Welcome from the Section Manager
We would like to invite you to browse through the information listed here and take advantage of the services offered to you as a member of the American Radio Relay League. The ARRL Field Organization is here to serve you. If you have a problem, question or simply need more information, please feel free to contact anyone on the IL section staff. They will be happy to hear from you and will either answer you directly or steer you to the right person
ARRL Illinois Section Newsletter
August 2024
Have you made your reservations?
The Illinois Section Convention at the Midwest Superfest is coming up soon. On both Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22 there are excellent forums. The Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe has plenty of space for your hamfest table of goodies to sell. It's a first-class facility with on-site camping and Peoria area motels nearby.
For more information go to https://www.w9uvi.org/midwest-superfest/ and get your advance tickets.
September will have a lot of opportunities for amateurs besides the Illinois Section Convention. The W9DXCC Convention is September 13 and 14. The HRO Superfest is September 20 and 21 and the Radio Expo in Belvidere is September 22. I wish I could be at all of them, but I still haven't figured out how to be in multiple places at the same time.
We are still in a holding pattern for some of the ARRL computer systems. I keep checking each day to see if I can give you some good news. As soon as I know more, I will post the information on the arrlil.org webpage.
The Illinois ARES/AUXCOMM Incident Operating Practices has been posted on the arrlil.org webpage. It is intended as a statewide ARES plan that can be used by those areas that do not have an ARES plan. It gives us an operating plan in case of an emergency. A lot of work by the committee went into the development of the plan before it was sent out to the District Emergency Coordinators (DECs) for their input and comments.
Please download the plan and keep it handy. It has frequencies and operating procedures that can be used in an emergency.
It's been a busy month. It started with the ARRL table at the West Central Illinois Hamfest in Carlinville on Saturday, August 2. I left there after the hamfest and drove to Hamfesters in Peotone for the Sunday, August 3 hamfest.
On August 22, I was at the Coles County Airshow in Matton with the Moultrie Amateur Radio Klub (Yes that's Klub, not Club). The weather was great, the large crowd that watched World War II aircraft perform stunts as well as the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team treating the crowd to their precision jumps. We also watched homebuilt aircraft race across the airfield, barely above the runway, before climbing high above us to perform their aerial stunts and if you started to drift off, which was impossible to do, you got a loud wakeup call as a U.S. Army helicopter raced to a landing and quickly disgorged troops to take up defensive positions as simulated bombs exploded around them.
In between those activities I attending several radio club meetings. Now I'm finishing the month team teaching a Technician license class.
We are still working out some of the kinks with the third Saturday of the month NC9IL check in net on 7227 kHz between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. local time. Steve Warner, WA9SWW, our Section Emergency Coordinator, will be meeting with several people to see how we can fix some problems and determine an alternate September date since many of us will be at the Midwest Superfest on the third weekend. As soon as Steve completes the meeting, we will get the information out to you.
If you have been on the HF bands lately, you know the sun has been causing some propagation problems. It seems like we've had M-class (Medium-mass) flares on a regular basis as well as some Xclass flares that has disrupted radio signals. Looking at the recent trends, I think we will continue to have some problems. Don't let it get you down. There are still times when you can get a few hours of good propagation to help you get your DXCC log completed.
73
Thom W9RY
ARRL Systems Service Disruption
ARRL Club Liability Insurance Information
ARRL is aware that some amateur radio clubs who had been insured by Marsh/AIG, a previous provider of the ARRL Club Liability Insurance Program, are receiving notices that their club liability insurance is not being renewed. ARRL discontinued its relationship with Marsh/AIG in 2011, but some clubs who had previously enrolled in the policies were still renewing with the old provider -- and not in the current ARRL program.
The current program administrator (since 2015) for the ARRL-sponsored Club Liability Insurance Program is Risk Strategies. ARRL has a strong relationship with the current administrator who understands the importance of local amateur radio clubs and will help clubs seek new policies. Risk Strategies also administers the ARRL Equipment Insurance Plan for members.
Clubs that are affected by the loss of coverage from the previous provider are encouraged to contact Risk Strategies. Please visit Risk Strategies online at arrlinsurance.com or by phone at 1-866-819-0209 (please leave a message and your call will be returned).
ARRL is not able to help them with questions on insurance and all questions should be directed to Risk Strategies.