LWRA QSO – Week of 9/09/24

The LWRA meeting this month will be our “hands on” meeting for the quarter, I am excited to be a part of this opportunity to learn.  Our topic will be “Passing Traffic.  The general beginner traffic format will be practiced with participants actually passing traffic to hams that we have arranged to take you traffic from the class.   If you would like to volunteer to assist in this class in anyway PLEASE send me a brief message on SIGNAL or email me at jml610@comcast.net

In 1915 the ‘Radio League’ established their function to send and receive traffic for various purposes. In that time the messages were sent via Morse Code using spark -gap transmitters. That has continued even to this day with more modern equipment and procedure. Today a variety of nets and other means are utilized to pass valuable information in general and in emergency situations. For example, we are fortunate to have folks like K4GHB, Gary our club treasurer who enthusiastically encourages mediums such as WINLINK with Monday Message every Monday; www.polkares.org/winlink for more information. KT4WX Darrell checks in on the Florida Traffic Net each Saturday morning. Many of us routinely check in on the Eagle Net on the NI4CE radio network. It is the official daily net for the WCF ARRL (American Radio RELAY Leage) for the specific purpose of both testing your radio and passing traffic at the beginning of the NET. (www.NI4CE.org  for frequencies) There are several other opportunities to pass traffic in the hobby. We will discuss a few things on Thursday.  The HAM radio community often forgets we are first and foremost EMERGENCY Service communications and then the hobbyist.

We will practice using the ARRL traffic format at this particular meeting. Our hands on objective will be to pass several simple messages. We will use VHF/UHF handhelds at the meeting to make it simple. I will provide a few forms but print the attachment for your practice.  We need a few volunteers to take traffic at the meeting as well as a couple of members who are not at the meeting to assist. Dan and I will provide the portables, or you can bring your own.  We will use 146.580 simplex (no tone) for the demonstration. As well as 147.330 on simplex no tone (our local VHF repeater talk a round).

You can join us on Google meets starting at 650PM thanks to Dan and Dave for their efforts. We think we have solved most of the learning issues with multiple cameras and mics. https://meet.google.com/mhb-ukfz-upi

Thats this Thursday at 7PM LWFD Station 1 or by Google Meets.

The QRP Committee wasted no time in the September QRP set up. We are going to have a regular non-themed QRP, so bring your QRP station, your VHF/UHF or digital station to the QRP. We will be in the Lake Ship Park in Winter Haven for a day of fun learning and just in case you get hungry, “Big Dogs on the Porch will have a few things to eat. Bring your own drinks it is still warm weather in Florida.  More information can be found on the www.lwra.us/qrp web site. Even if you do not set up, come out and visit, observe, ask questions, eat…. You get the picture 9-12 on the September 28th 2024.

NET INFORMATION this will soon be on the webpage for easy pull-down access. Thanks to KT4WX

One last thingCheck out the WINLINK Monday with Gary today, you can find more information on thewww.polkares.org/WINLINK

73 and I hope to ‘see ya on the air.’