September 2014 president's message

Legion Post 790 station "Up and Running"
Now and again the President's Message encourages members to visit the Forum on the TALARC website to share concerns, learn what others are doing, or just rag chew with one another about items of interest in our radio hobbies. We monitor the Forum from National HQ, so we have a handle on the level of participation, but we are unable to determine readership if no comment is offered on a posting. Every once in awhile, items appear there that warrant widespread attention. They are just that good. One such Forum posting – placed there by HQ staff this summer – came to us via email from Don, N6ALD, Post 790 at West Covina, Calif., and we want to be sure you know of it.
Don has things moving swiftly and smoothly there, with working amateur radios on HF, 6 meters, 2 meters and 440 MHz. Also installed at Post 790's radio station is a public service scanner covering 30 to 900 MHz. We get excited when learning of this level of TALARC growth, and we appreciate Don sharing this. And here's something else from Don that is very much worth sharing with all TALARC members.
Don offers a "hint" for posts having trouble getting radios. "Since the FCC rules change requiring narrow band (12.5khz) radios on all commercial and public safety frequencies, a lot of old radios have jumped into the 'what do we do with this stuff' box. Well I'll tell you, you get them donated to the local AL post and then use them for amateur radio. That's where all of our VHF & UHF came from. Yes, they are different than high-priced ham radios, but they are FREE!!! And they do work very well."
Don goes on to note, "I have also decided to put in a GMRS [General Mobile Radio Service] radio at the post and a GMRS repeater on a hilltop. This will allow post members to set up a radio in their home and allow their non-amateur family members 2-way communications after a disaste, with their Legion volunteer amateur radio husbands who are doing disaster relief work, since in Southern California ALLthe wire line (home) and wireless (cell) phones may be out of service for months after a major earthquake. (After the 1971 San Fernando earthquake the telephone company found their central office switch out in the middle of the street. Their building was OK. but the earthquake just threw the dial tone and routing switch out of the building.) Lots of family members of AL amateur radio operators WILL NOT get a ham license, and the GMRS system will support family communications.
"Disaster operations will not be allowed on this GMRS repeater. This repeater will be used for volunteer-to-family welfare communications only. Note, GMRS requires an FCC license which costs $85, but has no test and only one license is required PER FAMILY.
Don, N6ALD."

What Others – and we, ourselves – are posting about TALARC
A recent, quick search of the Web for TALARC notes and mentions yielded this handful of websites that have published TALARC information. Be mindful, some of the following listings are a bit dated.
https://www.facebook.com/MHz3919MHz
http://www.hutchlegion.org/index.php?id=102
http://www.glenardenmdpost275.org/supporting-units/amateur-radio-club/
http://www.elizabethamericanlegion82.org/index.php?id=93
https://sites.google.com/site/deptofutah/community-programs/amateur-radio
http://michiganlegion.blogspot.com/2014/02/are-you-ham-radio-operator.html
http://www.sekarc.net/2013/04/american-legion-amateur-radio-club.html
http://www.rowanars.org/resources/links/
And this, published on an Indian blog…
http://vu3pen.blogspot.com/2012/11/american-legion-amateur-radio-operate...

Veterans Day Special Events Station
For the fourth year, the National Headquarters amateur radio station will be up and running as a Special Event Station on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014. W9L will be the call-sign for the day, and we will take that opportunity to draw attention to the honorable nature of military service and commemorate the sacrifices of America's veterans and those now serving in the uniform of the American fighting forces. Those who make contact with W9L on that day will have the chance to receive a certificate to mark the special event. Information on scheduled operations is on the TALARC Events Calendar on our website.
TALARC members who are conveniently located near National Headquarters are invited to work W9L from the station in downtown Indianapolis. If you are interested, contact Joe March at k9tal@legion.org to schedule a time during the one-day event.
Feature article coming in the Legion magazine: We've received a number of inquiries about greater promotion of The American Legion Amateur Radio Club within the Legion Family. If you're wondering about that, you'll be happy to know that a feature article for The American Legion Magazine is in the works. The magazine has a circulation of more than 2 million – Legion members, of course. Stay tuned for information regarding the publishing date.

TALARC Monthly Nets
Monthly TALARC net activity is still quite low, especially when considering that the club is very near the 2,000 mark in membership. When operating as we do across the nation and among a large group that has varied schedules, limited availabilities, and are sometimes short on equipment, it's understandable that the number of check-ins will never match the number of members. But we'd sure like to do better than we've been doing. While the 20- and 75-meter nets are doing fairly well, the IRLP/EchoLink net is lacking participation.
Believing that there are a great number of us who are either not licensed for or lack the equipment necessary for HF communication, we are expanding the on-air time frame for the IRLP/EchoLink net to 60 minutes. Beginning with the next net on Oct. 11, at 1400 EDT (1800 UTC), Net Control, Bill [NZ9S], will maintain the IRLP and EchoLink net for at least one hour. You can access the net via IRLP NODE 9735. For EchoLink users, you may connect using conference call sign *CROSSRDS* (aka 99735).
Communication via IRLP requires an operator to be within reach of an IRLP repeater, and in many places they don't exist. But – and this is a BIG but – anyone, anywhere who has access to the Internet or has a smartphone can communicate across the nation – and check-in on the IRLP net, via EchoLink.
Those new to ham radio, or those who live in areas where antennas are prohibited, or those who lack the space for a radio room at home, are strongly encouraged to look into EchoLink. Information is on the Internet. It's easy to download to your computer or smartphone. It takes a day or so to have your FCC license verified, then you can be up and running. And the best part is, you can't beat the price – it's FREE!
We hope to hear from you on the IRLP/EchoLink net on Oct. 11, anytime between 1400 and 1500 EDT [1800 - 1900Z], with Mike, W9MNA.

20 Meters: Second Saturday of each month, (Oct. 11) at 1700 UTC [1300 EDT]; 14.280 MHz, with Bill, KIØCW
75 Meters: (On temporary hold). Normally, every Saturday, 0100 UTC [2000 CDT]; 3.919 MHz, with Art, KG4EYG.

73,
Marty Justis, W9WMJ, President
The American Legion Amateur Radio Club
Indianapolis
September 2014