SCHH ARC “This & That” — October 21, 2025

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

Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW – Editor

SCHH ARC Participates Big Time in the CARS Swap Meet!

by Bob McCormick, KD8IH

SCHH ARC had a significant presence at the Coastal Amateur Radio Society (CARS) Swap Meet at the Savannah Regional Airport Recreation Facility on October 18^th.  Participating club members included Bob Officer WA6WAY, Jack Frisch K2ITZ, Charlie Bess AD55EN, Michelle Bess KD5YNC, Chuck Nehonski W8NCA, Lon Seward WB4KSG. Dan McLaughlin K4DNY, and Bob McCormick KD8IH. 

The event was held outdoors in a tailgate format and was sanctioned by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). Over 20 vendors, including SCHH ARC, offered a variety of radio equipment and accessories.  Much of the equipment could trigger flash backs for those of us who remember dreaming about a Collins Radio, or operating a Hallicrafters (or Tempo or TenTec or Eico, etc.), or building Heath Kit transceivers and accessories. Many bargains were to be found – a $5 dummy load, a $10 Kenwood power supply and more.

As much as being a Swap Meet, the event was one big “Eyeball QSO”.  The ham radio community members shared camaraderie, had a great time talking about the equipment, and connected/reconnected with members of other area clubs. Of course, there was some “showing off” such as the van mounted tower that made all of us a little jealous.

 Those who attended agreed that they’re already looking forward to next year’s CARS Swap Meet.

Special thanks to Bob Officer WA6WAY for organizing SCHH ARC’s presence.

Can You Help to Fill the Glass?

Our ARC needs your help.

For more info, please contact Bob McCormick, KD8IH (kd8ih@earthlink.net).

Our Club Needs A Candidate for Vice President!

Many clubs in SCHH as well as volunteer organizations around the nation have issues with filling a complete slate of officers and board members from year to year.

Unfortunately, it appears that the SCHH ARC is one of them!

Fortunately, we have candidates for President (Bob McCormick, KD8IH), Treasurer (Lon Seward, WB4KSG), and Secretary (Bill Albro, K3WPA). Past President Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW will continue in that role on the board until there is a new Past President that has completed a term of office.

However, our ARC needs a Vice President to complete our slate of officers that are to be elected for 2026-27 at our November 6th Membership Meeting. Note that our new By-Laws are in effect now. Our officers elected on November 6th will serve for the years 2026 and 2027.

The main role of the VP of our ARC is to step in to help out when the president of the club cannot be there.

It is an important role! It is not a huge role in terms of time. It does however require a commitment to be there and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

One might think that most members would do “what needs to be done when it needs to be done” for their club.

As such, it is a bit baffling that no one has agreed to be nominated for this office.

Regarding running a membership or board meeting, please understand that the ARC has a Past President who can run a Board Meeting or Membership Meeting and is willing to do so. Other past leaders have and can step up as and when needed.

Moreover, there is NO OBLIGATION to become the next president of the club!

Our club’s charter with the SCHH Community Association requires us to have a COMPLETE slate of officers.

If we do not do so, we may lose our club.

Can you be our ARC’s next VP?

Please contact Bob Officer, WA6WAY if you have questions or to volunteer to serve as our 2026-27 VP (text or call 864-884-3244). You can also contact Ron Frick, AI4HH or Harve Hnatiuk, KB3FW.

Please consider this request carefully and act accordingly FBO all hams in SCHH.

What’s Coming Up

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.

Saturday, November 15, 2025 – Hidden Transmitter Hunt! More details to follow.

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 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 15th 2m Repeater Net: KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, WB1DXN, KJ4BSM, K2ITZ, AD5EN, AA4KK, KQ4JKI. QNI=8 , QTC=0.

— Sunday, October 19th 2m Simplex: KE4HAM/K2OS, AI4HH, WA6WAY, KJ4BSM, K2ITZ, KB3FW, WB1DXN, KD6KID, W8NCA, KD8IH, WA8NLX, KQ4JKI. QNI=12, 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

Bob, KD8IH and Harve, KB3FW and their XYLs saw “Come From Away” at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina over the weekend…on different nights. Both also went to Alfred’s before the show!

Rick, WA8NLX has a long cruise in his future, which will take him and his XYL across the International Date Line to New Zealand and Australia!

Ron, AI4HH announced that the Okatie Repeater Association had purchased a power amplifier for the KE4HAM repeater.

John, KD6KID lives in Margaritaville and is starting up an ARC there.

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”!