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Part of an organization is it's history. To preserve some of
that history, news items from the RARS
Exciter Web Update will be placed here as they are retired
from that page. Check here to look for older items of interest.
Note: page links on this page may not work, especially with older stories. This page is here to preserve these stories for historical purposes only. Pages are changed, updated and deleted over time, which may invalidate these links. Calling all ROWH members posted November 2nd, 2003 Calling a conclave of The Royal Order Of The Wouff Hong. Come forth
20031102-20040401.html Red Cross Training Schedule 2nd Q 2003 posted March 25th, 2003 Contact Bob Scott 20030325-20030621.html Upcoming Public Service Events posted February 21st, 2003 RARS is pleased to announce that the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National MS Society has asked us to coordinate communications for the MS events such as the MS Walk and the MS 150 Bike Tour. In support of their request we have contacted clubs outside of the Raleigh area and will continue to do so.
20030221-20031108.html
SKYWARN Spotter Class in Raleigh - March 28 - RSVP Requested
posted March 21st, 2002
The Cary Amateur Radio club is sponsoring SKYWARN Spotter Training by Rod
Gonski of the Raleigh NWS office on Thursday, March 28, 2002, at 7:30
PM. Doors open at 7 PM for registration (a certificate will be mailed to
those attending). There will be NO formal cost to attend the meeting.
20020321-20020328.html
RARSfest 2002 Needs Volunteers!
posted January 19th, 2002 The RARSfest coordinators are looking for volunteers for security, stage help, tickets, etc. You name it, there is probably a spot for you! Please contact Chairman Hank Montgomery (K4HM) at k4hm@arrl.net and he will put in touch with the correct volunteer coordinator given your interests. 20020119-20020414.html
Red Cross Sept 11
posted August 28th, 2002
As part of the commemoration of the tragic events of Sept 11 last year,
the Triangle Red Cross is hosting several events.
20020828-20020911.html
Summer Band Openings
posted July 9th, 2002
For those of you new to Ham radio, there is a great way to work a little DX with a few watts on 2m. Most new Hams start out on 2m so this works out well. You'll need something more than an HT antenna but most base station rigs (or mobiles) will do the trick.
20020709-20020901.html Red Cross Classes - Q1 posted January 8th, 2003 It seems the training has yet to be posted on their website so, here is the first quarter schedule.
20030108-20030329.html 2003 Georgia QSO Party posted February 12th, 2003 Sponsored by the South East Contest Club (SECC) and the Southeastern DX Club (SEDXC)
20030212-20030413.html NCEM/ARRL-ARES/RACES MOU signing at JARSfest posted November 12th, 2002 In addition to all the great things we have come to expect at the JARSfest,
this year something special will happen there.
20021112-20021117.html Hurricane Season 2003 - Special Tar Heel Emergency Net posted July 11th, 2003 The ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Bernie Nobles, WA4MOK, and the TAR HEEL EMERGENCY NET (THEN) Manager Claude Chaffin, K4CWZ, have granted permission to conduct a special THEN session on Tuesday, July 22nd at 1930 EDT.
20030711-20030722.html
Red Cross Training
posted September 11th, 2002
Please contact Bob Scott, KG4IZA, at kg4iza@arrl.net to sign up for any of these courses offered by the Triangle Red Cross. You should send him your name, address, telephone number and course requested.
Remember, "Intro. to Disaster Services" is a pre-requisite for these courses. 20020911-20021029.html
Virginia Beach Hamfest - Sept 28-29
posted June 13th, 2002
The Virginia Beach Hamfest will be a two-day affair this year after all.
20020613-20020930.html WakeARES NetNotes posted November 20th, 2002 Matt KG4MYD has started posting a new, more dynamic section of the
Wake ARES website called NetNotes. This section will include short
notes posted weekly after each ARES net on Thursdays to help keep
everybody updated in case they miss the net.
20021120-20030201.html Autism Ribbon Run HELP NEEDED posted September 17th, 2003 The event this year will be held on Saturday, October 11th.
20030917-20031011.html FCC Vanity Petition posted December 3rd, 2002 From Frank Lynch W4FAL@arrl.net
20021203-20030115.html SWL's Can File BPL Interference Complaints posted April 9th, 2004 Part 15 prohibits interference to licensed services from unlicensed devices, but do you need to have a license yourself to complain about interference? Can SWLs complain to the FCC if they receive interference from BPL systems? 20040409-20040530.html
K4RLC Operates W1VOA
posted March 10th, 2002
20020310-20020501.html Field Day Results - RARS #3 in 7A posted October 30th, 2002 The Field Day results can be found at
http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qst/contests/results/2002/fd.pdf
20021030-20030101.html
Broadway Tower Destroyed by Plane
updated March 26th, 2002
The 2000-foot tower near the small town of Broadway in Lee County was
destroyed this afternoon. The tower (or guy wires) was hit by a
small plane.
20020315-20020501.html posted March 24th, 2004 BPL Update #2 – FCC Releases NPRM, Time to ComplainBy Gary Pearce KN4AQ, Wake County ARES PIO Originally published in the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society Exciter, April, 2004 (permission granted for any print or web publication) March 23, 2004. Events are moving quickly on the BPL front. Progress Energy has begun signing up customers for their Phase II trial, and announced two sites that they hadn’t told us about. Duke Power has announced that they will run a trial site in Charlotte, and are working with hams in the Mecklenburg ARS. The FCC released their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Part 15, the section of the rules that governs BPL as an unlicensed, “unintentional radiator.” And Tom N4TAB, Frank W4FAL and I have continued our investigation of the effects of BPL on ham radio, based on the Phase II trial systems. There’s still more work to do, but the future is getting clearer. They’ve heard us Amateur Radio’s complaints about the potential for interference from BPL have been heard. After months of industry denial that the systems cause interference, and the FCC’s apparent deaf ear to our evidence, the situation changed quickly at the Commission’s February 12th public meeting when they announced the Part 15 NPRM. The FCC engineering staff and most of the Commissioners commented on the potential for interference and the need to “mitigate” it and protect licensed services (Amateur Radio was mentioned by name only in a news conference that followed the meeting). (You can see video of the meeting by going to www.fcc.gov/realaudio and selecting the “Commission Meetings” link under “A/V Archives” on the left hand column. Once you’re on that page, you’ll see a list of “On-Line Recordings.” Click on “February 2004 Meeting Video” and you’ll start seeing the meeting in streaming video. You’ll need a player that can handle the RealVideo format. BPL is the first item on the agenda, and takes about 18 minutes. But you’ll also want to slide down to the press conference, 1 hour and 27 minutes into the video, for the first few questions that address Amateur Radio interference directly as well.) The NPRMReflecting the comments at the Commission meeting, the NPRM proposes statements and requirements that appear to insure protection from interference, while also giving strong support to BPL in general. The NPRM’s introduction paragraph includes this sentence: “…we are cognizant that the possibility of widespread operation of Access BPL raises interference concerns and that we must protect licensed radio services from any harmful interference that might occur.” Briefly, the NPRM proposes these steps to reduce interfernce : * No increase in Part 15 emission limits. * Affirms that “operations must cease if harmful interference to licensed services is caused.” * Requires “adaptive interference mitigation techniques” – reduce power, change or exclude operating frequencies by remote control. * “Incorporate a shut-down feature” to quickly terminate interference (no details on how this would work). * Notification requirements and public database that would show location and frequencies in use for all BPL systems were mentioned at the meeting, but did not appear in the NPRM. Don’t celebrate yetThis might look good at first blush, but is it enough, and will it work? I have some doubts. Will it fit? My first question is “will it fit?” Can BPL be implemented in a dense suburban environment, especially one with all overhead power lines? Our observations so far indicate that simple home stations running a dipole antenna can hear BPL from overhead lines at least a half-mile away, and sometimes more. A powerhouse station with a beam on a tower at 70 to 100 feet can hear it at 1.5 miles, maybe more. The system that Progress Energy is using requires 6 MHz of spectrum in two chunks (one 2.5 MHz wide, the other 3.5 MHz wide) for each leg of power line to a maximum of 2000 feet. Then the signals must shift to new frequencies, another 6 MHz of spectrum in two chunks. The original group of frequencies can’t be re-used for several legs, a mile away or more. Overlay these requirements on a suburban area like most of Raleigh or Cary, with several hams per square mile, and see if you can find enough spectrum to fit BPL and keep the ham bands clear for up to a mile for each ham. Make it more difficult for BPL by making it avoid the Shortwave Broadcast bands as well. I suspect there just won’t be enough room for all these 6 MHz chunks without sitting on some ham or swl bands. The Phase II trial sites occupy all of the 12 and 10 meter bands with their overhead lines now. Domino effect. In this same dense suburban area, what happens when one ham complains about interference and the utility moves the BPL signals on the power lines causing the problem? If spectrum is as tight as I expect, moving one spectrum block on one power line leg will sometimes require moving the spectrum used on the next leg, or the 2nd adjacent leg. The result could be that a ham a mile away will suddenly find interference on a band that had been clear. What about mobile? Assume that the BPL provider can create clear spectrum for all the hams at home. What happens to mobile HF operators? If BPL is operating across ham bands in any areas, there is a chance that a mobile ham will drive along one of the power lines and receive interference that could cover a half-mile, right under the line. That’s a minute’s worth of interference at 30 mph, if the ham is just driving through. But if he stops in a parking lot or friend’s driveway, the interference is constant at that point. Are we to yield our spectrum even for a minute under these circumstances? What’s “harmful?” The FCC rules define harmful interference as: §97.3(a) (23) Harmful interference. Interference which endangers the functioning of a radionavigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance with the Radio Regulations. How does that relate to Amateur Radio? With some difficulty. On HF, hams tune across the bands looking for signals – often looking for weak signals from other hams in distant lands or with very low power transmitters. The Progress Energy BPL signal appears as a series of closely spaced carriers, completely filling the 2.5 and 3.5 MHz spectrum blocks they occupy, about one every kHz. Even if the BPL signal is weak, not even moving the S-meter, that series of carriers will make tuning the band a major irritation, and picking out weak DX or domestic signals difficult. It doesn’t take interference to actual two-way communication to be harmful. Much of Amateur radio, and our entire sibling avocation of shortwave listening, is just that – listening. If something makes it difficult to just listen, it is harmful. Does anyone outside ham radio understand this? Where will the FCC draw the line for “harmful” interference? Amateur Radio by “Customer Service.” What we’re seeing here is a change from a mostly proactive prohibition of interference sources in the ham bands to a widespread permission to create an interference situation that forces the hams to react and complain in order to reclaim clear spectrum. A ham who suddenly finds one or more bands filled with carriers must now deal with a utility’s Customer Service. How responsive will they be? Will it take 10 minutes to make a change? 10 hours? 10 days? Progress Energy’s Customer Service phone line is currently open from 7 AM to 9 PM. What happens when you’re trying to operate in the middle of the night? Their system will be remotely controlled – they won’t need to send a lineman out to tweak the box on the pole. But will they want to send someone out to confirm the problem before making a change? Will they understand that moving the BPL signals from 20 meters to 40 meters isn’t an improvement? Are there any penalties for failing to promptly mitigate interference? For reinstating interference that was once cleared up? Insult to injury. This is paragraph 35 from the NPRM: 35. We recognize that amateur operations are likely to present a difficult challenge in the deployment of Access BPL in cases where amateurs use high gain outdoor antennas that are located near power lines. In considering this interference potential, we note that ARRL acknowledges that noise from power lines, absent any Access BPL signals, already presents a significant problem for amateur communications. We therefore would expect that, in practice, many amateurs already orient their antennas to minimize the reception of emissions from nearby electric power lines. Further, we note that many Access BPL technologies have the capability to avoid using specific frequencies, if necessary, to avoid interference. This would permit Access BPL devices to avoid the use of amateur frequencies when in close proximity to amateur outdoor antennas. This is a great example of how the NPRM authors at the FCC don’t understand us, and it’s a huge insult as well. My interpretation: A. We already get power line noise, so we should know how to solve BPL noise, or just put up with it, by ourselves. B. Just turn your antenna away from the noise and reduce it (and only talk to hams in parts of the world that are away from the power lines). C. It’s OK to put BPL on nearby power lines because of A and B above. Don’t bother us with interference complaints. Skip. This may be the most insidious problem of BPL. A single BPL signal is much weaker than even the lowest power QRP ham. BPL injects a few hundred milliwatts of RF into the line, but that power is spread over a few thousand carriers (with carriers about every one kHz, that’s 1000 carriers per MHz). We’re talking about a tenth of a milliwatts per carrier, into a not particularly efficient antenna. If I were the BPL company, that’s where I’d stop talking. One of those little signals might bounce off the ionosphere, but how strong is it going to be when it lands? But now imagine several hundred, maybe several thousand BPL systems using the same spectrum blocks all up and down the east coast. All those weak signals add together at a receiving station via skip. The result, for a ham in the Midwest, might be an increased noise floor. How much? I don’t know. More than nothing. No complaints?In response to the press and regulators, Progress Energy and other BPL operators have stated that they have received no complaints of interference to Amateur Radio operators. That looks bad for us, but there is a good reason. The trials are in rural areas, and are just not big enough to attract the attention of many hams. Here are some local details: The Phase II trial site that Progress Energy told us about is on Holland Church Road, about a mile south of 1010 Road, just east of Old Stage and Rock Service Station Roads. There are no hams living in the subdivision used for the test, and only three hams living within one mile. One of those hams is inactive. The other two, K4ITL and KM4UT, both hear the10 meter signal from the overhead lines just fine. Four more hams live with a two mile radius. One is inactive, one hears nothing, and two hear weak 10 meter BPL signals. The second site, that we didn’t know about until it was published in the paper, is in Fuquay-Varina, on James Slaughter Road, just north of NC-55, in the Woodchase subdivision. Once again, there are no hams living in the subdivision. There are seven hams living within one mile of this site. I’ve been able to contact three, and all are hearing the signal from the overhead lines, which is also on 10 meters. The one active station I’ve reached inside the two-mile radius is not hearing the signal. We haven’t tested to see if any of these hams are hearing signals from the underground segments of power line. I’d be surprised if they did – the signal is much weaker. But it’s quite likely that they would present a problem to hams in the immediate neighborhood, if there were any. These hams were generally aware of BPL, but did not know they were near a trial site, since the locations were kept secret until recently. One of them had heard the 10 meter signals, but didn’t know what it was or who to complain to. Progress Energy asked us not to divulge the location of the trials, out of respect to the people who lived there, but it is now public record. Some trial freqs movedIn mid March, several hams who were receiving interference, and several of us who heard it while mobile, filed formal complaints (mine is appended at the end of this article). The result: Progress Energy moved at least one of the overhead lines off the ham bands (though they still cover the 40 CB channels, and just nick the edge of the 12 and 10 meter bands with a few carriers). As this is being written, the overhead line at the Woodchase site near Fuquay-Varina is no longer covering any ham spectrum. Again, this sounds like a victory, but the effect is limited by the fact that this is a single overhead line in a rural area. Can this kind of mitigation work in a dense suburb like Cary or the neighborhoods of Raleigh? Complain now!If you have heard signals from the BPL trial sites, whether from home or while mobile, it’s time to complain. We need to stop the allegations that there have been no complaints from hams. These signals are in our bands. They interfere with our operation. As this is being written, the overhead line segments in the trial areas were being moved as a result of complaints by area Amateur Radio operators. The Woodchase line was moved off the 10 and 12 meter bands, but still covered CB and some SWL bands. To find BPL signals, tune across the HF spectrum, from as low as 6 MHz to 30 MHz or above. There are a lot of signals across HF, but the “signature” of the Progress Energy BPL signal is easy to recognize, even when it’s weak. It is literally continuous carriers, all about the same strength, for 2.5 or 3.5 MHz of spectrum. A shortwave broadcast band, or CB, can sound something like BPL, but they aren’t nearly as wide and the signals vary greatly in strength. Your complaint should be in writing (preferably via email). It should state, your name, amateur call, address, frequencies or range of frequencies on which the BPL signal was heard, level of interference (S units is OK), and some brief description of your station and antenna system. Include your daytime and evening phone numbers, and email address. Send these complaints to: Len Anthony, Progress Energy Regulatory Affairs len.anthony@pgnmail.com Copy the following people: Anh Wride, Anh.Wride@fcc.gov James R.Burtle, jburtle@fcc.gov Alan R. Stillwell, Alan.Stillwell@fcc.gov The ARRL RFI desk at w1rfi@arrl.org And to NC ARRL Technical Information Specialist Frank Lynch W4FAL: w4fal@smithchart.org See http://www.qsl.net/w4fal/smithchart/bpl.html for more details on filing complaints. ConclusionIn my last article, I said that it’s too soon to draw conclusions. I’m ready to draw some now. Hams have put up with and frequently solved problems with interference in our bands for decades. We’ve had traditional power-line noise since the beginning of radio. The advent of the computer and processor-based electronics, with their clocks and oscillators creating point-source carriers and other hash has increased the problem dramatically over the past decade. But these problems pale in comparison to BPL. BPL literally invites the radiation of RF across wide swaths of the HF and low VHF spectrum. And while the signals will be very low power, they can be heard more than a mile away by a good HF Amateur Radio station, and a half-mile easily by an average one. Their wide proliferation, if BPL becomes popular, could overwhelm any attempts to “mitigate” the resulting interference. This is somewhat theoretical, with the experience of very limited trials in rural areas being extrapolated to dense cities and suburbs. By the time it is proven in practice, it will be too late. So much money will be involved, and so many people affected, that the promise of “it must be shut down” would be difficult to enforce. Getting relief could be a major headache for individual hams, if relief is available at all. The FCC may believe that the mitigation factors in the NPRM are adequate. I do not. Nor do I believe that the FCC will hold BPL operators to the promise of “shut it down” if we complain about interference. What to do?If you are “fortunate” enough to be near a trial area, listen for the signal. If you hear it on a ham band, a shortwave broadcast band, or anyplace else you want to receive a signal, complain. If it moves, complain again. If you have HF mobile, visit one or more of the trial sites. If you hear interference to anything you want to receive, complain. Read the NPRM, and then file comments with the FCC. You don’t have to be hearing BPL signals to file comments. You can download the NPRM from the FCC web site, and there are links to it from the ARRL web site. Instructions on filing comments are at the end of the NPRM document. There are recommendations and instructions on what to include and how to file on the ARRL web site. The address to download the file in MS Word is: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-29A1.doc if you prefer Adobe Acrobat format, the address is: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-29A1.pdf Many hams have suggested writing their legislators and utility regulators. If you do that, keep it short – they don’t want a lot of detail. Distil the main points of this article in your own words. You don’t have to be a flowery writer. If you have contacts in the press, talk to them, or direct your local PIO to your source. You can also write to Progress Energy. If there is any hope of convincing them not to implement BPL, it is in making them realize that this will just be a nightmare of administration because of all the complaints they will have to address. Assure them that you will listen for BPL, and if it causes you any problems you will complain. TAKE THE TIME. There is a big bandwagon of support behind BPL. The FCC favors it. The press likes it. The public will appreciate a new avenue of broadband, especially if it comes with a lower price tag. There is little standing in the way but us. KN4AQ’s complaint to Progress Energy:Len Anthony, Progress Energy Regulatory Affairs cc: Bill Godwin, Progress Energy Anh Wride, FCC David H.Solomon, FCC James R.Burtle, FCC Riley Hollingsworth, FCC (FYI) Ed Hare, ARRL Frank A. Lynch, ARRL Saturday, March 13, 2004 This e-mail letter is a formal complaint of interference received from several Broadband over Power Line (BPL) installations operated by Progress Energy in the Wake County, North Carolina area. I am: Gary Pearce KN4AQ 116 Waterfall Ct. Cary, NC 27513 919-380-9944 kn4aq@arrl.net I encountered all of this interference while mobile, or visiting the stations of other amateur radio operators. I do not hear any BPL interference at my home in Cary at this time. November 16, 2003. I first encountered BPL interference on this date, near the Wakefield subdivision in north Raleigh, along Falls of the Neuse Road near Wakefield Pines Rd. The interference appeared as a series of closely spaced RF carriers, approximately 1 kHz apart, covering the lower half of the 10 meter amateur radio band, from 28 to near 29 MHz (and some spectrum below that band, including the 40 CB radio channels near 27 MHz). Some of the carriers had a little "tik-tik-tik" sound at about a 2 Hz rate. The interference was strong - S-9 - for about a half mile along Falls of the Neuse Road, and obliterated several amateur radio signals that I was monitoring. I understand this was the Phase I trial area, and the test has been discontinued. January 15, 2004. On this and several subsequent dates, I received interference while driving along Holland Church road between 1010 Road and Pagan Rd. in southern Wake County, specifically in the vicinity of Feldman Dr. The signature of the interference was the same: closely spaced carriers, about 1 kHz apart, some with a tik-tik-tik modulation, and occasionally a longer burst of what sounded like data. The interference covered two blocks of spectrum, from 23.44 - 26.08 MHz (including the amateur radio 12 meter band) and 27.9 - 31.7 MHz, (including the amateur radio 10 meter band). The interference was strong - S-9 - for about a half mile along Holland Church road, and audible in places along Pagan Rd. It obliterated several amateur radio signals that I was monitoring as I drove through the area. I also received interference with the same signature in several spots along Feldman Dr., in various other segments of the high-frequency spectrum - near 11 and 15 MHz in particular. The signals were weaker, but plainly audible. Onc caused a "beat note" against the 15 MHz WWV time and frequency reference signal. I have subsequently been through this area several times, and the interference is still present. My last visit was on February 28th. February 20, 2004. On this and several subsequent dates, I received interference while driving along NC Highway 55 and James Slaughter Rd, just north of the town of Fuquay-Varina. The interference was strongest along James Slaughter Road, opposite the Woodchase subdivision. Again, the signature of the interference was RF carriers, about 1 kHz apart, with a bit of digital modulation now and then, including the tik-tik-tik at about a 2 Hz rate. This interference was across 21.9-25.7 MHz (including the amateur radio 12 meter band) and 27.5-30.0 MHz (including the amateur radio 10 meter band). The interference was S-9 along James Slaughter Road, and S-5 in the Food Lion parking lot at NC-55, and obliterated several amateur radio signals that I was monitoring. In the Woodchase subdivision, I also heard the "BPL signature" signals on several other points in the high frequency spectrum. The signals were weaker, but plainly audible. I also heard signals in the 7 and 24.5 MHz area about a mile further north on James Slaughter Road, near the Whitehurst subdivision. These signals were S-6 to S-9 for about 1/4 mile along James Slaughter Road. I most recently heard this interference on March 5th, 2004. Finally, on February 28, 2004, I personally visited the homes of three amateur radio operators who live in the vicinity of the Progress Energy Phase II BPL trials, and observed interference as received at their stations as follows: Mike Payne KM4UT Raleigh, NC Mile lives .7 miles south of the trial site on Holland Church Road. He is using a dipole antenna at about 30 feet. I observed that he was receiving a clear but weak BPL "signature" in the top half of the 10 meter band, above 28.8 MHz, and many smaller clusters of individual carriers in the band below that. Ted Root N1UJ Fuquay-Varina, NC Ted is about a half mile southwest of the James Slaughter Road site. He is also using a dipole antenna at about 40 feet. He was receiving weak but clear BPL signature signals across the 25 and 28 MHz areas. Roland Erickson WA0AFW Fuquay-Varina, NC Roland is about a half mile south of the James Slaughter Rd. site. He is using a dipole antenna in the attic of a retirement village building. He has a very high ambient noise level (S-6) across the 25 and 28 MHz bands, but was receiving the BPL signature signals clearly above that noise level across those bands. You might ask if my complaint of interference while mobile, some distance from my home, is justified. I contend that it is, for several reasons. First, amateur radio is a very "mobile" service. Tens of thousands of amateur radio operators have and use high frequency mobile equipment, and we can be found anywhere, using all hf bands, at completely unpredictable times. Second, the Progress Energy Phase II trials are in very limited area tests. There are no amateur radio operators living inside the neighborhoods being served, though there are several within interference range - about a mile. We are justified in traveling to the sites with normal amateur radio equipment, operated in a normal manner, to observe and complain about interference we receive. This observation must be extrapolated to a wider geographic area to anticipate the kind of interference that would be received if BPL were to be widely deployed, especially in denser suburban and urban neighborhoods. You might also ask if weak BPL signals constitute harmful interference. I contend that they do. Amateur radio operation is unlike most other radio operation, in that amateurs tune across their band segments looking for signals. Often we are looking for weak signals from distant parts of the world. Our predominant modes are single sideband and cw. In those modes, a series of carriers 1 kHz apart presents a most irritating series of "beat notes" - tones that vary in pitch as the spectrum is tuned. At 1 kHz spacing, they are continuously present in a receiver using customary bandwidth filters. And even weak BPL signals can make weak amateur radio signals difficult or impossible to receive. The presence of any BPL signal of any strength at either a home or mobile station at any location is an unwarranted incursion in the amateur radio bands, and is also a problem for anyone tuning shortwave broadcast or other radio services. Thanks for your consideration. I look forward to hearing the results of the investigation into my complaints. Sincerely, Gary Pearce KN4AQ 20040324-20040430.html
TEARA VE Sessions Moved
posted July 26th, 2002
The location for the Triangle East Amateur Radio Association (TEARA)
August through November VE sessions in Smithfield, NC is being changed
from the Smithfield Public Library to the Smithfield Fire Station due
to library renovations. Dates and times remain the same.
20020726-20021116.html 2003 CHARLOTTE HAMFEST AND COMPUTERFAIR FEATURES NASA ASTRONAUT posted February 12th, 2003 CONTACT: Jerry Malin, N2HV at (704) 821-3838
20030212-20030318.html Marconi Event posted January 18th, 2003 May I draw your attention to today's commemoration of Marconi's historic
20030118-20030201.html
News 14 Carolina Field Day Story
posted June 26th, 2002 News 14 Carolina aired a story about Field Day. They also have an online version. 20020626-20020815.html RARS Code Class posted March 15th, 2003 RARS will be conducting a 5 WPM code class beginning Monday, April 21st at the Nortel Education Center near the Fairgrounds . Sessions will be 1 hour and begin at 7:30PM on Mondays and Thursdays, beginning April 21st through May 29
20030315-20030501.html Grand Strand ARC's posted October 21st, 2003 Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club's "BEACHFEST 2003", Saturday, November 8, 2003. South Carolina Section Convention. Check our web site for more information. www.w4gs.org. See you there.
20031021-20031108.html
Come to Tune In The World Night!
posted March 15th, 2002
RARS Members:
20020315-20020408.html RARS 444.525 Repeater On The Air! posted December 1st, 2002 The RARS 444.525 (W4RNC) repeater is back on the air at 250 feet near the corner of Six Forks Rd and Strickland Rd in Raleigh. It requires 88.5 tone.
20021201-20030101.html 2003 Hurricane Preparedness Fair posted June 1st, 2003 -The 2003 Hurricane Preparedness Fair, sponsored by the American Red Cross and Lowe's, will be held on Saturday, June 21 from 0800 to 1500 EDT at the Lowe's in West Raleigh, between Glenwood and Lynn Roads.
20030601-20030621.html
Hurricane Preparedness Fair - Saturday, June 29th
posted June 24th, 2002
Amateur Radio At Raleigh 20020624-20020630.html North Carolina Hams See Progress Energy Phase II BPL Trial posted January 20th, 2004 by Gary Pearce KN4AQ, Wake County ARES PIO 20040120-20040301.html
[w4nc] NC QSO Party page
posted January 5th, 2002
The activated county map is now up at the NC QSO Party page-
http://www.w4nc.org/ncqsoparty.html
Raleigh Ragchew Holiday QSO Get Together
posted January 11th, 2002
The Raleigh Ragchew net held a Holiday QSO Get Together hosted by w4cad (Jim) and N4bev (Bev).
New, Wide-Coverage 220 Repeater
posted November 22nd, 2001
Danny Hampton K4ITL has put up a new, wide-coverage 220 repeater on 224.16 MHz (no tone, and the usual 1.6 MHz offset). The repeater is on one of the big TV towers southeast of Raleigh, "way up in the air" according to Danny. Initial coverage looks very good, with a bit of a null to the east toward Wilson.
RNCLAN Packet Node Removed From Service
posted December 9th, 2001 The packet node RNCLAN has been removed from service, with no plans for replacement. The node, operating on 147.54 MHz under Will Harper's callsign K4IWW-3, had been on the air from the North Hills area for over a decade, providing a link from stations in north Raleigh to the local packet BBS. Recently the management of the building housing the equipment decided to use the closet and roof space for other things. If anyone used the RNCLAN regularly, please contact Will at k4iww@attglobal.net.
Miss the ARISS contact? Heard it but want to listen again?
posted November 10th, 2001 An MP3 file is up on the http://www.kd4raa.net web page. It's about a 2 MB download, easy for DSL/Cable and not too bad for dial-up. The audio runs about 16 minutes, and includes the whole contact, plus many hams from around the world checking in on IRLP (KD4RAA and K4JDR took the local broadcast and put it out on IRLP, where it was picked up by 37 repeaters worldwide).
W4DW placed 2nd in 8A!
posted October 29th, 2001
The 2001 Field Day results are now on the ARRL Members Only web
page. Here's how we did:
USA Foxhunting Championships in Georgia Next Spring
posted October 29th, 2001
Georgia Orienteering Club (GAOC) has been selected to host the Second USA
ARDF/Radio-Orienteering Championships, to take place April 19-21, 2002 at F.
D. Roosevelt State Park near Pine Mountain, Georgia. The competition will
get under way on Friday afternoon with a practice event, followed on
Saturday
by the main two-meter hunt and on Sunday by the 80-meter hunt.
RARS Forum is now the RARS Yahoo! Group
posted October 7th, 2001
The RARS Forum has been updated and is now the RARS Yahoo! Group.
Consolidated RARS Calendar and Web Site Search
updated September 25th, 2001
There is now one consolidated RARS calendar that contains all club events, public service events and other types of events of club interest. Please visit the dynamically updated RARS Calendar and be sure to volunteer for an upcoming public service event.
Phillips Middle School ARISS Space Station Contact Scheduled
posted October 22nd, 2001
The Phillips Middle School in Chapel Hill has an ARISS Space Station
contact scheduled for early November. NASA hasn't given them the exact
date, but it should be the week of November 12.
Chapel Hill School Has Space Station Contact Tuesday, November 6th
posted October 31st, 2001
Barbara Pedersen KE4JZM's science class at Phillips Middle School in Chapel
Hill will "reach new heights" next Tuesday, with a scheduled contact with
the International Space Station. The contact, part of ARISS (Amateur Radio
on the ISS), was just confirmed today (Wednesday, Oct. 31). Members of
OCRA (Orange County Radio Amateurs) are helping make the contact possible.
Chapel Hill ARISS Contact Postponed until Friday - 11:29 AM
posted November 5th, 2001
Barbara Pedersen KE4JZM's science class at Phillips Middle School in Chapel Hill will "reach new heights" this Friday, with a scheduled contact with the International Space Station. The contact, part of ARISS (Amateur Radio on the ISS), was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was just postponed by NASA until this Friday, November 9, at 11:28 AM.
RARS Code Class Oct 1-Nov 8, 2001
posted September 17th, 2001
What: RARS Code (CW) Classes
Fall Tech and CW Classes starting Oct 1, 2001
posted September 17th, 2001
TEARA Technician Licensing Class
New RTP UHF Repeater
posted August 26th, 2001
The N4ZBB 444.675 + (100.0 pl) repeater signs on the air from Hwy 55 and
Cornwallis in the Research Triangle Park. Designed coverage area favors
the west-southwest of the RTP but includes mobile penetration as far east
as RDU airport. The repeater will be linked to the KD4RAA- K4JDR repeater
linking system and will have the features of the link system including the
MTS Weather Alert, autopatch and IRLP internet linking access.
146.775 Now on Global Network
posted August 26th, 2001
The KD4RAA repeater group recently activated North Carolina's first node
for the Internet Repeater Linking Project on 146.775 MHz. IRLP is a
growing cooperative effort linking more than 150 repeaters across North
America, Australia and England. Participating repeater owners use
full-time high-speed internet access, allowing local users to link to
repeaters around the world. Information on IRLP can be found at
http://www.irlp.net, and global maps of IRLP nodes are at
http://www.ipass.net/~jimprice/irlp/. The IRLP Linux-based interface and
control board is the brainchild of Dave Cameron VE7LTD in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
How Ham Radio Works
posted August 19th, 2001 Cary-based Marshall Brain's HowStuffWorks web site has a nice article on How Ham Radio Works.
Scouts Need Radio Merit Badge Help Oct. 12,13,14 at Ft. Bragg Camporee
updated August 20th, 2001
Jay Diepenbrock KM4EP, Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 104, is coordinating the Radio Merit Badge program at the Occoneechee Council Fall Camporee to be held October 12,13,14 at Fort Bragg.
SEDAN
posted August 1st, 2001
Gary (KN4AQ) sends the following:
Gary continues, "On one recent attempt where I *thought* I was doing things right, I got from home near Raleigh, NC, to a node outside Atlanta, GA, before things got so agonizingly slow that I called it quits (responses took more than 4 minutes to come back from the Georgia node). I was going through three or four nodes at the time, but without a good map it was hard to tell just where I was. I stopped to CQ on each one, with no replies anywhere on that Saturday afternoon. I suspect I was making more than one mistake, but I didn't know what to expect." Visit http://www.sedan-central.org/ for complete information.
S.W.L. Field Day, Saturday September 15th
posted September 13th, 2001
Call-in:
Both 146.52 simplex (amateur) and C.B. Channel 10 will be monitored
if anyone needs help finding the gate.
Maysville Hamfest
posted July 30, 2001 The Maysville, NC ARS is having their hamfest on October 14, 2001. For more information please contact Jean Dupree (KB4OHX) at jeanhd@icomnet.com.
State Capitol 2001 Field Day Pictures
posted July 24, 2001 Gary (KN4AQ) has provided some great photos and copy of the State Capitol 2001 Field Day location. Be sure to check them out here. Thanks Gary!
AC4ZO posts Capitol Field Day Stats
posted July 1, 2001 Jeff AC4ZO has calculated the score for the RARS Capitol Field Day operation. Operating in the competitive 2A class (and not trying to be competitive), Jeff predicts a top 25% finish anyway! Details are available here.
Antique Radio Meet
posted July 16, 2001 The following is from a posting to the tarheelscanner mailing list: The CC-AWA presents the "Summer Swap/Antique Radio Collector Meet" at the NC State Fairgrounds L.R. Harrill Youth Center in Raleigh, NC. The event will be held Saturday, July 28th, 2001 from 8am until 12 noon. Admission and setup are FREE. Meet chairman: Mr. Ed Bell. Directions to L.R.Harrill Youth Center Take Exit 3 (from either direction) off of the Raleigh Beltway (440) onto Hillsborough St. Go West (right) on Hillsborough St. Go past N. C. State Fairgrounds. Turn right on Youth Center Rd. Enter L. R. Harrill Center at Gate 6. You're there!!! For complete information about the Carolinas Chapter of the Antique Wireless Association visit their web site.
Solscape: The Solar Data Browser
posted July 15, 2001 Macintosh Users will want to check out Stimpsoft's new Solscape "Solar Data Browser" application. Check out the screenshots on the web site. From the Solscape web site: Solscape is a "Solar Data Browser" application that grabs real time, up to the minute images of the Sun in multiple light wavelengths. Solscape also monitors current solar flare, geomagnetic, and Aurora activity, providing current Aurora Borealis information and warnings for your location, along with real time Aurora images when available. Solscape gets all of its information via the Internet and compiles it in a single, easy to use application. You can save and archive the data that Solscape collects for later use, and you can tell Solscape to automatically grab the data when you want.
CCFA Sends Letter of Thanks
posted July 10, 2001 The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) sent a letter today thanking Amateur Radio Operators for their volunteer work at the 20th annual Run and Walk for Research in RTP, NC. "The event was a huge success. With over 475 participants, and your generosity, we raised over $26,000 for CCFA research and education." "We are grateful for both your time and energy, which has helped us make a difference [to more than one million Americans, including 100,000 children who suffer from these devastating diseases.]" Thanks to all the Amateur Radio operators who helped out with the event this year!
WA4BPJ posts Apex Field Day Stats
posted July 2, 2001 Mike WA4BPJ has posted the score for the RARS Apex Field Day operation. We don't see them on the web site yet, so we'll put the details here: We were 8A. 42 people participated in one of the best operations ever! 5 of those were unlicensed. This year saw 3 new band captains and one of those was out for his first field day! 165 digital contacts on PSK31 and RTTY!
Some 8A History...
So based on the past 4 years, we're a probable 3d, 50- 50 for 2nd and not a likely 1st in perhaps 15 entries.
73,
WA2UZO takes on RARS Web Site
posted June 30, 2001 Joe Zobkiw WA2UZO is the guy responsible for the new look on the RARS web site (we won't call him webmaster - he doesn't like the term!). So far, that look is just on the home page, but over time, expect many pages to be spruced up. And a lot of the work Joe has ahead of him won't be seen by site visitors - there's a lot of "background noise" to clean up on the web server, debris left by many hands contributing to the site over the years. RARS thanks Ashby Spratly III KB5ZIH, who took on the webmaster job at the beginning of the year. Ashby never had time to dig in the way he wanted, and recently he has announced his engagement (!), a little item in life that will keep him very busy for the next few months. Ashby graciously backed out instead of letting things drag on. And speaking of behind the scenes, thanks to Errol Casey KD4IHW. Errol does a lot of the technical work at our host, RTPnet, and has kept the RARS site up to date as we've moved through various web wizards. He also keeps the NCARRL web pages together. The RARS web site has a lot of content. If you haven't browsed it lately, spend some quality time looking around.
Statewide ARES Drill floods State EOC with traffic
posted June 30, 2001 A special Tarheel Net met Saturday morning, June 30, to find out how many counties could communicate and send messages to the State EOC in Raleigh. Lots of new operators got training across the state. For info, see the Wake ARES web page.
Cary ARC Swapfest, Saturday, July 21
posted June 26, 2001 The Cary Amateur Radio Club Midsummer Swapfest is coming Saturday, July 21st. The Swapfest is located in the Cary Community Center, at the corner of Academy and Chapel Hill Road. The doors open at 8. Advance tix are $4, and $5 at the door. Indoor tables are $10. Talk-in on 145.39 (82.5 tone). For tables or more info, contact Will Harper K4IWW . The Swapfest is mostly indoors, but also has a free outdoor section in the parking lot that guarantees heat, rain, or both. To get there from north Raleigh, take I-40 to the Harrison Ave. exit, and go south about two miles to Chapel Hill Rd. Turn left and go one block to Academy, then turn right, drive a hundred feet or so and turn left into the Community Center driveway. From farther south, take I-40 to NC 54 (or just head west past the Fairgrounds on 54), and go west to Academy St. Then turn left on Academy, and left again into the driveway. (Note to oldtimers: NC 54 has been re-routed as it passes through Cary, and the section of Chapel Hill Road by the Community Center is no longer NC 54).
HK3JJH in person at Rocky Mount, July 7
posted June 26, 2001 Well known DX'er Pedro Allina, HK3JJH, from Bogata, Columbia will the featured guest at a reception at the Holiday Inn, Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount. The reception will be held on Saturday, July 7, 2001 from 1 pm to 5 pm. This event is sponsored by Carl Smith, N4AA, publisher of The DX Magazine and the QRZ DX Newsletter. Carl is also the QSL manager for Pedro's recent HK0/M Malpelo Island DX operation. The reception will be very informal, drop in any time for as long as you like. Soft drinks, coffee, and snacks will be available throughout the afternoon. Details here.
Special Event Station at Currituck Beach Lighthouse August 18/19
posted June 25, 2001 Members of the Castalia Island DX Assn. and the Tar River ARC of Rocky Mount NC will participate in the International Lighthouse Weekend August 18 & 19th with an operation near the Currituck Beach Lighthouse (USA 212) on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The callsign for the operation will be K4UP. QSLs go to K4UP. More information can be found at: http://www.qsl.net/cidxa/currituck.html A list of scheduled amateur radio operations at lighthouses all over the world during this weekend can be found at: http://vk2ce.com/illw/2001.htm We look forward to many contacts from North Carolina hams!
Field Day over, successful if a little wet!
posted June 25, 2001 RARS dual Field Day effort - 8A at the Carrol's farm in Apex and 2A downtown on the lawn at the State Capitol - was a great success. New band captains volunteered in Apex to provide both cw and phone on 80, 40 and 20, plus one station each on 15 and 10, plus VHF. The only stations missing were Novice/Tech and data (RTTY, PSK, Pactor, etc). Most available bonus points were collected. Meanwhile, downtown, the brand new 2A operation made a big impression on the public from the southwest lawn of the State Capitol. Operation was a bit more laid-back as each station roved across whatever bands were open. Many RARS members, and a soaking overnight rain, visited both locations. Next, the scores will be totaled and entries submitted, and we'll process the mass of photos taken. You'll find results of both efforts here on the web site in the coming days. If you have a story to share in the Exciter, send it to Karl K4LNX.
APRS Help Needed for MS-150 in September
posted June 25, 2001 Vince Heffron KF4ZMV (heffer-at-mindspring dot com) is looking for help with a substntial APRS effort at the MS-150 bike tour this September 8-9. The biggest need is for many "trackers" - packages combining a GPS, TNC and transmitter - to be placed on key vehicles to track their location. If you have APRS equipment, or are interested in learning about it quickly, drop Vince a line.
Fall Public Service Calendar filling up!
revised June 28, 2001 And speaking of public service events, the Public Service Calendar is filling up. The MS-150 is set for September 8-9, with a new course centered on New Bern. On just the 9th is the Familias Del Pueblo 10K Run in Chapel Hill. September 20 brings the Light the Night walk in downtown Raleigh, followed by the Duke Liver Center Triathalon at Jordan Lake on the 30th. The last thing currently on the schedule is the State Fair, where we provide radio operators for the Red Cross for three 5-hour shifts all 10 days, from October 12-21. This all adds up to a lot of ham radio participation! The hams in the Triangle are up to it, but please do your volulnteer coordinators a favor - don't wait to the last minute to let them know you'll help. Volunteer early, and if something comes up and you have to drop out, they'll understand.
Lynn Pitegoff KO4QH, SK
posted June 19, 2001 Lynn Pitegoff KO4QH died early Tuesday morning, June 19, at her home in Raleigh. Lynn was a long-time member of the RARS Board of Directors, as Education Director. She also served as a VE, and chief promoter of the RARS Crystals (a group for the women in RARS). Lynn is survived by her husband Alan AB4OZ. They did not have any children.
SANDHILLS SKYWARN Now Found on Broadway 147.105
posted June 13, 2001 A new SKYWARN operation has begun south of the Triangle. SANDHILLS SKYWARN has picked up the reins from Fayetteville SKYWARN, and moved to the Broadway PCRN repeater on 147.105 (with a new 82.5 Hz tone). This gives much greater coverage than was obtained from the Fayetteville 146.91 repeater. More info on the Central Carolina SKYWARN web page.
PCTN Needs Net Controls/Volunteers
posted June 7, 2001 The Piedmont Coastal Traffic Net needs volunteers to act in many capacities. The PCTN is slated to meet each and every night at 9 PM on the 146.88 repeater. Our purpose is to handle incoming and outgoing traffic and to train traffic handlers and net controllers for the real world | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
