Current Section Report (February 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.
PIO N5OCT reports that the Jackson County ARA hosted a Community Outreach on February 11 at the St. Martin Community Center, which was organized by WG5GK, N2PKW, and KF5SQA. There were approximately 45 in attendance. A wide variety of topics were presented including POTA/SOTA, Solar Operation, STEM, EMCOMM, digital Ham Radio, Antennas, and basic HF Setup. Presenters were WF5W, W5DUI, AE5MU, KF5SQA, N5MES, KX4RM, WG5GK, N2PKW, and N5LRE.
K5VOK is currently updating the list of Mississippi repeaters on the Section Website (see list of 188 repeaters on www.arrlmiss.org). Please review the list, and if you have any update information, please send it to Edward at eliving1@comcast.net
The 2025 Mississippi QSO Party is just three weeks away. This is the time to put Mississippi on the air! Nervous about participating? How do you do it? First check out the rules on the Section Website at www.arrlmiss.org. Then get your game plan together. On the morning of April 5 at 9 AM start your operation on 40M SSB by calling “CQ Mississippi QSO Party,” When you start getting calls from multiple stations don’t panic if you can’t get the full call of one of the stations. If you get a letter or two then say, “the station with XX in the call please call again.” The other stations will wait because they want the Mississippi Contact. You also may hear other Mississippi stations. Give then a call to give them a contact.
About 10 o’clock, move up to 20 or 15 SSB and make contacts. Then about 5 PM move down to 3962 to work some Mississippi Counties to build up your multiplier total. After the smoke has cleared send your log to W5XX. You may get a certificate! Questions? Send W5XX an Email.
If you also plan to operate CW or FT8 W5XX can answer your questions at w5xx@cablelynx.com. See you for a contact during the MSQP!
From WF5W in Ocean Springs: It is time again for (now our 2nd annual) Mississippi State Parks on the Air on Saturday April 12th, one week after the MS QSO Party. Unlike last year, we are opening the event up to any POTA entity in the state. We are still emphasizing the state parks, but if you can’t make it to one of those, then you can go to a forest, trail or WMA near you as long as it is on the POTA list for the state. We want wide coverage, as much as possible.
After activating a POTA site, follow the directions to send your log to wf5w.ms@gmail.com, and upload to POTA.app We want as many people as possible to tell other Hams that Mississippi is as good as any other state. So, please consider a MS POTA activation. Please see https://jcmsara.org/mississippi-parks-on-the-air/ for more information.
It looks like there will be plenty of Ham Radio Action in Mississippi in early April with the MSQP the first weekend and the MS POTA the Second. See you on the air!
From PIO N5OCT. The Mississippi Coast ARA again participated in the 160 Meter CQ Contest at the QTH of WB4YBY. The contest started out a little slow at first, which is not unusual on startup for this contest. The total number of contacts was approximately 250. MCARA had a good turnout for the event with some great fellowship and food. MCARA always appreciates WB4YBY allowing the club’s use of his QTH for this event. Those operating were N5FTY, W4WLF, K5CUB, KI5VKI, W5JGW, N5GQ, W5KMA, W5SPH, AG5ZH, W5SOF, KF5BA, KI5YZA, KA0IBF, KG5UN, WB4YBY, and N5OCT.
From Project Chairman KG5YEE: On March 1, the Vicksburg ARC handled radio communications for the 46th annual Run Thru History, a 5K Walk/10K Run through the Vicksburg National Military Park. The main event was followed by a 1-mile Fun Run for the kids. The Run Thru History event is one of the longest continually run races in Mississippi. Radio operators participating were: KG5OVR, KC5IBO, AF5OQ, W5WAF, K5IMT, N5JGK, K5VXV, W5SFL, N5ZNN, N5KWT and KG5YEE. KC5QCN ran in the race carrying his HT.
From KF7DLW in Hattiesburg: ARES Members provided communications for the Molten Mohawk 9 mile and 4-mile race. This race highlights and benefits local artists in the area. The course required around 7 operators to cover the course. We had two operators cancel unfortunately due to illness but were able to cover the absence of those operators. With use of an FRS Radio Operator on low power (1/2 Watt), Amateur Radio Operators, who hold a GMRS License, and Lamar County Sheriff’s office law enforcement personnel, we were able to mesh the radio services to successfully complete the communications support activity. Ham Radio participants were KC3HLT, KG5QAZ, N5MZ, KD5KDG, KK4TXB, and KF7DLW.
In EC Reports from around the state …
Fron Carroll County AEC KG5RRF reports that ARES has just installed a new repeater to cover the Delta. The coverage was tested on February 18 as a squall line moved through Mississippi. Stations were able to check into the net from Greenville, Greenwood, and Cleveland. Those on the Net were KJ5FJA, KI5HKE, KJ5IWY, KI5HKC, KI5EOF, KG5RRF, KC5UYF, KB5LJR, and N5EYM,
From DEC KD4VVZ in Lucedale: George County ARES had the pleasure of hosting a Zoom meeting on the Navajo Code Talkers. Herb, N7HG, from Arizona, the son of a Code Talker, and his son Trevor, spoke on the history of the Navajo Nation and the conception of WWII Code Talkers. Code Talkers were invaluable to the war effort and so effective that their coded traffic was never broken. Herb honors the history of the Navajo Nation and the WWII Code Talkers by spearheading the special event ‘Code Talkers for Ham Radio’ each year.’ This year’s event will be August 10 to August 15.
One GCARES member asked if there were any curse words in Navajo, so we as a group were taught to say “BS”. In all, there were 27 people in attendance with 6 coastal counties represented. Next month our Zoom Meeting guest speaker will be KO5Z from Slidell who will be presenting automated lightning protection for Ham radios.
Attached for your information below is the current status (updated from last month) of known upcoming Ham events in and around Mississippi:
- Columbus Hamfest, March 22, POC: AD5DO
- EMCOMM Checkin on 3862, 5:30 PM, Apr 3
- Mississippi QSO Party, April 5-6. POC: W5XX
- MS Parks on the Air, April 12, POC: WF5W
- ARRL Field Day, June 28-29, See ARRL Website
- 2026 Capital City Hamfest, Jan 30-31, POC AK5J
Welcome to the following new Hams in Mississippi in February: KJ5JZI, Jimmy – Benton; KJ5JZK, Taylor Anne – Petal; KJ5JZU, Josh – Vicksburg; KJ5JZV, Jerry – Florence; KJ5KAE, Bailey – Oxford; KJ5KBO, Matt – Shannon; KJ5KBT, James – Brandon; KJ5KBV, Collin – Ridgeland; KJ5KCV, Paul – Hattiesburg; KJ5KEX, Tamra – Richland; KJ5KGN, Andrew – Hernando; KJ5KJD, Cade – Hernando.
Club Newsletters (Editor): the Meridian ARC Spark Gap (W5MAV), the Mississippi Coast ARA Splatter (N5OCT)
HF Net Reports – sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)
Magnolia Section Net 28//1130/8 (KF5BA)
MS Baptist Hams Net 4/16/0 (WF5F) Sunday, 7263 at 4PM
MSPN 28/2358/22 (W5JGW)
Pine Belt ARC 10M Em Training Net 4/22/0 (K5TLL)
VHF Net Reports – sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)
Bluff City ARC EMCOMM Net 4/79/0 (WJ5ES)
Capital Area Em Net 4/43/0 (K5XU)
Chickasaw/Choctaw ARES Net 4/31/0 (KI5IKJ)
Jackson ARC Net 4/30/0 (K5XU)
Lowndes County ARC 4/41/0 (K5TCO)
Mississippi Coast ARA 4/102/0 (N5GQ)
NE MS WX Net 5/44/0 (W5BAQ)
Pine Belt ARC 2M Em Training Net 4/40/0 (K5TLL)
Pine Belt ARC 2M Em Training Simplex Net 1/8/0 (K5TLL)
Vicksburg ARC/MLEN 4/86/0 (KG5YEE)
Digital Net Reports
Central MS ARES Digital Net 4/27/28 (KI5JCL)
East MS EMCOMM Net 28/285/3 (K5TCO)
K5FIT WL2K Hybrid Gateway – 202 connections to pass traffic.
MS WL2K Net QNI 45 by 6 stations (K5FIT)
NE MS DMR Net QNI 295 (KI5IKJ)
Traffic: WV5Q 73, AE5MI 22, and W5XX 5.
PSHR: WV5Q 133, AE5MI 82 and W5XX 70
