September 2024 - Maple Grove Radio Club

MGRC Mission Statement

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.

Antique Car Run

President's Message

All,

While summer has not fully come to an end we have had a busy August. With Antique Car Run, Ojibwe Forests Rally, and the MN ECN exercise at Camp Ripley we sure stayed busy. Our presentation this month will be on the Emergency Radio Exercise at Camp Ripley. There are many exciting photos and stories to share. Attending guests John Dooley and Melida Miller who coordinated the event will be attending the meeting. It will be more of a discussion and recap of all the events and how ham radio plays a part into the state emergency response plan.

This month we have Osseo Lion’s Parade on September 7th at 9am. Meet at Sipes Park in Osseo, MN. All you need is a handheld to participate! This is a great time to get out and use your radio whether you’re an experienced ham or you’re new looking for a nice stress-free event to try things out. Program your handheld for both 146.580 for primary, 147.420 for the backup frequency. This is a simplex event so no tones required. If you have any more questions please bring them to our club meeting or email the club mailing list.

We also have Ray Ehrlich – K0LKJ - hosting a POTA outing at the Coon Rapids Dam on September 28th from 12:00 to 16:00. Come on out and see what remote activation is all about. I will have more details at the next club meeting.

Looking to upgrade your license for all the privileges? Our Extra class starts on October 2nd. Please note that the Extra class and Tech class are switching to Wednesdays this year. The Extra class will start October 2ndand will run until December 18th. The Tech class will start February 5th and run until April 9th. Keep an eye out for the flyers on how to sign up.

The next big event is the Northstar ARRL Convention on October 5th. This is an all day event and Hennepin Technical College. If you sign up it covers the day’s lectures as well as lunch. I highly recommend this event, the presentations are extremely informative and there’s a wide variety of topics in ham radio covered. Please visit https://northstarradio.org to sign up and find out more.

We also have the Twin Cities Marathon the same weekend as the Northstar Convention on Sunday October 6th. We are always in need of volunteers so please help out where you can. We will have more details as this gets closer.

I hope to see you all out volunteering where you can and make sure to submit your hours!

73

Zach Whitney

K0ZTW

North Star Radio ARRL Convention

Minnesota's North Star Radio ARRL Convention

registration is now open https://northstarradio.org/registration/. The convention takes place on Saturday October 5th at the Hennepin Technical Collage in Brooklyn Park.

You may apply to speak at https://northstarradio.org/speaker-registration/.

You may also be able to help by volunteering apply at https://northstarradio.org/volunteer-registration/.

Connect with Elmers/Mentors

Additionally, please follow the Maple Grove Radio Club Facebook page for frequent updates on club member activities.

Maple Grove Radio Club Monthly Meetings!

A Taste Of A Lab Class

Lab classes delve deep into the Science and Art of Amateur Radio. The subject matter can go as deep as you would like. I might have conveyed that a lab class is purely a technical discussion. Lab classes can also teach skills such as soldering.

Last year we did have a soldering class and as you can imagine both soldering and desoldering is a ton of fun. I have some good news that lab classes will be coming back.

TALARC The American Legion Amateur Radio Club

Public Service Events / Volunteering

The Osseo Lions Parade is on Saturday September 7th. In addition to providing communication support to the parade, we will be directing parade participants to their assigned starting location, monitoring parade progress from fixed locations and bicycles, running our own float in the parade, and helping with cleanup after the parade. With all of the tasks that we will have (including staffing our own float) I am hoping to get at least 18 people to work this event. Please contact Jim Claseman
KD0RHF

Club Calendar of Events

Interesting Media

ARRL NEWS

Resilience Through Amateur Radio for National Preparedness Month

Amateur radio is an excellent tool for community resilience in times of crisis. The utility value of the critical communications it provides is enhanced by having well trained local Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) groups and other teams. However, to maximize the value to yourself, your family, and your community; an operator must be prepared. September is National Preparedness Month. ARRL’s partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are sharing tips to help you be prepared. They are centered around the theme of “Start a Conversation”.'

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, is starting the conversation with radio amateurs to help make sure you, your station, and your family are ready for whatever may come your way. “It’s important that we take steps to ensure that not only are we ready to provide assistance to our served agencies, but that we have a plan for our families as well,” he said.

Over the month of September, ARRL will share best practices to help prepare you, your station, your family, and your local ARES® group to thrive in times of emergency. “There are times when hams may be activated to serve when all aspects of your life, your station, and your environment are under stress. That’s not the time to start planning or to discover shortcomings,” said Johnston.

Johnston encourages any radio amateur who is interested in participating in ARES® to check out the “Join ARES” flyer, then reach out to their local ARRL Emergency Coordinator. If you don’t know who that is, find your local ARRL Affiliated Club, or reach out to your ARRL Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator, whose contact details you can find on page 16 of QST or on www.arrl.org/sections.

Find resources for ARES® at www.arrl.org/ares and tools to help plan your family’s resilience at www.ready.gov.

ARRL Club Grants Will Be Awarded in November

Applications for the 2024 ARRL Club Grants program are now being reviewed (the application period closed July 26, 2024).

ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, said 110 grant applications have been received and the awards will be announced in late November. “Grants are available up to $25,000 and emphasis is given to projects that are transformative in nature,” said Walters.

Examples of projects include but are not limited to getting on the air projects, ham training and skills development through mentoring, STEM and STEAM learning through amateur radio, station resources for use by the ham community, and emergency communications and public service projects that emphasize training.

“Since 2022, $500,000 has been distributed to amateur radio clubs,” said Walters. “With this year’s awards, that total will increase to $1,000,000 awarded.

Upcoming State, Section, and Division Conventions

• August 30 - September 1 | Shelby Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina

• August 31 | Summer Symposium, sponsoring the ARRL Santa Barbara Section Convention, Camarillo, California

• September 8 | ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention, Mullica Hill, New Jersey

• September 20 - 22 | Duke City Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• September 21 - 22 | Midwest Superfest, sponsoring the ARRL Illinois Section Convention, Chillicothe, Illinois

• September 28 | Red River Radio Amateurs Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota

Board Members