Section Reports

SM: Malcolm Keown, W5XX. Section Website at www.arrlmiss.org. Webmaster: W5UE, ASM: KB5HC, KA5ICO, K0UPW, W4WLF, KB5YEE, AG5Z, KB0ZTX; ACC: W5VMS, PIC: K5RFL, SEC: KC5IMN, ASEC: AA1NA, W5DIX; SGL: AK5J; TC: N5JGK.

Thanks to the Olive Branch ARC and the Chickasaw ARA for hosting the 2023 ARRL Day in the Park. By any measure, the DITP was very well organized and resourced, even with glasses to watch the eclipse!  And just to mention a few of the highlights, the speakers were outstanding, the prizes were great, new event coins were provided for everybody, the AB8LA hamburgers were super good, and the hospitality was unsurpassed. Event Chairman KF8PD notes that over $3,000 in prizes were given away which were donated by 35 vendors.  The top prize winners were WA7ZXD, KJ5CRQ, KK5MEL, KI5HWA, and KF5EIJ.

The first Mississippi Section Website was put online by K5IBM in 1999 as www.arrlmiss.org.  This site has served us well over the years but is now difficult to maintain as compared with new software.  Webmaster W5UE has made a major effort to update the site with the availability of greatly improved tools.  Check out the updated website at the same address, and when you see Randy give him a pat on the back for his efforts.

Prior to this spring the Ham Station at MEMA had been off the air for some time. Thanks to the efforts of State RACES Officer K5FIT and WM5A and WA5GYM new equipment has been secured and the antenna farm rehabilitated. KM5EMA now has capability on 75M SSB, WL2K on 40, and 2M VHF. K5FIT is now looking for experienced volunteers to staff the station which would require training on equipment operation and MEMA requirements.

Our hard-working VEs don’t get much appreciation. Mississippi currently has 252 registered VEs.  And we have 9 super VEs who have proctored over 100 sessions: W5EG (208), W5ACS (166), K5KMU (SK) (150), K5BLL (139), KF5BA (131), WX5H (106), AD5DO (105), AE5MV (102), and WB4YBY (100).  WOW!!   And we have plenty of enthusiasm among new VEs.  New VE K5MCK has proctored 83 Test Sessions in just 11 months. Thanks to all of the VEs who proctor the Test Sessions!!

DEC/EC KD4VVZ, reports that George County (GC) ARES again hosted the 2023 Scratching Post event at the City Park in Lucedale.  The famous Scratching Post is actually located in downtown Lucedale on Main Street which has been a stopover for many years for weary travelers who want to scratch their backs on the 4X4 serrated post, most noteworthy of which was President Ronald Reagan.

Stations were set up in the Park using special event call K5K.  The digital station was manned by NI5I, KI5QFE, KF5TJO, and KD4VVZ.  The SSB station was manned by WA5MVG, KO5F, KI5QFE, KG5AZM, KI5OWW, KF5SQA, and PIO KG5AZL, Delissa also set up the information booth but had time to make 300 SSB QSOs.  Wow!  Maybe we have an up-and-coming contest operator.

And further in George County ARES action, each month on the Second Saturday Lucedale blocks off part of the downtown and stores and restaurants stay open late.  GC ARES provides an additional set of eyes for the PD by helping with crowd control and rerouting traffic around the downtown.  October helpers were KI5YTQ, KD1VVZ, KF5SQA, and KD4VVZ.

Only two more months left for VOTA. Time to get on the air and make some points. As of November 1, the top 10 in Mississippi were: N5YT, WQ5L, K5TLL, W5XX, WD5CCA, N4OGW, AE5MI, AH6SU, KD5BS, K9DSS.  The current leader board is on the ARRL Website. Start to locate it by typing in VOTA in the ARRL website search engine box.

In EC Reports from around the State …

AB6Z reports from Pearl River County that the Pearl River Emergency Radio League (PEARL) has been organized with ARES and a new Explorer Post as subsets which will focus on emergency communications and public service. Further, two repeater locations have been secured on a 525 ft tower in Millard, MS, and another one in Picayune.  These locations will provide sites for repeaters for ARES to cover the area from the Coast to Hattiesburg.

Tom goes on to say that ARES ran an ad hoc simulation exercise with the Pearl River County EOC. It was a major success considering there was no prior notification. Nine Hams participated and passed just under 30 ICS 213 messages to the EOC.

Attached for your information below is the current status (updated from last month) of known upcoming Ham events in and around Mississippi:

• W0W Special Event Station, Nov 13-18, USM, POC: N5CW
• W1AW/5 VOTA Operation from Mississippi Nov 15-22, POC: W5UE
• EMCOMM Checkin on 3862, 6:00 PM, Dec 7 (1st Thursday Each Month)
• New Year’s Eve On-the-Air Party, Dec 31, 3862 khz, 11 PM, POC: W5XX
• Capital City Hamfest, Feb 2-3, Trade Mart, Jackson, POC: AK5J
• 2024 Mississippi QSO Party. April 6-7, POC: W5XX

Welcome to the following new Amateurs in Mississippi in October: KJ5CWI, Walter – Wiggins; KJ5CXS, Nick – Brookhaven; KJ5CVY, Seth – Biloxi; KJ5CZT, Bradford – Coldwater; KJ5DCB, Joesph – Gautier; W5EMD, Eric – Raymond; K5UBU, Joseph – Picayune.

What to do with this list? Club Officers and members, if you see a local on this list that you are not familiar with, locate and ask them to visit your next club meeting.  Ask W5XX for contact information and also ask if they need help getting on the air.

Welcome to WJ5ES as EC for Adams County and K5TCO as EC for Lowndes County.

Welcome to the following new ARRL members in October 2023: KJ5CRQ, John, Olive Branch: KC5FSG, Thomas – Batesville; N5QLZ, Red – Rolling Fork; KI5YYX, Robert – Vicksburg; KI5ZLP, Karey – Philadelphia.

ARRL Membership in Mississippi was 990 as of November 1.  We can’t seem to stay at 1,000.

Remember, if a member signs up through your club, the club gets a rebate of $15 for new members and $5 for a current member renewal. See Club Reconciliation Form on the ARRL Website. 

Congratulations to the following on their upgrades in October: KJ5AUR, Christian – Holly Springs; N2BIZ, Michael – Vancleave; KJ5CRT, Donald – Oxford; KF5OXW, Travis – Oxford; KI5URY, George – Pearl; KB5YPN, David – Pearl.  

Congratulations to KG5WSL and K9DSS on completing ARRL Course EC-001 Introduction to Emergency Communications.

Club Newsletters (Editor): the Meridian ARC Spark Gap (W5MAV), and the Mississippi Coast ARA Splatter (N5OCT)

HF Net Reports – sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)

Magnolia Section Net 31/1361/9 (KA5ICO)

MS Baptist Hams Net 4/32/0 (WF5F) Sunday, 7263 at 4PM

Pine Belt ARC 10M Net5 5/38/0 (K5TLL)

VHF Net Reports – sessions/QNI/QTC (Net Manager)

Capital Area Em Net 5/53/0 (K5XU)

Calhoun/Chickasaw ARES Net 5/68/0 (KA5ICO)

Jackson ARC Net 5/41/0 (K5XU)

Lowndes County ARC 5/61/0 (K5TCO) 

Northeast Mississippi Skywarn 5/47/0 (W5BAQ)

Pine Belt ARC Em Net 5/61/0 (K5TLL)

Pine Belt ARC 2M Simplex Net 1/6/0 (K5TLL)

Vicksburg ARC/MLEN 5/104/0 (KG5YEE) 

Digital Net Reports

Central Mississippi ARES Digital Net 5/36/35 (KI5JCL)

   (2 VHF nets and 3 HF nets)

Traffic: WV5Q 71 and W5XX 3

PSHR: WV5Q 131 and W5XX 71