ARRL West Central Florida Section

CHUCK JOHNSTON W4CWJ APPOINTED AS AN ASSISTANT SECTION MANAGER

On Friday February 25th, 2021, Mike Douglas W4MDD, appointed Chuck Johnston W4CWJ as an Assistant Section Manager as Rural Communities Coordinator.

Douglas had the following comments to say about the appointment of Johnston, “I can not take credit for this appointment, it was suggested to me by Sanford Wyatt, KM4WXX. After hearing Sanford’s reasoning, I almost instantly processed Chuck’s appointment. Chuck has a lot of ties and influence with agriculture in the rural areas of Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, and Hardee counties. That same influence extends throughout the state as well as Tallahassee. Please help me welcome Chuck as he settles into his position as a new ASM.”

Johnston was originally licensed in 2015 and is a Florida native.  Johnston’s interest in radio started with building kits in his father’s radio shack as a teenager.  Johnston obtained a commercial radio operator license, and then started working at the Sarasota Fire Department in the communications division.   Johnston help to start the Sarasota Agricultural Recovery Group (SARG) in 2010 and is currently the coordinator for SARG.  SARG is an organization composed of farmers and ranchers from the local area, many of whom are amateur radio operators.  The members of SARG provide service to rural communities during disasters, and operate in support of the ESF-17.

Johnston had the following comments to say about his appointment as Assistant Section Manager, “Experience has shown that the communications challenges in the heartland areas of the state vastly differ from that of the coastal areas. I hope to work with Mike, our Section Manager, to identify opportunities to enhance ham radio’s effectiveness when called on.”

Johnston in his professional career currently raises beef cattle in eastern Sarasota County.  Johnston previously worked in fire rescue and in his final assignment was Emergency Management Director for Sarasota County.

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NORMAN XANDERS WX4NEX APPOINTED AS AN ASSISTANT SECTION MANAGER

On Monday February 22, 2021, Mike Douglas W4MDD, appointed Norman Xanders WX4NEX to be an Assistant Section Manager as Liaison to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Ruskin.

Douglas had the following comments to say about the appointment of Xanders as an Assistant Section Manager, Norman is a ham familiar to many of you, especially those of you in Polk County. Norman is Assistant EC for Polk County and can be heard every Wednesday at 7:00 PM on the Polk County ARES and Information Net. I have appointed Norman to be Assistant Section Manager, Skywarn Liaison to the National Weather Service. Norman has also been made an Official Emergency Station. Please make Norman welcome and offer any help as he settles in with his duties.”

Xanders was originally licensed in late 2016. Xanders has been a storm chaser for over 20 years here in central Florida, specifically in Polk County.  One day Xanders got the RadarScope app for his smartphone and was looking at other Spotters on the map and saw some with call signs, inquired into it, and found out they were part of a Skywarn Net.  This is where Xanders began his amateur radio journey.  Since becoming licensed, Xanders has volunteered extensively for Polk County ARES as a net control operator.  Xanders then became an Assistant Net Manager, and then Net Manager for the Polk County ARES Net.  In 2019, Xanders became the Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Operations for Polk County ARES.  Xanders also serves as a net control statoin for the National Weather Service SKYWARN Information Net, which is held on the NI4CE Repeater System every Tuesday at 2100 hours.

Xanders had the following to say about his amateur radio experience, “I believe volunteering in your community is important and Is the reason I do it, I like helping others.”

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ARRL WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION DEBUTS YOUTUBE CHANNEL.  7TH ANNUAL TECHCON PRESENTATIONS TO BE STREAMED ON YOUTUBE.

On Friday February 26th, the ARRL West Central Florida Section opened a channel on YouTube.  The link to the new ARRL West Central Florida Section YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFA4-HEjr-lYMFisVG_Nk5A.  You may also search for the YouTube channel on YouTube under the name “ARRL West Central Florida Section”.

The purpose of the ARRL West Central Florida Section YouTube channel is to publish videos about different areas of interest in amateur radio primarily here in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  The topics will include but not be limited to: technical, ARES, QRP, Contesting, DXing, local radio clubs.

The 7th Annual TECHCON slated for Saturday February 27th from 0900 through 1700 will be streamed on the ARRL West Central Florida Section YouTube channel in addition to being facilitated on the Section Zoom account.  For more details about TECHCON 2021 go to the TECHCON webpage at http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-special-events/wcftechconference/

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STEVE MASLIN NS4M APPOINTED AS ARRL AFFILIATED CLUB COORDINATOR

On Sunday February 21, 2021, Mike Douglas W4MDD appointed Steve Maslin NS4M to be the new ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator for the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  Maslin succeeds Douglas, who had served as ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator for the ARRL West Central Florida Section from October 2017 through December 2020.

Douglas had the following to say concerning the appointment of Maslin as ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator, “Stephen has been appointed, as my successor, Affiliated Club Coordinator.  Stephen is also President of the Brandon Amateur Radio Society. Please give Stephen a very warm welcome in his new position with WCF.”

Maslin was originally licensed as Technician class in 1993 as N3ORH in Southeastern Pennsylvania and had spent much of his youth, before being licensed, hanging around the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Radio Club (MARC) along with his father (N3EA ex-W3DZI) who was a founding member of MARC, helping at their Hamfests and VE sessions.  After becoming licensed, Maslin became a full member of the MARC and then served as President of the MARC.  Maslin has also served as ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator for the Eastern Pennsylvania Section.    Maslin relocated to Florida in 2007 and was promised an HF rig by his father if he upgraded to General class.  In 2018, Maslin upgraded to General class, shortly afterward upgraded to Extra class, and was given an ICOM-7000 by his father.  Maslin also helped two of his children become licensed and they now hold the callsigns of N4HMM and K4HMM.  In 2019, Maslin obtained his current callsign of NS4M.

Maslin currently serves as an ARRL VE, and is currently the President for the Brandon Amateur Radio Society, in Hillsborough County just east of Tampa.]

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CHARLOTTE COUNTY HAMFEST 2021 HAS DIFFERENT VENUE.

The Charlotte County Hamfest for 2021 has had a change of venue for 2021.  The Charlotte County Hamfest will be located at 30337 Cedar Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33982, which is 5.5 miles east on U.S. 17 from I-75 at Exit 164.  The new venue will allow tailgaters and vendors to be able to practice social distancing, being it is an outdoor venue.

The Charlotte County Hamfest is sponsored by the Peace River Radio Association.  For more information on the hamfest, including the hamfest flyer, you may go to the PRRA website at http://prra.club.  For a Google map of the new location, go to our Section website for the original of this press release, which includes all the graphics, at http://arrlwcf.org/news/2021/02/18/wcf-section-press-release-21-07/.

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7th ANNUAL TECHCON MEETING INFO, SPEAKING SCHEDULE, AND LIST OF PRESENTATIONS PUBLISHED

The speaking schedule, brief description of presentations list, and Zoom Meeting information for the 7th Annual TECHCON are now published on the TECHCON page on the Section website at http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-special-events/wcftechconference/.

We are sad to announce that due to logistical difficulties, and other circumstances beyond our control, that the Friday Afternoon Workshop scheduled for Friday February 26, 2021 is cancelled.  We apologize to all for this inconvenience.

The Saturday General Presentations will start at 0900 and go through 1200, with a break for lunch from 1200 until 1300, and then start again at 1300 and go until 1700.  The Zoom meeting room will open at 0830, and attendance will be limited to 100 attendees due to the terms of our Zoom account.  The Saturday General Presentations will be recorded for later viewing, and the link to that recording will be published on the TECHCON page on the Section website.  If you are planning on attending, and have not done so already, please register at the TECHCON registration form on the Section website at http://arrlwcf.org/section-forms/wcftechconfregistration/

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BIKE MS CITRUS TOUR 2021 IS CANCELLED

On Tuesday January 26, 2021, it was announced by the National MS Society that the “in person” portion of Bike MS Citrus Tour 2021 scheduled for Saturday March 6, 2021, is cancelled.  In the statement announcing the cancellation, the reason stated for the cancellation was due to concerns with the COVID-19 virus, guarantee of medical support within hospitals in the local area, and other logistical issues.  Previously the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2021 had been reduced significantly from a two day to a one day event and cancellation of other related festivities.  At press time, the date for the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2022 was not available.

The ARRL West Central Florida Section and the National MS Society extends its sincere thanks to all who had volunteered to provide communications support the Bike MS Citrus Tour 2021.  The ARRL West Central Florida Section has sponsored the amateur radio communications support for Bike MS Citrus Tour since 2018.

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7th ANNUAL TECHCON TO GO VIRTUAL

The 7th Annual TECHCON, scheduled for Friday February 26 and Saturday February 27, 2021, which was scheduled to take place at the Polk County EOC, will transition to a virtual conference to be held via the Section Zoom account.

Darrell Davis KT4WX, Chairman of TECHCON, made the following comments about the 7th Annual TECHCON going virtual, “I deeply regret this decision and it was not made easily.  After consulting with those who are scheduled to speak and our Section Manager Mike Douglas W4MDD, I decided it was in our best interest to have the 7th Annual TECHCON as a virtual event, due to rising numbers of COVID-19 infections in the State of Florida, and also due to the reservations that many of our presenters and even some of our attendees had expressed in doing TECHCON in person.  This will allow for continuity and not put us into the position of not having TECHCON in 2021 at all.”

As of press time, the Friday Afternoon Workshop and the Saturday General Presentation will go forward and the Friday Evening Social, scheduled on Friday February 26, 2021 from 1800 through 2100 has been cancelled.  There will only be one General Presentation Track on Saturday.  Depending upon how many presentations are finally scheduled, the Saturday General Presentation Track could be slight expanded or some presentations can be held on Friday morning before the Friday Afternoon Workshop.

The Section Zoom account will be used for both days of TECHCON.  TECHCON is still free of charge but our attendance at any given time will be limited to 100, due to the terms of our Zoom account.  A final speaking schedule will be available 1 to 2 weeks before TECHCON. Registration will continue to be open and registration is encouraged so we will have an idea who is attending.   The TECHCON workshop and general sessions will be recorded for later viewing.

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