The January meeting of the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club will be Monday, January 11 at 7 p.m. at the Aerospace Center for Excellence, 4175 Medulla Rd, Lakeland FL 33811. We’ll be meeting in the Education Building which is at the intersection of Medulla Rd and Rocky Rd. You can’t miss it as there’s a C-47 parked on one side and a helicopter parked on the other.
A new year is upon us, and like life, ham radio goes on. So what would you like to accomplish this coming year in this fabulous hobby of ours?
Work a contest? There are lots of them (and you can find them listed in the “Contest Corral” on the ARRL website).
Do some public service? (Here’s hoping as the world gets back to normal we get some events that need communication!)
How about becoming a Volunteer Examiner? It is extremely rewarding and the club can always use more (and you get to go to Scotland hihi)
How about EmComm? Organizations like ARES, Skywarn and CERT can always use more help.
Maybe it’s time for some new wallpaper in the shack. Have you got your DXCC (DX Century Club, for working 100 individual countries), WAS (Worked All States) or WAC (Worked All Continents), Certificate of Code Proficiency or any of the many operating awards that are available? The pursuit is fun, and getting that certificate up on the wall is a proud moment!
If none of these are your cup of tea, how about just being more active this year? There is a whole world of ham radio out there and many hams never scratch the surface. Be active on the air, be active in your club, be active recruiting and elmering new hams and just be active building up ham radio. Let’s make this coming year the best year ever in Amateur Radio!
Be sure to post your 2021 Ham Radio Resolution on the email list.
73 and Happy New Year from your friendly neighborhood blogger, AB4KA
In a Report and Order (R&O), released on December 29, the FCC scaled back to $35 the fee for a new license application, a special temporary authority (STA) request, a rule waiver request, a license renewal application, and a vanity call sign application. All fees are per application. There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. The FCC has agreed with ARRL and other commenters that its proposed $50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was “too high to account for the minimal staff involvement in these applications.”
The effective date of the fee schedule has not been established, but it will be announced at least 30 days in advance.
Every New Year’s Eve, starting at 0000 UTC starts an operating event like no other. It’s Straight Key Night!
Straight Key Night is not a contest…there are no points scored. It is a 24 hour operating event that celebrates our CW heritage. Contacts are strictly for fun and it’s a fabulous opportunity to hook up that straight key (or your trusty bug) and get on the air. See the attached link for details. Have fun!
The FCC has announced that they will be transitioning to all-electronic communication and will require that all amateur radio operators have a valid email address on file. The date that the requirement will take place is still to be determined, however it appears it will be in the summer of 2021.
There’s no time like the present to make sure Uncle Charlie has your correct mailing address, and be sure to get that email address listed!
The annual Tampa Bay Hamfest is this weekend! It is once again being held at the Strawberry Festival grounds, however due to virus concerns it is primarily going to be held outside (so far the weather looks like it should be good). It starts Friday, December 11 at 1 p.m. and runs through Saturday, December 12 at 4 p.m.
SKYWARN™ Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the contributions that SKYWARN™ volunteers make to the NWS mission, the protection of life and property. Amateur radio operators comprise a large percentage of the SKYWARN™ volunteers across the country. The Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication between the NWS and emergency management if normal communications become inoperative.
Despite the rain Saturday morning, there was a good turnout for the Southcars meet-up and tailgate at the Golden Corral. Here is the evidence… (thanks to Glenn, KO4AWJ for the photos!)