Radio enthusiasts ‘ham’ it up at LTC – Mancorad W9DK Field Day PR

Mancorad W9DK’s 2009 Field Day Host – Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) released the following to the media today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Radio enthusiasts ‘ham’ it up at LTC

CLEVELAND — Lakeshore Technical College and Manitowoc County “hams” joined thousands of amateur radio operators across the globe and beyond June 27-28 in connecting with the world and showing off their emergency communications capabilities.

The local Amateur Radio Relay League Field Day event was hosted by the Manitowoc County Radio Club and held at LTC’s emergency operations center, which serves primarily as a training simulation facility and can function as an EOC in the event of a real emergency. ManCoRad members spent 24 hours in the 3-year-old facility, proving their ability to send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, Internet and other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.

ManCoRad members have been participating in the Field Day competition for several years, in the past setting up shop at Silver Creek Park in Manitowoc. This year, members said their new location at LTC made them a “more desirable” group for other hams to connect with because they were in a registered EOC.

The highlight of this year’s event came when club members used a home-built satellite antenna to connect with a Canadian astronaut living on the International Space Station. ManCoRad board member Steve Weinert said the experience was a “huge thrill” for the group.

“The 10 hours of labor put into making the antenna combined with the anxiety of waiting over a year to use the antenna didn’t go to waste and finally paid off with a single contact,” said Martin Suettinger, vice president of the club. “Making a contact with an astronaut on Field Day has its own reward – one that I will probably remember for the rest of my life.”

ManCoRad members finished the Field Day event with 295 total contacts — amounting to 160 percent more than the previous year. More than 14 club members actively participated, with an additional group stopping to provide support. Club members range in age from their teens to their 90s.

About Lakeshore Technical College
Lakeshore Technical College is a leading provider of technical education offering 100 career programs including associate degrees, technical diplomas, technical certificates and apprenticeship programs. In addition, LTC offers distance learning, customized training to business and industry, and continuing educational opportunities.

Serving a 200,500-resident population in east central Wisconsin, LTC operates a main campus in Cleveland; additional learning sites at LTC Manitowoc and LTC Sheboygan; outreach centers at area high schools in Kiel, Mishicot, Plymouth, Random Lake, Reedsville and Two Rivers; and 27 distance learning sites. LTC’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen the economy by preparing a workforce that is skilled, diverse and flexible. On average, 79 percent of LTC graduates work in the LTC District, which includes Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties, and parts of Calumet and Ozaukee counties. Visit LTC at: http://www.gotoltc.edu.

Photo: ManCoRad Field Day at LTC.jpg

Manitowoc County Radio Club President Rich Weyer, right, and club board member Steve Weinert connect with other ham radio operators June 27 from Lakeshore Technical College’s emergency operations center. The local club spent the weekend participating in the American Radio Relay League’s annual Field Day event, which is both a competition and an exercise in emergency preparedness.

73

Steve
K9ZW

CQ Field Day this is VA3CSA

“CQ Field Day this is VA3CSA aboard the International Space Station” was the call Marty KC9JGE heard. As the “Mr Satellite” for the Mancorad W9DK Field Day effort, he had personally built the antennas & programed the equipment.

When VA3CSA came back to W9DK … well read Marty’s account in his PDF write up!

PDF FILE LINK FOR – CQ Field Day this is VA3CSA… – CLICK HERE

73

Steve
K9ZW

W9DK Field Day 09 Progress

Field Day is going VERY well for Mancorad W9DK

We’ve logged more than all of last year in our first 10 hours, learned much and are having a lot of fun!

The GOTA Station is a hit, and seems to have a fine performing antenna – better than the permanent ones!

More after the event!

73

Steve
K9ZW

W9DK Mancorad 2009 Field Day Poster

We’ve worked the ARRL’s wonderful artwork in a couple simple Field Day posters.

73

Steve
K9ZW

GOTA with W9DK Event Text

W9DK Field Day logo based on ARRL Artwork

NEWS RELEASE – “Radio Hams” from Manitowoc County join in national deployment – Public Demo of Emergency Communications June 27 – 28, 2009

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

For additional information contact: Steve Weinert , K9ZW, Mancorad Board Member

“Radio Hams” from Manitowoc County join in national deployment

Public Demo of Emergency Communications June 27 – 28

Manitowoc, WI June 18, 2009 – Manitowoc County W9DK Mancorad Radio Club’s “hams” will join with thousands of Amateur Radio operators who will be showing off their emergency capabilities the weekend of June 27th & 28th.

Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events world-wide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham radio” – was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property.

When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications. On the weekend of June 27 – 28, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Manitowoc County’s ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and back yards around the country. Their slogan, “Ham radio works when other systems don’t! ” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.

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“We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather’s radio anymore,” said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. “The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that – it’s fun!”

In the Manitowoc Lakeshore area, the W9DK Mancorad Radio Club will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at the Public Safety Building at Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) Cleveland Campus on Saturday June 27th through Sunday June 28th. Between Noon and 3:30 pm Saturday June 27th they specially invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.

Saturday June 27th at 2 pm a short classroom presentation on the effective “Hamcram” Mancorad amateur radio licensing class will off detailed information on how you can become involved as a licensed ham operator.

The Mancorad W9DK Radio Club & LTC activation is specially noteworthy being an activation of a full EOC (Emergency Operations Center) LTC built for the training of emergency leadership from around the country. The EOC is located in the Public Safety Building on the East side of the LTC Campus and features full emergency generator power backup, dedicated EOC Ham Radio Equipment and is one of very few taring EOCs. Some power for this special event will come from the alternate energy generation of LTC’s wind turbine.

There are over 650,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies, all for free.

To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org For information on Mancorad W9DK, including information on how to earn a ham radio license, go to www.w9dk.com Lakeshore Technical College information can be found at www.gotoltc.edu The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

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2009 Field Day Plans for Mancorad W9DK

Only a brief 1-1/2 weeks to Field Day, where I will participate in the Mancorad W9DK effort.

This year Mancorad is activating a rare Training & Reserve EOC owned by Lakeshore technical College (LTC) in Cleveland Wisconsin.

We will be signing as W9DK 2F WI working with the in place station gear. The college has a radio club W9LTC which only occasionally is on the air, and is not mounting a Field Day effort. We do owe the W9LTC group much thanks, as they have guided the college in putting together a solid & very flexible station! Much appreciated!

In addition to the EOC gear we will have one added long-wire antenna. If the GOTA station doesn’t materialize we may run 3F rather than 2F.

Power for the event will be full back-up generator supported, with active power feed from LTC’s wind turbine!

Hope to hear you on the air during the event!

73

Steve
K9ZW