W4AP - Montgomery Amateur Radio Club

April 2012 MARC Meeting

MARC members,

At the April MARC meeting, we will continue our disaster preparedness theme with a guest speaker. Mike Stodenmier, director of the Montgomery City/County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will be speaking about his office's role and how we, as amateur radio operators fit into EMA disaster response plans. Mike will also discuss his plans for integrating amateur radio into upcoming city events and EMA drills. This will be your chance to talk with Mike one-on-one and to ask questions about emergency management's plans for dealing with various disaster scenarios.

Also, Ken and I will be sporting the latest in MARC apparel. We have been working with AKD on a new Field Day T-Shirt design as well as a MARC polo shirt and we'll have both available for you to see and purchase at the April meeting. We will be kicking off the Field Day fund raiser by offering Field Day T-shirts for sale.
This will be a great meeting so please make plans to come out and join us Monday night.
April 2012 MARC Meeting
Monday, April 16, 2012 - 7:00PM
Central AL Red Cross Chapter
5015 Woods Crossing Drive (just off Carmichael Rd)
dinner at Schlotzsky's @ 6:00

February MARC Meeting

MARC members & friends,

The next MARC meeting will be held on Monday, February 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held in classroom A of the Central Alabama Red Cross, 5015 Woods Crossing Drive.

After a brief business meeting, we will listen to several disaster preparedness themed presentations. Mike Watkins, WX4AL, the ARRL AL district 4 emergency coordinator, will make a presentation about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and its role in central Alabama. El Erby, the Montgomery county emergency coordinator will tell us about the local ARES situation and Otto Arnoscht, the central Alabama Skywarn, Alabama Emergency Net Golf (AENG) net manager will make a presentation about the Skywarn program and it assists the National Weather Service when severe weather happens.

I hope you will take a couple hours from your busy schedule to join me next Monday evening for what's sure to be an entertaining and informative meeting.

As always, many of us stop by Schlotzsky's around 5:30 - 6:00 for dinner and fellowship before the meeting.

73,
Scott Poole, W4SPA
President, Montgomery Amateur Radio Club

MARC meeting - Monday, Jan 16, 2012 7:00PM

Reminder, The next MARC meeting will be Monday evening, Jan 16 @ 7:00 PM. MARC meetings are held at the Central AL Red Cross building which is located at 5015 Woods Crossing Drive, just off Carmichael Rd.

Monday evening we will introduce the 2012 officers and trustees and discuss the upcoming MARC events for 2012. I will also be giving the 2012 budget presentation.

Also, remember 2012 club dues are due now. There are several ways to pay your dues, click the membership application link and you can print an application to fill out and mail to us or bring it with you to the next meeting. Or, you can pay via Paypal by going to Paypal.com and sending the appropriate payment amount to President@w4ap.org.

IMPORTANT: In order to keep the membership roster as current as possible, please fill out all applicable information of the membership application. Please note that disclosure of telephone numbers is optional and the publish check boxes next to each number let us know if it's OK to list your telephone number(s) on a printed membership roster.

I am very much looking forward to the upcoming year and I'm certain it's going to be a great year for MARC and its members!

73,

Scott Poole, W4SPA
President, Montgomery Amateur Radio Club

MARC Annual Holiday Party and Awards Banquet

MARC President Ken Kohnke along with the MARC officers and Trustees would like to cordially invite to you attend the annual awards banquet and holiday party on Monday, December 19th at 6:30 PM. The party will be held at Golden Corral restaurant. Please make plans to arrive by 7:00 PM to enjoy dinner with us. After dinner, the annual awards will be presented as well as door prizes. Of course, family and friends are always welcome!

MARC 2012 Officers Elected

The 2012 MARC Officers and Trustee were elected at the regular club meeting on Monday, November 19th.

The 2012 Offciers are:

President - Scott, W4SPA
Vice President - Ken, KJ4CJP
Secretary - Rick, AJ4ZZ
Treasurer - Jim, AK4FP
Publicity Officer - Bruce, KI4OZW
Trustee - Phil, K4PO

MARC Election for 2012 Officers

2012 MARC Officer's election will be hled at the regular meeting on Monday, November 21 at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held at the Central Alabama Red Cross building, 5015 Woods Crossing Drive, just off Carmichael Rd.

National Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test Scheduled

A nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 9th, at 1pm CST by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security�s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The test will be broadcast over radio, television stations, and cable and last approximately three minutes.
The EAS is a system designed to transmit emergency alerts and warnings to the public at national, state, and local levels. Although testing is conducted weekly in our area, this will be the first time the EAS has ever been tested simultaneously nationwide. The purpose of this test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the system as a way to alert the public during nationwide emergencies.
The public will hear a message indicating that �This is a test.� There is no action required while this test goes on, however it may interrupt your regularly scheduled programs on television and radio. The test should not last more than three minutes.

Sun to remain quiet for years, scientists say

WASHINGTON � Scientists are predicting that the sun is heading into an unusual and extended super quiet mode. Around 2020, sunspots may disappear for years, maybe decades.

But scientists say it is nothing to worry about. The effects from a calmer sun are mostly good. There'd be fewer disruptions of satellites and power systems. And it might mean a little less increase in global warming.

It's happened before, but not for a couple centuries.

Scientists at a solar physics conference in New Mexico unveiled their prediction based on sunspot activity, magnetic field strength and a disappearing solar jet stream.

The prediction is specifically aimed at the solar cycle starting in 2020, but experts say the sun has already been unusually quiet for about four years.

Central Alabama Skywarn Extended Session Tracks Severe Weather

By Otto Arnoscht, N4UZZ
Central AL Skywarn Net Manager

On April 15, 2011 a series of tornados and severe thunderstorms crossed our area, and Skywarn was in overdrive, tracking storms, gathering reports from the field, and forwarding severe reports to the National Weather Service. We had over 35 check-ins from the four counties (Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, and Montgomery) and none of the counties were spared severe weather. We also assisted some traveling hams with weather condition reports as they were making their way through our area. The Skywarn controllers did yeoman�s work as the nets started near 3pm and ran all the way to midnight. N4BTB, W4EGR, N4UZZ, AK4FP, KR4JY, WA4BO, K4GDW, K4GR, KI4CSQ, K4LIA, K5VGU, KA4RRV and many others contributed to the Skywarn effort.

>SKYWARN ACTIVITY / LOWNDES & BUTLER CO.

By Bob Overstreet, WA4BO
Central AL Skywarn Net Controller

Beginning on the afternoon of the recent storm, several stations in our area began reporting observations to the Central Alabama Skywarn Net, then up & running on the 146.84 repeater. Over a period of 3-4 hours, 3 stations sighted & reported the appearance of distinct �wall clouds� in the Fort Deposit area, as the storm rolled through. These sightings occurred during late afternoon. Specific times not recorded, locally. Total time observing & reporting was about 3 & � to 4 hours.
Stations & geographic locations:
1- WA4LR LARRY NORTH BUTLER CO. (approx 3 miles south & slightly west of Ft. D).
sighted wall cloud from his QTH, looking west, moving generally along hwy 185, from Greenville to Ft. D. Brief periods (5-10 min) of very heavy rain. Moderate to heavy rainfall throughout the rest of this time period. Station was operating from inside his home on an H.T., attempting to relay to the �84 via the �67.
2- WA4BO BOB SOUTHEAST LOWNDES CO. (approx 2 miles west of I-65 / hwy 185 intersection). QTH is east central edge of town.
-sighted 2 distinct wall clouds during the period of observation (3-4 hrs). The first appeared at a cloud base due south of home QTH. Wall cloud was clearly visible thru a gap in tree line. The drop down from the cloud base was easily visible due to the contrast with the much lighter colored background. Also, the lower edge of this feature was a bit ragged, appearing as an occasional vertical column rotating very slowly around the center of the structure. Think maypoles. The second distinct wall cloud is believed to be the one described below in item #3, though viewed from the WEST side, at the QTH noted above.
3- KZ4J SPENCE SOUTHEAST LOWNDES CO. (approx 2 miles e/ne of the WQ4V CAROL intersection of U.S. 31 & Hwy 185, Logan, AL).
-sighted distinct wall cloud about 20 min after the first one reported in item 2. This wall cloud was noticeably larger, wider at the cloud base than (item 2). Extending one�s arm fully, palm upraised, it appeared 2 & � palm widths wide. General line of movement placed it just east of I-65, moving parallel to the interstate. Again the drop down feature was clearly distinct from the cloud base, due to contrast with the much lighter background shading. Neither station viewing this one ( viewed from both the east and the west) was able see any rotation.

Special Event April 9-10 Jim Bell Wireless Association

MARC members and friends,
Mark your calendars for this event - let's have a good turn out and help our friends in the JBWA by supporting this special event.
Special Event - 9-10 April, 2011
April 9, and April 10, 2011
1500Z to 2300Z

The Jim Bell Wireless Association (Greenville, AL) will have a special event station for the 40th Anniversary for the Calico Fort Arts and Crafts Fair.
They will be operating on:
10 meters - 28.400
15 meters - 21.350
20 meters - 14.240
40 meters -7.240 and 7.070 (PSK-31)
80 meters - None
D-Star - Reflector 2B will be active around the state from the fair from 9AM to 12 PM. (W4KCQ port C will be connected from Tuscaloosa.)

QSL via Bob Glasscock, P.O. Box 340, Greenville, AL 36037