Fall Sprints

Fall VHF Sprints responsibility moving to the Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club


After moderating the Fall VHF Sprints for the past 17 years, the Southeast VHF Society has relinquished the responsibility of conducting the Fall Sprints to the Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club (The Packrats) as of January 1st, 2024. We wish to thank SEVHF for their past stewardship of the Fall Sprints and all their efforts to maintain this valued VHF / UHF tradition.


The Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club has selected a committee to take over the orchestration of the Fall Sprints and Phil, WA3NUF, has accepted the position of chairperson of the Sprint committee.


The dates for the 2024 Fall Sprints have been selected and are included below:

50 MHz 8/10/2024
144 MHz 9/9/2024
222 MHz 9/17/2024
432 MHz 9/25/2024
902 and Up 10/5/2024

The Fall Sprint rules will be published in the next few months. Check back here for the rules when they are posted.

Thank you,

The Fall Sprint Committee

 

VHF Conference

 

2018 Mid-Atlantic States

VHF Conference

Fri-Sat-Sun Sept 28-29-30

On-line registration and payment is now closed.

You may register and pay at the door for the conference. Banquet buffet registration and payment also at the door when you register for the conference on a space available basis.

 

The UPDATED CONFERENCE PROGRAM can be found >>> here.

  • Friday afternoon special seminar
  • Friday evening hospitality and table-top swap
  • Saturday VHF Conference speakers and topics, Lunch included
  • Saturday evening buffet banquet dinner
  • Door prizes
  • Sunday outdoor VHF flea market mini-hamfest
  • Meet your VHF buddies
  • Buy and sell VHF gear, parts, and accessories
  • Hosted by the Packrats, Mt Airy VHF Radio Club

 

A printable copy of the flyer is located >>> here.

 

Holiday Inn Bensalem-Philadelphia
3327 Street Rd, Bensalem PA 19020
215-639-9100

Special conference rate $109/nite + tax, mention VHF Conference
Includes Breakfast for 2 room registrants
Conference Early Bird Registration: $40 ($50 after Sept 16)
Includes Fri hospitality, Saturday coffee, snacks, pizza lunch, disc
Banquet Early Bird Reservation $40 ($50 after Sept 20, if space available)
You must be registered and paid for both to be eligible for door prizes

On-line registration and payment at: www.packratvhf.com

Or download and postal mail this PDF Form:

Questions?

Wish to submit a paper or give a presentation?

Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 


 

 

 

Advocacy

Spectrum Advocacy

 

Posted 10/26/2020  Current proposed changes 

FCC NPRM MD Docket No. 20-270 changing FCC fee structure, including Amateur Radio. $50 for new licenses and renewals and Vanity License Applications

The proper method of contacting the FCC on this “FEE issue” is to respond with comments to MD Docket 20-270

Here is the link
 
This information is thanks to Stephanie WX3K
 
                                    **************************
 
Posted 10/2019

The current band under consideration for elimination to radio amateurs

use is 3.5 GHz      reference  NPRM WT 19-348 when you write

 

To protect our use of the 3.5 GHz band it would be a good idea to write letters.

It's best to do this within the next week.

We currently have over 25 members with 3.5 GHz capability.

 

The following  may give you some ideas for your own customized letter

 

Adding a personal line at the beginning of the letter helps the reader know it’s not just a form letter.

 

 I am FCC licensed amateur radio operator (insert call sign) and I have been an active radio communicator on 3GHz for X years. “ add your type of license eg Amateur Extra. Perhaps an anecdote about you uW activity.

 

                                                              OR

 

The members of the Mount Airy VHF Radio Club* are greatly concerned by a current proposal to remove amateur radio privileges from the 3.1-3.55 GHz frequencies and the potential future loss of the 2.0 GHz band.

 

                                                    Main Body

 

In the current NPR** from the FCC, numbered FCC-CIRC1912-03, it states: "we propose to remove the existing nonfederal secondary radiolocation and amateur allocations in the 3.3-3.55 GHz band and to relocate incumbent non-federal operations out of the band, in order to prepare the band for possible future shared use between commercial wireless services and federal incumbents."

 

Members of this club have been pioneers in communication at these frequencies. By building and using radio gear, digital communications software, and antennas for use at these frequencies, we have contributed to the state of the art. Amateur radio operators have used a band allocation centering at 3.456GHz and 2.304 GHz for decades. We have been active amateur operators using these frequencies for maintaining communication with other amateur operators using our FCC issued licenses. We have recently added additional capabilities for use of this frequency.

 

For terrestrial radio communication, amateurs have been active on a few hundred kilohertz at 3.456 GHz. By international agreement, amateur radio operators have been using a few hundred kilohertz at 3.400 GHz for successful moonbounce communication. We recognize the demands for band allocation to commercial communication. Please have the FCC reserve these slices of frequency for continued amateur radio use as the amateur radio service supports emergency communication in times of disaster. Thank you.

*Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club website: www.packratvhf.com

**Facilitating Shared Use in the 3.1-3.55 GHz Band

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - WT Docket No. 19-348

 

              Thanks to Rick, k1DS for the previous text suggestions 

                                           

                                               ***************************

 

General useful information

Addresses for the ARRL, the FCC, and your elected Federal Congress

 

ARRL Headquarters

Dan Henderson N1ND

225 Main Street

Newington. CT 06111

 

Federal Communications Commission

Marlene H Dortch

Office of the Secretary, Room TW-B204

445 12th Street SW

Washington, DC 20554

 

If you rather use the FCC Web site to file your comments

on the ECFS (electronic comment filing system)

use  https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings

 

 

To find you Federal Representative in Congress use Google or

use this link    Representatives | house.gov

You may have to give your ZIP code or even your full address to get the right representative

 

 

 

To find you Federal Senator in Congress use Google or

use this link    U.S. Senate: Senators

You will have to enter your state

 

 

If you feel the NTIA ( the FCC equivalent for Government spectrum users)

needs to hear from you. Since they share several of their frequencies with radio amateurs

( we are secondary users) they sometimes make good allies.

This contact must be used with care - do not contact them unless you have a strong reason to believe 

They have a vested interest in agreeing with our continued usage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-The-Air

 

Roll to the bottom of the page for some additional local nets

 

Information on Packrat Nets, Beacons, and Repeaters

The Pack Rats initiated VHF nets on Monday night the first year the club was formed. The nets are open to all radio amateurs. The purpose of the nets is to promote activity and share information of a common interest to the VHF community. You do not have to be a member of the club to participate in any of the Pack Rat nets!

This section last Updated 3/19/2023  at 12:10 am 

Day Time (Local) Frequency Control Station Grid or Net
Monday

6:45PM 

This net will be found on the new repeater 224.900   See Coverage Map at very bottom of page  Michelle KB3MTW and Elliott K3JJZ FN20ji
(repeater)
 

7:00PM

Packrat Talk Group 8804
on a DMR Network See a complete list at very bottom of page of all repeaters on the Packrat Talk group -

George KA3WXV

Check out delmarvaDMR.com for information and coverage maps 
  7:30PM   50.150 MHz Ray N3RG FM29ki
  8:00PM 144.150 MHz Dave W2KV FN20ok
  8:30PM 222.125 MHz Jim KC3BVL FM29jw
  9:00PM 432.110 MHz Mike WB2RVX FM29mt

 * * * * * * * * *

This section last Updated 03/22/2024  at 02:30 pm 

            Packrat Beacons   W3CCX/B

The Pack Rats maintain several VHF+ beacons, which serve as propagation indicators and allow operators to test their receivers.  All are GPS disciplined.                                                                                                        

 Locations  Mountain Top, Pa FN21BE     Fancy Hill near Pottstown, Pa FN20TK     New Brunswick, NJ  FN20TK        

       
Frequency Power Level Status Grid
 50.300 MHz   0.3 W Not yet Operational   TBD
144.300 MHz 10 W  On the AIR  FN21BE
222.060 MHz 4 W  On the AIR  FN20TK
432.300 MHz  10 W  On the AIR  FN20TK
903.300 MHz 10 W  On the AIR  FN21BE
1296.300 MHz   9 W  On the AIR  FN20DH
2304.300 MHz  25 W  On the AIR  FN20TK
3400.300 MHz   5 W  Not yet Operational  FN20DH
5760.300 MHz   5 W  On the AIR  FN21BE
10368.017 MHz    OFF AIR for now  TBD

* * * * * * * * 

This section last Updated 7/10/2023  at 7:30 pm 

Packrat  Repeaters

We have a new Repeater 

Output: 224.900      Very wide coverage used especially for nets                     Input: 223.30
CTCSS: 77.0 (currently enabled)
Grid Square: FN20ji in Roxboro

And a 432MHz Repeater:Output: 442.900
Input: 447.900
CTCSS: 123.0

The original PackRat 222 Repeater    Output: 224.580   W3CCX/R   Limited coverage but still operational
Input: 222.98
CTCSS: 136.5 (when enabled)
Grid Square: FN20ij in Hilltown

   

Try the Sprints   They are short and fun!

 Info at 

https://www.csvhfs.org/index.php/awards-and-programs/spring-sprints

 

 This section last Updated 7/10/2023  at 7:30 pm 

Tuesday and Friday Night Nets

As you know many Packrats belong to more than one radio club. Jim, KC3BVL at FM29JW   mentioned he enjoys the following nets

Microwave Tuesdays:   7:30 PM -  903.100,   8:00 PM - 1296.100,   8:30 PM-  2304.100    

Bottom 4 Fridays:  7:30 PM- 144.160,   8:00 PM- 50.160,   8:30 PM 222.150,  9:00 PM  432.160 

 Stop by and say hi some evening !