POW Radios

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  POW Radios Jeff Fuller WB6UIE     Our nation honors the sacrifices of our Prisoners of War and Missing Action (POW/MIA) each year on the third Friday in September. The courage of our service members in surviving harsh living conditions, brutal interrogations, and starvation rations is legendary. This story will cover a lesser known and fascinating portion of their bravery and ingenuity – radios secretly built and operated by American and Allied prisoners right under the noses of their captors. POW radios got their start as WWII Axis compounds began to fill with downed Allied aviators, hungry for news about the war’s progress. Some had military radio training. Others had been hams before the war. For a moment, imagine yourself as one of those prisoners. You’re injured, on short … Read more >>

Hams help Serve Our Willing Warriors (SOWW) 2024

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By John Heartney, as told to “The Other Ken”, KN4DD Willing Warriors is a privately-funded 501 (c)(3) charitable organization offering cost-free getaways from the hospital environment where Warriors and their families can come to relax, spend quality time together, and reconnect.  Their programs include more than 40+ cost-free educational and recreational activities, including seminars that address the issues of dealing with PTS and TBI. The big SOWW fund raiser is their Annual Warrior Bike Ride. This event is based out of The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, where the event both begins & ends. Local hams (called spotters) provide communication across the race courses spanning Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties. Last Saturday, September 7th, was a beautiful day for a bike ride with a daily high of only 74° … Read more >>

Sunshine Corner

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SUNSHINE CORNER – SEPTEMBER, 2024 Happy Birthday wishes to these club members:  Gus, N4MLE; Scott, WB6EFW; Al, KB4BHB; Jim, WE4JJ; Maury, W4HYB; Ron, N4RDZ; Bill, AF4LL; Mark, WA4KFZ; Kyle, no call; Lori, KC0EWN and Richard, N4HOS – Enjoy your day! Condolences to Kevin, W4RKU, on the passing of his mother. My apologies for the short Sunshine Corner this month, many of you have met my mom over the course of the last year or so.   She passed away on September 6th and I have been tied up with funeral arrangements.  She was thrilled to meet you all and very entertained by all our ham radio stuff. Page County is holding a Tailgate this month,  September 28th, please consider visiting, they put on a great show! Please send me your news, … Read more >>

President’s Letter for September 2024

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Hello All, As Hurricane Francine prepares to make landfall in Louisiana, if you will allow me, Hurricane Season (which ends December 1st) has been mild for the US this year. After predictions of a heavy 2024 hurricane season, this is only the second named storm hitting the mainland so far. And as always, I hope for a mild winter. A reminder that September is National Preparedness Month. So, while the weather is warm and mostly dry, now would be a good time to inspect any tree-supported antennas or get a new one up. Left on our 2024 To-Do List, we have the Manassas Christmas parade on December 7th at 10 AM and our annual OVH Christmas Party. Preparations have begun. Back on September 7th the Ole Virginia Hams supported the … Read more >>

Balloon Launch at Field Day

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W4OVH Amateur Balloon Payload Experiment – Field Day, 2024 Our W4OVH team of radio experiment enthusiasts launched an amateur radio high altitude balloon (HAB) payload on Field Day, June 22. Our first ever launch attempt zoomed into the blue sky trailing a lengthy HF antenna. To the amazement of the small group of spectators, the balloon and payload headed toward an uncertain fate. How did we get here?   Background The earliest known hydrogen gas balloon launch, according to Wikipedia, took place near Paris in 1783. One of the spectators in attendance was Benjamin Franklin. The balloon, fashioned in rubberized silk, was about 13 feet in diameter. The hydrogen was generated by pouring sulfuric acid over iron, then delivered into the balloon via lead pipes. You can read the details … Read more >>

Sunshine Corner

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SUNSHINE CORNER – AUGUST 2024   Happy Birthday wishes to these club members:  Ken, KD4VA; John, KK4TCE; Karl, W4KRL; Stu, W4PR; Ronnell, KK4ZUR; Vern, KO4LVS; Chick, KC1PIA; Duane, KK4BZ; Raymond, KF4AQR and Andy, Kj4MTP – Enjoy your day! Great to see several OVH members at the Berryville Hamfest at the beginning of August.  There was a tremendous turnout for their tailgate, looked like a lot of shopping was going on! Photos included. Saturday, September 7th is the 7th Annual Willing Warriors Bike Ride (Bicycles).  This starts in Haymarket and goes all the way up into Loudoun County. This event has several courses with different distances. Because it covers so much of an area, the ham community is very much needed to help along the course to make sure everything is … Read more >>

President’s Letter for August 2024

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Greetings All, With September only a few weeks away, I am reminded that while Hurricane Season officially started back on June 1st , here in the Mid-Atlantic region it unofficially begins for us in September. Now would be a good time to check your emergency communications equipment, supplies, including batteries. It would also be a good time to verify the integrity of both your antenna(s) and the guy wires. Over the years, the Ole Virginia Hams have had several members completely fry their equipment due to lightning strikes. So, I think it would also be good to review your safe grounding & isolation setups. While depriving you of a good story, it’ll save you a lot of money and (setup) aggravation later on. Monthly Breakfast You don’t have to wait … Read more >>

13 Colonies Certificates begin to arrive

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The 13 Colonies Event runs in early July and consists of contacting special event stations in each of the original 13 colonies. Contacting all 13 constitutes a “SWEEP”. There are three bonus stations: England, France and Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Many OVH members participated. Click the small image to get a much bigger view of the certificate.