Minutes of the Feb. 21, 2020 general meeting of the Fort Wayne Radio Club are available for download from this website, using the “Files” menu above or the link below.
During the FWRC’s February, 2020 general meeting, members voted to change the starting time of future meetings from 7 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The events list on this website already reflects the new starting time.
Also, the host facility (Good Shepherd United Methodist Church) recently reminded club officers that all persons who attend club events must enter the building via door number two. Holding open any other door to allow entrance violates building policies.
The Indiana QSO Party (INQP) Yahoo Group email reflector is up and running! FWRC has registered our plans for a multi-operator, multi-transmitter operation during the contest on the first Saturday in May. We are now on the activity map for the state. Links to the email reflector and activity map are on the INQP web page.
The Allen County chapter of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, in collaboration with the Allen County Office of Homeland Security, invites all interested persons to attend its 2020 Allen County Severe Weather Seminar, Saturday, March 28, 2020.
This seminar offers the two sessions described below (all times EDT). Anyone may register for either or both sessions.
Continue reading
Mailed, paper copies of the Allen County HamNews are no longer available as of 2020.
Previously, the Allen County Amateur Radio Technical Society (ACARTS) arranged for printing and mailing to hams who paid extra with their club dues for the service. ACARTS provided this service for members of both its own club and members of the Fort Wayne Radio Club (FWRC).
In recent years, the number of requests for paper copies dwindled to just a few. Meanwhile, printing and mailing costs rose significantly, to $35.00 per year. ACARTS therefore decided to discontinue the service as of the start of calendar year 2020.
The newsletter remains available electronically via both the ACARTS and FWRC websites.
The second episode of the ARRL’s new podcast, “On the Air,” includes an interview with FWRC member Brenda Plummer, KD9GDX. Brenda talks about her experiences volunteering at ARES public service events. Give it a listen!
Allen County Amateur Radio Technical Society (ACARTS) president Dave Lindquist, W9LKH recently announced that it will conduct the Northeast Indiana VHF/UHF FM Simplex Contest, Saturday, April 4 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The format will be essentially the same as in previous years. Official rules, logs, and maps are posted on the ACARTS website. It has been a fun little contest in the past, and gives operators an idea of the capabilities of their stations for simplex operation in an emergency situation. Plan to join in for an evening of fun!
Josh Long, W9HT volunteered to succeed the late Ken Helms as editor of the monthly Allen County HamNews newsletter. The February, 2020 issue is available for download, using the link below.
So, here it is February, 2020, the centennial year of the Fort Wayne Radio Club. And February marks the start of another season of Foxhunting. One initiative worth taking on this year is to grow the ranks of foxhunters in and around Allen County, and we hope to accomplish this as the year goes on.
We hunt the wily fox on the first Sunday of the month, February through November. (We take December and January off to get the blood flowing again in our frozen fingers and toes). Each hunt starts from Cobin Memorial Park on south Coliseum Blvd next to Lakeside Golf Course. The fox itself can be ensconced anywhere in Allen County. The fox actually consists of a foxhunting team serving as (high power) fox for that particular month plus a microfox that they have cleverly hidden (usually) close to the location of the high power fox. The high power fox typically transmits about a 30 watt fm signal using a yagi on 146.430 MHz for one minute every five minutes, while the microfox transmits about a 40 milliwatt frequency modulated cw signal for one minute every 2 ½ minutes. Once the foxhunters identify the general location of the fox using the high power fox signal, they dismount and track down the microfox with hand held DF equipment.
Continue readingAllen County ARES and Allen County Office of Homeland Security announced they will co-host the Allen County Severe Weather Seminar, Saturday, Mach 28, 2020, at the downtown Allen County Public Library. The co-hosts will announce speakers and registration in Saturday. The plan two sessions; a morning basic storm spotter course and an afternoon session of advanced presentations. See the flyer below.
