This year’s International ShakeOut Day is October 16, when millions of people worldwide will participate in earthquake drills at work, school, or home!
At 10:16 a.m. (local time) on 10/16, you can join people across Oregon practicing earthquake safety. While we encourage you to participate with everyone, you can register your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year, and drill at a time of your choice. You can also include people in multiple locations through video conferencing.
What is RTQM? “Think of it as a spotting network based on real-time user input. It’s a way to call CQ silently, and know exactly when stations are standing by.”
Support the effort equalize the rights of Ham Radio Operators.
The document (below) supplies a super easy way to send your letters to our Reps:
Scroll to the bottom of the document.
Scan the QR Code
Input your call sign to the form.
The system automatically fills in your details and aligns the message to reach to your legislators.
The ARRL is focused on reducing legal restraints on the ability of American Amateur Radio Operators to engage in the active practice and enjoyment of Amateur Radio.
This is a great opportunity for Technician Class license holders to collect QSO’s and their submit logs to ARRL. ARRL membership is not required.
About: Intended for amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions.) Work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada.
Dates: The second full weekend in September (September 13-15, 2025)
Contest Period: Begins 1800 UTC Saturday, ends 0259 UTC Monday.
Notice: Participants in the FM Only category can now count contacts made on 902 MHz and 1.2 GHz toward their scores. Previously, only contacts on the four lowest VHF bands (50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz) counted toward participants’ scores in this category.
Hello, Coos County Hams. I’m writing to share a little bit of my recent experiences with “Parks on the Air.”
POTA & 1st Park Activations
For some of the new hams in the club, congratulations on joining this awesome hobby. I’ve been a ham since 2013, and in May 2024, I finally passed my general @ SEAPAC of all places, opening up a whole new world to ham radio. And I did jump in with both feet.
One of the biggest things to do in our hobby is Parks on the Air (POTA). Along Summits on the AIR( SOTA), this is a get outside and play. Today, ( Well, it’s been a while now), I have been asked to write about my recent experiences with submitting new parks and doing a 1st time activation of that park. In the future, we can write about the POTA subject, IE, equipment, time to go, awards, logging/spotting, hunters/activators. But for now, let’s stick to new parks.
Back in June, my wife wanted to spend a weekend together and go drive down the south coast, particularly south of Bandon, down to Gold Beach. The goal was to make a nice, easy drive and just stop along the way if anything interesting popped up. For me, I was game; my goal was to stop and see some of the POTA site, and maybe activate if I could. My wife is supportive of the hobby ( Her call is KI7GOE), and she is also interested in some areas. This led to the idea of a new park.
New River BLM Special Recreation Management Area – US 12462: South of Bandon. One of the requirements for a park is that it has to be a state or federally managed park. I have been curious about the New River of possible kayaking floats for some time, and we stopped to check out this area. Right off the bat, big sign, BLM. No other federal agency manages this area. I made a mental note to check the POTA website that evening. Long story short, I emailed the Oregon mapping connector, Charlie, and we had an email exchange back and forth. Next, I knew it was a park, and he waited until I was back in Oregon to make active. I kinda figured activating a new park for the 1st time is a rare event, and since Gary ( N6BLU) has been so helpful, I told him about what I did. So we set out to do the activation.
I planned to get there, scout out the area more, and try to talk to someone there to introduce myself, the hobby, what POTA is and promotes, and most importantly, what I can use for equipment, specifically antennas, and placement. No one was really around. So I plan a setup that does not include throwing a wire into a tree or a spike into the ground ( some places do not allow either). My setup was simple. I was gonna use a 20M vertical dipole I had cut and made myself, and my backup was my end-fed half-wave ( EFHW) chalk line antenna on a 38 ft mast and the balun on a buddipole tripod and mast. Radio-wise, I was gonna use my FT 710, BUT I FORGOT MY POWER CORD!!!! Well off to N6BLU shack to get his EMCOMM kit, and we used his radio. Success! 30 contacts, all on 20/40 meters.
South Slough Reserve State Park Preserve US-12510. I was surprised that this had not been submitted already. But going to the website, I noted that the state of Oregon does manage it, so again I emailed Charlie, and was quickly approved. I did get to talk to the staff @ the visitors center, and this is a place where nothing goes up into the trees or into the ground. The parking areas are small, so a small footprint is needed, but @ the south end of the park, where people launch paddle boards/kayaks from is a little space off the side of the road to set up. My setup was pretty easy at this point: my trusted and true EFHW, Mast, Buddipole tripod, and mast. And since it was a POTA Support you Parks weekend, we ( my wife was there in support) got a total of 60 contacts between the 2 days ( The time will be saved for a different post).
Since then, there have been 2 more parks submitted and activated by club members. Even down in California, I submitted 4 new parks, 1 was initially rejected, but after research was approved, and I recently activated it ( the highlight was getting all the way to France!!!). Another was approved and is currently waiting for the park number to be active. 3rd was rejected due to being managed by both BLM /USFS, and the last, I am waiting for a response, but I expect it to be approved. Each POTA park has things to see, and it joy to be able to go and get fresh air, relieve stress, and learn ham radio. I look forward to more POTA adventures.
The 2025 Coos County Prepares event is taking place at the Pony Village Mall September 27th.
Are you prepared for disaster?
Saturday, September 27.
FREE emergency preparedness and safety fair.
Talk with local experts to learn about preparedness for various kinds of emergencies.
Raffle prizes and kids can explore fire and law enforcement vehicles!
Free Hot Dogs?!!
Pony Village Mall 1611 Virginia Ave, North Bend 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Saturday, September 27th, 2025
Coos County ARES is planning to exhibit emergency communications capability of radio in its various forms. The emergency trailer and various Ham radio technologies will be in the parking lot.
Solar atmospheric blast erupted from the sun on Saturday. Expected to impact Earth’s magnetic field later today. The impressive full-halo coronal mass ejection (CME) blasted X-rays and material into space.
Sky watchers may see aurora as far south as Illinois.
Coos County Radio Club 