Gentleman,

I have been told that all amateur operator slots have been filled up until June 10, 6:00 PM EDT. We have everyone we need thanks to the surge of support from ARRL/ARES operators.

When the ARRL brings its full weight to bear to assist us, it is not only dynamic but inspirational.

Thanks for helping The Salvation Army in its quest to assist those in Joplin who suffered through this ordeal.

Your help is significant.

Best regards to all and God bless you.

Sincerely,

Patrick E. McPherson
Major (R)
National Director
SATERN

June 3, 2011

In accord with our Memorandum of Understanding with The Salvation Army, we are looking for volunteers to aid them in their work in Joplin, Missouri at this time.  There is a specific process to be followed in doing this, so please read this information carefully.

The Salvation Army continues to provide food, drink and other items of basic care to survivors and rescue workers in the impacted areas of Joplin, MO.  While cell phone coverage is no longer much of a problem in Joplin, amateur radio continues to be important in certain operations such as those of the Salvation Army where the ability for several persons to hear what is going on at the same time is an asset.

As a SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network) operator, if deployed, you will be asked to go out on Salvation Army vehicles into the areas impacted by the Joplin tornado to supply logistical support.  The Salvation Army vehicles supply basic human needs (particularly food and drink) and you will play a big part in the operation.  You will relay information as to inventory, requests for food and drink, maintenance problems that develop, etc.   It may surprise you, but at certain periods of the day the radio traffic has been almost constant.  The Salvation Army Disaster Response Operations are now running from 7 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m.

DO NOT SELF_DEPLOY!

Wait to be contacted for possible deployment and assignment.

The qualifications for being assigned are:

ü  Technician or higher Amateur Radio license.

ü  Good health – you will encounter 100 degree heat, exertion and long hours.  You need to be in good shape!

ü  Ability to take on a 3 to 5 day deployment in the field.

ü  Have an HT and a mobile (VHF/UHF) radio – also having APRS is a big plus.

ü  Experience with disaster responses.  ARES leadership experience a plus.

ü  NIMS/ICS training with a minimum of IS-100, IS-200 completed.

The process to volunteer is:

1.  Send an email to emergency@arrl.org (http://us NULL.mc810 NULL.mail NULL.yahoo NULL.com/mc/compose?to=emergency null@null arrl NULL.org) (Include name, call, contact information (phone & email), location and specific information on how you meet each of the criteria above)

2.  Your information will be checked against the current needs

3.  If cleared, your contact information will be sent to our liaison with SATERN field leadership.

4.  If assigned, you will be contacted by SATERN directly and given further instructions.

The Salvation Army will try to supply you with some type of lodging, if available.  If deployed, you should consider bringing a sleeping bag or make other sleeping arrangements should you need to be housed at the Salvation Army.

SATERN operations in Joplin are being held on the 147.00 (positive offset) repeater.  If you are deployed, you will need at minimum a 2-meter handheld radio with a spare battery pack (or cigarette lighter adapter) and a magnetic mount antenna.  Due to some communications problems experienced on 2-meters within the impacted area, a 2-meter mobile radio with magnetic mount antenna would be desirable.  Additional information will be furnished to you.

No reimbursement for travel or any other expenses has been authorized at this time. Therefore, I would recommend that you record your mileage and save your receipts.  You may be able to deduct your mileage from your taxes (consult your tax preparer). The Salvation Army will of course provide you food and drink while on duty.

=========================================

Thank you!

73,

Steve Ewald, WV1X

Supervisor, Field Organization Team

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio™

860-594-0265

sewald@arrl.org (http://us NULL.mc810 NULL.mail NULL.yahoo NULL.com/mc/compose?to=sewald null@null arrl NULL.org)

Friends-

We regret to inform you that after nearly two decades of monthly Sunday morning amateur radio and electronics swap meets, the Livermore Amateur Radio Klub (LARK) is pulling the plug and canceling all future swap meets effective immediately. There will NOT be a May swap and all swaps for the foreseeable future have been canceled. This was a difficult decision, one that was avoided several times in recent months, but the reality cannot be avoided any longer. Declining attendance by both sellers and buyers, rising costs and the difficulty in recovering from the loss of the swap being held at Los Positas college are just a few of the reasons that led to this decision. It takes an enormous amount of work and resource to make these swaps successful and as a club we have witnessed a steady decline in both revenue and manpower to make the swap a worthwhile venture.

We greatly appreciate your support over the years, it has been a fun ride while it lasted. LARK would especially like to thank all those who volunteered and rose at the crack of dawn on Sunday mornings to get the swap meet up and running to provide this fun and rewarding event for the amateur radio community at large. The swap will be missed.

LARK is looking at the possibility of a bi-annual event that may look more like a Hamfest including a swap meet. For that reason we are keeping the Yahoo swap list alive and we hope that you will keep your subscription active. Stay tuned as we work out those details.

73 from the Livermore Amateur Radio Klub (LARK)

** Please pass this along and help us get the word out if you can, thanks again.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sandy Lavine, KO6JF, as the A.R.E.S.^® District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) for Alameda County. He replaces John Rabold, KS6M, who has taken the position of Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC).

Sandy began his radio journey with a First Class FCC license and Novice license in 1968. Re-licensed as KE6EMW in 1992, Sandy worked his way in a few short years to General and Advanced Extra, before getting his Extra Class in 2002.

A charter member of the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) he served as Vice President for over two years and has served as their Emergency Communications lead since 2003.

Even before being appointed the ARES Emergency Coordinator for the City of Alameda in August 2009, he was active in leading ARCA’s participation in local city exercises. ARCA has participated in every City of Alameda since 2004. As a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member beginning in 2003, Sandy has introduced volunteer emergency workers to Amateur Radio, and Amateur Radio volunteers to local emergency activities. Beginning in 2009 Alameda ARES and CERT members have participated joint exercises and with the American Red Cross. Though last year was their first ARRL SET, Sandy co-lead a successful joint exercise involving the Alameda and Oakland ARES groups. The exercise emphasized mutual aid and the use of Packet Radio.

Sandy is active in many modes of on-air activities. While he does dabble in contesting from time to time, what he enjoys most is person to person rag chews via HF and Satellite. He also likes to use digital modes such as PSK-31 and APRS.

Please join me in welcoming and supporting Sandy in his new role as DEC, Alameda County.

The ARRL East Bay Section and the California Historical Radio Society are co-sponsoring the First Annual ARRL East Bay Section Convention. The event will be held at the KRE Building – Home of the California Historical Radio Society, Bay Area Radio Museum, and W6CF Memorial Station.

• Admission – Free
• When – June 4 from 0900 to 1300 hours.
• Where – 601 Ashby Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710 – (From I-80 East, take the Ashby/Shellmound Exit. Take the Shellmound turnoff. At the stop sign turn left onto Shellmound. Go across the bridge and make the first left into the gate. From I-80 West, take the Ashby Ave. Exit. Go under the bridge & make a right turn on 7th St. Go right on Folger. Go left on Hollis. Go right on 67th & then right on Shellmound, across the bridge and left into the gate.)
• Contact – Jim Latham, AF6AQ by email at af6aq@arrl.net (af6aq null@null arrl NULL.net)

Planned Activities;

• Swap Meet (No fee) – Gate opens 0800. No selling activity until 0900
• DXCC Card Checking (also VUCC, WAS and WAC cards)
• Speaker
  • Kristen McIntyre, K6WX – “PSK-31 on iPad: A Personal Journey”
  • Bruce Perens K6BP – “Codec 2, the new codec written by hams, for digital voice”
• East Bay Section ARES Leadership Meeting (for ECs and above)
• ARRL Forum/Open Section meeting.
• Drawing for door prizes.