Subj : Arkansas Section News
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Wed Aug 24 2022 12:15:34

Hello all,

August has been a busy month! The Razorback Net Off-Grid net was a
resounding success, way more than expected were working with an
alternative power source. Ham operators in Arkansas still believe in
Emergency Preparedness after all. We'll be seeing more of these nets as
time goes on.

As I compiled the ARES report to the ARRL this month, I noted an
all-time high number of EC's reporting. The number keeps growing, and
that is a good thing. Please keep it up! The numbers prove that ham
radio is a viable and functioning entity. I heard some complaints that
the form is too long. Well, that's what the ARRL asks for, and that's
what we give them. I can assure you all the information is used to
defend our frequencies and bandwidth.

Your SM, N5LKE, the SEC, N5XFW, and AA5JC were invited to speak at the
Arkansas Emergency Management Conference. The topic was What Ham Radio
Can Do for the Emergency Manager. We talked about communications
outages of course, and we changed directions slightly to include
situational awareness. Hams, because they are already out in the
communities and are aware of surroundings, can provide first-hand
information. This kind of interaction will go a long way toward
cementing positive relationships with our served agencies.

Speaking of situational awareness, one of the premier activities where
hams can help their communities is SkyWarn. Arkansas historically has
had very active SkyWarn groups, and the Little Rock and Tulsa National
Weather Service Offices are appreciative of our efforts. (That's all I
have talked with so far) I am very interested in doing my part to
further those efforts, therefore, Joshua Carroll, AA5JC, has been
appointed as the Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator for SkyWarn
Operations. He brings a wealth of innovation and fresh ideas to the
table, and I am looking forward to us realizing some improvements
that will make Arkansas stand out in that arena! More on that as time
goes on.

Please let me know how I can help you get more involved in your
communities. Encourage your EC to get involved, or volunteer to be an
EC if you don't have one.

73,

J.M. Rowe N5XFW
Arkansas SEC

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Arkansas Section
Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
n5lke@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

.