Section Reports

SM: Malcolm Keown, W5XX. Section Website at www.arrlmiss.org. Webmaster: W5UE, ASM: KB5HC, KA5ICO, KF8PD, K0UPW, W4WLF, KB5YEE, AG5Z, ACC: W5VMS, PIC: K5RFL, SEC: KC5IMN, ASEC: AA1NA, W5DIX; SGL: AK5J; STC: WV5Q, TC: N5JGK.

The 22nd MSQP is now history.  There is good news and bad news. At of the start of the QSO Party 55 Mississippi Hams had signed up in 43 counties to put on the QSO Party and most showed up.  Mississippi was well represented. 

On the Bad News side, the much hoped for good 10- and 15-meter conditions for stateside QSO Parties never happened.  The skip was long for most of the day.  Good for DXing but not QSO Parties. 20 was so-so.  40 was about the same until about 6 PM, but then it was gang busters for the next 3 hours.  80 and 3862 never really got going. 

The fun is over. Now the hardwork begins …checking logs.  More to come.

Following a fun long weekend of the MSQP and the eclipse, Mother Nature sent a major storm along the Gulf Coast. Pearl River County EC AB6Z reports that the PEARL LEAGUE (Pearl River Emergency Amateur Radio League) was activated as the storm approached. During the storm event they were able to send multiple emergency messages to the EOC in Poplarville and also to adjacent counties and parishes including warning Hams in the Kiln area that tornados were heading in their direction before the National Weather Service was able to regain connectivity in order to issue a warning.  PEARL ran on generators as they had no power until mid – afternoon. All communications equipment ran perfectly throughout the event.

KG5SQZ reports that 15 members of CMSARES, under the direction of KJ5ET, supported the Breaking the Loop Foot Race at the Barnett Reservoir. Race officials and runners appreciated them being there and said they felt safer seeing the team on site being identified by their Emergency Communications vests. The team received a hearty round of cheers and applause when officials announced Ham Radio communications support for the event. ARES is grateful to KI5TOL, who helped a station with radio problems throughout the event, even though he was not signed up. Special thanks to KZ5HAT, who was assigned as Relay Station between NCS and Race Control.

ARRL Membership in Mississippi was 955 as of April 1 down 21 from last month.  The dues increase is really starting to take hold.  Unfortunately, this will probably go on for a year. ARRL Headquarters indicates that a 6% to 8% drop in membership usually happens with a dues increase. This means probably down to from 920 to 940 for Mississippi.  Mississippi Ham Radio is not “going to hell in a handbasket” with 22 new Hams in March and 10 upgrades, however, ARRL membership is in for some rough sledding.  On the other hand, the ARRL can’t keep on having a million-dollar budget short fall year after year.  Tough situation.

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

• Corinth Hamfest 2024 – April 27, POC: K5WHB                 
• EMCOMM Checkin on 3862, 6:00 PM, May 2 (1st Thursday Each Month)
• MS State POTA, May 18, see jcmsara.org, POC: WF5W
• ARRL Field Day, June 28-29, see arrl.org for rules.
• SET, August 10, POC: KC5IMN
• ARRL Day in the Park – planning in progress

In EC Reports from around the State …

Adams County EC WJ5ES says that ARES conducted a training session combined with weekly net discussions on how to compose and pass NTS traffic using Facebook and text messages for viewing images, This was followed by passing an actual, properly formatted NTS message during the MS Section Phone Net.

George County EC KD4VVZ reports ARES continues teaching DMR programming, protocol and etiquette classes.

Harrison County EC advises that ARES continues training for all team members in voice and digital operations and building deployable a station inventory.

Lauderdale County EC KB5SZJ says that MARC is looking to establish a wires link soon (funds permitting) on the 146.700 repeater, and sometime in the near future, looking to put up a UHF DMR repeater with link.

From Pearl River County, EC AB6Z reports that on March 23, 2024 a Hurricane Simulation  was  conducted. The exercise began at 0900 hrs and ran until about 1600 hrs.   The scenario was provided by the Pearl River County Emergency Management Director and former a FEMA employee. A timeline of events was developed that would enable each EC to edit the timeline to include specific tasks for that county. Eight counties and parishes participated in the simulation. More than 100 properly formatted emergency messages (CS-213 and 213RR) were delivered to the various EOCs. 

Welcome to the following new Amateurs in Mississippi in March: KJ5EZD, James – Tupelo; KJ5FAS, David – Raymond; KJ5FBQ, Mark – Union; KJ5FCX, James – Blue Springs; KJ5FDL, Edward – Brandon; KJ5FDU, Brent – Columbus; KJ5FDW, Sherrell – Burnsville; KJ5FEP, Ryan  Waynesboro; KJ5FFB, Jonathan – Brandon; KJ5FGW, J.B – Hernando; KJ5FHT, Dan – Bay St. Louis; KJ5FHU, Cheramie – Florence; KJ5FGR, Julian – Ocean Springs; KJ5FKD, Andrew – Horn Lake; KJ5FJX, Mandi – Carrollton; KJ5FLG, Andrea – Walls; KJ5FLQ, Andrew  Southaven;  KIJ5FML, William – Carriere; KJ5FLN, Samuel – Gulfport; KJ5FNS, Southaven; KJ5FNX, Bryan – Tylertown ;  KJ5FOF, Donald – Ocean Springs;

Keep up the good work Elmers and VE Teams!

Welcome to N5MES as AEC for Jackson County and KG5TTU as AEC for Desoto County.

Congratulations to the following on their upgrades in March: WB5ADU, Robert – Carriere; W5AJT,l Joan – Holcomb; W5CME, James – Oxford; KJ5CZT, Bradford – Coldwater;  KG5EGU, Joel – Hernando; KJ5EIC, Jonathan – Tishomingo;  KJ5EZD, James – Tupelo; KJ5FCZ, James – Blue Springs; KJ5FGS, Clifton – Grenada; KD5ZNO, Charles – Pass Christian.

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 31/1308/11 (KA5ICO)

MS Baptist Hams Net 3/12/0/ (WF5F) Sunday, 7263 at 4PM

MSPN 31/2780/19 (W5JGW)

Pine Belt ARC 10M Net 5/41/0 (K5TLL)

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

Capital Area Em Net 5/51/0 (K5XU)

Calhoun/Chickasaw ARES Net 4/40/0 (KA5ICO)

Jackson ARC Net 4/43/0 (K5XU)

Lowndes County ARC 4/47/0 (K5TCO) 

Mississippi Coast ARA 4/123/0 (W5JGW)

Northeast Mississippi Skywarn 4/50/0 (W5BAQ)

Pine Belt ARC 2M Net 5/71/0 (K5TLL)

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

Vicksburg ARC/MLEN 5/115/0 (KG5YEE) 

Digital Net Reports

Central Mississippi ARES Digital Net 3/23/21 (KI5JCL)

   (2 VHF nets and 1 HF net)

East MS EMCOMM Net 28/203/168 (K5TCO)

Traffic: WV5Q 63, AE5MI 24, and W5XX 2

PSHR: WV5Q 123 and W5XX 73