|
SM: Malcolm Keown, W5XX. Mississippi Section Web Page at www.arrlmiss.org. Web Master: W5UE at w5ue@arrl.net. ASM: K5DSG, KA5ICO, W4WLF, KB5YEE, AG5Z, SGL: AK5J, TC: N5JGK.
The Mississippi Section conducts its yearly Simulated Emergency Test in cooperation with the annual May MEMA Hurricane Exercise. MEMA just announced that the exercise for 2013 has been canceled due to fiscal constraints. A SET may be organized for later in the year.
The Mississippi Emergency Operations Plan has been updated and is posted on www.arrlmiss.org. All ARES members should review the plan as we move through tornado season and the beginning of hurricane season is just a few weeks away.
Olde Towne Middle School (OTMS) Instructor N5VEI reports that the School conducted its third near space balloon launch this year. Olde Towne is the only school in the state that regularly launches weather balloons into the stratosphere to study atmospheric phenomena. The school uses large weather balloons to send science experiments up to altitudes targeted at greater than 90,000 feet. This year the HF tracking module was dedicated to Lloyd Causey, K5IMT (SK). The payload also carried an item of historical interest from the ARRL --- a remnant off of one of the Hiram Percy Maxim spark gap transmitters. The remnant was over 100 years old and was flown as a symbolic comparison of the technology of the past and that of today.
The balloon and payload were successfully launched from the OTMS Campus in Ridgeland at approximately 9:30 AM on April 13th. The weather was perfect and created the best launch conditions ever experienced by OTMS. Those assisting the OTMS students with the launch were school sponsors Bill Richardson, N5VEI, Bobby Robinson, and hams K5TDD, KD5JPB, N5KLT, K5GCY, N4WXC, and K5IMT (Lloyd's daughter). The equipment payload included a GoPro Camera, 2 meter voice beacon, APRS telemetry, another APRS tracker with slower transmission rates, HF Telemetry, possible SPOT tracker, a radiation detector, and an audio alarm for location in dense woods. Among the 14 student experiments on board were a battery duration evaluation, radiation detector measurements, and experiments related to bacteria mutations, potato chip taste testing, foam ball expansion, and solar cell output efficiency.
Due to a defective balloon, the flight only went to 68,000 feet and burst over Carthage. About 1 minute prior to burst the HF antenna snapped and HF tracking was lost. This was most likely due to a violent layer of air and cold temperatures. Upon the very violent burst, the APRS transmitter battery pack took a hard hit and a battery became unseated. At that point all tracking was lost. The only thing left to assist trackers was a voice beacon with a student message broadcasting every 45 seconds. Chase team members were tracking the beacon like animal trackers with beams... good old fox hunting! N5UDK used his instinct and went with the original prediction models. Tim stayed near the balloon according to the beacon signal levels. The balloon was coming down at about 1500 fpm and struck a pine tree farm about 20 miles East of Philadelphia. When it hit the trees, the APRS unit came back on. N5UDK had a mobile I-gate in his truck which relayed the landing coordinates to the internet. At that point the Ham Radio chasers were on the hunt! The first to find the balloon in the trees were father and son team K1REZ and W5JMJ. All the other chasers soon filed into the woods from a nearby road and the recovery was started. Fortunately, N4XWC was on site with all of his tree climbing gear. It took the chase and recovery team 4.5 hours to get all the balloon remnants out of the trees. Those Hams on site for the recovery effort included N5VEI, N4WXC, AE5SK, N5UDK, KC5VCB, K5TDD, K1REZ, W5JMJ, and NC5Y.
Rankin County EC KF5EZT reports that on April 13th the Central Mississippi ARA provided communications for the Susan G Komen Race For The Cure 5 and 10k Runs. This event raises funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Eric thanks WM5A, WX5H, KF5IZ, KE5JKD, KE5WAC, K5BLL, and N5DU for their help and W5IQ and K5XU for the use of the 147.000 repeater. Further, on April 20th, Eric notes that the ARES Group provided communication for the Mississippi Multiple Sclerosis 5k Walk in Flowood. Eric thanks to KF5IZ and K5GCY for their assistance with this event.
K5GCY advises that Governor Phil Bryant held his second annual 5K run/walk on April 27 starting at the Trade Mart in Jackson with around 800 participants. All funds raised from the event were donated to Blair Batson Children's Hospital. Hams who helped with communications along the race/walk course were: N5KLT, K5GCY, K5TDD, WS7EOC, K5BLL, KF5EZT, K5XU, K5KKD, KE5JKD, KE5WAC, KD5SBP, and KF5QXU.
From Northeast Mississippi KD5LAP reports that Alcorn County ARES (ACARES) assisted with communications for the annual Corinth Coke 10K race with over 1300 runners participating. ACARES Members supporting this effort were K5WHB, K0RIS, W5OA, KJ4IHT, AK4DI, KF5OHD, KF5UFB, and KD5LAP. As in years past, ACRES responsibility was to communicate 1st 2nd and 3rd place runner information in the male, female, and wheelchair categories back to the finish line. This information helped race officials to get a feel of how the runners are doing along the course. This year the ACARES 70cm repeater was utilized during the event. Everything went very well, and the race officials were very pleased with ACARES assistance during the race.
Scott County EC K1REZ reports that Asst. EC KC5IIW has completed ARRL EC-001 and Asst. EC W5JMJ should complete the course in May. Further Scott County Hospital is now an official ARES served agency where KF5UBZ is the Emergency Communications Director. In addition, the Scott County ARES Group set up a booth at the 'Morton Day in the Park.' K1REZ notes that those Hams in attendance to operate the rigs and speak with the public were KC5IIW, W5JMJ, KF5UBZ, K4FMH, WS7EOC, K5TDD, W5XX, KF5QXU, KF5EBP, K5DMJ, and N5KLT, as well as potential new Ham Jimmy Reid.
AD5HM advises that KJ5V from Hollandale had a very complimentary writeup in the Twin County Electric Power Association's Monthly Journal. After serving as a Navy radioman in the Pacific during WWII, M.P. Returned to the Delta to farm in Washington and Sharkey Counties. He has served on the Power Association's Board of Directors since 1992.
Have you got strange vermin that have invaded your Antenna Farm? K2FF had rats that enjoyed Beverages. See his article in the May/June 2013 issue of the DX Magazine to cure the problem.
EC AE5FE reports that as the result of a request by NWS Jackson to the Lauderdale EMA Director, an ARES Team from Meridian visited the NWS Office to activate the HF Station. Thanks to the efforts of WB5BNV, KF5QLL, KE5YEM and AE5FE necessary repairs were made, and the HF station was found to be fully functional on 3862.
Welcome to the following new Hams in Mississippi in April: KF5UTN, Katrina – Bay Saint Louis, KF5UUG, Vernon – Picayune; KF5UVE, Glenn – Gulfport; KF5UWG, Leslie – Myrtle; KF5UWH, Gary – New Albany; KF5UXH, William – Jackson; KF5UZX, Ryan – Brandon; KF5VBB, John – Purvis; KF5VBC, Jacob – Lumberton; and KF5VBH, Patrick – Picayune.
Also welcome to the following new ARRL Members in April: WD5CCA – Taylorsville; KF5GGX – Hattiesburg; KF5HAJ- Olive Branch; WC7N – Gulfport; KJ4NIO – Byhalia; KJ4NWE – Byhalia; KI5RY – Biloxi; KF5SHQ – Gulfport; KF5TPU – Horn Lake; KF5TVU – Wiggins; KF5UTN – Bay Saint Louis; KF5UWG – Myrtle; KF5UWH New Albany; KF5VBB – Purvis; and KE5ZOP – Gulfport.
As of April 31, Mississippi had 1,146 ARRL Members. No change from last month, but still at at a record level! Thanks to all who promote ARRL Membership!
Congratulations to to the following on their upgrades: KF5HAJ – Olive Branch; KF5NGZ – New Albany; KF5RYK – Soso; N5SPJ – Brandon; KF5TIG – Gulfport; KF5TQK – Terry; KF5UBZ – Morton; KF5UHX – Saltillo; KF5UWG – New Albany; KD5YVY – New Albany; and WB5ZET – Hattiesburg.
DEC/EC Monthly Reports for April 2013: WB5CON (NE MS/Alcorn), KF5EZT (Rankin), AE5FE (Lauderdale/Clarke), KE5KTU (Hinds), K5MOZ (Jackson), WX5N (Prentiss and Tishomingo), WV1Q (Jasper), K1REZ (Scott), and KE5WJN (Pearl River).
OO Report: AB6Z
Club Newsletter/Reports (Editor): Hattiesburg ARC (AC5E), Lowndes County ARC (AD5DO), Meridian ARC (W5MAV), Mississippi Coast ARA (KB9ZR), NE MS ARA (KB5NMB), Tishomingo County ARC (KU4WW).
Regret to report the passing of W5AV of Brandon. Keith was a pioneer in bringing TV to Mississippi when WLBT went on the air in the 1950's and was acclaimed as the Top DXer in the state with 381 countries confirmed.
HF Net Reports - sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)
Magnolia Section Net 30/1101/17 (K5DSG)
MS Baptist Hams Net 4/26/0 (WF5F)
MSPN 30/2574/40 (K5NRK)
MS Slow Net 21/41/0 (W3TWD)
VHF Net Reports - sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)
Booneville and Prentiss County Net 5/66/0 (WX5N)
Capital Area Em Net 4/77/0 (K5XU)
Delta ARES Simplex Net 4/28/0 (K5JAW)
Hattiesburg ARC EN 4/78/0 (AC5E)
Itawamba County ARES Net 4/55/1 (KB5NMB)
Jackson ARC Em Net 5/59/0 (N5DU)
Jackson County Em Net 27/414/0 (K5MOZ)
Magnolia DX Assn Net 4/71/0 (K5OAZ)
Meridian Area EM Net 5/58/0 (AE5FE)
Metro Jackson ARES Net 5/59/1 (K5GCY)
Miss/Lou Em Net 4/29/0 (K5NRK)
MS Preparedness Project EN 4/46/0 (WX5H)
NE MS Skywarn Net 7/105/0 (W5LMW) Two severe weather activations
Olive Branch ARC Tech and Info Net 13/122/1 (KD5CKP)
Pearl River ARES Net 5/51/0 (KE5WJN)
Pearl River ARC Net 4/77/0 (K5RDA)
Rankin County ARES 4/44/0 (KE5EZT)
Scott County ARES Net 6/63/0 (K1REZ/W5JMJ) One severe weather activation; 7 storm reports.
South Central Skywarn and Jasper County ARES 3/27/0 (WV1Q)
Southern MS YL Net 3/21/0 (KB5CSQ`)
Stateline Skywarn Net 4/51/0 (KB5NMB) Two severe weather activations
Stone County ARES Net 5/60/0 (N5UDK) One severe weather activation; QNI 13
Tishomingo ARC Net 5/83/0 (WX5N)
UMARC Net 4/35/0 (K5LMB)
Yazoo County ARES Net 5/37/0 (KF5DJS)
PSHR – W5XX 71
Compilation of Net statistics provided by KB5RCJ.
|
