Field Day 2018 will be held June 23 and 24 at our EOC Radio Room in the back of the Johnson county Prosecuters office. That is four blocks south of the court house in Franklin. Everyone is welcome to check out and participate in the operation.
06/01/2018
On May 23, the US House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that included the language of the Amateur Radio Parity Act (HR 555) cleared the House [Representatives]. The following day, a fiscal year 2019 Financial Services appropriations bill also containing Parity Act language cleared the Financial Services and General Government subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations and now is working its way through the full Appropriations Committee. As a result, the Parity Bill has attracted some attention from outside the Amateur Radio and homeowners association communities.
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board’s Ad Hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee, called attention to a recent Politico article that addresses the challenges the bill faces [As it goes to the Senate].
See full story at:
See the Polico article – Parity Act story is just over halfway through article beginning with paragraph “GOING HAM FOR HAM RADIO”
At: “https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2018/05/25/gdpr-gets-real-229693
Every year since its founding in 2004, W9IMS, the Official Amateur Radio Club of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has conducted special event stations to help mark the races at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This year as always there will be stations working a special event station for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis May12th then for the Indianapolis 500 from May 21-27 and again during the Brickyard 400 September 3-9. To commemorate your contact with W9IMS during ALL 3 events they offer a high quality photo certificate for a small fee or a unique QSL card. More information on operating schedules, or getting a QSL card see the details are at their website:
While at the club meeting the question came up about terms used in communications like where did 73 and 88 originate. Another topic was where did the term "Elmer" come from and why wasn't it "Harry" or "Fred" or "Louise"? No one present could answer the question. Where did the term "Elmer" originate?
First, the definition of an Elmer is, someone who provides personal guidance and assistance to would-be hams. This definition first appeared in our A.R.R.L. publication QST in March 1971 article "How's DX". The author of this piece was Rod Newkirk, W9BRD (also using VA3ZBB). In Newkirk's article were a couple phrases describing the woes of a despondent person that had just failed the entry level amateur radio license test. "Too frequently one hears a sad story in this little nutshell: 'Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away I kind of lost interest.'"
Apparently other hams began using 'Elmer' around the world and the new tag stuck. The term "Elmer" is not very old but the concept is older. What name was used to describe those hams that helped other become hams were probably just common describers like friend, helper, tutor, coach, etc.
Raise your hand if you were aware that there is an award for "Elmer's". I can't raise my hand. I learned only from this research of the award. It is known as the Elmer Award, 'catchy isn't it?' and you can send or present someone with an Elmer Award certificate from the Amateur Radio Relay League. I AM NOT SOLICITING ANYONE FOR A CERTIFICATE! If you go to the ARRL Elmer Award page on the Internet you can read just above where you enter your Elmer's information and your information all about the certificate.
So, in closing, "Do Elmer's have and Elmer?" Yes, emphatically. Because we all participate and help each other. Therefore in some cases we are Elmers helping Elmers.
(Pcars - 2018).
Indiana’s QSO Party is this weekend May 5th and 6th. Details and 2018 rules are at: http://www.hdxcc.org/inqp/
