Category: News

CHARLOTTE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY SCHEDULES WINLINK 2000 DRILL

The Charlotte Amateur Radio Society plans to conduct an emergency communications exercise to test WinLink Peer-to-Peer communications on Saturday, September 17, 2022 from 1000 until 1200.  This exercise is part of the Charlotte Amateur Radio Society’s long-term multi-part educational  program to ensure that radio amateurs in our area have a way to grow and practice the skills that may be used in a variety of emergency communications situations.

This exercise aims to evaluate our ability to pass digital traffic using WinLink Peer-to-Peer
communications through VARA FM.  We will have two control stations operating in Charlotte County. Our West County Control Station will operate WinLink on 144.300 MHz and our East County Control Station will operate WinLink in VARA FM on 144.330 MHz. For this exercise, questions may be directed over the WX4E linked repeater system on 146.745 (-) and 444.975 (+), both with a PL tone of 136.50.  Remember, this is a WinLink Peer-to-Peer contact.

Each participant will have three tasks during this exercise:  (1) Deliver a Field Situation Report to the local control station P2P – Locate the WinLink Template under Standard Templates / General Forms / Field Situation Report.  (2) After delivering your Field Situation Report, the Control Station will prepare an Emergency Bulletin to your WinLink address. They will need time to process your bulletin after receiving your Filed Station Report. Retrieve the current Emergency Bulletin from your local control station P2P.(3) Read and follow the instructions on the Emergency Bulletin.

Upon completion of the task listed above, each participant is free to secure their station.
Licensed Amateur radio operators from Charlotte County and the directly surrounding counties that are not CARS members are encouraged to visit the CARS website at http://carsfl.org for information about how they can help on the day of the event from their own radios.

The information in this press release was provided courtesy of Doug Young KM4LKC of the Charlotte Amateur Radio Society.

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SECTION ARES NET CANCELLATION FOR LABOR DAY

In observance of Labor Day on Monday September 5th, 2022, the ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Monday September 5th, 2022 on the NI4CE Repeater System at 1930 EDT is cancelled.  This net will resume normal operation on Monday September 12th, 2022.

The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Saturday September 3rd, 2022 on 3940 KHz at 0730 or immediately following the Florida Phone Traffic Net will operate as scheduled, as well as all other Section nets will continue to operate as scheduled. The ARRL West Central Florida Section wishes everyone a Happy Labor Day weekend.

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NEXT SECTION ARES LUNCHEON AND MEETING DATE AND VENUE SET

The date and venue for the Fall 2022 ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Luncheon and ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Meeting have been set.  The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Luncheon will be held at 1100 EDT on Saturday October 29, 2022, at the Golden Corral located at 815 Providence Road, Brandon, FL 33511.  The Golden Corral is on the west side of Brandon, very close to the east side of I-75.   The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Meeting will be held at 1300 EDT on Saturday October 29, 2022, at the Hillsborough County Public Safety Operations Complex located at 9450 E. Columbus Dr., Tampa, FL 33619. The Hillsborough County Public Safety Operations Complex is home to the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center and is located on the east side of Tampa, very close to the west side of I-75.

As is traditional, the Section ARES Meeting will be simultaneously conducted on Zoom and on the Section YouTube channel which is located at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFA4-HEjr-lYMFisVG_Nk5A .  The Zoom meeting information for the Section ARES Meeting has been published and is located on the Section ARES page located at http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-section-programs/ares/.

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9th ANNUAL TECHCON DATE AND VENUE SET

The date and venue for the 9th Annual TECHCON have been set.  The date for the 9th Annual TECHCON, the Annual Technical Conference for the ARRL West Central Florida Section, is Friday February 24, 2023 and Saturday February 25, 2023.  The venue for the 9th Annual TECHCON will be the Hillsborough County Public Safety Operations Complex, located at 9450 E. Columbus Dr., Tampa, FL 33519, on the east side of Tampa, just on the west side of I-75.

The 9th Annual TECHCON will be a face to face conference but also will be available for viewing via Zoom teleconferencing once again this year.  The 9th Annual TECHCON will see a resumption of the Friday Afternoon Workshop, for the first time since 2020.

The presentations for TECHCON will be recorded and available for viewing on the Section’s YouTube channel immediately after the conclusion of TECHCON whch is located at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFA4-HEjr-lYMFisVG_Nk5A.

Registration for the 9th Annual TECHCON is now open.  You may register to either attend or make a presentation for TECHCON at http://arrlwcf.org/section-forms/wcftechconfregistration/.  For more information about TECHCON you may go to the TECHCON webpage on the Section website at http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-special-events/wcftechconference/

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INFORMATION FOR THE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR BEN HENLEY KI4IGX

Ben Henley KI4IGX, the former Section Emergency Coordinator for the ARRL West Central Florida Section from 2015-2020, became a Silent Key on Wednesday July 20, 2022.  See WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #22-19 at http://arrlwcf.org/news/2022/07/25/wcf-section-press-release-22-19/ for the full announcement of the passing of Ben Henley KI4IGX.

The memorial service for Ben Henley KI4IGX, will be held on Saturday, July 30th, 2022 at  1100 EDT, at the Sebring Christian Church located at 4514 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872.  For location map, please go to Google Maps at https://goo.gl/maps/DHSNQfCAE5ahGYcu8.

The memorial service information was obtained courtesy of the Highlands County Amateur Radio Club website at https://highlandsamateurradio.com/.

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FORMER SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR BEN HENLEY KI4IGX IS A SILENT KEY

Ben Henley KI4IGX, who was the Section Emergency Coordinator for the ARRL West Central Florida Section from 2015-2020 became a Silent Key on Wednesday July 20, 2022, after a protracted battle with congestive heart failure and ischemia, and had been awaiting a heart transplant for several years.  Henley was 52 years old.

Henley obtained his Technician class amateur radio license in 2004 an upgraded to General class in 2016.  It was Henley’s experience in emergency management and commercial two way radio that led him to become a licensed amateur radio operator.  Henley was instrumental in helping to foster a working partnership between Highland County Emergency Management and Highlands County ARES, and providing them with logistical support to help carry out their mission.  Henley was also instrumental in helping to foster the concept of the three ARRL Florida Section ARES programs as being partners working together with the State EOC as one organization during emergency situations.

Henley in his professional career was in information technology, first at a local hospital in Highlands County, then a firefighter with the Highlands County Fire Department, and then as Emergency Management Coordinator with Highlands County Emergency Management.  During his tenure with Highlands County Emergency Management, Henley was the 911 coordinator for a number of years, provided information technology support, commercial two way radio support, and had considerable input into the design of the current Highlands County Emergency Operations Center.

At press time, there was no information available on a memorial service.

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SECTION ARES CANCELLATION DUE TO SECTION ARES LUNCHEON AND MEETING

The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Saturday July 23, 2022 on 3940 KHz at 0730 or immediately following the Florida Phone Traffic Net is cancelled to facilitate the Summer 2022 ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Luncheon and ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Meeting being held on the same date. The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net on 3940 KHz will resume normal operation on Saturday July 30, 2022.

The Summer 2022 ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Luncheon will be held at the Sebring Diner in south Sebring at 1100 EDT, and ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Meeting will be held at the Highlands County Emergency Operation Center in south Sebring. For detailed meeting information, including links to maps and other meeting information, go to the ARRL West Central Florida Section website at http://arrlwcf.org.

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SECTION NET CANCELLATIONS FOR THE INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND

In observance of Independence Day, the West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Saturday July 2, 2022 at 0730 or immediately following the Florida Phone Traffic Net on 3940 KHz will be cancelled.  This net will resume normal operation on Saturday July 9, 2022.

In observance of Independence Day, the West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Monday July 4, 2022 at 1930 on the NI4CE Repeater System will be cancelled.  This net will resume normal operation on Monday July 11, 2022.

The Eagle Net and the West Central Florida Section Technical Net will operate as scheduled throughout this period.  The ARRL West Central Florida Section wishes everyone a Happy Independence Day and weekend.

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THE 22ND ARRL WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA CARAVAN RIDES ONCE AGAIN

In keeping with tradition, the ARRL West Central Florida Section Field Day Caravan will once again take to the roads of the ARRL West Central Florida Section on Saturday June 25, 2022 to visit ARRL Field Day sites in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  The members of this year’s caravan are Mike Douglas W4MDD, Section Manager, and Jimmy Russ AB4KA, Assistant Section Manager.

For information on the ARRL West Central Florida Section Field Day Caravan, including a tentative travel itinerary, APRS tracking information, and information on how to format and to send an NTS radiogram to our Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator you may visit the ARRL West Central Florida Section Field Day Caravan webpage at http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-special-events/west-central-florida-section-field-day-caravan/.  The webpage also includes a sample radiogram to use to help one format their own NTS radiogram to the Section Manager or the Section Emergency Coordinator.  Just a reminder, this radiogram must be sent during the Field Day period, not before or afterward.

The ARRL West Central Florida Section wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable Field Day weekend.

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SPECIAL EAGLE NET SESSION PLANNED FOR FIELD DAY 2022

Once again the Eagle Net, the NTS traffic net for the ARRL West Central Florida Section, which normally meets daily at 2030 hours, is planning for a special Field Day session which will begin at 2000 hours on Saturday June 25, 2022 to accommodate Field Day generated traffic.

Dave Rockwell W4PXE, Net Manager of the Eagle Net had the following statement concerning this session, “On Saturday, June 25, 2022, the West Central Florida National Traffic (EAGLE) Net will once again operate an extended net to support clubs and individuals wishing to send formal traffic to the Section Manager and Section Emergency Coordinator.  Also, we will support traffic leaving the section. Dave, W4PXE, will be the Alternate Net Control for the session. Bring your traffic!!”

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