Unfortunately, the FWRC fox (hidden transmitter) hunt for April is cancelled. We are looking into ways that we can run a fox hunt in May, without the need to get out of our vehicles. Stay active and on the air, we’ll all get through this emergency in due time, and be back to full activities. Remember that amateur radio is the original social distancing!
The April, 2020 issue of Allen County HamNews is available for download from this website by clicking the link below or clicking on the “Files” menu item above.
Thanks to FWRC members Larry Temenoff, KB9OS; Paul Prestia, KA3OPZ; and Tom Rupp, KU8T, Echolink services have returned to our 146.91 MHz repeater and it’s operating again at full power.
The repeater is on the Purdue Fort Wayne campus and uses an internet connection provided by the university for Echolink services. To protect the Echolink computer from cyber attack, the university required that we install a router between the university’s network and our computer. Larry donated a router and Paul configured and installed it.
Tom repaired and reinstalled the repeater’s power amplifier, which now puts out 80 watts.
The Allen County Amateur Radio Emergency Service regrets to announce that it has cancelled the Allen County Severe Weather Seminar, originally scheduled for March 28, at the main branch of the Allen County Public Library.
ARES took the action after hearing an explanation this afternoon by Allen County health commissioner, Deborah McMahan, M.D. In a nutshell, she said it is important for people to avoid all unnecessary personal contact, to help keep hospitals and other parts of the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed or worse, closing. By canceling events and staying home, we probably won’t prevent eventual transmission of COVID-19 countywide, but we might be able to stagger transmission, so we don’t have everyone (including healthcare workers) ill at the same time.
It is in support of that tactic – staggered disease transmission – that ARES canceled the seminar.
ARES doesn’t know at this time whether it will be able to reschedule, because it depends on too many factors. These include when officials like McMahan stop recommending social distancing, speaker availability and venue availability. It is conceivable that if ARES reschedules, it won’t happen until a year from now.
While you’re practicing social distancing by staying home, ARES has some online resources to recommend.
The MetEd (Meteorology Education) website has an excellent, online, two-module course on storm spotting. It’s great for anyone who has never been to a storm spotter class, and it’s also a good refresher for those who have.
Everything on the MetEd website is free, including more advanced classes, such as:
Another good resource is Thunderstorms – An Introduction, offered on the website of Spotter Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the National Weather Service receive timely severe weather reports. You must join the organization to take the course, but there’ no fee to join and there are other benefits.
Finally, check out JetStream – An Online School for Weather, hosted by the National Weather Service itself.
The elected Indiana leader of the ARRL, the national association for amateur radio, has requested that all Indiana amateur (ham) radio clubs suspend club activities in Indiana from March 12 through April 1, 2020. Indiana section manager Jimmy Merry, KC9RPX announced his request in an email message this morning. The full text of Merry’s message appears on the Indiana ARRL Facebook page.
The ARRL has created a web page to list hamfests and conventions that organizers have canceled or postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced central division director Kermit Carlson, W9XA, via email.
Carlson also shared that the Federal Communications Commission has advised employees that “unless it is absolutely necessary for them to work from the office because they cannot otherwise accomplish their work, they should telework” beginning March 13, until further notice.”
The March, 2020 issue of Allen County HamNews is now available for download using the link below or the Files menu.
March 2, the Fort Wayne Radio Club once again prepared to hold its monthly fox (hidden transmitter) hunt, starting at 1:30 p.m. local time. Since the winner of the previous hunt, Don, K9LI, was not available to be the fox, the second-place team of W9LAN, W9SAN, and their grandson Alex Smith went off in search of a suitable hiding place somewhere in Allen County. Linda and Steve had been surveying sites for the previous two weekends and decided to reactivate a site that had been used many years ago, the Hanson Quarry observation tower on Sandpoint Road, not far from former Elmhurst High School site on the city’s southwest side. The weather was unusually warm, and the sun was shining; it was looking like that ground hog in Pennsylvania was right this year! The mood of the foxes was also unusually wacky, as the hunters were about to discover!
Back at the starting location, the veteran team of Al Burke, WB9SSE; Carol Burke, WB9RUS; Jim Pliett, K9OMA; and Muriel Pliett, KA9YYI were ready, along with Charles, KC9MUT and his young daughter. Then some newbies showed up. It was the OM and YL team of Adam and Meghan Warrix, KD9NRT and KD9ODP, along with new FWRC director Spencer Cassady, KD9NRS. The Pliett/Burke team took Spencer on board their vehicle, and Meghan and Adam joined KC9MUT and daughter as ride-alongs in his truck.
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