Wednesday March 9, 2022

Greetings fellow operators,

My very smart friend, AB5N, made a Facebook post a short time ago. The
first two sentences in that post say a lot: "I know how uncertain
these times are. We Ham operators exist to provide emergency
communications when all other systems fail." I happen to believe he is
exactly correct.

In preparation to get your license you studied theory, learned about the
Part 97 FCC rules, and a lot of other stuff. That was the first step in
your ham radio journey. Now, it may not be your intention to ever do any
sort of emergency communications, and that is perfectly fine! There are
about one million different fun things to do with ham radio. But if you
are so inclined, your communities need you to be ready, just like you
were when you sat down to take that first exam.

There are many entities and agencies that love willing volunteers. I
don't know of any Volunteer Fire Department that has enough personnel,
or any homeless shelter that couldn't use more caregivers. Even
Garvan Gardens uses volunteers to guide visitors. You know what all
these examples have in common? Every volunteer has to be ready to do
that job to a satisfactory point. That point may be a little more than
the volunteer knew when deciding to be of service.

As I have said many times in the past, satisfying requirements,
training, and building relationships are some of the things we must do
in order to be ready. All I ask is that you be willing to be ready for
whatever job presents itself. Anything less is a disservice to the very
people that needed you, but you know that already.

By now, most have heard that our Section Manager James Ferguson, N5LKE,
and the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, AJ
Gary, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU can be found
here:

http://www.neaham.org/ADEM/MOU.pdf .

It's been a long time coming, and I am very glad to see it back in place.
It helps cement the relationships, and lays out the basic requirements
we need to meet uncertain times. Here is a link to the press release:

https://fb.watch/bEuaRk6LIR/

Please let me know how I can help you be ready to be of service to your community.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas Section Emergency Coordinator

Contact me at one of these emails: n5xfw at arrl dot org, n5xfw at arrl
dot net, n5xfw at yahoo dot com

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Good day to all!

As everyone knows by now, Josh, KE5MHV, has taken the ARRL Emergency
Management Director job, which means he moved to the Newington area.
Josh was the EC for Johnson County. That leaves some big shoes to
fill.

Our Section Manager, Jay, N5LKE, has appointed Klay KF5NKM to fill that position. Klay is a Deputy Director of the Johnson County Department of Emergency Management, so making the EM happy will not be a problem.
Let's all welcome Klay, and thank him for volunteering for the job!

I have asked the DEC's to come up with places to do a Saturday lunch so
EMCOMM folks can resume having face-to-face meetings. I'm willing to
travel to the different districts so that maybe these meetings would be
well attended. Contact your DEC if you have a suggestion.

73,

J.M. N5XFW
Arkansas SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Good morning,

AA5JC and I are doing an experiment using WinLink. Please send a LOCAL
WEATHER REPORT or a SEVERE WEATHER REPORT as appropriate, using WinLink
to KB5LZK. If you're not a current user, download it and get started.
You don't have to connect to a radio - the Telnet option will work
fine for our purposes.

If this works as I expect, we're going to have something that will revolutionize our ability to give decision makers ground truth never
seen before. You must use the forms imbedded in the new message
drop-down for this to work.

Thanks an 73,

J.M. N5XFW

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

PLEASE SEND TO ALL ARKANSAS ARES/SHARES MEMBERSHIP, ANYONE WORKING WITH
WINLINK

All,

Below are the Winlink instructions for the FEMA RECCWG Region 4 & Region
6 May 31-June 1 Communications Outage Exercise. In addition to Winlink
(SHARES and amateur radio) providing a Field Situation Report with
"ground Truth" information over VHF/UHF/HF radio or Telnet, FYI, the
following will also be exercised by the various States in these two
Regions with FEMA: FNARS (FEMA National Emergency Radio System), NAWAS (National Warning System), MSAT G2 (Multi-State Satellite talk groups), Multi-State linking of P25 Trunking Networks.

The Task for Winlink is directed and simple:

Below is the starting scenario for this May 31 through June 1 exercise.
The cities circled on the attached map will have a "communications
outage." However, they will need "ground truth" information from
everywhere within these two FEMA Regions from the users of the Winlink
Radio Email Network System, regardless of location within the Regions,
or the reasons for the outages. There are two separate set of
instructions for input data. If you are NOT in these affected
metropolitan areas, you may configure and report specific configuration
for the Field Situation Report per the instructions below. If you ARE
located within these affected metropolitan areas, you are to report your outages on the Field Situation Report per the instructions below.

Cyber Attacked Cities:

Charlotte, NC
Dallas, TX
Miami, FL
Little Rock, AR

For the Winlink portion of this FEMA R4-R6 Communications Outage
Exercise, there are two groups participating:

- CISA SHARES Winlink from member agencies & other users within these
two FEMA Regions over the DHS Winlink SHARES HF/VHF Network.

- Amateur Radio Winlink from any source with a proper license within
these two FEMA Regions sending the data over the HF/VHF/UHF Amateur
Spectrum.

If you have no radio and are not within one of these affected metro
areas, you may use Telnet if you wish.

For the Amateur Radio Community, I am to leave the further distribution
of this information to those copied as leaders over others within their
span of control. The further distribution of this instruction is a part
of the exercise. Please use whatever resources you have available.
Resulting data from the Winlink Field Situation Report will be
accumulated and shown to the appropriate recipients as a spreadsheet
item (via KML & CSV) for further use by anyone wishing to provide a
dashboard, and visually to the named recipients as a mapped item in
Winlink Express. The resulting list of exercise participants will be
provided via a FORM 309.

Below are the instructions for participants.

- DATE and TIME of Exercise: Tuesday evening, May 31st, from 6:00 PM EDT
until 4:00 PM EDT Wednesday afternoon, June 1st.

- Please, no telnet from areas where communications outage problems are
shown to exist (Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Little Rock).

- Message to send: Winlink standard Template, Field Situation Report

- Please avoid requesting acknowledgement requests, either manually or automatically.

How to fill out the Field Situation Report:

1. Open Winlink Express (insure you have a most recent version, ie.
1.6.4 or higher, Template Version 1.0.193.0 or higher.) *

2. Open "New Message" form. (First ICON in menu).

3. On New Message Form, look for "Select Template" menu. Choose
"Select Template."

4. Double click on "Standard Templates"

5. Choose "Mapping GIS Forms."

6. Choose "Field Situation Report.txt"

7. Your browser should open with the HTML Form.

8. If you are NOT in one of the AFFECTED areas, fill out the form per
info below:

a. PRECEDENCE (R) Routine
b. Date Time, Task as 1.0.
c. To: NCS415; NCS396; NNE6EM (separate addresses with semi-colon).
d. On Form:

#1: NO.
#2. your City, County, State, and Territory put either FEMA R4
(TN, KY, MS, FL, GA, AL, NC, SC) or FEMA R6 (TX, AR, LA, NM, OK).

#3 Put in Coordinates using degree decimal format, DD.DDDD .
Example: LAT: 36.0703 LON: -86.8241, which is the correct format.

(If you cannot provide coordinates per above, then put in your Grid
Square, and they will be approximated from your Winlink Express
settings.)

Remember that Western hemisphere longitude is a negative number!
Very IMPORTANT!

Incorrect format would be LAT: 36ø 4'13''N LON: 86ø 49'27''W

Put in your Grid Square.

#4. YES
#5. YES
#6. YES
#7. YES
#8. YES
#9. YES
#10.YES
#11.YES
#12. Please state, "EXERCISE, EXERCISE EXERCISE"
#13 Name, call sign.

If any of the above conditions are actually out of service, please
follow this instruction, regardless.

9. If you ARE in one of the AFFECTED areas (i.e. Charlotte, Dallas,
Miami, Little Rock), then please fill out the Field Situation Report per
below:

a. PRECEDENCE (P) Priority
b. Date Time, Task as 1.0.
c. To: NCS415; NCS396; NNE6EM (separate addresses with semi-colon).
d. On Form:

#1: NO.
#2. your City, County, State, and for “Territory" put either FEMA R4
(TN, KY, MS, FL, GA, AL, NC, SC) or FEMA R6 (TX, AR, LA, NM, OK).

#3. Put in Coordinates using decimal format .
Example: LAT: 36.0703 LON: -86.8241, which is the correct format.
Very IMPORTANT!

(If you cannot provide coordinates per above, then put in your Grid
Square, and they will be approximated from your Winlink Express
settings.)

Remember that Western hemisphere longitude is a negative number!
Very IMPORTANT!

Incorrect format would be LAT: 36ø 4'13''N LON: 86ø 49'13''W

Put in your Grid Square.

#4. NO POTS or VOIP
#5. NO
#6. YES
#7. YES
#8. YES
#9. YES
#10. NO
#11. YES
#12. Please state, "EXERCISE, EXERCISE EXERCISE"
#13 Name, call sign, cell number (optional)

10. Check your information and then "submit" the form.
11. If not done automatically, then close your browser.
12. Post the message to the Winlink Express Outbox.
13. Send Message with whatever mode you choose!

If you are not in one of the affected areas, you may decide to use
Telnet Winlink. In a "real life situation," you would always want to use
Telnet if it is available in order to leave the precious RF spectrum for
those in affected areas who have no other choice, However, for this
exercise, do what you wish since this is for practicing your ability to
use Winlink in an emergency condition.

Thanks much,

If you have questions, please contact J.M. Rowe n5xfw@yahoo.com

J.M. Rowe N5XFW

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

Another Field Day is in the books. I would like to urge everyone to
submit logs to the ARRL, even if you are not interested in any sort of
ranking or award. The information developed from those entries is more
valuable than ever to the future of ham radio --- we must show that we
use those frequencies. There are those folks that would sell the
airwaves or change the way we are allowed to operate, and we just cannot
allow it. Take a few minutes and get it done, you won't regret it.
Your children might benefit from your effort!

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2021/4_01-2021%20Now%20what.pdf

I want to remind everyone that ham radio is a great way to provide
situational awareness to your served agencies. We are moving forward
with the WinLink involvement project at the Arkansas Division of
Emergency Management (ADEM). In case you haven't heard, Joshua, AA5JC,
has developed software that helps visualize information developed from
the forms included in WinLink. This new capability is very exciting for
us in the Emergency Management business. The project is ongoing, and suggestions for improvements are certainly welcome! This capability
will be presented during the ADEM Conference in August to the county
managers. You'll want to be ahead of the game and be able to answer
questions when your County Emergency Manager gets home from the
conference.

You are encouraged to watch the RATPAC YouTube video of Joshua
explaining the software and its uses. This video is in two parts: the
first is Phil Sherrod, W4PHS, of the WinLink Development Team giving a demonstration, and then Joshua does his thing. Watch the whole thing.
While some may find the technical explanation more information than they
want, it's excellent background information. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wATA5txEGfM

There is a lot of good training on YouTube for WinLink, and ham radio
in general. Don't let that resource go to waste.

Kudos to all the EC's that send in reports. Just like the Field Day
reports, monthly activity reports are valuable to the future of Amateur
Radio. Keep up the good work! If you are, or know someone that is
interested in volunteering, please contact our Section Manager J.
Ferguson, N5LKE.

Thanks and best 73's,

J.M. Rowe, N5XFW
Arkansas SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all,

August has been a busy month! The Razorback Net Off-Grid net was a
resounding success, way more than expected were working with an
alternative power source. Ham operators in Arkansas still believe in
Emergency Preparedness after all. We'll be seeing more of these nets as
time goes on.

As I compiled the ARES report to the ARRL this month, I noted an
all-time high number of EC's reporting. The number keeps growing, and
that is a good thing. Please keep it up! The numbers prove that ham
radio is a viable and functioning entity. I heard some complaints that
the form is too long. Well, that's what the ARRL asks for, and that's
what we give them. I can assure you all the information is used to
defend our frequencies and bandwidth.

Your SM, N5LKE, the SEC, N5XFW, and AA5JC were invited to speak at the
Arkansas Emergency Management Conference. The topic was What Ham Radio
Can Do for the Emergency Manager. We talked about communications
outages of course, and we changed directions slightly to include
situational awareness. Hams, because they are already out in the
communities and are aware of surroundings, can provide first-hand
information. This kind of interaction will go a long way toward
cementing positive relationships with our served agencies.

Speaking of situational awareness, one of the premier activities where
hams can help their communities is SkyWarn. Arkansas historically has
had very active SkyWarn groups, and the Little Rock and Tulsa National
Weather Service Offices are appreciative of our efforts. (That's all I
have talked with so far) I am very interested in doing my part to
further those efforts, therefore, Joshua Carroll, AA5JC, has been
appointed as the Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator for SkyWarn Operations. He brings a wealth of innovation and fresh ideas to the
table, and I am looking forward to us realizing some improvements
that will make Arkansas stand out in that arena! More on that as time
goes on.

Please let me know how I can help you get more involved in your
communities. Encourage your EC to get involved, or volunteer to be an
EC if you don't have one.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

I wish that I had been able to attend the K5BOC Hamfest on Petit Jean.
It was a great event judging from the reports and pictures I saw. I hope
my schedule is better next year!

About this year's Section Emergency Test: I have been working with a
committee chaired by the Razorback Net Manager KC5SM to outline what we
wish to practice this time. As you know, the scenario involves the total eclipse that will be in 2024. Looking at the after-action reports from
Wyoming and West Virginia, it becomes obvious that Hams will be in a good position to develop and feed reports that will be very useful. I have
been tasked by the State to develop situational awareness assets
utilizing Amateur Radio. This situational awareness capability will be
used in planning at all levels of government as well as non-governmental organizations.

Concept of Operations

I am asking the County EC group to coordinate an informal net on
repeaters in their county an hour prior to the Razorback Net on November
2, 2022. The number of check-ins is the only thing to report to the
Razorback Net. All operators are encouraged to participate at their
appropriate level, because we'll want all the help we can get! Please
spread the word about this event so the repeater folks will be ready to
get in on the fun. HF operators without a report please check in too,
as this exercise is all about numbers. The more folks that take part
help justify that we can help when the time comes. This scenario does
not anticipate power outages, so check-ins may be done as they would on
a blue-sky day.

Please contact your County EC's if you have questions. If you don't
have an EC, your District Emergency Coordinator should be able to help
you. The Arkansas Section Staff list may be found at

https://ararrl.net/section-staff/list/list/2/2

I know it has been a long time since Arkansas hams have had an active
part in any sort of real-world event other than our regular bike or foot
races and SkyWarn. It seems a lot of hams have the perception that we
are not valued in the world of EMCOMM. We can change that, if we can
show we are a viable asset to those folks that can use the information
we can deliver. It is my fondest dream that hams are recognized as an
essential part of that world. Thank you for helping!

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
AR Section SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Good afternoon all:

Dennis, N5XMZ, due to family health issues and other reasons, wishes to decrease his responsibilities. Dennis has been a true and faithful
friend to Arkansas EMCOMM for years. I have asked Dennis to remain as
the Logan County EC, and he has agreed. I wish to thank Dennis for his
many contributions, and I am grateful that he is willing to continue
working with us.

Effective today, Chris Ebert, NA0D, is appointed as the Northwest Arkansas Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator. Chris brings a wealth of both experience and education to the playing field, and I am happy he is
joining us. I look forward to working with Chris moving Arkansas EMCOMM forward. Chris will be meeting with the NW Arkansas County Emergency
Managers and County Emergency Coordinators in the near future.

Please join me in welcoming NA0D to the Arkansas Section Leadership!

As a reminder we utilize the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management
map found here:

https://www.dps.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Area-Coordinators-.png

Please let me know how I can help you in your endeavors.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

It has been brought to my attention that some groups do not have good
access to HF at this time, but still want to participate in the
exercise. Just how cool is that? It shows me there is real interest in
EMCOMM and that is encouraging!

So, for those that are in that boat, send your report to KC5SM at arrl
dot net. Miss Susie has graciously volunteered to put all this
together. Thanks and hats off to her!

Remember, all we are looking for is the number of check-ins and what
county the repeater is based. I suggest running the net at 5:30 PM
local to get as many operators as possible involved.

Let me know if you have questions, and enjoy the exercise!

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas Section SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Good evening all:

WOW!

KC5SM says a record number on the Razorback Net tonight. Didn't she do
a great job? Net controllers are what makes a net successful, and I'd
say we have a bunch of high-power high-speed low-drag controllers in
Arkansas.

Our served agencies will be thrilled when they see the results of this
test. It will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Arkansas ham
operators are ready to provide life-saving information and situational awareness when the need arises.I am beyond grateful to each of you.

I will certainly publish the final tally when everything gets finalized.
I bet there are some adding machines with smoking keys right about now!
We'll see which counties are strong and more importantly which ones
need some help.

Thanks again for participating, and 73.

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas Section SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

I am thrilled by the final numbers KC5SM provided me!

HF check-ins 91, 16 of those out-of-state
VHF/UHF check-ins 200
Total 291 WOW!
43 counties
Other states were Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Iowa

Every one of these check-ins is capable of providing situational
awareness to our served agencies. That's a huge asset, and I think you
should pat yourself on the back!

Speaking of situational awareness, SkyWarn nets all over the Ark-La-Tex
region and then further east provided situational awareness to the
Tulsa, Shreveport, and Little Rock NWS offices last night. I thank you
all for your services to our communities. What you are doing is
important, and appreciated! We are working on ways to improve our
capabilities, and we certainly would like to hear ideas.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas Section SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

As you may be aware, the NWS radar at Little Rock is down for upgrades
and maintenance. I saw some pictures, and there are roughly 3 zillion
and six pieces to that thing. At this time, it is questionable whether
it will be back together in time for this next event.

This means the National Weather Service needs us more than ever to
provide ground truth (situational awareness). It is important to them
that we act as their eyes and ears to make sure they understand local situations. It can help save lives!

One of the issues that Arkansas hams face is notification that our help
is needed. We are thinking about different methods, and we want to try
this one specifically. Please take time to get signed up, and help us
prove the worth of hams in Arkansas.

73, J.M. N5XFW AR SEC

**

The following is from Josh AA5JC:

Hello Arkansas Hams! We have the possibility of severe weather next
week and the LZK radar may not be available. So we'll need all hands
on deck to provide ground truth to the National Weather Service.

We have created an announcement group on GroupMe to help during
preparation and coordination of weather and other emergency events.
Only admins can send messages on this group, so it shouldn't be very
annoying or distracting. Please take a moment to sign up at https://groupme.com/join_group/88292113/07lMbyx7

Thanks,
Joshua Carroll
Asst Section Emergency Coordinator for SkyWarn

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BRRRR

I hope everyone is able to stay on the warm side of the door!

As you know, the ham radio station (KB5LZK) at the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) has historically been one of the most used
WinLink gateways for hurricane-affected areas. This is mostly due to
our distance away from the reporting agencies, but partly because of our ability to do Pactor 4. I am sure you are aware that Pactor 4 is a much
higher speed mode than what is usually allowed by the FCC rules. The
FCC issues Special Temporary Authorizations (STA) that allows Pactor 4
during times of need, and ADEM stepped up to purchase the necessary
equipment. There has been a petition to change the FCC rule in front of
them since 2013, but the FCC has so far failed to come to a decision.
Director AJ Gary signed a letter in support of the change this past
year, joining several State Emergency Management agencies. (Thank you,
AJ)

On December 1, 2022, Rep. Debra Lesko of Arizona introduced a bill in
the House of Representatives that will compel the FCC to do exactly what
we have been asking. Hopefully this bill will sail through to become
law in the shortest time possible.

I wanted everyone to have the latest information on this important
topic. Please contact me if you have questions.

Very respectfully,

J.M. Rowe
Arkansas SHARES/RACES/ESF 2 Liaison Officer
Chair, Arkansas COMU Working Group
Member, Policy and Technology Working Groups
Member, Arkansas Wireless Information Network Executive
Committee
At-Large Member, SAFECOM
N5XFW/NND6EM/WRVE655

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

It's not news that we are about to have some frozen precipitation. I'm
sure your preparations are complete by now. If not, well, you better
get moving.

There are some things we can do to help our community without leaving
the shack, and I'd like to ask you to think about a few of them. One is
check on folks that are older or infirm (let us face it, a lot of us fit squarely in that category), and second, use the mPING app on your phone.
It is a free app and the information goes straight to the Weather
Service. Since we have been asked to provide situational awareness,
this is a perfect way to contribute. Also, while you are stuck inside,
it's a perfect time to work on your online ICS and ARRL EMCOMM classes.
Let me know if I can help you get started.

You haven't heard me on HF lately due to overwhelming powerline noise.
80M is completely covered, and I can't hear anything but the noise.
WA5LUY came out and we identified several sources. Entergy, with the
ice storm coming, probably won't be around to do anything for me for a
while.

If you do get out and about, don't fall down and hurt yourself. The
last thing any of us want is to be a burden to others.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
AR ARRL SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

WOOHOO!! it's finally time for some eyeball QSO's.

The Hoxie Hamfest is this coming Friday and Saturday, 2/17 and 2/18/2023.

This is the website: https://w5wra.org/index.php/2023/01/11/winterfest-2023/

It's a wonderful get-together. It's the first Arkansas Hamfest of the year!

The Russellville Hamfest is now known as the Arkansas River Valley Hamfest. It's scheduled for 3/4/2023.

This is the website: https://sites.google.com/view/arv-hamfest/home

Be sure to note the different location from previous years. This Hamfest is always well attended, and there is no doubt some radio-trading and story swapping (tall tales and leg pulling) will be going on!

Repeater owners and Trustees take note: The Arkansas Repeater Council will hold its yearly meeting at the Arkansas River Valley Hamfest. I don't have
an agenda for the Hamfest yet, so I don't know what time it will occur.
There will be a business meeting, so be sure to make time to be there.
This meeting was held at Queen Wilhemena Hamfest last year, and we heard
from a LOT of people that wanted it to be closer to the middle of the state.

Of course, our Section Manager, N5LKE, plans to be at both. Jay and I
both are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Please let us know if there is anything we might help you with.

73,

J.M. Rowe, N5XFW
AR Section SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello All:

We are exactly one year away from the eclipse! You know, when I was a youngster, a year was a very long time. Especially at the beginning of
the school year, time was SLOOOOOOW. Now I'm not so young, and a year
is not a very long time anymore.

Failing to plan is the same thing as planning to fail. If you are going
to be a help to your community, do you have a plan? Have you begun
executing your plan? Do you need help getting started? Remember that
to be helpful hams must be integrated into Emergency Management in some fashion, otherwise we are just talking to ourselves.

I have not heard anyone talking about a Special Event centered around
the eclipse in Arkansas. Is someone planning something?

The first 2023 AUXCOMM class was held in Bentonville this past weekend,
and it went great! I highly recommend it if you are interested in
EMCOMM. The class is designed to be twenty hours long, and will usually
be offered on a weekend. Right now the plan is to deliver it in several
areas of the State. Since it is offered by the Arkansas Division of
Emergency Management (ADEM), students are eligible for travel
reimbursements under the usual requirements. I will be publicizing the
dates and locations as they become available. Get your IS 100, 200,
700, and 800 classes done now as they are a prerequisite.

Let us know how we can help.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

April 20, 2023

Making a Big Decision -- Together

Dear ARRL Member,

For only the second time in 22 years, we are considering a dues increase. Promoting and protecting amateur radio requires a strong and vibrant ARRL. Paying our dues (and some of you go above and beyond) is one way each of
us does our part.

In my column in the April issue of QST, I introduced the following question:

How does ARRL handle an increase in dues?

On May 1, we will launch an online survey, inviting all ARRL members to participate. The survey will include some short questions about raising
dues, and modifying the way some membership benefits are bundled. The
survey will also include an opportunity to share your feedback. The participation of every member is important.

Do this before May 1: Review your ARRL website account

Before you can take the survey in May, you'll need to make sure you have
a working ARRL website account that is associated with your membership.

Follow these steps:

Go to www.arrl.org/take-dues-survey. This is a member-only page.

If you are already logged in to your account, you'll see CONGRATULATIONS!
on the members-only page that will host the survey in May.

If you are NOT already logged in to your account, follow the instructions
on the page to log in. Or, select the Login button at the top of the web
page, and you will be prompted to enter your ARRL website username
(usually your call sign) and password. If you have not logged in since
April 2022, please use these Login Instructions.

The survey will open on May 1. Return to this web page to take the survey
on, or after, May 1: www.arrl.org/take-dues-survey.

If you need additional help with your login, call us Monday - Thursday
from 8 AM to 7 PM ET, and Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM ET at 860-594-0200 or
email us at membership@arrl.org.

We'll send an update on May 1 once the survey is live.

Thank you for being a member and collaborating on this big decision.

73

David A. Minster, NA2AA
Chief Executive Officer
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Greetings All,

I've been out of town and I'm a bit late getting to this item; however,
a two-day letter or overnight letter/packet will get you in the queue.

Scott, W5WZ sent this to me from Reeves Memorial Medical Center in
Bernice, LA. RMMC is auctioning off this item (and other things) for the benefit of the hospital. This is a tremendous opportunity for a club or
ham to get a great repeater tower and help a small town's MC.

With no reserve price, someone can get it really cheap!

We have a 190 ft Rohn SSV tower for auction via sealed bid. No reserve
price. Bids are due May 12 @ 10:00 AM, and bid opening May 12 @ 10:15
AM.

Details and pictures as well as other items can be seen at the link
below:

https://reevesmemorial.com/surplus_sale/

Buyer must take down and remove the tower from the site by June 30, 2023
[so serious offers only- Ed.].

A great potential repeater tower for a club or individual amateur with
the proceeds benefiting a local hospital in N. LA. What a great deal!

*********************************************************************

Don't forget, the Carter Strong Hamfest is Saturday, May 13 in Monroe,
LA- details to follow under separate email.

73

DE K5UZ

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Delta Division
Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

What a great time in Xenia at the Greene County Fairgrounds! The vendor
area was full, and the flea market was jam-packed with everything you
can imagine. Bargains galore. There were several food trucks and
trailers, turning out several varieties of "fair food". I had one of
the best corn dogs I've ever eaten, and that is a large endorsement!
(Just FYI, they do not understand BBQ up there.) The forums were mostly standing room only! The Hamvention provides an opportunity to see
equipment you didn't even know existed, talk to experts about almost any
ham radio technology or topic, and touch that new radio. Make plans to
go if you are able, and bring your friends.

Speaking of the forums, I was able to attend the ARES forum to hear Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, speak. As you remember, Josh was the Emergency Manager
for Johnson County (Clarkesville) for, I think, 17 years. Now he is the Emergency Management Director for the ARRL. The crowd was interested to
hear what direction the ARRL would be taking and how they fit into the
overall scheme of EMCOMMM. Josh made several excellent points:

1. The ARRL has signed a new MOU with FEMA for the next 5 years.
2. The ARRL has been elected as an association member of SAFECOMM.
3. There is no conflict between ARES and AUXCOMM.

I'd like to expand on the last item, if you'll indulge me please. I
wrote the following four paragraphs a while back and Josh said really
close to the same thing.

I think some of you believe the ARRL is a Response Organization with a
duty to act. This is not correct. The ARRL is much better thought of
as a Resource. There are go-kits, there is some training, there is
advice, there are lists of potential volunteers at hand. There are no
Type 1, 2, or 3 ARESMATs available to Newington.

That in no way diminishes the League. They simply have a different
purpose than what most of you are thinking. Local EM's need control of volunteers to satisfy the Stafford Act, which effectively ends the
question about who works for who. Jeopardizing Relief Funds by not
being NIMS-compliant is not an option anymore.

AUXCOMM does not teach soldering, message handling, WinLink, radio
programming, or any other of the many skills thought to be included in
an Amateur Radio Operator. Rather it teaches the operators how to
integrate into an already existing management structure and not make
fools of themselves by trying to assume command.

As you can plainly see, there is no one stop shop when it comes to
EMCOMM, and it is not likely to change in the foreseeable future.
Instead of having a contest on who can holler loudest about the virtues
of one system over another, why don't we do training that satisfies
whatever entity where you want to volunteer? Then you can be the best
you can be.

Fellow hams, won't you join me in working toward our common goal of
helping our served agencies?

Let me know how I can help and 73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas ARRL SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Howdy friends,

Field Day is coming on fast! I will be moving around to different sites
again this year, primarily in the Southwest. It would be great if you
would send me the address where your site will be this year.

A few things to think about while talking about Field Day!!

! Field Day is different things to different people because they have different interests. All those different things come together to be Ham
Radio. There can be something for anyone. Plan accordingly.

! Please be Face-Forward to your served agencies. Invite them to the
site, walk around with them to help them understand that hams are a huge resource for them. Grill a hot dog, and have a friendly chat about the
April Eclipse. They need to start thinking about it, but do not press
for specific plans just yet. Most of them have not started making
plans.

! Practice doing EMCOMM. WinLink will be important during the Eclipse
for traffic to ADEM. Send an email to the Section Manager via WinLink.
Voice will be important for local situational awareness and possibly to
ADEM. Originate a message (with a number on it) to be sent via the
Razorback Net.

! Stay cool and hydrated, and above all have a good time!

There are AUXCOMM classes now scheduled and listed on the ADEM Training Schedule. It will look good to your served agencies if you have these
classes under your belt. They will know you are serious about being an
asset. Remember there are prerequisites before you can register. These
classes are an opportunity for Arkansas to lead the Nation in EMCOMM and
I hope to see you all there!

Please let me know how I might be of assistance.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas SEC
N5XFW@Yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

The National Weather Service has been busy the last few days!

As everyone knows (including the general public and our served agencies),
one of the best things we do is SkyWarn (R). In an effort to improve our ability to cover the entire Little Rock County Warning Area (CWA) (https://www.weather.gov/lzk/cwatxt.htm), we have a proposal for
repeater owners and trustees.

We propose to link any interested repeater via Allstar in order to cover
a particular area.

Joshua Carroll, AA5JC, the Section ASEC for SkyWarn (R), has a number of small-form computers, which could be used for this purpose, that he is
donating to this cause. The computer would be connected to the internet,
and in a location where a radio can reach the local repeater (the radio
is of the local ham's choice - Baofengs work fine).

The interface between the radio and the computer (https://github.com/skuep/AIOC/tree/master) is extremely low cost and
might prove to be a club project. Perhaps a club or an individual would
be willing to assemble the interface for those folks that would choose
that route.

All computer setup will be done before the computer is delivered. Hooking
up the interface to the radio and the computer will be largely plug and
play and will be the responsibility of the local hams.

In this arrangement, not all repeaters need to be linked at any one time. Smaller areas, even a single repeater, can be interfaced as the situation demands.

If you are in an area that is not currently served by a SkyWarn (R) net,
have a reliable internet connection, and a spare radio - please consider becoming a part of this solution. If this proposal works, we will be
the leading SkyWarn (R) operation in the nation in terms of coverage. We
think that is a worthy goal. Please join this effort to build a Next
Level SkyWarn (R) service with us.

If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact AA5JC
by email at joshua.carroll@adem.arkansas.gov.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Field Day (24/25 June) is here at the end of this week, are you, your
team and /or club ready?

Full rules and well as some FAQ's links are provided below.

Field Day Full Rules:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-rules

Field Day Packet: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2023/2023%20Field%20Day %20Packet%20v2.pdf

(above URL all on one line)

Field Day Station Locator:
https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

Field Day FAQ's: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2023/1_62-%20FD%20FAQ.pdf

Speaking of getting ready for Field Day, give some thought to reaching
out to those you and your club helped get their ticket recently. Extend
them an invitation and help get them on the air, if you are comfortable
with being around others.For many this could be their first ever
contact, for others it may provide the spark to upgrade.

I hope that you will all have a wonderful Field Day event and look
forward to working you on the air during the event. Please stay safe
and practice social distancing.

The Arkansas Section was proud to accept this years Amateur Radio Week Proclamation (18th June thru the 25th June) from Governor Sarah
Huckabee Sanders on 12 June 2023.

Thanks to "The Mayor" KD5LBE for facilitating the Amateur Radio Week Proclamation!

Arkansas Governor's 20230 Amateur Radio Week Proclamation download
link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18XMZiYF9VO6hiYcLIhIRcw6fNlwNxIny/ view?usp=drive_link

(above URL all on one line)

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello all:

As a young ham, I was thoroughly intimidated by the mere thought of
Field Day. "It's fun!", my Elmers told me. I was afraid of not saying
the right thing, or doing something stupid on the air. Worse, I might
break somebody's radio!

None of that bad stuff happened, and I eventually learned that it's now
my turn to encourage new hams. I hope that's what you do, too. For me,
part of the fun of Ham Radio is seeing the light come on in someone's
eyes!

Field Day is more than fun. It happens to be the single largest
operating event in the Amateur world. It truly is an exercise and a
training. You should receive credit for your effort. Don't miss out on
sending the personnel/hours in. The more we report the better it looks.

Thanks!

I hope everyone had a good time at Field Day, and had an opportunity to
see a new ham fall in love with Ham Radio.

73,

J.M.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Hello friends,

I hope everyone had a great Holiday and remembered why we have that day.
I know my family did. I think there were 90 people at the potluck!

I wanted to update folks on the AUXCOMM classes, and preparations for the
April Eclipse. We are scheduling classes in every ADEM Region. We have
already done the one in NW, and all but SE is on the website. The SE one
will be listed in the not-too-distant future. Please get registered and
make plans to attend whichever one works better for your calendar.

Remember these are State-Sponsored classes, so reimbursements for Lodging
and meals are available subject to the rules. Get with your County
Emergency Manager (or me) to help understand those rules, and the prerequisites.

We will accept individuals without ham radio licenses, but they must be affiliated with an Authority Having Jurisdiction or some response agency.
This is a link to the ADEM Training Schedule and Registration Page:

https://www.dps.arkansas.gov/emergency-management/adem/training-exercise/ training/emergency-management-training-schedule/

(above URL all on one line)

There is another opportunity for Training and an associated exercise
that I want to bring to your attention. The Red River Comms Boot Camp
will be teaching every course for every position listed in the FEMA
Incident Command Communications Unit. There will be a day devoted to
exercises, so students will have a great chance to get some of their
taskbook signed. John Minard and I will be teaching AUXCOMM at this
event.

This is not an Arkansas State Sponsored event, so no reimbursement.

I have been told these classes are filling fast, so if this one is
right for you, do not wait to register. This is the link to that website:

https://central-states-comms.org/2023-red-river-comms-boot-camp/

We have the right circumstances right now, to get the right training,
to be the right volunteers to assist our communities. I'm not convinced
this will ever happen again, especially considering the pressure from
the Eclipse. Let's do it!

Please share this message with anyone interested, and especially groups
and organizations that might be affected.

Thank you very much!

J.M. Rowe N5XFW

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)