The FWRC repeater on 146.91 MHz, located on the campus of Purdue Fort Wayne, is temporarily out of service. FWRC secretary Al Burke, WB9SSE advised the FWRC webmaster that the board is aware that the repeater is off the air and that the members will visit the site to diagnose the problem as soon as they are able. Al gave no estimate of when repairs might occur.
The Allen County Skywarn® net has updated its net operations manual to indicate a change in the net’s alternate (backup) frequency to 146.94 MHz.
Effective immediately, any time the ACARTS 146.88 MHz repeater is unavailable (due to repeater failure or other issues), the Skywarn net will operate on the FWRC 146.94 MHz repeater in FM mode. That repeater also supports C4FM, also known as Yaesu Fusion mode, which the Skywarn net will not use. The 146.94 repeater requires user radios to transmit a 141.3 Hz continuous tone-coded squelch system tone. Users who also configure their radios to decode that tone will avoid hearing digital noise when the repeater is being used in C4FM mode.
For detailed information about how the Allen County Skywarn net works and how to participate, use the link below to download the latest version of the net operations manual.
Skywarn® is a registered trademark and program of the U.S. National Weather Service.
The Two-Meter Classic Sprint continued with the July edition held on July 3, 2021, lasting 30 minutes from 1300z to 1330z. Participation for the July sprint was up from June, with 11 submitted score summaries. Several familiar calls from the June sprint returned this month, and several new calls joined in the fun. Submitted score summaries came from the states of Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. Stations entered in the base category (both high power and low power), as well as the rover category (low power only). Great to see the activity!
There are a few new items to add to the July sprint results. Starting with the July sprint, the score report will include two sections – a score summary for participants in that month’s sprint, and a score report for year-to-date scores. The next new addition is a “soapbox comment” section. Participants are encouraged to include their “soapbox” comments with their score summaries. “Soapbox” comments typically include such things as descriptions of rig(s) used, antennas used, operating comments, etc.
Continue readingThe Allen County Amateur Radio Technical Society (ACARTS) has invited members of the Fort Wayne Radio Club to the ACARTS Picnic. The picnic will be held August 7 at Jefferson Township Park, 1702 Webster Road, east of New Haven, starting at approximately 5 p.m., with the meal beginning at approximately 6 p.m. ACARTS will supply hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and drinks. Salads, desserts, and other goodies will be a potluck carry-in.
Everyone is welcome, including spouses, grandkids, etc. The ACARTS extends a special invitation to new hams in the area.
The picnic has been a great success in the past and this year’s picnic will be pretty much the same as those of previous years. It is a great opportunity to meet with fellow hams in a casual setting.
The park has a covered pavilion, with seating at picnic tables for approximately 50 people. Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs, so that they don’t have to spend the entire time on a hard picnic table seat.
The ACARTS needs to know how many people are interested in attending, so it knows how much food to purchase. Please contact Dave Lindquiest at w9lkh@comcast.net and let him know if you plan to attend and how many guests will be with you. Please let him know no later than Monday, August 2.
The ACARTS will send any last-minute updates to the same email address from which attendees send their head counts.
The July, 2021 issue of Allen County HamNews, our club newsletter, is available for download using the link below or the “Newsletters” menu item above. This month’s issue includes coverage of Field Day.
Have you been moldering in your shack ever since the Coronavirus came upon us some eighteen or so months ago? Well, it’s time to get out and shake the dust off your booty and your microphone. Plan to get down to the Old Fort on Saturday, June 26th, (mark it on your calendar) to attend the FWRC Summer Banquet. It starts at 5:30 pm on the Old Fort grounds, inside the walls of the fort.
The FWRC will provide hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs prepared by our internationally recognized hamburger Chef Charles Ward, KC9MUT. He has a brand new super-duper grill/smoker purchased just for this event.
Carole Burke, WB9RUS is planning to cook up a batch of her famous Sauer-Kraut which has always been a favorite at club banquets, (even though it stinks up the Burke QTH, much to the chagrin of OM Al, WB9SSE).
The club will also provide plates, napkins and table-ware plus salt, pepper and condiments to compliment the hot dogs and hamburgers, and there will also be punch or lemonade, and coffee provided.
Attendees are requested to show up with a dish or dessert to share, the same as we do at all of our banquets. Please note that we will probably not have ac power for slow-cookers or crock pots available. (Special arrangements will be made, however, should meat balls show up).
Deviled eggs work well too.
You should bring a chair (and a table if you want), and bring something to drink (non-alcoholic) if you’re not into coffee or lemonade.
So come on down to the Old Fort on Saturday, June 26th and check out Field Day, or better yet participate in it with a little operator-contesting. And then join us for a nice summer meal.
Al Burke, WB9SSE
Secretary, FWRC (and meat-ball coinsure)
Minutes of the June, 2021 general meeting of the Fort Wayne Radio Club are now available by clicking the link below.
To better prepare for the upcoming Field Day (FD) operation this coming weekend (June 26 and 27) and to discuss possible QRP night operation on Friday, there will be an on-the-air meeting Tuesday, June 22, at 7 pm on the 146.76 MHz repeater in Fort Wayne. All are invited to attend and help us iron out the details for the Field Day operation. We would appreciate your attendance if you plan on coming to Field Day at Historic Fort Wayne.
If you cannot attend but still want to participate in FD, please contact any FWRC board of directors member with your particulars.
The Two-Meter Classic Sprint was kicked off this year (2021) on June 5, 2021. The sprint lasted for 30 minutes, from 1300z to 1330z. After the sprint, nine stations submitted their score summaries. Participants came from the states of Illinois, Maryland, Indiana, and Kentucky. Entries included stations in the base category (high power and low power), and the rover category (low power), with one SWL participant.
Continue readingImportant notice! The Allen County, Indiana ham radio Skywarn net will operate today, June 18, 2021, on the 146.94 MHz W9TE FM repeater in Fort Wayne, not the usual 146.88 MHz repeater, which is currently inoperative.
The 146.94 MHz repeater requires users to transmit a 141.3 Hz CTCSS tone. No tone is required to monitor, but tone decoding is recommended, because the repeater also transmits digital signals.
Severe weather is possible in Allen County today, with the greatest risk in approximately the southern 3/4 of the county (shaded red on the map below), where there is a 30% probability of damaging, straight-line winds of 58 mph or greater within 25 miles of any point, according to a 9 a.m. ET outlook from the NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Center. That’s approximately 10 times the normal probability of 3% for this time of year, based on climatology records.
