National Preparedness Month info

About Lake Effect

Thanks for dropping in at Lake Effect ARC!  You are welcome to look around, to check out the events list and even request being added to the newsletter circulation list.  Membership is free and without obligation, and memberships are valid thru December, 2012.  All hams, regardless of license class, club affiliation are encouraged to play radio with us whenever you can!

Events for 2008 include:

UP200, Midnight Run & Jackpine 30 Safety Net - February 15-17.  Net is organized by the Marquette Hiawatha ARA.  Contact Lou, KG8NK to volunteer: <lgembolis@chartermi.net>

NCLL Snowshoe Hike Safety Net - Thursday, 3/20/2008.  Lake Effect will be providing base and mobile support for a snowshoe hike along the North Country Trail north of Marquette.  Refreshments will be served.  Noon to 4:00 pm.  Hike leader will be HT-equipped. Need one or two mobile units to track along Hwy 550 as the hike progresses in case any of the hikers need extraction.  Sign up: LakeEffectARC@charter.net  Details.

Bonus Event! Michigan QSO Party Mobile Ops in Alger County - Join us for an afternoon quickie event Saturday, 19 April, from 14:00 to 18:00 edt.  We'll be operating from Eben Junction (one of the highest (as in altitude) populated places in Alger County.  It is hoped that the altitude will make up for some of the frustrating experiences we've had with this event in the past.  Talk-in via 146.97 repeater (no tone). 

W8B Raptor and Waterfowl spring migration Special Event at Whitefish Point, north of Paradise, Michigan.  May 2, 3, 4, 2008.  Ops HQ at Saunders Sunrise Cabins just north of Paradise.  Operating from Whitefish point at least part of the time depending on weather and wind/sand in the air conditions.  Using 146.64 repeater to encourage eastern UP hams to make simple contacts, plus HF operations. Sign up: LakeEffectARC@charter.net  Details. After-action report.

North Country Trail Hikers Porkies Safety Net Mother's Day (May 9, 10, 11).  The Marquette chapter of NCTH is hiking the UP from west to east.  This spring hike will cover approximately 21 miles over three days: Little Carp River to South Boundary Road (Friday), South Boundary Road to M-64 Saturday (13 miles - this is a toughie) and M-64 over the Bergland hill to old M-64 on Sunday.  Hams needed to monitor hike progress - the hike leader will be HT equipped and use 146.52 simplex and the White Pine repeater as she can along the way.

Bonus Event! National Trails Day from the North Country Scenic Trailhead at the Elliot-Donnelly Wilderness parking lot - 12 miles up County Road 550 from the Tourist Park trailhead.  All members and interested hams from the area are welcome regardless of license status or class.  Let us know you're coming, eh? LakeEffectARC@charter.net  See the event web here.  After-Action here. Get out! Take a hike!

Field Day  June 28-29.  Due to weather, we're moving the Ops to HQ.   See the microweb page (event writeup at the end!) on this, and c'mon down!

4th of July Parade Safety Net - 4 July, organized by Kiwanis Club of Marquette, cooperating participant.

Bonus Event! Grand Island Marathon on Grand Island in Munising Harbor.  26 July. Safety net for the GIM.  Good-sized island, various communications challenges; chance to see bears, too.  Radio guys are supposed to be on the first boat over to the island at oh-dark-hundred (05:45 edt!)  Expert net control by Allan, W8FYZ of the Alger County club makes this a very satisfying event.

International Lighthouse Weekend - 15-17 August.  Big event - very active. Organized by Pete, K8PT: at the Marquette Harbor lighthouse. Coast Guard security procedures are in effect.  Get details when signing up.

Copper Mining Heritage Special Event from Quincy Mine site in Hancock, Michigan.  100th anniversary of the installation of the steam hoist at the Quincy site.  September 13-14.  More details - Western UP operators needed for operating shifts!

Yet Another Bonus Event! Lake Effect will be conducting a session of IS-22 Are You Ready as part of National Preparedness Month under the aegis of the Northern Center for Lifelong Learning.  This is a formal FEMA course billed as "an in-depth guide to citizen preparedness".  We ran the class last year also - was well received.  If you can't attend, you can take the course yourself over the web and get a pretty classy FEMA course completion certificate.  Date TBA, but in September.

North Country Trail Hikers Fall hike safety net.  The hikers will be doing the Trap Hills - Old M-64 intersection to FH400 east and north of Bergland.  Dates TBA.

National Wildlife Refuge Week Special Event from Seney National Wildlife Refuge.  October 11-19.   See NWR Week 2008 web for more info.  Lake Effect is in its 3rd year as organizer for this national event.

Skywarn Recognition Day from the Marquette, MI National Weather Service station WX8MQT, 5-6 December.  Usually a very tough operating weekend, but they have (and borrow) good equipment and, with any luck, there'll be some interesting weather to watch on the big screens.  Organized by NWS. 

Solar Flux ranges from 50 (low) to 300 (high).  Sustained high values for SF indicates stronger ionization, hence higher MUF.  Values above 150 (sustained) are prime for HF.

K values range from 0 (low) to 9 (high) indicating degree to which propagation will be disturbed / MUF depressed by geomagnetic factors.  Low values are desirable.

Relationship between "K" and "a" Indices