We would like to extend our congratulations to Marty – AC8JU from Michigan, who successfully completed the requirements for his Director’s Award, and recently received Director’s Award # 791…..
Marty has been sharing that new number on the net already, but for those who have not worked him yet, join us some evening, and pass along your congrats to Marty live on the air.
Well done Marty, during some rough band conditions on 80, you persevered and achieved the GERATOL Director’s Award. For those not familiar with it, The GERATOL Net Director’s Award is issued to net members, who have already earned their Unbelievable Operating Acheivement (WAS) Award, and have worked 100 other Geratol WAS Award holders and exchanged their numbers. All contacts must have been made after 0500 Feb 13, 1990. Endorsement stickers are available for increments for 200, 300, and 400 contacts after the certificate has been earned. Any call sign format qualifies, in the U.S. or Canada.
If there are any GERATOL Website members who recently completed other Awards, such as DXCC, WAZ, etc. please let me know, and we will post the achievement on our GERATOL Website, for your fellow GERATOLers to see.
73, Kevin N1KL Website Administrator
posted by Kevin in GERATOL NET NEWS and have Comments Off on CONGRATULATIONS !!!
Winter Field Day (WFD), sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association, is coming again. This year, the dates are January 28 and 29. Radio clubs around the country are activating for this event. Complete rules can be found on the WFD website, at Home – Winter Field Day. Combining this with ARRL’s yearlong event, Volunteers On the Air, is a great way to make contacts that count for both activities and get new operators on the air.
WFD is a communications exercise and is held annually on the last full weekend in January. It can be worked from the comfort of your home or in a remote location. You can participate by yourself or get your friends, family, or whole club involved. WFD is open to participants worldwide. Amateur radio operators may use frequencies on the HF, VHF, or UHF bands, and are free to use any mode that can faithfully transmit the required exchange intact. Like the ARRL Field Day, bonus points are earned in several ways, including for using non-commercial power sources, operating from remote locations, making satellite contacts, and more.
The Winter Field Day Association passionately believes that ham radio operators should practice portable emergency communications in winter environments, as the potential for freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and other hazards present unique operational concerns. WFD is formatted to help increase your level of preparedness for disasters and improve your operational skills in subpar conditions.
Source: ARRL NEWS
Mobile App Available to Navigate 2023 Orlando HamCation
Orlando HamCation® is February 10 – 12, 2023, and hosts the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention. In partnership with HamCation, ARRL’s free mobile app is available to help attendees navigate the large event, which is held at the Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park.
The app is available for Apple and Android smart devices, or access the web browser version which is optimized for nearly any browser or other type of mobile phone or tablet. Visit your app store to download the app (search “ARRL Events”) or access the links available on the ARRL Expo web page. If you’re reading this article on a mobile device, click here to be redirected to the appropriate app store, or redirected to the web browser version (www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl).
For more information, please visit these official websites:
For up to date news about our hobby, don’t forget to check out Amateur Radio Newsline (See link below)
You can access via this link, and either read the news, or play the audio version of same. Also, you can add ARN to your EchoLink app, and listen on your iPhone or Android.
We would like to welcome the following new subscribers to our GERATOL Website:
KA8D – Doug from KY KV8U – Todd from MI KI4KI – Malcolm from AL W2BRN – Bryan from TN
Thank you for taking the time to register on the GERATOL Website, and we hope you will check into the net again soon, and say hi to all on the net. Should any of you have any questions about the website and/or the net, don’t hesitate to send me an email with your question to: n1kl@arrl.net
NET CONDITIONS !
No doubt, conditions continue to be a challenge for those folks working toward their basic award. All the more reason, we need to get some new check-ins to the net, and assist those folks who remain determined to get their GERATOL Numbers. For those of us who earned our GERATOL WAS Award, we can all recall, and truly appreciate the stations, especially those who were regulars, and/or folks with GERATOL numbers, who took the time to check into the net, and whom we worked to complete our own awards. They were determined to help those, who like themselves, worked so hard to obtain the necessary QSO’s to complete the Unbelievable Operating Achievement Award.
So for those who have not checked into the net in a while, stop by some evening to say hi, and put your respective state in the log books of the several determined folks working on their basic award. Let’s lend a hand shall we ?
THANK YOU !!!!
We tip our caps !
Time once again to thank our determined Net Control Stations, who deal with QRM/QRN, yet continue to keep the GERATOL Net a viable net, and keep things moving forward, especially for those chasing their basic awards !! WELL DONE GUYS and THANK YOU !!
You may wish to put a light on your tower/antenna, so Santa can move about freely this year !!
Another Calendar Year of GERATOL in the log books !!
Just a reminder, as the 2022/2023 Season of the GERATOL Net moves along, we remain in celebration of our 50th year as a Worked All States Net. To that end, the 50th Year Anniversay Certificate, remains available not just through 2022/2023 season end, in March, but throughout the years ahead, as a great way to remember your experiences on the GERATOL Net, and especially as an activity for new check-in folks to work toward a nifty certificate, as they log new states for their basic award. More info on this commemorative certificate, can be found on the GERATOL Website: https://geratol.net/awards/other-awards/50th-anniversary-award/
Conditions Showing Signs of Improvement
Let’s hope Santa is good to us, as we approach 2023, and conditions on the 80M Band continue to improve, so our ardent basic award candidates, can log a few new states into their log books. To that end, for the long time GERATOLers who have not checked in lately, PLEASE take a few minutes, to check in some evening, bring some cheer in the way of a few QSO’s to those folks working toward their Basic Award.
THANK YOU !!
Once again, we wish to thank our Net Control Stations, for their persistence through QRM/QRN to keep the net alive, and for keeping it the friendliest WAS Net in service today.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL !
Finally, on behalf of the GERATOL Board of Directors, Net Control Stations, Awards Manager and all net officers, we wish you and your families a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Healthy Happy New Year to you and your entire families.
As Christmas approaches, many amateur radio clubs carry out an annual tradition of helping kids talk directly to Santa Claus while he is still at the North Pole before his big ride.
On Saturday, December 10, 2022, the Wallingford Amateur Radio Group in Connecticut connected kids to Santa and Mrs. Claus via amateur radio during their Calling Santa event. The group organized the event in cooperation with the Wallingford Health Department, Youth & Social Services, and support from an Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) grant to the Meriden Amateur Radio Club (MARC).
MARC President Dr. Ed Snyder, W1YSM, said this will be the third year for Calling Santa. “The location is ideal for this event,” said Dr. Snyder. “Our communications van is there, and the kids went inside and talked to Santa and Mrs. Claus on a real amateur radio. There was also a fire truck, coloring books, crayons, and allergy-safe snacks.” Each child received a full-color certificate signed by the Clauses.
Already in operation for the 16th consecutive year, The 3916 Nets are hosting the Santa Net on 3.916 MHz. Kids can talk to Santa Claus nightly via amateur radio at 7:00 PM CST now through Christmas Eve, December 24, 2022. The shortwave net welcomes radio amateurs to help their children and grandchildren get on the air to talk to Santa (third-party rules and regulations apply).
The Big Bend Amateur Radio Club, covering the Big Bend area of west Texas and based in Alpine, will have their 15th annual Santa Net ready to go on December 14, 2022. Local 2-meter repeaters are used to make the connection to Santa. The club highlights that “Santa Net introduces kids to ham radio.” The event is promoted through the local elementary school and its teachers. Participants get a candy cane and a card commemorating the radio contact with Santa.
The ARRL Special Event Stations database is updated regularly and includes other Christmas and holiday-themed on-the-air events. You can search the database at www.arrl.org/special-event-stations, and use keyword searches such as “Christmas” or “holiday.” Fill out the Special Events application form at www.arrl.org/special-events-application to add your event.
Our club, the Quaboag Amateur Radio Club, in Western Mass sponsored an event like this years ago, and it was a huge hit with the kids at the pre-school, where we had set up the station, using our local repeater on 220 Mhz. So, if you are members of a club, which may be sponsoring an event such as this, let me know and we can get it some visibility.
Source: ARRL
From: Kevin N1KL
posted by Kevin in GERATOL NET NEWS and have Comments Off on SOTA aka: SANTA ON THE AIR !!
As many GERATOLers are aware, we have a special endorsement, # 19 for working stations/ops in all 50 states who have a QCWA number. You don’t need a QCWA number yourself, just need to work stations/ops who do have a QCWA number. Many folks on the GERATOL Net, are also QCWA members, and there has always been a strong connection between QCWA and GERATOL.
As the QCWA celebrates their 75th Anniversary, and we continue to celebrate our 50th year in service to the Ham Radio community, they are sponsoring two very special activities, both of which are currently under way.
The first activity:To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the QCWA Special Event Station, W2MM, will operate from 0001 UTC December 3 to 2359 UTC December 10, 2022. Only QCWA members in the US and its territories will have an opportunity to activate W2MM for this event. More information is available at https://qcwa.org/w2mm-special-event.htm
The second activity: QCWA is also hosting the members-only Worked 75/75 Members Contest from December 5, 2022, through February 18, 2023. The contest encourages QCWA members to contact a minimum of 75 QCWA members during the contest period. All contest entrants will receive a special certificate. Additional information including the rules, and log forms is available at https://qcwa.org/1-worked-75-75-members-contest.htm.
Those interested in joining the QCWA, if licensed for 25 years or more, can check out all the details at the QCWA website or to look at all the interesting fun facts about the 75 years of QCWA, you can do so by clicking on this link: Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) Founded 1947
On behalf of the GERATOL Net, and all it’s members, we would like to extend a SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS to the QCWA on your 75th Anniversary. Happy Anniversary QCWA
Kevin N1KL QCWA # 24,589 and GERATOL # 1371
posted by Kevin in GERATOL NET NEWS and have Comments Off on HAPPY 75th ANNIVERSARY QCWA
To all GERATOLers ! Happy Thanksgiving !! After 50 years as a Worked All States Net, there is no doubt, many friendships have been formed amongst the great folks who checked in and who continue to check into our net.
We hope you all have a relaxing day with family and friends !!
I am sorry to report that Wayne Hearn WG8U, G# 1731 and D# 176 is now a silent key as identified by QRZ. Unfortunately, I can find no other information on his passing.
Barry, K2MF
posted by Barry K2MF in GERATOL NET NEWS and have Comments Off on Wayne Hearn WG8U Silent Key
