PanhandleARES.org

I just wanted to express my deepest thanks to you and your team of ham communication experts!

The 2011 Bike MS Wild West ride was a tremendous success, and has already raised over $100,000 to help end the devastating effects of Multiple Sclerosis! A large portion of the reason for that success lies in the members of your team of awesome volunteers! The hams as a group rose to the challenge again this year to provide our riders with an unsurpassed level of safety and security as they plodded along those 100.2 heat scorched miles from Amarillo to Canadian.

Your team expertly facilitated on of the most dramatic events in the history of Wild West rides. As the air temperatures on Saturday rose over 107*F, the pavement temperatures crested 125*F, and the heat index soared through the roof; The safety of the riders became endangered, and the situation grew critical as riders began suffering the effects of the extreme temperatures. The decision to call off the ride on Saturday was made, despite it not being a popular decision by a few riders, and the hams were able to get this information to the riders out on the course in an amazingly short time. It is quite possible that the swift actions of the hams and the effective use of coordinated ham communications during this crisis event may have saved multiple riders from grave danger. This is the exact reason that the hams are so critical to our ride and the exact reason that we are so thankful to have you as team members.

Please relay to your team my personal and heartfelt gratitude for volunteering for this event again this year and please relay to the Caprock Intertie organization our gratitude for maintaining such a useful and pertinent system that continues to provide a definite measure of sefety and security to the entire population of the tri-state region.

73,

Matthew Carter, KF5CBT

Important Texas VHF-FM Society News

The Texas VHF-FM Society proposes to re-allocate Frequencies to make room for Digital. Check out the link below to read the latest newsletter.

The downloadable files shown below will be displayed by your browser in .pdf extension format; See Important Information on Page 6: 2m Band Plan Change.

Texas VHF-FM Society Newsletter

Hello to all Radio Amateurs;

I wish to remind those who may not have seen or heard, of an impending event which may be of interest to you that is being held in Irving, TX; which is namely the 45th annual Central States VHF society’s annual conference.  If you have any interest in the VHF and UHF weak signal activities, this gathering is for you.  This year the conference is being held at the Westin DFW in Irving TX, on the dates of July 28 through the 30th, 2011.

The conference starts with registration on Thursday (7/28) evening, which extends through Friday, July 29, with antenna measuring, preamp measuring and talks/seminars also scheduled throughout the day.  On Saturday, the seminars continue, and a banquet and prize drawing are featured that night. Other features include a dealer display, of VHF/UHF goodies, flea market, family program with tours of many attractions in and around the Dallas/Fort Worth area, rover and antenna displays, and lots of socializing with familiar voices, which allows you to meet many of those with whom you have been making those enjoyable V/U QSOs.

Much more detailed information on the 45th conference can be found at the website; http://www.csvhfs.org, including links to the hotel for those who plan to stay the duration, and a link to an online registration page for conference registration.  Many in the DFW area may opt just to attend for the day on Saturday, but come and join us for the entire weekend if you can.

For more information, you can contact me here, at the address in the header, or please send an email to Chuck Clark, AF8Z, the conference host.  Chuck can be reached at af8z@earthlink.net

Thanks for considering, hope to see you in Irving!

Ken Boston W9GA
Promotions; Central States VHF society

Minutes, June 14 2011
Scribe: Terra Seright

• Meeting began at 1900 with no minutes to read, because the previous month’s meeting was held at the EOC downtown. No correction to the minutes.
• July 12 Next meeting –we are looking for suggestions for meetings. We do have training planned for about another year. We hope for a CPR class soon, but as it stands, Jason Dennis is unable to teach the class for us.
• Check in on the net on the first and third Tuesday of every month…Nets have been doing well for check-ins
• Still looking for volunteers for the MS150. New info has been released, which will be shared with all soon.
• Field Day is at the Discovery Center.
• The horse race is this weekend, June 18. Volunteers needed….
• If you have spare equipment to share with Neal Lowe, who lost everything in a fire, get with Steve White or Jim Musgrove. There is a collection being gathered.
• Program brought by Chris—“Go Kits”
• Meeting adjourned at 2030

Please follow the link below for a PowerPoint presentation by KE5ZRT summarizing the 2011 PARC/ARRL Field Day event.

Click Here: 2011 PARC/ARRL Field Day Presentation