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MGRC White Noise Newsletter
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Maple Grove Radio Club
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If you are having trouble reading this newsletter in your email client try turning off "Dark Mode." Also, you can always read it online from the newsletter archives.
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MGRC Mission Statement
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Maple Grove Radio Club provides education to current and future amateur radio operators, with the goal of serving the public. We are a reliable communications resource for events and emergencies in Maple Grove and surrounding communities.
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President's Message - March 2024
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Hope that every one had fun with the ARRL DX contest on March 1-3. 😀
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And, you are ready for 👉MGRC’s MidWinter Madness👈 this month! Don't miss it!
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I also hope I can encourage you to tell a story of your first contest and/or contact to include in next month's MGRC White Noise Newsletter. Send your short stories to newsletter@k0ltc.org.
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‼️ MID WINTER MADNESS IS THIS MONTH ‼️
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Announcing the 41st Annual
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MIDWINTER MADNESS®
HOBBY ELECTRONICS SHOW
Saturday March 23, 2024
8:00AM - 12:00PM
👉 VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!! 👈
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Sign up will open on January 2nd @ 5:00 pm
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ARRL NEWS
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Bob Heil, K9EID, Silent Key
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The man who defined the sound of live rock ‘n’ roll music and brought audio engineering principals into mainstream amateur radio use, Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, has passed away at the age of 83. He was an ARRL Life Member and in the ARRL Maxim Society. A Facebook post from Heil Ham Radio paid tribute to their founder: “Bob fought a valiant, yearlong battle with cancer, and passed peacefully surrounded by his family.”
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Heil founded Heil Sound in 1966, through which he created the template for modern concert sound systems for musicians like the Grateful Dead, The Who, Joe Walsh, and Peter Frampton. The talk box used on iconic live record Frampton Comes Alive! was of Heil’s design. His audio engineering products have been featured in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and he was honored in 2007 with the Parnelli Audio Innovator Award for his impact on the live sound industry. “My life has been about achieving great sound, whether on the concert stage or in the amateur radio world,” Bob Heil recounted in 2022. “I’ve watched Heil Sound go from a regional sound company to a world-class microphone manufacturer. This company has been my passion,” he said.
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Parallel to his commercial and artistic success in live music, was his passion for amateur radio. He was active in ham radio from a young age and merged his expertise in audio engineering with his love for radio. Heil Ham Radio was founded to produce microphones, headsets, and other gear for radio amateurs with an emphasis on high-quality audio.
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Heil was known as a mentor who enjoyed helping others find success in ham radio. Recently, his grandson Charlie Hartley, KF0OOP, became a licensed ham to surprise Heil for his birthday. The pair attended the ARRL Midwest Convention/Winterfest in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 27, 2024.
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His generosity and kind nature will be missed by many, including ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL. “Bob was a titan in many areas. He was generous with his time, offered keen insights, and had the heart of a philanthropist in the ARRL Maxim Society,” Beal said. “He was a gentleman to his core, making friends easily and everywhere he went, from rock stars to captains of industry. I consider it a real privilege to have become a friend to him, too, all because of amateur radio.”
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Heil was known for his passion for AM operations. He served for many years as an on-camera host of the Ham Nation podcast. Tributes to Heil have been flooding social media, including from his co-hosts.
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ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said Heil’s passing is a significant loss. "Bob Heil's technical achievements that brought high-quality audio to amateur radio pale in comparison to his generosity and willingness to help his fellow ham. He's long been known as someone eager to help mentor and teach. His legacy on our hobby will be long-lasting. Our thoughts are with his loved ones."
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Preparation Underway for Severe Spring Weather
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The severe weather season (March through May) is fast approaching, and National Weather Service (NWS) offices across the country are getting ready.
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Warning Coordination Meteorologist Brandon Peloquin at the Wilmington, Ohio, NWS office said many of the NWS offices across the country meet with partner organizations in the spring to make plans for the weather ahead.
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"Amateur radio operators and weather spotters are extremely important, and we could not do what we do without them," he said. "In fact, many of the watches and warnings issued are made because weather spotters provided critical information."
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Peloquin said that Doppler radar is a great tool for tracking storms, but weather spotters have a different vantage point and can see things that radar can't.
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Severe Weather Awareness Weeks are scheduled by each state and usually occur during March to remind and educate communities about severe weather seasonal threats and how to avoid them. The NWS SKYWARN® Storm Spotter Program is a volunteer program with almost 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. Spotter training is available at the state level and is offered several times each year, and classes can be found at this link. Every December, NWS and ARRL hold SKYWARN Recognition Day to honor all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators for their contributions during severe weather.
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Amateur radio is a strong tool for community resilience during times of severe weather and other emergencies and is useful for public service throughout the year. Those interested in using their license privileges to serve others are encouraged to participate in their local Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) groups. Find out how at www.arrl.org/ares .
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- March 1 - 2 | Greater Houston HamFest, hosting the ARRL West Gulf Division Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
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April 6 | Raleigh Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
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Maple Grove Radio Club in-person meetings!
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In-Person meetings are on the first Tuesday each month.
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The meeting starts at 1900 hrs (7:00pm CDT) at the Chester Bird American Legion Post 523 located at 200 Lilac Drive N Golden Valley, MN 55422. Here is a link for directions.
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The presentation time will be used to discuss details surrounding Mid Winter Madness, and the Building Committee’s status report.
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You can also attend by zoom if you are unable to meet in person:
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Next Board Meeting
Members are welcome to attend MGRC Board Meetings (only board members can vote), which are typically the 3rd Thursday of each month.
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Board meetings are always by zoom. Please contact President@k0ltc.or or any board member or officer if you would like the Zoom meeting link to attend.
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MGRC Weekly Practice Net
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Our weekly Net is on Wednesdays at 20:00 UTC (8pm), on 147.000, positive offset, tone 114.8. We use directed Net protocol and will have a new question for discussion every week. Please call in if you can reach the K0LTC repeater. We need additional NET Operators! If you'd like to receive Net operator training please contact President@k0ltc.org.
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TALARC The American Legion Amateur Radio Club
- Chair: Tim Arimond - N0BYH.
- Shack is operational with VHF/UHF stations (HF antenna temporarily down).
- Contact Stephen Cullen if interested in shack access: KF0AED9@gmail.com.
- Just need to be an MGRC member in good standing to be eligible for honorary membership.
- Zoom meetings 4th Thursday of each month at 7pm.
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Classes
Lab Class
- 👉 March 4 👈 at 5pm
The general topic for this lab will be a continuation and review of the very common “555” digital timer, a little more breadboarding, and other discussions. We are hoping to have a mixture of technical talk and to set up experiments using breadboards. We want to try to match the interest of people to determine how technically in-depth go. We are getting geared up have numerous breadboarding experiments and evaluations. Please contact Gordon if you wish to attend or have any questions.
Info: Gordon Patenaude- WA0WSR.
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Technician License Class
- 👉 In Progress - Monday’s 👈
- Class usually runs 9 to 10 weeks.
- Class time 6:45 - 9:15 pm CST.
- Cost: $10 registration fee due first night of class. This will be collected via PayPal.
- To Register or get answers to your questions: Email registrar@mnyarc.org
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MGRC COMMITTEES AT WORK
BUILDING COMMITTEE
Chair: Jerry Dorf – N0FWG
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- Normally, First Thursday of the month
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Next Meeting - 6:30 March 7th.
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See calendar for details.
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March Club Calendar of Events
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Board Members
• President: Zack Whitney – K0BHJ (2021)
• Vice President: Stephen Cullen – K0AED (2023)
• Secretary: William Oliver – KF0ADU (2022)
• Treasurer: Paul Odens – K0AID (2023)
• Trustee K0LTC: Jerry Dorf – N0FWG
• Board Member: Kelly Murphy – KB0LTY (2019)
• Board Member: Clay Bartholow – W0LED (2021)
• Board Member: David Englund – K0NOC (2022)
• Board Member: Gordon Patenaude – WA0WSR (2023)
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• Board Member: Aaron David Lewis – W0ADL (2024)
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• Board Member: Scott Henley – KF0FFE (2024)
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