SM021 – Announcing http://ok.arrl.org/

Greetings, and I hope you are all staying warm and are making the best of the new year. To start the year off, I’d like to introduce the new ARRL Oklahoma section website,  https://ok.arrl.org/. This site houses the OK Section Manager News and publicizes ARRL activity in the entire state. Currently, there are segments for Becoming a Ham, Section Manager News, ARES/SKYWARN, NTS, Clubs, and Hamfests. The goal for this site is to become the place where you can visit or send someone for more amateur radio information anywhere in the state of Oklahoma. 

Be a Ham

Each year hundreds of folks obtain their first Technician license. This tab will help them learn what’s required, show them how, give them training assistance, and show them where they can take a license test. If your club operates an ongoing license test session, make sure we listed it on the license page, and please get in touch with us if you need some changes/additions.

Section Mgr News

The Oklahoma Section Manager newsletters are stored here. So if you missed a past issue or need to catch up on some local information, this is the place to look. 

ARES/SKYWARN

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a service that hams provide during communications emergencies. Here you will find a link to the ARES Oklahoma web page, where you can join, learn, obtain training, and more. 

The National Weather Service’s SKYWARN program is also a good way for hams to get involved with severe weather reporting. This page provides the four different regions of the NWS for the state and how you can get involved from your area.

NTS

The National Traffic System (NTS) is how amateur radio operators pass traffic during ‘blue-sky’ days and during communications emergencies. Every day Oklahoma hams pass traffic via voice, CW, and Winlink. This tab describes the local methods we use to get messages in and out of Oklahoma. You will hear more about NTS in subsequent Section Manager News reports.

Clubs

There are 40 ARRL affiliated clubs in the state, and you will be able to find one of these clubs here. If you are a club leader and notice that some information needs to be updated, please let us know.

Join ARRL

Here you can link to the ARRL membership benefits page and the page to allow you to join or renew your ARRL membership online. 

Hamfests

Oklahoma has five hamfests (or conventions) annually in Elk City, (Green Country) at Claremore, Oklahoma City, Ardmore, and Enid. In addition, we hold tailgate events in the Pryor and Edmond areas. This tab has links to each event, and you will find the most current information about each event here. If you have some updated information about one of these events, please make sure you contact us.

Contact Us

The contact us section has links to provide contact information for the Oklahoma Section and describes our neighboring regions. Oklahoma, along with Texas, makes up the ARRL West Gulf Division, one of the fifteen national divisions. Links to the WGD and the three Texas sections can be found on this tab. 

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. The tremendous local hams have good information, and as Elmers or mentors, they love to share it. Send something that your club is doing well to me n5hzr@arrl.org, and I’ll feature your club in this newsletter, and on the ARRL club newsletter. Most clubs are seeing an increase in new member activity recently. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 40 clubs listed at https://ok.arrl.org/clubs/. Look for a club near you, or verify that your club is on the list. Send Jim an email at W5JCS@arrl.net if you need club assistance.

ARRL Oklahoma is On The Web

JOIN/RENEW ARRL NOW —  http://arrl.org/join/

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM020 – Pryor Tailgate & John Stratton N5AUS

Pryor Tailgate

Mayes County Amateur Radio Club (MCARC) presents: the Pryor, OK Tailgate Event – Saturday, January 15, 2022 – Doors Open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, at the Graham Community Center, 6 North Adair Street – Pryor, OK 74361

All of the information is on the https://ok.arrl.org/hamfests/pryor/ website. They have produced a video for you to get the details that’s available at https://youtu.be/2x9IXG8EX1w

Only $5 at the door. Talk in on the 147.060 MHz repeater (-600 offset 88.5 Hz Tone) or on the 444.675 MHz machine (+5 MHz offset 88.5 Tone). 40 flea market tables are available, contact kd5jxu@gmail.com or n5yir@yahoo.com to reserve yours. Set up begins at 6:00 am on Friday, people with multi-tables will be allowed early set up on Friday, January 14 from Noon to 6 PM. D&L Antenna, Mike’s Embroidery, and amateur radio testing will be available. Concessions will be provided by the American Legion Post 240 Women’s Auxiliary. Not sure of your radio? Jon N5UUA will have a test bench set up.

And, they have a second video that talks about the raffles at https://youtu.be/5UsK2SMbLAU

John Stratton N5AUS’ Presentation

If you were unable to join the ARRL West Gulf Division Director John Stratton N5AUS at Saturday’s SCARS meeting, or you need to pick up something you missed, we have this presentation recorded for you to watch at your leisure at https://youtu.be/RNVO8SPDkV8.

John Stratton N5AUS – ARRL Update – SCARS Meeting

As a Division Directory, John is our elected representative on the ARRL board of directors and serves on the ARRL Executive Committee and on the new Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee (EC-FSC). He talked about the many changes that are happening at ARRL headquarters and what is coming down the road.

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. The tremendous local hams have good information, and as Elmers or mentors, they love to share it. Send something that your club is doing well to me n5hzr@arrl.org, and I’ll feature your club in this newsletter, and on the ARRL club newsletter. Most clubs are seeing an increase in new member activity recently. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 39 clubs listed at https://ok.arrl.org/clubs/. Look for a club near you, or verify that your club is on the list. Send Jim an email at W5JCS@arrl.net if you need club assistance.

ARRL Oklahoma is On The Web

JOIN/RENEW ARRL NOW —  http://arrl.org/join/

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM019 – John Stratton N5AUS in Norman This Saturday

Our Oklahoma/Texas ARRL West Gulf Division Director John Stratton N5AUS will be speaking at the South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS) meeting, in-person this Saturday, January 8th at 9:30 am.

Please feel free to join the group in person at their normal meeting location, Firehouse #7 Training Center, 2207 Goddard Ave, Norman, OK. The meeting, and John’s presentation, start at 9:30 am, but people start showing up at 9:00 am to visit before the meeting. You can also join the meeting via Zoom using the https://w5nor.org/zoom/ link, or this will be streamed live on YouTube by clicking the https://w5nor.org/stream/ link.

John is on the ARRL Executive Committee and is a member of the new Emergency Communications – Field Services Committee. John has an Aerospace Engineering Degree and a Law Degree from a little school south of Dallas. John will have some great upcoming information about the happenings at ARRL. The ARRL board of directors will meet next week, so there will be a lot of buzz about upcoming activities. This is a great way to provide your input on ARRL activities or ask any questions you may have.

ARRL directors are hard-working volunteers and are elected every three years for our division by the ARRL members in Oklahoma and Texas.

See you there!

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. The tremendous local hams have good information, and as Elmers or mentors, they love to share it. Send something that your club is doing well to me n5hzr@arrl.org, and I’ll feature your club in this newsletter, and on the ARRL club newsletter. Most clubs are seeing an increase in new member activity recently. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 39 clubs listed at https://ok.arrl.org/clubs/. Look for a club near you, or verify that your club is on the list. Send Jim an email at W5JCS@arrl.net if you need club assistance.

ARRL Oklahoma is On The Web

JOIN/RENEW ARRL NOW —  http://arrl.org/join/

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…