Phil Temples

Fox Hunt, Manchester CT Vicinity, September 8, 2022

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Paul Gipson, N1TUP, writes on the ctfoxhunter list:
 
Greetings Fox Hunters,
 
Fox #1 has been deployed, as 2 pm today, September 8, 2022.
Fox #1 
At its new location, the fox is running the usual 2 watts into a 18 inch antenna. Since there is no starting place for finding the hidden transmitter, all you can do is while going about your travels, periodically try to activate the hidden transmitter. Your first try may be from home. You do this by going on the 2 meter simplex frequency of 146.550 MHz (PL 88.5 MHz), key your transmitter, ID and then send a DTMF “1”. If the FoxBox can hear you and you can hear it, you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID and then go back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to find it.


Once someone has been able to bring it up and hear it, please report that information to the other fox hunters. Feel free to reply to the group. Do not reveal its location, just a location (and direction if possible) from which you are able to hear it. This then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use.

You do not actually have to touch the box to claim finding it. Eye ball contact is sufficient. It is located less than 500 feet from a safe parking location.

 
In this case the fox is less than 50 feet from a parking area. If you exceed this distance you are finding it the hard way.

Good luck,

Paul, N1TUP
 

NN1C Takes Top Honors in CQ WPX SSB

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Larry Banks, W1DYJ, writes:

The results of the CW WPX SSB contest were just published.  Congratulations to Marty, NN1C; he operated from KC1XX in the Single Operator All Band High Power category: a score of 15,170,455.  Here are his “places”:

  • #4 in the World
  • #1 in the USA
  • Highest world score in the Youth Overlay  (<25 years old.)

To quote the article in CQ magazine: “In addition to achieving the top SO HP score in the USA, contest prodigy NN1C — using the call KC1XX — dominated the youth overlay.

73 / Larry / W1DYJ

Port City ARC (NH) to Highlight Amateur Radio at Navy History Day, September 10, 2022

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Sign for USS-Albacore Submarine Park, Portsmouth NHPreparations are underway by Port City Amateur Radio Club members to set up an Amateur Radio display at Navy History Day at the USS Albacore in Portsmouth, NH.

PCARC President Kriss Kliegle, KA1GJU, explains that the display will be geared towards younger children. “[We will] show them the code practice oscillator and teach them how to send code. There will be some paperwork with the Morse code characters. In the past, we have had them send their name or simple messages in code.”

 KA1GJU also plans to record “a swath of spectrum in the HF bands (IQ data) and play it back with my SDR Console software to demonstrate CW, and some of the digital modes on the bands. If we are allowed WiFi access, I could access my network of live SDR’s via the SDR Console Servers that I have. Using a real radio and antenna at the site is next to impossible due to the QRM from leaky HV power lines all around the museum.” Kriss adds, “This is where the club can present Amateur Radio to the younger generation, which is one of the most important aspects of our club… seek new members and get them active on the radio.”

The five hour event is estimated to have over two hundred adults and fifty children and young adults in attendance.

Team K2H 13 Colonies QSL Party, September 4, 2022

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Team K2H QSL preparationLarry Krainson, W1AST, writes:
 
On Sunday, September 4th, friends and members of Team K2H, the 13 Colonies Massachusetts team, got together to prepare QSL cards to send.

I had ordered 1,000 cards and hoped that it would be enough this year. The team made 21,373 QSOs this year—over 6,000 more than in 2021. That made us think we’d have many more QSL requests this year.

 
Our twenty-four K2H operators were kept busy. Most of the contacts were made using FT8 or other digital modes This year, many more contacts were DX.
 
When we were finished, we had prepared 970 cards to be mailed on Tuesday. That is far more than any other year.
 
Card requests continue to come in long after the special event. This year, I even received a request from 2020.
 
Team K2H had a blast making contacts during the 13 Colonies special event operation on July 1-7, 2022.
 
If you are interested in becoming an activator in 2023, please contact Larry, W1AST, at hamop.w1ast@arrl.net.
 

Additional Volunteers Sought for Project Big E, West Springfield MA

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Project Big E logoLarry Krainson, W1AST, writes:

The Big E is coming up fast and the first day is Friday, September 16th.

As of now, there are 12 clubs and around 110 people signed up to staff the ham radio booth. We are looking for a few more to help us lock down the schedule. Are you available on any of these dates and times?

Each day is broken into two sessions. The first runs 9:30 am through 4 :00 pm and the second runs 3:30 pm through 10:00 pm. The overlap is to help the new arrivals for the 2nd session learn what had been working during the first session so they could continue. The sessions are named Session 1 and Session 2.

Here is where we need volunteers as of right now:
Monday, Sept 19, session 1 – need 2 people
Monday, Sept 19, session 2 – need 3 people
Tuesday, Sept 20, session 2 – need 3 people
Sunday, Sept 25, session 2 – need 3 people
Tuesday, Sept 27, session 2 – need 4 people
Friday, Sept 30, session 2 – need 3 people
Saturday, Oct 1, session 1 – needs 1 person
Sunday, Oct 2 (Final Day), session 1 – needs 2 people
Sunday, Oct 2 (Final session), session 2 – needs 2 people
Are you available to help? If yes, please volunteer or add a session to what you have already volunteered for.

As a reminder, everyone that volunteers will have their Big E fairgrounds parking reimbursed and their admission reimbursed (or free tickets provided to them).

Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9_iH1ZucHuCFCNwreEuVPWnmLOT5D_s92vHPuEUASS78Tew/viewform

Learn more here: https://nediv.arrl.org/project-big-e

I hope you are available to help us lock in these last few days of the schedule for the ham radio booth.

Thank you and 73,

Larry, W1AST

SECARS Foxhunt, Near Norwich CT, September 4, 2022

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Mark Noe, KE1IU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list: 

As a reminder, [the Southeastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Society] will have a fox hunt tomorrow [September 4] at 1 PM.  If you are not familiar where the Tri Town Trail is, the entrance we will be using is opposite the Preston Park on Route 117.   The closest cross street is Rose Hill Road.  
 
The directions from the website below are misleading. If you follow the website you will end up on the far side of the Preston park a street away from the fox hunt.
 
We will have talk-in support on 146.730 MHz PL 156.7 Hz.  Fox L’s frequency and characteristics have been uploaded to our website – check out https://secars.org/foxhunting/ .  I look forward to seeing you there tomorrow.
 
Many thanks,
 
-Mark

Blackstone Valley ARC Consortium – 16th Season

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Bob Beaudet, W1YRC, writes:

On Monday, September 12th, we shall kick off the 16th season of the Consortium. After taking the summer off, we’re ready to start another terrific season of discussions concerning basic radio. We have discovered that many hams are weak in knowledge of fundamentals, not just newly minted ones but many old timers as well.

We shall meet at the Manville Sportsmen’s Club located at 250 High St., Lincoln, RI starting at 6:30. Jim K1GND and I will start by reporting what Jim K1GND and I have been up to since the last Consortium which consists mostly of the Gaspee project, another outreach effort intended to promote the image of BVARC.

I will spend a little time telling the group how we got to this point in the program and what we plan to do in future sessions of the Consortium.

Please do all that you can to spread the word regarding September 12th’s meeting of the Consortium. My mailing list is FAR from complete. Everyone is welcome. We charge no admission or require membership in anything. Attendees don’t even need to hold an Amateur license. But all must be serious about learning radio basics.

They must, however, have a keen interest in sharpening their baseline knowledge in radio principles. If you want to come only for socializing, please do not come. The Consortium is friendly and informal but we seriously focus on learning basic radio material. Our program covers antennas, power supplies, propagation, operating technique and other things that all Amateurs must embrace to fully enjoy our wonderful hobby.

We are even considering running another Morse code class, separate from the general Consortium session, aimed at the recent “no-code” licensees who realize that they’re lacking a very useful operating skill. We have conducted three classes previously and they were mostly successful. Of course, we encourage attendees to bring their questions to the Consortium, especially those that you have researched and failed to obtain satisfactory answers. We rather strongly avoid advanced topics in the Consortium. Our focus is building and strengthening foundation knowledge. Advanced topics need to build upon good basic knowledge for one to understand and properly use that knowledge, similar to a house. It must have a solid foundation to build upon.

73, Bob W1YRC and Jim, K1GND

Question?? E mail W1YRC at W1YRC@ARRL.ORG

 

I’ve been asked what our policy is regarding COVID and what they should do regarding any mask requirement for the Consortium.  First of all, thank you for asking. Please accept my apology for failing to address this important issue. We’re not out of the woods yet, but  it appears that we’re heading that way. Each of us have different medical issues that we must deal with. Jim and I have been fully vaccinated but Jim will be wearing a mask because his wife, Anne, has been undergoing chemotherapy and other  serious medical treatment and in an abundance of caution and concern for everyone coming to the Consortium, he shall wear a mask. 
 
I live alone and have not been in contact with anyone having COVID, so I shall not be wearing a mask. That may change but for now, that’s the way we’re dealing with it. 
 
You should wear a mask if you feel comfortable doing so and if anyone would feel more comfortable if I wore a mask, kindly say so  and I’ll better  We surely don’t want this to keep you from attending. If you would feel more comfortable if I wore a mask, please send me a reply to this e mail. Only I shall see your request if you do not reply to all.  No list will be published or revealed of who requested it. 
 
Thanks and 73. Best wishes for a nice Labor Day weekend, Don’t let the rain forecasted spoil your family time or DXing.  Hope to see you on the 12th. 
 
Bob

ARRL Foundation Grants $270,000 to Amateur Radio Clubs

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From ARRL News:

08/31/2022 – The new ARRL Foundation Club Grant Program, funded by a generous grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), has awarded $270,000 to radio clubs that participated in the first round of applications.

The Club Grant Program, introduced earlier this year, includes $500,000 to be awarded to radio clubs with projects that will have the most impact on amateur radio, the community, and the future of radio technology. The grants will fund transformative projects that encourage the growth of active amateur radio operators and training opportunities, education programs for student groups and schools, and club revitalization. A second round of applications to award the program’s remaining funding will open on September 7, 2022.

Twenty-four clubs were notified on Monday, August 29, that they are receiving grants. The ARRL Foundation received 128 applications in the first round, with requests totaling $1.74 million. The selection committee noted that it was difficult work deciding from many high-quality grant proposals considering the finite available funds. Radio clubs that did not receive grants in the first round may revise and resubmit applications in the second round.

An informational webinar will serve as an orientation to the program, providing information on how to apply. The webinar will take place on September 7 at 7 PM Eastern Time. Please register in advance to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar:

Webinar: ARRL Club Grant Program | Round Two Kickoff
When: September 7, 2022 at 7 PM Eastern Time
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PezTqPKCTzuwy58FWWgJ3A

The ARRL Foundation, established in 1973 by ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio®, administers the Club Grant Program. ARRL has long recognized that it is in the best interests of amateur radio to encourage and support amateur radio clubs. Clubs historically have recruited, licensed, and trained new radio amateurs and have provided the community setting for them to continue their education and training.

The new Club Grant Program will help clubs more easily provide and expand their important services. More information about the program can be found on the ARRL Foundation website at www.arrl.org/club-grant-program.

Newport County Radio Club Experimental Microwave Group Meets

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The experimental microwave group of the Newport County (RI) Radio Club (NCRC) gathered to test their AREDN mesh network radios before a site test on Prudence Island in Narragansett Bay.  Two local island women (and club members) recently studied and passed their Technician license specifically to pioneer resilient radio communication on their small island. The NCRC has been experimenting with AREDN (Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) since 2015, over distances of up to three miles. Today’s gathering was testing the equipment at a local park on 2397 MHz, a super high frequency ham channel below the 2.4GHz WiFi band.

Participants included Paul Fredette, K1YBE; Rob White, KB1ZZU; Mike Cullen, K1NPT; Keith Henry, KC1LPV; and Nancy Austin, KC1NEK.