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Skywarn NCS WX4PBC & KJ4AVE Assist With The
Maritime Mobile Service Network
20m Santa Claus Net.
Dec 23 &
24th
1900 UTC to
01000
UTC each day
Frequency
Range: 20 meter -14.305 - 14.320
Check
with the Maritime Mobile Service Net on 14300 MHz for
the actual
Santa Claus operating frequency.
________________________________________________________
2013 Santa Net NCS Sked
Current
Schedule: As
of 12/18/13
Click
on call sign for QRZ station, QTH & bearing (Beam
heading)
information.
You
will need to log into QRZ.com for QTH & bearing information.
KA4KSB Santa
Relay Station KJ4AVE
hosted Mrs. Claus
_____________________________________________
This
net was established over 35 years ago by W1KCY(SK) and
allows children world wide to talk to Santa Claus via
amateur radio
QSL Cards by WX4PBC
Special Event cards available
through QSO with:
WX4PBC
KJ4AVE
(Hosting Mrs. Claus)
_____________________________________________________________________
Santa Claus Net 2013 Re-Cap
By Ray wx4pbc
Santa Net battles
"Murphy's Law" and "Mother Nature".
Last year we had
"Murphy's Law" however, this year "Murphy"
teamed up with "Mother Nature". Mother Nature, took
the amateur radio adage "When all else fails...Ham
Radio" to the wall this year. Santa
Station WX4PBC
took a near lightning strike a couple of weeks before the Santa
Net which fried the rotor control. An express order replacement
brought a new rotor and rotor control. "Mother Nature"
working with Mr. Murphy made sure the new rotor would work but
have a faulty controller. The rotor manufacturer required the
complete system be returned to it's place of birth. Santa
"rigged" up a temporary method with old rotor w/o
controller to rotate the yagi having to count to approximate the
headings. "Mother
Nature", not to be out done, left WX4PBC's
QTH and headed north to the QTH of Santa Station AC8AL
& KD8DHJ.
Seeing how Santa responded with typical "Amateur
Ingenuity" to a single lightning strike, she decided to
advance her attack on the weakest "Ham Front" and that
is Amateur Radio Emergency Public Service. "Mother
Nature" deployed her powerful Multi-Ice
Storm Offence or "MISO". In
deploying MISO, "Mother Nature" knew putting
citizens without power and heat, shelters would have to be set up
and citizens taken care of in those shelters.
"Where there are shelters...There will be Hams". "Doc"
AC8AL
& Karen KD8DHJ
answered the call and diverted to provide community services
to include but not limited to Emergency Communication. Not to be
out done, by "Mother Nature" Doc & Karen took
care of their duties and were still able to set up an HF station
later as the 20m band died. To be prepared for next year, Doc
advised he would...Well, let's just say........Doc has a
plan. Sorry "Mother Nature", no free intel. The
net had two secrete weapon Santa Stations this year . Those were
big gun stations K4SHP
(Jason) and KA4KSB
(Bill) Jason
started off the Santa Net and was able repel Mother Nature and
establish a Santa Net Beachhead on 14.325. Due to Jason talking
14.325 early, we were able to hold 14.325 for the duration of the
operation. Pat
at Santa Station KJ4AVE
was able again this year to get Mrs. Claus on the net to speak
with the children. With "Mother Nature" deployed in the
north, "Murphy" advanced south taking out Pat's phone
and internet services but could not shut down Mrs. Claus or Pat's
Radio. Santa
Net "Master" and Net Manager
Bernard (Bob) Sternberg
AA4EE,
continuously
re-deployed his forces and
completed his assigned
time slots and then seamlessly covered open slots created by
"Mother Nature's" MISO actions diverting Doc and
Karen. Upon
hearing of the raging and broad battle fronts with Mother Nature
and limited break out fronts with Mr. Murphy, Maritime Mobile
Service Net NCS Bill KA4KSB
responded in typical ham fashion and assisted Bob AA4EE.
Bill and Bob and of course Santa, used hit and run tactics against
both Mother Nature and Mr. Murphy who attempted to disrupt
the 20m band with shifting propagation. Santa was "Oscar
Mike" or "On the Move" back
and fourth between Santa stations AA4EE
and KA4KSB
. After
committing most of Christmas Eve to the net, Bob AA4EE
was relieved by returning Santa Station WX4PBC.
Now with the temporary yagi turning and heading guessing down to a
science and the continued help of Bill from his forward operating
station KA4KSB,
they were able to continue the net and completed the contacts with
the children. Back-Up
Station
W1WCN
Joe was
stationed in Maine in the snow and ice covered trenches with a
portable station ready to relay as needed. Santa's
Humor" Santa
helped keep things lively. While speaking with one child, the
young man became frightened of Santa's radio voice. Santa
explained to him not to be frightened of him after all, he is
"Round & Jolly" Santa further advised the young
"ham to be", that Santa was even in shape...as Santa
tells Mrs. Claus every day, " After all..round is a
shape". One
young lady who was on the "Good Little Girl List"
wanted amongst other things, an R/C snake and R/C spider. When
Santa asked why, the little girl replied," To scare my
mom". Santa advised her that may not be such a good idea
and could have an effect on her Naughty or Nice status next
year. One
youngster did not care what they got for Christmas..But just
wanted everyone to have a Merry Christmas. Santa
was happy to hear so many children wish Santa a Merry Christmas
and a safe journey. "Mother
Nature" and "Murphy" should take note...
Not only
"When all else fails...Ham Radio" but it is also
"When all else fails..Ham Radio Operators prevail"
So, even though
"Mother Nature" and "Murphy's Law can and did enter and dampen equipment,
They can not
dampen the Spirit of Christmas or the Santa Claus Net. So...the
net was a success
and fun was had by all. A
note form Santa and the Net Control Stations
Santa and all the
Santa Net Control Stations, would like to thank 14300.net for sponsoring the Santa Claus Net
and especially Santa Net Manager Bernard (Bob) Sternberg ,
AA4EE
for coordinating
the net and allowing us to participate again this year.
A special thanks to PBC Skywarn Coordinator Maurice
Dake
K9EE
for the use of PBC SkyChat and web space for the Santa
Claus Net.
Up-Date:
11/11/14: Bob AA4EE has retired as Santa Net Manager. We
welcome new Net Manager Bill Dickerson KA4KSB
Want to be
apart of the Santa Claus Net? Check
back here around Thanksgiving 2014 for
the announcement or contact Bill KA4KSB
around that time.
_____________________________________________________________________ Be
sure to check out our PBC Skywarn / Amara Shriner's Annual
Children's Christmas Santa QSL Party here 
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