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Category: General Information
Silent Key Notification – AA7DD
It is with great sadness that I have to report that Don Drayton, AA7DD, became a Silent Key on Thursday, December 17th, 2021. Don was a staunch supporter of ARRL and ARES. He was appointed Emergency Coordinator for Morrow Co, OR on June 3, 2014, and was also appointed District Emergency Coordinator for OR ARES […]
SK notification
PHIL KANE K2ASP (SK) We are sorry to report that OTVARC LIFE MEMBER and TRUSTEE on our Board of Directors, PHIL KANE K2ASP became a silent key on Tuesday, November 23, 2021. Phil was 84. He served as an engineer and attorney and was well known in the Ham Radio and Broadcast communities. Cards may […]
Salem Hamfair – Feb 19, 2022
The Salem Hamfair is on for February 19, 2022. This event is organized by the Salem Repeater Association and the group is tentatively planning to operate it in the same manner that Swaptoberfest was operated, by Mid-Valley ARES, so tickets are unlikely to be sold in advance since we do not know what the status […]
Oregon HAMWAN gets $88,000 ARDC GRANT
I’m happy to report that the Oregon HamWAN program has received an ARDC grant of $88,000 to expand its digital communications network. The project aims to enhance amateur radio digital and emergency communications capabilities between Portland and Salem, Oregon. The nonprofit plans to expand its digital communications network by deploying 12 network backbone distribution sites […]
ARRL Oregon Fall S.E.T. notice
The ARRL Oregon Section will be conducting its Fall Simulated Emergency Test (SET) on Saturday October 9th. 2021 from 0900- 1300. Details will be forthcoming!
A September 14th Game Changer ?
On September 14th, in what could be a game changer, it’s believed that Apple will announce its’ new iPhone 13 with satellite technology support for sending messages in emergency situations, and possibly, the potential of bringing cellular service to rural America. Stay tuned…
FCC Grants Temporary Waiver to Permit Higher Symbol Rate Data Transmissions for Hurricane Ida Traffic
Sunday, August 29, 2021 The FCC has granted an ARRL emergency request for a temporary waiver intended to facilitate relief communications in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The waiver was orally granted on Saturday, August 28, and immediately permitted amateur data transmissions related to Hurricane Ida traffic to employ a higher symbol rate for data […]
The full explanation of the upcoming licensing fees by the FCC
The schedule of FCC amateur radio application fees likely will not go into effect before 2022. FCC staff confirmed during a recent virtual meeting with Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) that the agency is still working on the necessary changes to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) software and other processes and procedures that must be in […]
Following Earthquake in Haiti, Radio Amateurs Asked to Keep Frequencies Clear
August 14, 2021 | ARRL In a statement received by ARRL on August 14, 2021, Region 2 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU-R2) has requested that radio amateurs in the Americas keep the following frequencies clear to support emergency communications in Haiti following an earthquake this morning: 3750 kHz, 7150 kHz and 14330 kHz. […]
FEMA To Test EAS and WEA Systems on August 11th
FEMA, in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this month. The national test will consist of two segments, to test EAS and WEA. Both tests are set to begin at 1820 UTC on Wednesday, August 11. The WEA portion of the […]
New ARRG repeater – Metro Portland area
Today the Amateur Radio Relay Group / K7RPT finished the installation of our new repeater on 444.4000 Mhz (100) in Wilsonville, OR. Our thanks to the ground crew at WCCCA, the antenna crew, Marc W7PM, Ron KJ7IY, Warren W7JDT, Barb WB1ARB for their time and work to get this repeater operational The repeater is linked […]
ARRG’s new DMR repeater
The Amateur Radio Relay Group (ARRG) and I84 Group collaborated on the installation of a new open DMR Repeater on South Saddle Mountain near Forest Grove, Oregon last week. The repeater will operate under the call sign K7RPT on the UHF frequency of 440.8125 MHz with a Color Code of 1. The repeater, microwave […]
Reminder: ARRL Field Day is June 26-27
Get out and have fun!
Virtual SeaPac ’21 Update from Mike Ritz – W7VO
“Virtual” SEA-PAC 2021 is only a month away! The general theme for the 2021 SEA-PAC on-line seminars is “Preparedness”, although there will be other topics. They are planning a full day of seminars on Saturday, June, 5th, from 10AM PDT until 6PM PDT. To access the seminars, you’ll need to register via the SEA-PAC website […]