Ohio HF Emergency Preparedness Net. Tues at 7PM on 3850 kHz (+/-)
Ohio Digital Emergency Net (OHDEN) Tues at 8PM. 7072 kHz USB.
Greetings and salutations from the Northeast corner of the Buckeye State where the temperature is 73 degrees and cloudy.
A reminder to all volunteers...stay hydrated. Sometime we get all wrapped up in the event we forget to stay hydrated. The American Heart Association has a great website with information on how and what to drink. According to the website, "Not just for athletes or exercise." "Hydration isn’t just important during physical activity. Sitting in the sun on a hot or humid day, even if you aren’t exercising, can also cause your body to need more fluids."
The American Cancer Society Pan Ohio Hope Ride is July 24th, 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2014. It's only a 328 mile bicycle ride from Cleveland to Cincinnati in four days with over 500 cyclists. Amateur radio plays a key role in situational awareness not only for the staff but also the participants in this event. We're looking for amateur radio volunteers to staff strategic locations, water stops, dangerous or misleading intersections, and railroad tracks on all four days of the ride. Volunteers who would like to be stationed at the water stops need to contact me at w8dec@arrl.net so I can get them added to volunteer roster and notify the POHR staff. Please note, we're hoping to have enough volunteers to have more than one at each water stop on all four days of the ride. See attached for water stop locations to find one near you. Volunteers stationed at strategic locations, dangerous or confusing intersections, and railroad tracks throughout the ride will be assigned by their Emergency Coordinator or their designee. More information including maps can be found at www.panohiohoperide.org. More than likely there will be minor changes to the route between now and the event so please do not print them until we're close to the event. The communications plan is being tweaked from last year and will be out at a later date. Feel free to contact me at w8dec@arrl.net should you have any questions.
We're just over three weeks from one of the largest amateur radio on the air events in the World. Of course I am talk about ARRL Field Day 2014. All I can say is I sure hope you get out to a Field Day site somewhere. It truly is an experience to remember. Check out http://www.arrl.org/field-day for more details and visit the Field Day Locator to find a site near you.
Congratulations to Geauga County EC Pat Karl N8ONI, Geauga County ARES, and the Geauga Amateur Radio Association for winning first place in the EOC Category of the 2013 Ohio QSO Party!
In final, I am sure many of you read the recent article in QST written by Mike Corey about some changes within the Field Organization particularly in the ARES program. I know some of you heard Mike Corey talk at Hamvention in the ARES Forum about the same changes. Even I couldn't help but scratch my head and ask, what does all this mean? I have been briefed by HQ with some clarifications and I intend on sharing those with you next week in my Ohio SEC Notes & Stuff so we're all on the same page.
That's all for this week. Many thanks for everything you do for amateur radio.
73 de Matt W8DEC