Subj : The Weekly ARRL Letter To : All From : Sean Dennis Date : Fri Jan 21 2022 09:05:22 The ARRL Letter January 20, 2022 * ARES Activates as Wind-Driven Year-End Fire Destroys 1,000 Colorado Homes * Extended ARRL Team Will Support February's ARRL National Convention in Orlando * ARRL Podcasts Schedule * National Science Foundation Awards Nearly $50,000 for HamSCI Workshop * Announcements * FCC Seeks Attorney-visor for its Mobility Division * Launch of a Wooden Satellite Still Pending * Amateur Radio in the News * Two Radio Amateurs Appointed to the FCC Technological visory Council (TAC) * Getting It Right! * In Brief... * The K7RA Solar Update * Just Ahead in Radiosport * Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions ARES Activates as Wind-Driven Year-End Fire Destroys 1,000 Colorado Homes Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service^(R) (ARES^(R)) in Colorado, volunteering for the Boulder County (Colorado) Amateur Radio Emergency Services (BCARES), turned out on December 30, 2021 as the devastating Marshall Fire roared through Superior and (portions of) Louisville, Colorado. Intense winds whipped a grass fire south of Boulder near Marshall into a massive firestorm that became too large and fierce for firefighters to battle. "The only battle was evacuation, as the towns of Louisville and Superior and [the] northern suburbs of Denver lay in the fire's wind-driven path," said Amateur TV (ATV) enthusiast and equipment dealer Jim Andrews, KH6HTV, of Boulder. Andrews said the only thing limiting the fire's spread was the fact that the winds diminished by that evening. "By that time, hundreds of homes had burned down," Andrews said, whose own house was among them. "This was not a typical forest fire, but an urban firestorm." Thousands of people were evacuated. BCARES Board of Directors Chairman and Region 1, District 3 Emergency Coordinator Allen Bishop, K0ARK, said that a request from the Boulder Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to activate the emergency operations center (EOC) is what initiated the ARES activation. "At that time, staffing was initiated with the activation of the BCARES Radio Network, with three BCARES members assigned to the EOC," Bishop said. The BCARES Net was promptly activated. ARES volunteers supported communication at evacuation sites and established emergency communication as commercial power failures and preventive shutdowns by utilities caused a loss of commercial communication. "Within about 8 hours," Bishop said, "battery back-up systems for cell phones and landlines failed, and 911 services went down." "To facilitate a restoration of these emergency services, BCARES activated the Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN)," Bishop said. Established in 2010, MERN consists of repeaters installed at fire stations in Gold Hill and Allenspark, at community centers in Nederland and Raymond, and the privately owned Airlink Repeater. "These repeaters provided the emergency communication links that facilitated the restoration of 911 communications back to the dispatch center for the duration of the power outages," Bishop explained. The Allenspark Neighbors Emergency Network (ANEN) and Airlink (Alternate Access Radio Network) participated. Jim Andrews, KH6HTV, shared this photo of what remained of his home. [Jim Andrews, KH6HTV, photo] According to Bishop, as the Marshall Fire expanded, evacuation center support was requested at three locations to provide on-site situation reports using Winlink. Bishop said BCARES members and mutual-aid ARES operators from neighboring Districts established local communication with the BCARES EOC radio position from designated field locations. BCARES was activated for 2 days. One person died as a result of the fire. As Andrews reported, Boulder County announced on New Year's Day that nearly 1,000 homes were lost. In addition to his own home, the fire destroyed his daughter's home next door, as well as the homes of all his close neighbors. "We had no official warning of the coming firestorm," Andrews said. "My only warning was from our daughter who saw it happening." Andrews added, "KH6HTV VIDEO, as a supplier of ATV gear, will be out of operation for a very long time to come." Andrews edits the monthly Boulder Amateur Television Club TV Repeater's REPEATER newsletter. Extended ARRL Team Will Support February's ARRL National Convention in Orlando An extended ARRL team of member-volunteers, program representatives, and presenters will advance the convention theme inviting attendees to "reDiscover Radio" at Orlando HamCation, host of the 2022 ARRL National Convention February 10 - 13. A wide-ranging roster of workshops, exhibits, and activities will educate and entertain radio amateurs committed to developing knowledge and skills in radio technology and radio communication. The convention will be held in two parts. On Thursday, February 10, an all-day ARRL National Convention Program will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld. vance registration is required and includes a series of day-long ARRL Training Tracks and a National Convention luncheon with a keynote address by ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA. The Training Tracks comprise four workshops led by experienced presenters: Contest University (CTU), Emergency Communications Academy, Hands-On Handbook, and Technology Academy. Registration can be completed online. DX Engineering is the Official Sponsor of the 2022 ARRL National Convention Program. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 11 - 13, HamCation will take place at the Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park in Orlando -- an 87-acre lakefront fairgrounds. The convention marks the 75th anniversary of HamCation -- one of the largest annual gatherings of radio amateurs in the US. HamCation tickets can be purchased online until January 31 and at the gate during the event. The centerpiece of ARRL's participation will be a large exhibit area in the East and West Hall. Nearly a dozen ARRL program areas will be represented, including Radiosport and DXCC Card Checking, Radio Clubs, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service^(R), Development, and the ARRL Foundation. A suite of exhibits organized by the ARRL Education and Learning Department will include an introduction to the new ARRL Learning Center. ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, will introduce this new member benefit that includes online courses, videos, and other amateur radio instruction and training. At another booth, ARRL Education and Technology Program Instructor Tommy Gober, N5DUX, will cover the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, of the popular "Ham Radio Crash Course" is one of the YouTube content creators who will present at the Convention. ARRL has invited several ham radio content creators from popular YouTube channels to meet and interact with attendees in the exhibit area. Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, of the popular "Ham Radio Crash Course" YouTube channel, will moderate. He is the 2020 winner of the ARRL Bill Leonard Award for outstanding published media that advances amateur radio. Visitors will have a chance to meet ARRL authors and editors. ARRL Laboratory engineers and volunteers will offer free testing of visitors' handheld radios. This service will determine the spectral purity of the output signal from the radios. Members and other attendees can meet ARRL elected officials and Field Organization volunteers at the Southeastern Division booth to catch up on events and to explore opportunities to get involved through their ARRL Sections and radio clubs. The exhibit area will also include the ARRL store and membership area, where visitors may join, renew, or extend ARRL and Diamond Club memberships and purchase publications, apparel, and 2022 Field Day products. New ARRL Membership Manager Matt Caruso will be eager to meet and greet members. ARRL will sponsor three forums at HamCation: * An ARRL Emergency Communications Panel will be held at 3:15 PM Eastern on Friday. The panel will be moderated by ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, and will include panelists from the ARRL Southeastern Division Field Organization. * On Saturday at 2 PM Eastern, ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio visors Andy Milluzzi, KK4LWR, and Tony Milluzzi, KD8RTT, will lead a Collegiate Amateur Radio Forum. The ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative is a regular networking source among active campus radio clubs and their student members. * An ARRL Membership Forum will be held on Saturday at 3:15 PM, moderated by Southeastern Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB. This forum offers an opportunity to hear from ARRL representatives on key areas of member interest and amateur radio advocacy and to learn how ARRL supports dozens of ways to get involved and active on the air. Panelists will include President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and CEO David Minster, NA2AA. The exhibit area will also include the ARRL store and membership area, where visitors may join, renew, or extend ARRL and Diamond Club memberships and purchase publications, apparel, and 2022 Field Day products. The Orlando Amateur Radio Club sponsors Orlando HamCation. Further --- SendMsg/2 --- Squish/386 v1.11 * Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200) .