April 2021 – HamGab

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Hello everyone, I’m back.  Your president has been lapse in her column writing and I apologize for that.

     THANK-YOU:  I am glad that we have been able to continue our monthly meetings during this pandemic time.  Thankful for those members continuing to catch us on-line.  Of course, none of that would be possible without our Zoom moderator, Brian W9HLQ.  Thank you Brian for your dedication to this Club.     

     I would like to once again thank ED WA9EOL for all the years of dedication he has served as the Treasurer of our Club. So another transition for the Club comes to pass as he retires.  Long time member, Kurt WB9FMC, has stepped up to take the challenge and be our new Treasurer.  I believe our club’s finances are in good hands with Kurt. 

     HEALTH AND WELFARE:  Hope everyone is staying safe and well.  Prayers are sent to Ed WA9EOL wife, Rose, as she battles cancer.  Prayers are also being sent to those members who are suffering or struggling during this pandemic.

     HAPPENINGS:  So we put our ham radio communication skills to the test from our last meeting night which was to have been held on March 4^th.  As Don and I were on our way to the meeting to set up, we received a call from George from the Village of Crestwood that the Civic Center we meet at had huge plumbing issues and the facilities were not usable, therefore, the building was not open to meeting there that evening. Most people were understanding.  It was a situation out of our control.  John Swanson KB9FQB pulled up there right behind us and started calling and texting to pass the word out.  Don and I contacted the Board Members, who in turn called members to get the word out.  Riley contacted Ron Schmalz N9QOB who got the ball rolling by calling the Six Meter Club and BARS, Bill Greenwald KC9KLA on the Six Meter repeater and made the announcements and Mike Blocker KD9MDO got the word out on BARS just to name a few.  Hamfesters Board Members stayed at the Civic Center to greet those members and guests who did not get the word that the meeting was cancelled.  Don passed out the cookies and honey buns.  Thanks to everyone for your concerted effort to get the word out.  Proud of everyone for everything they did.

     APRIL MEETING:  Will be our annual Basic Weather Spotter class given by Dave Bukowski N9KPD.  This class will be on our Zoom platform.

     MAY MEETING:  Since there was such a great interest in this, we will once again try an in person meeting and hold the White Elephant sale.  Hope to see you all there.

      JUNE MEETING:  Presentation will once again be given by Jim Riley W9JPR on our Field Day operations. Last year was very challenging. We are still working out the details, but hope to be able to hold it outdoors at our current location of the Southbridge Church.

    NEW MEMBERS:  Welcome to Eric Weber KC0AHK, James Winicky KD9QPD, Scott Hayes, WA9VYT and Michael Richardson KD9RCV.

     On behalf of Don and myself, we wish everyone a very Happy Easter and Passover.

          As always, we ask you to keep an eye on the website (dutifully brought to us by Brian Davis and Gene Phillips) for the most current happenings in our club. Remember to Like us on our Hamfesters Page and spread the word about our great club too! We are the fun place to have a good time of fellowship at all of our events!

Secretary’s Beat – Meeting Minutes

The March. 5, 2021 was aborted due to plumbing issues at the Crestwood Civic Center.

Check out the photos below for the makeshift meeting.

VE Exams begin March 13, 2021!

Hamfesters conducts FCC authorized VE (volunteer examiner) tests for Technician, General, and Extra class licenses monthly.

Date: 2nd Saturday of each Month

Location: TBA upon email registration NOTE: Oak Forest City Hall closed during Pandemic. We will announce when re-opened!

Time: Start time of Exam: TBD time by slots – (0900 hrs) – (1100 hrs) 3 candidates per time Slot

NO WALK-INS ALLOWED!

The VE Team is NOT CONSIDERING any exams during the Hamfester’s Hamfest in August.

Exam Candidates: You are REQUIRED to register in the FCC CORES system and receive a FCC Registration Number (FRN) before exam day. Already Licensed? Please bring your Amateur License and Copy of Your License. Also Bring any CSCE from previous Exams and A Copy if FCC has not acted upon.

Exam Session Requirements
Candidates could go directly to the FCC CORES User Account and Registration
page: https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do

FEES: (currently $15) for the test. We urge you to bring the exact amount of cash. NO CHECKS or CREDIT CARDS EXCEPTED!

The $35 FCC Application Fee has NOT been implemented yet.

CONTACT: Al Bukowski – N9ZD >> Registration by email ONLY!

N9ZD@ARRL.NET – primary OR aln9zd@gmail.com – secondary

PLEASE – NO TELEPHONE CALLS!

Exam Day
What to Bring to an ARRL Exam Session:

1. One legal photo ID (identification):
   a. State Driver’s License
   b. Government issued Passport
   c. Military or Law Enforcement Officer Photo ID card
   d. Student School Photo ID card
   e. State Photo ID card
2. If no photo ID is available, two forms of identification:
   a. Non-photo State ID card (some states still have them)
   b. Birth certificate (must have the appropriate seal)
   c. Social security card
   d. Employer’s wage statement or Minor’s work permit
   e. School ID card
   f. School or Public Library card
   g. Utility bill, bank statement or other business correspondence that specifically names the person; or a postmarked envelope addressed to the person at his or her current mailing address as it appears on
   the Form 605.
3. Students/minors without a photo ID need to bring only one of the above items if a legal guardian presents their photo ID; otherwise two non-photo IDs are required. Minor children (under the age of 18) may be accompanied in the room by an adult during the test.
4. FCC Registration Number (FRN): VECs are required by the FCC to submit your FRN with your license application form.
   New license applicants MUST create an FCC user account and register their Social Security Number (SSN) in the FCC Commission Registration System (CORES) before attending exam sessions.
   Registrants will be assigned an FRN which will be used in all license transactions with the FCC. Examinee Must bring their FRN number to the Exam Session.
   For instructions on how to register your SSN and receive an FRN from the FCC, visit the FCC’s Registration page and the FCC’s Registration instructions page. Per FCC rules, a valid email address is also mandatory on the application form.
5. If applicable, bring a printed copy of either your official Amateur Radio license or a reference copy available from the FCC website, or the original(s) and photocopy(s) of any Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) you may hold from previous exam sessions. If your license has already been issued by FCC, the CSCE showing license credit is not needed. The photocopy(s) will not be returned.
   Instructions on how to obtain an official FCC license copy are on our Obtain License Copy web page.
6. Two number two pencils with erasers and a pen for in-person sessions.
7. A calculator with the memory erased and formulas cleared is allowed. You may not bring any written notes or calculations into the exam session. Slide rules and logarithmic tables are acceptable, as long as they’re free
   of notes and formulas. Cell phone must be silenced or turned off during the exam session and the phones’ calculator function may not be used. In addition, iPhones, iPads, Androids, smartphones, Blackberry devices
   and all similar electronic devices with a calculator capability, may NOT be used.

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Field Day

CQ Field Day de Jim Riley W9JPR

There is only one piece of news for this month. The board has named N9ZD as our GOTA call for 2021. This is a well-deserved honor for its owner, Al Bukowski. Al has been one of our Field Day mainstays as long as anyone can remember. Congratulations, Al.

  Just to remind everyone, Field Day is June 26 and 27 at Southbridge Church, one block West of Harlem on 155^th St. or, if you prefer, Wheeler Drive. Setup begins at 0800 and operations run from 1800Z Saturday to 1800Z Sunday.       Following is a list of participants in last year’s Field Day.  If your name is on the list, please let me know if you can or can’t repeat. If you’re not on the list, you are welcome and encouraged to become part of the best Field Day team anywhere. See me at a meeting or call at my roster number.

Cast of Characters

in order of how they signed in

Jim Riley W9JPR: Wearer of many hats
Steve Peters W9KXT: GOTA, setup, teardown
Gregg Rosenberg AB9MZ: GOTA
Bob Fleischmann N9KWG: GOTA, setup, teardown
Don Pointer KC9EQQ: Photography, cute sayings on coolers
Nora Pointer KC9MLV: GOTA, Saturday food prep, Supreme Overlord
Gene Phillips W9PNG: GOTA, setup, teardown, bringer of chairs, tables, and noise baffles
Brian Davis W9HLQ: GOTA, setup, teardown
Rick Cartell W9NKV: Setup
Carolyn Cartell W9HAY: Setup moral support
Rich Schneider KA9HMV: Setup, teardown, raingear model
Connie Kelly AC9CK: GOTA
Dave Bukowski N9KPD: Setup, supplies, trailer station, safety, login sheets, photos, flashing lights
Al Bukowski N9ZD: Trailer Station, setup, teardown
Laura Lockwood: Saturday food prep
Rollo Everett KD9JMO: GOTA, setup, teardown
Ron Schmalz N9QOB: GOTA, food, food, public relations
Helen Pawlikowski: bringer of meatballs
Kurt Pawlikowski WB9FMC: CW, designer of antennas, overseer of their spectacular failure
Tim Szymanski KC9POS: Satellite
Linas Matonas KC9PCP: VHF/UHF, zip line antenna
Patti Gulick KC9LYE: digital station logger, FD pins
Peggy Peters K9QLM: GOTA
Cathy Fleischmann KC9NRH: GOTA logger
John Swanson KB9FQB: 20 meter digital
Ed Broniarczyk WA9EOL: GOTA, GOTA call, Sunday breakfast
Dan Haug K9BAR: Setup, teardown, brought home the bacon (ham)
Wayne Lacoy KD9LAW: setup, teardown
Mike Kiley WA9ZPM: setup, teardown

Hamfest 2021!

• When: August 1st, 2021
• Where: Will County Fairgrounds
• How Much?
  • Advance Tickets: $8.00 (w/ double stub)
  • At door: $10 (w/ Single Stub)
  • Kids under 12 are Free!
• We already have vendors signing up!
• Stay tuned for more info!

Club Information

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Pics from the March Aborted Meeting

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Notice: Beginning with Feb 2021, all HamGab issues will be gluten and salt-free. This is part of my commitment to provide you with the healthiest and environmentally friendly reading possible. You will notice no degradation in image quality due to the clever design of the editor. If you choose to print HamGab we suggest you use low-fat, vegetarian-based in your printer.