Below is the newsletter for March 25, 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
Ham Corner – AREDN Part 2 – The Node User Interface
In the previous part we looked at what AREDN is and some of the facilities and services. In this part we will look at the node user interface. The user interface or Node Status screen will look like this:
This is the landing screen when you connect to a node.
At the top you can see the Node ID. It always starts with the call sign. That keeps the FCC happy and makes it easier to operate our network.
The next line is the location line this both allows the mapper to locate the node on the map but it also allows the node to make time corrections for the data flowing across the network. Remember that we are dealing with the speed of light here and at these speeds a long path can be impacted by the transit time so having the location data in the node is for much more than just finding it on a map. But there are some nodes without location data generally these are nodes that are mobile, in which case the location data will be empty and the network will try to calculate based on Round Trip time of the data flow.
Next follows additional node information on the gray background line. In this case Bill has the city name in that space, but you may put anything (legal) that fits in there.
Below that is a line of buttons which will take you to different screens on the node.
Next is the network information about this node. The local IP address, the mesh gateway, the LAN address the radio channel it is on and much more. We will not go into dept here, later on we will do a deep dive into all of this information. Also some of it will show up on the other screens which we shall look at.
Back to the buttons the [Refresh] button does just that, no more. But the [Mesh Status] will show us all of the nodes on our local mesh, the present Oklahoma mesh has 66 nodes on it though that may vary from day to day but it is steadily increasing weekly.
Here is a partial page of the Mesh Status:
This page is actually about 3 pages long but I did not include all of it for space.
What we see here is the actual active nodes that Bill can connect to, there are even more that can be reached but more on that later.
Below the city name we see a set of buttons Help, [Refresh], [Auto], [Cloud Mesh] and Quit followed by a search bar.
Help is pretty well self explaining, it will take you to a page that gives you help on the screen information.
[Refresh] is just to refresh the screen.
[Auto] will cause the screen to refresh automatically.
[Cloud Mesh] will connect you to your local supernode, this is where you can reach out to nodes all over the planet. (of course they must be on the mesh network so they may be reached).
[Quit] takes you back to the Node Status screen. Search allows you to search for a call sign or service.
The search bar allows you to search the page.
Next is the Node Name which gives the node name as seen, moving right we see the LAN Host name, this just shows what the Node Name is. Next is the LAN host name, indicating what it is, it is not clickable. Moving on to the service name, which shows what services the node offers, in this case the meshchat app is there ready to be used. Meshchat is a text application to send text over the mesh.
The next line has the following headings on it:
| Current Neighbors | LAN Hostname | LQ | NLQ | SNR | Quality | TxMbps | Distance | Service Name |
Current Neighbours are those that this node is connected to.
LAN Hostname is that of any services offered by the node/
LQ is Link Quality, this is the quality of the link inbound
NLQ is Neighbour Link quality, or how the neighbour sees the link.
SNR is Signal to Noise Ratio (for RF links)
Quality of link
TxMbs is transmit Megabites per second or the data rate of this link.
Distance is calculated from the lat/longs of the nodes and the round trip times.
Service Name is the name tag that may actually be clicked on to take you to that service IF NOT IN BLACK. NOTE, we had a firmware update the following screens have a bit more information.
On the next line we see the following:
KI5VMF-OKLAHOMA (wg,active) 100% 100% 100%
This is a tunnel so it does not show SNR and it does not have lat/long information as it is used mobile but the 100% values are LQ (how nodes receives) NLQ how neighbor receives and total quality.
Here is a snapshot of another node (link to OKC N DMR Repeater)
In this one you can see all of the columns in use and the data they show. Note the SNR, Quality, TxMbits, and distance. That is just shy of the max speed of the device, so even with a quality of 84% we still have and excellent link. Remember that many people do not get much more than 100 Mbps from their ISP.
Under Service name you can see MeshChat, a neighbour device host MeshChat-OK, a text app, it also host iperfspeed a speed test for data links, there is a camera also hosted by that device and the solar power dashboard is also viewable from that device.
If you have these URL’s saved in the browser you use to browse the mesh you can reach them without having to search out the URL in the Mesh Status screen.
Here is the lower and usually longer part of the Mesh Status screen, remote nodes:
These are the nodes which are more than a hop distant from the node you are viewing. ETX is a value of weighting based on Round Trip Time (RTT) to each device on the mesh. The rest of the values are the same as the previous sections.
There are more parts to the node screens for administration but right now lets just look over this and get familiar with it. Part 3 will deal with those sections of the node.
Chuck, KP4DJT
Field Day 2024
Field Day 2024 is June 22-23 from 1pm CDT Saturday to 1pm CDT Sunday. It will be held at the Edmond Masonic Lodge which is located at 1026 North Blvd, Edmond, OK 73034. This is a new location for us this year so we will have some things to figure out but it is a large space with a kitchen that should be great for Field Day operations and also the dinner.
The number of simultaneous transmitters has not yet been determined but we set up 3 last year along with a 6m station (which does not change the classification) and there was plenty of time where not all transmitters were on the air. We will likely set up the same number of stations again this year.
We will again be running on battery power with the on-demand propane generator. A member has graciously offered to let us use this equipment again. It worked really well last year. We ran the generator during the afternoon and evening and turned it off and ran off battery most of the night. We also ran off of just battery power during the dinner which eliminated the generator noise. It was fantastic!
Now we get to the part where I ask for volunteers. Field Day does not happen by itself and I cannot do it all alone. We need to determine what class we want to run, figure out what radios we will use, what antennas we need and where/how to set them up. Logging is computerized so we need to get the computers updated and tested. On the morning of June 22nd, we have to set up antennas, computers and all of the radios. It is traditional to have a dinner on Saturday evening which also needs to be planned.
My plan is to have someone in charge of antennas, someone in charge of radios and someone in charge of computers. Each of those people will need others to help them get everything organized prior to Field Day and then set up on Saturday morning.
We also need a team to plan the Field Day dinner. If you like food, please consider helping out with this portion of the event.
As you have probably figured out, we need you! I will be setting up a volunteer form soon so you can express your interest and availability to help. In the mean time, please send me an email if you can help in any way!
Steven, N5ZQ
n5zq@n5zq.us
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
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!
April Siren Test
The next Edmond Siren Test is Saturday, April 6th. If you are a regular who is unable to help that day or if you would like to be added to the list to help, please send an email to Clay, WA6LBU, at sirens@k5eok.org.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
David, KI5VJR, provided the photos below from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16th.
LibertyFest
The LibertyFest events are coming up starting on June 14th and culminating with the fireworks celebration on July 4th. EARS has been helping with these events for many years and this year is no exception. LibertyFest is an entirely volunteer organization and EARS plays a large role especially with the parade and fireworks.
Below are the LibertyFest events in which help is needed:
- Rodeo Day 1 – Friday, June 28, 4:00pm to 11:00pm
- Car Show and Park Fest – Saturday, June 29, 6:30am to 2:30pm
- We need 5 golf cart drivers in addition to other volunteers for this event
- Rodeo Day 2 – Saturday, June 29, 4:00pm to 11:00pm
- Parade – Thursday, July 4, 6:00am to 12:00pm
- Fireworks – Thursday, July 4, 5:00pm to 11:00pm
As you can see, we need quite a number of volunteers to help LibertyFest happen. If you are able to help, please visit the LibertyFest page and fill out the form. It is not too early to volunteer!
All of the information on LibertyFest can be found on the LibertyFest website.
Logan County ARES
Thank you to those who attended the Logan County ARES meeting on Saturday. Clay, WA6LBU, gave a great presentation on scene safety. Our next meeting will be in May.
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
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
VARA FM Station Up and Running
The W5DRO VARA FM station is operational.
You may recall that it was operational for some time before however went down. It was found that our lovely friends as Microsoft thought it would be nice to do a update that required user input after restarting. This user input was required before restarting any services such as remote access software requiring me to visit the site and the laying of hands on the computer hooking up KVM to the computer.
The Gateway is centrally located in Oklahoma City & Sponsored by Oklahoma’s News 4, KFOR-DT.
Please connect and send a thank you email to: w5dro@kfor.com
It’s been working about 3 weeks now and over the past three weeks the following here are some stats for the gateway.
This report includes data beginning 02/29/2024 to 3/21/2024:
The following FCC Call Signs have connected:
- AA5KD
- AG5DV
- KJ5DJX
- N5AZQ
- W5DRO
- WD5G
Total Winlink traffic passed:
W5DRO 145.040 MHz
Using keyboard protocol
Connections: 38
Using Winlink B2 protocol
Connections: 77
Messages to CMS: 16
Messages from CMS: 15
Bytes to CMS: 11545
Bytes from CMS: 12709
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
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
- EARS Licensing Testing – Saturday, April 6th at 8am – Sign Up on License Testing page
- Edmond Siren Test – Saturday, April 6th at 11:30am
- April Board Meeting – Tuesday, April 9th at 7pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
- 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
- Field Day – June 22nd – June 23rd at Edmond Masonic Lodge at 1026 North Blvd, Edmond
- LibertyFest Rodeo Day 1 – Friday, June 28 – Volunteer on the LibertyFest Page
- LibertyFest Car Show and Park Fest – Saturday, June 29 – Volunteer on the LibertyFest Page
- LibertyFest Rodeo Day 2 – Saturday, June 29 – Volunteer on the LibertyFest Page
- LibertyFest Parade – Thursday, July 4 – Volunteer on the LibertyFest Page
- LibertyFest Fireworks – Thursday, July 4 – Volunteer on the LibertyFest Page
- Ham Holiday – July 26th and 27th
