Hi Folks,
I'm running late due to trying to wait out my QST for July. It's very quiet living out in the country, but one of the costs of that is that the mail runs somewhat behind everyone else. When it didn't show up this morning, I gave up waiting, so here I am.

Jim, WB4NWS (whose QST did arrive!) dropped me a line indicating we'd done VERY well in the SET last October. He reports that Georgia is at the top with 4,965 points for ARES Activities and #1 in Section/Local Nets with 1,972 points.

I thought we'd done pretty well, because several other neighboring Sections have been asking what we'd be doing this year, but to be that high is great! And that high score is due to all of you getting out there and making it happen, so give yourselves a generous pat on the back.

I'll have more specifics next month when my QST finally does arrive...

We're all looking forward to Field Day this weekend, and I'd intended to put a list of locations around the state in this report, but there are presently 44 sites around the state. If you're looking for a place to participate, check out http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator for the closest site to you.

While on the subject, I got the following email from our Section Traffic Manager, Charles, K4GK, about an easy 100-point bonus.

Many amateur radio groups will spring into activity this weekend for the ARRL Annual Field Day event. Field Day is the most popular single event in ham radio for North America.

One of the purposes of FD is training. This year will again create a training opportunity to pass formal message traffic in the National Traffic System (NTS).

Field Day groups can claim an additional 100 bonus points for passing a message to the Section Manager (SM). In order to claim the bonus points, FD participants are reminded of the rule that the message must be passed on amateur radio frequencies and leave the Field Day site by Amateur Radio. Sorry, Internet, email, twitter, cell phone, etc. will not count for the Bonus Points.

During Field Day weekend all Section Nets will operate as scheduled to perform as a vehicle to relay the Field Messages. Please note that DELIVERY of these messages can be made by traditional means, which would include email, telephone, etc. Any remaining Field Day messages undelivered from Saturday evening will be handled and delivered on our traditional Sunday nets including the Georgia Statewide ARES HF Net. Also note that messages must ORIGINATE during normal Field Day hours of operations but could be DELIVERED after Field Day is over.

Best wishes to all amateur groups in the Georgia Section for a successful Field Day. Let's have fun, and have a safe Field Day.

Charles Pennington, K4GK
Section Traffic Manager
Georgia Section

P.s. Listen for me as W4M (Milledgeville Amateur Radio Club) during Field Day.

I also saw an email from Gene, W4AYK, this morning, and at the risk of being redundant, here it is again too:

Your Section Traffic Manager wants to remind you that one purpose of Field Day is training, and that you can get an extra 100 points for originating a piece of formal traffic to the Section Manager. It MUST leave the Field Day site by amateur radio - - any frequency or mode. After that it may be referred by any method: Email, telephone, shouting, whatever.

You may send it to any traffic net, SSB or CW, to "W4AYK, Albany GA", or via Winlink to w4ayk@winlink.org

After it leaves the Field Day site via amateur radio, the Internet works well for the next hop: w4ayk@arrl.org. If you radio me at some Field Day site, that is OK, but not necessary. And delivery time is not important. It can come 2 days later for that matter.
ALSO: HAVE FUN!
CU
Gene
A group of Atlanta area hams, representing several clubs, got together and though mutual hard work got our Governor, Nathan Deal, to issue a proclamation making this week “Amateur Radio Appreciation Week” in Georgia.

From reading the various emails, Karen Prescott, KJ4VQI, who represents the Atlanta Radio Club, Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society, and Gwinnett ARES, was very instrumental in making this happen.

Others involved were Kyle Albritton, W4KDA (President, Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society and Gwinnett ARES), John Davis, WB4QDX (EC, Gwinnett ARES, Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society, Atlanta Radio Club) John Tramontanis, N4TOL (President, North Fulton Amateur Radio League) Bert Bruner, KE4FOV (President, Atlanta Radio Club), Steve Garrison, N4SEG (President, Alford Memorial Radio Club), and Jim Reed, N4BFR (Secretary, Atlanta Radio Club).

Ricky DeLuco, K4JTT, was also involved, but ill health prevented him from attending the presentation.

Pictures of both the Proclamation and the group mentioned above are on our state website, www.arrl-ga.org Many thanks to this group for all their work in seeing this through.

Well, that's enough from me for this month. I'm looking forward to hearing a good number of you on the air this weekend during the Field Day Exercise. I'll be with the Thomasville ARC group, who operates as W4UCJ. While I don't count for 100 points like Gene does, I do count for one... Have fun and I'll see you on the airwaves!

73,
Mike Brown
KE4FGF, GA - SEC
ke4fgf@arrl.net