Washrag May 2020
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WASHRAG TM V 22 I 05 M 2020 Wireless Association ofSouth Hills N3SH WA3SH NP2SH/B www.n3sh.org www.washarc.org TM WASHRAG V 22 I 05 M 2020 Next Monthly Meeting: Thursday , June 4th , 2020 South Hills The next scheduled meeting of the W A S H, I . will be on Thursday , June 4 th , 2020, in the Conference Room at the St. Clair Hospital Outpatient Center, 2000 Oxford Drive, Bethel Park, by South Hills Village & Village Square (map on the back page). The room is available at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be starting at 7:00 PM. Due to the pandemic situation, the May 7 th meeting at the conference room has been cancelled & replaced by an on-air meeting on the 146.955 and 443.650 repeaters, also starting at 7 PM. See you there! WirelessAssociation of Cover Photo: A blast from the past… Ted W4ZE & Paul NP2JF assembling the beam for NP2SH 2003. See Page 7 Article Cover Photo by Tippi Comden WA3JPP (SK) courtesy of and © Copyright 2020 Larry Comden K3VX WASH 2020 O T L S E C: “The WASH Rag™ ” (formerly “The Mariner ™”) is the Official Newsletter of President Tony Romano KB3BYA the W# A S ), I. (WASH), a 501.C.3 not for VP / Secretary Dan Campbell K3CMU profit organization. VP / Treasurer Mark Stabryla N3RDV Published Monthly with occasional Special Editions as warranted. A W C’ D I W: This issue is © Copyright 2019 by the W# A S N3SH Trustee Larry Comden K3VX ), I . WA3SH Trustee Rich Danko N3SBF Editor & Publisher: Ron Notarius W3WN NP2SH Trustee Paul Jordan NP2JF Permission is granted to other Amateur Radio publications to reprint articles in N3SH WA3SH NP2SH/B QSL Manager Ron Notarius W3WN this issue, provided the original author and “The WASH Rag™ ” are given NP2SH 2009 QSL Manager Carl Schroeder K9CS credit. Comments, articles, and requests for copies of or information about VE Team Liaison Grant Olson KC3MLL “The WASH Rag™ ” should be mailed to the editor: Webmaster Curtis Turner KB3CMT Quartermaster Harold Rosenberger K3HCR Ron Notarius W3WN WASH FM Net Manager Chuck Bihun KC3ELA 3395 Rosewood Drive, Castle Shannon, PA 15234-2546 WASH Fest 2021 Committee Carol Danko KB3GMN, Chairman e-mail: newsletter at n3sh dot org or w3wn at arrl dot net Bill Hill W3WH, Co-Chair “The WASH Rag ”, “ The Mariner ”, SHARCfest, South Hills Hamfest, Activities & Operating Events Rick Bell KB3IAC WASH fest, WASH fest 2019, N3SH Net, WA3SH Net and WASH Net are Ways & Means Carol Danko KB3GMN TM trademarks of the W# A S ), I . WASH 2M Contest Chair Chuck Bihun KC3ELA Field Day 2020 Coordinator Glen Roberts KE7FD The W# A S ), I . was founded on August 23 rd , 1993, as the original S ) A# R C , and operated C -A R"#, B, & D'"#: under that name through 1998. WASH was also known briefly in late 1998 as Mt. Lebanon N3SH / R 146.955 MHz (–) PL 131.8 the N,S) A# R C . It is not in any way affiliated with the “South North Side N3SH / R 442.550 MHz (+) PL 131.8 Hills Amateur Radio Club, Inc.” and is not responsible for that group, it’s Canonsburg N3FB / R 443.650 MHz (+) PL 131.8 members, or it’s actions in any way, shape, or form. St. Johns, VI NP2SH / B 28.276 MHz Propagation Beacon Canonsburg N3SH 144.390 MHz APRS Digipeater N3SH / WA3SH WASH Net , the weekly on-air net of WASH , meets every As always, special thanks to the owners & operators of both the N3SH/R Monday Night, 8:00 PM ET, on the 146.955 & 443.650 repeaters. Repeaters and the N3FB/R Repeater System for permitting the W# All radio amateurs, WASH members or not, are welcome to join in! A S ), I . and it’s members to use their repeaters for club purposes. VOLUME 22 ISSUE 05 Page 3 WASH Amateur Radio Club News Briefs Next WASH VE Test TBA Tony’s Musings Day 46 of Quarantine and I still have 153 rolls rd of toilet paper... The Next WASH VE exam session will be on Sunday, February 23 , I hope everyone is well. If you are working, 2020, 10:00 AM , at WASH Fest 2020 ,3735 Buffalo Drive, South Park, not too overwor3e., an. if you aren9t wor3ing PA 15129. Talk-in on the 146.955 MHz repeater. All examiners are ARRL VEC affiliated. that you are able to enjoy your hobby! Pre-registration is required due to space limitations. If anyone is in need of anything, please reach out! If you plan on attending the test session, please contact VE Team Liason Ron Notarius W3WN: As this "stay at home" is winding down (I hope) I can't wait to see everyone at the June Telephone (412) 572-6723 or E-Mail: w3wn at n3sh dot org meeting! Please bring the following to your test session: The May meeting will be held "on air" on 146.955/443.65 May 7 th @ 7pm. Picture ID or other suitable identification (2 forms of ID required) hope to hear you on the meeting net! Pen / Pencil / Calculator Original FCC license plus a copy of license (if upgrading) Don't forget Field Day is around the corner Original CSCE plus a copy of CSCE (if upgrading) Thanks and everyone STAY SAFE and HEALTHY! Check or Cash in the amount of $15.00 (payable to: ARRL VEC) — 73, Tony Romano KB3BYA Future test dates: To Be Determined President, Wireless Association of South Hills, Inc. N3SH / WA3SH / NP2SH Usually, this section is one of the last parts of the WASH Rag to complete. Not just for any last minute items that come up, and sometimes they do, but also because it is often the most fun to right. For the second month in a row… not this month. As we were wrapping up the No light-hearted look at the previous meeting of the WASH Breakfast Gang . No musing on upcoming events. With the “Stay At Home” newsletter, we orders still in place in Southwestern PA, it’s not going to happen. learned of a news report But there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Two of the six sections of Pennsylvania (Northwestern and North Central PA) are from Rapid City, about to move from “red” to “yellow” status, which means amongst other things, life is close enough to what we used to call “normal” that SD , reporting some of the restrictions can be eased or lifted. News media is speculating that Southwestern PA is next, possibly as soon as the middle that a 66 year of this month. old man was rescued from a Obviously, we sure hope so. “ham radio tower”. So… the May meeting will once again be on the N3SH Repeaters, 146.955 & 443.650 MHz. 7 PM until whenever. We are again asking all club members to please check in, if at all possible. (And remember, we’ve been reminded that financial details should not be The report discussed on the air, as they are not and should not become public information.) Beyond that, well, we will see. indicated that the man was If the restaurants are allowed to reopen for sit-down service, then the Gang will possibly meet again at the end of May. Maybe. If not, stuck at about hope for June or July. The next regular in person club meeting? June at the earliest, again, depending on upcoming circumstances. 20 feet above ground, with an You’ll notice, again, a lot of “ ! ” notations on the calendar. It’s important to note some of the events that were scheduled, arm pinned under a retractable and now are not happening. (We wouldn’t want someone travelling to an event that won’t take place!) This will continue for the part of the forseeable future, an. will inclu.e, when 3nown, the resche.ule. .ates for those events that are simply postpone.. tower. The “jaws of” were Which brings up, sad to say the Breezeshooters Hamfest . As you probably know by now, the 2020 Hamfest has, unfortunately, joined used to free the the list of cancelled events. That means, obviously, that the club picnic we usually hold at Breezeshooters will also be cancelled. Let’s man from the hope that Breezeshooters… and Hamvention, and the Two Rivers ARC Hamfest, and all the rest, will be back next year. tower. At the moment, the next scheduled WPA Hamfest is the Somerset County ARC Hamfest in July. Keep your fingers crossed on this one. The report Also, note that we haven’t seen the ‘official’ date for the 2020 Skyview RS Hamfest yet, though we’re hoping that this will take place on stated that he the usual weekend. As soon as more information is available, the next newsletter will reflect it. was wearing “no safety We also don’t know yet how the current pandemic situation will affect the 2020 WASH Field Day operation. Again, we’re hoping that equipment” things will improve enough that we can still hold a ‘traditional’ Field Day setup in South Park, even if it is scaled back. Plans are continuing to evolve, as the situation changes (and, we hope, improve). Stay tuned. Remember: Only Scotty can defy Nothing new on the KDKA Centenary either. Right now is not the time. But we do need to point out that there are ways… just ask the the laws of WWV ARC on the upcoming WWØWWV Special Event operation this month. (See Page 29) physics, and only on the fictional It may be safe to say that many of the ways in which many of us live our lives will change as a result of the next few weeks.