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Serving the needs of the Amateur Radio Operators in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties.

A Ten County Slice of Florida Paradise!

 
Dee Turner, N4GD - Section Manager

Page Last Updated: Saturday, June 27, 2009     (All web pages are written by Microsoft Front-Page for viewing on 1024x768 screen size)

Dennis Griffin, W4DG - Assistant Section Manager, OOC & Webmaster


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The West Central Florida Section is one of seventy-one administrative sections of the ARRL - The American Radio Relay League.   The ARRL is the National Association for Amateur Radio in the USA.

The WCF Section of the ARRL Field Organization serves amateur radio operators in ten counties in Florida:  Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota.   The WCF section includes the following cities:  Bradenton, Clearwater, Lakeland, New Port Richey, Punta Gorda, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Sebring, Tampa and Winter Haven.

This web page has information specific to the ARRL Field Services activities in West Central Florida.   

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More News.........

Field Day 2009 is coming quickly.
 

  Click the below link for Field Day 2009 Press Kit!

Press Doc for Field Day - 2009

Also check out   http://www.arrl.org/pio/  for copies of the Field Day  2009 promotional spots.

Be sure the clubs in your areas are registering on the ARRL locator web site.  People can't visit if they can't find you.

Kevin Poorman, KV4CT - WCF section PIC

Field Day Stations

WE4TT
Clearwater Amateur Radio Society
3375 Tarpon Lake Blvd
Palm Harbor, FL
GOTA: YES
Talk-in: 146.970, 444.150, 444.575 all with tone 146.2
Contact: Kevin L Poorman, KV4CT
727-688-6419
kv4ct@arrl.net

W4TA
St.Petersburg Amateur Radio Club
10000 Bay Pines Blvd
St. Petersburg, FL
GOTA: no
Talk-in: 147.060 no tone
Contact: Harold C Petersen Jr, KB9LXM
727412-2858
kb9lxm@aim.com

W4BPH
Pinellas Amateur Radio Klub
6700 50 Th Ave
St Petersburg, FL
GOTA: no
Talk-in: 147.360
Contact: George J Baustert, W3BL
727-541-2895
w3bl@tampabay.rr.com

K4TN
Brandon Amateur Radio Society
612 N. Parsons Ave.
Brandon, FL
GOTA: YES
Talk-in: 146.165+ (136.5)
Contact: Bernard Huth, W4BGH
w4bgh@arrl.net

 
ARRL Seeks Member Support for HR 2160
To support HR 2160 -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 -- the ARRL is asking its membership to contact their members of the US House of Representatives with a request to become co-sponsors of this significant piece of legislation.

"Getting a bill successfully through Congress is a formidable task -- one that is going to require the involvement of every ARRL member," said ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND. "Working with our Washington consulting firm Chwat & Co, we are laying a dynamic approach that will allow us to make our case most effectively. We have developed a strategy to maximize our impact when dealing with each member of Congress."

Since the anthrax scare that followed the 9-11 attacks, all incoming mail to Congress is delayed anywhere from four to six weeks while it is screened. This means using normal US Mail is no longer an effective method of letting Congress hear your voice. While e-mail is convenient, it is not effective, due to the large volume of e-mail that each Congressional office receives.

"To ensure that ARRL members' letters are quickly and expediently received by Congress, our strategy is to ask ARRL members send their letters directly to Chwat & Co," said Henderson. "Chwat's staff will sort the letters by Congressional district and hand-deliver them to the appropriate House offices, providing a direct point of contact with the Congressman and their staff. This personal contact gives us the chance to provide not only letters from constituents, but information from the ARRL on why this legislation is important."

The ARRL has provided a sample letter for League members to personalize and send to their Congressional representative. "Personalized letters make a better impression than a standard form letter or petition," Henderson explained. You can find the name and address for your Congressman or Congresswomen, in the US Government "Blue Pages", of your local telephone pages (congressional Districts') and our Florida US Senators are as follows:

Senators

Sen. Bill Nelson
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-5274
FAX: 202-228-2183

Sen. Mel Martinez
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-3041
FAX: 202-228-5172

Once personalized, ARRL members should send their letter to Chwat & Co using one of three methods:

  •  As a signed attachment to an e-mail
  •  As a signed fax to 703-684-7594
  •  As a regular letter to:
    John Chwat
    Chwat & Co.
    625 Slaters Ln
    Suite 103
    Alexandria, VA 22314

If you choose to e-mail your letter, please send it as an attachment to the e-mail instead of it being the text of the e-mail. This allows the letter to be easily printed and delivered. Should you decide to draft your own letter supporting HR 2160 instead of editing the sample, Henderson asked that you please remember a couple of things:

  •  Identify the bill by number and title: HR 2160 -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009
  •  Keep the letter brief and on topic -- one page at the most
  •  Ask them to consider becoming a cosponsor
  •  Thank them for their consideration

 "Simple is better when making this kind of request to a representative," said Henderson. "They and their staff are looking to gauge interest and support for the Bill. A lengthy letter that strays off-topic can detract from the focus of asking for support for the legislation."

Should you decide not to send your letter to Chwat & Co but directly to your Representative, it is still important that you send a copy of your correspondence to Chwat & Co. This allows them to discuss accurately with the Congressman and their staff the amount of support for the bill in each individual district. "There is strength in numbers," Henderson added.

Besides bill sponsor Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18), the ARRL is fortunate to already have six additional members of Congress who have signed on as co-sponsors of HR 2160 -- Madeleine Bordallo (Guam), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15), Zoe Lofgren (CA-16), Blaine Luetkemeyer, (MO-9) and Bennie Thompson (MS-02).

"We congratulate ARRL Division Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, and his grassroots legislative action team in Kentucky for securing the support of Representative Guthrie -- the first new co-sponsor of the bill," Henderson said. "It shows that our grassroots effort can work!"

You may be asking yourself "What should I do if my Representative has already signed on as a co-sponsor for HR 2160?" The answer is simple: Thank them for their support. If your Congressman is one of those listed as a co-sponsor, please send them a letter thanking them for their support. Use the same contact information for Chwat & Co. "It is important to convey your appreciation to your Representative when they sign on as a co-sponsor or support the bill," Henderson explained. "That simple 'thank you' may help open the door the next time their help is needed."

Once you have prepared and sent your letter supporting HR 2160, your job is not over: Feedback is an important part of the process. "What your Congressman has to say in regards to your contact can provide the ARRL with important information as we try to push our bill forward," Henderson noted. "This feedback can possibly help us identify potential new support for the bill or a weakness in the legislation we may need to address."

When you receive a response from your Congressman, please forward a copy to the Regulatory Information Office at ARRL Headquarters via e-mail or hard copy to Regulatory Information, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

"HR 2160 presents the Amateur Radio Service with a unique opportunity -- but also carries with it the important responsibility of making your voice heard," Henderson summarized. "HR 2160 stands as the first step in trying to address the long standing problem of extending the protections afforded Amateur Radio operators under PRB-1 to deed restrictions and covenants. To be clear, passing HR 2160 is not going to achieve that goal right away. But it will help lay the ground work by assessing the impact such restrictions have on our ability to train for and respond to disasters and other emergencies."

*SPRING* 2009 ISSUE OF THE WCF TS EXPERIMENTER NOW AVAILABLE  in .pdf (Click on any text to link)

DATABASE OF THE WCF SECTION COUNTY HAM TOWER/ANTENNA RULES & REGULATIONS

Our section TS, Geoff, N1GY, has complied a list of eight (8) of our ten (10) WCF Section County Amateur (HAM) Tower and antenna rules and regulations. Click here to access this link!

WCF Club News

The Latest issue of The Communicator from the TARC.  TNX to Jack Sproat, W4JS, their editor for forwarding a copy to post on the WCF Section Webpage!

 
The EARS Newsletter is now available at this link!
 
The TARC (Tampa) Newsletter  is now available at this link!
 
Florida Contest Group (FCG)  "Contest Gazette" Newsletter - Now Available Here!
 
North Port Amateur Radio Club (NPARC)  newsletter Now Available Here!  (May, 2007 calendar of events can be found on this link).
 
East Pasco ARS Newsletter Now Available Here!
 
The "Moonshiner" an E-magazine for South West Florida's Ten Meter Community
 

The Hardee Amateur Radio Group "HARG E-LETTER"   (Now Available via this link)

 
Sun City Amateur Radio Club newsletter "Connector" is now available for download via this hyperlink!
 
The Kings' Point ARC Newsletter is now available by clicking this text!
 
CHARLOTTE COUNTY HAMFEST GETS GREAT NEWS COVERAGE (click link for .pdf fle)
 
 
A great video from that Mic-W4ZPP of the SARA/SERC club Field Day - 2007!
 

Hillsborough ARES/RACES - EmComm Flyer Now available here! 

 
Latest issue of the WORMHOLE Newsletter is here!  The Dec'08 Extra Edition is here!
 
St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club (SPARC) "Spark Gap" Newsletter      
 
Up-to-date news from the West Central Florida Group, Inc.  (WCFG, Inc.)   

 

Florida D-Star Information Site   &   West Central Florida -DSTAR Group    

Upcoming Hamfest & Tailgate Events

Click this link to see upcoming WCF Section & Florida Statewide Hamfests & Tailgates!

WCF Section Net Schedule
West Central Florida Section Nets -- The WCF Section has several nets during the week.  Most of the nets are held on the NI4CE repeater system on 145.43 / 442.95 Verna, 145.29 / 443.45 St Pete, 442.825 / Peebledale (just south of Mulberry in Polk)  & 146.76 /442.650  Port Richey (Pasco). All require 100.0 Hz Sub-audible tone.  
Day(s)   Net Name Time (ET) Where
Daily   Eagle Net (WCF Florida Section Traffic Net) 8:30 PM NI4CE/R
Sunday   West Central Florida Section Weekly (VHF/UHF) 7:30 PM NI4CE/R
Monday   West Central Florida Section ARES Net 7:30 PM NI4CE/R
Tuesday   Open 7:00 PM NI4CE/R
Wednesday   Tampabay Traders Net 9:00 PM NI4CE/R
Thursday   WCF Technical Net 9:00 PM NI4CE/R
Friday   Open    
Saturday   WCF Section HF Net  8:30 AM 3.911 MHz LSB and 7.281 MHz LSB.(alt.)
Saturday   WCF YL Net   7:30 PM NI4CE/R

 

This Weeks DX NEWS.... 

ARLD025 DX news

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by G3KMA, NC1L, QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, DXNL, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.

MAURITIUS, 3B8. Luc, I3LDP will be QRV as 3B8/home call from June 29 to July 11. Activity will be on all HF bands, including 6 meters, using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.

FIJI, 3D2. JA1NLX will be QRV as 3D2YA from Mana Island, IOTA OC-121, from June 29 to July 3. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using CW and RTTY. QSL to home call.

SENEGAL, 6W. Devon, PD9DX is QRV as 6W/home call until July 5. Activity is on the HF bands using SSB. QSL to home call.

MALDIVES, 8Q. Vlad, RA9LR is QRV as 8Q7LR from Hudhuranfushi Island, IOTA AS-013, until July 2. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using mainly digital modes with some SSB. QSL to home call.

CROATIA, 9A. Jernej, S59KM is QRV as 9A/S59KM from Ugljan Island, IOTA EU-170, until July 2. Activity is on 40 to 2 meters, including 60 meters, using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.

CAPE VERDE, D4. Michel, HB9BOI is QRV as D44TOI from Sal Island, IOTA AF-086, until June 30. Activity is mainly on 20 meters using SSB, with some activity on 17 meters SSB. QSL to home call.

ST BARTHELEMY, FJ. Operators Ruediger, DK8YY and Ingolf, DL4JS will be QRV as TO8YY from June 29 to July 7. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters with an emphasis placed on 160 and 80 meters. QSL via DH7WW.

WALES, GW. Operators Alan, G0RCI, Pete, M0USY, Harry, G7DEH, Alan, G4VUA and Brian, M0JNC are QRV as GB0YG from Holy Island, IOTA EU-149, until June 29. Activity is on all HF bands using CW and SSB. QSL direct to G0RCI.

BULGARIA, LZ. Operators LZ4ZD and LZ1ZF are QRV as LZ01WFF from the Shumensko Plateau Natural Park until June 28. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters, and possibly 6 and 2 meters. QSL via LZ1ZF.

NETHERLANDS, PA. Several operators from Limburg will be QRV using special event call PA123OLS from June 29 to July 12 from the ''Oud Limburgs Schuttersfeest, an annual marksmen's festival. Activity will be on all HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK. QSL via bureau.

BRAZIL, PY. Orlando, PT2TJ will be QRV as PX8M from Maiau Island, IOTA SA-041, from July 3 to 8. This includes being active from the Sao Joao Lighthouse, ARLHS BRA-093. QSL via PT2OP.

GREECE, SV. Special event call SY2O will be QRV from June 27 to 29 during the Olympus Marathon, an annual run on Mount Olympus. QSL direct via SV2FLQ.

DODECANESE, SV5. George, GM0IIO will be QRV as SV5/GM0IIO from Rhodes, IOTA EU-001, from July 1 to 8. Activity will be on 20 meters using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.

MALI, TZ. Ed, W0SD and Arliss, W7XU and possibly other operators are QRV as TZ6EI until July 5. Emphasis is on 6 meters, looking for sporadic-E openings. They are monitoring 50103 kHz. QSL via W7XU.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, V2. Jimmy, W6JKV is QRV as V29JKV from Antigua, IOTA NA-100, until July 3. Activity is mainly on 6 meters with some HF activity as well. QSL to home call.

MICRONESIA, V6. Yuki, JH1NBN is QRV from here while on a business trip. He is traveling and operating from three islands. He is currently active as V6P from Pohnpei until July 4, V6C from Chuuk Island from July 4 to 12, V6T from Kosrae and back to Pohnpei as V6P from July 21 to 25. He may also be active as V63AQ. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters in his spare time. QSL to home call.

IOTA CORRECTION. As reported in DX news ARLD024, Kharancy Island is not a new IOTA.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. ARRL Field Day, His Majesty King of Spain SSB Contest, Ukrainian DX DIGI Contest, Marconi Memorial HF CW Contest, ARCI Milliwatt Field Day and the SARL Digital PSK Contest will certainly keep contesters busy this weekend. The RAC Canada Day Contest is scheduled for July 1. Please see June QST, page 80 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for details.

 

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Page Last Updated: Saturday, June 27, 2009 18:17:35