Bounty Hunter Contest

The Panama City Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring a BountyHunter Contest. It is open to all licensed hams. The goal to encourage local activity and to allow new hams to get familiar with operating practices.

The bounty hunter will make a two way 2 meter or 70 cm FM QSO with any ham and ask them for the year they were first licensed. If the ham is unsure of the year first licensed, the ham can provide a best guess and be consistent thereafter. For each ham worked the hunter will claim a bounty in dollars equal to the year the ham was first licensed. The bounty can be claimed once per band via simplex and once per band via repeater. Echolink QSOs will count as repeater but one end of the QSO must be on RF.  The hunterwill log:

Call worked, Year first licensed, Band, Simplex or Repeater.

QSOs can be at random or scheduled. The hunter can take advantage of the Panama City 2 Meter Net to schedule QSOs. QSOs for credit must occur prior to or after the close of the the Panama City ARC 2 meter net. When the hunter accumulates the first $20,000 send the log to panmacityarc@gmail.com. You will be issued a certificate. You can keep sending in logs for $20,000 endorsements.  All hunters will get one chance per $20,000 of bounty in a drawing at the April 14th 2012 Panama City ARC Tailgate. The prize is a $50 gift certificate for ham radio supplies. You do not have to be present to win.

Start: Feb 13 2012 at the close of the Panama City ARC 2 Meter Net.

End: April 9 2012 at the start of the Panama City ARC 2 Meter Net.

The Panama City ARC 2 Meter Net meets Mondays 7 PM 145.210 minus offset no tone.

Send any questions you may have to Greg N4KGL LaneKG@gmail.com

St Andrews State Park Portable Ops

The St Andrews State Park was a beautiful venue for portable ops. There was a chilly wind but staying in the sun helped. Our setup was on picnic tables under a roof. We were constrained with antennas a bit because we could not venture out on the dunes per the rules. Mike Rutherford KJ4QVR joined us. He worked Ireland on 10 meters from his mobile. Marv KK4DKT made some contacts between 20 and 10 meters. Greg N4KGL did some 40 and 20 meter QRP CW contacts. He also ventured on the pier with his pedestrian mobile QRP rig. He worked PA and Toronto while on the pier. We had a troop of scouts come by and they asked lots of question. In addition we had Marv's wife Melissa, the Dunkins Bob WB4BLX and Linda KG4TJL, the Johnsons and Vic K4GXV and Sally KD4UUN. We also had a Ian a Canadian Ham visitor. Enjoy the photos.

Portable Ops at Mr. Grumpy's Ranch

We had a good portable operations gathering at Mr. Grumpy's Crooked Fence Ranch near SouthPort, FL Monday January 2nd. The portable ops included testing Ron Downs new MFJ 6 band vertical antenna which worked on first try. Addison Marvin helped Dave Clark test out his new Yaesu 857 rig on a portable 20 meter dipole. Jim Mc Quagge checked out some QRP radios on a portable antenna. Greg Lane's new Solar panel was demonstrated for battery charging. Greg also did some QRP pedestrian mobile ops. There were a number of club members that joined in. Of course the horses were very curious about our goings on. See the pictures. A big thanks to Don Cornelius AKA Mr. Grumpy who was our host.

A Ham's Night Before Christmas

December 2011 Technician Class and Testing

The December 10th/17th Technician Class at the Panama City ARC Clubhouse went well. We wrapped up with a testing session on the 17th. Congratulation to the following:


New Licenses:

Felix Blair (Technician)
Stephen Corbitt (Technician)*
Tom Cothern (Technician)*
Thomas Gilmore (Technician)*
Ruth Jurgonski (Technician)*
Roger Lemire (Technician)
Christopher Oswald (General)*

Upgrades:

Joseph Bayba (Extra) KC2OI
Robert Jurgonski (General) KK4CVU


The * indicates students in our class. Sam Oswald our youngest student yet will be passing the tech test soon. Thanks for Gary Bills heading up the testing and team of volunteer examiners including Addison Marvin "Marv", Jack Crusan, Rick Gutknecht and John Latham. Thanks to Charlie Wooten for loaning us the projector.

Tom Cothern, Roger Lamire, Ruth Jurgonski, Tom Gilmore,  Chris Oswald,  Sam Oswald, Steve Corbitt

Bob Jurgonski, Tony Blair, Don Cornelius

Instructors: Greg Lane, Jack Crusan, Gary Bills

Grumpy's Ranch and KK4DWC Antenna Farm

I had the opportunity to visit Grumpy's Crooked Fence Ranch and the KK4DWC Antenna Farm the Friday after Thanksgiving. The proprietor is Don Cornelius (Not the one from Soul Train). Don and his sons live North of Southport on 388 East. The highlight of the farm is the horses and each one has their own story which Don will fill you in on. Don's Son Gene has the ajoining Lazy C Ranch. Gene offers pony parties, riding lessons and more. See www.lazycranch.us.

Don KK4DWC is getting setup on the HF bands and has a nice tower up which is just the beginning of his antenna farm. The tower has a G5RV now hanging from it and may get a yagi soon. Don is one of the of the new hams at the Panama City Amateur Radio Club. He has received elmering from Henry N4HHM and Steve AC4QB. Of course we appreciate Don running for Club Treasurer. He is unopposed. So give him your support next year. By the way Don has invited the club out to the ranch to do portable ops.

Greg N4KGL

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Amateur Radio Technician License Class December 10 & 17

The Panama City Amateur Radio Club is offering a two day Technician License Class December 10 and December 17 at the Panama City ARC Club House. Students must register by November 30. To register for the class, contact: Greg Lane N4KGL at panamacityarc@gmail.com  

Please get the word out anyway you can! Let your church, other clubs, co-workers and neighbors know. There is a flyer attached.  Thanks for your help.

Greg N4KGL

Panama City ARC President

The Technician license is your gateway to the world-wide excitement of Amateur Radio   

• Earn your ham radio Technician class radio privileges
• Pass your FCC amateur radio license exam right in class on the second day
• Multiple-choice exam, *No Morse Code Required*
• Live equipment demonstrations
• Learn to operate on the ham bands, 10 Meters and higher
• Learn to use the many VHF/UHF FM repeaters in Florida
• Find out how to participate in emergency communications
• Find out how to communicate with astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS)

There is no charge for the class (donations accepted)


However, students must have the required study guide: Gordon WestTechnician Class 2010-2014 guide, 7th Edition $20.95 and pay the FCC Exam Fee: $14.00  The text book is available on Amazon.

For more information on amateur (ham) radio visit  www.arrl.org or www.wedothat-radio.org