Thanks to everyone that made the 2012 DMRAA Hamfest a success! Several vendors were on hand as hundreds of visitors filled the aisles on a beautiful spring morning at the Iowa State Fairgrounds! The vendors said sales were solid and thanked everyone for their business and hospitality.

The Iowa Repeater Council held a forum at 10 a.m. to a standing-room only crowd. Awards were also given out on Saturday: George Noble KK7FM is this year’s recipient of the Robert M. Evans Memorial Award presented by the DMRAA, and the ARRL Iowa Section awarded the 2012 Iowa Ham of the Year award to Richard Nelson, W0HHF, of Cedar Falls.

For a list of door prize recipients, click here.

A full recap of this year’s hamfest will be included in the June 2012 edition of the Static Sheet. Planning is already underway for next year’s hamfest, so watch for the announcement of next year’s date coming soon.

With this year’s hamfest complete, the DMRAA will now look towards its next major event, W0AK Field Day, June 23-24, at Fort Des Moines Park. More event information will be posted on the website as we get further into planning.

If you have feedback about the hamfest or pictures you would like to send to the DMRAA, please send them to info@dmraa.com for inclusion on the website and in the upcoming Static Sheet.

The award will be presented at 10:00am at the Des Moines Hamfest on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at
the Elwell Family Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. Two of the finalists will be runners-up and will each receive a certificate and an ARRL Repeater Directory. The winner will receive a trophy, certificate and an ARRL Handbook.

Congratulations to these Iowa hams for their contributions to amateur radio!

– From the April 2012 ARRL Midwest Division newsletter.

The nomination period is now open for the ARRL awards that are designed to recognize educational and technological pursuits in Amateur Radio. There is also an award to honor a young Amateur Radio operator. Please log onto www.arrl.org/arrl-award-nominations for specific details and information on how to nominate or submit supporting endorsements.

The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award will be awarded to an ARRL volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or to an ARRL professional classroom teacher who uses creative instructional approaches and models the highest values of the Amateur Radio community. The award has been focused to reflect quality of instruction and commitment to licensing instruction. Nominations should be received by March 15, 2012, to be considered fro this year.

The Hiram Percy Maxim Award is for a licensed radio amateur under age 21 (and an ARRL member) whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio
activities. Nominations for this award need to be made through your Section Manger (see page 16) who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2012.

The ARRL Microwave Development Award is presented to a licensed radio amateur or to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs contribute to the development of the Amateur Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2012.

The ARRL Technical Service Award recognizes a licensed radio amateur or individuals who are licensed radio amateurs that provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2012.

The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is granted to a licensed radio amateur or to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or techniques in Amateur Radio. The
nomination deadline is March 31, 2012.

The Knight Distinguished Service Award

The ARRL Board of Directors established the Knight Distinguished Service Award to recognize exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health and vitality of the League. The first such award was presented to Joe T. Knight, W5PDY, for whom the award was named, in recognition of his exemplary service not only as the ARRL Section New Mexico Section Manager for more than a quarter century but also for his willingness time and time again to share his knowledge and skills leadership by volunteering to help train and orient newly elected Section Managers from throughout the country at the invitation of the Field Services Department (now Membership and Volunteer Programs).

In recognition of the commitment to the ARRL Field Organization as exemplified by Joe T. Knight, W5PDY (SK), the Knight Distinguished Service Award may be awarded from time to time to an ARRL Section Manager who has distinguished himself or herself in accordance with the following ideals:

1. Exceptionably notable contributions over and extended period of time within his or her Section and beyond.; and

2. Whose efforts have contributed to the health and vitality of the ARRL and its Field Organization; and

3. Whose actions are in the spirit of the unselfish contributions of Joe T. Knight, W5PDY.

The ARRL Board shall publicize the existence of the Knight Distinguished Service Award and the nomination criteria from time to time in its QST and on the ARRL Web Page. Nominations may be made by
any ARRL member and shall be accompanied by a narrative of the accomplishments of the nominee identifying the long term contributions of the nominee to ARRL and its Field Organization.

Those awarded the Knight Distinguished Service Award shall be presented with a suitable plaque commemorating the award.

For more information about all of the above awards, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-award-nominations.

You may also contact Steve Ewald, WV1X, at wv1x@arrl.org or 860-594-0265 at ARRL Headquarters

The Iowa Ham of the Year Award is intended to recognize an Iowa ham who has demonstrated his or her tremendous dedication to Amateur Radio through his or her activities. The award will be presented at the 2012 DMRAA Hamfest in Des Moines. Nominations are being taken until March 15, 2012. The winner will receive a trophy, a certificate and an ARRL Handbook. Two runner-ups will each receive a certificate and an ARRL Repeater Directory. For complete rules and a nomination form, please contact n0loh@arrl.org.

Nominations for the Winthrop Mager Award need to be sent to the DMRAA president no later than the conclusion of the November meeting, which is the annual chili feed and auction. They must be in writing. The president will give the nominations to the committee for processing at that time. Nominees are those amateur operators that have shown outstanding support for amateur radio, promotion of the amateur radio service and have done so with the utmost respect for the community and fellow operators.

Please submit your nominations soon!

Past recipients of the Winthrop Mager Award

Date and Time: Saturday October 15, 2011 from 1400Z – 2300Z (9AM – 6PM CDT).

Purpose: Iowa stations contact as many stations as possible regardless of location; Stations outside Iowa are to contact as many Iowa stations as possible in Iowa within the Iowa QSO Party time frame.

Modes: Phone (includes digital phone) or CW/digital modes (excludes digital phone but includes other digital modes). No repeater or network QSOs.

Exchange: Iowa Stations: RS/T & County (Iowa Counties Abbreviations). All Other Stations: RS/T & state or province – DX stations report RS/T & “DX”

Bands: Contacts may be made on any amateur band except 60M and the WARC bands. Suggested frequencies (+/-):

• CW 1810, 3555, 7045, 14040, 21040, 28040, 50.140, 144.190, 432.105 and up
• SSB 1855, 3840, 7210, 14 285, 21330, 28415, 50.135, 144.215, 432.115 and up
• FM 146.58

Entry Classes:

• Iowa Single Op Fixed
• Out of State Single Op Fixed
• Iowa Single Op Mobile
• Iowa Multi-op Fixed (Multi-single or multi operators with one transmitter)
• Iowa Multi-op Mobile (Multi-single or multi operators with one transmitter)

All stations are limited to output power of no more than 125 Watts.

All entrants, regardless of class, may not change entry category during the contest.

All entrants may indicate their radio club affiliation for the Club High Score award.