Below is the newsletter for December 30th, 2024. Please let me know if you can help with the newsletter so we can keep sending one out regularly.
Steven Christy, N5ZQ
n5zq@n5zq.us
New Repeater Site Update
We received the NEPA/SHPO report this morning, and we’re thrilled to share that it’s approved with no restrictions! Wednesday crews commenced clearing the land and conducting a Geotechnical Study to determine the type of soil present on the site. This crucial step will ensure that the tower is securely anchored to the ground, as it’s a 400-foot self-supporting structure designed to withstand sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Our primary objective is to maintain uninterrupted communications during severe weather events. The tower and its components have already been ordered, and we anticipate the steel stacking process to commence around the end of March. It’s an exciting time to witness the tower emerging from the ground. I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this remarkable project.
Ben, KJ5IEB
General Licensing Class
I am excited to announce that EARS will be hosting a General License Class starting on January 28th. The class will meet online using the Zoom platform on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The class will meet on three Mondays to avoid conflicts with board meetings. There is no cost for the class except for the purchase of the ARRL General Class License Manual 10th Edition, which is the book that will be used, and the VE exam fees.
All of the class details, along with the sign-up form, are available on the General Licensing Class page on the EARS website. If you have been wanting to upgrade to General, this class is for you!
Harvey, W0HGJ
class@k5eok.org
January Siren Test
The next Edmond Siren Test is Saturday, January 4th. Please let Clay know if you have an assigned siren and you are unavailable to help this month. If you would like to be added to the list to help, please send an email to Clay, WA6LBU, at sirens@k5eok.org.
January VE Test Session
The next EARS VE Test Session is Saturday, January 4th 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.
January Elmer Session
Starting on January 14th, EARS will be holding a training and Elmer session prior to the monthly board meeting. Regardless of whether you are a newer or a more seasoned ham, we will have a short monthly topic that should help provide you with some good information. Following the brief presentation, there will be time to ask questions to help further your journey in amateur radio.
The first session will take place on Tuesday, January 14th at 6pm at Edmond Fire Station 5. The address is 5300 E Covell Rd. The presentation topic will be Field Day. Please make plans to attend!
John, N5RET
help@k5eok.org
January Board Meeting
EARS holds a monthly board meeting on the second Tuesday of each month. The next board meeting is Tuesday, January 14th at 7pm. The meeting is at Edmond Fire Station 5 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.
Winter Field Day
Winter Field Day is coming up the weekend of January 25-26. This is a winter emergency preparedness exercise similar to the summer ARRL Field Day we all know and love. This exercise is similar but it is not run by the ARRL so there are a few differences in the rules but it is a great way to test our skills during the winter months.
The Logan County ARES group is participating on Saturday, January 27th from the Logan County Sheriff’s training room at 219 S. Broad St in Guthrie. We will be setting up two stations on emergency power with antennas to be determined. While the event runs from 10am Saturday to 4pm Sunday, we will only be operating for a few hours on Saturday. The exact times are still to be determined.
Everyone is invited to attend and we would love to see you there!
If you have any question, please contact myself, Steven, N5ZQ (n5zq@n5zq.us) or Clay, WA6LBU (wa6lbu@gmail.com).
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.
| ARRL RTTY Roundup | 1800Z, Jan 4 to 2400Z, Jan 5 |
| ARRL Kids Day | 1800Z-2359Z, Jan 4 |
| North American QSO Party, CW | 1800Z, Jan 11 to 0559Z, Jan 12 |
| North American QSO Party, SSB | 1800Z, Jan 18 to 0559Z, Jan 19 |
| ARRL January VHF Contest | 1900Z, Jan 18 to 0359Z, Jan 20 |
| Winter Field Day | 1600Z, Jan 25 to 2159Z, Jan 26 |
| Vermont QSO Party | 0000Z, Feb 1 to 2400Z, Feb 2 |
| Minnesota QSO Party | 1400Z-2400Z, Feb 1 |
| British Columbia QSO Party | 1600Z, Feb 1 to 0359Z, Feb 2 and 1600Z-2359Z, Feb 2 |
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
- Winlink – https://winlink.org
- AREDN – arednmesh.org
- POTA (Parks on the Air) – https://pota.app
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
- EARS Licensing Testing – Saturday, January 5th – Sign Up on License Testing page
- Edmond Siren Test – Saturday, January 5th at 11:30am
- January Elmer Session and Training – Tuesday, January 14th at 6pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
- January Board Meeting – Tuesday, January 14th at 7pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
- All Ham Dinner – Thursday, January 16th, at 6:00pm at Pickles Steakhouse, 1201 S Meridian Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108
- Winter Field Day – January 25th to 26th
