Club News

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 >>

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 >>

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.

OVH repeaters get new AC

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Gil KM4OZH and Byron AK4XR remove the old outside AC unit

As was mentioned at the last OVH meeting, the AC at our Mt. Pone site failed. One of the CPUs reported a temp of 65 degrees Celsius which is 149 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat is the enemy of electronics. Byron, AK4XR, visited the site and traced the problem to the control board of the outside unit or compressor. He could not determine if the motor was OK or not. At the meeting, he recommended replacing both the inside and outside units. Jeff, K9VEG, moved to replace both units and this motion was passed on July 16. Byron ordered the units and installed them on July 19 with help from Gil, KM4OZH and John, KG4NXT. The new units are now running at the shack at Mt. Pone and cooling all of our … Read more >>

President’s Letter for July 2024

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Hello Again Everyone, Once again, our busy season is winding down, and it’s been a whirlwind for some time now. On June 22nd & 23rd the OVH took part in ARRL Field Day 2024. Under the guidance of returning Field Day Chairwoman Cat, KM4PBD, we had another good Field Day weekend. We had 15 participants and a preliminary total score of: 3,336. I look forward to reading our official stats. Despite the heat & humidity, preparation started the day before, on Friday. Antenna lines were shot into the trees Friday afternoon. Gil, KM4OZH, handed off the OVH Trailer to James, KQ4CAX, who delivered it safely to Nokesville Park. Participants started showing up early Saturday, and we were ready to go long before the official start time. We also had our … Read more >>

President’s Letter for June 2024

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Hello Everyone, I’d like to start with our 2024 Tailgate Party (in lieu of Hamfest) on June 1st. Most importantly to me, a Big Thank You to all of our volunteers. Along with the good weather, you are the reason this event was so successful. And what a great capstone to Don’s career as Hamfest Chairman. After 5 straight Saturdays of rain, we had a 75° day with no rain and no humidity. We beat last year’s vendors & spenders headcount. Don’s XYL, Edith, ran the bake sale & it did quite well. Best of all, we cleared ~$1,500.00, after expenses. Way to go, Don! Last year we officially opened at 8 AM and many showed up 7-ish. So, this year we moved it up an hour earlier, and of … Read more >>