Dec
31
Tonight will be the OCRA’s annual silent key memorial on the W4UNC 442.150 Repeater (PL 131.8hz) .
The net will begin at 8:00PM and we will acknowledge all of the Silent Keys listed on the OCRA Silent Key Page. If you wish to add a Silent Key of your own, you can enter one using the form at the bottom of the Silent Key Page.
Dec
13
At 3:24 PM today, an unfamiliar signal made it to W3AHL-4′s APRS Digipeater. Was it a bird with an HT … no, a plane … no, it was an Amateur Radio APRS Balloon.
Brainchild of the California Near Space Project, the Balloon sent it’s location to repeaters from a height of 110,000 feet. The W3AHL Repeater was able to pull in this information, as the Balloon passed over Virginia into the Atlantic, just part of it’s intercontinental journey. As of 4:00PM, the Balloon has made it to the Azores and is said to soon fly overhead in Northern Africa. The Project Team is asking that APRS digipeaters across the world be tuned to track the flight’s progress.
To Track the Balloon Live – CLICK HERE
To read more about the project: Click Here
– Derek Brown (W4DTB)
An ARRL Certified PIO Officer
Nov
18
On Thursday, November 17th, the Orange County Radio Amateurs had the privilege of introducing a score of kids to Amateur Radio at Efland-Cheeks Elementary School’s “math and science” night. Kristin Bedell, KI4LLO, the AIG teacher there, was kind enough to offer us the invitation, and our thanks go out to her. In addition, several other hams did yeoman duty volunteering their time to conduct QSOs with the kids over OCRA’s 442.150MHz repeater. From Burlington, ARRL Public Information Officer Christopher Tate, KJ4UBL, did his usual excellent, professional job of drawing them into the over-the-air experience by relating his own school experiences to theirs in his friendly, outgoing way. Stanley Rankin, KF4KQL, in Asheboro, also hung in for the majority of the time. Special thanks, too, to Vic Merryman, K0OUX, Joseph Fields, KF4QYY, and Adriano Marcuz, KV7D, for dropping in at most appropriate times.
In addition to the Amateur Radio exhibit, at least one other ham was in attendance there at the Robotics demonstration–Bob, N6YBE(?), from Durham, who stopped by to say hello and have a QSO with KJ4UBL after the batteries on his automata discharged.
Virtually from the moment the event began at 6:00 PM until it ended at 7:30 (and afterward!) we were continuously busy meeting these wonderful children and their parents. It was a fun, encouraging activity.
-Raymond ”Woody” Woodward K3VSA
ARRL Public Information Coordinator for North Carolina
(an ARRL-trained Public Information Officer)
Nov
05
Lad Carrington, W4ORD, has the privilege of explaining Amateur Radio to Michelle Montgomery, Miss Occoneechee/Orange Speedway 2011 (credit photo: K3VSA)
Lad Carrington (W4ORD) did his usual excellent job of representing Amateur Radio at the Occoneechee Speedway’s fifth annual Car Show and and racers’ reunion. This was the second year in which we had a presence at the event, which features fifty years’ worth of classic automobiles and race cars–some complete with their original vintage drivers.
The Occoneechee Speedway at historic Hillsborough (NC) dates back to the 1948 inauguration of NASCAR and is the last remaining of the famous heritage “dirt tracks.”
Lad manned a booth promoting ham radio and providing emergency communication support through the Orange County Radio Amateurs’ W4UNC 442.150MHz repeater. Other OCRA members who attended included Dee Ramm (KU4GC), MK Ramm (W4MKR), Lenore Ramm (KF4PAB), Vic Merryman (K0OUX), Dewey Thompson (WA4AHR), and Woody Woodward (K3VSA).
-Raymond “Woody” Woodward K3VSA
ARRL Public Information Coordinator for North Carolina
(an ARRL-trained Public Information Officer)
Nov
02
“The Orange County Radio Amateurs marked their twentieth birthday today. On November 1st, 1991, an organizational meeting of the “Orange County Wireless Pioneers” took place, with the goal of providing emergency communication in and around Orange County. The group’s name was soon changed to the “Orange County Radio Amateurs.” It wasn’t long before we were called to service when a major telephone cable was cut, causing an outage across east Chapel Hill. We responded with operators who worked for several days until service was restored. Twenty years later, we’re still going strong. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OCRA!”
-Raymond “Woody” Woodward K3VSA
ARRL Public Information Coordinator for North Carolina
(an ARRL-trained Public Information Officer)http://www.ncarrl-pio.org