Category Archives: Important FYI

Breezeshooter’s Groundwave SSB

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Breezeshooter’s Groundwave SSB

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The SSB portion of the Breezeshooter’s Groundwave contest will be March 14, 2026 from 8-11PM at the clubhosue.  We are looking for some able bodied operators to join in on the fun.  We will again be a single radio-multi operator event for this.  Come up and operate, or just to visit for a while.  Everyone is welcome at this event.  Hope to see you there.

February Business Meeting

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February Meeting Location Change

Even though the driveway to the club is clear, the parking lot is another issue with limited parking available.  Therefore the February 2026 business meeting is being moved to the following location:

St. John Lutheran Church, 601 Washington Ave.  Carnegie, PA 15106

WA3VXJ was able to secure us a nice size room with a very adeqately sized parking lot.  Many thanks to Karl for getting us a centrally local point to use.   Meeting will be at the usual time at 7PM.  Looking forward to seeing you all there.

(Map to the church)  https://maps.app.goo.gl/N9orLtMYM5nupDNv7

Cancellation

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Winter Field Day Canceled

Due to the impending winter storm, we are canceling Winter Field Day at the clubhouse.  We do not want to place any member in harm’s way during this weather event.  The double digit snowfall prediction makes traveling too dangerous and uncessary to be out on the roads.  Thank you to everyone who signed up for the event.  There will be many more contests to come this year for us to enjoy!  Everyone stay safe and if any member is in need of assistance during this storm, please reach out to us.

FCC License Backlog

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From: ARRL.org Website
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that the FCC has extended the filing deadline to March 5, 2026, for amateur radio licenses that otherwise were due to expire from October 1, 2025, to March 5, 2026. The announcement is included in an FCC Public Notice (DA-25-943) released on Monday, November 17, 2025.

The news follows the recent reopening of the federal government on November 13, following a lengthy 43-day shutdown. Since reopening, many federal agencies, including the FCC, have resumed activities, though reducing backlogs and rebounding to full operations may take some time. This includes significant delays in filing amateur radio license applications.

Read The Full Story Here: https://www.arrl.org/news

National Preparedness Month – Ham Radio Supply List

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FEMA Recommended Go Kit

https://www.ready.gov/kit

Here we go into another Winter and what will this Winter bring us?  With looking back over this last year people in our area where without power for days this last spring. So if events repeat itself again this year are you ready?

FEMA has always recommend that you are able to survive for at least three days on your own.  Since that is the normal amount of time before support can arrive in your area.  As Ham Radio operators we have to take the extra steps be be able to communicate during those three days.

Click on the above link to learn what you need for your family to to survive for those three days, and as a ham radio operator continue to read below for items you will need to be be able to continue to communicate during those three days.

  • Alternate power sources: Batteries, Generator, Solar
    • 100 Amp Hour LiFePO4 battery have gotten cheaper
    • Generator: Set up away from building for CO2 issues
    • Solar: Keep all your batteries charged
  • Hand Held Radios {HT}: Already programed with ALL neighboring repeaters
    • Programed with the ARES repeaters
    • All National Simplex Frequencies
    • Programed with ALL LOCAL repeaters just not your home repeater
    • Programed with remote location repeater where you might travel to
    • Programed with the National Weather Service Radios channels
  • Back Up Antennas: Those POTA antenna are good for emergencies
    • Can you replace any antenna damage by storms?
  • Extra Batteries: Keep your HT running when your power is out
    • Pick up a spare battery for your HT and keep it charged.
  • Paper Maps: How good is Google when there no internet
    • And know how to read them
  • Full Charged Cell Phone:  Make sure its charged before the storm
    • Charge it before them storm leave them disconnected during the storm
  • Battery Banks: For personnel electronics
    • recharge your phone or kids games
  • Lighting Sources: To operate in the dark
    • Flashlights & Battery Power Lanterns
    • 12V lights that plug into that 100ah battery
    • Gas or propane lanterns – Watch for CO2
  • Paper & Pen: For keeping notes and traffic
    • Be able to keep notes and instructions
    • Be able to leave notes
  • Software: Laptop already loaded with software and knowledge how to use it
    • Winlink: Great program let you send/received email anywhere
    • FL Digi: Digital program that lets you communicate
    • RTTY: An oldie but stilled used for text communications
    • Storage: For documents, instruction manuals, phone list

Try out new 220 Repeater

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Try out new repeater out.  The Steel City ARC is now on the 220 band.  Currently the repeater is operating with its internal controller but soon it will be interconnected with the SCARC 2 meter repeater.   Please try it out and please send signal reports to tech (at) w3kwh (dit) com.

Repeater Output: 224.480 MHz
Repeater Input: 222.880 MHz
PL Tone 131.8 Hz

Read more about all of SCARC repeaters: https://w3kwh.com/echolink/

Work Party This Weekend

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Work Party At The Club House
Saturday & Sunday – 8:00 AM

This weekend August 30 and 31st, we would like to plan a work party at the club to get things ready for fall.  The plan is to start around 0800 and see how far we can get each day.
     The anticipated plan is to get the shed cleaned out yet again.  The pile around the shed needs to be pulled out and ready to be scrapped.  Along with that we can commence with trimming around the perimeter of the clubhouse and outbuildings and prepare for potential fall painting of the building.
     We can then move inside and commence with an overall cleaning of the radio rooms, workbench, and main room.  There is a good bit of dust in the radio rooms and the windows also need to be cleaned.
     The weather seems to have cooled for some time now and with the lower humidity, it is a great time to get this kind of work done.  Early September we will also need help but we are planning the day ahead of time in anticipation of needing a bucket truck.  First plan of attack is the Mosley Pro 67 antenna which is in dire need of cable and connection maintenance.  There will be much more information to follow on this in the next few weeks as we narrow down a day and time.

Repeater Test

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REPEATER TEST
6:00 PM SATURDAY

Please help us test our repeater out.  We will be on at 6:00 PM Saturday evening  and we need Hams to come in on 2m FM and via Echolink {Search for W3KWH}.  We need to but the repeater under a load so that we can see if there any issues with it.  We are interested on signal strength at your location and audio quality both via RF & Echolink.

Members Field Day Help

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MEMBERS – ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FUN

This Saturday at 2:00 PM we will operate as a club for 24 hours straight.  All members should try their best to attend Field Day  for at least part of the next two days.  We need coverage starting at 1:00 Saturday to start setting up and getting the radios to operate.  {Please be quiet when arriving since a VE session still might be going on.}   Check out all the possible shift you can help out with

  • Setup 1:00 PM – Turn everything on – Test all radios
  • Saturday Afternoon Shift – Warming up the bands
  • Evening Shift – Rush hour on all the bands
  • Overnight Shift – The best shift of them all
  • Morning Shift – Get those last contact from the bottom bands
  • Sunday Afternoon Shift – Push to get those last contacts {Will we get a sweep?}
  • Tear Down & Clean Up – Starts at 2:00 PM

Are you able to able to stay up for 24 hours straight?  Your more than welcome to stay the whole time. Bring a tent or a hammock sleep over if you want.  All meals will be on the club and free drinks for all operators.  Once again we will have a wonderful dinner specially cooked for us.  Food for the over night crowd and breakfast cooked for us.