2018 Manassas Hamfest

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hamfest vendor

On June 3rd, 2018 the Ole Virginia Hams had their 44th annual hamfest at the Prince Williams Fairgrounds.  Although the weather was less than agreeable we had a good vendor turnout with 38 vendors who rented 80 tables necessitating us to even place a couple of additional vendors in the building housing the program sessions.  Sandy KM4JUS did a wonderful job in managing a very dynamic situation.  Additionally, we had 51 tailgaters and a gate attendance of approximately 345 brave individuals undaunted by the weather. A big thank you goes out to Theresa KG4TVM and all others for managing the club table out in the rain and cold.  Theresa and her team managed not only the table but prize drawings and announcements as well.  In addition, Jeff Fuller WB6UIE ran interesting … Read more >>

VP’s Corner

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I’ll begin this month’s column with a thank you to Hamfest Chair Don, WA2SWX, and his team of volunteers. They worked tirelessly to fill the vendor hall, provide a top notch series of drawing prizes, and schedule some interesting presentations like the wireless weather station by OVH member W4KRL(http://www.w4krl.com). Those who helped carry those big wooden tables during setup and cleanup can testify that there was also quite a bit of physical labor involved. Unfortunately this year there was one obstacle we couldn’t clear – the weather. Pouring rain most of the day really put a damper on attendance and resulting revenue. We’ll hope for better luck next year. Recruiting is up with several new members joining the club over the last two months. Some, like myself, started hamming as … Read more >>

Pinkie’s Corner

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Pinkie Pig here!  The last few weeks have been rather hectic.  The hams have been assisting at various events around the area, and then there was Hamfest! We had a light turn-out at the May meeting.  Don M. gave a great presentation on UBITX, which went right over my little pink head. So, don’t ask me any questions!  (I thought it was a new breed of dog, but what do I know?   I’m only a pig!)  Peaches did not attend, as usual.  It was raining, and I think she’s afraid of rain!  Perhaps it was for the best because I heard some talk about “bacon”! We also read in another club member for my fan club! Hamfest was upon us before I could pry Peaches off the couch.  The day … Read more >>

Manassas Hamfest 2018 Is Here

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hamfestslideshow

Hamfest is Sunday June 3 If you are helping set up the event on Saturday June 2,  please be at the Chic Fil A at 9506 Liberia Ave at 8 am for breakfast courtesy of the club, then on to the Fairgrounds. If you are going to the Hamfest,  it is at the Prince William Fairgrounds starting at 7 am on Sunday June 3. If you would like to know about the Hamfest prizes and presentations, click HamfestHighlights_2018 If you would like vendor , admission,  or directions,  click hamfest web page Talk-in will be on 146.970 – the OVH 2 meter repeater The Hamfest will be held regardless of weather.  

Presidents Letter

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President Byron gives award to Theresa

Presidents Letter: What a month it has been since our last club meeting! The OVH’s participation at the Manassas Airshow May 5th went extremely well. The weather was almost perfect for an airshow – not too hot, light winds and a very high overcast; the forecast rains held off until after the Airshow was over. Overall attendance estimates for the Airshow were around 10,000. It was a great opportunity to get our club out into the public view and hopefully interest more folks people in becoming hams. A bunch of the club’s new “how to contact us” business cards were taken. Thanks to the OVH volunteers for putting it all together and for the long hours they put in to make it successful. Check out the article on the Manassas … Read more >>

VP’s Corner

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VP’s Corner Jeff Fuller WB6UIE June is just around the corner, and with it one of amateur radio’s signature events – Field Day. For OVH members, it’s a tasty BBQ, family get together, and a chance to have some fun outdoor hamming.  And, of course, a chance to hone our emergency communication skills. Emergency power plays an important role in our preparedness. For multi operator fixed stations, that power usually comes from a gasoline generator. Mobiles can work as long as the engine can keep the battery charged. What about a scenario where you need to forward deploy with emergency services? Vehicles can get close, but fallen trees and other obstacles mean you’ll need to carry your gear on a pack frame a mile or more to reach a good comms location. You … Read more >>

W4OVH and Friends at 2018 Warrior Bike Ride

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Wow… it has been a very busy weekend over the 5-6 May Saturday and Sunday! First the outstanding Manassas Air Show and W4OVH attending to promote our Amateur Radio activities on Saturday, coordinated by Kevin Utzy and then the 2018 Inaugural Warrior Bike Ride on Sunday. The 2018 Warrior Bike Ride was hosted by the Serve Our Willing Warriors (SOWW) organization which does such outstanding work in providing a much-needed break for our recovering service members at military hospitals in the National Capital Region.  The average hospital stay is 300 days!  The exhausting, daily routine of surgeries, procedures, therapies, and doctor appointments takes a heavy toll on everyone involved. SOWW provides their Retreat, where our “Willing Warriors” can get away from the hospital environment with family, caretakers, and friends to relax, … Read more >>

OVH At The Manassas Airshow

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Members of the Old Virginia Hams participated in the Manassas Airshow on May 5th, 2018 at the Manassas airport by setting up a booth to show off some of the many activities in amateur radio to the attendees. There is much cross over between air enthusiasts and amateur radio. The club saw this as an opportunity to introduce the hobby to those who may not fully understand the various aspects and opportunities in the hobby. This public outreach was also provided a chance to not only educate but to make the community aware of our club and what we do. The club displayed five different items: A homemade crystal radio using soda cans as capacitors, made by Al, KB4BHB SDR CW radio built by John, KG4NXT 2 meter Fox and … Read more >>