October 2021 – HamGab

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THANK YOU.  Thank you to Don KC9EQQ for his program.  Thank you also for everything you do for the Club.  Congratulations to the raffle prize winners.  Also, thank you to the Members for their contributions to Split the Pot.  It helps defray costs for the break time treats and drinks.

HEALTH AND WELFARE:  Hope everyone is staying safe and well.  Prayers are also being sent to those members who are suffering or struggling.  Ed WA9EOL we miss you and are thinking about you.

THEY ARE IN:  We will have T-Shirts and Polos for sale at the next meeting.  Prices as follows:   T-Shirts at $15.00 and Polo Shirts at $20.00.  Try to bring exact change please.  See our new Quartermaster, Rick W9DOQ.  Get them before they are gone. 

NEW MEMBER:  Join a great club and fill in this space with your name and call.

OCTOBER MEETING:  Club nominations.  If you are interested to run for office or Board, please let us know.  All current Officers and Board Members have agreed to return. 

You want to come early to this Meeting.  We just want to celebrate the Halloween spirit this month.  We will have Treats.  Come early and check out our special guest – the Ghostbusters Car will be there with owners, Rob and Erica to greet you upon arrival.  Want to know what’s in your future?  The next special guest we will have is Rose Dragon from Just Witchys, with her Tarot cards to give you a reading.  Space and time is limited, so if you are interested be sure to sign up for this.  And we will have a Special Appearance by Charles Magicien.  He will give a quick performance to entice you to come to see his full show that he will be performing for our Club at the Christmas party in December.  He is so good; you don’t want to miss this one. 

It is also Dues time.  Brian will be accepting payment for next years Dues.

Jim W9JPR will be accepting payment for Christmas party tickets at $25.00.  Such a bargain for dinner and a show.  Now is the time to get them.

NOVEMBER MEETING:  If necessary, Club elections. BUT WAIT- there’s more! Orchestra Leader STEVE COOPER AND HIS TRIO WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE AT OUR NOVEMBER 5^TH MEETING! BRING A GUEST AS ADMISSION IS FREE. We will start promptly at 7:30 pm, so please arrive early. Steve has become a favorite of Hamfesters for a number of years and is looking forward to what will be a great evening of fun, music, and fond memories of an era gone by.

DECEMBER MEETING:  Will be our Christmas and Award Dinner.  PLEASE NOTE:  The date will be a week later on Friday, December 10, 2021.  Price of tickets will remain at $25.00 per person.  Arrival time will be 6:30 p.m. with buffet Italian style dinner to start approximately 7:00 – 7:15 p.m.  The location will be the Bridgeview Community Center located at 7902 S. Oketo Ave., Bridgeview, IL. And this year we will have entertainment provided after dinner with a special performance by Charles Magicien.  Charles is an excellent magician known both locally and internationally as a superb performer that will leave you awestruck at his incredible performance! Be sure to get your tickets now!

PROGRAMS:  If you know someone or something that may be of interest to the Club, please let Don KC9EQQ know.  We are looking for new ideas, so now is the chance to provide names of speakers and topics etc. for next years programs.

As always, we ask you to keep an eye on the website (Hamfesters.org) (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! Oh- have a Happy Halloween!

Come early and see the Ghost Busters car: 6:15 to 7:30 pm We have an exciting and spooky meeting planned this month. If you wish, wear a costume or a fun mask!

We will have special goolish treats!

Secretary’s Beat – Meeting Minutes

Friday Sept. 3, 2021 Hamfesters Club meeting (in person only, Labor Day weekend) 7:43pm

Roll: Nora KC9MLV, Jim W9JPR, Patti KC9LYE

Attendance 15-20 Welcome to visitor Al kd9slm.

Health & Welfare: Gregg ab9mz, has lost his eyesight, it is hoped it will return. Prayers and good wishes for recovery.

Silence for the 13 soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Steve w9kxt, read a prayer. Steve and Brian’s w9hlq, sons are serving. Steve’s son Bill donated toys to refugee children. Thank You, to all who serve.

Rick w9diq, is Hamfesters quarter master.
Rick asked that members wear their Hamfesters shirts proudly, to support our club, and hobby.

Christmas Party 2021: Friday, Dec.10th, Party at Bridgeview
Community center, tickets $25.00 each, Tickets online in November. Also, purchase tickets at the club meeting in October.

Tonight’s Program by Don kc9eqq, My Radio Journey.

October Program: Halloween, come join in the fun.
Also, in Oct. we will ask if anyone would like to
run for Hamfesters officers,& board members.
If so, elections at Nov. club meeting. Term of office 2022.
Nov. program Steve Cooper.|

Minutes: Club minutes for Sept. club meeting approved by Ron kb9tcx,
& John KB9FQB.

Old business: Don kc9eqq, Hamfesters 2021 hamfest vendors were very happy.

New Business: Brian w9hlq, please go to Hamfesters website and make sure your information is current.

Al n9zd, Hamfesters VE testing Sept. 11th, 10:00am, at Oak Forest City
Hall.

Field Day 2022 will be held on June 25-26th.

Adjournment: Ron kb9tcx, & John kb9fqb 21:33pm.

split- the-pot winner: Rich kb9ntx

Hamfester’s Dues

Hamfesters Radio club values your participation in the club. We need your dues support to keep the
club running. Standard dues are $20/yr. And $10/yr for spouse or other family member. Current
members will remain on the mailing list which announces the availability of HamGab and other
important club news. In the early spring of the year, I remove those members who are delinquent from
the list. Contact Brian, W9HLQ, if you are not getting these email announcements.

For the new members (and old members who forget!) here is a review of the dues process for
Hamfesters. The final date for dues is the 31 st of December which pays for the following year’s dues.
To facilitate the collection of dues I set up a table to make it easy for you to pay your dues. The table is
set up for the October and November meetings. If you are going to pay in person I appreciate you pay
your dues at either the October or November meeting. Thank you.

If you can’t attend either of these meetings, feel free to mail in your dues; payable to “Hamfesters
Radio Club”. Send to Brian Davis, W9HLQ. When paying in person, we are equipped to accept your
Visa or Master card if you don’t have cash handy. Also you can pay anytime online at our web site
found here: https://www.hamfesters.org/main/club-information/

You can check your dues status by going to the Hamfesters web site and clicking on the “Members
Only” link on the left side of the page. The years that you have paid for are shown as a two digit
number for the years you have paid. You will need a password to access this information. If you are a
paid member, contact any Hamfester officer to get the passcode.

Technician License Class

Chrismas Party

Christmas Party tickets are now on sale!

     I will have tickets for this year’s gathering at the head table during the October and November meetings. They’re $25 each. You can pay with cash, or check made out to Hamfesters Radio Club. Can’t wait for the meeting? You can order through the club’s website and I will have them for you at the meeting.

   More info about the party is elsewhere in this issue or on the website: www.hamfesters.org.

   73, Jim W9JPR

Tips to Secure Your Wifi setup

by Gene Phillips

The internet is a dangerous place these days. Every week, there seems to be a report of a data breach at various companies. Depending on building materials and layout, a typical Wi-Fi signal can reach hundreds of feet beyond your house. Someone could park on the street in front of your house and hack your Wi-Fi. Depending on the goal of the attacker you may never know you have been hacked.

This can be a very extensive topic. Below are just a few tips for securing your wifi. There are lots of other good practices that could be worked into your network as well.

• Do not trust the ISP provided routers to be a secure Wi-Fi network
  • Some ISP never update the firmware on their devices
  • For this, you would add your new router behind the ISP’s router.
  • Your new router would be the only thing connected to the ISP’s router.
  • All of your devices (computers, laptops, etc) would connect to your new router.
• Turn on WPA3 encryption
  • If your router does not have WPA3, go buy one!
  • Looking on Amazon a new WPA3 router can be purchased for less than $100
• Change the network name to something very unique but does not identify you or your house.
  • Don’t advertise your network name.
• Change the default to password to a strong password with a mix of symbols, numbers, upper and lower case letters for both the Wifi and the admin configuration of both routers.
• These smart IOT devices (ring doorbells, cameras, Amazon Echoes, thermostats, etc) are notorious for having security holes. If you own one of these devices, do you update them or trust the company to do it for you.
  • Think twice if you want one. I will admit I have serveral.
  • I have heard from a couple of experts where they setup another Wi-Fi network just for smart devices.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what to consider when securing your Wi-Fi.

Here are a few of articles that can explain these ideas in further detail.

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-secure-your-home-wi-fi-network

https://www.wired.com/story/secure-your-wi-fi-router/

https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/tips/ST15-002

Hamfesters VE Testings

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

Date: 2nd Saturday of each Month

Location: Oak Forest City Hall, 15440 Central Ave, Oak Forest, IL 60452

Time: 0900 hrs

Walk-ins accepted with FRN number in hand

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!

VE Coordinator: Al Bukowski – N9ZD

N9ZD@ARRL.NET

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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October 2021 Contest Calendar

From WA7BNM Contest Calendar Website

+ Oceania DX Contest, Phone	0600Z, Oct 2 to 0600Z, Oct 3
+ German Telegraphy Contest	0700Z-1000Z, Oct 2
+ California QSO Party	1600Z, Oct 2 to 2200Z, Oct 3
+ Peanut Power QRP Sprint	2200Z-2359Z, Oct 3
+ ARS Spartan Sprint	0100Z-0300Z, Oct 5
+ SARL 80m QSO Party	1700Z-2000Z, Oct 7
+ QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party	0000Z-2359Z, Oct 9
+ Makrothen RTTY Contest	0000Z, Oct 9 to 1559Z, Oct 10
+ Nevada QSO Party	0300Z, Oct 9 to 2100Z, Oct 10
+ Oceania DX Contest, CW	0600Z, Oct 9 to 0600Z, Oct 10
+ SKCC Weekend Sprintathon	1200Z, Oct 9 to 2359Z, Oct 10
+ Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB	1200Z, Oct 9 to 1200Z, Oct 10
+ Arizona QSO Party	1500Z, Oct 9 to 0500Z, Oct 10
+ Pennsylvania QSO Party	1600Z, Oct 9 to 2200Z, Oct 10
+ South Dakota QSO Party	1800Z, Oct 9 to 1800Z, Oct 10
+ 10-10 Int. 10-10 Day Sprint	0001Z-2359Z, Oct 10
+ 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint	0000Z-0200Z, Oct 11
+ 10-10 Int. Fall Contest, CW	0001Z, Oct 16 to 2359Z, Oct 17
+ New York QSO Party	1400Z, Oct 16 to 0200Z, Oct 17
+ Worked All Germany Contest	1500Z, Oct 16 to 1459Z, Oct 17
+ Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint, CW	0000Z-0200Z, Oct 17
+ Illinois QSO Party	1700Z, Oct 17 to 0100Z, Oct 18
+ Run for the Bacon QRP Contest	2300Z, Oct 17 to 0100Z, Oct 18
+ ARRL School Club Roundup	1300Z, Oct 18 to 2359Z, Oct 22
+ AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening	1900Z-2030Z, Oct 20
+ Stew Perry Topband Challenge	1500Z, Oct 23 to 1500Z, Oct 24
+ SKCC Sprint	0000Z-0200Z, Oct 27
+ CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB	0000Z, Oct 30 to 2359Z, Oct 31

Club Information

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Don KC9EQQ on my Bike

Photos from the June 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 ink in your printer.