[Steven Smith]

This is meant to be a Discussion
What New Milestones will you pursue:

Will you remodel your Ham Shack or just clean it up a bit
Will you add new antennas to your station
Will you take on a new aspect of the hobby
Will you become more involved in you local amateur radio club
What about upgrading your license

I will start…….

On my personal Ham Radio Level:
I plan on attempting more time in front on my Radio
Specifically I have a Goal to attain DXCC on 2 meters, yes 144 MHz via Moon Bounce within the next 5 years
yes 2030 is my Goal.

Within the last two weeks I have now worked Nine different Countries on 2 meters via Moon Bounce
So far 4 of them are confirmed, by way of ARRL LOTW

ON MY level of Service to fellow Amateur Radio operators
Especially those within North Texas.
Thanks to many of you, I will continue to serve as your ARRL NTX Section Manager
I foresee this will be my last term, so far I have served almost 6 years
My newest term will begin April the 1st of 2025, these are two year terms.

My goals for my final years as your Section Manager are to end with positive milestones for our North Texas members.
More National Awards for our Members, we have had Three National award recipients within our ARRL Section.
My Goal as your Section Manager, is Three more Awards to our members within the next Two years.
I will need help from North Texas Clubs and members to make this happen.
Awards can not be created in a Vacuum, we must receive information from you to make this happen.

What are some of these Awards:
https://www.arrl.org/arrl-award-nominations

Better Communication with members:
This is probably a greater challenge that getting 100 Countries Confirmed via Moon Bounce!
Because ever since the ARRL Malware breach this past May, all Section Managers as well as Division Directors lost the toolset
we were using to email blast news to all ARRL members which signed up for this “news service”

So how can you get News Blast from me ???
For News and announcements from your ARRLNTX Section Manager,
follow this Link section+subscribe@arrlntx.groups.io and the instructions on that page.

Or simply send an email request to KG5VK@ARRL.ORG
with the subject of the email Titled “Subscribe to Section Manager News emails”

Have an awesome Christmas & Happy New Year !

Cheers!
Steve KG5VK

[Mark Johnson]

I am currently in the process of moving my shack into a different room. Hopefully, I will be completely set up by January 1st. Then it’s back tot he CW grindstone. I’ve got the alphabet down, now just need to work on copy. That’s been a struggle.

I plan to do more single and club POTA activations. I want to pick one park and do a SSB, CW, & Digital activation on the same trip. This will lead into reworking my mobile setup. Example – install hf mobile.

For 2 years, I’ve said I was going to make a satellite contact.  Maybe 2025 is year, we’ll see.

I look forward to working on RRVARC activities and presentations.

And finally, I want to improve my contest scores. There was big jump from 2023 to 2024 for me. And I want to make that happen in 2025. Maybe even set up an SO2R station (that’ll probably a 2026 goal).

73

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

 

[KJ5ABG]

1) Hopefully get my antenna farm updated and installed.

2) Get my shack setup like it should be, and hitting the airwaves once again.

[Steven Smith]

Mark,

Good solid Goals.
And a Big thank you for the continued work as the President of the RRVARC
It is leaders like you and the others on that team that help the club grow.

On the New Years Day, today as I am writing this I noticed that I had not uploaded
any of the adif files from QSO made since September of 2024 to https://ClubLog.org

I took a Glance on your club Log Data
Just like you can look at my DXCC Data on Club log, as well as others
Here is a Lu\ink to mine….. https://clublog.org/dxccchart.php?call=KG5VK

Even though your a Member I see no DXCC’s worked
and I know that is wrong, as you have worked more than several DX Entities
Just something to think about, as I have always found ClubLog valuable to help me see Gold Nuggets of Data which I would have otherwise over looked

In fact starting out with club log each year with a fresh (current) upload of QSO’s since last upload is a good idea
Because Garbage in or No Data into a Database, prevents that database from being helpful to you.

Make sure to drop me a line if you need any other Club Log tips.

Cheers!

Steve
KG5VK
Cheers!

[Steven Smith]

Mark,

My Bad I see you do have a lot of data in there in fact for the last three years !
Good Job !!!

Cheers!
Steve
KG5VK

[Steven Smith]

Here is a snap shot of your stats for the last three years

I am pretty sure you have more CW Q’s than what is showing

Cheers!

 

[Steven Smith]

Bill,

Greetings and Happy New Year !

It appears your located within Paris
So I am sure your antenna choices are a bit limited.

I am wondering if you have any Radials under that Vertical which you are using ?

I always take week or two each year to add Radials under my Vertical antennas

Unfortunately as the ARRL NTX Section Manager, I do not g et to attend the RRVARC meetings routinely
However, I look forward to meeting you and the next one I attend.

Cheers!

Steve
KG5VK

[Mark Johnson]

At this moment, I have zero CW qsos. I hoping to get back on track and get some for Winter Field Day.

I just updated my qrz, lotw, and clublog logs, so everything is up to date to start 2025. “DXCC Application Completed” I got this message on 12/31/24, so it looks like that may be finalized. I haven’t been on the radio since 12/8. Today is the day to change that. We are having a family lunch, and then it’s an afternoon of moving antennas. I’ve got to get ready for the weekend. I can’t win the RTTY roundup without an antenna. lol (there is no chance I win, but I want to improve over last year).

73

[Steven Smith]

I had planned on doing the RTTY Roundup

but I have a trip no to Dallas Saturday

so I may play part time

you will do great

 

cheers!

steve

[Mark Johnson]

Well, so far I have got HF mobile installed and have used it on a POTA outing. I think I have all my logging software sorted out. It’s complicated, but once everything is up and running logging is easy to multiple places at once. And, I have rig control and digital modes.

I have the handi talkie (Wouxun KG-Q10H Quad) and antenna for satellite work. I just need to get them programmed.

I’ve only got to work 2 contests so far this year. One was okay, and one was…well not great. I think I got that problem sorted out (maybe). I know have a fan dipole and a random wire up. So maybe the next contest will be better. I am looking forward to field day at this point.

The cw has fallen by the wayside. It’s on the agenda to get back to practicing and get on the air. My schedule got jumbled around this year, and that was one of the things I didn’t make time for.

We have  a little over half of the year left, and it’s go time.

73

Mark W5PTX

[Author]

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