Subject: October 2019 WV Section Manager’s Report
SECTION MANAGER REPORT
October 2019
Dan Ringer, K8WV
West Virginia Section Manager
** DID YOU KNOW?
A very common issue in amateur radio concerns the location, maintenance,
and economic support of repeaters. As everyone who owns a repeaterknows, the equipment isn’t free. But neither is the physical support of the equipment. Electricity costs real money. Insurance can be an issue. What if the repeater starts a fire, or an antenna comes down hitting someone’s property? Antenna maintenance is an issue, especially if it’s on someone else’s tower. Who’s authorized to be on the tower? If the repeater is housed in someone’s building, access to the building can be an issue, especially if the building houses other things of value. There are real cost associated with all of these things, especially in difficult economic times.
The below article illustrates how these issues have become important inCalifornia. It also demonstrates the importance of considering both sides of an issue.
** Report Causes Concern and Confusion in California’s Amateur Radio Ranks 10/15/19 — www.arrl.org/news/report-causes-concern-and-confusion-in-california-s-amateur-radio-ranks
By all credible and reliable accounts, the State of California has not turned its back on Amateur Radio as an emergency communication resource nor have established repeater owners been asked to remove their equipment from state-owned sites unless they pay sizeable fees. The California controversy, inflamed by a viral YouTube video, stemmed from a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) communication telling a repeater owner or group that Amateur Radio equipment would have to be removed from a state-owned site or “vault” if the owner(s) determined the cost was too great to proceed with a formal application to keep it there. “I do understand and appreciate all of the service you have provided in the past,” CAL FIRE’s Lorina Pisi, told the unknown repeater owner(s) or group(s) last month. “However, with constantly changing technological advances, there is no longer the same benefit to State as previously provided. Therefore, the Department no longer financially supports HAM operators [sic] radios or tenancy. If you desire to enter into a formal agreement to operate and maintain said equipment, you must complete and submit attached collocation application along with fee as outlined on page one of application. There is cost associated with getting an agreement in place.”
It’s not clear to whom Pisi’s memo was addressed, since any name or names were redacted from the version of the memo that is being circulated. ARRL reached out to Pisi this week but has not heard back.
After receiving a lengthy communication from attorney Nathan Zeliff, K6DPS, of Shingletown, California, citing Pisi’s letter, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko did some asking around of his own. He reported that Jim Price, the Communications Center Operation Officer for the State Office of Emergency Services, explained to him that the matter is not a new one, and the issue of repeater equipment in state radio vaults has been going on for 5 years or longer. “He said this gets down to a local level, if the local officials feel there is a need to have the ham radio repeaters in vaults in their area,” Bosenko told Zeliff. “As such, this gets down to authorization for vault space, clearances and authorization to access equipment in the vaults and contract agreements for the equipment to be in the vaults. The matter of cost and who will bear the cost for contracts and vault space has also been an issue for years.”
ARRL officials who have also looked into the situation agree that it’s been blown out of proportion by parties with their own agendas. “The State of California has not made any determination we can find ‘that Ham Radio [is] no longer a benefit,’” Pacific Division Director Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, is quoted on the Sacramento Valley Section website. “What happened is that CAL FIRE has transferred responsibility for its communications sites to its property management department. That department has the task of evaluating each site, its condition, use, and tenants. If a repeater not known to be associated with the emergency management function of a local jurisdiction is found in a CAL FIRE vault, the default action is to move it out or subject it to commercial rental rates.”
“Our contact in the California Office of Emergency Services suggests that, if any affected repeater is in any way involved with local emergency or government support activity, they should ask that agency to engage with CAL FIRE concerning the repeater. If the agency makes the case, there is a good chance that the repeater will be unaffected,” Tiemstra added.
ARRL Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, has been responding to inquiries with the same message.
** HELP WANTED:
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS
Each ARRL affiliated club should have a designated Public Information Officer (PIO)! Bascially, the PIO is the club public relations officer, and is nominated by their club and appointed by the Section Manager. You can read the official position description at http://www.arrl.org/public-information-officer.
EVERY CLUB NEEDS ONE!
**CLUBS!
Are you looking for a club? Contact Spence Graham, WT8WV@arrl.net. He’s the Section Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC). He’ll hook you up with the club or clubs 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 we’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 October 2, 2019
Richard A Anderson, KE8MYT, Charleston, WV 25314-1640
Shawnathon J Scarberry, KE8NAB, Ashton, WV 25503-9407
Makinley Higginbotham, KE8NAA, Point Pleasant, WV 25550-3284
Kyle F Sowards, KE8MYS. Huntington, WV 25704-1324
James D Brumfield, KE8MZY, Huntington, WV 25705-1336
Jacob S Ramey, KE8MZS. Weirton, WV 26062-4131
Joseph S Shepard, KE8NAI, Vienna, WV 26105
Edwin S Clements, KE8MYA, Beverly, WV 26253-0591
Kevin M Bandura, KE8NAJ, Morgantown, WV 26508
Thomas J Woods, KE8MZD, Birch River, WV 26610-8062
Eugene C McConnell, KE8MXZ, Circleville, WV 26804-0216
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
03/14/2020 | Charleston Hamfest, ARRL West Virginia Section Convention
Location: Charleston, WV
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Charleston Hamfest Committee
Website:
http://www.chaswvhamfest.com
08/21/2020 | ARRL West Virginia State Convention
Location: Weston, WV
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: West Virginia State Amateur Radio Council
Website:
http://qsl.net/wvsarc/
If your organization is conducting a Hamfest in West Virginia, please
be sure to let the League know ASAP.
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events.
** 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!
** SECTION CABINET
No one person can coordinate all the activities involved with the West Virginia Section. Here are the volunteers who make it happen, with
the assistance of many others.
Section Manager Dan Ringer. K8WV
Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) Spencer Graham, WT8WV Assistant Section Manager (ASM) Jane Hardy, WV8JH
Mark Charles Kraham, W8CMK Louise Ann. Rinehart, KA8ZGY
Karl S. Thompson, K8KT
Public Information Coordinator (PIC) Cory Sickles, WA3UVV
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Michael E. Maxson, W8SI
State Government Liaison (SGL) Matthew J. Ahearn, KB2PNN
Section Traffic Manager (STM) Kenneth D. Caplinger, WV8KDC
Section Youth Coordinator William W. Stewart Sr, W2BSA
Technical
Coordinator (TC) Karl
S . Thompson, K8KT
You can contact any of the cabinet members by email to <callsign>@arrl.net.
** STM REPORT
WV Section NTS Traffic Reports – September 2019
Submitted by Kenneth Caplinger, WV8KDC WV STM
HF Nets Reporting Stations Traffic Time Minutes Sessions Net Manager
WV Fone Net 650 42 499 30 W8YS
WV CW Net Early 80 17 191 30 KD8G
WV CW Net Late 82 7 145 30 KD8G
WV ARES/RACES 14 0 11 1 W8VZ
TOTAL 826 66 846 91
ARES/RACES/2 Meter Nets Stations Traffic Time Min. Sessions
District 6 ARES/RACES 80 1 67 5
KARC 126 0 170 5
Pendleton Co. ARES 17 0 31 2
BDARC 46 0 112 4
Pocahontas Co. Coffee Net 112 0 524 13
Easteren Panhandle Traf Net 133 1 182 13
PHARC 59 0 203 5
Total 573 2 1289 47
6 Meter Net Stations Traffic Time Min. Sessions
Pocahontas 6 meter net 31 0 148 4
DIGITAL Stations Traffic Time Min. Sessions
DAREN
Station Activity Report (SAR) – September 2019
Station Orig Rec Sent Del Total
KA8ZGY 35 7 10 7 59
WD8DCH 0 0 15 0 15
Total 35 7 25 7 74
Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR) – September 2019
Station 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
KA8ZGY 18 40 30 20 0 10 118
WD8DHC 40 15 10 0 0 0 65
TOTAL 58 55 40 20 0 10 183
** SEC REPORT
ARES Monthly Section Emergency Coordinators Report
1. ARRL Section West Virginia
2. Month September
3. Year 2019
4. Total number of ARES members 455
5. Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month 14
6. Number of ARES nets active 24
7. Number of nets with NTS liaison 17
8. Calls of DECs/ECs reporting WA8LLM W8DUQ AB8CR KD8AZC WV8KJ
KC8FZH KH4OOH WV8BS KD8MIB KC8CSE
KC8EHD KD8MIV WD8PAD KC8TUE
9a. Number of exercises & training sessions 37
9b. Person hours 316.1
10a. Number of public service events 5
10b. Person hours 127.0
11a. Number of emergency operations 0
11b. Person hours 0
12a Number of SKYWARN operations 0
12b. Person hours 0
13a. Total Activities 42
13b. Total person hours 443.1
Comments
Signature Michael Maxson W8SI
SEC West Virginia
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ARRL West Virginia Section
Section Manager: Dan W Ringer, K8WV
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