CQ, CQ, CQ, CALLING ALL HAMS!
April 2024 and May 2024 have been busy months for the GCARA.
In April, I had the pleasure of going to the 85th Anniversary of West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group up in the Cox Center in West Palm Beach. Barry Porter K1PB, representing the ARRL, was sitting next to me at the entrance greeting all the ham visitors which included those from West Palm Beach and Broward County. I met some snowbirds from New York and New Jersey and welcomed them to check out our Website W4BUG.org and catch a Zoom meeting or two at their convenience.
It was nice to see visitors like Jan Wheltan KK3W, who is a member of many of the clubs in North Broward and WPB, including ours. His Satellite set up is impressive and he shares his talents at various clubs during Field Days and has attended our Winter Field Day in the past.
Also, surprise, surprise, I talked to Mark Blanchard KQ4RRG, an enthusiastic new GCARA member who is making the rounds to various clubs, lunches, and picnics and making new ham friends. Way to go Mark! One of the best ways to enjoy and learn in this hobby is by total immersion in the culture and meeting various hams with specialized interests. It makes for a well-rounded experience, and I wholly advocate sharing the wealth of information in this exciting hobby. Before any of us is a club supporter, we are hams, after all, and there should be no limits to who or what we know.
I also had a good conversation with our club member, David Pomerantz KO4DKN, a Boynton Beach resident, who has made a mark by supporting many clubs and in particular, the Palmetto Club in Davie by serving as their VE Leader for testing. Here is another example of full immersion in the hobby being enjoyed by this delightful and positive ham.
I was excited to talk to our old friend, Robert Molledo of the National Weather Service in Miami who manned a booth for the NWS at the Cox Center. He, as always is bright, articulate, and very full of good information for all South Floridians. He is one of the dedicated people in Meterology who makes good information available, whether on Hurricanes or Space Weather. He is one of GCARA’s favorite and steadfast speakers and we have enjoyed a long association with him. Whether a weather lecture or teaching a SKYWARN class to us, he has been a stimulating and excellent speaker. Thank you, Robert, for all you do, for and with the ham community.
The Red Cross of PB County was represented there as well as CERT, and the PB County Shelter Volunteers who were also explaining how the animals are cared for during the storms at the shelters. The whole tour of services was indeed fascinating and populated by the best and brightest young volunteers of Palm Beach County. I was very impressed and felt very hopeful by the number of young volunteers in the community.
My favorite display was the gentleman (I am sorry I did not get his name) that manned a Morse Code key and let everyone use CW to send their initials to a dummy load. He was so interesting and very helpful in letting people know how they can still learn Morse Code and use it for emergency communications or rag chewing. The Morse Code Hams are generally older and are among the most interesting hams I have met because of their place in history as well as their occupations in life. Dedicated to amateur radio, they have been integral in radio communications in the armed forces as well as civic groups in times of distress. Talking to this gentleman, rekindled my excitement for learning and using CW again. I highly recommend that we continue to learn and maintain this method of communication.
Special thanks to Jo Cummings N2QDT, who invited me to this event and worked hard to pull it off, as well as introducing me to the President of the WPBARG, Michael Mathis K1WX, who is a younger, enthusiastic ham who has served as the President for 2 years now, making a positive mark on this older club. His positive and cheerful attitude has been an asset to keeping the club on track and in focus for its future in the world of amateur radio.
May 4, 2024, was GCARA’s Spring/Summer Picnic at Vista View Park in Davie. The weather was gorgeous with white puffy clouds and a nice, continual breeze that cooled off the 84 degree day. Thirty hams attended and many were newcomers to the club and I was so excited to meet and talk with them as well as watch while they pitched in to help us with set up and serving. Special thanks to Mark Blanchard KQ4RRG, who jumped right in from the get go, helping carry ham equipment for Mike Wolf KD4QVP, who brought his radio and antenna to the park to operate, and also to help Ben Echavarria NB7BBE unload his car of all of the equipment he had brought to show and tell.
What an amazing group of men and women in this venture. Highly social couple, Jerry KN4UPI and wife Terry Tyler, were there cheerfully making conversation with everyone and supporting the effort with Jerry’s sense of humor. Terry pitched in and helped with the food service, helping to set up and break down at the end. Thank you, Terry, for your assistance.
Tom McClain N3HPR (or “Dr. Tom” as he is affectionately known to me) brought goodies baked by his precious wife, Sandy McClain N3LKW, but who was under the weather from medical treatments on the day of the picnic and could not attend. Thanks, Sandy for those Um-m-m Good treats!
Also, in attendance, with her county wide known CHILI, was Ricki Witte KJ4FSJ, who was gracious enough to prepare and serve up her chili. It was crazy good, not spicy, and is always requested at our gatherings. Thank you, Ricki!
Chef de Jour was Mike Wolf KD4OVP, of Traffic Net fame, and he perfectly cooked up some of the tastiest burgers, hot dogs and organic chicken breasts to the group of hungry hams. With Mike present, you not only have a cook, but you get entertainment throughout the process.
His side kick, Kenny Hollenbeck KE4NC, who faithfully stores and maintains the grill for our club, was there assisting in preparing the grill for use and cleaning it up and breaking it down after the picnic. We are so lucky to have Kenny’s help with this aspect of food preparation because without the grill, we would not be able to offer such tasty treats to our membership. Thanks, Kenny for all you do to help us out!! (and Sally).
We would not be able to purchase food and transport it to the parks without our Hospitality Team, in the persons of Gerald Deitch W4LST and David Warner KB4ICU, who generously give of their time and body strength to help me shop, store safely on ice, and bring the food to the venue. These two gentlemen are also cheerful volunteers in many other efforts and support the Parrot club as well as ours. If you have an Explorer sized SUV, or large covered truck and you are able to help the Hospitality Team out on our shopping excursions, kindly contact me, Melanie, (954-560-3706) and let me know. This club moves on its belly and there are plenty of goods to haul. Jerry has been my partner in the shopping and hauling of goods for over 8 years and without him, I could never have achieved the food service we provide. Thank you, Jerry, from the bottom of my heart, and also, thank you to Dave Warner who is a whiz as a human calculator and can cube out the van very efficiently. They have been in it with me to the bitter end and it is time to give Jerry a well-deserved rest. We are also looking for a convenient place to store our two large coolers and supplies. If anyone has room in their garage or storage facility, also, kindly give Melanie a call. Thanks.
This month’s message is so long because I did not get out the April message in time and decided to combine these two messages. I sincerely hope I do not cause a digital overload on the readers.
In closing, whether I mentioned you publicly or not, I saw you and noticed your role in our effort and please accept my thanks. Without gracious people like you, GCARA would not be the club it is. It is full of the most generous and positive individuals who are so supportive and giving to the club. Many hands make light work and I encourage those who have not yet volunteered to do something, to join in and feel the good feeling of being a help to others. Whether for the club or the community, the feeling is a reward in and of itself. Thank you to all!
Click to download and print the PDF version NOTE: Meeting minutes are posted online as a draft for review until approved at the following meeting. Corrections can be sent to the Secretary, currently rickiwitte4@gmail.com.
2024 ARRL Field Day is June 22-23
Quiet Waters Park
401 S Powerline Rd,
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.
Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation.
2024 ARRL Field Day Theme: Be Radio Active
The theme for 2024 ARRL Field Day is “Be Radio Active.” The event will run on June 22 – 23, and it will be one-part contest, one-part emergency communications exercise, and one-part open house — and a great time. The theme encourages radio amateurs to take advantage of the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which we are nearing. Activity this year is likely to be extremely high thanks to favorable solar conditions. The upper HF bands, such as 15 and 10 meters, should benefit most from the Cycle’s peak.
There are resources available already for clubs and individuals to make their Field Day plans. ARRL will publish more information and tools so that hams can make the most of the event as it draws near. Amateurs interested in learning more are invited to join the Field Day Facebook group to connect with others who are planning for the big weekend.
Find links to all of the resources on the ARRL Field Day web page at www.arrl.org/field-day.
David Howard will be discussing Emergency Communications and the value of the volunteers in the ham radio community.
David believes that real public safety involves building trust with the communities they serve, understanding their unique needs, and working neighborhood-by-neighborhood to prevent crimes BEFORE they happen.
He’s running for Broward County Sheriff to make every community in Broward County safer. As Broward County Sheriff, he’ll take on the mess in Broward County and build a safer county, one where our Sheriff actually works to make sure kids are safe in their own yards, our seniors feel safe in their homes again, while we reduce violent crime and gang activity.
ZOOM INFO:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82339689781?pwd=Z3VyNkhRVWJCZldNYVBU
Tmc5S0NRZz09
Meeting ID: 823 3968 9781
Passcode: 565513
CQ, CQ, CQ! Calling all Parrots & Ham Radio Enthusiast’s!
2 meter Fox Hunt and HF Radio Station Setup for Contacts
Date: Saturday, April 20th
Time: 10 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Markham Park
Markham Park
& BBQ Picnic
16001 W State Road 84
Sunrise, FL 33326
Click Here: Directions
Lunch: RSVP
Please RSVP TODAY! Click Here: Event RSVP
Join us! Event Highlights:
Fox Hunt & Stations setup for contacts
All you need is your:
Fox Hunting
Dual band 2m/70cm HT
If you wish to setup your station to make contacts
- Radio
- Antenna, coax
- Chair
- Power Supply
- Small table
- Other essentials you may need to set your your station
We will have tents for shaded space for everyone to be comfortable.
Click here for Details and Lunch RSVP: https://parrotarc.org/parrot-events/
Get ready to find the FOX and connect with fellow Radio Enthusiasts!
Everyone is welcome!
Please RSVP if you would like to have lunch so we bring enough food for all of us who wish to eat.
See you at Markham Park on Saturday, April 20th, from 10 am to 4:00 pm.
The Parrots
fly far and high!
When all else fails we’re still talking!
Click here to download and print the PDF version NOTE: Meeting minutes are posted online as a draft for review until approved at the following meeting. Corrections can be sent to the Secretary, currently rickiwitte4@gmail.com.
We are honored to announce the 85th Anniversary of the WPBARG club in West Palm Beach.
They will hold a celebration on Saturday, April 27th, 2024 at the STEM Center of the COX Science Center located at 4881 Dreher Trail, WPB 33485 from 10 AM to 2 PM. All hams are invited to join them and a lunch will be available 12-1PM plus the multiple food trucks that will be available.
In celebration of the special event, NWS meteorologist will be there speaking about the Hurricane Season and staying safe in 2024. Many contacts will be made on the Remote Stations.
More info: https://wpbarg.com/2024/03/26/wpbarg-85th-anniversary-event/
Submitted by Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT
Yes, ham radio, also known as amateur radio, is still a popular hobby around the world. There are over 750,000 licensed hams in the United States and over 3 million around the world.
Here are some of the reasons why ham radio is still relevant:
- Communication: Hams can communicate with each other locally, regionally, and even internationally without relying on cell towers or internet access. This can be especially useful in emergencies when traditional communication methods are down [10].
- Technology and experimentation: Ham radio allows people to experiment with different radio technologies and communication modes. Hams can build their own radios, antennas, and other equipment [9].
- Community: Ham radio offers a sense of community and camaraderie. Hams can connect with other people who share their interests and learn from each other [10].
- Public service: Ham radio operators often volunteer their time and skills to provide emergency communication during disasters. They can also be found assisting with public service events such as marathons and bike races [9].
If you are interested in getting started with ham radio, you will need to obtain a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States. There are different license levels available, each with its own requirements. You can find more information about ham radio licensing on the FCC website [10]. There are also many resources available online and in libraries to help you learn more about ham radio.
- Amateur radio provides a way for people to communicate worldwide using various communication modes like voice, Morse code, and digital modes, without relying on the internet or cell phone networks. 1345
- There are over 600,000 amateur radio operators in the United States and over 2 million worldwide. The hobby continues to attract new participants, with a 1% annual growth rate in the US. 14
- Amateur radio operators can obtain different license classes from the FCC, which grant them access to different frequency bands and communication privileges. This allows them to experiment with electronics, build their own equipment, and participate in activities like contests and emergency communications. 135
- While amateur radio was once seen as an “old man’s hobby”, it has gained renewed popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as people had more time to explore the hobby. The growth of digital communication modes has also breathed new life into amateur radio. 5
- Amateur radio remains relevant as it teaches valuable skills in electronics, radio operation, and communication that are applicable to various industries. It also serves an important role in providing emergency communication when other systems fail. 134
In summary, the search results indicate that amateur or “ham” radio is still a thriving hobby with a sizable and growing community of enthusiasts worldwide. It continues to offer unique communication capabilities and opportunities for experimentation and skill development.
here are the key benefits of getting a ham radio (amateur radio) license:
- Ham radio is still a popular and growing hobby, with over 2 million amateur radio operators worldwide and a 1% annual growth rate in the US. 145
- Getting a ham radio license allows you to legally operate and experiment with radio communication equipment, which can be a fun and rewarding hobby. 145
- Studying for the ham radio license exam teaches valuable technical skills in areas like radio theory, electronics, electrical circuits, and radio wave propagation. This knowledge can be applicable to various industries. 34
- Ham radio provides a way to communicate worldwide using various modes like voice, Morse code, and digital, without relying on the internet or cell networks. This can be useful for emergency communication. 135
- Ham radio helps bridge generational gaps, as the hobby appeals to people of all ages and allows for connections across international boundaries. 4
- Obtaining a ham radio license can boost your self-confidence, as you accomplish the goal of passing the exam and gain competence in operating radio equipment. 4
- There are many local ham radio clubs that offer free classes to help people study for and obtain their licenses, providing a social community aspect. 3
In summary, the search results indicate that getting a ham radio license provides a fun, educational, and community-oriented hobby that teaches valuable technical skills and can be useful for emergency communication.
