QST NFL January 2023

Check out the new QST NFL look with designs by SM Scott Roberts, KK4ECR.

What’s Inside:

• From the Section Manager
• From the Section Emergency Coordinator
• What’s Happening? Santa Rosa County
• Backup Comm Planning for Alachua County
• What’s Happening? Hog County
• What’s Happening? Big Bend Counties
• What’s Happening? Alachua County
• New Alachua County VARA Digipeater
• MERT Communications Update, 2023
• What’s Happening? Okaloosa & Walton Counties
• Auxcomm Training Course—Feb 6-7

 Great stuff to start the new year! Thanks to everyone who contributed. 

73,

Marty Brown, N4GL
Editor, QST NFL
Newsletter for the Northern Florida Section

Tonight’s #hamventure consists of a conversation with two fine younger gentlemen that stopped by for a discussion on inspiration on how to reach out to the community not only during the holidays, but all year long. The two young gentlemen discussed how to take care of our fellow residents from within and promote positive efforts for those who would benefit from a simple hello to a handshake in our hopefully post COVID-19 world. During the conversation they asked about the antenna on the truck and asked if was for #hamradio. Well y’all know what happened next! A full breakdown of ham radio and even an operational example with Echolink and its capabilities along with the telling of recent activities for how involved we are as radio operators with the community! During the conversation one of the gentlemen discussed how he already has a radio and is very interested in getting licensed!

As the conversation ended, information was shared for how to get them started in the right direction and how we could interact to assist them with their journey.#HamOn!

Pensacola DRG Class 9530 Nims Lane
For August 10th, 2021 2d Tues at 6 pm
At ESAR – 9530 Nims Lane, Pensacola
Distancing and/or wear masks will be your choice,
The room is quite large. There will be snacks and drinks as always.
This will be the 3d meeting since COVID, hope everyone is doing well now.
We are going toward our 5th year as a user group and over 100 registered in class !
Hope everyone continues to tune into the repeater for the world wide net TG91 on
Saturdays at 11am. The net continues to grow with countries world wide checking in.
Please check in thru the repeater when they call for 4 call sign zone, on time slot 1 !
All net check ins are listed on the WW TG91 web page for each Saturday.
Discussion subjects for this class:
We will review the following briefly: (some new dmr folks).
For others this will be a good refresher on some key things.

1. The NEW Hoseline and it’s features (allows you to listen to DMR TGs with a PC).
2. The process of building a code plug. Easy as 1,2,3 method.
3. Also various Brandmeister tools, including real time monitoring of stations and TGs.
   One new item is the fact that the world wide database has now gone over 200,000.
   Only the Anytone D578 and the latest firmware, it can now load up to 500,000.
   All other radios have reached their database load at 200,000. We can certainly hope new
   firmware for the Anytone handhelds may get updated firmware to load more data, but
   probably unlikely. I will cover CSV and BIN database files, how to edit them for a
   smaller size that will load into these radios. There are some online websites that allow
   you to edit databases but as of right now, all charge a fee for that.
   We will cover the Anytone band plan in their new radios and how sometimes it can
   prevent you from loading a code plug, or going out of band. There is a solution.
   Other questions and/or discussions in class are always welcomed.
   With hurricane season upon us, both WB4OQF UHF and VHF repeaters are available
   for use. Your DMR capability could provide a valuable service during an emergency.
   Code plugs, CPS software and databases for DMR and Dstar radios are available at the
   meetings. Please bring a thumb drive. Anyone that would like to share subject matter,
   please let Greg, WB4KKJ, Tom W9TAB or myself Don, WB4OQF know.
   Snacks, drinks, and programming assistance provided at every meeting !

Ever wonder what you can do to get credit for all of those things you do in amateur radio? Here’s your chance! The ARRL has a “Public Service Honor Roll.”

Each month in QST‘s Field Organization Reports column, the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR) recognizes the efforts of Amateur Radio operators who are active in many aspects of public service. This includes net operations, traffic handling, emergency operations and public service communication support. There are chances that you’re already involved with some aspect of Amateur Radio that would apply to the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR).

You can receive credit for things such as passing traffic, regular participation in nets, operating Emergency Communications and more.

You can find more information on what’s counted on the ARRL website and in this form.

In the Northern Florida Section, you can send your Public Service Honor Roll report to the Section Traffic Manager, Helen-WC4FSU via Radiogram.

Sample Public Service Honor Roll Report