nofars.net

NOFARS 2000-2008

By Billy Williams, N4UF

2000 started off with fifty hams on standby to provide backup communications if primary systems failed when the new year arrived.  No major problems occurred.

Randy Williams, AD4US took over as NOFARS Chief Volunteer Examiner. Quarterly testing sessions moved to Regency Square.  FCC announcing simplified testing and licensing for hams.  Many qualified for upgrades to General without taking an exam.  In February, there was standing room only with the biggest turnout at a NOFARS testing session in ten years. Novice and Advanced licenses were no longer issued, except for renewals of existing licenses. Only a 5 word per minute code test remained after April 15th

Website upgrades by Bill, KD4UJK improved NOFARS Internet presence. 140 members subscribed to the e-mail Balanced Modulator.   The first step was taken toward implementing a new hamfest as Tom, NO4A procured insurance at a reduced rate for NOFARS which included coverage for two large gatherings.  

Another bad omen for hamfests in central Florida when forty tailgate and swap table vendors got an unexpected visit from Florida Dept. of Revenue representatives.   Vendors scattered quickly as word spread.  Revenuers wrote down license tag numbers. 

A statewide campaign to step up sales tax enforcement seemed in the works.  NOFARS requested interpretations of vague regulations concerning sales of used ham gear.  DoR replied with a 13-page document which detailed  rules and requirements.

The Florida SEDAN digital system expanded to 17 locations with new relay points in Live Oak, Sanford and St. Petersburg. 26 ARES volunteers provided communications for River Run.  APRS supplemented voice communications.  A monitor displayed progress of the lead truck and other race vehicles.  A new movie, Frequency, came out which included an old Heath SB-301 supporting futuristic communications.

First Coast High School football stadium was the location for the 2000 W4IZ Field Day in June. Totals increased 35% over 1999 with 3 stations bringing in 3,165 contacts despite bad bands and rain.  Our score was #1 in Florida for the 3A category. A video documentary produced by “Spinner,” a FD visitor, was shown at the December NOFARS meeting.  

Lightning was frequent and damaging to several repeaters including the system operated by Red, NS4R.  Tom Castiglia, NO4A was the 2000 Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year based on his many years of service to ham radio in Jacksonville.  

A new packet group, Super Packet (SP) sponsored a weekly net.  The ham station at the Jacksonville National Weather Service Office was licensed as WX4JAX.  Tropical storm Gordon wobbled along the western Florida coast before turning toward us bringing several inches of rain.  ARES operators stood by to assist.   

FCC created a new CB-type service called MURS.  No license was required.  Television engineer Jim Biggers, WA4WWG explained the new high definition TV (HDTV) technology at the October meeting. HDTV would replace the older system by 2006.  The changeover was eventually delayed until 2009.  

In December, the Jax Skywarn Assn. activated WX4JAX for the first time in Skywarn Appreciation Day.  FCC alleged that a Jacksonville operator twice presented invalid documentation at volunteer exam sessions to gain a higher license.  The upgrade was canceled and the culprit received a stern letter from FCC counsel Riley Hollingsworth. The applicant had been turned away by NOFARS examiners but slid through at sessions administered by two other VE teams despite warnings from NOFARS.  

26 volunteers put in 456 hours at Regency Mall Watch coordinated by Menard, KE4IOR.

2001

In early 2001, the printed Balanced Modulator reduced publication from ten to six issues per year. Longtime newsletter publisher, Glynn O’Steen, WB4PHG retired after many years of service at Xerox.  We lost access to free printing but Ross Goodall, WD4NJV arranged a deep discount through OfficeMax that allowed us to continue the printed edition on a bimonthly schedule.  

NWS Meteorologist Fred Johnson put on a Skywarn Spotter training session at the May NOFARS meeting.  A Miami legislator pushed hard for a statewide antenna bill that would grant some relief to south Florida hams but which would curtail antenna structures in parts of the state by requiring expensive permits where regulation had been minimal.  

CCRs (non-government restrictions)  would not be affected.  The legislation failed.  30 hams stationed along the 9 mile River Run route assisted medical providers using the W4IZ repeater in March.  Around 50 attended a WWD picnic at Westside Regional Park in spite of constant rain from an approaching northeaster.   The FiCADA W4JAX BBS on 145.07 MHz was open for use by all hams interested in packet.  New SEDAN nodes increased the total to 50 in Florida.

Planning for an alternative hamfest went slow in 2000 because of the lack of an affordable location.  A dozen possible sites, indoors and outdoors, were considered but were either too expensive or restrictive.  In early 2001, a spot was found in a parking lot at FCCJ North Campus by N4UF and NO4A--but with a $324 price tag for six hours on Saturday.  We held the first Jacksonville FREE Hamfest there on October 6, 2001.

The W4IZ Field Day returned to First Coast High School. 3,184 contacts again placed us first in Florida and 11th nationwide in the 2A category.   New regulations for cellular telephone “wireless communications towers” were proposed in Jacksonville.  Several provisions could have affected hams and other non-commercial licensees.  After discussion at the July NOFARS  meeting, the city made clarifications and the final bill exempted hams from the new rules.  The W4IZ repeater added a link to the W4SA Putnam County repeater.

A Mass Casualty drill at Jacksonville International Airport simulated a collision between two planes and a fire.  Duval ARES was among the agencies participating with 25 operators.

27 volunteers served 420 hours during Regency Mall Watch and notified Mall security resulting in one caught crook.  A car burglary was observed by an operator watching the parking lot.  Three were arrested with over $1,900 in loot.

As 2001 ended, NOFARS membership was steadily increasing.  This was contrary to the situation with most clubs locally, statewide and nationwide. From our low of 270 in 1998, NOFARS gained back 100 members in three years.

2002

At 5:15pm on April 18, 2002, a 16-car Amtrak Auto Train with 452 passengers toppled when an engineer braked on an isolated stretch of track in southern Putnam County.  Sudden braking and load displacement caused enough of a shift to de-stabilize the train.  Passengers went flying through the air.  Some were pinned.

Fortunately, only four killed but 160 were injured.  Red Cross HQ in Jacksonville sent relief workers and support vehicles.  The crash location was 65 miles away--too far for reliable VHF simplex communications.  

The W4IZ link to the W4SA Putnam County system proved very beneficial.  With the two repeater systems tied together, relief communications between Jacksonville Red Cross, area hospitals, the crash location, the Putnam County EOC and a shelter at Crescent City High School were very good.  The Florida Crown Emergency Net operated from 5:30 until midnight as rescue responders worked hard to move passengers. Shelter population peaked at around 400.

Following the success of the 2001 WWD picnic, another was set for May 18th in Chaseville.  But the turnout was below expectations.  In 2002, the picnic would be replaced by a new Spring gathering.

On April 29th, several problems in rapid succession on the JEA power grid put most of Jacksonville and parts of surrounding counties into power blackouts.  After power was restored, other probems knocked out power to much of the city for several hours.  The Duval County ARES Net activated on the 146.64 MHz repeater and the ham station at the Jax EOC went on the air.

In June, FCC proposed two new ham bands--a domestic allocation at 5.25-5.4 MHz  and a new low frequency “sliver band” for 136 KHz .  The 5 MHz (60 meter) was approved and the sliver band was not.  FCC also elevated our status from secondary to primary in the 2400-2402 MHz. band.

The Internet Repeater Linking Project (IRLP) extended into SE Georgia and NE Florida through efforts by Doug, KC5BMJ.  The 444.625 MHz. Repeater in Kingsland was linked into IRLP.  With a 700 foot antenna, the repeater covered most of Jacksonville.

A scheduling conflict at First Coast High School led to the W4IZ Field Day shifting to the Jacksonville Regional Fire & Rescue Training Center near FCCJ South Campus.  Two main stations and a VHF position produced 2,524 contacts.

Through efforts of Bill Layfield, KD4UJK a no-cost site became available for the 2nd Jacksonville FREE Hamfest on October 5th.  Jax Raceways near I-95 and Pecan Park Rd. was an excellent location.

NOFARS member Jim Nipper, K4PYT contacted the Amateur Radio station aboard the International Space Station.  He used a modest 100 watts into a four-element beam fixed at 240 degrees to carry on a 10 minute conversation with Cosmonaut Valery Korzun, RZ3FK.  Signal peaked at 10Db over S9.

NOFARS members W9AAZ and W4WX went to the Dominican Republic to operate as part of the HI9X station during the 2002 CQ Worldwide SSB DX Contest.  HI9X logged 6,541 contacts worth over 6 million points to finish among the top operations in the contest.

Steve Barber, WA4B was named Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year for 2002. Steve is the W4IZ Technical Chairman and is active in Field Day, NOFARS hamfest functions, digital communications and many other NOFARS activities and  specialties in Amateur Radio.  A SEDAN link path to the National Hurricane Center near Miami was completed with a new node in Stuart. 

2003

The Jacksonville Springfest debuted on March 15, 2003 at Jax Raceways as a replacement for the WWD picnic.  The concept was  a free flea tailgate with a picnic.  Start time was set at 10AM in order to entice those in attendance to stay later.  But a dangerous traffic backup of hams waiting to get in led to gates opening early at 8:30.  The free flea aspect was a huge success but the picnic was a flop. 

In April, NOFARS member John Reynolds, W4IJJ was presented with a “Points of Light” award by the Governor.  John was cited for his 23 years of volunteer service with Red Cross as Radio Officer and in other responsibilities. 

A new form of Internet access, Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) caused alarm among hams and other spectrum users.  Early BPL systems were very dirty in terms of undesirable radiation.  Unshielded power lines seems to be a poor choice as a means of provider consumer internet services.

But the big dollars of promoters and willingness of politicians to look the other way did not bode well for hams.  FCC seemed to turn a deaf ear to interference complaints.

The final centralized W4IZ Field Day in June produced 1,719 contacts.  The total was good enough to finish first in Florida in the two-transmitter category.  Most notable was severe weather and lightning that hit the football stadium and disrupted operations for several hours on Saturday afternoon.  Six inches of rain left the area a mud pit.

In July, the President of the Dayton Amateur Radio Assn., sponsors of the Dayton Hamvention, spoke at our meeting.  Mike Buehler, N8XGA and YF Nancy, KC8RMT presented an inside look at the annual convention which is the largest ham radio gathering North America with around 25,000.

Longtime NOFARS member Ton Castiglia, NO4A passed away in July. Another major upgrade for the NOFARS web site was completed in August.   FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy gushed that BPL was “broadband Nirvana” when she addressed the United Powerline Council’s annual conference in September.

The 3rd Jacksonville FREE Hamfest was a hit at Jax Raceways in October. W9AAZ and W4WX were on San Andres Island operating 5J0X for the CQ WW SSB Contest.   The November meeting focused on misinterpretation of FCC rules and questionable conduct by overzealous Official Observers.

Red Phillips, NS4R was honored as 2003 Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year.  WX4JAX was active during Skywarn Appreciation Day. 

2004

The ARRL Board of Directors requested FCC to consolidate the license structure into three grades.  An entry-level license would require passage of a 25-question written test.  Privileges to include operation on 80, 40, 15, 10, 6 and 2 meters at reduced power levels. The mid-level license would require a test similar to the existing General exam.  Only the top level license would require a code test--at 5 wpm.

ARES activated after a bus crash on January 18th.  The bus rolled over an embankment near I-10 and I-95.  Twenty two passengers went to three hospitals.  More BPL systems created interference to hams operating on HF.  FCC continued to ignore complaints.  NOFARS presented a Kenwood TS-570 HF transceiver to the Jacksonville Skywarn Assn. for use at WX4JAX at the Jacksonville National Weather Service Office.

Springfest was renamed the Jacksonville FREE Flea.  Ideal weather and good attendance on March 27th at Jax Raceways.  41 operators helped with communications at River Run. Sparks, W4EAS presented an entertaining program on television cameras from the 1930s and into modern times at the April meeting.  An auction at the July meeting raised $270 for the W4IZ repeater.

Two tropical storms roared through Jacksonville and the effects of another storm brought tornados to town. 2004 had the most active storm season for our area since 1964.  Schools were closed for a week.  Power was out at Ed White High School and the September NOFARS meeting was canceled.

Duval ARES provided communications between five shelters, the EOC and Red Cross HQ.  Skywarn operators relayed weather reports to the Jacksonville NWS Office. SEDAN provided a digital link to much of Florida as four hurricanes and tropical storms passed through the state.  

Tropical storm Jeanne came through only a week before the Jacksonville FREE Hamfest but did not prevent 40 sellers and 200 persons from attending.  A truckload of computer and electronic items were up for auction with proceeds used to replace storm-damaged hardware of the W4IZ repeater system.

A poor response by exhibitors led to cancellation of the 2004 Greater Jacksonville Hamfest scheduled for the Morocco Shrine Auditorium. In operation since 1974,  hamfest attendance had declined from thousands of people to a few hundred.  NOFARS and two other groups chose to leave the consortium of sponsors in 1999.  Although the remaining sponsors stated the hamfest would be back in 2005, the days of large multi-day ham conventions in Jacksonville were over.

Menard Norton, KE4IOR was chosen 2004 Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year.

2005

A Skywarn Spotter training session was conducted at the January 2005 NOFARS meeting.

In February, the NFL Super Bowl came to town.  A dozen local hams worked with the NFL frequency coordination team to minimize interference between hundreds of transmitters in and near the stadium.  

ARRL requested FCC to rescind loosened restrictions against BPL interference and restudy the concept.

ARRL HQ was concerned over a new Florida law aimed at pirate broadcasters.  Defective wording threatened hams who caused interference, regardless of fault, with felony charges.  

Weather cooperated again with the third Jacksonville FREE Flea at Jax Raceways.  

JEA planned a BPL system in Jacksonville to serve patients of a children’s hospital.  Representatives answered questions at the May NOFARS meeting and promised to protect hams from interference.  A second-generation cleaner BPL used microwave feeds for long hauls.  Power lines were used only in the immediate vicinity of clients homes.  This was in contrast to the older “end-to-end” BPL systems used in other areas. NOFARS members reported no difficulties.

A Jacksonville ham was killed in a shootout at a Hess gas station in Arlington.  23 helped at River Run.  For the second year, NOFARS operators participated in Field Day from multiple locations.  And for the third year, FD weather was very bad with heavy rain and lightning.  ARRL proposed a controversial plan to regulate emissions by bandwidth instead of type.  

Hurricane Katrina tore up coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. Amateur Radio provided the only communications in some parishes.  The 5th Jacksonville FREE Hamfest raised around $600 for the W4IZ repeater.  The NOFARS New Ham Advisor program headed by Mike, N4FOZ was introduced.

Fortunes began changing for operators of “dirty” BPL systems.  PPL Broadband pulled the plug in Pennsylvania citing competition from other Internet provider options.  Todd, K1KVA organized activity during the Scouting Jamboree on the Air in October.  W9AAZ and W4WX operated from Anguilla during the CQWW SSB contest.

The 2005 Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year was Vern Ferris, W4NEK.  Vern was honored for his many years of work on behalf of ham radio including several series of license classes at Moose Haven.

2006-7

Our hamfest site, Jax Raceways, closed as developers moved in.  The March 2006 Jacksonville FREE Flea moved to Terry Parker Baptist Church.

Many waited for FCC action on license restructuring but the final report and order was slow in coming.  John, W4IJJ taught a license class series at Red Cross.  Seven new hams resulted.

Television Meteorologist Mike Buresh presented an outstanding meeting program in July.  

The 6th Jacksonville FREE Hamfest at Terry Parker Baptist Church drew a good crowd.  FCC shifted and expanded sub-bands on 75, 40 and 15 meters.  Wayne Norton, WB4YTJ received the 2006 Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year plaque.

On February 23, 2007, the Morse Code requirement was eliminated from all license exams.  The downward spiral continued for hamfests. The Tropical Hamboree in Miami was canceled leaving only 3 major hamfests in Florida. Oscar Wolfbrandt, K4DDY passed away in February.

The Jacksonville FREE Flea included ideal weather and a large turnout. Mike Buresh put on another excellent program at the June meeting.   The HF Ham Advisor started operation. NOFARS de-centralized Field Day from a ten locations came off with good weather for a change.  

The October 6th date for the Jacksonville FREE Hamfest included lightning and rain.  The gathering was postponed until November when good weather led to a good turnout.  Todd Lovelace, K1KVA won recognition as 2007 Greater Jacksonville Amateur Radio Operator of the Year.

Wayback Night at the November meeting included a look back at ham radio in Jacksonville before NOFARS began in 1957.

Duval ARES responded quickly after an explosion at T2 Laboratories on Dec. 19th.  A rising cloud of possibly toxic gas was seem in much of Jacksonville but the Northside explosion was contained and nearby residents returned after a three-hour evacuation.

2008

As 2008 began, rising costs led to the printed Balanced Modulator newsletter being published quarterly instead of every two months.  Gasoline prices rose rapidly and affected just about everyone.  Inflation ate away at earnings and a falling dollar brought price increases on some ham gear--nearly all of which is imported.

Speakers at the March meeting included Mike Gondeck KI4QLT, Radio Manager for the City of Jacksonville, and Paul Eakin, KJ4G, from ARRL.

A good turnout and nice weather at the 2008 Jacksonville FREE Flea produced over $500 in donations for the W4IZ repeater system which was kept in good shape by a dedicated group.  Technical chairman Steve Barber, WA4B and his crew installed an upgraded power amplifier to fill in some previously weak spots in our coverage.  Those assisting included Henry WB4LEQ, Brian, KC4ZGH, Todd, K1KVA, Joe KI4OIU, John KA4REY, Ronnie, KC4UKV, Roger KI4PIL.

Mike Buresh returned to NOFARS with an informative and entertaining presentation at the June meeting.  He called for moderate hurricane activity during the 2008 season. Around 70 attended.  




This article appeared during NOFARS Fifty Years series published during 2007-8 in the Balanced Modulator.

JaxRadio.net