About Carmine Prestia

Amateur Radio Extra Class License K3CWP ARES Emergency Coordinator, Centre County PA RACES/ACS Radio Officer, Centre Centre County PA

K3HOT/R Amateur Radio Repeater Information

A new Amateur Radio Service repeater is now in operation in Centre County.

The K3HOT repeater located on Rattlesnake Mountain operates on a frequency of 443.425mhz with a CTCSS of 107.2hz (pl 1B). The repeater is linked fulltime (a simulcast) with the W3ND repeater 145.11 at Harrisburg. This repeater serves as the PEMA auxiliary communications service repeater for the lower Susquehanna valley. The W3ND repeater also serves as the primary Skywarn repeater for a 10 county area.  Continue reading

Centre County Skywarn Recognition Day 2021 Participation

UPDATE: 12/3/2021 @ 1632.

Click here to see a list of Skywarn Recognition Day Registration Numbers. You can still register if you wish but they don’t guarantee a number before SRD starts this evening.

Click here to see a list of participating stations.  I imagine this will update as stations register, so check often.

Centre County amateur radio operators are invited to participate in Skywarn Recognition Day on December 3 & 4, 2021.  We hope to have contacts on HF, VHF, and UHF. Participation details may be found in the following document

Skywarn Recognition Day 2021 Incident Briefing
519.8 KiB
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Details

Participants may register at:

National Weather Service Skywarn Recognition Day

 

Amateur Radio provides communications for the Unpaved Bicycle Race

On Sunday, October 10, 2021, Amateur Radio operators provided communications for the Unpaved of the Susquehanna Valley bicycle race.  The race starts in Lewisburg, PA and winds its way south west through the Bald Eagle State Forest back to Lewisburg.  It is a particularly long race, the longest course is 120 miles with several other shorter courses possible.  Near 1,200 riders registered for the race with about 800 riding.  The reduced number was probably a result of the rainy weather. Continue reading

FCC Grants Temporary Waiver to Permit Higher Symbol Rate Data Transmissions for Hurricane Ida Traffic

Information received from the ARRL

FCC Grants Temporary Waiver to Permit Higher Symbol Rate Data Transmissions for Hurricane Ida Traffic

Sunday, August 29, 2021

The FCC has granted an ARRL emergency request for a temporary waiver intended to facilitate relief communications in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The waiver was orally granted on Saturday, August 28, and immediately permitted amateur data transmissions related to Hurricane Ida traffic to employ a higher symbol rate for data transmissions than the current limit of 300 baud. Continue reading

Multiple Sclerosis Glimcher Keystone Country Ride – Public Service

The annual Glimcher Keystone Country Ride (GKCR) was back this weekend!  Canceled last year as a result of the Pandemic, the ride was one day covering seventy-file miles in central Pennsylvania.  The Multiple Sclerosis Society (MSS) again asked for communications assistance from Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES).  Twenty three amateur radio operators from Centre, Blair, Venango, and Bedford Counties volunteered along with two from Maryland.  Three relatives of participating amateurs also participated.

Continue reading