Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Nov 30 2018 11:37 am
A GIFT OF RADIO IN MINNESOTA
PAUL/ANCHOR: It was firefighters' turn to help ham radio operators
recently by offering a special gift in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kent
Peterson, KC0DGY, explains.
KENT: In Minnesota, the St. Paul Fire Department is coming to the aid
of the Salvation Army's Northern Division Emergency Disaster Services
with an estimated $18,000 in radio equipment it no longer needs. If
the St. Paul City Council approves the gift, the Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network, or SATERN, will be able to expand its reach
in Minnesota and North Dakota, when responding to natural disasters.
That's critical in a region that has suffered numerous weather-related
emergencies over the years, including massive flooding of the Red River
impacting the Fargo, North Dakota area. A report on KSTP TV news noted
that greater deployment of ham radio operators during such events gives
crews tighter control on the kind of aid they are able to deliver,
because of the enhanced communications. Officials also told the TV news
that the added radio coverage - especially when communications networks
are down -- also creates greater efficiency and safety, whether it's
for the delivery of meals, supplies, flood kits or some other assistance.
According to the KSTP report, some of the donated radios will be
installed in a 17-foot mobile command center with a 50-foot antenna.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.
(KSTP.COM)
**
AUSTRIAN AMATEURS HONOR HAMS FOR LONGEVITY AND DEDICATION
PAUL/ANCHOR: In Austria, one group of amateurs took time out from their
recent meeting to honor fellow hams - past and present. Ed Durrant,
DD5LP, has that story.
ED: Longevity and dedication were the themes at the most recent meeting
of one group of amateurs in Austria. A number of hams were honored for
their longevity in the hobby, and chairman Karl, OE5FKL, was surprised
with an honorary membership in the Bad Griesbach club at the annual
general meeting in clubhouse of the ADL 507 in Geiersberg. The 25-year
honorees are Irene, OE5YKL, and Ralf, OE2AXL, and the 40-year honorees
are Sepp, E5TJM, Georg, OE5MGM, Franz, OE5SFM, Siegfried, OE5BSM, and
Josef, OE5EJM. Hans, DL9RC, of Bad Griesbach, presented the chairman
with his honorary membership. The gathering of 50 amateurs also reviewed
the past year's activities, and paid tribute to the eldest member, Karl,
OE5CLL, who became a Silent Key recently at 97 years of age.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.
**
NETS OF NOTE: THE SNIPERS NET
PAUL/ANCHOR: The net we are featuring this week in our occasional
series, "Nets of Note," has been around for a long time, ever since
the one that followed the earthquake in Alaska in 1964. The
longest-running net, however, started in 1973. I spoke to Mel Bowns,
KL7GG, who is net manager for that Alaska net, known as The Snipers Net.
BOWNS: We had the earthquake in 1964. Shortly after the earthquake - to
my understanding, anyway - they started a net that's on 20 meters, 14.292
in the morning. It was handling a lot of the traffic that was generated
after that earthquake. I came up the year after the earthquake, saw a lot
of the devastation, and I've been here ever since.
The hams in Alaska were the first people to make contact with you littler
states down there to let people know health-and-welfare traffic, and they
did a lot of it.
PAUL/ANCHOR: The actual Snipers Net was organized in 1973. And, according
to Bowns:
BOWNS: The net has never missed a day. We're on seven days a week. Our net
is brief - the net will go approximately fifteen minutes when the
conditions are good. It will go for 45 minutes some times with conditions
bad on 3920. And it starts promptly at 6 p.m. our time every night.
PAUL/ANCHOR: Bowns said that the members of the net help each other to be
prepared:
BOWNS: We check the radios and so forth. He's got some problems with his
radio, and he's not sounding too good, we'll try to walk him through with
some suggestions. We try to make sure our radio gear is dependable, and
ready to go. There will be another earthquake - it's not **if** have one,
it's **when**.
PAUL/ANCHOR: The net is very active, according to Bowns:
BOWNS: Right now, that the bands have improved a little bit, we're up to
over 80 check-ins out of a roll call of about one hundred. We just broke
a little over 2,000 for the month of October, and the highest year that
we've had was something like 27,000 check-ins.
PAUL/ANCHOR: The Snipers Net attracts loyal members:
BOWNS: We have one individual right now, who's had perfect attendance
going on ten years or more. Larry's just unbelievable.
PAUL/ANCHOR: I asked about the origin of the name. Bowns said that while
there is no documented origin story, his best guess goes back to the
beginning:
BOWNS: So they would pick on each other when they're sitting around,
jabbering, and talking about an antenna or "did you hear about this
today?" or whatever, before it became an actual net, so then they said,
"Let's call it the Snipers Net."
PAUL/ANCHOR: You can find out more information about the Snipers Net at
the URL snipersnet dot kl7 dot net. Go ahead and find them - they are
always happy to take guest check-ins. And maybe you, too, can become a
regular on the roll call.
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