From an e-mail sent to volunteers:

“It comes with much difficulty that we are announcing the cancellation of the 2020 Air Force Marathon in-person events scheduled for September 17-19 due to impacts associated with COVID-19. This decision comes with having had conversations over the last two months with Air Force leadership, medical experts, and our event partners and having evaluated all possibilities to host the in-person event.”

Full details at the Air Force Marathon website.

The 2020 Kettering Holiday At Home events, including the parade and 5K that are supported by Amateur Radio operators, have been canceled.

If you can’t participate in the online spotter training offered by the Wilmington NWS office, here is an alternative source. This course is recognized by the National Weather Service and you can register your completion with the Wilmington office. Full details and instructions in this PDF.

If you attend the Wilmington Online session you do not need to take this course.

Course Description: The SKYWARN Spotter Training Course is being offered by the COMET^® Program as part of its educational partnership with the NWS. Questions about the Spotter program need to be directed to your local Weather Forecast Office (WFO) and its Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM).

This course has been officially designated by the NWS as a nationally-uniform training course for all SKYWARN Spotters. This course can be taken as a supplement to the face-to-face SKYWARN Spotter training sessions held in every WFO. Check with your local WFO for any additional requirements or recommendations.

Supplemental local spotter training is at the discretion of your local NWS forecast office, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist and the Skywarn weather spotter focal point. There maybe supplemental training on additional local weather hazards, such heavy snow, ice storms, flooding, etc., and their reporting that you can only achieve through local spotter training. https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_course.php?id=23

Ron was the District 3 DEC for many years

Per the DARA RF Carrier:

March 18, 2020

With all that is going on lately, it is with sadness that I must inform the club that Ron Moorefield, W8ILC, passed away earlier today. Due to the corona virus, the family has postponed the memorial services and will make an announcement later.  Please keep his family in your prayers as we get through this unusual and difficult time.

73 de K8UD
Steve Coy

Ronald L Moorefield, W8ILC, became a Silent Key on Wednesday, May 18th.

Born in 1937, “Ron was an accomplished DXer with an ARRL DXCC Mixed total of 373”.

A Dayton, Ohio resident, Ron was active in the South West Ohio DX Association (SWODXA). He was first licensed at age 13 (in 1951).

He worked for ATT Ohio Bell for some 38 years.

Ron gave back to the Amateur Radio community in many ways including working with FEMA, ARES, DARA (Hamvention), and as a QSL Manager (J6LRU, J68AM, VP2EK).

During the 1984 he was the National Ham Radio Coordinator for the Olympic Torch Relay between New York and Los Angeles.

Ron also operated from several Caribbean islands and several Central American countries.

He was also a former ARRL Great Lakes Division Assistant Director. In 2011 Ron was inducted into the CQ Hall of Fame. He had been to all Dayton Hamventions which first began in 1952. Ron was also a longtime supporter of The Daily DX. I remember many years at Hamvention talking with Ron, including last May in Xenia.

RIP OM! SK

David Tritch
Communications Manager
DHS/FEMA Ohio Task Force 1

The Hamvention Executive Committee has been monitoring the COVID19 pandemic. We have worked very closely with our local and state health Departments.

It is with a very heavy heart the Hamvention Executive Committee has decided to cancel Hamvention for this year.

This decision is extremely difficult for us but with around two months until the Great Gathering we felt this action necessary.

More specific details regarding the closure will soon be posted on our website www.hamvention.org.

Thank you for your understanding in this time of International Crisis.

Jack Gerbs
General Chairman HV2020

As the newly appointed West Central Ohio ARES Emergency Coordinator for District 3, I want to thank Fred Stone for his assistance as I transition into this new position. It goes without saying; Fred’s guidance leading District 3 has benefited the organization moving it forward.

I want to introduce myself and provide some background. Many of you know me as a Dayton SkyWarn Coordinator assisting with the NWS/SkyWarn weather spotter classes, Hamvention Security Chairman, Montgomery County ARES – AEC Logistics/PIO, or Montgomery County EMA EMCOMM team leader/EOC staff.

I have over 40 years experience in Public Safety involved with a variety of emergency incidents, disasters, planning drill exercises, and instructing public safety courses.

Over the past years, I’ve been a first responder to the major emergency incidents in the Miami Valley region. I’ve been to the Xenia tornadoes 1974 and 2000, Miamisburg train phosphorous incident, blizzard of 1978, and many other incidents.

As an EMCOMM member, in 2019, I worked the water emergency, KKK rally, Tornado outbreak, and the mass shooting with the EMCOMM team/EOC staff members at the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management.

I have years of experience organizing and participating in public service events as a net control operator for area ham clubs and organizations. I’ve been a ham radio operator for 27 years, I enjoy the hobby including being a Volunteer Examiner and experiencing the excitement of students receiving their Technician ham radio license or moving up to the next level.

My years of experience involved in the many aspects of ham radio communications, disasters, planning, and executing drills made my decision to apply for the District Emergency Coordinator.

I’m looking forward to working with everyone and moving ARES into the future. It takes the cooperation of team work to move forward.

Don Parker KB8PSL
District Emergency Coordinator
West Central Ohio District 3 ARES

Beginning with the 15 January 2020 net, the Net Control Operator for the weekly District 3 ARES net will be using the callsign of KD3WCO (K-District 3 West Central Ohio).

I am pleased to announce the appointment of John Massie, WX8JDM, as the new Net Manager (NM) for the West Central Ohio District 3 ARES Weekly Net, effective today 15 March 2019.  John serves in the regular rotation of Net Control Operators (NCO) and spent a number of hour as one of the several NCO’s during the District 3 Snow Net Saturday/ Sunday 19/20 January.

I also want to recognize and express thanks and appreciation to retiring co-Net Managers Keith Burnette, KB8GYB, and Randy Allen, KAØAZS, for their respective many years of service to and support of the D3 Weekly Net.  They have expressed desire to be replaced for some time now and we finally are able to accomplish that for them.

The current Net procedures and guidelines will be maintained for the present time but the D3 EC’s and I are considering future changes to make the weekly net more interesting, efficient and effective.  I welcome and encourage Net Control Operators, Net participants and ARES personnel within the nine District 3 counties to email me any ideas and suggestions you may have for accomplishing these goals.  We also need your regular participation in the weekly Net as often as you can make it!

A “purpose and mission statement” for the D3 ARES Weekly Net and a “Position Description for D3 ARES Net Manager” will be published/distributed soon and also posted on the D3 ARES website—which Randy will continue to maintain as webmaster.

My “door” always is open so don’t hesitate to email me any time with any questions, idea and suggestions.  Thank you for your continuing participation in and support for West Central Ohio District 3 ARES.

73,

Fred Stone W8LLY

District Emergency Coordinator

West Central Ohio District 3 ARES

From Ohio ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL:

Gang, the enclosed news release has the details, but the short version is twofold: the EC-001 course is back on a new hosting system. It appears to be the same course as before.  The good news is in part two: the course is free.

If you have volunteers new to ARES  this is a good basic course for readiness and expectation.  Feel free to pass on this information to your members!

Here is the official release:

EC-001 Launch 2019

ARRL’s Lifelong Learning Department is excited to announce the launch of the recently revised Introduction to Emergency Communications (EC-001) course. As part of this new initiative, the course has been updated, beta-tested by a group of course mentors, and transferred into a new online learning platform.

With the closing of the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) in mid-2018, EC-001 lost its virtual home and was taken offline. At that point ARRL’s Emergency Preparedness staff started working with the new Lifelong Learning team to explore short and long-term alternatives for offering the course. After a period of careful evaluation and review, the decision was made to move the course from the previous Moodle platform to a more modern Learning Management System called Canvas, which will be used while the new Lifelong Learning Initiative program is being developed. The EC-001 course will eventually become part of this new, comprehensive online learning environment.

EC-001 is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. We hope this course will be the starting point for you in your service to your community as radio amateurs and inspire you to think outside the box and look at new and useful ways the radio amateur can lend a hand to the public that has given us the trust of our spectrum of skills. With the online format, students can access the course at any time from anywhere during a 9-week period, so you may work according to your own schedule.

“We’re very excited to be able to offer Introduction to Emergency Communications EC-001 once again” states Kris Bickell, ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager. “The Emergency Preparedness staff at ARRL has been incredibly helpful while we’ve worked together to get the course back up and running. And the input from previous EC-001 mentors has been an invaluable part of the testing phase. The timing is right to put the course back online.”

As in the past, students will be able to register and take the course entirely online. The Canvas platform is also mobile-responsive, meaning that students can view the course materials, interact with fellow students, and complete assignments from any mobile device.

Each course will run for nine (9) weeks, with a group of up to 30 students who will be supported by an experienced mentor. There will be no cost for the course, although students must meet certain pre-requisites to be eligible to participate, which are listed on the registration page.

To view the 2019 course schedule and to register:

http://www.arrl.org/online-course-registration