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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The Fort Wayne Radio Club (FWRC) is celebrating its centennial by offering a commemorative certificate to any amateur radio station who logs at least 100 contacts with FWRC members between Jan. 1, 2020 and 0500 UTC Jan. 1, 2021.
The club is calling the event, “100 years, 100 Contacts.” Anyone who wishes to receive the operating award must make 100 contacts with FWRC members using any band, mode, or amateur equipment. Participants may count contacts with the same FWRC member multiple times per day, but only if each contact is on a different band, mode, or combination of both. Participants must make contact with minimum of 25 different FWRC members. During each contact, stations must exchange call signs, names, cities, signal report, rig description, antenna description, and state, province or country. “Rag chewing” (extended conversation) is encouraged.
A list of FWRC members (i.e., stations that can be counted toward the certificate) is available on the FWRC website.
Participants may create logs using any logging program. To receive a certificate, they must either send via email a file containing only the Fort Wayne Radio Club members contacted, including contact information, date, time, mode and band, to kg9fm@arrl.net, or send paper logs (as done 100
years ago) via post to:
Clark Derbyshire, KG9FM
4107 North Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
All certificates will be sent via email, so participants must provide a valid email address.
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.
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