Recent Announcements:

• The Thursday LEARA Club net meets every Thursday at 8 PM on the 146.760. All are welcome to participate.
• ARES nets meet every Tuesdays at 8 PM on 145.410 repeater. A simplex net follows. Note there is no net on the third Tuesday as it is meeting night.
  ARES meetings are held 7PM the third Tuesday of each month. The next ARES meeting is Tuesday February 21, will be held at 7 PM at the Helwig Whistle Stop 599 W Bagley Rd, Berea, OH 44017, as well as a Zoom meeting. For more info, contact ARES at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please monitor the ARES website at www.n8esg.org/ares for information on nets and events. They are open to all, but if you are not an ARES member, please send a request at https://n8esg.org/contact/
• The SkyWarn Wednesday night practice nets are on hiatis till April. Should the NWS issue a severe storm warning, a net will be held on the 146.760 repeater. Normal Practice nets are held on Wednesday nights from April through September at 8:30 PM on the 146.760 repeater (-)PL110.9. .
• An On-Line Spotter training video from the NWS is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6R25g5YYhg


• Next LEARA monthly membership meeting is on Tuesday February 28 at 7:30 PM
  The January, February and March Meetings will be Zoom meetings. Connect information will be published in the Bits.
  There is a new access number different from last year
  
• Next LEARA Trustee meeting Saturday March 11, at 9:00AM -
  It is open to all Paid LEARA Members. An Email will be sent out to members with instructions on how to attend.
• Have pictures of your shack or mobile installation? Pass them along to the newsletter editor Carsten KD8WBB at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• IRLP is no longer on the '88 repeater; The 88 system has been upgraded to Allstar and Echo link. See the LEARA Newsletter and Web Page for more information
• The UHF Repeater on 444.700 is on the air. It is a digital mode only. It will handle DMR, Fusion, P25 and D-Star (note there may be issues with Fusion and D-Star. Try them out and if you encounter problems, let David AD8G know). Check out the Repeaters tab for more information.
• Public Service events: The Public Service season for 2022 is over, please check out the link at: http://neoesg.org/events
  and scroll to the bottom or click "HERE"
• N8UPZ reminds everyone that the National Weather Service can always use help with precipitation monitoring. For further info please check out the CoCoRaHS web site at http://www.cocorahs.org


• We can always use net controlers, which means that you can try your hand at running a LEARA net! Give it a try, it's not that hard. Learn the voices and call signs of your fellow radio members. We presently have 7 active net controlers to bring you the net each week. Why not join up and give us a hand.
  You can even do a part time shift - say 4 times a year! Give it a try!
  Contact Carl KB8VXE at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


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NOTICE:

Sunshine Report

• We offer our condolances to Ron Hollas (K8RJH) who's Fater passed away last week.
• Our President Bryan N8OOF, has been going through some painfull Rolling Stones. My mistake, Kidney Stones. Fortunately the stones were broken down and so the music continues to play.
  


• Send information to Trustee Robert Wright KE8CEO
  
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Past Trivia / Discussion Questions

• 03/30/23 Question: Gerson Strassberg, WA2JXX, invented this item that no one would be without..
  Choices:
  A) Plastic Pocket protector
  B) Retractable Ballpoint Pen
  C) The computer Mouse
  D) reusable paper clip.
  Answer: A- Plastic Pocket Protector
• 04/06/23 Question: Relegated to these in the early days of radio, hams found them to be prime radio real estate.
  Choices:
  a. Very Low Frequencies
  b. Sub-bands
  c. Quiet zones
  d. Short waves
  Answer: d -- The infamous “200 meters and down” region was supposed to be an exile for amateurs, but it turned out to be quite the opposite!
  Trivia from the ARRL Website at http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-quiz-ham-horizons
  https://www.nena.org/page/911overviewfacts
  
• 04/13/23 Question: What was the total number of LEARA net checkins for 2022?
  Choices: A) 156 B) 213 C) 538 D) 710
  Answer: D-710
  Discussion: How many LEARA nets were held in 2022? Answer 51. There was a net every week last year with the exception of Thanksgiving Thursday.
  Additional information on last year's net: There were 185 Unique Check ins in 2022?
  There were 41 people only checked in once in 2022.
  
• 04/20/23 Question: What is/was a "slop jar" in ham radio slang?
  A)  A spitoon
  B) An early form of "wet" electrolytic capacitor
  C)  A fictitious device, like a drip pan for a grid leak
  D)  An electrolytic rectifier
  Answer: D) An electrolytic rectifier
  Electrolytic rectifiers were common in the late '20s and early '30s. One "cell" consisted of two strips of
• 04/27/23 Question: During Skywarn, which of the following should be reported:
  Choices: A) Lightning, B) 45MPH Winds, C) Sunshine, D) 3/4 inch hail?
  Answer:D 3/4 inch hail. Lightning is dangerous but not reportable, NWS is interested in winds >50 MPH, and NO one needs Sunshine reports.
  
• 05/04/23 Question: What does Cinco de Mayo celebrate?
  Choices:
  A) Defeat of the Aztecs by the Spaniards
  B) Defeat of the French
  C) Defeat of the Spaniards
  D) Mexican Independence Day
  E) Just a reason to drink
  Answer: B) Defeat of the French
  
• 05/11/23 Question: Which of the following events occurred on May 3, 2023?
  A. The 2 year transition period concerning RF Safety ended.
  B. The World Health Organization ends it declaration of COVID-19 being a global health emergency.
  C. First Republic Bank failed and was auctioned off.
  D. The Coronation of Charles III and Camilla as King and Queen.
  Answer A. The 2 year transition period concerning RF Safety ended.
  While all of these events happened during the first week of May, the 2 year transition period ended on May 3rd. Just a reminder, if you haven’t done your RF safety calculations yet, please complete them. More information can be found at http://www.arrl.org/rf-exposure
  
• 05/18/23 Question 1: In amateur radio, RIT is an acronym for which of the following?
  Choices:
  A: Remote Interface Transport
  B: Receive Incremental Tuning
  C: Random Ionospheric Truncation
  D: Received Input Trapping
  Correct Answer: Receive Incremental Tuning D)
  (RIT is "receive increment tuning" which allows the receiver frequency to be varied while not affecting the transmitter frequency in a transceiver so equipped. )
  
  Question 2: What does the Q signal QLF mean on the CW bands?
  A: You are too low in frequency please move up.
  B: Please lower your frequency.
  C: Now try sending with your left foot
  D: You are too long in your dashes please shorten them and repeat.
  Correct Answer: Now try sending with your left foot
  (This was a term coined by heavy traffic passers and old time CW nuts using ears and not computers and screens. It is of course a fictitious Q code, defined early by the ARRL as "Now try sending with your left foot" )
  
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Related info on WWV

• During the 8/23/18 net, we were made aware of the proposal to eliminate the WWV-WWVH radio transmissions. read more about it at the following links.
  http://www.arrl.org/news/nist-fy-2019-budget-would-eliminate-wwv-and-wwvh
  http://www.arrl.org/news/concern-rising-within-amateur-radio-community-over-wwv-wwvh-shut-down-proposal

Trivia Question Etiquette

• The Trivia Question is supposed to be a fun and learning experience for everyone checking in. Most of the time the answer is a multiple guess, and for many literally a guess. It makes the people sit and ponder the possible answers. If you don't know the answer, you may say so and acknowlege that you are taking a guess, and then give your answer. If you KNOW the correct answer, please just give give the letter or text of your choice only. Don't spoil the question for others by giving a complete dissertation on the principals, theories and biographies of the author or scientist. Giving that information early in the net spoils the fun for the people who have yet to play. Factoids and anecdotal information regarding history or even personal experience relating to the question is a most welcome additive to the discussion AFTER the answer has been given. Let the Net Control KNOW you have additional info for the end of the net.
  
  Thanks for checking in and enjoy learning new facts, or basking in the knowlege that you have.

  Please note there is a slight change in the schedule.