Subj : Newsline Part 3
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri May 12 2017 07:10 pm
ONTARIO HAMS GET THE WORD OUT
JIM/ANCHOR: In Ontario, the Lambton County Radio Club shared its
emergency-response skills with the public at a special day set aside
to showcase firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians and,
of course, emergency communications, that are the specialty of amateur
radio. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, with
more on that story.
HEATHER'S REPORT: There was no real emergency at the Clearwater Arena
in Sarnia, Ontario, but members of the Lambton County Radio Club
responded anyway -- and responded well.
The radio operators were assisting at a emergency preparedness day event
on Friday, May 5, and wanted to explain to visitors the important role
ham radio has when nothing else works - not cell phones nor the power
grid. More than 1,400 students attended the event, which focused on
emergency preparedness by providing dozens of displays about fire and
police services, as well radio response.
That's where the hams stepped in, led by club president Chuck Chivers,
VE3VSA.
Though students were able to check out the ambulances and police cars
brought to the event by emergency services and law enforcement - and
some even experienced what a sobriety test might be like - the amateurs
were ready with their radios, as always.
The event, known as Emergency Preparedness Day, was held in recognition
of National Emergency Preparedness Week, May 7-13, and is considered
one of Canada's largest municipal and industrial emergency preparedness
displays.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.
(The Lambton Shield, Ontario)
**
TIME RUNNING OUT FOR YHOTY NOMINATIONS
JIM/ANCHOR: It's time to remind you of Amateur Radio Newsline's
commitment to honoring young talent. Is there a young radio operator
who particularly impresses you? Nominations are still open for the
Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award, for amateurs 18
or younger, who reside in the United States, its possessions, or any
Canadian province. Find application forms on our website arnewsline.org
under the "YHOTY" tab. The award will be presented on August 19th, at
the Huntsville Hamfest in Alabama.
Visit our website for details. Nominations close May 31, which is the
end of this month.
**
NEW ZEALAND HAMS GO LOW-POWER, HIGH-PROFILE
JIM DAMRON/ANCHOR: New Zealand hams, are you ready to gear up for one
of the country's more high powered low-power operating events? Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us why this is such a big
deal for radio operators.
JIM M's REPORT: No wonder hams in New Zealand are excited - the great
grand-daddy of amateur contests from the New Zealand Association of
Radio Transmitters is about to get under way on 80 meters: It's the
NZART Sangster Shield Contest, named after Ralph Sangster, a local
printer in Auckland. Ralph presented the shield to amateurs in 1927,
with the idea that it be given annually to the New Zealand CW station
with the highest score while operating at a low power -- in this case,
5 watts PEP or less.
In short, this is about making the most of the lowest power possible
by hams in New Zealand. Overseas participants contacting hams in New
Zealand may use whatever power they wish, up to the maximum their
licenses allow. New Zealand hams may also be mobile or portable.
Participants in New Zealand must be NZART members. Amateurs licensed
for less than a year may also be in the running for the Transistor
Trophy. For the highest-scoring South Island amateur, there is also an
Arthur Stevens Trophy named for Arthur ZL1MT, a Sangster Shield veteran
himself.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
**
REBUILDING ARES IN PUERTO RICO
JIM/ANCHOR: Things are moving along well in Puerto Rico, where hams
are trying to get the Amateur Radio Emergency Service up and running
again after 35 years. Puerto Rico Section Manager Oscar Resto, KP4RF,
and Section Emergency Coordinator Juan Sepulveda, KP3CR, led a meeting
late April, to move things forward. A Memorandum of Understanding has
already been signed between the ARRL Puerto Rico section, and the
American Red Cross Puerto Rico Chapter.
ARES went dormant in Puerto Rico during the 1980s, but more recent
efforts have involved coordinating volunteers during emergencies and
cooperating with other Caribbean islands, to use 40 and 80 meters for
radio response.
