We had a busy year. 2017 has marked some unique changes to ham radio. The importance of radio came to national attention with the devastation caused by 3 hurricanes within a two month period. The special deployments to Puerto Rico especially highlighted our value. Our beloved Hamvention faced its own challenges having to move after so many years.
Our own club kept busy. Meetings, contests, charitable activities, fundraisers, social engagements, we have done it all. Before looking forward to 2018, it’s best to take a few minutes to reflect on everything we did in 2017.
Meetings
We had some great program topics at our Meetings this year. We had a great night of sharing our antenna projects and ideas, great discussion on the future of our club and a budding tradition, share your current project night. We also had some great guests. Dave Core, K8WDA, gave a great presentation on Baluns and how to best apply them. Scott Yonally N8SY, ARRL Ohio Section Manager stopped by to give us an update and to answer questions in March.
Fundraising
As any ham can tell you, this hobby can rely on money! To continue to operate with the excellence we’ve all come to expect, our club relies on its members to step up and work to keep us running smooth.
Our volunteers worked their frigid fingers to the bone working a beer booth at Red, White and Blue Ash. They stood for hours manning the gates at the Harvest Home festival in Cheviot, sometimes taking additional shifts when required. Our Hamfest Committee worked diligently to secure vendors and a great location to host an amazing Hamfest. All of which went a long way to fill OHKYIN’s coffers. And boy, were we going to need It!
Our Repeaters
The thing that sets us apart as a premier ham radio club is our repeaters. Specifically, our 67 repeater. Set up upon one of the highest locations available, the 67 repeater is the crown jewel of OHKYIN’s presence in the region.
But our crown jewel needed a good polish and our Tech Committee was up to the challenge. With considerable resources from the club, the Tech Committee contracted a tower climber and purchased a new antenna to replace our aging hardware. It was an overall success. Once again our signal is loud and clear.
There was another challenge we faced. Our 925 repeater needed a new home. Its current location in Colerain was being removed. We had no choice but to take It down, or lose the equipment. Our Tech Committee swooped in and rescued it and less than 4 months later, we have it back on air in its new location in Delhi.
Field Days
If there’s one thing thing OHKYIN members love, it’s making contacts. If there’s two things, making contacts and food. Our Field Days met them both. This year we did very well in all three contests we participated in. Winter Field Day, NVIS day and of course, Field Day.
Our Field Day results were particularly great. We had a total score of 7,956 with over 2,200 contacts! This was high enough to score us 1st in our section, 2nd in our division of 41 and 87# of all field days, beating out 97%.
Of course, our Field Day runs on more than gasoline for our generators. We run on food, and Chef John delivered. Going well beyond the simple request for “beans and cookies,” John came through with hearty breakfasts, our amazing Saturday picnic, and outstanding sides for our midnight Steak Out.
Brunch Bunch
Speaking of food, we had very well attended Brunch Bunch gatherings at some amazing locations. For those who have never attended, the second Saturday of the month, our Brunch Bunch gather at a local restaurant to socialize, and just have a good time.
This year we had some great food from local eateries including Drew’s on the River, Camp Washington Chili, RiverWatch Floating Restaurant & Bar, Giovanni’s Family Italian Restaurant, Ron’s Roost and of course, Chili Time.
ARDF Championships
Our monthly fox hunts usually occur the mornings before our Brunch Bunch, but our foxhunting members had to take a break for most of the year. They had a greater task to tackle. OHKYIN took on the mammoth task of Hosting the The 17th USA and 9th IARU Region II ARDF Championships.
Six parks, seven days of practice and eight events were made ready for the 100+ participsn’t for the hours of hard work by the event organizers aants who traveled from all over the world. If it wand the dozens of members who volunteered to work the events, it would not have been such a resounding success.
Service
Besides all the fun, OHKYIN is a service organization. As with everything we do, we do it with style. Many OHKYIN members continue to provide time and resources for ARES and RACES, work. We have helped on many parades and community events.
Our members were pivotal in the October Cystic Fibrosis Ride, even missing Hamfest to serve! Our members and Repeater were critical in the successful execution of Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon weekend events. Look forward to next year’s opportunities and sign up to help! You will be glad you Did!
Looking to Next Year
2017 was a great year for our club. We faced obstacles, took on new challenges, and served the community exciting ways. We did it all with a sense of style and fun, and executed with excellence. We should be proud of what we did in 2017 and look forward to new opportunities in 2018 to once again prove that, no matter the amateur radio interest, OHKYIN members are involved.