You editor is suspending publication of the VIRGINIA COMMUNICATOR as most important matters are now sent directly to MARS Affiliates via E-MAIL.
Time marches on!
Thank you. AFA2MI – wb2kqg@arrl.net
REGION 2 BULLETIN
1. CHIEF FYMON: I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT OF GILBERT (GIL) WARD, AFA2PQ, AS REGION 2 CHIEF FYMON EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY WHO IS AUTHORIZED THE OFFICIAL CALL AFF2F. GIL IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED FOR THIS POSITION AND WILL PROVIDE EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP FOR OUR EXCELLENT FYMON CADRE.
2. TRAINING MESSAGES: AFA2AJ IS CERTIFIED AS ALTERNATE REGION TRAINER TO EXCHANGE TRAINING MESSAGES WITH TRAINEE STATIONS. THIS STATION IS AUTHORIZED TO AWARD OR DENY CREDIT FOR TRAINING TRAFFIC EXCHANGES.
3. VITAL INFORMATION: IT IS IMPARITIVE THAT ALL PERSONNEL PROVIDE THEIR RESPECTIVE SMD WITH PROMPT UPDATE ON CHANGE OF ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS, COUNTY, ETC. AN ONGOING RECORDS AUDIT HAS RESULTED IN AN EMBARRISING QUANTITY OF NO CONTACT FOR OBSOLETE CONTACT INFORMATION. ACCORDING TO MARS OPERATING INSTRUCTION FAILURE TO RESPOND TO CORRESPONDENCE IS GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION. THIS INCLUDES RETURNED EMAIL. THERE IS NO CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS LINK BETWEEN SMD AND THE EMAIL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, A CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS MUST BE PROVIDED TO EACH INDIVIDUALLY TO ASSURE CONTACT INFORMATION IS ACCURATE.
4. SIGNED PHILIP SALLEY, AFF2C, REGION 2 DIRECTOR
AFA2JI SK
The following item is from the web page of the Gwinett Amateur Radio Society in Georgia regarding the passing of 2S1 NCS Howie Gould, AFA2JI, of Atlanta:
“It is with great sadness that I announce that Howard P. Gould `Howie’ W9HG is now a Silent Key. He died after a long battle with congestive heart failure. A Mass was held at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church, 5373 Wydella Road, Lilburn, GA at 10:30 am on Monday January 7, 2008. Howie was a life member of Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society.
“Howie helped many of us get our licenses, and was always in the heat of all of the discussions about amateur radio. He might argue with you all day long about something, but he was still your friend afterwards. Howie will be missed, by all of us in the Atlanta amateur radio community.”
SUNSPOT CYCLE 24
By ARRL
With the appearance of Sunspot 981 — a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot — on Friday, January 4, experts at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that Cycle 24 is now here. “This sunspot is like the first robin of spring,” said solar physicist Douglas Biesecker of the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), part of NOAA. “In this case, it’s an early omen of solar storms that will gradually increase over the next few years.”
Solar physicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama concurred, saying that new solar cycles begin with a “modest knot” of magnetism, like the one that appeared on December 11 on the east limb of the Sun: “That patch of magnetism could be a sign of the next solar cycle. New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot.” The region of magnetism that appeared back in December achieved high latitude (24 degrees North) and was magnetically reversed, but no supporting sunspot appeared until 25 days later.
Reversed polarity means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared to sunspots from the previous solar cycle. High-latitude refers to the Sun’s grid of latitude and longitude. Old-cycle spots congregate near the Sun’s equator; new-cycle spots appear higher, around 25 or 30 degrees latitude. Sunspot 981’s high-latitude location at 27 degrees North and its negative polarity leading to the right in the Northern Hemisphere are clear-cut signs of a new solar cycle, according to NOAA experts. The first active regions and sunspots of a new solar cycle can emerge at high latitudes while those from the previous cycle continue to form closer to the equator.
SALLEY APPOINTED REGION 2 CHIEF
DE AFF2C
2007-11 R 130141Z DEC 2007
FROM: AFF2C/AL
TO: ALL R2
1. CHIEF USAF MARS HAS CONFIRMED PHILIP SALLEY, AFA2EV, AS REGION 2 DIRECTOR EFFECTIVE 12 DEC 2007. THAT STATIONS EMAIL ADDRESS
AFF2C-R2@CHARTER.NET WILL BE EFFECTIVE 13 DEC 2007.
2. CHIEF, USAF MARS HAS ANNOUNCED APPOINTMENTS FOR REGIONS 1, 3, 5 AND 7 RESULTING IN NEW NJ SMD ED CIENKI, AFA1EC, NY SMD GARY PLANO, AFA1CE, REGION 3 DIRECTOR FRANK MILLER, AFA3PQ, AND MO SMD LARRY SPARKS, AFA3KI. ALL REMAINING INCUMBENTS IN THOSE REGIONS WERE REAPPOINTED.
SIGNED PHILIP SALLEY, AFF2C, REGION 2 DIRECTOR
NNNN
NEW VOICE PROCEDURES
USAF MARS, Army MARS and Navy-Marine Corps MARS are implementing joint voice procedures, which become the “governing authority” effective 1 Jan. 2008, according to a Region 2 broadcast. AFF2D has circulated a training bulletin via E-mail explaining the procedures.
CATEGORY ADDED
We now have two categories listed on the right of your screen:
- MARS Bulletin Board
- MARS News
Thank you.
Vinny AFA2MI – wb2kqg@arrl.net
2S1 HOLIDAY SKED
DE AFF2D 2007-07 R 211439Z NOV 2007 FROM: AFF2D/AL TO: ALL R2 1. THE 2S1 HOLIDAY NET SCHEDULE FOLLOWS: A. THANKSGIVING DAY 22 NOVEMBER 2007) NO NET SESSIONS B. CHRISTMAS EVE 24 DECEMBER 2007 MORNING NET ONLY C. CHRISTMAS DAY 25 DECEMBER 2007 NO NET SESSIONS D. NEW YEARS EVE 31 DECEMBER 2007 MORNING NET ONLY E. NEW YEARS DAY 1 JANUARY 2008 EVENING NET ONLY 2. ANY STATION MAY CONVENE A NET WITH PARTICIPATING STATIONS RECEIVING FULL PARTICIPATION CREDIT DURING THE SUSPENDED HOLIDAY NET SESSIONS SCHEDULE. REPORT PARTICIPATION TIMES TO AFF2N BY 2 JAN 2008. 3. EMERGENCY NETS WILL CONVENE AS NEEDED. 4. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND A SPECIAL REMEMBERANCE FOR OUR SOLDIERS, SAILORS, MARINES AND AIRMEN THAT ARE IN HARMS WAY THIS SEASON. 5. PHILIP SALLEY, AFF2D, ACTING REGION 2 DIRECTOR. NNNN
W1AW JOINS MARS
W1AW, ARRL headquarters station at Newington, Connecticut, has been assigned Army MARS call sign AAN1ARL.
ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, said: “The establishment of an Army MARS call sign for W1AW begins a relationship with the Military Affiliate Radio System and the ARRL. Our two organizations are working toward the near-term establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding. Additionally, the League and MARS will utilize each other’s personnel and technical capabilities to further enhance our emergency preparedness and response capabilities.”
DIGITAL MODES
FROM AFF2D:
1. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY REGION 2 STATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED TO TRANSMIT FORMAL TRAFFIC AND BULLETINS BY DIGITAL MEANS ON FREQUENCIES RD , RE AND RF DURING OR OUTSIDE OF SCHEDULE NETS. BULLETINS AND BROADCASTS WILL BE SENT IN MFSK16 FORMAT AND REPEATED IN VOICE MODE EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE DIGITAL BROADCAST AT SENDERS DISCRETION OR AS DIRECTED BY THE NCS. MT63 MAY BE USED FOR LONG BROADCASTS AT DISCRETION OF SENDING OP. FORMAL TRAFFIC MAY BE EXCHANGED IN ANY MODE, USING A BAND WIDTH OF 2.4 KHZ OR LESS, AS AGREED TO BY SENDING AND RECEIVING STATIONS. DIAL FREQUENCIES WILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR VOICE AND DIGITAL OPERATIONS. DIGITAL SIGNALS SHOULD BE CENTERED 1500HZ ABOVE DIAL FREQUENCY. GOOD OPERATING PRACTICE IS TO REDUCE TRANSMITTER POWER TO LESS THAN 50 WATTS DIGITAL MODES. SOME 100 WATT TRANSMITTERS ARE LIMITED TO 20 WATTS FOR DIGITAL, BE SURE TO CONSULT THE MANUAL. FILLS FOR GARBLED TEXT IN FORMAL TRAFFIC SHOULD AND MAY BE RESOLVED USING VOICE TRANSMISSION.
2. ALL STATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BECOME EQUIPPED AND READY TO OPERATE ON DIGITAL MODES PACKET, MFSK16, MT63, AND BPSK31 AS A MINIMUM. AD HOC TRAINING SESSIONS BETWEEN 2 OR MORE R2 STATIONS ON REGION FREQUENCIES IS PERMITTED BEFORE AND AFTER SCHEDULED NETS.
3. REFER TO THE AF MARS TRAINING GUIDE FOR PROPER PROCEDURES AND FORMATTING.. INFORMATION HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR THE VARIOUS DIGITAL MODES IS READILY AVAILABLE FROM THE INTERNET.
