President’s Letter for July 2022

Finally, our busy season is winding down. It’s been a whirlwind for some time now.

On June 25th & 26th the OVH took part in ARRL Field Day 2022.
Under the guidance of returning Field Day Chairman Byron, AK4XR, we had our best Field Day in 20 years.  We claimed 5,266 points.

Preparation started the day before, on Friday. Lines were shot in trees Friday afternoon, everyone started showing up early Saturday, and we were ready to go long before things got started. We also had the return of the Pot Luck Supper on Saturday; there was no shortage of camaraderie.

You can read more about it in John, KG4NXT’s excellent article:  https://w4ovh.net/ovh-field-day-best-in-20-years/

Back on the 4th of July, OVH supported The Freedom Firecracker 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run Mini-Tri lead by Wayne, N7QLK. It was short & sweet. We were there by 7:15 AM & gone by 9:30-ish. And what a colorful group. Not as many in costume as the Turkey Trot, but still quite imaginative.

Also back in the first week of July is the popular 13 Colonies Contest. It ran July 1st thru July 7th.  We had many participants & I look forward to reading our stats.

You don’t have to wait until our in-person meetings to see everyone again; you can come out this Saturday, July 16th at 8:00 AM for the resumption of our monthly breakfasts!  Pioneered by Byron, AK4XR, at the start of 2019 and put on pause for the pandemic, every Saturday before our meetings we get together at a table or two in the back of Yorkshire Restaurant for some good food and good conversation.

Yorkshire Restaurant
7537 Centreville Rd
Manassas, VA 20111
(703) 368-4905
Menu:   https://www.yorkshirerestaurantmanassas.com/menu/

We hope to see you there.

Next, our monthly meeting is back on Tuesdays, specifically July 19th, after our one off.

W4OVH Monthly Meeting – masks optional
19 July @ 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Buckhall VFD Hall
7190 Yates Ford Road
Manassas VA 20111

Coming up on Sunday July 24th, the OVH is supporting the
Tri It Now – Summer Super Sprint
The Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center
9100 Freedom Center Blvd
Manassas, VA 20110

Volunteer spotters are needed. We will meet at the rally point on Sunday, July 24th by 7:30 AM and are expecting to run until approximately 12:00 noon. Our support for the Manassas Mini-Tri is also a great way for our new hams to get acquainted their equipment and with our club members. All that is needed is an HT and a desire to serve.
If you are interested, please contact Andy Gamponia – you can reach Andy @ andy@gamponia.com

If you are itching for some Hamfest action, Berryville is just around the corner. I know a number of OVH members attend regularly, so you’re sure to see some of us. It’s just a few of weeks away, August 7th at the Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds in Berryville.  For more details, visit the website:  https://berryvillehamfest.com/

Also, a reminder to check in to the OVH’s Thursday night VHF/UHF repeater net at 8 PM.
The details for that are on the OVH’s web site:  https://w4ovh.net    This is a great way to stay in touch.
We are still wrestling with intermittent repeater problems, so please be patient. On the plus side, we now know many places where the problem is not.

I would like to dedicate the rest of this letter giving thanks for 2 very important people to our club.

Late in June, I received an e-mail from our Hamfest Chairman Don, WA2SWX, who wrote to say while he would remain OVH Treasurer, he was hanging up his Hamfest Chairman’s hat after 4 years.

Don stepped into this role 4 years ago, when it needed quite a bit of attention.  I really appreciate the effort he has put into leading our team over the last 4 challenging years.

Don, I know you have been putting in a lot of extra time, and at a time when demands on your time have never been greater. You are truly inspiring and getting the most out of the skills and talents of our volunteers. Many people have expressed to me their appreciation of your efforts, particularly as deadlines loom.

Looking back at these last years, it’s clear that your hard work is paid off in tangible results. I’m very happy to see your leadership yielded such success! You’ve really proven your mettle as a very talented team leader, and while you will be sorely missed as Hamfest Chairman, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for you.

Shortly after that I received an e-mail from Theresa, KG4TVM, stating she was hanging up her “Sunshine Corner” web articles. Like Don, she is not leaving the club, but is stepping back from this set of duties.

And thank goodness for that. As you are all aware, Theresa is our “go to” person for just about everything. I don’t think it is stretching it to say without Theresa, the Ole Virginia Hams would be a very different place.

I want to express my personal gratitude for the effort and extra time you, Theresa, put into every project you get involved with. There were several points where your excellent problem-solving skills and creativity allowed us to swiftly resolve issues that might have easily escalated into roadblocks. You have done wonderful work in contributing your talents and to our club events, from the Sunshine Corner to taking it upon yourself to teach me about the Scholarship Committee so that I can take it over.

I know you have been putting in a lot of extra time, above and beyond the call of duty, and this has truly helped to ensure that we met our deadlines time after time. Your hard work is evident in our club’s successes.

The Club owes both of you a tremendous debt & on behalf of Ole Virginia Hams, I thank you both.

Ken Brant, KN4DD
President
Ole Virginia Hams ARC

 

Questions, comments or war stories can be directed to my e-mail: KN4DD@arrl.net
73, Ken / KN4DD

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