Newsletter

EARS September 24, 2024 Newsletter

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Below is the newsletter for September 24th, 2024. Please let me know if you can help with the newsletter so we can keep sending one out regularly.

I am trying to include original articles and I could use some help. If you can write an article or even if you have a suggestion for an article, please let me know!

Steven Christy, N5ZQ
n5zq@n5zq.us

EARS VHF Repeater – PL Tone Access Required Soon

A number of months ago it was announced that the EARS 147.135 VHF repeater would start requiring a PL (CTCSS) tone of 79.7 at some point in the future. That time is now upon us.

The change is planned for 12pm on Saturday, October 12th. Even though tone has not been required to use the VHF repeater, it has been listed in all of the repeater directories for as long as I can remember. It is likely that many of you already have it programmed but now is a good time to check.

If you have any questions about this change, please let us know!

73
Steven, N5ZQ
n5zq@n5zq.us

Central Oklahoma Emergency Management Comm Drill

Logan County Emergency Management is hosting the Central Oklahoma Emergency Management comm drill tomorrow, Wednesday, September 25th from 9am to 11am. In addition to using the public safety system, we will also take check-ins on the 147.135 and 443.425 EARS repeaters. All amateurs are welcome to participate. The Logan County EOC will be using our WX5LGN callsign so just give us a call on either repeater to get checked in.

We look forward to hearing from you tomorrow!

Steven, N5ZQ

October Siren Test

The next Edmond Siren Test is Saturday, October 5th. The siren assignments have been sent out for Saturday. If you would like to be added to the list to help, please send an email to Clay, WA6LBU, at sirens@k5eok.org.

October VE Test Session

The next EARS VE Test Session is Saturday, October 5th at 9am. If you or someone you know is planning to attend, please visit the License Testing page and complete the sign-up form. This allows the VE team to prepare to accommodate all of the testers.

If you have any questions, please contact Ralph Turner, N5AMR at Raltur47@gmail.com or you can contact him by phone at 573-999-4748.

National Fire Prevention Week Special Event

National Fire Prevention week is coming up October 6-12, 2024. As in previous years, there will be amateur radio special event stations. The callsign for the 5 call area will be N5F.

Clay, WA6LBU, is the coordinator for the entire 5 call area this year. Please contact him at wa6lbu@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you would like to get scheduled to operate the special event station!

Tailgate – October 19th

There will be a tailgate on October 19th at 30 E Campbell from 8am to noon.

Texoma Hamarama – October 26, 2024

The 2024 Texoma Hamarama Hamfest will be held at the Ardmore Convention Center, 2401 N Rockford Rd, Ardmore, OK 73066 on October 26th. There will be vendors, a flea market, VE testing, forums, prize drawings and more!

All of the details can be found at https://hamarama.org. You don’t want to miss it!

Cycle 66

We will once again be helping with the Cycle 66 bike race which takes place on Sunday, November 3, 2024. This year there are multiple races of 10 miles, 33 miles, 66 miles, a kids route and criterium race. Our amateur volunteers are a fundamental part of insuring the success of this event. We will need a decent number of volunteers so please consider helping.

The volunteer form is now live! Please visit the Cycle 66 page on the website to volunteer!

If you have any questions, please contact Clay at wa6lbu@gmail.com.

Stockyards City Cowboy Christmas Parade

The 2024 Stockyards City Cowboy Christmas Parade is on Saturday, December 7, 2024, starting at 10am. Volunteers are needed from 8am to 11am, meeting at the northeast corner of Penn and Exchange, with an optional breakfast at 7am at Cattleman’s.

This is a short, easy parade that is great for newcomers and veterans alike. Less experienced volunteers will be paired with more experienced volunteers so don’t hesitate to sign up to help!

Please complete the sign up form on the Stockyards City Cowboy Christmas Parade page to volunteer.

Contact parades@k5eok.org for any questions.

Frankie, KE5KQL

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!

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.

Contests

Below are a few upcoming HF contests. The ARRL has a more complete list in their Contest Corral from QST which is available as a downloadable PDF file. You can also find a list of upcoming contests along with contest details at contestcalendar.com.

Maine QSO Party1200Z, Sep 28 to 1200Z, Sep 29
Masonic Lodges on the Air1400Z-2200Z, Sep 28
Collegiate QSO Party0000Z, Oct 5 to 2359Z, Oct 6
California QSO Party1600Z, Oct 5 to 2200Z, Oct 6
National Fire Prevention Week Special EventOct 6 to Oct 12
Nevada QSO Party0300Z, Oct 12 to 2100Z, Oct 13
Arizona QSO Party1500Z, Oct 12 to 0500Z, Oct 13
Pennsylvania QSO Party1600Z, Oct 12 to 0400Z, Oct 13 and 1300Z-2200Z, Oct 13
South Dakota QSO Party1800Z, Oct 12 to 1800Z, Oct 13

Web Links

Here are a few links to other websites that may be of interest.

Upcoming Events

  • EARS Information Net – Every Monday at 8pm
  • Route 66 10m Net on 28.390 – Every Monday Following the Information Net
  • EARS Breakfast – Every Saturday at approximately 6:30am at Around The Corner, 11 S. Broadway, Edmond
  • Fall Technician Class – Starts August 27th on Zoom – Register on Technician License Class page
  • EARS Licensing Testing – Saturday, October 5th – Sign Up on License Testing page
  • Edmond Siren Test – Saturday, October 5th at 11:30am
  • National Fire Prevention Week Special Event – October 6-12
  • October Board Meeting – Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
  • Tone Required on 147.135 VHF Repeater – Saturday, October 12th at 12pm
  • Tailgate – Saturday, October 19th at 30 E Campbell from 8am to noon
  • Texoma Hamarama – October 26th in Ardmore
  • Cycle 66 – Sunday, November 3rd
  • Stockyards City Cowboy Christmas Parade – Saturday, December 7th – Sign Up on the Christmas Parade Page

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