*New Hams - A guide to getting started in amateur radio* Getting started with your 2-meter handheld. You have your new handheld radio. Now it's time to get your radio programmed and get on the air. Randy Hall, K7AGE, has a few short videos to help you get started. *How to get started on Ham Radio 2 Meter FM, Part 1 - Repeater basics ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmOfkdhJL1U ) * *How to get started on Ham Radio 2 Meter FM, Part 2 - Operating your handheld ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrRLBPhwaus ) How to get started on Ham Radio 2 Meter FM, Part 3 - Programming your handheld ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1PtDM3lI3Q ) * -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

I participate in the Lee county winklink training session run by Steve, W9GPI. Steve does a great job encouraging us to learn the many facets of the winlink program. Are you wondering just what is winlink? Winlink is...a worldwide radio email service that uses radio pathways where the internet is not present and is capable of operating completely without the internet--automatically--using smart-network radio relays. Winlink provides its user's email with attachments, position reporting, weather, and information bulletins, and is well-known for its role in interoperable emergency and disaster relief communications. To begin with, there is no need to get the radio involved. We'll save that for another time. First, let's get the program up and running and get comfortable with sending and receiving messages using the internet function of the program. Take these three simple steps to get started. 1) Watch the following short video -- *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO730gfzYko* 2) Download the winlink express software -- *https://downloads.winlink.org/User%20Programs/Winlink_Express_install_1-5-25-0.zip* 3) Setup your winlink account. - Using Winlink Express, follow the account creation instructions presented by the program. Winlink Express makes the process easy. For more information (and there is a lot of it), see *https://winlink.org/ Doug KM4LKC*

Please find the listing of our local area nets. There are more than 100 ways to get on the radio. There is a pdf file as well as a sortable spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can be sorted by date and time, band, mode, and more. Thank you to everyone who helped put this listing together. Enjoy! The Net Listings were updated to reflect a couple of recent changes as of 04/28/2020. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

Please find the link to the CARS Membership Application for 2021 to join or to renew your membership. Thank you for your support! *Link to the Membership Application is here ( http://carsfl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-CARS-dues-for-calendar-year-2021-.pdf )*. -- Doug KM4LKC

Charlotte Amateur Radio Society A Preparation Excercise for an Emergency Radio Communications Drill This exercise is the first step towards a scenario-based training drill that involves a county-wide simulated emergency. This simulated emergency includes a loss of regular emergency communications through telephone, cell phones, and internet services. The drill specifies that radio communications may not utilize any repeater services nor any internet services. The first phase is to test the capabilities of the hand-held radio and determine their ability to reach a portable VHF/UHF station. The goals of this exercise are: * Determine the maximum range to complete reliable and effective voice communications of the hand-held radios. * Identify the issues involved in setting up a portable operation for VHF/UHF communications. * Determine the ability of the portable operation to complete reliable communications to a portable command center. * Evaluate the ability of mobile units to augment emergency communications with the portable field centers and the portable command center. What do we need from the amateur radio community to hold this exercise? GREEN ZONE - 6 licensed amateur radio operators * One portable operation designated the “GREEN” Station. * Two licensed operators * One dual-band mobile or portable base unit capable of 50 watts on FM * One antenna system with a minimum mast height of 20 feet and a maximum mast height of 25 feet in height. The antenna can extend above the mast. * All appropriate power, coax, and other support gear including logging supplies. * Four (4) “GREEN” operators with 5-watt hand-held radios BLUE ZONE - 6 licensed amateur radio operators * One portable operation designated the “BLUE” Station. * Two licensed operators * One dual-band mobile or portable base unit capable of 50 watts on FM * One antenna system with a minimum mast height of 20 feet and a maximum mast height of 25 feet in height. The antenna can extend above the mast. * All appropriate power, coax, and other support gear including logging supplies. * Four (4) “BLUE” operators with 5-watt hand-held radios RED COMMAND CENTER - 2 licensed amateur radio operators * One portable operation designated the “RED CONTROL” Station. * Two licensed operators * One dual-band mobile or portable base unit capable of 50 watts on FM * One antenna system with a minimum mast height of 20 feet and a maximum mast height of 25 feet in height. The antenna can extend above the mast. * All appropriate power, coax, and other support gear including logging supplies. Additional needs - 2 mobile units and one “Big Gun” Base station * It would be helpful to have two mobile units to participate in the exercise. We can evaluate the appropriate use of mobile units in an emergency situation. * It would also be nice to have a base station with a tall antenna system to observe and report their findings and thoughts on the exercise. This is an ambitious exercise that requires approximately 14 -17 amateur radio operators to participate in the event. I suspect we would hold the event on a Saturday morning. The exercise would begin at 10:00 am and conclude at 12:00 noon. We have a series of communication tests planned for the event. We will specify the location of each of the “ZONES” and the frequencies required for operations. We will test and compare VHF and UHF capabilities. Let’s see if we can raise enough operators to make the exercise worthwhile. If so, we can work through the planning issues. I am guessing we will target mid-November to mid-December for the exercise. Please post your interest here. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS: The Elks is Open Again - Join us at the Elks Lodge in Punta Gorda for lunch every Friday at 11:00 am. Directions to the Elks lodge locat ed her e ( https://goo.gl/maps/aG22RMYTsLtSJCPM7 ). * WCF Section ARES Meeting via ZOOM - October 17th from 13:00 -15:00 local ( http://arrlwcf.org/event/wcf-section-ares-meeting-fall-2020/ ). * CQ Worldwide DX Contest for SSB - Saturday, October 24th. ( https://www.cqww.com/index.htm ) * CARS 6-Meter Net - Thursday, November 5th at 7:00 pm on 50.200 USB. JS8 Call to follow on 50.318 USB * CARS Fall Picnic - Saturday, November 7th. Set up begins at 10:00 am. ( https://cars-fl.groups.io/g/main/message/330 ) * ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW - Saturday, November 7th, 2020 4:00pm to Sunday, November 8th, 2020 10:00pm ( http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes ) * Join us for our monthly club meeting on Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 pm. We are meeting in person in Lenox Hall at the First United Methodist Church. * CARS 6-Meter Net - Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 pm on 50.200 USB. JS8 Call to follow on 50.318 USB * CARS 6-Meter Net - Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 pm on 50.200 USB. JS8 Call to follow on 50.318 USB * Emergency Communication Exercise on Saturday, December 5th. ( https://cars-fl.groups.io/g/main/message/830 ) * Join us for our monthly club meeting on Thursday, December 10th at 7:00 pm. We are meeting in person in Lenox Hall at the First United Methodist Church. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology