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JANUARY 18, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LIX • NO 4
Look Inside
Conversations Around The World Organizations Invite Community To Learn About Ham Radio BY ANN MEAD ASH
ooking back on a Winter Field Day event, Ralph Hess, president of Red Rose Repeater Association (RRR), recalled a story about a gentleman, a newcomer to the hobby, who helped him set up antennas for amateur, ham for short, radio operation. “We got the antenna hooked to the radio, and I threw out my call sign and a (ham) got back to me from Poland,” said Hess, who added that the gentleman was astounded. “He said, ‘That piece of wire I just touched let you talk to Poland?’” Hess relayed. Hess used an internet program to confirm the contact. The 2023 event, presented by a partnership between RRR and the Winter Field Day Association, will be held at the Welsh Mountain Community Center and Park, 564 Sandmine Road, New Holland. The group will begin to set up antennas at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, and the event will officially begin at 2 p.m. Winter Field Day
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will end at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29. The event is held for 24 hours to include radio operators from all time zones. Newly licensed and inexperienced operators as well as those with an interest in the hobby are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to participate, and visitors are welcome to drop in anytime and bring sleeping bags or cots if they plan to stay overnight in the center.
“I can almost guarantee we will find someone outside the U.S. to talk to.” Several seminars will be offered during the event. At 10 a.m. on Jan. 28, Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) will give a presentation. Hess noted that the organization practices emergency drills for the closed Three Mile Island and the functioning Peach Bottom nuclear power plants because ham radios continue to
operate when cellphones cannot and in areas where cell services may be limited. Additional workshops will instruct attendees in how to build three types of two-meter antennas and one HF (high frequency) antenna. There is a nominal fee to build antennas to cover the costs of materials. Presently, there are 50 licensed ham radio operators in the New Holland ZIP code and more than 1,500 in the county. Hess believes a chance to converse internationally attracts many to the hobby. “We will be operating under our club call sign, so … anybody can come up and operate,” he said. “I can almost guarantee we will find someone outside the U.S. to talk to.” Hess noted that many visitors react positively to hearing a voice from another country over the radio. “People’s faces just light up,” he said. Readers who would like more information may visit www.w3rrr.org or email W3COB@arrl.net.
Lancaster County amateur radio operators, who are members of Red Rose Repeater Association and the Winter Field Day Association will operate for 24 hours straight to offer the public an introduction to the hobby.
So Many Smiles Helpers Wanted - Experience Not Necessary
Rescuing Reptiles . . . . . . .5
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Participants at Challenger Clubs monthly Bible studies for individuals age 15 and up with physical or intellectual disabilities – do not always express their enjoyment of the experience verbally. “A grandmother told me recently that her grandson, who (shows little emotion) around his family, is so excited to attend,” said Meghan Martin, disability ministries assistant, HandiVangelism Ministries International (HVMI), which oversees the clubs. “There are so many smiles.” See HVMI pg 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Servants Inc. is in need of volunteers who know how to build ramps as well as those who can build relationships.
When Keith Cotton, director of outreach with Servants Inc., looks for volunteers, carpentry, HVAC, and plumbing skills are not necessarily a requirement. “Physical (home) repairs are important, but we also put an emphasis on building relationships,” said Cotton of Servants Inc., an organization that performs home repairs and construction for those in need. “I think one of the things a lot of our clients are facing, in addition to the physical hardship of needing home repairs, is loneliness,” Cotton pointed out, adding that many clients are widowed people or single mothers. See Servants Inc. pg 4
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Toastmasters Club Installs Officers . . . . . . . .10 House Of Worship . . . . . .11 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . .13
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