KN4DD

Hello to All, As 2024 winds down, it is customary to review where we have been this year. Last year was the first year without the Tri-It-Now mini triathlons. They would have started up last March (2024), but Ina Nenninger, owner & organizer of Tri It Now retired and moved away.  I, for one, miss the activities, and our “new ham” members have lost a great way to wade in to our hobby. I really believe the OVH needs to replace this activity. If any of you have any ideas, please contact me or any of the other officers. In March we had the VA QSO Party. We performed quite well, yet again. A big nod to Gil, KM4OZH. In April, our OVH Trailer got rehomed. We had stored the … Read more >>

Hello again everyone, Last month’s opening statement in the President’s Letter had to do with OVH Vice President Gil, KM4OZH’s remarkable performance in September’s VHF contest, Limited Rover Class. Today, I am happy to report that Gil’s performance can be found on pg. 75 of the December issue of QST magazine. I am also pleased to announce that Mark, WA4KFZ, is working on scheduling our next VE Session. He has also told me he is planning on retiring this upcoming January after a long career. Well done, sir. 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 … Read more >>

Hello All, I’d like to start with “reflected glory”. Once again, our Vice President, Gil, KM4OZH, has brought home the glory of Second Place Nationally in September’s UHF/VHF contest. Gil competes in the “Limited Rover” category, and achieved his highest raw score ever – 14,960. Gil has been licensed a relatively short time, compared to some of our more “seasoned” members, and he took to serious contesting early in his ham career. His tenacity and resilience and yes, his creativity (have you even seen his car?) have served him well in his contesting, which shines a positive light on the OVH, as well. Way to go, Gil! Be sure to read John’s, KG4NXT’s more detailed article on Gil’s most resent accomplishment on our website, immediately below this one. Next up, … Read more >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Hello Everyone, Well, with regard to the beginning of May, it sure looked like we were going to go directly into summer. While I don’t mind the warm days, I do like it cooler in the evenings. I sleep better in the cooler evenings, and I tend to think of it as “free air conditioning”. Thankfully, we seem to have returned to seasonal weather.   Theresa, KG4TVM, is once again proving herself to be a force of nature. As if May and June aren’t already the busiest months of our club’s year, she has acquired a cache of very old OVH Newsletters, and has been scanning them into her computer and uploading them into our website’s Newsletter Archive. With John, KG4NXT, assisting with the scanning, our website now has issues … Read more >>