Category Archives: Public Service

VE Testing Session – Wed. May 19th

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Wednesday – May 19th @ 7:00 PM

Chris Grimm K3PQ is our VE Testing examiner contact person.  People interesting in becoming an amateur radio operator or planning to upgrade their license should get in touch with Chris at the email/phone below.   The testing sessions will be held on the Wednesday after the Steel City Business meeting at 7:00 PM at the Steel City club house. {DIRECTIONS HERE}  Preregistration is highly recommend and will have priority, but walk-in’s will be allowed if space is available. Update or get your license now before the FCC $35 charge comes into affect.

For more information and contact details see our VE-Testing page
http://w3kwh.com/ve-testing/

Since this is an public event mask are required.
We do have picnic tables outside for those that don’t want to go in the building.

ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST

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The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Cross-Band Test, scheduled for May7-8, 2021. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators, and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is only an exercise scenario, designed to include hobbyist and government radio operators alike.

The AFD Cross-Band Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly-controlled exercise scenario that does not impact any public or private communications.

Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not impact any public or private communications, and will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.

The following stations will be making two way radiotelephone contacts with stations in the ARS between the time periods listed on the frequencies listed in Kilohertz below.

For more information & scheduled:
http://www.dodmars.org/home/armed-forces-day-2021

Pi-Star DMR Hotspot @ Clubhouse

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I have taken one of my hotspots up the the clubhouse to act as DMR access point.  Since the club is mostly a Yaesu System Fusion club I have set it up to take your YSF signal and transmit it via the internet into an DMR talk group. This will let you check into DMR nets via the hotspot. Now since the hotspot has only milliwatts output you must be at the clubhouse to use the hotspot.  Just take your Yaesu handheld or use our FTM-400 radio and tune it to 145.650 Mhz YSF simplex.  Then talk and your signal will go out to the PA DMR net talk group 3142.  There is a net on that talk group 3142 on Tuesday night {Unfortunately the same time as SCARC net} if you want to listen or check in.

What this will be useful for is if anyone needs to get on the PA DMR network to talk or for the next ARES alert/SET Drill that is using DMR transmissions.

If you want access to the hotspot to change to other talk groups please see N3LRG to find out how to use the hotspot.  Below is a picture of a MMDVM Hotspot you can find them on Ebay for $26 on up depending if you want to solder or not. You will need to pick up an Raspberry PI Zero-W to run these boards. These will take any digital signal YSF, DMR, D-Star and put it out on the internet to link up with other reflectors around the world.

Link To Ebay Search

Also note the club SDR receiver will pick up the hotspot too. Goto 145.650 Mhz on the Middle 2m Band there is a bookmark called W3KWH-HOT

World Amateur Radio Day

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Sunday, April 18, is World Amateur Radio Day (WARD). This year marks the 96th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), founded at the 1925 International Radiotelegraph Conference in Paris. ARRL co founder and first president, Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, was there, and today, ARRL is the International Secretariat of the IARU. ARRL has resources that members can use to celebrate WARD, including graphics for social media posts and radio club websites, as well as a printable flyer.

On World Amateur Radio Day, all radio amateurs are invited to take to the airwaves to share global goodwill with other amateurs. ARRL encourages members to promote the value of amateur radio to family and friends, and in their communities. Many volunteer ARRL Public Information Officers and Public Information Coordinators throughout the US use the time leading up to WARD as an opportunity to reach out to the media to share information about amateur radio.

Steel City members – Check your email for a survey questionnaire 

Please fill it out by Friday

Set Drill – Saturday April 3rd

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PLEASE NOTE!
Bob, NU3Q need volunteers at several sites listed below 
Contact Bob at nu3q {at} verizon {dit} net

Also Mike, WA3PYU will need four people at the Steel City Club house
To operate HF, VHF, and the digital station
Contact Mike at kingpalace {at} comcast {dit} net

The SET Drill is April 3rd from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. For this drill, we will be working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Pittsburgh NWS. We will also have a practice Skywarn net as well with real time observations (like we do for Skywarn Appreciation Day). The attached documents have more information regarding the drill.

I will need volunteers to observe and report conditions per the attached at:

Allegheny River Lock 2
Allegheny River Lock 3
Allegheny River Lock 4
Monongahela River Lock #2 Braddock
Monongahela River Lock #3 Elizabeth
Ohio River – Emsworth Lock and Dam

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
73 de NU3Q Bob
Allegheny County EC

For more information read the following information:

Spring-2021-SET-ICS-205.pdf

Spring-2021-SET-Drill.pdf

District Skywarn Zoom Meeting

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You  Are  Invited  To  Attend  Our  Southwest  District  Skywarn  Zoom  Meeting .
Saturday  Morning  March  20th  At  10:00 AM EDT
We  Have  A Lot  Of  Topics  To  Discuss ,  Along  With  The  Upcoming  Spring  2021   S . E . T .  Simulated  Emergency  Test  On  Saturday  April  3rd  Beginning  At  9:30  To  12:30  Hours . We Hope  That  You  Can  Join  Us .  Please  Mention  This  At  Your  Meetings  And  On  Your  Nets .

Eddie  Misiewicz  KB3YRU
A . R . E . S .  Emergency  Coordinator  Fayette  County  Pa .
S W D S C  Southwest  District  Skywarn  Coordinator
W R N  Weather  Ready  Nation  Ambassador
fayette@wpa-arrl.org
724 – 989 – 5214

Set up instruction:
1. Click the link provided below.
2. You will be placed in the “Waiting room“, at this point the moderator of the meeting will accept you into the meeting. That’s it you have joined the meeting!
If you have any questions please email:

Topic: SKYWARN Emergency Management Meeting for March 20Th
Time: Mar 20, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting <- Click the link below to start the Zoom meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83731270785?pwd=NWxsSmxQRmQvcUp3Y21RSzhzMjhLdz09

Meeting ID: 837 3127 0785
Passcode: 222816

Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 837 3127 0785
Passcode: 222816
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb1VTQys3K

Skywarn Training Sessions

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The United States is the most severe weather prone country in the world. Each year, people in this country cope with an average of 10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,200 tornadoes, and two land falling hurricanes. Approximately 90% of all presidential declared disasters are weather-related, causing around 500 deaths each year and nearly $14 billion in damage.

 

There will be two Basic Skywarn webinars on March 1st and March 17 at 6:30 pm. Pre-registration is required:

March 1st: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/305572286314185487

March 17th : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6124954180087632651

Also, there is an Advanced Skywarn class on Zoom from the State College NWS office: https://youtu.be/13n_P6LVg68. After you take the class, please let me know and I will forward your attendance to the Pittsburgh NWS for proper credit. The Pittsburgh and State College NWS offices reciprocate with regard to Skywarn training.

To aid you in your studies, I recommend downloading the Skywarn Spotter Field guide: https://www.weather.gov/media/owlie/SGJune6-11(1).pdf

There is a River Ice Observer class as well. Please contact Eddie, KB3YRU, Fayette County EC for the link to take the class: fayette@wpa-arrl.org.

The bi-weekly Skywarn meeting will take place via
Zoom this Saturday 2/20 at 10 am:

Topic: SKYWARN Emergency Management Meeting
Time: Feb 20, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting  <<– Click here to launch the Zoom Apt 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84664922570?pwd=Z2FRdkpnVnB4RnAxcnUwWTkra1AwUT09

Meeting ID: 846 6492 2570
Passcode: 106194

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Meeting ID: 846 6492 2570
Passcode: 106194
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kciaCx7T3v

Hamcation Webinar Video’s

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Hamcation videos have been posted to YouTube now. The only good thing that has come out this COVID people can’t travel so the fine folks down in florida have put their excellent presentations on the Internet so everyone can learn from them.  Included those of us that just can’t get away this time of year now have a chance to see them. Here are just some of the video you will find on there site.

  • SDR ~ Software Defined Radio
  • Build a Mesh Mobile Tower Fleet
  • YOTA 2021 ~ Youth-On-The-Air
  • The World Famous K3LR Station and Antenna Farm
  • Kit Building Techniques For Success
  • ARRL – ARES…a team moving forward!
  • AMSAT CubeSat Simulator
  • West Mountain Radio – DC Power technologies, Batteries and Solar
  • AMSAT – Onward and Upward

Check out their main website its not a bad place to bookmark
https://www.hamcation.com/

Vendor Webinars Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ukwClme4IkvRqpu0c4KNA/videos

Technology Webinars Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8QOBqVQWb6iROspMef52VA/videos

Contesting Webinars Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0vo-qlnYpvv36N3FWrcuBw/videos

Youth Webinars Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPrd9TSg4aiGHxzznjsSlA/videos

NWS Pittsburgh Ambassador Newsletter

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Good Morning Ambassadors, Please find the attached winter edition of the NWS Pittsburgh WRN Newsletter.
Newsletter features:  Jan Newsletter <- Click to read

  • A look back at our snowy, record-setting December 2020
  • Introduction to the Polar Vortex
  • SIGN UP: Virtual River Ice Spotter Training: January 26th at 10 AM.
  • This event is hosted by NWS Cleveland, but NWS Pittsburgh will serve as a panelist and be available for questions.
  • Spring 2021 Outlook

As always, we love hearing about the work you are doing to promote weather safety in your community. Please send us an email with your story!
Stay warm,

Myranda Fullerton & Jared Rackley
Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Team
National Weather Service Pittsburgh
192 Shafer Road
Moon Township, PA 15108
www.weather.gov/pittsburgh