Bushcrafters Event at Fishpond Lake in Letcher County June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
A bushcrafter is an individual who practices and develops skills related to wilderness survival and living off the land. The term “bushcraft” refers to the knowledge and abilities necessary to thrive in a natural environment, typically forests or wilderness areas. Bushcrafters often focus on acquiring traditional skills and techniques, such as fire-making, shelter-building, foraging for food and water, navigation, and crafting tools from natural materials.
Bushcrafters aim to be self-reliant in the wilderness, using their skills to survive and adapt to various outdoor situations. They emphasize the use of natural resources and minimal equipment, relying on their knowledge and practical abilities to overcome challenges. Bushcraft is often seen as a combination of practical skills, outdoor knowledge, and a deep understanding of nature.
Many bushcrafters also have a profound respect for the environment and practice sustainable and ethical principles when interacting with nature. They may incorporate conservation practices into their activities and promote responsible wilderness exploration.
It’s worth noting that bushcraft is distinct from hardcore survivalism, which often involves preparing for and enduring worst-case scenarios, such as natural disasters or societal collapse. Bushcrafters, on the other hand, focus more on developing sustainable skills for prolonged outdoor living and enjoying nature.
This event will be held on the Free Fishing Weekend in Kentucky (no license required for anyone to fish on that weekend). Letcher County Tourism will be hosting a free kids fishing event in conjunction with the Bushcrafters event, from 9am to 1pm on Saturday. The first 75 kids who show up will get a gift bag. For more info on the kids fishing event visit the Letcher County Tourism Facebook page.
Bushcrafters event shirts are avaialble for order from Seven North, a Letcher County business by clicking here.
Fishpond Lake
475 Fish Pond Drive
Jenkins, KY 41537
For more info contact:
Christopher Riffe N4QBE
pi*******@gm***.com
Kentucky QSO Party June 3rd (9am EDT to 9pm EDT, 8am CDT to 8pm CDT, 1300Z June 3 until 0100Z June 4)
The Kentucky QSO Party is an annual amateur radio contest that takes place in the state of Kentucky, United States. The contest is organized by the Kentucky Contest Group and is held on the first Saturday in June every year.
The QSO (which stands for “contact” in radio communication) party is a time for amateur radio operators, or “hams,” to make contacts with other hams in the state of Kentucky and around the world. The goal of the contest is to make as many contacts as possible with other operators within a 24-hour period.
During the contest, participants exchange certain information, such as their location and call sign, with other operators in order to confirm the contact. Points are awarded for each contact, and additional points are awarded for contacts made with stations within Kentucky.
The Kentucky QSO Party is open to all amateur radio operators, regardless of their location or level of experience. It is a great opportunity for hams to test their equipment and skills, as well as to make new contacts and friends within the amateur radio community.
Overall, the Kentucky QSO Party is a fun and exciting event that brings together amateur radio operators from all over the world to celebrate the hobby of ham radio and the state of Kentucky.
Awards will be granted in the following categories:
| Winner | Category – High Score | Sponsors |
| DX – CW | Dwight Orten KM4FO | |
| DX – Mixed | Bill Weaver WE5P | |
| Canada – CW | Shelby Summerville K4WW | |
| Canada – Mixed | Paul Kern NK4P | |
| USA – CW | Dwight Orten KM4FO | |
| USA – Mixed | Glen Petri KE4KY | |
| USA – QRP | Rick Singleton KC4S | |
| KY – CW – High Power | John Farler K4AVX | |
| KY – CW – Low Power | John Marks KM4CH | |
| KY – Phone – High Power | Curtis Foote WX4W | |
| KY – Phone – Low Power | John Marks KM4CH | |
| KY – Mixed | Letcher County Amateur Radio Club | |
| KY – QRP | Tyler Barnett N4TY | |
| KY – Mobile Assisted | ||
| KY – Mobile Unassisted | ||
| KY – Club Station | ||
| KY – Multi-Op | ||
| Unbridled Spirit * | David Smith ND4Y |
ARRL and FEMA Sign Agreement: Ham Radio is as Relevant as Ever
*Article taken from ARRL webiste
05/25/2023
The agreement emphasizes the importance of skilled Amateur Radio Operators in times of crisis and the role of ARES leadership within the emergency communications space.
ARES (see the ARES fact sheet at www.arrl.org/ares) is a network of trained Amateur Radio Service licensees organized across the country to provide communications and other support to served agencies, such as local governments, hospitals, and disaster response charities. More than 20,000 ARES volunteers actively participate in the ARRL program. In 2022, they provided more than 420,000 labor hours of service saving local officials $13.4 million in personnel costs.
Each member of ARES has specialized training in emergency communications. Many have also completed training in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in order to integrate with local officials during an emergency response.
In March 2023, FEMA released the final version of the NIMS Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Functional Guidance, which includes radio amateurs in the response ecosystem and national emergency preparedness.
“The agreement is representative of the continued commitment and cooperation between FEMA and ARRL,” said ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. “Serving our country during emergencies is an important service provided by ARES volunteers and a principal purpose of our Amateur Radio Service. Our well-equipped volunteers bring their training, use of innovative technologies, and community partnerships together to serve before and during disasters.”
FEMA announced the new agreement on Twitter stating, “We recently signed a new MOA with @arrl — establishing our partnership with licensed, voluntary amateur radio operators to support response [and] recovery efforts. We’re honored to work side-by-side to meet the needs of millions in the wake of disasters.”
Former FEMA Administrator and ARRL member Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, led the agency when the previous MOA with ARRL was signed in 2014. Fugate said the agreement underscores the importance of ham radio. “By incorporating amateur radio into their emergency plans, FEMA ensures that they have access to a network of trained operators who can establish and maintain communication links when traditional infrastructure fails. This collaboration between FEMA and Amateur Radio Operators allows for more robust and resilient emergency communication capabilities, ultimately contributing to effective disaster response and recovery,” said Fugate.
“The ARRL Board and the Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee are committed to strengthening our resourcefulness to the EmComm (emergency communications) community,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. “Our partnership with FEMA helps further ARRL’s work to better serve our volunteers, partner agencies, and the country.”
About ARRL
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® was founded in 1914 as The American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of radio amateurs. ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active radio amateurs (or “hams”) in the US and has a proud history of achievement as the standard-bearer in promoting and protecting amateur radio. For more information about ARRL and amateur radio, visit www.arrl.org.
About ARES®
Amateur Radio Operators, or “hams,” have a long history of serving their communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, such as cell phone towers and fiber optic networks. Amateur radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and a ham radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Amateurs can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.
The ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES® www.arrl.org/ares) consists of hams who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. They use their training, skills, and equipment to prepare for and provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®.
