EMERGENCY COMM DRILL SCHEDULED FOR DEC 5, 2009
Friday, November 6th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffSTX NAVMARCORMARS EMERGENCY EXERCISE December 05 2009 TIMES 9:00 AM TILL 12:00 AM 1. FIRST HOUR OF EXERCISE A. ACTIVATION OF STX MARS EMERGENCY NET. A TERRORIST HAS CAUSED AN EXPLOSION OF LARGE AMMONIA TANKS IN PORT ISABEL TEXAS. EMERGENCY NECOS ESTABLISHED WITH AN ALT ...
STARS Emergency Powered WINLINK Digi-peater - W5RGV-1
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffFully intended for WinLink RMS Packet Gateway the South Texas Amateur Radio Society (STARS) of the lower Rio Grand Valley in Texas operates a digital repeater station on 145.01 MHz simplex for those stations in Cameron and Hidalgo County who ...
146.70 STARS’ MAIN REPEATER HUB - BLUE TOWN TEXAS
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffAs we sail into August 2009 the STARS radio technicians were hard at work this past weekend adjusting and upgrading the STARS repeater backbone and related network components. KD5ZZE, WB5BMB, N5SLI and K5RAV installed an emergencybackup power system at the Brownsville ...
Cameron County Adopts New Portable HF / VHF / UHF Ham Gear
Thursday, May 7th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffOur local RGV Cameron County EmComm team was contacted this week with a huge surprise, just in time for drills and tests in the upcoming HUREX 2009 and other events that will span Summer 2009 as we head into Hurricane ...
SKYWARN SPOTTER CLASS 4-28-2009 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffCoast Guard Station South Padre Island is hosting a National Weather Service spotter seminar this coming Tuesday, April 28th 2009. Seating is now full and no addtional reservations being taken. Coast Guard members will be participating during the morning session that ...
EmComm Workshops at 2009 National Hurricane Conference
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffOn April 6-10, Amateur Radio had its largest presence ever at the 2009 National Hurricane Conference in Austin, Texas. Representatives from the ARRL, WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and ...
PLEASE VOTE FOR LEE W5LHC FOR SECTION MGR THIS AUGUST
Thursday, April 9th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffOur South Texas Section encompasses many miles and key American Cities of Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. South Texas hosts the NASA Manned Spaceflight Center in Houston, Two NBA franchises, an NFL franchise, some ...
Jerry Reimer Comments On Lee Cooper Candidacy for Section Mgr
Thursday, April 9th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffLee is WELL qualified to lead our section, and I believe he will do so with wisdom, experience, honesty, openness, and integrity. I support his candidacy, and look forward to his election and leadership. Lee understands the value of a viable ARES organization, ...
Lee Cooper For Section Manager - Announces Candidacy
Thursday, April 9th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffApril 9, 2009 - Last night at the Austin Amateur Radio Club's Hurricane conference meeting I announced to the members that I have submitted my name for consideration as Section Manager, South Texas section. I have worked with most of you ...
New ARRL Emergency Communications Course in the Works
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffOver the past several months, ARRL staff have been reviewing the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications online course program and have decided to combine two of the three Emergency Communications courses. According to ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, the ...
SOLAR CYCLE BEHAVING LIKE THE STOCK MARKET
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffApril 1, 2009: The sunspot cycle is behaving a little like the stock market. Just when you think it has hit bottom, it goes even lower. 2008 was a bear. There were no sunspots observed on 266 of the year's ...
Ready for Field Day 2009? - Better Bring an Air Conditioner!
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffMar 23, 2009) -- The official 2009 ARRL Field Day Web page is up and running. This page includes a summary of available resources, with links to Field Day forms and rules, logos and reference links. The page also includes ...
Need Net Controls For Hurricane Watch Net on 20 Meters
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffWith hurricane season approaching, the various organizations that assist the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami are gearing up for what could be a very active storm season. One organization that assists the NHC is the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN). ...
Global Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for April
Thursday, March 19th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffGlobal Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for April (Mar 19, 2009) -- The HQ Stations of all IARU Member-Societies, as well as the stations of Emergency Communications Groups, have been invited by IARU Region 1 to participate in the 2009 Global ...
Coast Guard to Discontinue LORAN Radio Services
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffLast month, the US Coast Guard announced that due to economic conditions, they would be closing down the 24 LORAN-C (Long Range Aid to Navigation) stations operated under the auspices of the USCG. LORAN stations provide navigation, location and timing ...
Armed Forces Comm and Elec Assn Supports MARS & SHARES
Thursday, February 19th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffOn Feb 17th the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, known as AFCEA printed a very nice article about amateur radio MARS support as well as MARS supporting and providing operational expertise for the National Communications System SHARES program. Please ...
HAM RADIO EMCOMM SETS UP AT HOME DEPOT
Monday, February 9th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffHome Depot as a location for disaster communications prior to, during and after disaster strikes. What an idea. Just when you thought that hams were doing just about everything they could do for emcomm around here, up comes someone with a ...
Distress Beacons at 121.5 and 243 MHz Phased Out
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffAs of February 1, the Cospas-Sarsat (Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking) satellites are no longer monitoring distress beacons at 121.5 and 243 MHz. All mariners, aviators and individuals who use emergency beacons on those frequencies will need to switch ...
JUMP TEAM BOOT CAMP 2009
Saturday, January 31st, 2009 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffThe Bexar Operators Group (W5BOG) located in San Antonio, Texas, will again sponsor "Jump Team Boot Camp" in 2009, commencing on October 23 rd (Friday morning) and running through the 25th (Sunday evening). Unlike last year's MARS orientated session, this ...
ARISS 25th Ham Radio In Space Anniversary this week!
Thursday, December 4th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffThis is the week that Owen Garriott W5LFL made history 25 years ago by being the first Ham Operator to talk to hams from space. This happened on the Space Shuttle Columbia with flight STS-9 in 1983. Many of us ...
Digital Technology for Emergency Communications (on CD)
Thursday, November 20th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffWith digital technology becoming an integral part of Amateur Radio, hams interested in Emergency Communications now have a new tool to help them take advantage of emerging modes such as Packet Radio APRS, Winlink 2000, IRLP, EchoLink and WIRES-II, D-STAR, ...
Skywarn Recognition Day is Fri-Sat Dec 5th and 6th - Signup!
Thursday, November 13th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffIts that time of year once again for the annual Skywarn Recognition Day. The National Weather Service office in Brownsville will again host local hams wishing to participate in this years SRD. Operating times for the event are Central Standard Time ...
The Next Time Could Be Different
Thursday, November 6th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments Off"It is better to be ready and not needed, than to be needed and not ready"... David Summer, K1ZZ ARRL CEO Amateurs in the affected areas received many communications assignments and were able to carry them out with available personnel. However, ...
2008 Hurricane Season Withers on the Vine
Thursday, November 6th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments Offby ryanm on October 31st, 2008 The North Atlantic hurricane season has nearly come to an end. As November progresses, the chance of another storm developing becomes smaller. Climatology (last 60 years) tells us that roughly 4 in 10 years see ...
Local Ham Contacts Richard Garriott W5KWQ aboard the ISS!
Friday, October 24th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffOn Sunday, October 12, Richard Garriott W5KWQ from Austin, TX became the sixth private citizen to fly with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) for a mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Richard is following in the footsteps of his Dad, ...
Digital Communications Conference: “Pretty Interesting!”
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffVictor Poor, W5SMM, gave an update on Winlink 2000. "He reported that there is one Web site, five Common Message Server sites around the world, 150 Radio Message Service Pactor Gateway sites, 800 RMS Packet Gateway sites and over 13,000 ...
ARMY MARS in Iraq Seeks Personnel to Run Lead Station
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 Posted in SHARES, M.A.R.S., SPARCS | Comments OffArmy Captain Jeff Hammer,YI9IC/N9NIC, the custodian of the Baghdad Amateur Radio Society (BARS), is due to come home after a nine month tour of duty with the Indiana National Guard. "I need someone I can turn the BARS station over ...
Gov Perry Appoints K5RAV to the Council Overseeing Texas DSHS
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 Posted in SHARES, RACES, SPARCS | Comments OffHarlingen and Rio Grande Valley hams overwhelmingly applaude Vice Director K5RAV Dr. David Woolweaver being appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry today to the 9 member council that oversees the Texas State Department of State Health Services, formally known as Texas Department of ...
IKE CAME VERY CLOSE TO EFFECTING TEXAS POWER GRID
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffA story from Houston's KHOU TV 11 News reports that Southwest Texas came within minutes of a complete power disaster much worse then what we know now. Check out the story and watch the video on the KHOU web site ...
Photo Comparison of Bolivar Peninsula Before & After Ike
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffCLICK HERE FOR PHOTO PAGE ALSO... KK5CA REPORTS FROM HIS HOME IN HOUSTON TEXAS... "God was good to us and spared our house from damage. A few pine trees and the wooden fences did not fare so well. I was out of state ...
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS HAMS PREP FOR IKE ARRIVAL
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, M.A.R.S., RACES, SPARCS | Comments OffMonday Evening September 8, 2008 --- 8:30 p.m. To: All Cameron County Ham Radio Support Team Members From: K5REW - STARS/SPARCS Cameron County EMCOMM Coordinator Subject: IKE as of Monday night - Elevated Condition 3 Wishful thinking had the storm moving farther north as ...
NOAA UPS HURRICANE FORECAST FOR 2008 SEASON
Monday, August 11th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffNOAA updated it's hurricane forecast for the U.S. Atlantic Hurricane Season on Thursday August 7. Now there is an 85% probability that we'll see an "above normal" hurricane season, up from a 65% probability forecasted recently at the beginning of ...
HURRICANE DOLLY EMCOMM: The Real Story
Saturday, August 9th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SHARES, RACES, SPARCS | Comments OffRio Grande Valley Hurricane Dolly After Action Report From K5REW Former DEC District 3 ARES South Texas Section August 5, 2008 Although a couple of active hams who are key stations in the local EmComm plan and the subsequent Dolly operations were severely affected by the ...
OPERATION LONE STAR BRIEFING
Thursday, July 17th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffThis year's exercise will run from July 28th through August 1 and involve local Ham Radio two-meter systems from the Lower RGV, Laredo and El Paso. Prior to the exercise beginning on Monday July 28th the STARS group in the Valley ...
Deadliest & Costliest Texas Hurricanes (20th Century)
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SHARES, M.A.R.S., SPARCS | Comments OffHurricane Year Category Storm Deaths Galveston 1900 4 6,000 Corpus Christi/Keys 1919 4 600* Audrey (Sabine Pass) 1957 4 390 Galveston 1915 4 275 Carla (Port O'Connor) 1961 4 46 Velasco 1909 3 41 Freeport 1932 4 40 Brownsville 1933 3 40 *More than 500 of 600-900 estimated deaths lost on ships at sea. The Texas estimate of deaths was 284. Sources: National Hurricane Center, Texas Weather by George Bomar Hurricane Year Category Storm Damage Alicia (San Luis Pass) 1983 3 $3 billion Allen (Port Mansfield) 1980 3 $600 million Allison 1989 Tropical ...
Hurricane Center Director Joins WX4NHC Annual Test
Thursday, June 5th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SPARCS | Comments OffDuring the test, NHC Director Bill Read, KB5FYA, addressed the Amateur Radio community on the VoIP Hurricane Net and on the Hurricane Watch Net. Read spoke about the importance of Amateur Radio in hurricane-related disasters and thanked Amateur Radio operators ...
NOAA Predicts Normal or Above Normal Hurricane Season
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SHARES, M.A.R.S., RACES, SPARCS | Comments OffThe Climate Prediction Center outlook calls for considerable activity with a 65 percent probability of an above normal season and a 25 percent probability of a near normal season. This means there is a 90 percent chance of a near ...
American Red Cross Responds to Background Checks
Monday, May 19th, 2008 Posted in M.A.R.S., RACES, SPARCS | Comments Off(May 18, 2008) -- In November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red Cross (ARC) regarding concerns voiced by ARRL volunteers. In 2006, the Red Cross stated it would implement background checks that included, among other ...
Local Skywarn Net Brings Needed Rain To Rio Grande
Sunday, April 27th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SPARCS | Comments OffWA5ZIP activated Skwyarn at 2:10 p.m. on Sunday April 27, 2008 as severe thunderstorms began to develop along the border and lower Rio Grande Valley. Although no physical damage has been determined by this afternoon's frontal passing, people all over ...
Tricks For Your Cell Phone In wide-spread Disaster
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 Posted in SHARES, SPARCS | Comments OffPROVIDED FROM ARRL "VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY" K1CE Rick Palm please subscribe to ARRL ARES E-Letter for more! ----------------------------------------- During Katrina, and recently the Nevada earthquake, traditional cellular voice service was overwhelmed due to a combination of damaged infrastructure and system overloads. ...
Hurricane Center Director: Hams Give “Valuable” Reports
Monday, April 7th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffDirector of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) Bill Read, KB5FYA, praised Amateur Radio at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando earlier this month. "Ham radio has always played a critical role in emergencies," Read said. "What goes out when you ...
6 Brand New National Weather Service Ham Operators!
Thursday, March 27th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SPARCS | Comments OffRio Grande Valley ham radio operators are now welcoming 6 new hams to the Amateur Radio Service fraternity this week! Congratulations for passing the exam go to Nezette, Barry, Geoff, Joe, Jason, and Robert all NWS employees who decided it was ...
ICS Form 213 Available In Links On Right Side of Page
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffThe standardized form for Incident Command System / National Incident Management System message traffic is listed as "Form 213" on the right-hand side of the main page under "Links". Simply browse to the site, select all of the text, right ...
TEXAS HAMS HAVE SIMPLIFIED LICENSE PLATE RENEWAL
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, M.A.R.S., RACES, SPARCS | Comments OffThe Special Registration Branch of the Texas Department of Transportation has confirmed that Texas amateur radio license plates ("Radio Operator") will now have a combined registration and special plate renewal notice beginning with March 2008 renewals. Licensed amateur radio operators will ...
HAMS GET 1st VALLEY SKYWARN ACTIVATION OF 2008
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SPARCS | Comments OffTuesday Feburary 12 was the first Skywarn Ham Radio Storm Spotter net of this year as a result of a line of thunderstorms moving down from Corpus Christi and primarily affecting Cameron County. "Last night's net was a good check-out ...
Ham Operator Is New Boss At Hurricane Center Miami
Thursday, January 31st, 2008 Posted in SKYWARN, SHARES, M.A.R.S., RACES, SPARCS | Comments OffVeteran meteorologist Bill Read, KB5FYA, was named the new director of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Tropical Prediction Center, which includes the National Hurricane Center (NHC) earlier this month. Read had served as the Center's acting deputy director ...
CHARRO COOKOUT & WINLINK SHOW A GREAT SUCCESS!
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffAt least 100 were in attendance at the CHARRO Amateur Radio Club semi-annual cook-out and WinLink Seminar on Saturday January 26th with 37 hams attending the WinLink Seminar after everyone else finished lunch. Just before the WinLink Seminar there was ...
THE WEATHER IN TEXAS IS DRIVING US BATS!
Saturday, January 12th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffI thought you might enjoy this special link of "cool images: interesting, beautiful, educational, and/or unusual radar, satellite, or analytical imagery dealing with any weather subject" that is published routinely by Roger Edwards of the Storm Prediction Center Natioinal Weather Service ...
NIMS/ICS COURSES AVAILABLE PROFESSIONALLY ONLINE
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffSPARCS members have been working on the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System (ICS and NIMS) since 2006 and many have already completed the four major online courses recommended and approved by FEMA on the FEMA web site. ...
EXPERTS SAY NEW SOLAR CYCLE HAS JUST BEGUN!!!
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 Posted in SPARCS | Comments OffWith the appearance of Sunspot 981 -- a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot -- on Friday, January 4, experts at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that Cycle 24 is now here. "This sunspot is like the ...
