San Antonio Area Hams

Serving the Amateur Radio Community in San Antonio
and South Central Texas since 2003

"A Friendly & Informative Ham Radio Web Site"

Spring News For Ham Operators

Hello {FirstName} {LastName} {Text1}.

Public Service Opportunity!

This is the April 2010 Edition of the SanAntonioHams.org Ham Radio Community Newsletter. We appear to have taken the winter season off to take care of business and family, but we've decided it's time to get back in the monthly newsletter business once more for the ham community. This newsletter is going out to about 400+ email addresses for ham radio operators, but if you want to be removed, please {UNSUBSCRIBE "To unsubscribe, click here"}.

If your contact info is wrong, or needs corrected, please contact us using the info at the bottom of this newsletter. Don't use the Unsubscribe link for general contact, because that account gets handled automatically.

Don't forget to renew your local ham club membership for 2010 and support your local repeater groups too! Many of the applications forms for the various clubs / groups are available online by clicking on the AREA CLUBS PAGE.

Minor notes: The Hill Country REACT Team will be changing it's monthly meeting location in May to a restaurant near Bulverde on hwy 281 and FM1863. See their website later for more details when they get posted, or watch for the blog to be updated of course!

de Lee N5NTG, aka the San Antonio Hams Webmaster

You can trust Lee N5NTG to provide accurate info regarding CLEAR Internet Services in the San Antonio metro area.

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Get Your PC & Mac Support from another Ham you can trust,
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Tour de Cure
Repeater Notes

The 444.450 Canyon Lake Repeater is suffering from mechanical problems, and a part had to be shipped back for repair since it couldn't be done locally. It is unlikely that this repeater will be back on the air prior to the Tour de Cure.

The 147.000 GVARC repeater will be the primary repeater used on Day 1 and the starting portion of Day 2.

The 146.76 Seguin Repeater will be our backup, possibly linked via IRLP to an Austin area repeater for Day 2 coverage.

The Austin 146.94 repeater (new PL tone) has been used on Day 2 for the northern part of the route.

If we link via IRLP, we likely will have some alternative repeater frequencies to announce closer to the date.

In this newsletter...

• Tour de Cure - Hams Needed May 22nd and 23rd
• Recent Events / News Stories
• QST's
  • Who Can Post to San Antonio Hams' Blog
  • Calling all Traffic Net Control Operators!
  • Disclaimer - SA Hams is NOT a Ham Club

2010 Tour de Cure Ride
May 22nd - 23rd

Due to major ADA staff changes, event planning has been affected, but now the event is on us with less than a month to get everything lined up in time. Fortunately, many of last year's ham volunteers have already stepped up to the plate to help.

Typically we use about 70 ham radio operators each day! Free overnight dorm room available (must RSVP in advance to get it) for those volunteers working both days and needing a place to stay up in San Marcos. Rooms are shared basis with 2 persons per room. Bring your own sheets, pillows, etc, it's not a hotel room.

We staff each rest stop with one or more hams, preferably 2 per stop to allow relief, plus the start / finish lines, Net Control (ADA calls it the Communications Center), and roving SAG or other vehicles. We anticipate needing to staff 7 rest stops on Day 1 and 8 rest stops on Day 2 (more on Day 2 due to less overlap of routes).

Lee Besing N5NTG of Hill Country REACT of San Antonio organizes Day1 and all vehicle staffing for both days, while Jeff Schmidt N5MNW and his hams from Austin organize the staffing for Day 2 rest stops and Finish Line Net Control. Hayes / Caldwell County Hams always pitch in on Day 2, but all hams are welcomed to participate both days in almost any capacity.

Typically Hill Country REACT members run the Command Center (Net Control) from San Marcos for Day 1 and the start of Day 2, until all participants have maneuvered north up the route.

Don't lock your self into a rut by always doing the same thing the same way over and over again, year after year! Try something new!

• ATX Hams contact – Jeff N5MNW N5MNW@arrl.net
  
• Hays/Caldwell Hams contact – David KD5MML kd5mml@gmail.com
  
• SA Hams Contact – Lee N5NTG info@sanantoniohams.org

DOWNLOAD 2010 Tour De Cure MAPS HERE

What we know so far...

• Day 1 - New Starting Point - Retama Park on IH-35, north of Loop 1604
• Day 1 - 4 Routes, 2 of them returning to the same Starting Point. 14 & 32 mile route return to Retama Park. That means we need 4 turtles!
• Day 1 - 4 Turtles, 2 of them short timers (i.e. go back to being SAG's when route done, or rotate out in support of the other two longer route turtles.)
• Day 1 - Route Changes - avoids the location of the multiple accidents last year, doesn't go thru New Braunfels at all.
• Day 1 - Rest Stop Changes - New locations for some stops, but still have 7 to staff with Ham Radio Operators on Day 1.
• Day 1 - Rest Stop Changes - New procedures for Rest Stop Hams. Handling all radio traffic for rest stop, including commercial radio HT from LCRA. Supplies handled via cell phone by the Rest Stop Chairperson direct.
• Day 1 - Rest Stop Changes - New sponsor means dedicated supply truck to remain on site all day at each rest stop. Ice trucks still moving around as needed.
• Day 2 - Same Starting Point, Same Basic Routes, some minor changes.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - SIGN UP TODAY!

Who Can Post to San Antonio Hams' Blog?

Quick answer: Any Ham the blog administrator allows.

Practical answer: Almost any ham radio operator who asked permission.

All posts to the Blog automatically get sent via Twitter immediately using "N5NTG" as the Twitter ID, regardless of who actually made the post.So you can understand that we screen very carefully, those who request permission to make original postings on their own. Feel free to subscribe to N5NTG on Twitter to get notified every time a new blog article gets posted, rather than waiting for this newsletter to come out. Click here

Disclaimer: San Antonio Hams is Not a Ham Club!

I've been providing this website for the benefit of Ham Radio Operators in Central Texas since 2003, and will continue to do so for as long as there is the need & desire to keep the information pipeline open... Articles from other Hams & Ham Clubs, for the Blog and the website in general, are always invited and welcomed!

This newsletter is always Free & by subscription only, so if you know of anyone who want to receive this, but didn't get it, please have them contact me direct via email or phone. Feel free to forward / share this information with any other hams.

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