WAZ, DXCC, WAS, IOTA; certificates of achievement that are clear testimony to your operating prowess. Chasing awards is a niche segment of amateur radio; some might call it a cult, to aspire to capturing every possible certificate.

After reading up on various awards available, I learned of several unique awards that fill in some blank spots. For Example:

WOTA – Wal-Marts On The Air. Requires proof of QSO’s with amateur radio stations operating from at least 400 Wal-Mart locations. Individuals or clubs may activate an individual Wal-Mart location at any time and notify WOTA authorities by registering the activation in the WOTA worldwide data base. The WOTA committee will issue a unique WOTA number for the location. Each QSO submitted for credit must be a current activation at the time of contact. There are over 6,600 Wal-Mart locations worldwide. Good Luck.

Contact with Sam’s Club locations do not count for WOTA credit. The WOTA committee is contemplating offering a separate award for Sam’s Clubs on The Air (SCOTA) later this year.

FFOTA (Fast Food On The AIR) announced in 2013. There are special endorsements for MDOTA (McDonalds On The Air), JIBOTA (Jack In the Box On The Air) and KFCOTA (you can probably figure this one out for yourself).

Academy Award Award – Given for contact with hams in cities where a movie filmed in that location won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The same city cannot be used multiple times. Only one city per film. Sorry, extraterrestrial locations such as Remulak, Vulcan and other mythical locations cannot be used for this award. In addition to the certificate, each award includes a package of microwave popcorn.

Special 78th anniversary Commemorative Casablanca Award – Commemorates the 78th anniversary of the Humphrey Bogart film. The award is earned for contacts with hams in the area of the former French Morocco whose first names are: Rick, Ilsa, Victor, Louis, Heinrich, Sascha, Carl or . . . Sam (as in “Play it again Sam”)

Ring of Fire Award – This award is given to hams who have contacted portable operations located on the rim of at least five active volcanoes. Considering the element of danger for the expedition operators, this is the only award in the world that is reciprocal. A person may earn this for themselves by going to five different volcanoes and contacting at least one other amateur before running for their life. Note – There is no power limit for this award although Ring of Fire expeditions favor lightweight QRP gear in order not to hinder their need for a rapid departure!

And, my personal favorite:

The Next Year Award – This is the most prestigious of all amateur radio awards because the standard of achievement is quite high. Off hand, I can’t recall a single person, who has won this award. It is given to amateurs who have delayed, put off or deferred making or completing any changes in their equipment, operating skill, club participation or license class. The amateur eligible for the award must apply themselves. Of course, by doing so, one is automatically disqualified for the award, having accomplished something in the process.

Good Luck Award Hunter!

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

This month’s presentation was by Robert Powell, KF5GHD on the topic of batteries, loading, charging and building a power source. Lithium batteries will cover a range of applications, some of the parameters that need to be identified are: Type and size of load, what period of time needs to be covered and what size requirements do you desire, portable or larger stationary systems.

Roberts contact information is available and if there are enough interested parties a workshop session could be scheduled.

KARS Business

The Board of Directors meeting minutes were previously shared, a motion was made by Charlie, KT5BBQ and seconded by Tom, AE5TG… A majority show of hands accepted the minutes.

Upcoming Events

The Annual KARS Christmas Party will be held on December 9th at 7:30 pm at Rudy’s BBQ, located at 21799 Katy Fwy. Join us for a good time, bring the family, there will be door prizes and the drawing for the winning raffle ticket. Raffle tickets continue to be available so don’t miss the opportunity for a chance to win the “Shack in a Pack”!

Smoke Alarm Blitz Results from 11/9

Attempted 169 homes, Entered 58 – 34%, Installed 235 smoke alarms, Installed 59 CO alarms

Thanks to those who participated and helped make the community safer.

We have two new club members voted in:

Kurt G. Ristig, W7TL who holds an Extra license

Alexander Park, KI5GTT who also holds an Extra License

Alex received his Technician license on 10/10/2019. He then attended the KARS VE Session on 11/9, where he took and successfully passed both the General and Extra License Exams. Alex is 11 years old.

Treasury report: $4,386.02 current balance.

QRZ published the official Field Day numbers:

The Multi Group official results were: First Place for 10A stations and 6th total standing overall.

We had 27 members and one visitor in attendance.

Net Control 11/19 Bob WB3EWP

Net Control 11/26 Tom AE5TG

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.

A few raffle tickets are still available.  You can even buy them on line.

http://www.katyars.com/raffle/

Drawing will be held during the KARS December General Meeting/Christmas Dinner December 9 @ 7:30 pm.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

This past Wednesday we had our 1st trial run at Jason’s Deli. I think we had a total of 14-16 show up for coffee. Everyone seemed to like the location and atmosphere as well as the food/drink choices.
I know a few commented if we moved here permanently they’d probably eat dinner here on Wednesdays. I know I as well as a few others had dinner during this test run.  We will try this location a few more times and bring this up for membership discussion and vote at the December meeting.

The only negative so far is they don’t offer decaf coffee, but on the plus side there are fountain drinks and tea for the non coffee drinkers.

At the board meeting everyone agreed we need to meet here a few more times to see how things work

For Wednesday 10/30 we will be meeting again at Jason’s Deli, 21953 F, Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77450.

73
Jimmy Vance NA5D
president@katyars.com

Minutes from the KARS Monthly Meeting October 14, 2019

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

This month’s presentation was by Jeff Hoke – Radio Communications Tech and troubleshooter for RFI complaints.

Jeff, with the help of a very informative PowerPoint presentation, outlined what RFI is, how and where it is generated and what it affects. Many of the complaints can be narrowed down to common items found in most households, cell phone chargers, touch activated lamps, faulty doorbell transformers and a list of other items in most homes. Outside causes of interference could be caused by pole mounted equipment, lightning arrestors, fuses and improperly routed open neutral or ground wiring.

Jeff is very willing to assist amateur radio operators tracing down such RFI interference and gave several helpful hints on narrowing down the problem and eliminating any household sources. He brought several pieces of specialized equipment he uses in the field to narrow down any CenterPoint sources of problems.

KARS Business

The Board of Directors meeting minutes were previously shared, a motion was made by Bob WB3EWP and seconded by Charlie KT5BBQ. A majority show of hands accepted the minutes.

Upcoming Events

November 9th, 2019

Next Smoke Alarm Blitz is scheduled. The previous Blitz was successful and many homes had their existing systems checked, restored to operation or units replaced by new ones.

November 9th is also the date for our next VE Examination. Those wishing to test for their license or upgrade can do so, you can go to the KARS website and contact any one of the board members to reserve your spot.

Raffle tickets continue to be available so don’t miss the opportunity for a chance to win the “Shack in a Pack”!

Wings over Houston is scheduled for October 18 through the 20th. A great event to assist with communication and get to see both static and dynamic presentations.

October 27th is the Fairfield Triathlon.

November 2nd – Hero’s ride in Waller at the VFW.

Rudy’s BBQ has been verified and reserved for the KARS Annual Christmas Meeting.

Next KARS meeting will be on November 11th.

We had 23 visitors and one new member voted in.

Welcome Russel Wilhelm III KI5GKZ !!

Meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.

Where in the World is . . . Côte d’Ivoire (TU) ITU Zone 45 CQ Zone 35

Ivory Coast or officially The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire is a West African country with beach resorts, rainforests and a French-colonial legacy. Surrounded on the east by Ghana, on the west by Guinea and Liberia and on the North by Burkina Faso and Mali.

For more than three decades after its independence from France, Ivory Coast was known for its religious and ethnic harmony, as well as its well-developed economy.

The Western African country was hailed as a model of stability. But an armed rebellion in 2002 split the nation in two; a Muslim North and a Christian South. Since then, peace deals alternated with renewed violence as the country slowly edged its way towards a political resolution of the conflict. Despite the instability, Ivory Coast is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans, and its citizens enjoy a relatively high level of income compared to other countries in the region.

Abidjan, on the Atlantic coast, is the country’s major urban center. Its modern landmarks include, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro It surpasses even St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, with an exterior area of 340,000 square feet Finished in 1990, its design is said to have been inspired by its Vatican City sibling, with a hefty dose of Renaissance and Baroque style. It can hold about 18,000 worshipers, though is very rarely full. North of the central business district, Banco National Park is a rainforest preserve with hiking trails.

The first Europeans to explore the West African coast were the Portuguese. Other European sea powers soon followed, and trade was established with many of the coastal peoples of West Africa. The absence of sheltered harbors along its coastline prevented Europeans from establishing permanent trading posts. The slave trade had little effect on the peoples of Ivory Coast, though s profitable trade in ivory was carried out during the seventeenth century, but it brought about such a decline in elephants that the trade itself virtually had died out by the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Only in the mid-nineteenth century did the French establish themselves firmly in Ivory Coast. Activity along the coast stimulated European interest in the interior. France wanted to maintain a presence in the region to stem the increasing influence of the British along the Gulf of Guinea coast.

In 1885 France and Germany brought all the European powers with interests in Africa to rationalize what became known as the European scramble for colonies in Africa. That conference set off a scramble for territory, primarily by France, Britain, Portugal, and Belgium. Eventually, Ivory Coast b ecame an independent nation in 1960.

The literacy rate in Ivory Coast is low. Only 48% can read and many children between the age of 6 and 10 are not enrolled in school. Likewise, the healthcare system is not well built out in the country. HIV Aids are prevalent in much of the population. Also, postnatal heath issues are a problem as well. Medical care is supplemented by Africa Mercy (www.mercyships.org), a fully equipped hospital ship that makes regular visits to Ivory Coast.

According to Club Log’s Most wanted DXCC list, Ivory Coast is listed at the 141st Most Wanted DXCC entity. QRZ lists a total of 93 Amateur Radio Operators. About 30% of these from various DXpeditions or temporary visitors. In 2011, I had a QSO with TU2T, the Italian DXpedition team and in 2017, I worked TU7C, a DXpedition sponsored by the Radio Club de Provins (F6KOP).

Reporting from the Dark Side,

Ron, K5HM

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

KARS Business

Motion was made by Tom AE5TG to accept the board meeting minutes, seconded by Mike, KA5OXA.

Volunteers are requested for the upcoming Tour de Cure Benefit ride, on September 21st to provide communications at the break points and support for SAG vehicles. Contact Jimmy Vance NA5D for details.

There is a ESD 48 Smoke Alarm Blitz scheduled for September 14th. Volunteers are needed to work with the first responders who will be going house to house to check smoke detectors, replace batteries if needed and replace failed units with new ones if necessary. Also installing carbon monoxide detectors.

Upcoming Texas QSO party is scheduled for September 14th and 15th.

Conversation was started concerning the location of the Annual KARS Christmas Party. Last year it was held at Rudy’s BBQ on I10 in Katy. That location is tentatively chosen for the 2019 event, other suggestions will be considered and put to a vote.

Clarification was discussed related to the “First Year Free” membership for new HAMS that join KARS. The primary intent is to provide that benefit up to the normal annual renewal date, which occurs in March of each year. Also the suggestion of requesting a $5.00 fee from new applicants. Topic will be brought up in next meeting.

VE Session Summary from September 7th, 2019.

5 – New Technician Licensees

2 – New General License Upgrade

Extra License upgrade

The KARS raffle ticket sales are off to a good start. You are encouraged to purchase a ticket for a chance to win an Elecraft KX3 complete “Shack in a Pack” radio system. Buy a ticket!!

Treasury report: $3,849.44 current balance.

3 new members were voted in by majority show of hands. Welcome to KARS!!

There will be a “Meet the Candidate” meeting at TranStar on September 28th,, 2019 to meet and listen to the ARRL candidates in the upcoming election.

The ARRL ballots should be arriving between September 15th and October 10th, 2019.

Guest speaker was John R. Stratton N5AUS. Topic was ARRL, present and future of HAM Radio.

John gave a detailed presentation and summary of the history of ARRL and emphasized the importance of the organizations responsibility to protect the frequency allocations that are presently in place. John also stressed the importance of member involvement at the local community level and active participation in groups and clubs whose presence in the community provides a meaningful service in situations that require positive methods of communication.

One of the things that was highlighted was the necessary line of communication between ARRL and the local clubs and organizations. These local groups are the first line of visibility and recruitment needed for the continuing participation in amateur radio. Community events, EmComm testing and drills are important, as is the recognition by the communities that such volunteer services are available and can provide lifesaving communication in times of disasters and emergencies.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 pm.

The LUFKIN TAILGATE SWAPFEST is Saturday October 12^th starting at 8 AM to 2 PM. There will be folks selling used equipment and accessories there. Bring your own tailgate or table if you have items to sell or swap.

The Swapfest will be at the Grace Baptist Church on Highway 69 in Central, TX just north of Lufkin. The address is 5181 US Highway 69 N, Lufkin TX  75904. GPS Coordinates are 31.399856, -94.792511.

Please contact our coordinators Terry W5PCJ at w5pcj@hotmail.com or talk with Chris WS5JET for further info.

Thanks for your interest and hope to see you there.

Where in the World is . . .  Tierra Del Fuego (LU/CE8)  CQ Zones 12, 13 ITU Zone 16  IOTA SA-008

The Land of Fire can be considered the end of the world. It is the roughly triangular archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, and a group of many smaller islands including dangerous, Cape Horn. In the days of sailing ships rounding Cape Horn was deemed particularly dangerous due to the contrasting currents from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meeting here. During his circumnavigation Magellan discovered the strait named for him that makes up the northern boundary of the island.  To find out more read the complete article.

Reporting from the Dark Side,

Ron, K5HM

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

This month’s presentation was an in depth explanation of the APRS System (Automatic Packet Reporting System) by Michael Deaver, KG5JBJ.

Michael went into detail about how the system works, what type of communication devices could take advantage of this tool and how it is in use worldwide in various situations. It provides accurate GPS location tracking which is very valuable, especially during coordinated events and useful in disaster situations. The PowerPoint presentation can be found on the KARS website, along with many other informative presentations that have been shared at KARS monthly meetings.  http://www.katyars.com/karspresentations/

Dave Scott WD7RZA has completed the alignment of the new KARS 442.3500 repeater and it will shortly be installed at the hospital location. Some maintenance will also be done to the antenna systems at the same time. Updates will be posted to the website and the Facebook page.

August 17th will be the practice ride for the Tour de Cure, the Tour de Goya ride. It is a short event that begins and ends in the Brookshire area. There are several volunteers that have signed up and anyone who would like to participate to help and observer how ham radio plays an important part in local community events is welcome to attend.

A motion was presented to accept the board meeting minutes by Bob WB3EWP and seconded by Tom AE5TG. Motion was approved and minutes accepted.

A new club membership application was submitted by Verdi A. Wahjosoedibjo N5VW. A show of hands vote by attending members approved the application and accepted. Verdi was accompanied by his daughter who has also expressed an interest in ham radio and is planning to take her Technician exam next VE session. Welcome to the Katy Amateur Radio Society!!

The next VE Session is scheduled for September 7, 2019. Details can be found at the KARS website, along with what items you need to bring.

Date: September 7

Time: 9:30 am – 11:00 am

Cost: $15

Venue:  Westlake VFD ESD47, 19636 Saums Rd, Katy, TX

KARS Raffle tickets have been printed and are available, you can go to the website and use the link to purchase online and use PayPal option.

Treasury Report: $4680.73

The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 pm.