Early in the morning of Thanksgiving Day, OVH did communications support for the Manassas Turkey Trot, which is a 5k race event. We provided communications. The OVH members helping where Wayne, N7QLK (lead); Ken, KN4DD; Theresa, KG4TVM and John, KG4NXT. The race went smoothly. We did notice a large number of participants whose philosophy was ” Walk, don’t run”. Nevertheless, we all got home in plenty of time for Thankgiving dinner.
On November 19, 2022, OVH sponsored a VE session at a Centreville Library. Byron, AK4XR had secured the space. The VEs assisting were John, KG4NXT; Al, KB4BHB; Ken, KN4DD; Luther, WA3FMO; James, KQ4CAX, and Mark, WA4KFZ. Theresa, KG4TVM assisted with registration and ID checking. She also prepared a handout which included a club application and the steps to follow to check on the application and pay the new $35 FCC fee. We had 7 applicants and all passed. We have 5 new technicians and 2 new Generals.
Greetings to All, I hope that everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. I was going to say something about leftover candy, as if there would actually be any candy left over. But, never mind. November 11th is Veterans Day. As you probably know, originally it was designated as Armistice Day in remembrance of World War I veterans. It has since evolved in the US to honor ALL veterans of our military services. So, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of our members who have served, and also all who are currently defending, those who have served, and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank You. Our Former VP Jeff, WB6UIE, always a fine writer, has written another enjoyable article for Veteran’s Day, on our website. … Read more >>
Jeff Fuller WB6UIE Constructed by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the park was originally designed as a getaway for inner city youth during the Great Depression. Today its rustic cabins and idyllic trails are available for all to enjoy. There is another interesting and, until recently, little known slice of the park’s history – its role as a training site for OSS operatives during WWII. America entered WWII with no national agency responsible for coordinating intelligence and covert action. Before Pearl Harbor, such activities were conducted piecemeal by the individual military services. President Roosevelt addressed this deficiency by creating the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) under WWI Medal of Honor recipient Brigadier General … Read more >>
and John Heartney, KG4NXT On October 23rd, the Ole Virginia Hams wrapped up its support for the 24th Annual Tri It Now season with its eponymous Tri It Now “SEASON WRAP UP”. There are normally 6 events per season occurring either on a Saturday or Sunday. The OVH usually fields 5 to 8 volunteer spotters. That is, we are there to provide eyes, ears & communication support throughout the event. Normally, we spot riders with broken down bicycles and riders who haven’t trained enough, so they are suffering from sore limbs. I myself took one rider with ankle pains & his bike which had 2 flat tires (related perhaps?) in my truck back to the finish line. In short, usually nothing serious happens. What many of you do not see … Read more >>
It’s October and 2022 is winding down. I’m finding that for me, the cooler night air is “free air conditioning” but honestly, Mrs. KN4DD thinks I’m a bit out of my mind. Heavy sigh. Last year, I was invited to be part of the 2022 Warrior Bike Ride Executive Planning Committee. At that time, I had no idea how much planning, work & (three county) coordination went into a one day event. It was both a privilege and a pleasure working with these very professional women & men and I learned quite a bit. Additionally, I have some new numbers for the SOWW Warrior Bike Ride that took place back on September 10th, 2022. It took 150 volunteers to support the ride with 1,350 hrs of manpower for event day … Read more >>
Well, it’s half past September. Cooler weather and less humidity is on the way. I’m a big fan of that. The sun will be going down sooner too. I’m not much of a fan of that, however. And, to borrow a phrase from “The Game of Thrones”, winter is coming. Summer activities are winding down too. Off of the top of my head, we have 2 Tri-It-Now events, the Manassas Christmas parade and our annual OVH Christmas Party left on 2022’s To-Do List. While I am on the subject of activities, let us not forget that this is National Preparedness Month. I am a huge fan of being self contained. I probably got that from my old man. As a kid, 5 of us, a dog and a parrot (with … Read more >>
Location, location, location. As a Florida boy, I know that Hurricane Season officially starts on June 1st. However, here in the Mid-Atlantic region, it unofficially begins in a few weeks. 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. I’m reminded that 3 years ago George, K4GVT suffered a lightning strike around this time. It completely obliterated his antenna & damaged his radios & other electronics. So I think it would also be good to review your safe grounding & isolation setups. Back on July 24th, the OVH supported The Tri It Now – Summer Super Sprint at the Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center in … Read more >>