Being a licensed amateur radio operator has its advantages. Not the least of which is the ability to operate from your vehicle. To find out more about Hawaii Act 175 see our previous blog post here:  http://www.kh6rs.com/blog/hawaii-act-175-for-ham-operators

As a licensed ham you can have your license plates swapped out on your car for ones that reflect your call sign. This has several advantages especially if you like to operate from your vehicle on mobile. 

If you are interested in getting your call sign license plate here is a quick guide to help you through the process. 


The first thing you need to do is pickup a "Radio Amateur Call Letter" Form SCD-33 at the 
Maui County Civil Defense at 200 South High Street, Wailuku, HI  96793. After you get the form you need to fill it out completely to avoid any unnecessary delays. The following are line by line instructions on how to complete the form: 
 
Registered Owner:
 (( enter you name and address as it appears on your vehicle registration ))

CALL LETTERS:     Your Callsign
LICENSE NUMBER:   Your vehicle license number as shown on your registration. 
MAKE:    As shown on your vehicle registration
DATE ISSUED:   Date First Sold as shown on your vehicle registration.  I was not sure about this one, but they did not seem to have any problem with what I entered.
TYPE:    The four letters shown on the vehicle registration under "type". Mine has NISS for Nissan.
WEIGHT:   The weight of your vehicle as shown on the vehicle registration.
ID or SERIAL NUMBER:   The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on your registration.  Double-check for accuracy.
AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXPIRES:   The Expiration Date on your FCC License.
CLASS OF LICENSE:    Will be on your FCC License under the words "Operator Privileges". 
This morning they called me and said I needed 3 more things to give to them.

Once you complete the form you have the choice of mailing it in or taking it back to the Maui County  Civil Defense Agency. Whichever method you choose make sure you include the following with your completed form. 

1.  Copy of the vehicle registration that will have the plates.
2.  Copy of the FCC Amateur Radio license.
3.  Check for $13 made out to Director of Finance.  (Looks like they now charge a processing).


A quick note: 

Processing time for your plates can vary greatly. They process only after receiving a certain number of requests. Which means if no one else puts in a request it could be a long time before you get your plates. 

Next time you catch Bill (KH6UU) on the air send him a mahalo for for putting together this guide for the rest of us. 

This year's nominations for Pacific Division Ham of the Year 2014 award are being coordinated by  Christina Capurro Sand (WO1NDR). This honor will be presented at the annual Pacificon Banquet on October 12th and will be held at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel. 

This award is given for contribuions to the community in general and Amateur Radio in particular that are above and beyond the usual. 
 
The deadline for nominations is August 15, 2014. 
 
All Nominations should be sent to Christina at ccsandesq@zoho.com or ccsandesq@gmail.com.
 
Nominations should include:

1. Which organization or club is nominating and from which section (KH6RS Maui ARC, Pacific Section)
2. The contact person of the nominating organization (Shawn, KH6RSB@arrl.net)
   
3. A description of why the nominee is deserving of the award, including:
   
4. How has the nominee advanced the art and science of amateur radio
   
5. How has the nominee contributed to amateur radio in his/her community
   
6. How has the nominee demonstrated leadership in his/her community
   
7. How has the nominee demonstrated excellence in amateur radio
   

At last nights monthly MARC Meeting fellow member, Robyn, shared her experience receiving recognition for her outstanding contribution to the local marine sanctuary. See the article below or follow the link to the original article posted on the Maui News blog site, Mauifeed.com. 

NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY HONORS MAUI VOLUNTEER ROBYN WALTERS

May 20, 2014 By Suzanne Kayian 

Link to MauiFeed.com Article



The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) has selected Maui resident Robyn Walters as the 2014 Volunteer of the Year. Walters was honored for her exceptional contributions to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Walters began her volunteer work with the national marine sanctuary in Hawaii in 2010. Last year alone, she logged more than 450 service hours. Her volunteer work encompasses several responsibilities. Walters is a public lecturer; a school group educational activities leader; a visitor center docent; a meeting organizer; a sanctuary representative at community outreach events; a speaker and participant on whale watch cruises; a volunteer trainer and mentor; and a leader in citizen science initiatives.

“Robyn Waters embodies the selfless commitment of citizens in sanctuary communities nationwide who lend their time and expertise to help us achieve our mission,” said Daniel J. Basta, director, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Our volunteers are an important part of our team and a reason for our success.”

Walters will be recognized with other honorees–U.S. Senator Carl Levin and Joint Ocean Commission Initiative co-chairs William Ruckelshaus and Norm Mineta–on June 10 in Washington D.C. She also has been invited to deliver remarks on her work and importance of volunteerism for national marine sanctuaries. The awards gala is held in conjunction with Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), Washington’s premier ocean-focused conference. CHOW 2014 will take place June 10-12 at the Newseum and bring together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, scientists, and conservationists to shape marine policy and provoke conversation about critical ocean and coastal issues.

“We could not be more proud of Robyn and all of the sanctuary volunteers that she represents,” said Malia Chow, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary superintendent. “Robyn’s commitment and dedication over the past years has been truly outstanding and we are thrilled that she is bringing this prestigious award home to Hawaii.”

Nationally, volunteers contribute more than 100,000 hours annually to the National Marine Sanctuary System in the areas of research, monitoring, enforcement, education and outreach, and management advisory. Walters’ work supports the national marine sanctuary in Hawaii during a particularly important time, as the sanctuary is proposing to shift from a single species focus on humpback whales to an ecosystem-based approach, according to NMSF.

“Every year it is difficult to select only one of 14 tremendously qualified Volunteers of the Year from the sanctuary sites to recognize nationally,” said NMSF President and CEO Jason Patlis. “The service of all the sanctuary volunteers is truly inspirational, and recognizing the volunteer programs is one of the most important – and most gratifying – ways that the NMSF supports the national marine sanctuary system.”

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a private, non-profit organization that was created to assist the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program with education and outreach programs, was designed to preserve, protect and promote meaningful opportunities for public interaction with the nation’s marine sanctuaries. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is administered by a partnership of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the State of Hawaii through the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). The sanctuary works to protect humpback whales through research, education, conservation and stewardship.

Currently, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is seeking to fill two primary and four alternate seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public input into sanctuary matters and provides advice to sanctuary management. The two primary seats are business/commerce and tourism. The sanctuary is also looking to fill four alternate seats: Native Hawaiian, Hawaii County, Honolulu County and commercial shipping.

“The members of our advisory council represent an extremely important element of our community,” said Chow. “Their input, experience and expertise assist sanctuary managers in making informed and timely decisions on how best to protect and conserve our important cultural and natural resources.”

Alternates attend meetings when primary members are not available and assume a seat if a primary member resigns. All candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources.

Applications are due June 30. To receive an application kit or for further information, please contact council coordinator Daniela Kittinger via e-mail at Daniela.Kittinger@noaa.gov; by phone at 808-725-5905; or visit the sanctuary website at hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov. Completed applications should be submitted to: Inouye Regional Center, ATTN: NOS/HIHWNMS/Daniela Kittinger, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.

Photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm/Wikimedia Commons

We operated three stations on 10, 15, 20 and 40 meters as well as one GOTA (Get on the Air) station on 2 meters. We ran several modes including phone, CW, RTTY, as well as digital modes like PSK. To the knowledge of the club this is the first time we have run 3 stations. Propagation was fair thanks to a wonderful hula performance to kickoff the event by Club President Tom Worthington's wife Leslie. The hula was story of Maui coaxing the the sun to produce sun spots that promote radio propagation. 

We had about 25 operators and visitors throughout the 24 hour event. A highlight of the event was when a club member was able to make contact with NASA astronaut, Reid Wiseman KF5LKT, operating as NA1SS from the International Space Station. Although it was a short pass over Hawaii, she reported clear communication with the space station. By the end of the exercise Sunday morning we made a total 2391 QSOs and 3462 points.Both are higher than last year despite experiencing poorer solar conditions.