SM Dan Pruitt, AE6SX- ASMs K6YK and N2NS, ACC W6DPD, SEC KF6FIR, OOC N1VM, STM K6RAU, PIC K6QI, TC W6TE. Time for planning the fun, food and frequencies for Field Day. April is gone, May is in full swing and the temperature is still quite comfortable. It seems we always plan our Antenna work and Field Day about the same time. Maybe to knock the dust off the stored equipment from last year. I think it is our nature to improve over and above last year. A good antenna always goes a long way. Get out and work while the temperature is right. If you do not have your contacts in place for your bonus points for Field Day, time is a wasting. The Political and Government officials are always scheduling 90 days ahead. Put your story together for the press and media. Make sure to line up the youth for your GOTA Station too. Enjoy the planning, add food, good equipment and a good place to operate, add some contacts, and you will have a great time. 73; Dan AE6SX NEWS: 04/10/2013 | Applications for Teachers Institute, ETP Grants Due in May 04/20/2013 | Chinese Amateurs Assist in Earthquake Aftermath 04/19/2013 | Surfin’: Wire in the Spring, outdoor maintenance -- with wire antennas in mind. 04/16/2013 | Radio Amateurs Provide Communication Support in Boston Marathon Bombings 04/22/2013 | Seattle Will Host the 32nd (TAPR) Digital Communications Conference 04/23/2013 | Changes to FCC Radiotelegraph Operator Certificates Coming May 20 05/01/2013 | Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May 11 W6TV placed #1 in September VHF Contest W6SX placed #1 in 160 Meter contest WC6H placed #1 in November Sweepstakes -Phone Contests: May 2013 + Armed Forces Crossband Test 1400Z, May 11 to 0300Z, May 12 + HPC World Wide DX Contest 1200Z, May 11 to 1159Z, May 12 + CQ-M International DX Contest 1200Z, May 11 to 1159Z, May 12 + VOLTA WW RTTY Contest 1200Z, May 11 to 1200Z, May 12 + Nevada Mustang Roundup 1700Z, May 11 to 1700Z, May 12 + CQ WW WPX Contest, CW 0000Z, May 25 to 2359Z, May 26 June 2013 + 10-10 Int. Open Season PSK Contest 0000Z, Jun 1 to 2400Z, Jun 2 + Maritimes QSO Party 1200Z-2400Z, Jun 1 + SEANET Contest 1200Z, Jun 1 to 1200Z, Jun 2 + Alabama QSO Party 1600Z, Jun 1 to 0400Z, Jun 2 CLOVIS ARP ++ The Clovis group will be doing communications for the California Classic Century Bike Ride, 18 May. The May meeting will be a “how to” on Fox Hunting by Rob AE6GE. www.k6arp.org/ FRESNO ARC ++ “Skip” includes pictures and reports from the DX Convention in Visailia. Paul W6VPS continues his journal on refurbishing his Mosley Beam and adding 12 & 17 Meter elements. Also pictures and comments from the M Squared Open House showing owners Mike Staal, K6MYC, and the team. www.w6to.com/ LOS BANOS ARC ++ Dr. Joe will be presenting at the 11 May meeting. His topic will be his operating aboard a Submarine during WWII. Time is 7 PM at the Police Annex building. SEQUOIA ARG ++ Nice article in the “Voice” of the awarding of the Amateur Radio Rating Badge to a young Boy Scout. Pete W6SV, praises the guests from Bakersfield at a recent club function. I am thrilled about hearing of collaborative events like these. The other colorful articles are worth the reading. www.n6krv.org SIERRA ARC ++ Hal N6HAL describes many good Emcomm practices and public service events. The Club is very good at working with other clubs and groups in the area. A very well rounded example of cooperation with the local CERT members. www.qsl.net/wa6ybn/ STANISLAUS ARC ++ SARA Quarterly spells out the public service events. Registration for FEMA training courses offered by the ARES group. Joe WB6AGR offers 2 links regarding videos on “Situational Awareness” http://freedv.org/tiki-index.php?page=video and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmE_vvHeqw . . www.saraclub.net STOCKTON Delta ++ Charlie WB6NVB and Fred WB6ASU are preparing an ATV presentation. The club is very involved in a multitude of public service events. The Club is activating the minesweeper USS Intrepid for the June 1 Museum Ship Weekend. . www.w6sf.org TURLOCK ARC ++ Amateur Radio & Velveeta Cheese link: http://youtu.be/aTeAtPFEuyc depicting Ham Radio in the add. Grady, K6IXA, said a new diagram of the repeater system has been created and placed on the club's web page. Grady also said a new satellite receiver has been put in place in Modesto and one will soon be going into place in Atwater and Fresno. Plans for Field Day seem to be in place. A reprint of the ARES participation in the Boston Marathon Bombing was very informative. www.w6bxn.org The following Amateurs became Silent Keys since the last report: Edd, K6LSB and John, AE6QR. They will be missed. Traffic for February 2013: ORS: WS6P 136, K6RAU 13, W6SX 1 Total 150 PSHR: WS6P 202, W6SX 22, K6RAU 70 Mark your Calendars: May 17-19 -- Dayton Hamvention, Trotwood, Ohio. For more information see hamvention.org. SEA-PACK 31 May through 2 June 2013 Seaside, OR. Check the details at www.seapac.org/ . ARRL Field Day is June 22-23, 2013. You can down load the FD Packet from ARRL. PACIFICON 2013 is scheduled for October 11-13, 2013 at the Santa Clara Marriott. See www.pacificon.org for information. Need to take an Amateur exam? Are you having an exam? Check the ARRL web page, www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml for exam information. You can also search for Amateur Radio Classes in your area and register your exam. Instructors can also register classes there. Card Checking in the Section: You can get cards checked for awards within the section. W6XK, K6ZZ, and W6DPD can check your cards for DXCC in accordance with the rules for field checking. DXCC card checkers may now check cards dated from Nov. 15, 1945, including Deleted DXCC Entities. K6ZZ can now check 160 Meter Cards. DXCC card checkers may, at their discretion, check cards for WAS, WAC, and VUCC. W6DPD and K6ZZ can check cards for the CQ Awards, WAZ, DX, Field, and Prefixes. The card checkers may also check applications for the IARU Region 2 Award. ARRL Special Service Clubs may appoint a HF awards manager for WAS and a VHF Awards Manager for VUCC. The K6RAU (our Traffic Manager) Morse Code Instruction Course is available at www.pdarrl.org/K6RAU or www.pdarrl.org/k6rau. No need to know a "dit" from a "dah", simply with paper and pencil, and following the instructions. Elmering: Guy W6MSU's Elmer talk group is at W6SF@yahoogroups.com San Joaquin Valley Nets: The Noontime net meets on 7.268.5 MHz. This net handles a lot of messages. Daytime Region 6 Traffic Net meets daily at 3:30 pacific time on or near 7.275 MHZ. This one is probable not in operation at this time. The California Traffic Net meets daily on 3.906 MHZ and 6:00 PM local time. The Golden Bear Amateur Radio Net meets nightly at 7:00 PM local time on 3.975 MHZ. Northern California Net (NCN), the Section Traffic Net, meets nightly on 3.533 MHZ at 7 PM Pacific Time. San Joaquin Net meets nightly on 3918khz, at 6 PM Pacific Time. Western Public Service System (WPSS) meets nightly on 3952khz, roll - at 7:30 PM local Pacific Time. The Mission Trail Net meets nightly on 3.856 MHZ at 8:00 PM local time. Northern California Net 2 (NCN2) The slow speed training session of NCN, meets nightly on 3.533 MHZ at 9 PM Pacific Time. Handling traffic on CW is a good way to improve your CW skills. The Young Ham Net every Saturday 2:00 PM local time 145.230 –0.6 PL 100 or Echolink KR6DD-R 271122 or N6WN-R 477737 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section Section Manager: Dan Pruitt, AE6SX ae6sx@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------