We are only half way thru October and it’s been a fun radio month so far. The Eisenhower Special Event station was a breeze. Literally, the Hams with GCARC did a great job of setting up 20 meter and 40 meter stations and made quite a few contacts in spite of an issue with wind adjusting a dipole past the point of operability. And 40 meters was a tough band in the mid-afternoon. Even with the wind and threat of rain the folks had fun and a good time, exactly what our hobby is about. The weather did result in a pretty good fall storm later that night, and thanks to all who gave their time to the SKYWARN net; the NWS folks really appreciated our efforts. I have visited with several operators over the past few days and their interest in gaining radio knowledge, experience and having fun is outstanding. Life can throw us a few bumps in the road, but as demonstrated at the SE hams can adapt.

Last month for our face-to-face training, Wade KF5AUD shared information on Echolink, its operation and how we use it in our SKYWARN applications. Even some ops in attendance found another reason to ditch the old flip phone and get a smart phone so they play radio on the “phone”. Our AEC team will meet this month and plan the next few months of ARES training. We are not the only ones with ideas; I know you have some too. Please drop me a note with your training suggestions; my email is K5ECX@ARRL.net .

One last comment before I sign off. As operators we get asked about “How can I become a ham”, or “I thought about that once but don’t know code.” Let’s remember to encourage them to learn more and get involved. There is a Ham Technician class planned in November; if you have folks interested, ask them to send an email to Moe at NT7C@ARRL.net to get on the list for this great opportunity to get their training for a Technician license.

There are couple more fun events this month — Hamarama in Ardmore and Kenwood Day in Paris — I hope to see you there!

Thanks for your interest in ARES, its associated activities and service to our community.

73
Rick K5ECX