SPECIAL EVENT: Boy Scouts of America’s National Order of the Arrow Conference Special Event Amateur Radio Station, K2BSA/8, is coming to Michigan State University August 3rd to 7th in East Lansing Michigan.
The National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) is the premier event for the Order of the Arrow (OA), (Scouting’s Honor Society) and is the second largest national gathering of Scouts. 15,000 Arrowmen will gather from across the nation at Michigan State University in East Lansing Michigan Aug 3rd to the 8th to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Arrow.
To celebrate this unique event the Michigan State University Amateur Radio Club, (MSUARC) W8MSU will be sponsoring a special event Amateur Radio station, K2BSA/8. The station will be located close to the exhibitor’s tents and will be operating on 20 and 40 M, the local repeater (442.900 + 77) and IRLP node (7930) in addition to Echolink (289654). The station will be manned by ham radio operators from across the nation Monday through Friday 9-12 and 1- 5 EDT. This event is supported by ICOM radio.
If you are one of the lucky ones attending NOAC, stop by and guest operate or if you can’t make it in person, please listen and contact us on the airwaves. We are attempting to have contacts from all 50 states in addition to as many Scouts, Scouters and Brother Arrowmen, past and present, as we can. There will be a special K2BSA/8 NOAC QSL card email available. Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime QSL.
Our goal is to get as many Scouts on the air as possible locally and at a distance and share the exciting world of Radio Scouting with them. We’ll share how they can integrate Amateur Radio into their outings, high adventure treks and Merit Badge advancement for fun, education and safety.
For additional information contact Fred Donkin, KA7MMM, fredrick.j.donkin@L-3com.com or Don Kunst W3LNE, W3LNE@ARRL.NET.
CONVENTION: Coming to Columbus on Saturday, August 1. The time is close! The location is the Aladdin Shrine Center at 3858 Stelzer Rd, in Columbus, OH. http://arrl-greatlakes.org/ Forums will include DX, NVIS, Digital Voice, ARES, HF Sound Card Modes, and OSSBN/NTS. There will be on-site VE testing at 0900. Debra Johnson K1DMJ, ARRL’s Education Services Manager will be our keynote speaker. Debra is directly involved with getting school kids involved with Amateur Radio and she heads up the Teachers Institute plus the ARISS program to contact the International Space Station by amateur radio.
The Voice of Aladdin Amateur Radio Club is hosting your Convention in conjunction with their annual Hamfest, so there will be plenty of swapping and shopping and commercial vendors.
Royal Order of the Wouff Hong (ROWH) will convene at 1300 hours to induct new members into this worthy organization. This is induction done only at State, Division and National Conventions. Check the Division Web pages at http://arrl-greatlakes.org/ for advanced membership applications.
ARRL DUES CHANGE: After 14 years of holding any changes to our dues, and after a few years of cost-cutting to keep the level the same, your Board of Directors agreed that it was time to move ahead and authorize an increase. While this has been a most difficult decision, it is your Board’s responsibility to insure a solid and sound future for the League. This change just had to happen. So I looked at the impact of a $10/year increase. Based upon an 85¢ cost of a cup of “senior coffee” at a certain fast food chain, I will find it necessary to deprive myself of 12 cups of the magic potion each year. That’s only a cut of cup one a month! DUH, I can do it, even with my habit. Since the change was announced, member response has been quite favorable and the comments very supportive. Thanks!
COMMENTS: from our Vice Director, Tom W8WTD
My usual “column” for this month is already out there –the video highlighting the various forums at the Convention on Saturday, August 1st. Thanks to the people who were so kind to give up some of their time to help with the recording. Maybe we can talk the presenters into some sort of digest of their key points, although nothing beats being there in person for the talks. Looking ahead, I will be visiting Kentucky over the next several months, particularly in August with the Central Kentucky Hamfest on August 8th, and an ARES Forum at Eastern Kentucky University on August 15th. Hope to see many of my friends from the Bluegrass State at those events!
73, until next month, Tom W8WTD
AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT: Currently we have 90 members of the House of Representatives signed on as Co-sponsors. “Amateur Radio Parity Act” HB 1301 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to direct the FCC to allow Radio Amateurs to have “parity” with the current TVRO antenna regulations and install reasonable ham radio antennas. The new ARRL Web Page http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act contains the complete text of both bills.
HAMFESTING: Here is the current Great Lakes Division ARRL Sanctioned Hamfest Schedule for the next few weeks. These swaps have received their sanctioning approval from ARRL HQ at the time of this publication.
Aug 1 – UP Hamfest – Escanaba, MI
Aug 1 – Great Lakes Convention – Columbus, OH
Aug 9 – Central Kentucky – Lawrenceburg, KY
Aug 16 – Seaway Trunk Swap – Port Huron, MI
Aug 16 – Warren Hamfest – Cortland, OH
Aug 23 – Cuyahoga Falls Trunk Swap – Stow, OH
Sept 12 – Greater Louisville / KY State Convention
Sept 13 – Findlay – Findlay, OH
Sept 19 – Richmond – Richmond, KY
Sept 19 – GMARC Trunk Swap – Shelby Twp, MI
Sept 19 – OHKYIN ARS Hamfest – Cincinnati, OH
Sept 20 – Adrian Hamfest – Adrian, MI
Sept 27 – Cleveland Hamfest – Berea, OH
HAMFEST OFFICIALS: When you receive your “Hamfest Package” from ARRL, please open it immediately. Read it over and look at all of the material you received. There is a form included to order additional material if you deem it appropriate.
Your Division and Section officials want to be at your events and we strive for insuring that the ARRL is properly represented at every ARRL Sanctioned Hamfest. Conflicts can arise, such as hamfests which might occur on the same day. It is always a good idea for your hamfest chair to contact the Section Manager, Vice-Director or Director early in the planning stages to invite them to attend the activity. This will allow time to prepare for alternate representation in the event of time conflicts.
CLUBS: The ARRL Director, Vice Director and Section Managers are available to visit local radio clubs and give presentations about ARRL and what is happening in your Section or Division. Please feel free to invite any of us for an “ARRL Night” at your club. Most of the talks are prepared in a video presentation format and can include a Q&A session as well. Advance scheduling really helps and gives you an opportunity to publicize the event. See pages 15 & 16 of a recent QST for contact information.
73, see you on the bands.
Dale Williams WA8EFK
Director
Great Lakes Division
