THE eQRM MAY 2012 CHECK IN TO THE NETS! 2 Meter 8:30PM on 145.310 MHz 10 Meter 9:00PM on 28.470 MHz THIS MONTH 3 | Bulletins Silent Keys; Field Day 4 | Dayton Hamvention News From the ARRL 5 | Et Cetera Amateur Radio News; Club Announcements; Speaker Photo of Joe Walsh. Series Photo courtesy of popmatters.com. LOOKING AHEAD FEATURES 9 | Prop Charts Propagation charts for the East Coast 6 Joe Walsh is an Analog Man The Eagles guitarist 10 | Who We Are details his new album Membership information; club and favorite radio mode officers; meetings; VE testing 11 | Next Month 8 Equipment for Sale The BVARA is offering THE COVER: a variety of used ham equipment Photo courtesy of for sale, while they last! ARRL.org The eQRM is a publication of the Beaver Valley Amateur Radio Association (BVARA) and is Copyright 2010 - 2012. All material presented in this publication is not necessarily the views of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), BVARA, or members of the said organizations. If you would like to contact the editor of the eQRM, please email Grant at [email protected]. Please visit us online at www.W3SGJ.org, on Twitter @W3SGJ, and on Facebook. To subscribe to our newsletter, please visit W3SGJ.org/newsletter.php MAY 2012 2 This Month Bulletins News From the Radio Community SILENT KEY and he succeeded admirably." CLUB EVENT Fred Maia, Maia was also a driving force in amateur Field Day: W5YI and commercial radio licensing and June 22-24 education materials since late 1970. He was the first Volunteer Examiner Coordinator appointed by the Federal Communications Commission in 1984, and his W5YI-VEC group grew into the nation's second-largest VEC after the ARRL. Fred served as President of the W5YI-VEC until his retirement in October of 2000. In 1986, he founded The W5YI Group to develop, publish and sell amateur and commercial radio license study materials. Fred also formed National Radio Examiners to provide ARRL Field Day is the single most popular examination services as a Commercial on-the-air event held annually in the US and Operator License Examination Manager Canada. Each year over 35,000 amateurs gather with their clubs, friends or simply by (COLEM), and co-wrote a commercial themselves to operate. radio licensing study manual with Gordon CQ columnist Fred Maia, W5YI, a West, WB6NOA. Field Day is not a fully adjudicated contest, leading amateur radio journalist, educator which explains much of its popularity. It is and pioneer of volunteer examining, a time where many aspects of Amateur As a longtime member of the National passed away on March 28 after a battle Radio come together to highlight our many Conference of Volunteer Examiner with cancer. roles. While some will treat it as a contest, Coordinators (NCVEC) and its Question most groups use the opportunity to practice Pool Committee (QPC), which develops their emergency response capabilities. It is Maia, 76, published "The W5YI Report," and maintains the question pools for an excellent opportunity to demonstrate dubbed "America's Oldest Ham Radio Amateur Radio to local elected community amateur radio license exams, Fred was Newsletter," from 1978 to 2003, and has leaders, key individuals with the deeply involved in many of the changes in organizations that Amateur Radio might been a CQ contributing editor since 1985. amateur radio licensing over the past serve in an emergency, as well as the His regulatory affairs column, first titled quarter century. This includes the phased general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field "Ticket Talk," then "Washington Day is one of the highlights of their annual elimination of Morse code requirements Readout," offered news and perspective calendar. for amateur licenses and the current on FCC and ITU (International system of three license classes, Beaver County's hams will join with Telecommunication Union) actions, and Technician, General and Amateur Extra. thousands of other Amateur Radio helped untold numbers of hams wend operators showing their emergency their way through often-confusing mazes capabilities the weekend of June 23-24 at A resident of Arlington, Texas, Fred was a of the volunteer examining and vanity call Brady's Run Park, Shelter 12. graduate of the U.S. Air Force Radio sign systems. Operator’s School, and was first licensed Field Day is run on all Amateur Radio bands as an amateur radio operator as a teenager except 12, 17, 30 and 60 Meters. If you "Fred was one of those unusual people would like to "reserve" a band to operate in Rhode Island, where he grew up. He is M during Field Day weekend, please contact a O who was more focused on doing the job C . survived by his wife, Doris, and two BVARA Club Officer. O I D than he was on getting credit for doing it," A daughters. A memorial service was held R - L noted CQ Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA. See you at Field Day! A March 31, 2012 at Moore Funeral Home, S R "His 'job' was to help this hobby grow, E V Arlington, TX. - CQ MAGAZINE I - ARRL.ORG AND BVARA N U E G A M I 3 THE eQRM MAY 2012 This Month Dayton Hamvention May 18-20 - News From the ARRL Looking to go to Dayton for America's Join in the fun of homebrewing (or project- in "Do It Yourself" projects. Hear from other largest hamfest? Hamvention is May 18-20 building). Live classes will be held. Come- hams who are doing-it-themselves! A variety at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. This by to build one of the four affordable kits of creative projects and cool technology will year's theme: “Internationally Connected." under the watchful eyes of a team of be demonstrated by today’s Amateur Radio instructors who will mentor you through the innovators. International goodwill is a fundamental activity. Handle electronic components, principle of the Amateur Radio Service. This circuit boards, and try your hand at ARRL Presents: The Doctor is IN year, ARRL extends a very special welcome soldering. Unlock your inner do-it- May 18, 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. – Room 2 to the following representatives from yourselfer! Presenter: Joel Hallas, W1ZR, ARRL national Amateur Radio societies attending Technical Editor Dayton Hamvention. The following booths QSL Bureau will be located within the ARRL EXPO ARRL members will be able to drop off QST magazine’s popular column, “The exhibit area: their QSL cards to be sent through the Doctor is IN,” offers readers short, insightful Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) – ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau. If you have answers to a variety of technical questions. Germany Bring your questions to this session — Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) – technical ones are best — and The Doctor United Kingdom will do his best to answer them on the spot! Need a few ideas on what to see at Dayton? ARRL Presents: Ham Radio in Here's a list: Hollywood May 19, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. – Room 3 DXCC Card Checking Presenter: John Amodeo, NN6JA Personnel from the ARRL DXCC Branch QSLs that you would like to send through will be on hand to check applications for all the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau (your ARRL welcomes John Amodeo, NN6JA to ARRL Award Programs. All cards will be QSLs going to foreign stations -- no US-to- Hamvention. John, a working TV producer eligible for checking, including old cards, US QSLs, please), you can save the shipping living in Los Angeles, knows that the media cards for deleted countries and cards for 160- cost to ARRL by bringing them to Dayton has not always been kind to Amateur Radio. Meters. Applications will be limited to 101 and the League will transport your cards to The portrayal of Amateur Radio in the cards (more cards will be checked as time the Bureau in Newington. In order to take media is often inaccurate, sometimes and volunteer Card Checkers are available). advantage of this exciting benefit, all of the ridiculous -- and occasionally mean. Join See www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc for the latest standard QSL Bureau rules must be John, NN6JA as he discusses why we as program information and current forms. followed: Cards must be sorted by DXCC hams should care about how the media Use the new Online DXCC tool and save country, they must go to countries where a portrays ham radio and ham radio operators. half on your application! Remember to bureau exists and you must be an ARRL John is the producer of such TV hits as bring with you to Dayton a printout of your member to use the Outgoing QSL Bureau. Arrested Development, Sports Night, application, card list, and your cards in the Cards do not have to be boxed, but should Samantha Who?, Titus and the current hit order in which they are entered into the be wrapped with rubber bands. ABC comedy Last Man Standing. Online DXCC. NEW! Presentations on the ARRL For more information on ARRL Project Building Booth “DIY” Stage Hamvention 2012, visit Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM ARRL's newest Amateur Radio recruitment www.arrl.org/2012-dayton- I M Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM campaign shows how “makers” and A hamvention or G E A Sunday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM “hackers” are using Amateur Radio as a tool www.hamvention.org R ¬ R L . O R G MAY 2012 4 This Month Et Cetera Amateur Radio News, Club Announcements and Speaker Series BREEZESHOOTERS VE TEST SESSION 50 YEARS! MONTHLY The largest hamfest in the The next test session will The Beaver Valley tri-state area is back! be at the Beaver County Amateur Radio Speaker Breezeshooters 2012 Emergency Operations Association would like to Hamfest and Computer Center congratulate Rich Soltesz, Series Show is at the Butler 351 14th Street K3SOM on 50 years as an Farm Show Grounds on Ambridge, PA 15003 amateur radio operator! The BVARA Speaker Series provides Sunday, JUNE 3 from 8am a vast array of topics and discussions, to 3pm.