Current Section Report (March 2025)
SM: Malcolm Keown, W5XX. Section Website at www.arrlmiss.org. Webmaster: W5UE, ASM: K5BAK, K5DSG, KB5HC, KF8PD, K0UPW, K5VOK, W4WLF, KB5YEE, ACC: W5VMS, PIC: K5RFL, SEC: KC5IMN, ASEC: AA1NA, W5DIX; SGL: AK5J; STM: WV5Q, TC: N5JGK.
The 2025 Mississippi QSO Party is now history. If you like lots of QRN and band conditions sounding like the bottom of the sunspot cycle, then this QSO Party was for you. Unfortunately, 15 and 10 never really opened up and 75/80 were covered up by lightening QRN from the storm front to the northwest stretching across Arkansas. Fortunately, a record number of Mississippi stations were on the air to provide QSOs for the stations hunting Mississippi contacts. Special thanks to all of the scheduled mobile/portable operations, who put rare counties on the air in spite of challenging conditions. More information next month.
Want to know how to get your club involved in public service events? Checkout page 82 of the May QST. Thanks to KG5YEE in Vicksburg for putting this informative article together.
Congratulations to N4OGW of Starkville. Tor won first place W/VE in the November 2024 CW Sweepstakes in the low power category (150 watts or less). This is a tough accomplishment with hundreds of CW ops in this category.
ARRL Membership in Mississippi is now 847 on April 1 down from about 1,000 in January 2024. This drop was partially due to the dues increase, but this is not time to cry over spilled milk. It’s time to go to work to build up our membership.
In DEC/EC Reports from around the state …
Fram Carroll County AEC KG5RRF. The Delta ARA activated on March 14-15 in response to storms in the Delta using the 147.285 machine in Carrollton with emergency backup power. This repeater has a range extending from Carrollton to Greenville and Cleveland which gives good coverage to 50-watt mobiles in the Delta. During this storm event six mobiles were out spotting with four base stations helping monitor the weather. Mobiles were KF5IAY (at EOC), KJ5FJA, KI5HKE, KJ5IWY, KI5HKC, and KI5EOF. Base stations were KG5RRF (NCS and EOC), N5EYM, KC5UYF, and KB5LJR. Four tornado reports were submitted.
From Gulf Coast DEC KD4VVZ on DMR activation during the Severe Weather Event of March 15th, 2025.
There were approximately 12 stations that checked in from 7 counties within a 6-hour period. Unfortunately, there was only one reporting station from the NE Mississippi talk group (we have some work to do there). Reports were given on a regular basis from the Gulf Coast area where George County used this information along with the NWS information to become prepared for the rough weather. There were operators that passed along the weather system info from Jackson, Harrison. George, Forrest, Pearl River, Stone and Lamar counties. Over all this exercise produced a good turn out and a great training for the upcoming Hurricane season. Each time we hold a State Wide DMR event more participation is seen, but we still have much work to do and fine tuning before Hurricane Season starts in June.
Lessons learned Negative.
1. More timely emails before activation
2. More discussion on the DMR Nets and TGs about ARRL MS ARES DMR
3. Hold more DMR training either in person or via video
4. Better preparation as NC (me)
Lesson Learned Positive
1. The interest in DMR is growing
2. Good weather reports were given in a timely manner
3. The communication between stations didn’t fail or had very slight issues.
4. Folks are grasping the basics of DMR and want to improve.
From West Central Mississippi DEC W5VMS. On February 1st the Vicksburg Squadron of Civil Air Patrol participated in the 2025 Jackson Capital City Hamfest and ARRL Convention. This is the premiere event for Amateur Radio in the state. This is the third year one of the squadrons from Central Mississippi attended the event, which provides a tremendous recruiting and public relations opportunity for both Civil Air Patrol and the Mississippi Wing. A working flight simulator attracted a lot of attention as both cadets and senior members were able to engage the public. Overall, this activity generated over two dozen membership inquiries—not just communications types—for units throughout the state.
From DeSoto County EC KF5WVF. KI5HWA, KF8PD, K5OMC and KF5WVJ completed the WEBEOC training provided by MEMA this month.
From Carroll County AEC KG5RRF. County officials like the way we’re getting weather reports during recent storm events. ARES now has three licensed hams in the EOC and a Two-meter radio. We are working on HF and DMR and to link three repeaters across Delta. Connecting to Rankin County via echolink for training
From Harrison County EC WX5RJ. Solved one antenna issue and discovered another. Maintenance has become a priority for preseason prep as well as engineering our go box for portable operations.
From Hinds County EC KB5SQZ. At the request of KG5RRF, AEC Carroll County, the Central MS Amateur Radio Emergency Service will extend on-air training and practice in ARES net procedures, traffic handling, and storm spotter reporting using voice communications to interested Delta area Amateur operators.
Licensed Amateurs are invited to our weekly training every Monday at 19:00 local time on the W5PPB 145.390 repeater, covering Radiograms, ICS 213, General Messages, Storm Spotter Reports and other ARRL and ICS formats. Those unable to reach the repeater can join via EchoLink. Visit msares.com for more training details.
From Lauderdale/Clarke Counties EC KB5SZJ. New antennas are being purchased for the W5FQ repeater and will be on hand for the next time crews climb the tower.
From Jackson County EC K9EYZ. We have begun our monthly 2m simplex net drills in March. We will resume regular ARES meetings in April, and we will begin a new monthly Winlink net in April.
Attached for your information below is the current status (updated from last month) of known upcoming Ham events in and around Mississippi:
- EMCOMM Checkin on 3862, 6:00 PM, May 1
- ARRL Field Day, June 28-29, See ARRL Website
- Jackson County Hamfest, September 12-13, POC: N2PKW
- 2026 Capital City Hamfest, Jan 30-31, POC AK5J
Welcome to the following new Hams in Mississippi in March:
KJ5KKM, Kevin – Gulfport; KJ5KLA, Thomas – Vancleave; KJ5KLF, John – Gulfport; KJ5KLI, Everett – Biloxi; KJ5KLN, John – Starkville; KJ5KLQ, Willard – Natchez.
KJ5KMC, Glenn – Terry; KJ5KMK, Fagan – Benton; KJ5KML, Travis – Meadville; KJ5KMX, Jeremy – Morton; KJ5KNU, Paul – Tupelo; KJ5KON, Michael – Booneville;
KJ5KOO, Matthew – Tupelo; KJ5KOS, Michael – Gulfport.
SEC/EC Reports: KC5IMN (SEC), K5DSC (Newton), K9EYZ (Jackson), AE5FK (Walthall), NI5I (Perry), KG5OVS (Leake), WX5RJ (Harrison), KG5RRF (AEC)(Carroll), KB5SZJ (Lauderdale/Clarke), W5VMS (Warren/Claiborne), KF5WVJ (DeSoto), AB6Z (Pearl River), KB5ZEA (Attala).
Club Newsletters (Editor): the Meridian ARC Spark Gap (W5MAV), the Mississippi Coast ARA Splatter (N5OCT)
Regret to report on the passing of the following Mississippi Amateurs.
WB5YFS of Union. Ed became a Ham at an early age with the encouragement of his father W5VPX (SK). Ed was the Pastor of several country churches in the South finally settling down in Union near family. Son KB5ZTO remembers that during a move to a new QTH before the packing was complete, the antennas went up. During weekdays Ed was a brick mason, a skill he learned from his father, but after hours besides his ministry and Ham Radio, he was an accomplished musician, woodcarver, carpenter, and into painting. Although age prevented him from being a brick mason in his later years, he preached his last sermon just a couple of months before his passing. Ed always liked to wear his call letters baseball cap to Hamfests which was buried with him.
W5HJJ of Port Gibson. Harvey attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College and the of State of Mississippi Polygraph School. He was employed at the State of Mississippi ABC, Wackenhut Security, and retired after 21 years of service as the Chief of Police in Port Gibson, He was a regular check-in to the MSPN, and many will remember him as KE5WO.
KE5TAZ of Arkabutla. Buddy was an enthusiastic Ham Radio operator and enjoyed talking to people from all over the world. He loved bird hunting and fishing with his Uncle J.R. He was very involved in the ministries of Arkabutla Baptist Church where he was an active deacon for many years. Buddy served in the United States Army during the Korean conflict where he worked in demolition, including clearing mine fields, and earned a bronze star merit award while rising to rank of Sergeant First Class.
HF Net Reports – sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)
Magnolia Section Net 31/1235/10 (KF5BA)
MS Baptist Hams Net 4/32/0 (WF5F) Sunday, 7263 at 4PM
MSPN 31/2677/20 (W5JGW)
Pine Belt ARC 10M Em Training Net 4/20/0 (K5TLL)
VHF Net Reports – sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)
Bluff City ARC EMCOMM Net 5/101/0 (WJ5ES)
Capital Area Em Net 5/46/0 (K5XU)
Chickasaw/Choctaw ARES Net 4/40/0 (KI5IKJ)
DeSoto County Training and Emergency Net 4/63/0 (KF5WVJ)
George County ARES Net 4/42/0 (KG4VVZ)
Harrison County ARES Net 3/57/0 (WX5RJ)
Jackson ARC Net 4/38/0 (K5XU)
Jackson County Emergency Net 4/53/4 (K9EYZ)
Lowndes County ARC 4/39/0 (K5TCO)
Meridian Area EM Net 4/15/0 (KB5SZJ)
Mississippi Coast ARA 4/112/0 (N5GQ)
NE MS WX Net 6/56/0 (W5BAQ)
Pearl River County ARES Net 4/50/0 (AB6Z)
Pine Belt ARC 2M Em Training Net 4/55/0 (K5TLL)
Pine Belt ARC 2M Em Training Simplex Net 1/10/0 (K5TLL)
Vicksburg ARC/MLEN 5/102/0 (KG5YEE)
Walthall County ARES Team 4/47/0 (AE5FK)
Digital Net Reports
East MS EMCOMM Net 31/327/9 (K5TCO)
K5FIT WL2K Hybrid Gateway – 156 connections to pass traffic.
MS WL2K Net QNI 56 by 8 stations (K5FIT)
NE MS DMR Net QNI 291 (KI5IKJ)
Traffic: WV5Q 101, AE5MI 32, and W5XX 5.
PSHR: WV5Q 110, AE5MI 107, and W5XX 72
