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.
Winlink for Emergency Communications: Beginners Workshop
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.
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:
- How to Report Severe Weather to the NWS Office in Columbia: https://www.weather.gov/cae/severe_reports.html
- Storm Reporting to NWS: https://inws.ncep.noaa.gov/report/
- Storm Prediction Center: https://www.spc.noaa.gov/
- Richland County Emergency Preparedness: https://richlandcountysc.gov/Emergency-Preparedness
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.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/iss-sstv-hardware-testing-this-week/
October Hams and Eggs: 10/21/2023 Show and Tell…
Join us for breakfast! Local friends and HAMS will meet every 3rd Saturday of the month for breakfast and fellowship. Meet with Friends, find an Elmer, ask questions, share your experiences, or discuss your next outing over breakfast.
Topics: This month’s breakfast gathering topic will be Show and Tell. Bring an item you would like to tell us about; Ham related or not, and show us what you are interested in or have been working on. W4JLP will bring field power options to include batteries, battery boxes, and solar panels.
TIME: 9:00 am – 11:00am
Where: Lizard’s Thicket Restaurant, 10170 Two Notch Rd, Columbia, SC 29229, USA
NEW VENUE ANNOUCEMENT!
HAMS AND EGGS WILL NOW BE HOSTED AT LZARDS THICKET NE IN A PRIVATE ROOM.
https://www.lizardsthicket.com/food-menus/breakfast/
For more information, contact Jim W4JLP @ 803-669-6135
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/october-hams-and-eggs-10-21-2023-show-and-tell/
CARC October Club Meeting
The October 2nd guest presenter is Matt Hall, KD4EOD, Trustee of W4FTK. Matt will cover FleetTalk, both the amateur side and the commercial side. He’s preparing a presentation and will bring some cool gadgets to show the group. He’s driving down from York County to make this presentation IN PERSON.
FleetTalk – W4FTK Presentation posted in Presentations.
Also, for the October 2 club meeting, Joe Wilson, KO4WAA, Richland ARES EC, has been actively promoting getting folks – especially ARES guys – involved with simplex, especially regarding emergency communications. Joe has a good plan that he wants to share with the club.
Other topics:
147.330 – Repeater Replacement Discussion
Club officer elections are scheduled for November 6, and there is a need for nominees.
Christmas plans – Planning Committee
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83449661381?pwd=OUhFMWQ4STFtZTk3VGNyOVF4VE5QUT09
Meeting ID: 834 4966 1381
Passcode: 823770
—
One tap mobile
+13052241968,,83449661381#,,,,*823770# US
+13092053325,,83449661381#,,,,*823770# US
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/carc-october-club-meeting/
September Hams and Eggs: Zello and Hamshack Hotline Workshops Followed by Support your State Parks: POTA
September 16, 2023 Hams and Eggs will discuss the Who, the What, and the Why of Zello and Hamshack Holine. Don’t miss this special hands-on workshop and demonstration.
After Hams and Eggs, we will QSL to Sesquicentennial State Park Group Camping Area Site 2 for POTA. Bring your gear to activate or activate using radios there. Be your own DXpedition!
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/september-hams-and-eggs-zello-and-hamshack-hotline-workshops-followed-by-support-your-state-parks-pota/
Interested in becoming a SKYWARN Storm Spotter?
Current spotters, want to refresh your skills? We have several new sessions coming up soon. Our class schedule is updated, and here’s where to find more information: [https://www.weather.gov/media/cae/Spotter_Classes.pdf](https://www.weather.gov/media/cae/Spotter_Classes.pdf)Hope to see you online!
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/interested-in-becoming-a-skywarn-storm-spotter/
Repeater 147.330 Back In Operation
Subject: Repeater 147.330 Status Update – Back Online
Dear CARC/W4CAE members and friends,
I hope this follow-up email finds you well. I am writing to provide you with an update on the status of Repeater 147.330.
I am pleased to inform you that Repeater 147.330 is now back online and fully operational. Our technical team is still evaluating the root cause and will work diligently to address the issues affecting its functionality, and I’m happy to report that the repeater is now ready to resume its services.
We understand the importance of this repeater to our users, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime. We are committed to ensuring the reliability and performance of our equipment, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked to resolve the situation.
Please feel free to utilize Repeater 147.330 for your communication needs. Should you encounter any further issues or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Jim Lathan. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us maintain the highest level of service.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. We look forward to serving you through Repeater 147.330 and our other communication resources.
Best regards,
Jim Lathan
Columbia Amateur Radio Club, President
803-669-6135
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/repeater-147-330-back-in-operation/
Repeater 147.330 is offline!
Subject: Repeater 147.330 Outage and Ongoing Resolution Efforts
Dear W4CAE members and friends!
I hope this message finds you well. I am bringing to your attention a recent issue regarding repeater 147.330. As of August 18, 2023, our Columbia repeater147.330 is currently experiencing an outage, rendering it unavailable for communications.
We understand the importance of this repeater in maintaining seamless communication within our community, and I want to assure you that our technical team is actively working to identify and address the underlying problem. We prioritize swiftly resolving the issue and reinstating the functionality of repeater 147.330.
Please be assured that we are committed to providing timely updates on the progress of our resolution efforts. We understand the impact that this outage might have on your operations and communications, and we are dedicated to minimizing any disruptions caused by this situation.
Our technical team is investigating the problem’s root cause and working diligently to implement the necessary repairs or adjustments. We will inform you about the developments and anticipated timeline for restoring repeater 147.330.
In the meantime, the W4CAE 146.775 repeater is online, and if you have any urgent communication needs or anything else we can assist you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Jim Lathan, directly. We are here to ensure that your communication requirements are met to the best of our abilities, even during this challenging period.
As a precaution, plans are in place to still have the Sunday Night Net on Club repeater 147.330. If, at the time of the Net, repeater 147.330 is still offline; the Net will use the Clubs 146.775 repeater, also known as the Ft. Jackson Repeater. Make sure you have the Ft. Jackson repeaters frequency, offset, and tone programmed in your radios:
Ft. Jackson: 146.775 (-) T156.7
We apologize for any inconvenience this outage may have caused and appreciate your understanding and patience as we work toward a resolution. We value your continued partnership and trust in our services.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We will update you on our progress and provide you with the necessary information as soon as it becomes available.
Best regards,
Jim Lathan
Columbia Amateur Radio Club, President
[email protected]
803-669-6135
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/repeater-147-330-is-offline/