The American Legion Amateur Radio Club

K9TAL

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club
700 N Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club is open to wartime military veterans who are both members of the Legion and FCC-licensed amateur radio operators. Members of The American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of The American Legion who are licensed are also eligible.

The club station, K9-The American Legion, is located at Legion National Headquarters in downtown Indianapolis.

For information, or to join: k9tal@legion.org

For information on veterans issues, click here.

TALARC Discussion Group: forum

LEGION-BIRTHDAY SPECIAL EVENT, FUTURE NET SCHEDULE FIRMED

To commemorate the 93rd birthday of the Legion, the Amateur Radio Club station [K9TAL] will operate as a special event station Thursday-Saturday, March 15 - 17, from 1000-1600 hours Eastern (1500-2100 UTC) each of the three days. A special commemorative certificate will be issued to stations that work K9TAL during that time period. TALARC members in the Indianapolis area are invited to operate the headquarters station during the event. Contact Joe March – KJ9M – to sign up or get more information (jmarch@legion.org).

On the heels of our first net in December, members reported high noise levels on the 40M band. Net control [W3CRR] on the East Coast was able to reach eastern states reliably, but got only sporadic reports from those west of the Mississippi River. We looked at many members’ suggestions, and there seemed to be some consensus to move to the 10M band. With that determination, the club will operate its next nets on the second weekend of February. 

·         Saturday, Feb. 11 will be devoted to our inaugural IRLP net using the Crossroads Reflector (9205) at 1400 EST (1900 UTC). Bill, KC9ANG, will be net control.

·         Sunday, Feb. 12 will be devoted to a 10-meter TALARC net, 1400 EST (1900 UTC) on or about 28.610 MHz. This presumes that Solar Cycle 24 will continue to cooperate. Craig, W3CRR, will be net control and may call on regional assistant net controls to get everyone checked in. If you would be willing to serve as a regional net control, please contact Craig at croberts@legion.org.

Nothing would please the headquarters group more than to have TALARC members visit National Headquarters to see "their" station and, as time and proximity to downtown Indy allows, volunteer their time and talents to assist with routine net operations or with special events, like the Legion birthday event in mid-March. As much as possible, let us know in advance if you want to visit, or if you are able to help with a scheduled net, by contacting Club Station Trustee Joe March, KJ9M (jmarch@legion.org).

Communications within the club

Those in the know at National Headquarters tell me that the TALARC forum is the most popular on the Legion website. [You folks make me so proud!] Let's keep it that way by visiting the forum regularly, registering a comment or concern, "working" other members, or telling us all about the best practices of your club or group. 

Watch for the March 2012 edition of The American Legion Magazine for a brief mention of the club and information on the Legion-birthday special event.  You'll find it in the "Rapid Fire" section.

K9TAL Shack

The club operations center is about as complete as can be – given space available – to be a fully functioning radio room. 

The latest equipment donations to the club include an AT-250 antenna tuner to match our secondary rig, and an electronic keyer for CW mode. Now, for those of you who have a special appreciation for Samuel Morse, don’t go getting too terribly excited about this innovation – at least not just yet. Several of the headquarters staff copy code well, but most of us are in need of substantial keying practice in order to keep the frustration levels low – yours and ours. 

Establishing a post amateur radio station

The following item is a distilled email message issued recently by K9TAL Club Secretary Bill Sloan, KC9ANG, to one of our members. It's both interesting and informative.  It addresses the question of post participation in emergency management, with a touch of history rolled in. The email carried the subject "Establishing Post Amateur Radio Station."

Hi Larry,

The Legion's initial purpose in forming TALARC was to encourage posts to consider establishing amateur radio stations and advance a hobby thought to be popular with our members. But it has become very apparent that many posts are light-years ahead of National. 

Some decades ago, and as early as the 1930s, The American Legion's National Security Commission encouraged posts to become part of The American Legion “Amateur Radio Network” in support of civil defense.  We even published and distributed a radio instructional course in the 1950s ... and posts around the country formed groups for ham radio operations.

Today, many of those groups have survived.  More to the point, with the passage of Resolution 97, passed by National Convention delegates in Salt Lake City in 2006, which stated national encouragement for American Legion posts to become involved with Homeland Security, our organization resolved to encourage all posts and departments to develop emergency kits and plans, work closely with the Citizen Corps and local FEMA offices and public safety agencies, and generally become involved with emergency disaster planning. Soon after, we developed and published a pamphlet on Disaster Preparedness and Response, outlining steps any local post can take to be ready to respond effectively during civil or natural disasters.

Ham radio is a natural fit, and we've seen a resurgence among our members who have been licensed hams for many years, and a great deal of interest from members interested in getting a ham license.  Many are military-trained but have had no reason until now to pursue a ham license.

If you haven't already gotten a copy somewhere, let me send you the Disaster Preparedness and Response publication ...  I'll put it in the mail today. Very useful for setting up a post program inclusive of both hams and interested members who would like to start setting up a community emergency response plan. Hopefully you can help many members get their license, and also bring in local hams to assist, even join, the post's new station.

Bill, KC9ANG

TALARC Club Secretary

–– 30 ––

Thanks to Bill for this brief overview of how the Legion came into amateur radio and what we are, and definitely should be about, as an organization.  

73s,

Marty Justis, W9WMJ, President

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club

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Net Announcements - Dec. 14

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club station, K9TAL, will operate as a special event station in March to commemorate the 93rd birthday of The American Legion.  Tentative hours of operation are from 1000 to 1600, Thursday through Saturday, March 15 – 17.  A special commemorative certificate will be provided to all stations who work K9TAL during that period.   Any members in the area available during that period are welcome to operate the headquarters station for this event.  Contact Joe – KJ9M at to sign up or get more information.

Plans are currently underway to initiate an IRLP American Legion Net in the near future to compliment this HF net and enable further information distribution outreach to members via local repeaters.  Once a reflector has been selected and the net potential coordinated with the owner, we will send out an email survey to determine the best time and date for this net to reach the maximum number of members.

The club is putting together a booklet about The American Legion Amateur Radio Club and the value of amateur radio to posts in communities in assisting with emergency communications.  We anticipate it will be completed and available early next year and will keep all posted on the net.

Everyone is invited to participate in the email discussion forum now available at the club webpage: www.legion.org/hamradio.  Just scroll down and click on the word "forum" to enter or begin a discussion thread on any club related topic.  Any questions, email k9tal@legion.org.

A number of members have already asked about emblem merchandise for the club.  Some, in fact, have even sent us suggestions of pins and patches.  Yes, there will be TAL ARC items available but we anticipate those will debut in 2012.

A word or two from the President (12/6/11)

K9TAL IS ON THE AIR!

After some six months of planning, preparation, clearing, cleaning and gathering materials and equipment together for The American Legion Amateur Radio Club's shack, we finally "threw the switch" on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011, at approximately 1930Z.  Our first QSO was with a New Jersey station.  Marconi could not have been more proud or pleased with his first transmission than we were with ours.

Early on, the headquarters staff set a target date of Veterans Day, Nov. 11, to be up and operating.  We came close.  All in all, we did well considering that we started with nothing but great enthusiasm, big ideas and no equipment.  The membership of The American Legion Amateur Radio Club continued to grow through the time of formulating and formalizing things.  It is interesting, if not somewhat amazing, that we had several hundred members before we had the first transceiver in place.  And it is because of a handful of those members, and their "dedication to mutual helpfulness," that we got the donations of new and used equipment.

The shack itself, once a 1950s-style photography darkroom, is slowly coming to be a new-millennium communications room, complete with computers, printers, telephones and – of course – various radio components, not all of which are yet integrated into the system.  But we will get there.

Working 20 meters, we got our first QSO with Ron, WU2B, in East Orange, N.J.  He gave us a barefoot "5-7" report that was very pleasing to us, since without a tuner we were running only about 20 watts; it delighted our folks at HQ who rigged the antennas and ran the cable down five stories.

Things are coming together, but we have a little ways to go.  The shack, when empty, looked very accommodating.  It's slowly filling up.  But I suppose it's no different than what we all experience at our own stations.  Things just seem to spread exponentially in the available space.

If you haven't seen the pieces, either in QST magazine or on FOX News, about the recent interest and growth in ham radio, take time to seek them out.   It is very encouraging news, especially in light of the Legion club and the opportunity it provides to bring those Legion Family members with an interest into our hobby. 

We hope you are directing those interested to the club website at http://legion.org/hamradio.  The site is a bit sparse right now, but in the next couple of months it will be well populated with amateur radio information, links, FAQs, and maybe just a bit of the Legion's history of formal involvement with amateur radio, which goes back nearly to the beginning of the Legion itself.  Keep in mind, too, the club forum at http://legion.org/forums/ham-radio.  Stop off there when you can and share what you and your group – as members of The American Legion Amateur Radio Club – are doing to promote amateur radio and benefit the community in which you operate. 

In the meantime, that staff here has more gearing up to do by reading manuals, programming equipment, and adjusting to the equipment we're not yet thoroughly familiar with.  Keep an ear out.  We'll be talking with you soon!

/--…/…--//

Marty Justis, W9WMJ
President

Here is the news everyone has been waiting for: the first American Legion Amateur Radio Club net is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, at 2100 Hrs Eastern.  Craig Roberts, Vice President of TALARC, W3CRR, will serve as net control for the club and you'll find him on 40 meters, at or about 7.230MHz.  Additional email notification will go to members this week.

Newsletter from Peck American Legion Post #489

Peck, Michigan

Amateur Radio Club

There is now an American Legion Amateur Radio Club. It is open to all licensed amateurs who belong to the Legion, Auxiliary, ALR and SAL. Membership is free. The club station is located In the National Headquarters of the American Legion in Indianapolis, IN. For members who are not licensed amateurs and think that they might like to be can contact Jerry Hunt at the post or "w8jry9@gmail.com" and he will be glad to help you out. If there is enough interest we can organize a one day class and get licensed.

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club is affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security in the promotion of disaster preparedness and response. For more information about the club please contact k9tal@legion.org.

Here is a 2 meter J-pole antenna for the 145.585 MHz audio retransmission of NASA-TV. Probably the best VHF antenna, it was built by the American Legion Post 380. They constructed and sold many of these in past years but unfortunately no more. Not only are the American Legion J-pole antennas effective radiators, the SWR is virtually 1.0 with no reflections. Recently, this antenna was raised from 25 feet to 40 feet AGL.

Anyone know where to get the plans they used for this antenna?

Joe, KJ9M

Members of the Southern Maryland District, Sons of The American Legion, donated a Yaesu FT-8800 VHF/UHF Transceiver and SEC power supply to The American Legion Amateur Radio Club station in Indianapolis. Pictured from left to right during their Maryland Convention with the equipment are Al Rhodes – Finance Officer; Dave Tatman – Adjutant; Don "JR" Hall Jr – Commander; Gregory Taylor – 2nd Vice Commander; Dave Sprucebank – 1st Vice Commander; Buddy Mastin – Judge Advocate (and new 2011-12 Detachment of MD Commander); and Jim Alexander - Sergeant-at-Arms.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Great News!!! I am a 100-percent disabled Vietnam combat veteran. I also worked Air Force MARS stations in Hawaii (AI6AIR) and served as the liaison between U.S. Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker (and his wife), who was the ambassador to Nepal during my stint in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971. I operated the Tan Son Nhut MARS station on regular amateur radio frequencies as 3W8MPD. Hope to get up and see you guys sometime as finances and health permit. 73, and may God continue to bless you and they work you do for all veterans. Steve Bramham, W4SKB Department of Homeland Security Georgia Emergency Management Agency - COML District Emergency Coordinator Georgia State Patrol Liaison GSP ARES Interop Team - WX4GSP WX4GSP@comcast.net W4SKB@arrl.net