On Saturday, June 11th the Happy Valley Women’s Cycling Team (HVWC) held their annual Rothrock Grit Gravel Grinder Race. This is a 66 mile race over various trails and roads in the Rothrock State Forest. Several hundred bicycle racers took to the course at 09:00. Six Centre County Amateur Radio Operators provided communications among three support stations and race headquarters. Continue reading
Author Archives: Carmine Prestia
Nittany Amateur Radio Club members assist Alpha Fire Company Santa Express
Santa Claus appeared in Centre Region neighborhoods Christmas Eve courtesy of the Alpha Fire Company. For more that two decades AFC used their fire truck sleighs decked with Christmas lights bringing Santa to the neighborhoods to the delight of children of all ages. So everyone had a chance to see Santa and his elves Woody, K3YV, and Carmine, K3CWP, equipped Santa’s sleigh with APRS beacons. Continue reading
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
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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
Local amateur radio operators assist Public Lands Ride
Five amateur radio operators provided communications assistance for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council Public Lands Ride on October 2, 2021. The course covered sixty five miles of mixed surface roads and paths in the Black Moshannon State Forest. About eighty-eight bicyclists rode the courses. Continue reading
Planning documents for the 2021 Fall SET
Links to the planning documents for the Fall 2021 SET are listed below. Continue reading
Volunteers needed for TWO events on October 2, 2021
Centre County (and other) amateur radio operators (ARO) have the opportunity to volunteer for two events on October 2, 2021; the Pennsylvania Environmental Council Public Lands Ride (Bicycle) and the ARRL Simulated Emergency Test. 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
Adventures in Paradise #2
Well again, at the beach. You read my experiences with VHF/UHF in Bethany Beach, Delaware. I also set up and HF station and had much more luck with that. Continue reading