WILLIAMS — Another Clean and Beautiful event passes despite inclement weather. The weather cleared up later on in the event allowing citizens to clean up around Williams.
Northern Arizona Gazette collected three bags of trash plus two separate bags of recyclable materials.
The event ended with a barbecue by the members of the American Legion Cordova Post #13.
Some even came in their classics.
Pastor Manuel and Mariana will be at First Baptist Church on Monday May 2nd for a Bible Study at 6:30 in the conference room. This great opportunity for those who speak Spanish or who know a little of it. The First Baptist Church is at 629 W Grant Ave across the street from Safeway.
UPDATED 20160423 9:38 a.m.
If you have been studying to get your Amateur Radio license, you have two chances coming up in May.
The Coconinco County Amateur Radio club is planning an exam for all classes of license on May 14 from 9:00 – 11:00 AM. The examination will be held at the North County Health Care classroom. The North County Health Care center is at 2920 N 4th Street in Flagstaff. Visit their web site for information on what you are required to bring for the exam.
In Yavapai county you have an opportunity to become licensed by the Yavapai Amateur Radio club. They require you to obtain an Federal Registration Number (FRN). The requirements can be found on their web site. Their next exam is also scheduled for May 14 and you can take a practice exam on Tuesday May 10. You must pre-register online. The exam will be held in the Jeep Posse Building 1200 Commerce Drive in Pioneer Park behind the outdoor hockey rink (MAP).
The fee for the examination at either location is $15. You can take all three levels of exam unless you fail one along the way. You must pay another fee to continue or you can choose to take what you get and go home to study.
You are not required to know Morse code for any of the exams. That requirement has been stricken. However you can go on to learn Morse code for fun later.
Amateur radio is becoming more popular since lower priced hand held radios have been dumped on the market. They give you more range than those cheap Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios you purchase in department stores. It also gives you access to more frequencies and propagation modes using amateur satellites and even bouncing a signal off of the moon.
There are many other aspects to Amateur Radio including emergency communications during disasters.
WILLIAMS — If you are a thrift shopper, visit the Williams Charity Store location in the mall at 117 W. Route 66.
For about a year, now, Patty has run the thrift book store to benefit the efforts of the R&R Horse Rescue mission near Williams. Recently she has expanded the thrift store into another suite to benefit other charities in Williams.
While the book store still benefits the R&R Horse Rescue, the other section of the thrift store benefits various charities in Williams each month. For example one month might benefit the Senior Graduation night effort and the next month another Williams charity.
For more information you can check with Patty Williams at the Williams Western Wear and Buck’s Place located at the first suite to the right as you enter the mall. While you are there you can ask Buck to test your quick draw.
Update 3/19/2016 8:28 p.m.: Classes begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and run until the class is complete.
FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino Amateur Radio Club of Flagstaff is currently holding classes for the technician class license. The classes are free and open to anyone of any age. The classes are held every Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm. They are held at the North Country Health Care facility at 2920 N 4th Street in Flagstaff.
The technician class license is the first FCC license a person can obtain to operate amateur radio equipment. You must get 26 questions correct on a 35 question examination. The examination fee is $15 and the next test is on April 16. Although anyone can come to the exam and classes, the Coconino Amateur Radio Club requests that you go to their web site and let them know that you are coming so they can provide enough material.
If you pass the examination for a Technician license, you can take the test for the General Class license. This allows you access to more frequencies and privileges. If you pass that exam, you can try for the top license; Amateur Extra. If you fail any exam along the way, you will be required to pay another $15 to retake the examination.
The courses are based on The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. The manual is available through the Amateur Radio Relay League and other online retailers for around $25. Some may be on hand at the class.
The rest of the course schedule is as follows:
In order to take the test, you must bring a picture identification and your social security number. If you do not desire to give your social security number, you can file for an FCC Registration Number (FRN) at the FCC Universal Licensing web site. If you provide your SSN, you will be issued an FRN and listed on the ULS anyway. The benefit of signing up for an FRN before the examination is that you may get your license quicker.
If you pass any level of examination, the Volunteer Examiners take all necessary steps to file for your license. You can download your license as soon as it appears in the FCC database and start operating on Ham frequencies.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly, TOPS Chapter AZ#0516, will be hosting an open house on Thursday, January 28 at the Family Harvest Church across the street from Safeway. Women, men and teens are invited to attend. The meeting is from 5:30 to 6:30 with a weigh in at 5 p.m. TOPS is a low cost support group to aid in the loss of weight.
The American Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) is sponsoring a six-hour CW (Morse code) contest on December 20 for specifically aimed at those who have had a license less than three years. (So you were proud of yourself for getting your Amateur Extra only to learn you are a rookie for three years.)
ARRL sponsors Rookie contests three times a year in April, August and December. In these contests rookies can contact anyone, but old-timers can only contact rookies. Various contests are held by ARRL and other organizations throughout the year. These for rookies are particularly useful to learn how to use the frequencies for the new license levels they attain. It is a great opportunity to test new equipment. Additionally they can obtain awards and certificates for all of these contests.
ARRL also sponsors specific events in addition to contesting where amateur operators can collect special cards, called QSL cards. QSL cards confirm a contact between specific stations or stations to events. ARRL, for example, is sponsoring a year-long event called National Parks on the Air where Ham operators can contact operators stationed at various national parks throughout the country.
For the upcoming CW rookie contest, the ARRL web site states:
Mission: To encourage newly-licensed operators (“Rookies”) in North America (including territories and possessions) to operate on the HF bands and experience competitive Amateur Radio operating. Experienced operators (“Non-Rookies”) are strongly encouraged to participate and help new operators – either on the air or in person.
Objective: Rookies exchange information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands. Rookie entrants are encouraged to read “HF Contesting – Good Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions.” (Also available as PDF)
Electronic certificates will be emailed to the top five scoring Rookies in each US call area, Canadian province, Mexican call area and DX. No national winners will be recognized. A commemorative participation certificate will be available for download to every Rookie operator submitting a score.
For more information and to sign up, visit the ARRL web site .
WILLIAMS — The Northern Arizona Authors Association will meet this Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Wild West Junction on Route 66 in Williams.
The next meeting of the Northern Arizona Authors’ Association. will be on November 14. It will be held at The Wild West Junction in Williams. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.am. Bring something you’re working on or something you’ve written in the past to read.
The Northern Arizona Authors’ Association reports:
Interesting note to all our authors who have published books they wish to market: There’s a new independent book store in Flagstaff called Barefoot Cowgirl. It’s at 18 N. San Francisco St. That would be not far from the corner of SF St. and Rte. 66, I believe. It’s part of a larger store…a gift-y type establishment. The grand opening will be next Saturday, Oct. 31. The owner/manager’s name is Nancy Nelson. You can bring books that you’ve written that you hope to sell there….you don’t have to wait till Oct. 31.
WILLIAMS — The annual Grand Opry Night to benefit Habitat for Humanity will be this Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. Music will be by the Williams Opry Band. The event will be at the Williams Rodeo Barn across the street from Old Trails True Value Hardware store on Rodeo Road.
Events include dancing, live and silent Auctions, raffles, door prizes, and cake walk.
Tickets are available at the door are Adults $6.00, Students & Seniors $3.00 or $15 for a Family (4 or more). Hotdogs will be available for $2.50 and Water & Soda for $1.00.