ARRL Field Day 2020 is June 27- 28

Field Day is upon us and will differ greatly from past Field Days for the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club. Please check out the information here on the blog for details on how to participate.

Bill Johnson, KI4ZMV, steps down as LARC Secretary

After more years than he would care to remember, Bill Johnson has decided to step down from his long-held position as Secretary of the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club. He served with a consistently upbeat and “can do” attitude and was always willing to take on the myriad of thankless tasks the club required.

In addition to his duties as Secretary, he managed the LARC blog, kept track of years of the club’s pictures, archives and paraphernalia, was the de facto club photographer and provided limitless support for those responsible for other club functions.

Bill was always the “embedded walker” at the March for Babies and Wounded Warrior events, often making multiple loops around Lake Hollingsworth to provide on scene radio contact.

Pictures of Bill are hard to find because he is usually behind the camera. Here is Bill with Rip, AA4HT, at the 2019 Field Day event.

LARC Member: (important info)

At the meeting June 1, the Board of Directors decided that our monthly meetings would resume on July 13th – the second Monday. Shortly thereafter, in response to spikes in new cases of the COVID-19 virus here in Polk County and in concern for their congregation, Parkview Baptist Church decided to delay the reopening of their facilities until August. We are currently trying to determine the best course of action regarding the July LARC meeting: meet outdoors, find a different indoor venue, or simply wait until August to begin meeting again. We are open to any and all suggestions. Please read your email and check the blog frequently.

Wish I had better news and more detailed information. At least the sun managed to produce a few sunspots for us. 73

Mike Shreve, President, Lakeland Amateur Radio Club

LARC Field Day 2020 – Something Different

We can safely say 2020 has NOT gone as anyone expected… and this year’s LARC Field Day is no exception. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be slacking off, the LARC board feels it still would not be prudent to hold a large scale event with many people in close quarters, sharing food and microphones etc.

So, instead of our usual group operation at the Kathleen Historical Society, we are encouraging people to operate at home. The ARRL has tweaked the rules for this year, to allow all stations to work each other. Normally, Class D home stations are not allowed to work other home stations – however, this year you can.

They have also added a feature to the log submission system to allow for “aggregate scoring.” This is similar to many other contests, where members from the same club can count their scores together for a club competition. This way, even though we will be operating from home, we can still be scored as a club.

  • Operate from home, or in small groups with people you’re comfortable with
  • Submit your log and mark your club as “Lakeland ARC”
  • Send in photos of your own mini-field day operation! You can send them to photos@lakelandarc.org

Check out the full list of 2020 rules variations at http://www.arrl.org/temporary-rule-waivers-for-arrl-field-day-2020

Have fun, and stay safe.

WCF Experimenter Spring 2020 Issue

The West Central Florida Experimenter Spring 2020 issue is available for downloading. This edition includes an excellent article by LARC’s own Buddy Morgan, WB4OMG, on the current status of FT8 on 2 meters and higher bands.

You can find a link to the WCF Experimenter and other useful information on the WCF website: http://arrlwcf.org/

or you can download this and other WCF Experimenter issues at:

http://arrlwcf.org/home/the-wcf-experimenter-technical-newsletter/

CARL JOHNSON, N3TJ – SK

Long time LARC member Carl Johnson, has passed away. His obituary from Sunday’s Ledger is found below:

HENDERSONVILLE, TN. – Carl T. Johnson, age 84, of Hendersonville, TN and formerly of Auburndale, FL, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2020.

Carl was born on January 21, 1936 in Sturgis, Michigan to the late Carl and Geraldine Johnson.

Carl was a proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard, retiring at the rank of Lt. Commander with 25 years of service. Following his military service he continued his career as a systems engineer with Northrup Grumman for 20 years. He enjoyed amateur radio, golf, marksmanship, sailing, and fishing.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Neal Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Ann Johnson; sons, Todd Johnson (Kimberly) of Hendersonville, TN and Andrew Johnson of Bowie, MD; 8 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren; siblings, Hugh Johnson and Kathi Sonetz.

In accordance with his wishes, Mr. Johnson was cremated and there will be a memorial Mass held at a later date. Arrangements Entrusted to: Sumner Funeral & Cremation, Gallatin, TN (615) 452-9059 www.sumnerfuneral. com

FLSPOTA Postponed

Unfortunately, Florida DEP is closing all State Parks effective tomorrow, March 23. It is not known when they will reopen.

As a result, Florida State Parks on the Air 2020 will be postponed until later in the year. The new weekend is TBD, but will be announced on the FLSPOTA Facebook page and https://groups.io/g/flspota