Latest Updates

Vashon Maury Island Radio Club announces an Amateur Radio (Ham) License testing session will be held on Vashon Island around the middle of March. Test costs about $14. Take advantage of these Technician, General, and Extra levels tests given on island.

Training for the exams will not be provided this time, so you’d have to study the ARRL manuals yourselves or go off island for training. Exact date, and location TBA. Please contact Sharon at kharazi@aol.com if you want to take any level test. Details on the Vashon-Maury Island Radio Club can be found at: www.w7vmi.org/

A posting to the northwest DStar email list reports that a new Amateur Radio organization is being formed in Tukwila that will help to foster volunteerism, offer radio and emergency management training and build a sense of community.

The purpose of the club is to:

Volunteer radio skills, equipment and experience to the Tukwila Office of Emergency Management to provide volunteer resources, that in turn will work with the Tukwila Fire and Police in a civilian capacity Train those interested in becoming licensed radio operators and help them achieve their radio licensing goals Build a sense of Community by hosting monthly club meetings to introduce club members to new technology, best practices, equipment discussions and anything...

36 amateur radio operators and elected officials attended Vashon-Maury Island Radio Club’s 2011 Field Day Saturday and Sunday.

The formal objective for Field Day is:

To work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12-meter bands) and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are not eligible to submit entries.

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John Galus will give an Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) to VIFR firefighters and EMTs at VIFR Fire Station 55 at 7 PM(?) on July 5th.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

For details on the Western Washington Section see: www.arrl.org/Groups/view/western-washington or wwa.arrl.org. Washington State ARES info is at: www.wastateares.org

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Vashon Maury Island Radio Club will celebrate Washington’s Amateur Radio Week on Vashon with our own Field Day. (We’ll actually be over achievers by holding a two day event, on June 24 & 25!)

Events kick off Saturday with breakfast at Sporty's (an hour early at 8:00 AM) with a procession to the venue on Sunrise Ridge where we’ll...

There’re a few hot new releases from this weekend’s Hamvention over in my old home state. And I’m not referring to the sewage issue there!

The Elecraft KX3 is a new 1.5-2 pound, 10W PEP (& KXPA100 100W companion amp), 160-6 Meters, Software Defined Radio (SDR), Trail Friendly Radio (TFR, i.e., light, small, ~150 mA current) with many cool features like 8 AA batteries/internal charger & optional microphone, for ~$800. It does all modes: SSB/CW/AM/FM/DATA - including built-in PSK31 and RTTY encode/decode/display....

Glenn Thomas WB6W has refreshed the website of the Western Washington Section of the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). Check it out at: http://wwa.arrl.org

Also of interest is the joint Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) of King County website: www.AresOfKingCounty.org

Curious how...

Amateur Radio operators are people from all walks of life--no matter what age, gender or physical ability. Did you know that most of the astronauts are Amateur Radio Operators? You're never too young or old. And, getting started in Amateur Radio has never been easier! Now, you no longer have to learn Morse Code to get your first Ham Radio License, the Technician Class, as in years past! Just pass a 35 question multiple choice exam given by volunteer Ham Radio Operators and you will be "on the air" in no time!

Vashon - Maury Island Radio Club in conjunction with West Seattle Ham Radio Club will be presenting a Technician License Exam Preparatory Class Friday evening, 05-20-2011 to Sunday evening 05-22-2011.  This is a free course but participants are required to purchase a text book (approximately $29) and your ARRL VEC Test Fee will be $15

If you would like to sign up for this class, please contact Sharon Danielson at kharazi@aol.com

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The ARRL is mobilizing the amateur community to oppose HR 607, a bill that would offer up the entire amateur 70 cm allocation for other purposes as part of a spectrum swap: www.arrl.org/hr-607 www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h607/show  

HR 607 would devastate W7VMI and local ARES emergency efforts. The bill was introduced on 2/10. Voice your option to: www.opencongress.org/people/show/400262_James_McDermott

http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/lubbockleft/2011-02-27/gop-targets-public-radio-amateur-radio-and-pbs ties this with the apparent additional effects of the bill to defund PBS and NPR.

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In a Report and Order (R&O) released Wednesday, July 14, the FCC stated that under new guidelines, amateurs employed by non-governmental agencies, such as hospitals, may participate and operate in drills sponsored by their employer. Specifically, the FCC will now permit Amateur Radio operators "to transmit messages, under certain limited circumstances, during either government-sponsored or non-government sponsored emergency and disaster preparedness drills, regardless of whether the operators are employees of entities participating in the drill." More information will be posted on the ARRL Web site.

-- www.arrl.org/arrlletter?issue=2010-07-15