Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Put Saturday's TECHCON On Your Calendar

This is something you don't want to miss.

4th Annual TECHCON

Formerly known as the
West Central Florida Section Technical Conference

samplebreadboardproject


TECHCON FRIDAY EVENING SOCIAL

WHERE AND WHEN
DATE:  Friday February 23, 2018
TIME:   6:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.

PLACE:  Sonny’s BBQ Restaurant  – 4600 Recker Hwy, Winter Haven, FL 33880-1249.

This is simply a social dinner for anyone who wants to show up and talk technology.
Family and friends are also invited to come as well. 

TECHCON MAIN SESSION

WHERE AND WHEN

DATE:  Saturday February 24, 2018

TIME:  Welcome and Check In (Coffee and Doughnuts) – 8:00 A.M.,
Conference Opening – 8:45 A.M., and Presentations begin – 9:00 A.M.

PLACE: Polk County Emergency Operations Center.
The facility is being provided courtesy of Polk County Emergency Management
Coffee, doughnuts, and iced tea are being provided courtesy of the Polk County Emergency Management.



Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Polk County ARES Test

Date and times February 21st, at 2030 hours.

We are going to give it another try, this time a little more structured.  In the past we have talked about the size of Polk county, and that we have it divided up into 4 regions – north west, north east, south east and south west, and have assigned simplex frequencies to all 4 along with a common county wide frequency.  These are:

       •        County Wide:
               o        2m – 145.510
               o        70cm – 446.150

       •        North West:  North of SR 542/US92 and West of US 27
               o        2m - 147.465
               o        70cm – 446.050

       •        North East:  North of SR 540 and East of US 27
               o        2m - 147.405
               o        70cm – 446.025

       •        South East:  South of 540 and East of US 27
               o        2m - 147.585
               o        70cm – 446.075

       •        South West:   South of 542/US92 and West of US 27
               o        2m - 147.420
               o        70cm – 446.125

All the above are Simplex, no tone.

Steps for this Simplex test:
   1.   Meet on the WC4PEM repeaters

   2.   When the primary Net Controller gives the instruction to do so, go to the VHF Simplex frequency assigned to your region of the
        county.  For this test we are just using the VHF frequencies.

   3.   Check the frequency for use.
        a.      If not in use, give your callsign.  Once another station has come back to you, decide which of you will be the region
                Net Control.
        b.      If the frequency is in use and not by ARES, request from those using it if they can standby and allow the Simplex test
                – if they will not, do not push the issue and return to the WC4PEM repeaters and await instructions.
        c.      If another station that is participating in the test has assumed region Net Control, then proceed as a check-in and
                give them your call sign.

   4.   The region Net Controller will then ask for check-ins and request any relays of those that are attempting to check in but that
        the Controller can not receive.  As a guideline, use:
        a.      This is (your call sign), ARES Net Control for Region (your region) Polk County.  Please check in to the net, one at a
                time.  If you hear a station that is attempting to check in that I have not acknowledged, please relay that station’s
                call sign.
        b.      Give the region net check in process approximately 10 minutes.

   5.   At the end of the region net check in, the region Net Controller should go to the county wide VHF Simplex frequency and attempt
        to contact the County Net Controller.
        a.      If contact established, give the county Net Controller a count of the stations that you were able to contact along with the number that were relayed in, then go to the WC4PEM repeater
                and wait for the Net Control to return from the Simplex..
        b.      If unable to contact the County Simplex Net Control, go to the WC4PEM repeaters to await further instructions.

That is it.  Pretty simple and should not take us more than around 30 minutes.  Might want to print these out to make it a little easier.


Hope we can get a good turnout for this.

Thanks.

Jim
W4XDS
Polk ARES AEC of Operations

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Norma Jeerings Passed Away

I just received this email from Don informing me that Norma past away Saturday February 10, 2018.

"Around midnight, Norma went to be with the Lord. 
        She is no longer suffering and it was a blessing."
Don 

Saturday, February 10, 2018

January 2018--Printing In The Third Dimension

A New Ham

Congratulations to Robert Baltos, KC3KST after successfully passing his Technician's Grade License Exam.

3D Printing Presentation

Our main speaker for the evening was Bob Doherty who did a fine job explaining and even demonstrating 3D printing to the group. One of LARC's pillars is Education. We are fortunate to have many members with diverse backgrounds and willing to share their knowledge. 
Prep before the meeting which included a live demonstration of 3D printing.


This key is one of the many ways 3D printing can be put to use.The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
An example of what is possible with 3D printing. The above is a working straight key.

Bob presenting 3D Printing Technology
Once again Bob did an outstanding job with his treatment of 3D printing. Maybe not radio per se, but then again creativity is bringing together technologies from many fields to solve a problem in an innovative way. It is said that after trying a hundred different filiment materials for his electric light, the solution was finally found in his wife's sewing basket. Thread, which when carbonized, did the trick. Focus is good, but sometimes defocusing is even better. Let your mind wander.Stay open to new ideas, and new tools.

Captivated audience.


Bob with 3D printer operating in the foreground.


Over fifty people attended.

By my count there were 38 members signed in, 10 ham guests, and at least 3 wives and children bringing the total attendance to well over fifty.

CALL NAME_FIRST NAME_LAST LICENSE ARRL ARES SKYWARN
KI4DNO Larry Walker General YES YES POL-218A
WD4LKY Charles Bukoski Advanced LIFE NO
KB4BDQ Judith Bukoski General LIFE NO
KG4YNI Ernest Haynes Amateur Extra YES NO POL-296A
N4FRK Victor Saxe General NO NO
KT2T Michael Oliver Amateur Extra LIFE YES POL-322A
KI4NBE George Gafford Amateur Extra NO NO POL-316A
WZ1P Daniel Gagnon Amateur Extra NO NO
K1DU Frederick Delaney Amateur Extra YES NO
KI4WRX David Zdanowicz Amateur Extra YES YES
KI4ZMV William Johnson Amateur Extra YES NO POL-840
KJ4RNJ Joy Eibe General NO NO
KF4Q William Busbin Amateur Extra YES YES
KK4BMI David LaFave General LIFE YES
K2OU Gary Perkins Amateur Extra NO NO
W4ZSC Albert Sheppard Amateur Extra YES NO POL-843
NJ4Y Matthew Stevens Amateur Extra YES YES POL-680A
N4ESS Richard Kennedy Amateur Extra LIFE NO PAS-570
N4PEG Margaret Lang Amateur Extra YES NO HIL-1000
KK4LYQ William Paul Amateur Extra YES NO
WX4AMS Andrew Stevens General YES YES POL-838
KK4OGM Ronald Herring Amateur Extra NO NO
KG4PWF James Scott General NO NO POL-173A
KA2BVC Alwin Pogue Amateur Extra YES NO
W8DUK Richard Grubb Amateur Extra YES NO POL-782
KK4YXR Franklin Fitzgerald Technician YES YES POL-801
KB0QMN George Rezac General NO NO
KK4ITX John Leahy Amateur Extra YES NO PAS-607
KM4CUG Debra Leahy Technician YES NO
KM4BAO Robert Doherty General YES NO POL-829
KC2RMZ Brian Volz Technician NO NO
AE4RM Roger Meadows Amateur Extra YES NO POL-914
KM4STS Liam Holzer General NO NO
KM4STT Aimee Holzer General NO NO
KM4STU Leon Holzer General NO NO
N7CUC Samuel Shaver Amateur Extra NO NO
KN4FBD John McCullough Technician YES NO
W4SAJ Stephen Justus Amateur Extra NO YES POL-115







Guests





K4XZM Gerry Carpinetti Amateur Extra


N4WDH Duane Archibald Amateur Extra


W5JI Joseph Di Mare, JR Amateur Extra New Member

KN4IOC Howard Johnson Technician


KK4VCN Eleanor Marshall Technician New Member

W4VCO Byron McKubben Advanced


KR4R Johnnie Ritter,JR Amateur Extra


N7BUP Philip Stickney Amateur Extra


KN4JIQ Tanner Sims Technician


KN4ITQ Joseph Lunsford Technician New Member