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The National Weather Service has issued Hazardous Weather Outlooks and Flood Watches for heavy to record rainfall for most of PA beginning late Friday. With the forecast heavy rain, water ponding and areas that may be effected by flash flooding are a concern for safety. Please be cautious while setting up your Field Day event for areas that could be effected.
Also with thunderstorms forecast remember – “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors”.
Keep a closed watch on your area’s current weather. A NOAA Weather Radio with the alert function set up would be a good idea. SkyWarn spotter activation may be needed.
 The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club is a WRN Ambassador “Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ and the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.”
Remnants of tropical storm Bill may eventually effect PA.
The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club is a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador
When a thunderstorm rolls your way there is little you can do to protect yourself outdoors.  The best action is to try to move indoors or into a vehicle when you hear the first clap of thunder. NOAA Weather Radio can be you best link for severe weather information when you’re outdoors as well as indoors.
Whether you’re attending a little league baseball game or a professional sporting event, the same rule applies: When Thunder Roars Go Indoors! It is never safe to be outside when lightning is in the area. weather.gov/lightning/ #LightningSafety
- Avoid open fields, the top of a hill or a ridge top.
- Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees.
- If you are in a group, spread out to avoid the current traveling between group members.
- If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine or other low area. Remember, a tent offers NO protection from lighting.
- Stay away from water, wet items, such as ropes, and metal objects, such as fences and poles. Water and metal do not attract lightning but they are excellent conductors of electricity. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel for long distances.
The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club is a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador “Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ and the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.”
Even though our immediate area is typically not seriously effected by hurricanes, as amateur radio operators we can still offer assistance when a hurricane strikes. Often times there is a need to handle traffic for the effected areas that the hurricane impacts, amateurs can assist by listening to the recognized Hurricane Watch Net frequency of 14.325 MHz for any traffic that they can process.
This year Amateur Radio station WX4NHC stationed at the National Hurricane Center will conduct its station test May 30, 14:00 UTC through 22:00 UTC. This test is to check the station equipment, antennas and other systems prior to the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season that begins June 1 and continues through November 30. Details of the event can be read at http://www.arrl.org/news/view/wx4nhc-at-national-hurricane-center-to-conduct-annual-station-test-on-may-30
As a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador, the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club encourages everyone to take some time to read up on the hurricane information at:
 Every year, hams around the country start gathering their radios and warming up their grilles to get ready for the annual ARRL Field Day. This year, the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club has joined forces with the Punxsutawney Area Amateur Radio Club to participate in a very special 40th Anniversary Field Day operation at the Punxsutawney Municipal Airport in Jefferson County.
In honor of the Club’s 40th Anniversary, the Quad-County Club will use the special-event callsign N3Q. The GOTA station will be operating with the Punxs’y Club callsign K3HWJ as in the past.
Of course there will be hotdogs with legendary “BUX” sauce, made from the secret recipe created by Dick Flanders WA3BUX (SK), served at every Field Day since the Club’s origins! Other food will be available, and everyone is encouraged to bring something to share with the group.
Plans are to operate around the clock, and to have a GOTA station set up for new hams, inactive hams and the public to operate. Additionally a VHF station will be set up to operate on 6-meter and 2-meter SSB/CW/Digital modes.
Most importantly, a good time will be had by all, as we once again demonstrate to public officials and all of our guests how hams are always ready to work together to set up top-notch radio stations away from the comforts of home and communicate with each other across the miles, to serve our communities.
America’s PrepareAthon! is a nationwide, community-based campaign for action to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises conducted at the national level every fall and spring.
Please consider taking 5 minutes to view the video, “IT STARTED LIKE ANY OTHER DAY.”, attached to the America’s PrepareAthon! link below. It could have a dramatic impact on your life, the lives of your family and your friends.
Source: America’s PrepareAthon! – America’s PrepareAthon!
“Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ and the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.”
A Basic SkyWarn® class is scheduled at the Clearfield 911 Center, April 9, 19:00. This class is being administered by the State College NWS Office.
You MUST PRE-REGISTER for this course on this web page: www.clearfieldcountyarc.org/wordpress/clearfield-skywarn-training-class/
Classes are free and open to the public
Attendees under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian
Classes typically last about 90 minutes
Bring a pen/pencil to the class, current spotters bring your card/spotter number
If possible, bring the Latitude and Longitude of your home (see instructions on this page to obtain your coordinates): http://www.latlong.net/convert-address-to-lat-long.html
 It is official, the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club is a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation’s readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against extreme weather, water, and climate events.
You may ask, what does this mean for the Club. Basically the Club provides outreach services relative to creating a Weather-Ready Nation to communities and organizations. Also within our own organization such as, disseminating severe weather information on APRS and the Club repeaters, where we are already active. As well as the continuation of training for our members.
The Club has been involved in the SkyWarn® program for a number of years, this is just part of the next step in taking what we know and have experienced in weather preparedness to the next level of sharing that knowledge and experience.
There will be more information and a Q&A session at the March 20 meeting.
For additional information you can access the Weather-Ready Nation web site at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/
“Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ and the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.”
(From the handout at the March 21, 2014 Club program)
You can still communicate as you have in the past, you will not have to buy a new radio, your radio will not be obsolete. The main difference is that at various times you may hear a noise similar to buzzing or a static like noise, this is likely a digital conversation. The digital conversation noise can be eliminated by setting up your radio’s receiver with a tone squelch of 173.8 Hz. The digital side of the repeater does not transmit the 173.8 Hz tone, therefore your radio will stay quiet until another analog FM radio transmits into the repeater. If you want to use the repeater, just talk as you have in the past. The repeater has the capability to detect what type of signal it is receiving and switch to the proper mode to enable you to talk to anyone whether they have a digital radio or the traditional analog FM. Also if you happen to hear or know there is a digital conversation on the repeater you can join the conversation just as you have in the past. When the repeater “hears” your analog FM signal it will switch to your mode and the folks who are using the digital mode will be switched to your analog FM mode. Everyone on the repeater will be able to talk, all automatically!
If you need help setting up your radio with tone squelch, check with one of the officers in the Club, they will be able to direct you to the right ham to help you.
 Every year, thousands of Scouts get on the air to talk to other Scouts around the world via Amateur Radio. This activity first got started long before the days of social media, cell phones and Internet access, and is more popular today than ever before!
The Quad-County ARC is planning to set up a station and invite local Scouts to talk to their counterparts across the country and around the world on the weekend of October 19th and 20th. QCARC Vice President and Scouting Liaison Officer Peach Caltagarone, AB3OG has graciously offered the use of the hilltop cabin at Hummingbird Speedway in support of this event.
The plan is to open the station to the Scouts and their parents with several hams and Scout leaders present at all times the station is open to assist the Scouts in getting on the air and making radio contact with other Scouts worldwide. Volunteers are needed to make this a successful event.
 The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club is pleased to sponsor a Skywarn training session, conducted by the National Weather Service office in Moon Township, PA. The date is 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 4th, 2013 at the Reynoldsville Fire Hall, 411 Jackson Street, Reynoldville, PA 15851.
This official Skywarn Observer training is now required for all applicants for the ARRL EC-016 course for ARES and Emergency Communications leaders.
This is the only Skywarn training in Jefferson County scheduled so far this year. The Reynoldsville location is conveniently located near the center of the county, just 12 miles from Brookville, 13 miles from Punxsutawney, 12 miles from Brockway and 11 miles from DuBois (although Clearfield County residents should attend a session conducted by the State College NWS.)
Those taking this course will learn how to identify and report severe weather to the National Weather Service as a Skywarn Weather Spotter.
Continue reading Skywarn 2013
 Twelve Hams from all four counties came early for the meeting on January 18th, to take part in an Introduction to NIMS Training session. Instructor W3BC described the courses availble from FEMA that are now required for the ARRL EC-001 and EC-016 courses, and other free NIMS courses that are useful for all hams wishing to imporve their understanding of emergency communications and the structure of incident management involving multiple agencies.
Those attending learned about the structure of the Incident Command System, and the National Incident Management System. They discussed the role of the Amateur Radio Service within this framework, and the positive contributions our service provides as a voluntary agency. The class concluded with an overview and discussion of the IS-700 course, and those attending were encouraged to complete self-paced, online IS-100 and IS-700 training.
The Website for the NIMS courses is training.fema.gov/IS. The public is encouraged to take any of the courses, and the cost is free.
Recommended Courses
Although there are many interesting courses, and no restrictions on taking any or all of them, hams interested in completing NIMS courses identified as prerequisites for the ARRL EC-001 and EC-016 courses are encouraged to complete the following courses first:
For EC-001 “Level I”
- IS-100 b Introduction to Incident Command System
- IS-200 b National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction
For EC-016 “Level II”
- IS-120 a An Introduction to Exercises
- IS-230 b Fundamentals of Emergency Management
- IS-235 b Emergency Planning
- IS-241 a Leadership and Influence
- IS-241 a Decision Making and Problem Solving
- IS-242 a Effective Communication
- IS-244 a Developing and Managing Volunteers
(Note: For EC-016, an additional prerequisite is Skywarn certification)
Of course you can (and should) take any others that interest you.
All members completing each of these courses are asked to send an email to Public Service Coordinator, Kevin Snyder KA3YCB for his records at PublicService@qcarc.org
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