It’s so darn hot, the cows are standing in the ponds trying to cool off, the birds are only flying from tree to tree, and the dog stays in the shade all day.
So thankful for the A/C. I can remember as a kid we only had a swamp cooler – if it worked. We have come a long way. Back in those days Dad had his rig on the back porch. It was a nice one, glassed in with huge folding windows salvaged from a building remodel out at James Connally airbase. It was cool in the evenings, and that’s when he would talk to faraway places. Today I can sit in air conditioned comfort and send PSK signals all over the world. Not much has changed, yet everything has.
A while back I shared how contests, Field Day and Special Event Stations are good preparations for our response to emergency situations. Just like my dad’s operation and mine today, many of the same activities are performed when we activate ARES, but some things are different. I guess someone at ARRL picked up on that. There is a free webinar ARRL is hosting on this topic on Sunday, July 24th from 8-10pm EST. “Contesting as Training for Public Service” is the title; search for that on the ARRL website and you can register to listen in.
We have many activities coming up to help us in the continuing effort to improve our capability and train for various operations. Now is a good time to find a way to participate. There is a Special Event station this Saturday (the 23rd) out at Perrin Field. GCARC will be commemorating a historical event, the “Red River Bridge War”. Setting up and operating HF stations in the “field” is always a good practice session. Get there early to help set up and stay late to help take down. Later in July on the morning of the 30th we will have our annual ARES Simulated Emergency Test (SET). We will be searching out new or better locations for SKYWARN spotting using HT’s, mobiles at various power levels, and operating several of our EOCs to establish the viability of locations for radio communications. Look for an email from Wade KF5AUD with details as the date draws closer. Then there is the Kiwanis Bike rally in August which GCARC helps sponsor and provides radio communications for. It’s another event to stretch our legs, cover a lot of the county, and provide a chance for others to see the value of Amateur Radio in support of the community.
We will have a Face to Face training session July 26th. We are working on a discussion with our County OEM about a large scale emergency operation, maybe a wildfire situation and what would be going on so we might better understand how we fit into the logistics of such an operation. I will be sending out more info as to the location as soon as we have it finalized.
Stay cool, avoid heat-related stress, drink plenty of water, and use that sunscreen if you are outdoors.
73
Rick
K5ECX