Kentucky Mountains Amateur Radio Club

We had almost 20 attendees at the Skywarn class.  A reporter from WYMT covered the event.  Click HERE to see the story.

Special thanks to National Weather Service Meteorologist Tony Edwards, KJ4FYM, for bringing the class to Perry County.

The KMARC will meet on at 6 PM on Monday August 13th at the Perry County Public Library, 289 Blackgold Blvd, Hazard (behind Social Security building and J C Pennys).  This will be a Skywarn Weather Spotter Training Class put on by the National Weather Service in Jackson, KY.  The training will last about an hour and is very helpful to us Amateur Radio Operators to know what to report in severe weather conditions.  We invite any/all other persons who might want to get this training to attend.

Johnnie – KY4JLB
President,
KMARC

Due to vacations we usually do not have a July Club Meeting but we will try to have one this Friday 0900 at My Place Resturant which seems to gather more operators than a regular club meeting…spread the word.

Johnnie, KY4JLB

MOST POPULAR GUY AT FD

THE MOST POPULAR GUY AT FD

Once again this year, the Letcher, Harlan, and Perry Co. Amateur Radio Clubs held Field Day activities on US 119 near Whitesburg. The setup again was at the parking lot at the junction of the Pine Mtn. hiking trail and The Little Shepherd Trail, a hiking/vehicular trail.
Many new gadgets were in evidence, including new masts, a solar-powered station, and other improvements to portable operation. Even though band conditions weren’t good, the group had a great time and some good food.

To see a gallery of all the Field Day photos, CLICK HERE.

Don’t forget the next club meeting will be held on Monday, May 14 at 6pm at the East Kentucky Veterans Center. We will be filling out volunteer applications regarding the MOU in place with the veterans center. We will also be discussing the upcoming Field Day activities.

“The KY Mountains ARC, ARES District 10, and Perry Co. ARES
have a Memorandum Of Agreement to help with communications
at the Paul E. Patton Eastern KY Veterans’ Center in Hazard, in case of an
emergency in the area which would require communications
backup.  The agreement was announced by club president
Johnnie Brashear, KY4JLB, at the April 9 club meeting.

Club member Kel Adams, KI4NPC, an employee at the facility, has
installed two meter gear, and the club plans to help
with an HF antenna, as well as volunteer operators and
portable HF equipment, should the need arise.

As recent activity during the Eastern Ky. Tornado outbreak has
shown, the Eastern Ky Linked Repeater System has great use
and potential when there is a weather or other type of emergency
in  the area.

An added benefit to the agreement and equipment is that residents,
such as Charlie Hensley, KE4BNV from Harlan,  in the photo, may use
the equipment as part of their activities at the Center.  Charlie
has had difficulty reaching repeaters with his handheld transceiver,
so the base station will help him stay in touch with his many friends
on the air.

The EKVC serves the Eastern part of the state with residents from
many counties around Hazard, and is one of three such facilities
in the stare which serves those who did the most to serve our country.”

The location of the meeting scheduled for Monday, April 9th has been moved to the East Kentucky Veterans Center.  It is still scheduled for 6pm.  Since we have entered into a MOA with them and a 2-meter radio is already set up there, it will be a good time to look the place over. Charlie Hensley, KE4BNV, is a patient there and will be able to attend the meeting and is looking forward to seeing everyone. The location is out near the National Guard Armory. When you get to the flea market, instead of making the steep left turn, go straight, past U-Bet, and the Veterans Center is at the end of the road.  You can go to the main entrance or side entrance, which will be less walking, and ask the receptionist where the Ham Club is meeting.

View Larger Map

Just a reminder that the next KMARC meeting will be held on Monday, April 9th, 6pm at the Law Enforcement Technology Center next to The Forum and across from Hardee’s in Hazard. Hope to see you there!

The following is from the National Weather Service office in Jackson:

An area of low pressure will intensify and move into the Ohio Valley this afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms will develop across eastern Kentucky during the day, with severe thunderstorms possible at any time. A cold front will then approach the area late this afternoon and into this evening and this will bring our greatest severe weather threat. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms will develop and rapidly move east across the area in advance of this front. Damaging winds will be the greatest threat, however large hail and tornadoes are also possible. In addition to the severe weather threat, winds will gust to between 35 and 40 mph this afternoon. (Please visit http://weather.gov/jkl for more information.)