Hi NET team members or soon to be members,

St. John's is sponsoring "Talking & Sending messages on HAM Radio" for our Jan monthly meeting.  There are essentially 3 parts to HAM radio:

1.  Getting your license:  The events Jeremy sent out are for getting your license

2.  Programming your radio:  either reading the manual or asking for help w/the new jargon from an experienced HAM.

3.  Talking & sending messages.  While we are called Ametuer radio, we have a very high distinction of the most professional ametuer group there is.  The US government has liked the way HAM's conduct themselves & have granted us radio frequencies just for HAM use.  This is a very high honor & we work hard to keep that status. 

The training we are sponsoring is step 3.  Sometimes it is fun to find out what you will get to do once you get your license. Also, if you are not sure you want to become a HAM this is a good way to find out if it would be a good fit for you.

Deb Provo & Eli Pride are very experienced HAM's & will be teaching us the in's & out's of sending a message & copying down a message to pass on. They do the training for the Multnomah County ARES/RACES club.  The McARES meets the 4th Thur of every month & would love to have all future HAM's join us for further training & practice w/the radios.  They are a truely great bunch of people. 

The St. John's Team will start our training on the 9th at 5:45pm for those who can make it.  Every night at 6:05pm 365 days/yr there is a Traffic & Training Net to give you practice recieving & sending messages.  (In HAM radio we call a group that "meets" on the radio at certain times a net.)  Please plan to use this Net for training.  It is essential to get the experience BEFORE you try an event or have an emergency.  You can do it right from home once you get a radio.  Doesn't get much better then that! 

From 6:05 to whenever it stops-depending on the amount of traffic we will listen to on the traffic & training Net & get some familiarity with how it works.  From 7-9 Eli & Deb will take us through a message radio gram & teach us some of the language & proper protocal. 

If you can't make it at 5:45, we know this is early for some who work, please come and join us when you can.  It will be a fun night! 

We will meet at the St. John's Pioneer Methodist Church.  Please come in the side door, go straight, take a right down the stairs & you will find us.  We have room for about 30 people so if you sign up & can't make it for some reason please let me know.

Judy Masterson

St. John's/North Portland

NET Team Leader