Building a local Meshtastic network

Several Rusk County Amateur Radio Club members are expanding their capabilities by embracing Meshtastic, an open-source, decentralized communication system. Meshtastic uses LoRa radios to create a mesh network, allowing long-range, off-grid communication for text messaging and data sharing without relying on cellular or internet infrastructure. Best of all, you don't need a ham license to use them although if you have a license, you can use higher power levels.

During a recent club presentation, Keith Ballow (KN5G) explained the key features of Meshtastic. The system runs on ESP32 development boards, among other, which can utilize Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and operates on the LoRa (Long Range) protocol. This robust, low-bandwidth technology has become widely adopted, even being integrated into Amazon’s "Sidewalk" devices. Meshtastic nodes are self-healing and self-developing, making them ideal for building resilient communication networks in areas without reliable infrastructure.

Keith, David and Nathan recently tested a few local nodes, successfully communicating with their homes node from various points around the county, reaching distances of up to 1.88 miles. Keith and David we able to reach closer to 8 miles with higher nodes and larger antennas. The nodes operate at 900 MHz, a band available for unlicensed use. As mentioned earlier, licensed ham operators can unlock higher power levels on this band by disabling encryption.

Meshtastic networks can even connect to the internet, with only one user needing access to extend connectivity across the entire mesh. The technology supports encrypted communication, but for ham operators, the system will automatically turn off encryption to comply with regulations.

For more information about Meshtastic and how to join the local efforts, visit Meshtastic.org or reach out to the Rusk County Amateur Radio Club. You can also learn about the current efforts to keep the 900 MHz band open for amateur use at ARRL.org.

Club elects new 2025 officers

The Rusk County Amateur Radio Club is excited to announce the election of its new slate of officers for the 2025 term. The election took place during the club’s business meeting last week, immediately following the Storm Spotter class at the Rusk County OEM building. These dedicated individuals will officially take office on January 1, 2025, leading the club in promoting amateur radio, education, and public safety.

2025 Officers:

• President: Keith Ballow, KN5G
• Vice-President: Bob Tomlinson, KJ5CF
• Secretary: Nathan Chilton, N5NDC
• Treasurer: Karen Haverstock, KI5GPO

Keith, a past President of the club, will return to the role of President, bringing his experience and leadership. Bob is stepping into the role of Vice-President for the first time as a club officer. Karen, also a past President, will transition to the role of Treasurer, while Nathan continues his valuable service this time as Secretary.

During 2023 and 2024, David Chenault, W5CWT, served as President, Keith as Vice-President, Karen as Secretary, and Nathan as Treasurer. Club appreciates their past leadership and looks forward to an exciting year ahead under the new leadership. 

Storm-spotter class a success!

The Rusk County Amateur Radio Club recently attended a successful storm spotting class at the Rusk County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) building. Taught by Chris Nuttall, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Shreveport, the class was well attended by both radio club members and local residents. Participants learned essential skills for identifying and reporting severe weather, such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail, all of which are crucial for ensuring public safety.

Skywarn class at the Rusk County OEM, October, 2024

Amateur radio operators, or “hams,” play a critical role in storm spotting across Rusk County and beyond. Equipped with their unique communication skills and resources, ham operators act as the eyes and ears of the National Weather Service during severe weather events. By providing real-time, on-the-ground reports from the field, they help the NWS issue timely warnings that can save lives and minimize property damage.

Skywarn, the NWS program for storm spotting, is a volunteer-based effort that trains individuals, including ham radio operators, to recognize and report specific severe weather phenomena. The data gathered by spotters aids meteorologists in issuing and updating weather warnings. Those interested in becoming storm spotters can receive training in areas such as understanding weather patterns, safety during severe events, and how to submit reports. For more information about the Skywarn program and upcoming training sessions, visit the NWS Shreveport Skywarn Information Page.

The club extends its thanks to Chris for sharing his expertise and to the Rusk County OEM for hosting and providing the venue. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio’s role in public safety and storm spotting to attend our next meeting or reach out through our website.

Great turnout for ARES Race Support

Nearly a dozen Rusk County, Gregg County and Smith County hams volunteered to support the Resurrection Run 5K/10K this past Saturday. The event was the club's fifth year to support the race which is hosted by the local Ebenezer Baptist Church as a fund raiser for local charities. This year's benefactors included the Henderson Interchurch Ministry (food bank), the Ruck County Legacy House (foster care support) and the Rusk-Panola Child Advocacy Center.

The day began a little chilly (52 F) with a heavy dew settling on everything. But soon the sun came out it turned out to be perfect weather. N5NDC served as net control again with KC5ERV assisting at the HQ station. Everyone else deployed along the race route which took runners across most of the western half of Henderson through both Lake Forest Park and Fair Park. 

This year's race appeared to go off without a hitch with no injuries reported, no emergencies and no lost runners! Thanks again to all who participated!

ARES to support Resurrection Run

We will once again be supporting the annual Resurrection Run this March 23, 2024. The race includes a 10K, 5K and 1K and will start and end at Lake Forest Park. For several years we have supported the race with communication and weather assistance. The race is a low-stress, minimal-equipment-needed event that even first-time operators can assist with. No experience needed! Both Amateur and GRMS operators are welcome to volunteer. Of course, we can use all the volunteers willing to help, so spread the word!

Here's the ICS-201 Event Briefing for Radio Operators. (UPDATED 3/15/24) It has all the details including maps (and links to live maps, dates, times and equipment requirements. The 201 will be updated as needed until the race, so always make sure to check for updates. (The best way is to check the "Prepared" field in the document). Please note, we will also have a 30-minute Zoom briefing the Thursday before the race. 

Here is the ICS-205 so you can program your radios in advance. 

If you can help, please let us know by filling out this form: 2024 Race Volunteer Form

Fox Hunt Henderson draws a crowd!

Several club members as well as a few from LETARC in Longview joined us for a fall Fox Hunt! After a brief orientation and a practice with a 70cm fox in the park, W5CWT headed out to "hide" somewhere in Henderson. 

Soon the hounds were on the trail. Eventually, winding up at the Wylie Elementary School on US-259, just south of town. Wyatt (W5IQE) from Longview was the first to find the fox who was hidden under a traffic cone! 

By the end of the morning, the entire crew had located the fox. Thanks to Don from LETARC who also did a brief write-up in the LETARC newsletter!

RF exposure: A guide for hams

Amateur radio is fundamentally a safe activity. Yet, concerns about the possible hazards of electromagnetic radiation, including RF energy, are prevalent, especially to those you don't fully understand the science behind the hobby. To address these concerns, the FCC has established limits on RF energy exposure. Notably, since May 3, 2021, amateur radio operators are required to evaluate their stations for compliance with these limits​​.

The ARRL provides essential tools for understanding and adhering to these new requirements:

• RF Exposure Calculator: This tool aids operators in assessing their stations to ensure they meet FCC guidelines​​.
• Educational Materials: The ARRL website hosts a range of educational resources, including FAQs about the FCC's RF exposure rules, the 100th Edition ARRL Handbook's RF safety section, and links to relevant FCC resources​​​​.

When neighbors express concerns about RF exposure, it's crucial to approach these conversations with empathy and factual information. Here are some strategies:

• Educate Yourself: Before engaging in discussions, ensure you're well-informed about RF exposure limits and safety protocols. Utilize ARRL's resources to build your knowledge.
  
  
• Open Dialogue: Invite your neighbors to discuss their concerns. Listen actively and

Local Winlink Node - Explained!

(By Keith, KN5G) As most of you already know the Rusk County Amateur Radio Club has a WinLink, VHF Gateway on the air so that local Amateurs can access the Global WinLink Network and send and receive messages through the International WinLink messaging system.

For the newer club members the Gateway station is located in downtown Henderson at the old Jail Building on the west side of the Court House. The antenna is on the tower there at what is presently the OEM Office, along with the County Commissioner’s repeater.

The Gateway is on 145.010 MHz., and supports both Packet WinLink Sessions and the newer and faster VarAC protocol for VarAC Sessions. The Gateway has a good range and can also be used as a digipeater using the alias HENDER.

There are a handful of us who have VarAC stations set up at our home QTH and we enjoy a good VarAC ragchew with each other from time to time. The VarAC mode allows for unconnected Broadcast from

Field Day 2023 - a great success!

Another great Field Day is in the books--or perhaps more appropriately, in the logs! It was the club's first time to hold Field Day at the Millville Baptist Church. There was a number of reasons that the club chose to try out the church. 

First, the fairly remote location of the church meant there was almost NO electrical noise on the bands. The church is located in the middle of a large section of land recently reclaimed after the closing of a large surface mine. The mine when right around the church and its cemetery. Second, the building (which is no longer used by any church congregation) is still furnished with tables and chairs and even has air conditioning! And third, there are plenty of very tall trees just waiting to hold up the ends of antennas!

Unfortunately, the Field Day crew was a little smaller than normal, mostly due to the severe weather that rolled through the area the night before leaving thousands of people in the area without power. But the crowd the did show up was treated to a couple of surprises including a visit from Steven Lott (KG5VK) the Section Manager for North Texas. Steven was making the rounds of East Texas Field Day sites and squeezed us in between Tyler and Nacogdoches. Also, Luke (a soon-to-be ham!) brought dinner including grilled hamburgers with all the fixin's on top of homemade sourdough buns made by his wife! Delicious!

Keith took the whole group on a sunset tour of the cemetery, noting some very interesting graves. Marty and Kitch kept the bands hot all night long with Kitch alone making dozens of CW contacts. All in all, it was a great event and we look forward to the next time we can light up the bands!

RCARC heads off to the races...AGAIN!

For the fifth year in a row, local radio operators supported the Resurrection Race this year in city of Henderson. The run, organized by a local church, offers runners a 5K, a 10K and a 1K fun run. The race route winds through a number of Henderson neighborhoods and parks. Rusk County ARC club members real-time updates along the race route along with general communication support and weather updates when severe weather threatens (as it did a couple of years ago). 

This year we had nine operators including our a GMRS user which marked the first time we have ever  deployed a GMRS unit in a public service event. The club recently put a GMRS repeater on the air locally and added a handful of club members who only operate GMRS. While our Net Control Operator (KG5IPO) primarily used the club's main ham repeater frequency, the back-up NCO (N5NDC / WREM784) monitored the GMRS repeater to relay reports to main net.

The race had nearly 100  runners on the 5k route and around 20 on the 10K path. Stations were deployed to major race turns where issues could (and have in the past) occurred. After the last runner past the station, the operator would generally redeploy to another point along the route or return to the HQ at the finish line. 

The operation was a success and race organizers were very appreciative of the group's service. "We couldn't do this race without you all," said Kayla Tillison, the race coordinator. "When all these runners are out on the route, your group's minute-by-minute updates gives us real peace of mind."