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SM006 – The Card is in the Mail / Memorial Marathon     |     SM005 – Field Day Summary!     |     SM004 – Field Day is Here!     |     SM003 – OK Hamfests/Tailgate Events 2021     |     SM002 – Where to find ARRLOK?     |     SM001 – Hello Oklahoma!     |    
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SM006 – The Card is in the Mail / Memorial Marathon

July 19, 2021

Amateur radio operators have used QSL cards to confirm their contacts for decades. And, while the use of paper QSL cards has diminished in recent years, this week, hundreds of postcards will arrive in the mailboxes of hams all over the state of Oklahoma. Cards have been sent to hams that recently obtained their first amateur radio license, upgraded their ticket, joined ARRL, or had their ARRL membership lapse since December 1st, 2020.

When I obtained my amateur radio license at the end of solar cycle 21, a few vendors sent welcome mailings to newly minted hams. After checking the mailbox every day for the 6+ weeks it took to receive my FCC license, I was thrilled to see that others had recognized my achievement. In addition, they offered their services for QSL cards, radio information, or newsletters. I hope these cards will trigger that same feeling when they peer in their mailbox.

Please feel free to send me any comments that you have or hear about these cards to n5hzr@arrl.org. I’d like to know that others receive the same joy I had when putting these together and dropping them in the mailbox!

I hope these cards will spark some conversations about ARRL Oklahoma, and I’ll keep sending these out monthly to keep in touch with new licenses, upgrades, and ARRL membership changes.

ARRL Membership

If you are not currently a member, this would be an excellent time to join the ARRL. You can join online or print an application at  https://arrl.org/join/. Maybe it’s time to ask a friend if they are a member?

As a reminder, here is a summary of some of the…

ARRL Benefits

And, for all of you current members, thanks for being a part of the group. When’s your renewal?

Communications for the OKC Memorial Marathon

The coordinator of the amateur radio operators for the OKC Memorial Marathon, Mike Rockey KE5EQC, reports that he currently has half of the required hams signed up. He has 54 volunteers signed up so far, and he needs about 110. We’re about 2 1/2 months out from the October 3rd event, and it is probably hard to think about standing out at a medical tent or other location in this heat. But this year, it may even be jacket weather in the first part of October.

DATES/TIME:

  • Sunday, October 3rd, on-site at 6:00 AM and finish around 3:00 or 3:30 ish.
  • The pre-brief meeting will be on September 21st at 7:00 PM at Integris Baptist Hospital near NW Expressway and Portland.

REGISTER ONLINE:

Any licensed amateur radio operator can assist. Each year hams from all over the state converge to help with this grand event. You can register online at https://www.cuetoems.com/ocmm_2021/Volunteer.aspx?code=PSC2021.

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. The tremendous local hams have good information, and as Elmers or mentors 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. Most clubs have seen an increase in new member activity during the pandemic. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 38 clubs listed at  https://aresok.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.

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

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

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM005 – Field Day Summary!

July 5, 2021

This year’s Field Day operations have come and gone. Field Day is a great way for you to get involved with all kinds of amateur radio modes in a single afternoon. It’s also a great way to practice your emergency operation skills. And, it’s a great way to meet and greet your fellow local hams. If you missed this one, hang on, Winter Field Day is less than six months away. Otherwise, I hope you had some fun. 

This year we had several clubs that planned to operate from home. We had 15 clubs post an active Field Day on the ARRL Field Day locator, listed below.

These groups created excellent summaries on their efforts, and I’ve complied them at https://aresok.org/2021-field-day/ Take a look at the great pictures and actions of the Oklahoma clubs. Special congratulations to the WI5ND – Vm Okla Nan Ola ARC group. This was their first Field Day as a club! 

I’m so glad that I was able to see so many of you in action.

W5IAS – Tulsa Amateur Radio Club
Http://W5IAS.com

WX5MC – MCARC Mayes County Amateur Radio Club
www.mcarc.me

WI5ND – Vm Okla Nan Ola ARC
https://www.facebook.com/Vm-Okla-Nan-Ola-104220878292184/

K5WCO – West Central Okla Amateur Radio Club
http://wcoarc.ddns.net  

W5HTK – Enid Amateur Radio Club

K5SRC – Stillwater Amateur Radio Club
https://stillwaterarc.org

W5NOR – South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS)
https://w5nor.org/fd/

W5MWC – Mid-Del Amateur Radio Club
http://w5mwc.org

WX5BA – Broken Arrow Emergency Management

K5EOK – Edmond Amateur Radio Society
www.k5eok.org

W5KS – Lawton Ft. Sill ARC

W5NS – Bartlesville Amateur Radio Club
www.bartlesvilleamateurradioclub.com

N5PC – Kay County ARC
http://kaycountyhams.com

WX5RC – Rogers County Wireless Association
WWW.RCWA.ORG 

AC5XJ – Chisholm Trail Amateur Radio Club

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. The tremendous local hams have good information, and as Elmers or mentors 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. Most clubs have seen an increase in new member activity during the pandemic. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 38 clubs listed at https://aresok.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.

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

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

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM004 – Field Day is Here!

June 25, 2021

What is Field Day?

The ARRL Field Day means many things to many people. It takes planning, equipment negotiations, power systems, equipment repair, creature comforts, setup, testing, food, license testing, fox hunts, more food, teardown, and cleanup. This supports 24 hours of operators using radio systems on voice, morse code, and digital modes. There are currently 1,100 locations registered across the United States and Canada. Operations start Saturday morning and continue straight through to Sunday afternoon on the fourth full weekend of June.

Where is Field Day?

You can find Field Day sites on the ARRL Field Day Locator at http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator.

This year the operate from home rules have been extended, so you can operate from your home station and aggregate your score with the others in your club. Enter your club name when you submit your score, and ARRL will add your efforts to the group score. More information is available at the ARRL link http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-to-extend-field-day-rule-waivers-from-2020-add-class-d-and-e-power-limit

Contact Your Section Manager

Rule 7.3.5 of the Field Day rules stat that “ALL CLASSES” of stations can gain an additional 100 bonus points by sending your section manager, Mark Kleine N5HZR, n5hzr@arrl.org/405-410-6756, a formal message, as shown here:

“7.3.5. Message Origination to Section Manager: 100 bonus points for origination of a formal message to the ARRL Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator by your group from its site. You should include the club name, number of participants, Field Day location, and number of ARES operators involved with your station. The message must be transmitted during the Field Day period and a copy of it must be included in your submission in standard ARRL radiogram or no credit will be given. The message must leave or enter the Field Day operation via amateur radio RF.

The Section Manager message is separate from the messages handled in Rule 7.3.6. and may not be claimed for bonus points under that rule. Available to all Classes.”

Two things you need to do to make this happen. 

First, create a message in a standard ARRL radiogram format. One is available at this link https://www.arrl.org/files/media/Group/Fillable%20Radiogram%20Form.pdf. You must submit this form with your Field Day submission to get credit for the message. 

Second, you need to transmit this message. The NTS traffic nets, specifically the 8:00 am Sunday Oklahoma Phone Emergency Net (OPEN) at 3.903 MHz, will be happy to take the message. However, the rules do not require NTS transmission. Use your imagination, and see if you can get this sent via amateur radio frequencies. If you have a radio connection to Winlink, you can send the message to n5hzr@arrl.org. And to help all Oklahoma Field Day operators, I will receive any emails to n5hzr@arrl.org via Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) during Field Day. These messages will count for the bonus points if you submit the Radiogram document. Send your message before Sunday at noon to make sure it gets received.

The International Space Station to be in Cross-Band Repeater Mode for Field Day

According to the ARRL Letter, the ISS will be available in a cross-band repeater configuration for Field Day. More information is available at  

http://www.arrl.org/news/international-space-station-to-be-in-cross-band-repeater-mode-for-field-day

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. All of 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. Most clubs have seen an increase in new member activity during the pandemic. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 38 clubs listed on the ARRL Find-a-club directory at http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club. 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.

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

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

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM003 – OK Hamfests/Tailgate Events 2021

May 28, 2021

OK Hamfests/Tailgate Events 2021

Hamfests are amateur radio’s in-person conferences or conventions. While we have missed these events for the past year or so, we have four of them scheduled for 2021. The first two of these are outdoor tailgate events, and the last two are full-blown hamfests. If you are new to the hobby, these events allow you to learn more about amateur radio, have fun, and buy and sell equipment from local hams. For us experienced hams, these are great ways to meet old friends, make some new friends, and buy/sell some gear.

Put these dates on your calendar and get your tickets now!

Field Day 2021

ARRL’s Field Day always happens on the fourth full weekend in June. Field Day is ham radio’s open house, and it is an excellent way for you to show amateur radio to your friends and family. If you are new to amateur radio, this is a great place to learn more about the hobby quickly. Typically, most operating modes are on display or are available for you to discuss. Join more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, education, fun, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been held annually since 1933 and remains the most popular event in ham radio. More information is available in the June issue of QST, and all of the details are online at http://www.arrl.org/field-day. Find a local field day site, or list your club on the field day locator site at http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator.

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. All of 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. Most clubs have seen an increase in new member activity during the pandemic. Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 38 clubs listed on the ARRL Find-a-club directory at http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club. 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.

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

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

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM002 – Where to find ARRLOK?

May 16, 2021

The American Radio Relay League Oklahoma Section (ARRLOK) is the local field organization that links local hams with the ARRL. If you’re reading this, you have found at least one way to interact with us. However, there are a half dozen ways to get section information.

Thanks to Lloyd Colston KC5FM, we have a significant presence on the social media platforms of Blogspot, Facebook, and Twitter. In addition to these section updates, Lloyd posts great amateur radio content on the Blogspot, Facebook, and Twitter platforms. Take a look at the other media that you haven’t viewed recently.

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

To keep this information easily accessible, we’ll keep posting these directories at the bottom of each Section Newsletter.

And, you’re always welcome to email me if you still have questions or concerns at n5hzr@arrl.org.

Field Day

Field Day is always on the fourth full weekend in June. More information in a future newsletter, but all of the details are online at http://www.arrl.org/field-day. Find a local field day site, or make sure your club is listed on the field day locator site at http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator.

Clubs

Amateur radio clubs are the backbone of the hobby. All of the tremendous local hams have good information, and as Elmers or mentors, they love to share it. Most clubs have seen an increase in new member activity during the pandemic. Our Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 38 clubs listed on the ARRL Find-a-club directory at http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club. 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.

ARESOK Update

On the new ARESOK website, we’ve updated the member listing page. It now includes contact information for your district, region, and section leaders. Take a look at https://aresok.org/ and make sure all of your contact information is correct.

On-The-Air Nets

Peter Laws N5UWY collects information on all of the local, section, and regional nets in Oklahoma. If you run a net and haven’t received an email from Peter, send him an email at n5uwy@arrl.net to get it on the ARESOK.org and ARRL.org net directories.

Hamfests

Hamfests are our in-person conferences. We’ve got two of them scheduled for 2021. If you are new to the hobby, these are great events to learn more about amateur radio and buy and sell equipment from the locals. Put these dates on your calendar and get your tickets now!

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…

SM001 – Hello Oklahoma!

May 1, 2021

Welcome to the ARRL Oklahoma Section News. I’m Mark Kleine N5HZR and over the past 35+ years, I’ve been able to meet a good number of you at hamfests, club meetings, and special events. As I started this Section Manager journey during the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting hundreds more of you via email, DMR, and Zoom. I want to thank all of the kind messages you all have extended to me during this transition time. And, I’m so grateful that you all have been so gracious with your time and future commitments. If we haven’t had the chance to meet, please feel free to send me an email.

I want to thank past Section Manager Kevin O’Dell N0IRW for his efforts over the years to build a better Oklahoma Section and for all he has done to smooth my entry into this new role.

New ARES Website

As luck would have it, we have implemented a new ARESOK.org website over the past few weeks, as well. Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Section Emergency Manager Mark Conklin N7XYO, Paul Teel WA5ANX, Ben Joplin WB5VST, and I have worked to bring the new site to life and get 800 ARES members’ contact information transferred. Each existing ARES member received an email that welcomed them to the new site and provided their login credentials. If you haven’t logged back in, please visit ARESOK.org and click the forgot password button. If you haven’t already registered, do it today. Once you get logged in, you can see the contact information for your fellow county members. Also, take a look at the counties page to see if your Emergency Coordinator (EC) is listed. If you notice any members that are no longer involved with your ARES program or any other changes, please send me a message, and I will update the records. I want to thank Roland Stolfa KC5UNL for his efforts in providing and managing the ARESOK.org website over the past 15 years.

And So Much More

It’s a great time to be involved in Oklahoma amateur radio. Standby more follows…

73 Mark

Oklahoma ARRL
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