Digital Operations

Experimentation

W4FSV

Breadboard Radio – Ham Radio Kits that are easy to build and fun to use!

KM4ACK

Build-a-Pi will allow you to get up and running fast with a Raspberry Pi for ham radio.

Emergency Communications

Voice Operations

Education

Winlink for Emergency Communications: Beginners Workshop

https://winlink.org/

Wait what? Last month’s Ham and Eggs attendees received a USB key packed with tools and software for Winlink, JS8Call, and VARAChat. Perfect timing, there is training posted at ARES-SC.org that will take you through Winlink A-Z. More details are below: 

NOTE: This is will a late evening event, it is posted to be a 7 pm PST time, making it 10 pm for the east coast.

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COLUMBIA SKYWARN STORM SPOTTERS TEAM

Midlands Skywarn Newsletter Sign-up

The Columbia SKYWARN Team assists the Columbia National Weather Service with Ground-Truth weather observations during severe or dangerous weather. The Columbia NWS forecast area covers much of South Carolina and is divided into August/CSRA, Midlands, and Eastern Midlands.

The Columbia SKYWARM Team holds NETS and Virtual Training/Meetings weekly and monthly. More Information can be found at the Columbia Amateur Radio Club Calendar

Important Links:

Founded in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN Spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite, and other data, has enabled the NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods.  SKYWARN Storm Spotters form the nation’s first line of defense against severe weather minutes that can help save lives.

In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and lightning cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and billions in property and crop damage.  The National Weather Service (NWS) established SKYWARN with partner organizations to obtain critical weather information.  SKYWARN is a volunteer program with 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather Spotters.  These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.  Although SKYWARN Spotters provide essential information for all weather hazards, the focus is reporting on severe local thunderstorms.  In an average year, the United States experiences more than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, and more than 1,000 tornadoes.  (Information courtesy of the Columbia NWS)

Interested in learning more, have questions, or want to sign up for training-Newsletter-meetings?

Use the orange form at the bottom of the page to contact us, or visit the Columbia NWS at https://www.weather.gov/cae/skywarn.html

Community Emergency Response Team Training

Community Emergency Response Team – CERT Training – STARTING Tuesday, October 10 at 6 PM at the Richland County EOC.

This is the 20-hour Community Emergency Response Team Class. This training is scheduled for three consecutive Tuesdays & Thursdays in October. We have openings and need additional participants to register with Sharon Long by the close of business on Wednesday, October 4, to avoid canceling this training.

Link for the schedule: CERT October 2023  Link for the application: COMMUNICATIONS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM APPLICATION FORM

For more information, Contact Mark Goddard @ [email protected]

ARRL Special Service Club Award

Congratulations! The SSC status has been approved for the Columbia Amateur Radio Club, W4CAE.

Thank you for being so supportive of amateur radio.

Sincerely,
Mike Walters, W8ZY
Field Services Manager
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®

Columbia Amateur Radio Club is now a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador!

The Columbia Amateur Radio Club is now a Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) Ambassador.

The Columbia Amateur Radio Club is excited to collaborate with NOAA/NWS to help strengthen our nation’s readiness against extreme weather, water, and climate events. If you would like more information, please visit the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Frequently Asked Questions. And if you need any additional information, email WRN anytime at [email protected]. You can also find WRN on X (previously Twitter) @WRNAmbassadors.

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RMS Titanic Radio Room

We all know on April 15 1912 in the early morning hours the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. This is a picture of the Titanic radio room, it has been colorized but other then that it is a real picture.

Can you identify ANY of the radio equipment ?, not looking for brand names but what its function was would be interesting I think.

If you have some ideas just click on the contact button up top and I will share your ideas here as they come in.

8/18/2019 K4CAE, David points us to a very interesting article written by Rhonda Berenson. What we are looking at in this picture is the “Marconi Room” very interesting reading indeed. Click HERE for the article.

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/rms-titanic-radio-room/

FT4

FT4 is an experimental digital mode designed specifically for radio contesting. Like FT8, it uses fixed-length transmissions, structured messages with formats optimized for minimal QSOs, and strong forward error correction. T/R sequences are 6 seconds long, so FT4 is 2.5 × faster than FT8 and about the same speed as RTTY for radio contesting.

 

Further information on FT4 is at
http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/FT4_Protocol.pdf

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/april/new-digital-mode-ft4.htm

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/ft4/

1/2in Type M Copper Tubing Slim Jim VHF/UHF Antenna

   Click on the picture for the full report.

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/1-2in-type-m-copper-tubing-slim-jim-vhf-uhf-antenna/

Message from ARRL, South Carolina, Public Information Coordinator

South Carolina Amateur Radio Volunteers Assist with Emergency Communication

09/16/2018

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers from several South Carolina counties are pitching in to help support emergency communication, as the state deals with the aftereffects of Hurricane Florence. The storm, now a tropical depression, continues to generate heavy rainfall in the Carolinas.

“Amateur Radio operators are far from ‘amateurs’ when it comes to providing communication in an emergency,” ARES Richland County Emergency Coordinator Ronnie Livingston, W4RWL, said. “Our volunteers here in Richland County have been staffing stations at the Richland County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), as well as at the Red Cross, since the requests were first received.”

ARES District Emergency Coordinator EMEA Area 3 Earl Dean, W4ESD, said operators at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) have been keeping in contact with field volunteers in Marion and Dillon counties, after conventional telecommunications failed there. “We were able to deploy assets and personnel, thanks to our volunteers who managed communications between these areas and coordinated with the appropriate agencies,” Dean said.

“South Carolina ARES is fully activated,” ARRL South Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator Billy Irwin, K9OH, told ARRL in advance of the storm, adding that he’s been coordinating regularly with the SC Emergency Management Division.”

ARRL South Carolina ARES needs additional Amateur Radio volunteers to assist with the response effort and is in discussion with the ARRL Alabama Section to fulfill this need through a mutual aid agreement.

Gordon Mooneyhan, W4EGM, Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club (GSARC), said radio amateurs set up and managed organized communication networks to assist local government and emergency agencies, as well as non-commercial health-and-welfare messaging for residents affected by the disaster, to let family members outside the affected area know they are okay.

On-air operations for National Hurricane Center station WX4NHC, the Hurricane Watch Net, the VoIP Hurricane Net, and SATERN have concluded. — Thanks to ARRL South Carolina Section PIC Tammy A. Livingston, N4TAL

If you are interested in joining South Carolina ARES click here.

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/message-from-arrl-south-carolina-public-information-coordinator/

Mike Michaelski KK4AIF shows us his personal “roll up bag”

Mike Michaelski KK4AIF shows us his personal “roll up bag” he uses when he is deployed with the SCBC Disaster Relief Mass Feeding team.

Mike has used this bag for Hurricane Matthew and Florence, he suggests we build this just to be prepared should we find ourselves in a bad situation.

 

You start with the empty roll up bag and number the compartments.

Then you take this list and collect all of the items

Bucket Boss Tool Roll (stock #70004)  Emergency/BOB/GHB
Top Row               
1  Four, Size Large, 7 Mil.  Nitrile Gloves ->Hardy Item 68505 :Harbor Freight
2  Strike Anywhere Matches in Waterproof Case ->UCO  MT-SM-CONT, UPC 54269-00035
3  CAT Tourniquet ->various vendors :Amazon
4  Sawyer Mini Water Filter and Tube ->: Amazon
5  SOL Emergency Blanket (1 person) ->: Amazon, Sportsmens Warehouse, Target, Wal-Mart
6  Fatlighter Stick ->: local or e-Bay
7  Gerber EVO-Jr Folding Pocket Knife ->: Amazon, Sportsmens Warehouse
8  Eight #2 Pencils (for writing and as tinder) ->: school supplies
9  Yellow Light Stick ->UST See-me light stick 2-pack: Wal Mart
10 Gerber or Ozark Trail Multi Tool ->Gerber:Amazon, Ozark Trail:Wal-Mart
11  Whistle w/ Compass, Magnifier & Thermometer, Two Pencil Sharpeners ->Coghlans No 0044: WalMart
Middle Row
1  Cotton Balls w/Vaseline (tinder) in Film Canister->: pharmacy almost anywhere
2  Sharpie Marker ->: office supplies, almost anywhere
3  Two Pens->: office supplies, almost anywhere
4  Fifteen 8″ Zip Ties, white or black – black resists UV better->Hyper Tough 43-308WMN: Wal-Mart; Lowes; Home Depot
5  BIC Lighter->BIC Classic: most any checkout counter
6  BIC Lighter ->    Ditto
7  Firestarter Steel, Swedish Firesteel 2.0 Army 5 kit ->Light My Fire brand:Amazon
8  Firestarter Rod ->part of above
9  NOT USED
10  Lip Balm ->: pharmacy almost anywhere
11  Griffin Pocket Multi-Tool ->: Amazon
12  Four 2″ Safety Pins, ->Walmart Sewing Dept, Dritz #AJM14376
13  Four 2″ Safety Pins, ->Ditto
14  Bottom of Pencils ->N/A
15  Paratinder Zipper Pull w/Signal Mirror wrapped in Duct Tape->UST Paratinder Zipper Pull, Starflash Micro: Amazon
16  Tube of Advil->: pharmacy almost anywhere
17  Toenail Clippers ->: Publix, standard stainless steel clippers
18  (Females) – Go Girl FUD, (Males) – 2 AA Batteries in Case->: Wal Mart; Backpacking Supply; Amazon
Bottom Row
1  Mini Swiss Army Knife (7 function)->Victorinox: Sportsmens Warehouse; Amazon
2  Four Q-tips in plastic bag->: pharmacy almost anywhere
3  Dental Flosser and Picks->: pharmacy almost anywhere
4  Mini Beam Focus Flashlight (1 AA battery), bottom of 8″ Zip Ties->: Lowes checkout
5  4″ Zip Ties (black resists UV rays longer)->Hyper Tough 46-404WMN: Wal-Mart; Lowes; Home Depot
6  Spare Batteries (2 AA batteries) in Case->: Wal Mart checkout item;Lowes, etc.
7  Flashlight (2 AA batteries)->Nitecore MT20A: Amazon
8  Mora Knive (4″ fixed blade) in Sheath->: Amazon; Sportsmens Warehouse
9  Sawyer Water Filter Plunger->: Amazon
10  Ozark Trail Folding Saw->: Wal Mart, similar available elsewhere
11  Quik Clot Compress Sponge 25g->: Amazon
12  Adventure Medical Kit .3->: Amazon
13  Gauze roll->    Out of AMK .3
Loose
  1. Survival Bandana,->UST brand, #20-PGR0001-08
  2. Rite-in-the-Rain notebook #935T->: Amazon
  3. Sawyer 16 oz Squeeze Bladder ->part of top row #4
  4. Clear Emergency Poncho->: Wal Mart, $.97 item in sporting goods

 

This is what you have when finished, just roll it up and you are ready to go.

Thanks Mike for another really cool idea.

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/mike-michaelski-kk4aif-shows-us-his-personal-roll-up-bag/

FT8CALL.

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/ft8call/

Contest Radio Review 2018

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/contest-radio-review-2018/