Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu Nov 26 2020 22:01:53 EVENT HONORS HAMMARLUND RADIO'S FOUNDER PAUL/ANCHOR: Speaking of Hammarlund radios, do you remember them? Perhaps you even own and still use one. This next story - from Mike Askins, KE5CXP - is for you. MIKE: By the time the Hammarlund Radio Hullabaloo special event station W4H went off the air, the 11 operators from the High Appalachian Mountain Amateur Radio Society had logged contacts and countless stories. The three-day event between the 19th and 21st of November was a celebration of the November 19th birthday of company founder Oscar Hammarlund in 1861. The operation also gave a respectful nod to the presence of Hammarlund's radio factory right there in Mars Hill, North Carolina, between 1951 and 1973. Mostly, however, the special event was a celebration of the famous Hammarlund radios, some of which were pressed into service to make contacts during this successful special event. According to Ralph, W4RRJ, one operator was even using a Hammarlund SP-600 JX-17 receiver and a Johnson Viking 2 when he made his contacts using AM mode. This wasn't the only vintage equipment: Ralph said that about one-third of the SSB contacts were made by operators using a Collins KWM-2. Ralph told Newsline that the most common stories operators heard were from hams who'd regretted having sold their old Hammerlund radios years ago when they drifted away from amateur radio, not knowing they'd return someday. Another ham recalled growing up near the Mars Hill factory and remembering the silver dollars the company gave employees on the business' tenth anniversary. The special event also called for contacts on the Mt. Mitchell 2-meter repeater, the highest repeater east of the Mississippi River, so that hams unable to get on HF could still check in. Ralph said next year's plans are even bigger: it will be the 140th anniversary of Hammarlund's birth and the 70th anniversary of the factory's move to Mars Hill. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP. PAUL/ANCHOR: Ralph told Newsline that in all there were 975 contacts in 49 states, 11 provinces, and 30 foreign countries. (RALPH ROGNSTAD JR W4RRJ, HIGH APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY) ** GOING OFF ROAD AND ON AIR IN KENTUCKY PAUL/ANCHOR: You don't always need to script a simulated emergency to sharpen your emergency prepardness. One ham radio club in Kentucky demonstrated that recently by going on-air when a group of Jeep enthusiasts went off-road. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, tells us what happened. CHRISTIAN: Members of the Lake Cumberland Amateur Radio Association partnered in early November with the Somernites Cruise organization for the inaugural Jeep Nationals Trail Event in the back woods of Kentucky. According to Chris Perry, KY4CKP, while 38 Jeeps had off-road adventures in a local state park a number of LCARA operators were at remote support locations with access to the 2-meter repeater as well as to their EmComm trailer. During the three-hour event, club members tracked the progress of the event and were prepared to summon help if any vehicles broke down or any medical issues arose. Chris said the trail ran through an area where cell service is practically nonexistent so the presence of the hams was vital. A YouTube video of the adventure, narrated by Brian Perry, KY4BDP, summed up the point of the whole exercise. Brian says: "It doesn't have to be an emergency, you can practice your emergency communication procedures in a fun event where everybody has a good time." Video of the event can be seen on the LCARA channel on YouTube. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH. (CHRIS PERRY KY4CKP) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WA7ABU repeater in Salem, Oregon, on Saturdays at 6 p.m. local time. --- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (454:1/33) .