News

PICTURES FROM AUGUST PICNIC

WARC held a picnic August 5 at Julian Price Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Over 25 members and guests attended, and a good time was had by all.

WA4J PARTICIPATES IN 2024 NC QSO PARTY!

On Sunday, February 25, WARC participated (for the second time ever) in the North Carolina QSO party. A Group of enthusiastic Contesters assembled at the QTH of K2ODV, and operated from 10 AM till 8 PM. We used two stations in the Low-Power1 (100W) & Mixed (Cw/SSB) mode.

Operators included George-K2ODV, Corey-WB0RXQ, Eric-NI4E, and Rich-K1HE. Also, assisting were Mark-K4CK, Steve-N4SCM, and Dennis-KA4BOE.

BAND  QSOs    last year (2023)

80          116       30

40          407 170

20          265 0392

15          32 31       

10          6 1

2 4 00

TOT     830 624

The final result had been published, and once again we took third place in our category. Our score was better than last year, and we think we can see a path to perhaps winning next year.

CALL COUNTY SCORE QSOs

K4MN CUMB 337,835 1053

W4MR JOH 289,375 907

WA4J WAT 253,160 829

January 22, 2025 section managers newsletter

January 22 newsletter

GREETINGS FROM THE (VERY COLD)  HIGH COUNTRY

Having experienced chill factors over the past week that were as low as -9, there has not been much outdoor activity up here.  Today, the high temperature climbed to  28 degrees at 3 pm this afternoon but at 9:30 the outside air temperature had fallen to 13 degrees with a chill factor of  5 degrees.

ARRL MATTERS

  1. The ARRL Board of Directors met in Connecticut on January 17 and 18.  Minutes of the meeting will likely be released after being reviewed and edited by each Director (often a three week process) so it is not clear what actions the Board took.  Information distributed by ARRL in a Member Bulletin distributed by email from ARRL at 9:45 pm is set out below.  Official minutes will be released later.

“ARRL Board Reviews and Approves By-Law Changes. Establishes Technical Standards Committee.

  • The ARRL Board of Directors met in Windsor, Connecticut, for its Annual Meeting, January 17 – 18, 2025. ARRL First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, presided over the meeting in place of President Rick Roderick, K5UR, who could not attend.
  • Vice President McIntyre welcomed new Board members including New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, and Division Vice Directors David Galletly, KM2O (Hudson), Andrew Milluzzi, KK4LWR (Southeastern), and Joshua Long, W9HT (Central). She also recognized Central Division Director Brent Walls, N9BA, who previously served as Vice Director.
  • Prior to the Board meeting, Board committees met on January 16th with the following actions highlighted below:
  • The Programs & Services Committee and headquarters staff from the Radiosport Department are moving ahead with the creation of a new DXCC award — DXCC Trident — which will recognize those who achieve DXCC using CW, phone, and digital modes. Higher achievement endorsements can be earned at the 200, 300, and Honor Roll levels. The DXCC Trident award is intended to spur greater on-air operating and to inspire those using digital modes to also develop their skills in, and practice, CW and SSB.
  • The Administration & Finance Committee discussed and approved the 2025 operating plan, amending it with an additional $200,000 for Washington advocacy. This includes continuing work to reintroduce bills H.R.4006 and S.3690 – the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act — for passage. The committee also agreed that an additional year will be granted to those Incoming QSL Bureaus who still require financial support from all ARRL members to operate.
  • The Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee established an initiative to track and report on the activities of clubs nationwide. This initiative will help ARRL better understand the scope of these activities and improve club leadership tools. The committee also adopted a rewrite of the ARRL Active Club Primer, a tool for radio club leaders, and a rewrite of the rules and regulations for ARRL Hamfests and Conventions.
  • The Historical Committee is expanding the ARRL Heritage Museum’s online collection by adding a new virtual component, which currently features more than 3,000 images and documents. This virtual museum will continue to grow, showcasing both ARRL’s historical collection and other significant items from the history of amateur radio.
  • Here are highlights of actions taken at the Board meeting:
  1. Board members discussed motions proposed by a committee that was established by unanimous approval during the January 2024 Annual Meeting. 

This committee was tasked with evaluating proposed changes to By-Law 46, the Board’s Conflict of Interest Policy, and By-Law 42, the charter for the Ethics & Elections Committee. The committee returned with a lengthy motion that certain Directors believed they had not had sufficient time to review and comment on. Despite broad support for passing the committee’s motion, the Board approved delaying the vote until the July 2025 Second Meeting of the Board of Directors. Directors have until April 21, 2025, to file their comments with the committee for consideration in the final motion.

  • The Board approved two motions involving elections:

By-Law 18. ARRL has had a confusing set of documents defining the elections process. The rules set out in By-Law 18 require at least a two-thirds vote for approval, whereas the rules and regulations found in less formally controlled documents published on the ARRL website only require a simple majority. This motion moved most of the language from the rules and regulations into By-Law 18. The Board also approved changes driven by shortcomings that came to light during the 2024 election cycle. These changes are primarily intended to ensure that elections are conducted at a Division level where the members are voting, and not at a national level.

 By-Law 20. The Board approved a change to By-Law 20, providing greater discretion regarding the previous requirement for a member of the Ethics & Elections committee to observe ballot processing at the third-party election processing company — an expense now considered unnecessary.

  •  Government Relations.

The Board approved a motion to sunset the Governmental Affairs Committee and authorized the CEO to take on the responsibility of partnering with Director John Robert Stratton, N5AUS (West Gulf), who is currently working with ARRL’s lobbyists in Washington DC. It also requires the CEO to take on the responsibility of reporting the progress being made on certain legislation with quarterly reports to the Administration & Finance Committee.

The Board briefly discussed fund raising for the Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund. This included an appeal by Director Stratton for every Director and Officer to donate towards our legislative efforts. Less than a week after the Board meeting, nearly every Director and Officer has donated to the fund.

  • New Technical Standards Committee. 

      The Board approved the formation of a Technical Standards Committee to oversee the   successful Clean Signal Initiative (CSI) and to develop future initiatives including amateur standards.

  •  ARRL Foundation. 

The Board heard a report from ARRL Foundation President David Norris, K5UZ (Delta Division Director). The Foundation provides philanthropic support for amateur radio by way of the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program, Club Grant Program, Division Convention Grant Program, and through other grants and funds. In 2024, the Foundation awarded 126 scholarships totaling $709,500, through the generosity of ARDC, individuals, and radio clubs. The Foundation also saw a return of the Club Grant Program and awarded 37 Club Grants totaling $500,502.04. A total of 110 applications were received requesting $1,593,580.24 for 2024. Norris also reported that the Foundation awarded 25 grants valued at $47,434, and 2 Division Convention grants for $12,250.

  • Elections.

 Executive Committee (EC). Directors re-elected to the EC include Bill Lippert, AC0W (Dakota), Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ (Midwest), Jim Boehner, N2ZZ (Roanoke), and Jeff Ryan, K0RM (Rocky Mountain). Newly elected to the EC is Scott Yonally, N8SY (Great Lakes).

 ARRL Foundation Board. ARRL Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX (Northwestern), was re-elected, and Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI (New England), was elected to fill the seat vacated by former Central Division Director Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA. Past Central Division Director Kermit Carlson, W9XA, and CEO David A. Minster, NA2AA, were re-elected for 3-year terms.

  • The Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors is scheduled for July 18 – 19, 2025.”
  •  ARRL Sweepstakes offers Top of the Line Equipment as prize for winner

              ARRL in cooperation with ICOM is offering an opportunity to win a top of the line ICOM Station.  The Sweepstakes will run through all of 2025.  Renewing membership, joining ARRL as a new member, donating to the ARRL Foundation are among the ways in which you can enter the Sweepstakes.  Details can be found at https://www.arrl.org/arrl-sweepstakes

 NC SECTION MATTERS

  1. NC Section Traffic Report

 Section Traffic Manager Dave Roy W4DNA prepares a report each month that documents the activities of various traffic nets.  Set out below is an abbreviated version of his report.  The full report is posted each month on the Section webpage (ncarrl.org ).

W4DNA – NC Section Net Report – DECEMBER 2024
NETNMGRQNILISTEDPASSEDTIMESESSIONSTFC %
 
SECTION NETS
CNAA4MP3891501466726297.33%
CSNKI4KZS177313178831100.00%
NCENWK4WC4151511504763199.34%
NCMNW3OJO34394785853182.98%
THENK4SEHNOREPORT   N/A
 
LOCAL TRAFFIC NETS
CWTNN4CNX39617817871131100.00%
ENCTNW4DNA172272732126100.00%
PCTNW4TTO186838332131100.00%
 
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NETS
C-MNNKI4FAQ2950027631N/A
 
TOTAL 2373714693415027497.06%
  • New Manager for Tarheel Net

Scott Hunt K4SEH is thanked for his service as Net Manager and we wish him well as he uses his time for other ham radio activities.

Doug Wall N3LTV from Raleigh has accepted appointment as the new Net Manager for the Tarheel Emergency Net effective January 21, 2025.  The Tarheel Emergency Net is held each evening at 7:30 p.m. Son 3923 KHz and has been in existence since 1947.  Thanks to the net control stations and participants who will keep the net active as we head towards its 80th anniversary in 2027.

  • New PIO Appointed for Sampson County Amateur Radio Services Group

Linda K. Jackson (W4CMW) has been appointed to serve as an ARRL Public Information Officer effective January 21 2025.  Linda holds an Extra Class license and has enthusiastically helped the Sampson group as their webmaster.  Thank you, Linda, for agreeing to serve.

If your club has a webpage and/or newsletter, please let me know so that the editor or webmaster can be recognized as an ARRL PIO.

  • 03/07/2025 – 03/08/2025, Charlotte Hamfest at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center – Gold Hall, located at 4551 Old Airport Road, Concord, NC 28025.  Info at http://www.charlottehamfest.org  
  • April 12, Winston-Salem Hamfest, located at the Robinhood Road Baptist Church at 5422 Robinhood Road and sponsored by the Forsyth Amateur Radio Club. Additional information will be included in the next NC Section Newsletter. 
  •  Interesting Items
  • The wide variety of ham radio topics covered by the RATPAC (Radio Amateur Training Planning and Activities Committee) are back after a Holiday break.  A listing of previous programs and a schedule of topics for the first part of 2025 can be found at  https://www.ratpac.us/

Mudslides caused by the 20 inches of rain from Hurricane Helene took out their primary power and internet but they stayed on the air with area news using their diesel generators and a Starlink that connected the transmitter on the mountaintop back to the studios at The Cove near Asheville.

  • The FCC continues to crack down on  property  owners where illegal pirate radio stations are operating.  Each year the FCC is required to report to Congress on its enforcement activities directed toward the Pirate Broadcasters.  The most recent report was issued in late December and a story summarizing the report can be found at https://radioink.com/2025/01/20/fcc-raises-maximum-pirate-radio-fines-in-fifth-report/.  Very substantial fines have been levied and increased enforcement is expected according to the new Chairperson of the FCC, Brendan Carr.

CLOSING COMMENT

Weather certainly is posing very great challenges to many people across the country.  

Californian is dealing with fires driven by hurricane force winds which pose great and unprecedented challenges to fire officials around Los Angeles.  

Who could have imagined a blizzard warning in Houston or ten inches of snow in New Orleans?  Helene dropped 20 inches of rain across much of western North Carolina and many communities will need years to return to something like normal.

Although these situations were extremely harmful to many people, families and businesses, there were many people who came to help when strangers when it would have been easy for them to stay home,  

Instead, a lot of people came to help.  Indiana sent 20 snowplows to help Houston which has no snow equipment.  Teams of 60 Amish builders came to North Carolina to build houses for strangers.  Numerous church groups brought volunteers to get trees off the roofs of homes. 

Fire, rescue and medical people have worked long and hard hours caring for people who were injured during the floods and fires. 

Numerous groups brought food and cooked meals for those whose homes were destroyed and also fed those who helping with rescues and recovery.

Despite all these challenges, I believe that the spirit of our people is resilient and we will recover.

Best wishes for good health 

Marv, WA4NC

NC Section Manager

Boone