2013 ARRL Field Day

The CAUHF group will be operating a joint Field Day operation this weekend (June 22-23) with the ARES club at Fort Roots in North Little Rock.  We will setup at the parade grounds on the south side of the hospital overlooking the river.  Here's a link for directions via Google Maps:

http://goo.gl/maps/Z0iBC

On-air operation will be from 1:00 PM CDT Saturday until 1:00 PM CDT Sunday.  Setup will start around 8:00 AM on Saturday morning.  Come for the whole time or an hour.  We will be happy to put you on the air if you like.  There will be a GOTA (Get On The Air) station that is geared toward getting unlicensed people, new hams, and inactive hams on the air to make some contacts.  A good time will be had by all. Have a new radio or accessory that you want to show off or need help with?  Bring it! The plan is to have fun with our friends. If we score some points, that's even better!

Here are a few things that you might consider bringing:

Gasoline - if everyone brings a gallon or so, we should be good

Folding chair for yourself. Extras for visitors if you can.

Drinks, snacks

Tools, gloves

Sunscreen, bug spray

Radios, antennas, etc.

If you have any questions, let me know.  On Saturday morning, I will be monitoring the 444.7 + / 114.8 tone repeater located on top of Ft. Roots.  This machine is also linked to the rest of the AR Links system including 145.49 - / 114.8 tone if you don't have 70cm. You can also call my mobile at 501-590-4593.

73 and hope to see you there!

Luke

AE5AU

CAUHF announces "Get Your Pet On The Air" movement

The CAUHF Group, in conjunction with local animal rights groups, have started a new movement that they have titled "Get Your Pet On The Air".  It's stated mission is to support the creation of a Pet Radio Operator's license for animal family members of other licensed Amateur Radio operators.

Randy Wright, AE5RW, said "The looks that I get from Sasha every single Tuesday night during the AR Links System Net are just unbearable.  She's always wanted her own license since she was a puppy.  Now she has hope that someday she too can check-in... short of time... with no traffic."

Pet owners all around central Arkansas have expressed interest in helping to create such a movement for several hours, but it wasn't until recently that this dream seemed possible.

But not everyone is in favor of the idea.  Tem Moore, N5KWL said, "That is just crazy.  Seriously, how could my dog remember his own call sign?  He has a hard enough time remembering mine."

Arkansas Section Manager J.M. Rowe, N5XFW, said that he wasn't sure how this would be accepted by the ARRL or the FCC but he was definitely in favor of being favorable.

For the CAUHF Group, I'm N5JLC.  73!

NOTE: For those who may be a little dense, this was an April Fool's joke.

"Fox Hunts" Making a Comeback in Central Arkansas

The Central Arkansas UHF Group (www.cauhf.org) held its first "fox hunt" on Saturday and everyone had a great time. The event was likely to have been the first of its kind in over a decade in central Arkansas.

A “fox hunt” is a direction finding contest (also known as a "transmitter hunt" or "T-hunt") in which participants use directional antennas to locate a hidden transmitter. The participating Ham radio operators were scattered all over Pulaski County at the beginning of the event (and some were still scattered at the end of the event).

Tem Moore (N5KWL) was the winner, being the first to locate the "foxes" at Mimi's Cafe.

"It was a ton of fun. I still think it was just luck. It made me very aware that my fox-hunting skills need to improve. I learned that a simple tape-measure antenna could out-perform a factory-made fox-hunting antenna. I thought it was just a huge amount of fun," said Moore.

John Goswick (W5JLG) and Barbara Goswick (KE5ZQN) served as the "foxes" for the hunt.

The CAUHF is hoping to have a "fox hunt" each month on the second Saturday of the month. The next one is scheduled for April 11 at 9 am. More information about future "fox hunts" will be made available on the group's web site at www.cauhf.org.

Events such as this are used to train individuals in direction finding which is used in radio navigation, location of harmful or hostile transmitters, emergency aid (such as locating civil aircraft), avalanche rescue, wildlife tracking, as well as for sport.