Michael Spanos KC4VCA has announced an ExamCram for Saturday, August 29, from 8 AM until 3 PM at 5502 1st Avenue North, Birmingham AL.

More details here: http://aragroup.org/examcram/ec-info.htm

(Thanks to BARC for the Facebook post.)

We’re sharing info with Mike Shaw over at the Amateur Radio Training and Events Bulletin Board.

I’m sure people will argue with his approach to Chinese radios, but it’s a well-written and concise guide to getting started in ham radio.

http://amateurradio15.com/where-to-start/

Check ’em out.

Mike Shaw’s (NR4B) Amateur Radio Training and Events Facebook page. Good stuff. Mike’s trying to do something similar to what we’re trying to do here over on the Facebook side of things. So, we’re sharing information back and forth. Nice!

Whoa!  Ken, WB4FAY, has an terrific resource online which I just discovered at his www.wb4fay website. But, check out these listings of B’ham metro area ham licensees. Amazing, he’s got a list by call sign, a list by last name, a list by zip code.

http://www.wb4fay.com/areahams.html

From JVann Martin:

ARES QUARTERLY MEETING JULY 30th from 630p to 8p. Held this quarter at the Downtown American Red Cross Building. Address: 114 22nd Street South. Parking out back! EVERYONE WELCOME. Disaster Program Manager Matt Carrier will host this event and wants to have an open discussion about how Amateur Radio operators and Red Cross staff can accomplish more by working together! Please share with your county, clubs, and media sites. Thursday night July 30th.

We’re building a sort of master calendar of nets, ARC meetings, VE testing, etc. Please let us know if you see errors or have anything to add.

Calendar (Nets, Meetings, Events)

You definitely need to be checking in to the Central Alabama Simplex Net.  Here’s a quick rundown, with new ham operators particularly in mind.

As you know, you got your repeaters, on which most of the area nets happen. That’s a great thing. However, a major disaster could knock out some or even most (or even all) repeaters, at least temporarily. So, then, as you know, in the ham radio world we would be left with simplex: direct radio-to-radio contacts. Given the value of ham radio in the aftermath of disasters, this is important.

So, enter the  Central Alabama Simplex Net. Central Alabama Simplex NET starts at 8:00pm every Sunday on 146.580. A couple of great guys (more about them later), drive up to a high elevation in Birmingham, put up an antenna, and serve as the primary net control station.  In addition, a couple of other great guys with particularly impressive systems, assist by pointing their antennas around the compass, calling for check-ins. Check-ins come from as far away as Arkansas and Tennessee, by the way. In addition, folks are encouraged to listen out for operators THEY can hear, even if net control can’t, and relay them in.

So,  you listen up and, if you’ve got a directional thing happening, point to Birmingham. You’ll hear a call for check-ins based on your compass direction relative to B’ham. Check in and relay anyone else in that you can hear on the frequency.

There are lots of other nets on Sunday evenings, and so the net control folks take early check-Ins will be taken starting at 7:45pm for those that have other nets at 8:00pm and 8:30pm in which they participate.

A special shout out to the heroic and dedicated net controllers.

Glenn KA4SZQ
Deryl WD4IGK
Owen W3NH
Gino N4GNO

Deryl (WD4IGK), Glenn (KA4SZQ) and a considerably more attractive assistant, Ashley.
These guys don’t seem to miss a Sunday night unless they are hospitalized (or maybe detained by the authorities, which never has happened.) Photo by Just John Miller (KI4VVM)

I’ve got the Extra and I’m newly certified by ARRL as a VE examiner. Let me know if you need help (

n4***@ou*****.com











). I’m willing to travel a bit!