|
|
Ham Radio Operators Serving During California Firestorms |
| As the firestorms across Southern California continue to threaten millions of residents, trained amateur radio operators are serving critical volunteer roles to help officials spot fires before they get out of control. Dry conditions and wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour have fueled days of devastating wildfires. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled by infernos.
|
 |
|
| Damage from the Eaton Fire. US Air National Guard Photograph by Tech. Sgt. Joseph Pagan. |
|
|
|
| The Eaton fire burned to the top of Mount Wilson, a critical logistical post for broadcast radio and television stations, as well as communications across the Southland. Federal agencies, air traffic control, local emergency responders, radio amateurs, and others all share tower space on the mountain.
While the main fires have been burning north and northwest of the central section of Los Angeles, just to the south, hams are standing watch. Orange County Fire Watch (OCFW) is a program locally organized by the Orange County Parks Department and the Irvine Conservancy.
During severe fire weather, volunteers go to preassigned locations within parks and open spaces to report conditions. Many of them are hams, using the amateur radio bands to fill in mobile network weak zones.
ARRL National Instructor Gordon West, WB6NOA, is among the deployed volunteers. He said hams are stepping up. “We’re all over the ARRL Orange Section on hilltops, reporting the wind and humidity, ash seen coming down, scanning for spot fires (none so far), smoke from the LA fires, guest activity at the parks, and being a presence at trailheads with reflective vests and vehicle signs indicating Fire Watch,” he said.
Ray Hutchinson, AE6H, is a retired firefighter who serves as the chief radio officer for Fire Watch. He says local clubs are key to providing the needed RF infrastructure. “Our local club, the South Orange Amateur Radio Association (SOARA), an ARRL Special Service Club, provides linked 2-meter and 70-centimeter repeaters: one high level and one coastal, for use by OCFW hams during deployments. There is a formal OCFW Net Control Station (NCS) for the entirety of these events.
Radio amateurs are also ready and able to serve at evacuation centers, providing support as needed.
Members of ARRL Headquarters staff have been in touch with ARRL volunteers and other ham radio groups around the affected area, and are offering material support for any activations. “It has been a busy start to the year for ham volunteers,” said ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX. “Whether it’s firestorms or ice storms or any other need, ARRL volunteers selflessly serve their communities. We’re mindful that large-scale events like this impact the hams who are active serving,” she said.
ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, has been on calls with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other served agencies, offering ARRL resources. Efforts are being coordinated locally by Emergency Network Los Angeles (ENLA), the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) group in Southern California.
Johnston urges hams in the affected regions to be ready to take care of themselves and their families before needing to deploy. He points to resources shared by ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) during National Preparedness Month last September. “These are stressful events for everyone, and being a ham volunteer is really second to keeping yourself and your family safe,” said Johnston.
SEE ARTICLES:
Resilience Through Amateur Radio for National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month: Ensuring Family Safety
National Preparedness Month – Station Readiness
National Preparedness Month – Get Involved
Radio amateurs involved in ARES or other volunteer work through ham radio are encouraged to let ARRL News staff know of what’s happening in their local area by emailing news@arrl.org.
If you spot an article in the media that highlights the work of ham radio, alert us via newsmedia@arrl.org.
|
 |
|
|
A Weekend of January Contests |
|
There are two great contests for amateur radio operators this weekend, January 18 – 20, 2025, and a bonus opportunity for a college club station to win a national championship.
Whether you’re interested in contesting on the HF bands, the VHF bands of 50 MHz and above, or both, there’s likely a contest to fit your needs this weekend. ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, said there is time to enjoy both the SSB weekend of the North American QSO Party (NAQP) and the ARRL January VHF Contest.
|
| “If you’re an operator like me, who enjoys phone contests on the HF bands, and an avid VHF contester, this weekend offers an opportunity to enjoy both,” said Bourque. “After the NAQP wraps up early Sunday morning, there’s still plenty of time on Sunday afternoon and evening to join in the fun on the frequencies above 50 MHz when the VHF contesters are seeking contacts from new stations who hadn’t been on the air earlier in the contest.”
The North American QSO Party (NAQP) SSB, begins at 1800 UTC on Saturday, January 18, and concludes at 0559 UTC on Sunday, January 19. The NAQP is a low-power only event, which makes for a lot more breathing room on the bands. The 12-hour format of the NAQP allows participants to do some great contesting, yet still have time for other activities during the weekend. Some operators choose to participate in the NAQP on Saturday, and then get on the VHF bands for the January VHF contest on Sunday. For complete rules, visit ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf (PDF), and logs are due no later than 7 days after the contest is over.
Colleges and universities in North America can also compete in the 2025 NA Collegiate Championship, which takes place as part of the NAQP. Stations will use their college club call sign, and the station must be located on the college’s physical campus. See the rules on the Society of Midwest Contesters website at www.w9smc.com/nacc including details for registering your college or university via the Contest Online Scoreboard and setting up logging software to report your scores.
The ARRL January VHF Contest begins at 1900 UTC Saturday, January 18 and ends 0359 UTC Monday, January 20. For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions), the goal is to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz.
Stations in the rest of the world may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada. All legal modes are permitted. For complete contest rules, visit contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/JanJunSep-VHF-Rules.pdf (PDF), and logs are due within 10 days after the event is over.
|
 |
|
|
Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Silent Key. |
 |
|
| Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, SK | 1948 – 2025 |
|
|
|
Former ARRL and Yaesu employee, World Radiosport Team Championship competitor, and award-winning radio amateur Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, has become a Silent Key. Motschenbacher passed away on January 9, 2025, after a long illness.
Motschenbacher was first licensed at the age of 13. According to his obituary, “His Amateur Radio activities took him to 35 countries and his ham radio call sign, K7BV, was recognized all over the world. He competed on the U.S. team in the World Radiosport Team Championship in 2000 in Slovenia and in his lifetime, won many national and international awards for his ham radio achievements.”
|
| Motschenbacher was well known within the amateur radio community. He was a prolific ham radio author and from 1998 – 2002 served as editor of the National Contest Journal (NCJ). He served on ARRL staff as the Sales and Marketing Manager from 2002 – 2006, when he joined Yaesu as their Executive Vice President of the Amateur Radio Sales Division. He retired from that role in 2019.
His colleagues at Yaesu remember him fondly. John Kruk, N9UPC, passed along these words on behalf of the company.
Dennis Motschenbacher had a talent in ham radio which was only surpassed by his incredible gift of friendship. Dennis was a mentor to many in different ways, a beacon of honesty, and gave unwavering support to all. Words cannot express how grateful the Yaesu family was to have had him in our lives. Thank you for being you, for your wisdom, and for the joy you would bring to us each day Dennis. We will forever cherish the moments we’ve shared with all our love and gratitude.
Many others in amateur radio are recalling fond memories of Motschenbacher. ARRL Copy Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU, was the long-time editor of CQ Magazine. He said Motschenbacher was one of the ‘good guys’. “Dennis was a true friend to everyone in the ham radio industry and always had a positive outlook, on the hobby and on life in general. Even through his health struggles, he managed to stay positive and offer support to others. He will be greatly missed by the ham community, and especially by those who had the privilege of working with him,” said Moseson.
His contest chops and warm presence in the hobby were complimented by his desire to serve others. “Dennis loved amateur radio and worked tirelessly to support the community in so many ways,” said ARRL Director of Marketing and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, who reported to Motschenbacher during his tenure on the ARRL staff. “I’ll never forget the day Dennis decided to travel to the coastal communities in the southeast that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He aided one of the largest disaster response efforts by Amateur Radio Operators in the US.”
He is survived by his brother, Larry Motschenbacher; his sister Susie Corbett Motschenbacher; his wife, Lieksa Motschenbacher; his two children, Tiffany (Said) Stabou and Patrick (Susan) Motschenbacher; and three grandchildren, Ahmed, Aisha, and Safiya.
A small graveside ceremony will be held at the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Goldsboro, NC on Friday, January 17, 2025 at noon. See his obituary at www.howellfuneral.com/obituary/Dennis-Motschenbacher.
|
 |
|
|
Amateur Radio in the News |
|
On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
Slow-Scan TV: Sending Pictures by Radio
Listen to the latest episode of the On the Air podcast. In preparation for the first On the Air Live interactive livestream launching on January 28, we take a look at the topic: slow-scan TV (SSTV), a ham radio mode that allows you to use RF to send static images. Steve Ford, WB8IMY, author of “SSTV: When a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” in the January/February 2025 issue of On the Air, joins the podcast to share the basics of this mode. Visit learn.arrl.org to register for the January 28 livestream!
|
|
ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week’s top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
On the Air | ARRL Audio News
|
| Radio Club Limburg, the North Limburg region, The Netherlands, will activate special event station PA8ØOV to commemorate Operation Veritable and celebrate 80 years of freedom after World War II. Operation Veritable in early 1945 cleared the way for Allied troops to cross the Rhine River and begin to move into Germany. PA8ØOV will be on the air February 14 – 16, 2025. All amateur radio operators are invited to make contact. For information about times and frequencies visit rclb.nl/pa80ov.
|
| The Northern Arizona DX Association is hosting the annual W7P Pluto Discovery Anniversary special event February 15 – 24, 2025, and the organizers need amateur radio operators to help. The event is a tribute to Pluto’s discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, with members transmitting from their home QTHs. Special guest operator Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, Clyde’s nephew, will join from Kansas City as W7P/Ø. Operators at the Lowell Observatory will work from a heated trailer just outside of the new $53 million Marley Astronomy Discovery Center using a Kenwood TS590SG for SSB, an Elecraft K3 for CW/SSB/Digital, and a Yaesu FT991 for FT-8 or FT-4 modes. Operators are also welcome to bring their own radios. This year’s event also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the New Horizons spacecraft’s flyby of Pluto, featuring insights on the radio equipment that sent signals back to Earth. For more details, visit www.nadxa.com or contact Bob Wertz, NF7E, via email at Bob6315@earthlink.net.
|
| DXCC® application processing is back to typical processing times. In October, we reported that the ARRL DXCC® System had been returned to service following work that was completed to ensure the security and integrity of the system following the cyber-attack in May. Over 4,000 DXCC applications have been logged into the system for processing since returning the system to service. We are currently processing applications submitted in December, and we continue to mail orders for paper DXCC certificates and endorsement stickers. There were 315 certificates mailed between December 27, 2024, and January 13, 2025.
|
Call for QST Articles About ARRL Field Day. QST, the membership journal of ARRL, seeks manuscripts about ARRL Field Day for possible publication in the June 2025 Field Day issue. This is your chance to share your — or your club’s — Field Day successes and lessons learned, so other hams will benefit from your experience. Here’s what QST is looking for:
- 1,200 to 1,800 words — Tell the story of your Field Day operation with a “how-to” angle, so readers will understand how to duplicate your success.
- 2-5 high-resolution images — Include captions that explain what’s happening in the photos, the names and call signs of any hams pictured, and the name (and call sign, if applicable) of the person who took each photo.
- Send the manuscript and photos to qst@arrl.org by April 1.
|
|
ARRL thanks Tad Cook, K7RA, for 34 years of service. Since 1991, Tad has been producing the K7RA Solar Report for the benefit of ARRL members. It has informed our readers and listeners each week of what they can expect from solar conditions. With Tad’s blessing, we are saddened to inform you that he is in the final stages of a valiant fight with ALS. For many months, he’s been working to continue producing the solar report, often from a hospital bed. Tad has let us know that the time has come to for him to stop working on it. Last week’s report was his final one. Please join us in sending our best wishes and sincere gratitude to him for his decades of service to ARRL.
|
 |
|
| This image was taken on January 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
|
|
|
Solar activity was low with only C-class flare activity observed. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed in available coronagraph imagery. Over the past 24 hours, solar wind parameters were slightly enhanced.
Conditions on January 16 are likely to dip to mostly quiet levels, with a chance for isolated unsettled periods, before influence from a new negative-polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) returns on January 17. Mostly unsettled conditions are then expected, with a slight chance for an isolated active period on January 18.
Predicted solar flux is 180, 190, 200, 210 and 220 on January 16 – 20, then 230 on January 21 – 25.
Predicted planetary A index is 10 on January 17 – 20, and 5 on January 21 – 30.
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
.png?cb=527545)
