Next Meeting June 7 @ 7:30

Field Day

Join us for Jim W9JPR’s very entertaining presentation of Field Day 2018 and planning for this year!

After learning of all the fun we had last year, you will also need to visit Field Day 2019!

WA9EOL is our GOTA call.
GOTA (pronounced Goat-uh, not Gotta or Go To) stands for Get On The Air

President’s Beat

Thank you to Debbie Gray, WX9VOR for her informative program.

Other Club Info

Locations, times, dates, nets, and other info!

Last Meeting Photos

May Meeting

PO Box 474
Crestwood, IL
60445-0474

Meets 1st Friday of every month at the
Crestwood Civic Center
14025 S Kostner Ave
Crestwood, IL

June Birthdays
Bill Sheehan
Cindy Shlaustas
Donald Sommerfeld
Jim Conerty
Larry Schwab
Laura Lockwood
Martin O’Grady
Robert Richter
Zygmunt Kossakowski

Officers
President – Nora KC9MLV
Vice President – Jim W9JPR
Secretary – Patty KC9LYE
Treasurer – ED WA9EOL
Sgt at Arm – Don KC9EQQ
Trustee – Gene W9PNG

Board Members
Nora – KC9MLV
Steve – W9KXT
Kurt – WB9FMC
Cindy – N9CAS
Don – KC9EQQ
Rich – KB9NTX

HamGab Editor
Gene Phillips W9PNG
hamgab@hamfesters.org

Thank you to everyone who came out to the May meeting. It was very well attended. Thank you to Debbie Gray, WX9VOR for her informative program.

THANK YOU: Granville Phillips, W9PNG thank you for the awesome job on Hamgab, and for taking over this very important job as it’s editor for the Club.

Health and Welfare: Best wishes go out to all Hamfesters who may not be feeling well. Let’s keep Dave Laveck W0COP in our thoughts and prayers! Also, continued prayers to Gregg Rosenberg, AB9MZ with his health issues.

NEW MEMBERS: Welcome new members, Carolyn Cartell, W9HAY and Rick Cartell, W9NKV. Glad to have you join and look forward to seeing you and other new members at future meetings.

JUNE MEETING: One of our favorite programs of the year brings our own, Jim Riley W9JPR with a review of Field Day, pictures and quips. New members you will want to see this and definitely come out to Field Day and get on the air and help out. Definitely we will need our volunteers that day and other jobs, so Jim can have his ducks in a row.

As always, we ask you to keep an eye on the website for the most current happenings in our club. Remember to Like us on our Hamfesters Page on Facebook. On behalf of myself and the Officers and Board members of Hamfesters, thank you for all you do for Hamfesters.

73,
Nora Pointer KC9MLV
President of Hamfesters Amateur Radio Club of Crestwood
P.S: If you need to reach me, please email me at: npointer92@gmail.com

Secretary’s Beat – Meeting Minutes

Call to Order Date: May 3, 2019 Time: 1935

Welcome and Pledge of Allegiance

Announcements: Cindy N9CAS thanked all who helped with the Lions Club 5K, Nora KC9MLV thanked Gene W9PNG for the nice job on Hamgab and Marty WB9ABG for donating a door prize.

Moment of silence if necessary: Don KC9EQQ remembered Bob K9RDR and opened the floor for others to comment.

Visitors: Dan W9SAU, Rick W9NKV, Carolyn W9HAY

Health and Welfare: Patti KC9LYE had eye surgery and all went well. Jim W9JPR noted the passing of his sister-in-law.

Program: Debbie Gray WX9VOR talked about ARES.

Motion to approve minutes of the last meeting made by Don KC9EQQ and seconded by Cindy N9CAS.

Treasurer’s Report: Ed WA9EOL reported on the club’s finances.

Secretary’s Report: Minutes were taken by W9JPR in the absence of the secretary.

Standing Committees

Membership: Brian W9HLQ reported two new members—Rick W9NKV and Carolyn W9HAY

Programs: per KC9EQQ, June will be W9JPR all about Field Day, July will be our Independence Day get together.

Field Day: W9JPR reminded everyone that Field Day will be June 22-23 at Southbridge Church on 155th St. a block west of Harlem. Setup begins at 0800.

Hamgab: W9PNG got a big round of applause for his first issue.

Special Committees

Old Business: Dave N9KPD reminded everyone to check their email for the link to their certificates from the weather class. He also reminded everyone that the College of DuPage 5K is October 5.

New Business: KC9EQQ thanked Dave for the nice job on the weather class.

Motion to Adjourn: Dave N9KPD Seconded by Don KC9EQQ at 2139.

Split the pot winner: KB9NTX Amount $48.00

Door prize winners: Mel NE9A, Ed WA9EOL, Wayne KD9LAW, Gene W9PNG, Cindy N9CAS

Field Day

by Jim W9JPR

This is the final Hamgab article before Field Day. If you have any questions or concerns, now is the time to bring them up. Keep those questions or concerns related to Field Day. We are not qualified or interested enough to help with personal problems.

This year’s Field Day will be at Southbridge Church about a quarter mile west of Harlem on 155th St. or Wheeler Dr. If you’re not sure where that is, just visit http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator and type W9AA where it asks for a location or call sign. (Thanks, Brian.) Talk-in will be on 146.43 simplex. Look for the yellow and white canopy tent when you get in the parking lot.

Operations run from 1 p.m. Saturday, June 22 through 1 p.m. Sunday, June 23 but setup begins at 0800 Saturday. The more help we get for setup the quicker it gets done. Last year’s setup was completed, mostly, in a record two hours under some trying conditions.

Our category is 3A. W9AA is our main call and WA9EOL is our GOTA call. If you’re not sure of your phonetics, now would be a good time to brush up.

New to ham radio or Field Day? Don’t be daunted. Our Field Day Rule #1 is “Everyone who wants to operate, operates.” Friendly and patient FD veterans will be at the GOTA station to help you make your first HF contact and, we hope, many more. High fives will be liberally handed out. GOTA (pronounced Goat-uh, not Gotta or Go To) stands for “Get On The Air” and it’s where many new hams get their start on HF and contesting. If you know someone under the age of 18 who might be interested, bring him or her with you. We get 20 bonus points for each of the first five young people who make a contact.

Be sure to attend the June general meeting where the topic will be…you guessed it: Field Day. We’ll finalize our plans and enjoy an audience-participation slide show of pictures from last year.

Cast of Characters
From my memory and the sign-in sheets

HHIC: Jim Riley W9JPR
Trailer Hauling: Mike Vannier N9NNL
Lunch: Nora Pointer KC9MLV, Laura Lockwood, Helen Pawlikowski
Dinner: Strings pulled by Don Pointer KC9EQQ
Breakfast: Ed Broniarczyk WA9EOL
Setup and/or teardown: Ed Egan WB9STB, Mike Kiley WA9ZPM, Bob Fleischmann N9KWG, Ron Kalat KB9TCX, Paul Skita KA9WYM, Cathy Fleischmann KC9NRH, Mike McGuire K9ACM, Aidan McGuire KD9LGI, Wayne Lacoy KD9LAW, Rollo Everett KD9JMO, Nora Pointer KC9MLV, Rich
Schneider KA9HMV, Tom Gulick, Dan Haug KA9BAR
Field Day message: Al Bukowski, N9ZD
Government Negotiator: Rich Schneider KA9HMV
Sign-in sheets and Field Day pins: Patti Gulick KC9LYE
Sign-in sheet enforcement: Dave Bukowski N9KPD
20-meter CW station: Kurt Pawlikowski WB9FMC,
20-meter Digital station: John Swanson KB9FQB
Trailer station: Jim Riley W9JPR, Al Bukowski, N9ZD, Ron Schmalz N9QOB
GOTA station: Brian Davis W9HLQ, Steve Peters W9KXT, Nora Pointer KC9MLV, Ed Egan WB9STB, Gregg Rosenberg AB9MZ, Peggy Peters K9QLM, Marty Linke WD9ABG, Connie Kelly AC9CK
Free VHF/UHF station: Linas Matonis KC9PCP, Tim Szymanski KC9POS, Bob Fleischmann N9KWG
Photographers: Don Pointer KC9EQQ, Brian Davis W9HLQ, Jim Riley W9JPR, John Raiger K9DRS, Dave Bukowski N9KPD, Paul Batchelor.

VE Testing

Hamfesters VE Testing Report for HamGab June 2019
Al Bukowski N9ZD – VE coordinator

Hamfester’s Amateur Radio Club VE’s offer Amateur Radio License Testing for those who want to get their first ham license, or Amateur Hams who want to upgrade to a higher class license. Examination sessions are available on the second Saturday of each month. We will assist you with all necessary paperwork prior to taking your exam. Please make sure you are studying the latest question pool that can be found on the internet, through ARRL publications or Gordon West books. The Exam fee is $15.00 (CASH ONLY – Please NO Checks or Credit Cards.) Also please bring a photo ID with you to the exam. If upgrading, bring your original signed Amateur License and a photocopy we can send with the test results.

If you need information on how to print your FCC License, please go to this url for information. http://www.arrl.org/obtain-license-copy

The exam sessions are held at the Oak Forest City Hall 15440 S. Central Ave. Oak Forest, Il 60452. Please arrive by 9:00 AM. We begin testing promptly at 9:15 AM. Please enter through the marked Police door entrance at City Hall and look for the ARRL Amateur Radio testing signs for directions.

The May 11 VE session had 2 candidates.

1 candidate passed both the Technician and General exams!
1 candidate passed the Technician exam.

Future VE Exam dates are as follows:

June 8, 2019
July 13, 2019 See Below Note on New General Class Exam
August 10, 2019
September 14, 2019

*******New General Class License Exams will be used after July 1, 2019. If you plan to take the General Exam after this date, you will need to study the new General Class Question pool found here. >>> http://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2019-2023GeneralClassQuestionPool.pdf

Please, it would help the VE Team to pre-register and/or if you have any other questions regarding our test sessions, please contact Al, N9ZD via e-mail at: N9ZD@arrl.net

A Special ‘Thank You’ to All the VE’s volunteering there Saturday morning to assist me at the Exam sessions.

Club Information

Meetings and VE
Testing

Club meetings are held on the
first Friday of every month at
Crestwood Civic Center
14025 Kostner Ave
Crestwood, IL
Meetings begin at 7:30 PM.
September meetings may vary if our meeting date conflicts with the Crestwood
Flower show.

Board Meetings: 7:30 PM on
the 4th Monday of each month
at the
SouthBridge Community Church
15500 S.73rd.
Orland Park, IL

VE TESTING: Every 2nd
Saturday of the Month at the
Oak Forest City Hall
15440 S. Central Ave.
Testing begins at
9:00 AM but we ask that you
arrive 10 minutes early. Exam
fee is now $15.00. Al N9ZD
VE Team Chairman

Special Activities

Hamfester’s Big Peotone
Hamfest: Our 82nd annual
Hamfest coming August 4th,
2019 @ Will County Fairgrounds,
Peotone, IL.

Field Day: Join the W9AA crew
for one of the best Field Days ever
on June 22-23, 2019 at
SouthBridge Community Church
15500 S. 73rd
Orland Park, IL
Field Day Chairman
Jim W9JPR

MAKERS: we participate in the
annual Southwest Chicago
Makers Faire

Community Service: we support
local communities by providing
radio communication for parades
and marathons / walk-a-thons.

Nets/Contact Info

10 METER NET: Every
Sunday Evening at 8:00 PM on
28.410. Tom KA9ZXN is Net
Control

2 METER NET: Every
Monday Evening at 9:00 PM on
146.640. Tom KA9ZXN is Net
Control

WEB SITE: www.hamfesters.org
Webmaster
Brian ,W9HLQ
Granville, W9PNG

Club’s address:
Hamfesters Radio Club
P.O. Box 474 Crestwood, IL
60445
Attn: Patti KC9LYE Sec