good content so I am listing them here.
https://newhams.info – This site does not appear to have been updated recently but there seems to be quite a bit of good content. Some topic include Why Hams Care About the Ionosphere, Why Hams Care About Solar Activity, Radio Brands, HT Antenna Improvement and more.
https://noji.com/hamradio/newham.php – I found this page linked from the newhams.info page. It is certainly not a modern-looking page but there seems to be some good content. Maybe it will help answer questions for at least one of you.
https://www.repeaterbook.com – This site contains a repeater database which is handy when programming local repeaters or when programming your radio when preparing to travel. I have found that it is not 100% accurate but it is still a good resource.
Hamfests can also be a good opportunity to learn. In addition to the swap meet, most hamfests also have various sessions. Ham Holiday typically has several very good sessions. I attended multiple sessions last year and I found them informative. There are other hamfests in the area that we will try to list in this newsletter as well.
The last resource I am listing is probably the most important and that is our club (EARS). While you may not be able to get your question answered immediately on your device, you can get help from a real live human who cares about you and wants to help. We are all a member of this club because we enjoy the hobby and we want others to succeed. If you are not a member, please consider joining. When you have a question (not if but when), please reach out. We all have questions and the great part about a group like ours is that we have an excellent pool of knowledge.
The best way to contact us is to send an email to k5eok@k5eok.org and we will do our best to help. We also have a monthly board meeting and several of us typically arrive early and stay late. We would be happy to do our best to answer any questions or provide assistance at that time as well.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The Stockyards City St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be here before you know it. The date this year is Saturday, March 16th. It is a great starter parade if you have never helped with one before. I highly recommend it. Usually the reporting time is 8am and the parade is over by 11am.
The signup form is live on the website at the link below. Please check your calendar and consider helping!
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Signup
If there are any questions, please contact Brandy, K5GBN, at parades@k5eok.org.
EARS Volunteers
I am sure all of you are aware that EARS is an entirely volunteer organization. That means we alway need volunteers. There are many tasks to get done and the more we share the load, the more this club will be able to do!
Below is a summary of just some of the events and activities in which the club participates:
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
LibertyFest Parade
Cowboy Christmas Parade
Cycle 66 Bike Race
Monthly Siren Test
Weekly Information Net – 52 Net Control Volunteers
Monthly VE Test Session
Bi-Monthly Club Dinner – 5 Dinners
Christmas Dinner
Technician License Class – Spring and Fall
Field Day – Also One of the Club Dinners
Severe Weather Spotting
This list does not include all of the administrative and management function of the club. The website needs frequent updates, this newsletter needs to be written, etc.
What does all this mean? It means We Need You! If you are able to help in any way, please let us know. Even if you are unsure how to help or where you might best fit, please let us know and we will work with you to find the best fit.
If you are willing to help, please contact us at k5eok@k5eok.org. That will send a message to both myself, Steven, N5ZQ, and Clay, WA6LBU and we will be in touch!
Logan County ARES
The next Logan County ARES meeting is Saturday, March 23rd at 9am. The meetings are in the Logan County Sheriff’s training room located at 219 S. Broad St in Guthrie. The meeting topic will be safety.
All are welcome to attend!
Logan County Siren Test
About a year ago we started assisting with a monthly storm siren test that occurs on the 3rd Saturday monthly. Our next siren test is this Saturday, March 16th. The county should have 4 additional sirens to test soon and I could use some additional people to assist. The format is similar to the Edmond siren test many of you assist with monthly.
If you are able to help, please let me know and I will add you to my list.
Steven, N5ZQ
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
Please read the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon info below from Gayland and consider volunteering if you are available.
Registration is open for volunteering for the communications unit that supports the Oklahoma City Marathon. Last year we had more than 70 amateur radio operators supporting the nearly 19,000 runners over a two-day period. Amateurs helped with logistical tasks, such as providing information on locations of the head and rear of the races, supported delivery of ice and water to the various water stops, provided communications at each of the medical stations, gave real-time information to relay team members readying to make their exchanges, and in general provided another set of eyes and ears for the Marathon operations leaders as well as the public safety responders.
The Marathon events we support will be on Saturday April 27th and Sunday April 28th. We’ll need folks on Saturday to support the 5K race, Senior Marathon and Kids Marathon; and then a full contingent of communicators to support the full/half marathons on Sunday.
Register to volunteer for either or both days by going to the Marathon website at https://okcmarathon.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=76852&job_name=Auxiliary%20Communications . When you’re asked for a password or code, enter 20HAM24 ; this takes you directly to our communications section of the volunteer registration. If you have a preferred location to work or preferred hams to partner with, there’s a place for you to enter that as well.
For planning purposes, this year’s pre-event meeting will be on Monday evening, April 22nd, at the Oklahoma City Fire Training Center (more details to come).
Please feel free to share this far and wide among your fellow hams; this event requires as many people as we can provide. And yes, we’ll be making recruiting visits to the various clubs shortly.
Thank you for your participation in last year’s event and we’ll hope to see you this year too!
WX5MOR / Gayland
2024 Auxiliary Communications Unit Leader
gkitch@cityofmoore.com cell 405-834-6304
Field Day 2024
We have hit a bit of a hiccup with our Field Day site. Unfortunately the fire station is not available. We have a possible site that needs to be approved by the board. Once that is done, I will let everyone know.
Regardless of the site, we do need to start our preparations and we will need all of your help in order to be successful. Please consider helping. If you are able to help in any way, please contact myself, Steven, N5ZQ (n5zq@n5zq.us) and let me know!
2024 Green Country Hamfest – April 12th& 13th in Claremore, Oklahoma
Pre-Reregistration is OPEN!
2024 Green Country Hamfest – April 12th& 13th in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Only 30 minutes from Tulsa!
Claremore Expo, 400 Veterans Parkway, Claremore, OK, 74017
MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/X9kEa
Talk-in on: 147.09+
Free Parking!!! – Low Cost ON-SITE RV Parking!
Terrific Prizes! Fantastic Forums – Learn something new! See
Flea Market – Great Bargains!
Free Test Table – Check It Before You Buy It!
On-site VE Testing Get or upgrade your license!
Advance admission is $8.00.
Preregistered Tables are $15.00 each.
Commercial booths are $50.00 each.
Tickets are $10.00 at the door.
Tables are $20.00 at the door.
Order early and save!
Online Preregistration Closes
March 31, 2024
Several Commercial Tables remaining
and Flea Market Tables remaining
Children 12 and under are Free!
Friday open to public at 4 PM to 9 PM
Saturday open to public 8 AM to 3 PM
Setup Friday 12:00PM.
Setup at 7:00AM Saturday until 8:00AM.
More info at http://www.greencountryhamfest.org
Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test – May 11, 2024
The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD)
Crossband Test, scheduled for May 11, 2024. This annual event is open to all
licensed amateur radio operators and will not impact any public or private
communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken
part in this event, which is an interoperability exercise between hobbyist and
government radio stations.
– The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications
between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service
(ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111.
– Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will
announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all
frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted.
– The following stations will be making two-way radiotelephone contacts with
stations in the ARS between the time periods listed on the frequencies listed in
Kilohertz below:
= AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY (USB + RTTY)/ [1100Z – 2259Z]
4011.0 kHz USB / 5,346.5 kHz USB / 6,968.5 kHz USB/ 13,963.5 kHz USB/
18,254.0 kHz USB = AAN / U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, CO (USB + RTTY) [1300Z – 2100Z]
6,970.5 kHz USB/ 14,550.5 kHz USB/
= AAZ / FT HUACHUCA, AZ [1500Z – 2359Z]
7,645.0 kHz USB/ 14,579.0 kHz USB/ 18,211.0 kHz USB = AFM4NPD / NAVAL SUPPORT
ACTIVITY MID-SOUTH, MILLINGTON, TN [1200Z – 2200Z]
4,575.0 kHz USB/ 7,540.0 kHz USB/ 13,993.0 kHz USB = AGA0WJ/ NAS WHIDBEY
ISLAND OAK HARBOR, WA (USB + RTTY) [1600Z – 2200Z]
5,403.5 kHz USB/ 7,431.5 kHz USB/ 13,528.5 kHz USB/ 18,272.5 kHz USB = AGA2SY
/ HANCOCK FIELD, NY [1200Z – 2000Z]
4,540.0 kHz USB/ 7,473.5 kHz USB/ 15,807.0 kHz USB/ 19,955.0 kHz USB/
20,740.0 kHz USB / 27,736.0 kHz USB = AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL [1600Z – 2300Z]
5,186.0 kHz USB/ 7,938.0 kHz USB /14,832.0 kHz USB/ 27,736.0 kHz USB = AGA5TR
/ TRAVIS AFB, CA [1700Z – 2359Z]
7,329.0 kHz USB /14,411.0 kHz USB/ 20,873.0 kHz USB/ 27,877.0 kHz USB =
GRIFFIN1 / 193rd RTI ARMY NATIONAL GUARD BETHANY BEACH, DE [1300Z – 1800Z]
7,533.5 kHz USB /14,441.5 kHz USB /18,293.0 kHz USB
= NAF / NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI (USB + CW) 1400Z – 2300Z
7,498.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB = NBGC/ USS HORNET AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ABLEMEDA,
CA (USB + CW) 1500Z – 0000Z 7362.5 kHz USB 14,375 kHz USB 21,886 kHz USB 27,860
kHz USB = NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 LOS ANGELES, CA (USB + RTTY +CW) [1400Z – 2300Z]
7,469.0 kHz USB /14,667.0 kHz USB/ 18,444.0 kHz USB//21,856.0 kHz USB /
21,918.0 kHz USB = NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA (USB + CW + RTTY)
[11May 0001Z-0400Z]
[11May 1400Z-12May 0300Z ] 4,010.0 kHz USB/ 5,371.5 kHz USB/ 7,455.4 kHz USB/
14,476.0 kHz USB / 18,060.0 kHz USB
= NMC1/ US COAST GUARD BASE ALAMEDA, CA (USB + RTTY) [1700Z – 2359Z]
7,3530.0 kHz USB/ 14,461.0 kHz USB
= NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD (USB + CW) [11May 1300Z – 12May 0200Z]
4,038.5 kHz USB/ 5,330.5 kHz USB/ 7,533.5 kHz USB/ 9,447.0 kHz USB/ 14,487.0
kHz USB = NWKJ / USS YORKTOWN PATRIOTS POINT, SC [1400Z – 2300Z]
4,027.0 kHz USB/ 7,360.0 kHz USB/ 14,438.5 kHz USB/ 3,325.0 kHz USB 6,913.0
kHz USB
9,988.5 kHz USB/ 13,974.0 kHz USB
= WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC (USB + CW + RTTY) [1200Z – 2400Z]
4018.0 kHz USB/ 5,357.0 kHz USB/ 7,305.0 kHz USB/ 14,383.5 kHz USB/ 20,997.0
kHz USB//
For additional information & QSL card input , go to
https://www.usarmymars.org/events BT
DLARC Preserves Meaningful Record of Ham Radio Evolution
Earlier this month, the Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications (DLARC) made publicly available over 300 episodes of Ham Radio & More, a radio show about amateur radio broadcast from 1991 through 1997. By preserving this historic collection (the first radio show devoted to ham radio on the commercial radio band), the ham radio community’s invaluable insights and discussions remain accessible to present and future enthusiasts.
More info about the project can be found here: https://blog.archive.org/2024/01/30/ham-radio-and-more/.
Space Weather
Space (Solar) Weather is important is impacts our radio communication. While the greatest impact is usually on HF frequencies, it can also impact VHF, UHF and even higher frequencies. The video below comes from a YouTube page that is updated about every 2 weeks with new space weather reports. I encourage you to watch her channel for updates when you can as it is very educational.
Web Links
Here are a few links to other websites that may be of interest.
- ARRL (American Radio Relay League) – https://arrl.org
- CORA (Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs) – https://coraok.org
- Ham Holiday (OKC Hamfest) – https://hamholiday.com
- ARRL Oklahoma Section – https://ok.arrl.org
- South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS)
- DMR Info – https://w5nor.org/okdmr/
- They have lots of other good info on their website such as modes of operation, weather/emergency info etc.
- ARES
- ARRL ARES – https://www.arrl.org/ares
- OK ARES – https://aresok.org
- AREDN – arednmesh.org
Upcoming Events
- EARS Information Net – Every Monday at 8pm
- Technician Class – Starts Tuesday, January 30th at 6:30pm to 8:30pm and runs for 9 weeks
- March Board Meeting – Tuesday, March 12th at 7pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
- Stockyards City St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Saturday, March 16th – Signup Form Now Live!
- Logan County ARES Meeting – Saturday, March 23rd at 9am – 219 S. Broad St in Guthrie
- EARS Licensing Testing – Saturday, April 6th at 8am – Sign Up on License Testing page
- Edmond Siren Test – Saturday, April 6th at 11:30am
- Green Country Hamfest – April 12th and 13th
- April EARS Dinner – Thursday, April 18th at 6:30pm
- Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon – April 27th and 28th
- All Ham Dinner – May 9th at 6pm at Golden Palace Buffet at 1224 South Air Depot Boulevard
- Ham Holiday – July 26th and 27th
