SCHH ARC “This & That” — October 14, 2025

The Weekly E-Newsletter of the Sun City Hilton Head Amateur Radio Club

Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW – Editor

Savannah Swap Meet Is This Coming Saturday

The Coastal Amateur Radio Society (CARS), which is based in Savannah, will hold its annual “Swap Meet” on Saturday, October 18th. The Swap Meet begins at 8 AM and closes up shop around 1 PM. The site for the “meet” is just off of I-95 at the SAV airport exit.

The CARS Swap Meet is basically a ham radio flea market. Hams from the area can set up tailgate type tables displaying all sorts of equipment, parts, supplies, and miscellaneous items. Typically, you can find HF transceivers, hand helds (HTs), antennas, coaxial cable, microphones, meters, and many other items of interest for sale. The items are generally priced by the sellers but many “sales” are negotiable.

Things kick off early down there and many hams will attest that it is indeed the early bird that gets the worm. So, if you are a “buyer”, get to the site around 8 AM to begin browsing!

Our Okatie Repeater Association, represented by Bob Officer (WA6WAY) and undoubtedly other club members, will have a “table” at which some equipment will be offered for sale to those at the Swap Meet.

There is no charge for admission. CARS conducts a great raffle every year as a fundraiser in conjunction with this event. Raffle tickets can be purchased on line ($5 apiece or $20 for 5 tickets). More info on the Swap Meet and how to get your raffle tickets can be found here.

If you want to extend your time in that area and are a history or aviation buff, the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum is located near I-95 one exit south of the SAV airport exit.

Some “Hamfest” (Swap Meet) Humor

Rain Forces Cancelation of the ARC’s Hidden Transmitter Hunt

Fox Hunt enthusiasts will have to wait a while before further honing their skills. Mother Nature was the big winner last Saturday with rainy conditions forcing the cancelation of our Fall Hidden Transmitter Hunt. The luncheon that follows the hunt was also postponed.

There should be plenty of Saturdays with great weather ahead of us!

Please stay tuned for updates on when this fun event will be rescheduled.

On the Membership Front

by Chip Miller, KQ4JKI, SCHH ARC Membership Chair

I Love this time of year!

It’s a busy time as renewals come in almost daily, but it shows that our ranks are growing and interest is mounting for amateur radio in SCHH.

WOW! As of October 10^th twenty-eight members have renewed for 2026 (that’s 40+/- percent) including three new members: Jack Nelson (N0JCQ), Bruce Dianis and William McHeffey. Bruce and William, along with several other members, will be pursuing their Technician rating so please reach out to them and offer mentoring.

If you have not yet renewed your membership or if you would like to join the SCHH ARC, please reach out to me (kq4radio@gmail.com) if you need any assistance to do so.

Let’s get everybody On-The-Air!

At this time we have sixty-eight active members, fifty-six of whom are licensed.

We will be losing three members in early 2026 – Ken Finke and the Shaners, Jim & Jean, will begin the next chapters in their lives away from Sun City Hilton Head. We all wish them godspeed and maybe we can hear about their adventures via the Echolink nets. We thank them for renewing their memberships for 2026!

Last, but not least, watch for the latest Member Contact List in your email.

The club may be able to lend a hand held 2m transceiver (HT) to you if you are licensed and in need of one. Please let me know if you have the need and we will see what we can do! HTs can usually enable you to get into our 2m repeater nets.

73 to all,

Chip Miller/KQ4JKI / SCHH ARC Membership Chair

Whatever Lights Your Lamp, Right?

What’s Coming Up

Saturday, October 18th — CARS Swap Meet near SAV Airport in Georgia. Details above!

Thursday, November 6, 2025 – November Membership Meeting and Election of 2026 ARC Officers, Lakehouse, 7 PM. Program coming to us via Zoom thanks to Phil, N1DQ who will tell us about PSK Reporter.

December – Holiday Dinner. Date, time, and location to be determined.

SCHH ARC Nets

Please check-in to our nets and let others know how you are doing and what you are doing in ham radio and in other areas of your life.

As reported by Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW at our October Membership Meeting, the club continues its efforts to get the 147.06 repeater back into legal operation. It is unclear how long it will take to resolve this situation. Our ARC will remain proactive as we try to restore this important piece of ham radio infrastructure in the Low Country.

For now, the .060 KK4ONF machine remains “accessible” but it should be considered “off limits” for anything other than monitoring.

Weekly SCHH ARC Nets

Sunday’s Net (8 PM) operates on 147.550 MHz simplex on the last two Sundays of the calendar month. The Sunday net will be on the KE4HAM repeater (147.135 + with a tone of 91.5 on both the input and the output) on all other Sundays of the calendar month. Check-in can be done even if you don’t have a radio up and running via EchoLink by using the link KE4HAM-L when the net is on SIMPLEX and KE4HAM-R when the net is on the SCHH Okatie Repeater.

Wednesday‘s Net (8 PM) will operate until further notice on the KE4HAM Okatie Repeater (147.135 + with a tone of 91.5 on both input and output). The net can be accessed via EchoLink using the link KE4HAM-R.

Next 10m SSB Net: 
Tuesday, November 4th @ 8 PM on 28.450 MHz SSB.

Net Control Stations and EchoLink Coordinator

Thanks to our regular 2m Net Controls: Frank Pollino, K2OS; Rick Garan, WA8NLX; and Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW. 

Thanks to Frank, K2OS for also being the net control station of our monthly 10m SSB net. 

Thanks to Bob Officer, WA6WAY, for being an alternate Net Control Station and overseer of our KE4HAM repeater operations.

Thanks to Ron Frick, AI4HH, for working diligently to keep EchoLink up and running for our nets and for being the trustee for our club station, KE4HAM and the Okatie Repeater.

Net Control Schedule:

— Wednesday, October 15th @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (KE4HAM Okatie Repeater).

— Sunday, October 19th @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (Simplex).

— Wednesday, October 22nd @ 8 PM: Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW (KE4HAM Okatie Repeater).

— Sunday, October 26th @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (Simplex).

— Wednesday, October 29th @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (KE4HAM Okatie Repeater).

— Sunday, November 2nd @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (KE4HAM Okatie Repeater).

— Tuesday, November 4th @ 8 PM: Frank Pollino, K2OS (28.450 MHz SSB).

SCHH ARC Net Reports:

Thanks to ALL who checked in to our SCHH ARC nets last week.

Last week’s check-ins and traffic:

— Wednesday, October 8th 2m Repeater Net: KE4HAM/WA8NLX, AI4HH, AD5EN, WA6WAY, WB1DXN, K2ITZ, W1ZZ, K2OS, AA4KK, KB3FW. QNI=10 , QTC=0.

— Sunday, October 12th 2m Repeater: KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, WA6WAY, KJ4BSM, K2ITZ, KB3FW, W1ZZ, KQ4KOO, WB1DXN. QNI=9, QTC=0.

Note: QNI = Number of Check-ins to the net, including Net Control; QTC = Traffic handled (Radiograms).

News From Our Net’s Check-ins

Ron Frick, AI4HH, asked if anyone had some expertise in Optical Audio Coupling.

Some static/noise has been noted on the Okatie Repeater output during the past week or two, most likely due to the moisture from recent rain episodes.

Great to hear Daryl, WB1DXN on almost all of our 2m nets, checking in via EchoLink from his new QTH in New Hampshire. Our net is regularly blessed by having check-ins via EchoLink from other former SCHH residents as well such as Nick, KJ4BSM (Wilmington, NC), and Al, WA2LWO (Western NY).

Harve, KB3FW noted that he had 70 CW contacts in 38 counties of the Keystone State over the past weekend in the Pennsylvania QSO Party.

Other Operating

Daily —  Monitor the KE4HAM Repeater: 147.135 MHz + with a tone of 91.5. You may get some good DX spots from time to time and other members may be there if you want to connect/chat. If you are listening to the repeater, feel free to announce your call and that you are “monitoring”!