SECTION MANAGER REPORT
March 2018
Dan Ringer, K8WV
West Virginia Section Manager
** DID YOU KNOW?
If you would like to join the ARRL, or are an annual member who wants to renew or reinstate your membership, you can do it at any club meeting, hamfest or convention at which your Section Manager is present, AND you can get a FREE ARRL book!
Choose from:
“Small Antennas for Small Spaces”
“Even More Wire Antenna Classics”
“Get on the Air with HF Digital”
“Portable Antenna Classics”
March 24 is the date for the Charleston Hamfest/West Virginia Section Convention, at the Charleston Civic Center, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Steve Ewalt, WV1X (note the callsign), the ARRL Field Services Supervisor; Bill Morine, N2COP, Roanoke Division Vice Director; and, of course, Dan Ringer, K8WV, WV Section Manager, all will attend.
Plan to be there. Charleston offers a GREAT flea market! It seems as if everyone is there! And, you’ll have a chance to ask ANYTHING about your League!
See you there!
** THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS!
Okay, that’s a joke! But . . .
As of March 12, 2018, there are 6,428 licensed amateur radio operators in West Virginia:
63 Novices
3552 Techs
1355 Generals
268 Advanced
1190 Extras
Of course, the Novice and Advanced licenses are no longer being issued, but they are being renewed.
These figures mean West Virginia has fewer licensed hams than 37 other states! But of that 6,428 only 953 are members of the ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio.® Fewer than 15% of our hams are members of the League! West Virginia is the 14 smallest ARRL Section in the U.S.
Nationally, only .23% of the population are hams! That‘s “point 23 percent” of the population! Statistically, hams don’t exist! In a random sample of the American population, you would have to pick 500 people to find ONE ham! WHY SHOULD ANYONE PAY ANY ATTENTION TO US? This is why we need a voice on the national stage. The ARRL is that voice, and it’s a BIG VOICE!
The League works with the FCC, Congress and the state governments to protect and enlarge our operating frequencies and privileges! They produce the literature our clubs use to teach licensing classes, and that we use to learn about our hobby – licensing manuals, the Handbook, QST, QEX, many antenna books, and more! They sponsor our most popular operating activities – DXCC, WAS, Field Day, among others! Do you use Logbook of the World? How many hundreds of dollars have you saved with that?
If you are a member of the League, THANK YOU! You’re making the ARRL strong, and protecting our hobby. If not, give your Section Manager, K8WV, a call (304-292-1999), or send an e-mail (k8wv@arrl.org). We’ll get your membership started, renewed, or reinstated, AND you can get a free book!
Questions? I’m here, call me! I’m your Section Manager. de K8WV, Dan
** EXPANDED HF PRIVILEGES FOR TECHNICIAN CLASS OPERATORS
As most of you know by now, the League has petitioned the FCC to expand the HF operating privileges for Technician Class licensees. Specifically, ARRL proposes to provide Technician licensees, present and future, with phone privileges at 3.900 to 4.000 MHz, 7.225 to 7.300 MHz, and 21.350 to 21.450 MHz, plus RTTY and digital privileges in current Technician allocations on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. The ARRL petition points out the explosion in popularity of various digital modes over the past 2 decades. Under the ARRL plan, the maximum HF power level for Technician operators would remain at 200 W PEP. The few remaining Novice licensees would gain no new privileges under the League’s proposal.
Since the announcement, we’ve received several comments concerning the petition. Those comments have been forwarded to our Roanoke Division Director, Dr. Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, for his consideration, and presentation to the Board, as appropriate. In response, Jim has provided the following information:
“The committee that was involved was the “Entry Level License Committee”. They were formed to use the lessons learned by the United Kingdom and Australia in attracting young people into our hobby with their “FOUNDATION LICENSE”. What was envisioned was an entirely different entry level license that would attract those in the “maker movement” and involve potential new hams via the STEM program in schools. We HAVE to find a way to attract youth in amateur radio, or the hobby will die as soon as we old-timers leave this world.
“In reality, though, the FCC made it clear some time ago that we had too many license classes, so they dropped us to three. It would be highly doubtful that the FCC would now consider a new license class, no matter what the reason. Decision was made by the committee (and the 8000+survey participants) that the Technician license in the future serve as the entry level license, as it does now. However, the Technician class license privileges are highly limited. Only the VHF and higher bands. Of course, they do have telegraphy privileges on HF, but how many would actually see a time benefit in learning Morse Code? So in effect, the Technicians would never have the chance to operate HF, where most of us feel is the core of amateur radio. Since our love of amateur radio is so wrapped up with HF, the entry license class should have entry questions commensurate with their proposed new HF band privileges. It is hoped that this will fulfill two purposes-the retention of current Technician licensees, and the recruitment of new, young, technically oriented youth.”
Thank you, Jim, for the information!
** CLUBS!
Are you looking for a club? Contact Spence Graham, WT8WV@arrl,net. He’s the Section Affiliated Club Coordinator. He’ll hook you up with a club close to you. If there isn’t one, and you’d like to start one, we can help with that, also. Send a list of the Zip Codes in your area to K8WV@arrl.org, and he’ll get you a list of hams living in those codes. You might be surprised how many there are! Don’t know how to organize a club? We can help with that, too, contact K8WV@arrl.org.
** NEW WEST VIRGINIA HAMS!
As of March 2, 2017:
Denver D Green, KE8IUC, Montgomery, WV 25136
Steven B Hoffman, KE8IUD, Saint Albans, WV 25177
Thomas L Bearfield, KE8IUB, Charleston, WV 25311-8063
Keith A Lowry, KE8IVC, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
Andrew S Lundgren, KE8IWP, Hedgesville, WV 25427
Taylor Shank, KE8ITO, Scott Depot, WV 25560
Adam C Cordingley, KE8ITF, Huntington, WV 25701
Jeffrey B Frame, KE8ITN, Craigsville, WV 26205-8734
Bryan C Totten, KE8IVM, Elkins, WV 26241-0411
Angela M Batten, KE8ITM, Jane Lew, WV 26378
Donald R Mathew, KE8IVL, Weston, WV 26452
William M Holland, KE8ISA, Morgantown, WV 26505
Nolan C Mull, KE8ITL, Ridgeley, WV 26753
Congratulations! Welcome to the greatest hobby on Earth!!
CLUB PRESIDENTS – See someone above from your county? Invite them to a club meeting! Get them on the air and involved! (Addresses can be found at http://www.arrl.org/fcc/search)
** UPCOMING WEST VIRGINIA HAMFESTS
03/24/2018 | Charleston WV Hamfest and Computer Show
Location: Charleston, WV
Type: ARRL WV Section Convention
Sponsor: Charleston Hamfest Committee
Website: http://www.w8gk.org/
05/06/2018 | JCARC HAMFEST 2018
Location: Ripley, WV
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Jackson County Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.jcarc.net/
08/24/2018 | West Virginia State Convention
Location: Weston, WV
Type: ARRL WV State Convention
Sponsor: West Virginia State Amateur Radio Council
Website: http://qsl.net/wvsarc/
09/22/2018 | Coal Country ARC Hamfest 2018
Location: Madison, WV
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Coal Country Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.wv8ccc.org
10/13/2018 | Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest Location: Mineral Wells, WV
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Wood County Emergency Communications
Website: http://www.wc8ec.org
If you organization is conducting a Hamfest in West Virginia, please be sure to let the League know ASAP. Contact Gail Iannone, giannone@arrl.org.
** ON THE AIR EVENTS
April 2018
15 Rookie Roundup – Phone
June 2018
9-11 June VHF
16 Kids Day
23-24 Field Day
July 2018
14-15 IARU HF World Championship
Get the details for ARRL contests at www.arrl.org/contest-calendar. You can find very detailed information on the current month’s contests in the “Contest Corral column of QST, or at www.arrl.org/contests.
** CLUB PROGRAM?
If you’re planning your club’s program schedule, and would like to have a WV Section ARRL Official present a program, send a request with the necessary date/time information to K8WV@arrl.org. We’ll get something set up!
** ARES FEBRUARY SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATORS REPORT
ARES Monthly Section Emergency Coordinators Report
- ARRL Section West Virginia
- Month January
- Year 2018
- Total number of ARES members 447
- Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month 13
- Number of ARES nets active 22
- Number of nets with NTS liaison 16
- Calls of DECs/ECs reporting KD8SKZ KD8BMI KD8LRZ WV8KJ W8DUQ
KD8AZC KD8MIV WV8WW KD8MIB WV8BS
WB8NSL WA8LLM KC8TUE - a. Number of exercises & training sessions 36
b. Person hours 217.5 - a. Number of public service events 4
b. Person hours 17.0 - a. Number of emergency operations
b. Person hours 9.0 - a. Number of SKYWARN operations 0
b. Person hours 0 - a. Total Activities 40
b. Total person hours 243.5
Comments:
Signature Michael Maxson W8SI@arrl.net
SEC West Virginia
** FEBRUARY OFFICIAL OBSERVER COORDINATOR REPORT
Our Section Official Observer Coordinator (OOC), Keith E. Richmond, W8KER@arrl.net reports:
0 NOTICES SENT
W8LMG 0 40hr +
W8KER 0 06hr
W8ANT 0 06hr
Total 52hrs
The Official Observer (OO) program has been sponsored by the ARRL for more than 85 years to help Amateur Radio operators assist each other to operate their stations in compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.
Please note: The ARRL and the FCC are currently working together to update and to make changes to the Official Observer/Amateur Auxiliary program. Because of these expected upcoming revisions and changes, ARRL has placed a moratorium on applications for new Official Observers and new Official Observer Coordinators at this time.
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