14th Annual Emergency Preparedness Expo
We are pleased to announce that the 14th Annual Emergency Preparedness Expo will be held on September 24, 2022 from 10am to 3pm at the Menard Sports Complex.
The goal of this Emergency Preparedness Expo is to serve the needs of the community by providing all-seasons safety and disaster preparedness information and training at no cost to all residents and visitors.
This free, family-friendly event will feature:
• Interactive games and activities
• Disaster preparedness kit demos
• Disaster services displays
• Informative presentations
• Direct to consumer sales
• Door Prizes
• First 100 adults through the door will receive a free giveaway bag with preparedness supplies
We invite you and your organization or business to join us by participating as an exhibitor or vendor.
We will need about 20 folks to assist in setup at 0900, tear down at 1500, operators, folks to interface with the public. Training will be conduct in all areas of the Trailers. This is one of MARA's largest Emergency Fairs of the year
*** Paying your Dues & Donating to the Club ***
If you haven't paid your current membership dues or would like to donate to the club, please get with John/KL1XM, our Treasure or follow the below procedures. Our dues is one of our main incomes to maintain the club equipment and activities. The dues are $24 Dollars a year for individual or family. We are also a 501c3 non-profit club so it is all tax deductible. The web site has an application form for you to fill out under the Forms Menu and you can go to the Donate tab listed to the left to pay by PayPal or Credit Card, if you like. For any other club donations we will provide you a Tax Receipt. Also with all the benefits available thru ARRL, you may be interested in joining it also. You have the choice of 2 magazines now, one for new hams "On The Air Magazine and the QST Magazine, with your ARRL membership, you also can get good equipment insurance, pod casts on various ham subjects, new equipment evaluations, construction projects, contest, ham reference books, ham products and what ARRL is doing on our behalf with new legislation.
ARES NET AND PACKET NET CONTROLS NEEDED
This is a great way to get practice and learn how to run nets. You will learn how to handle rosters, run packet traffic and help in distributing the load among our current Net Controls. Please contact Don/KL7JFT for additional information or review the Operations Section of the MATSU ARES Website,
Slide presentation on how to prepare yourself and family for emergencies, based on Alaska prior situations.
Ham Radio and Response Preparedness
By Chris Hamman/KL5BF
NOTICE:
To all Alaska Hams with a call sign License Plate
The State DMV is sending out yellow cards to those people needing to re-register their plates. The card indicates you can register online. However, for those that have ham radio plates you can't do it online. It has to be done at a DMV office. I have included below what one administer sent me.
I would advise that those re-registering their plates to take what Karina Garces-Pellon sent to me so if there are any questions, you have some backup. She is from the Anchorage DMV
I’ve included our Vehicle Transaction Application (Form 812) for the renewal, you will need to
- State on form 812 that you’re requesting Amateur Radio Exemption by checking the box “Other” and writing in the Amateur Radio (AR)
- Make the following statement in the Affidavit section on the application “This vehicle meets the requirements outlined in AS 28.10.421 (d) (8) (A) & (B) and I qualify for free registration under this statute.”
- Copy of current FCC License
- Folks need to understand they need a 5 Band HF radio installed in the vehicle with Antenna and power connection.
Click here for the Vehicle Transaction Application (Form 812)
For older vehicles, Claude N7FXX reports, since it’s an older vehicle he bypassed the “free” renewal and changed categories to “old” and “vanity” so now I’m permanent, no renewal. Cost me a little up front but now all seven of my legacy vehicles are “P” designated.
Came across your website and saw a note about updating license plates. Thought I would send a photo of my fathers
plate when we lived in Ketchikan. Now the plate is attached to the front of my pick-up truck in Vermont.
Here is the rest of the story, We lived in Ketchikan in the late 50's and early 60's. My father was in the US Coast Guard and I was in my early teens. Alaska was a territory when we moved there. My father was a "Ham" radio operator and had his call sign on our Alaska plate, KL7VFO. We moved from Ketchikan in the early 60's. My father is gone now (WWII veteran) and I have the plate attached to my truck, here in Vermont. Thanks for the time to tell a little of my fathers story who was a lifelong Ham Radio operator.
Mike Chesley
Bristol, Vermont
SUNSHINE COMMITTEE
MARA members, if you know of a member who needs cheering up because they have lost a loved one, or are laid up with illness or injury, or if someone is in the hospital, please let one of us know. We would love to send a ray of sunshine in their direction.
Help us spread the cheer. Donations are always appreciated and can be made at the general meeting or directly to Tabitha or Pam.
Contact Tabitha at tabithainak@gmail.com (best way), or text or phone 907-414-2281.
Pam at pam.whitehead@gmail.com, or 907-376-9281.