Operating

Hampden County (MA) RA FoxBox Deployed, September 4, 2021

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Ken Dion, KD1KU, writes on the HCRA mailing list:

A challenge has been issued to all hunters to find both Foxboxes! Who will be the first to find either FB1 or FB2?

As of 1700hrs, September 4th, HCRA Foxbox-1 has gone into hiding over the Labor Day Weekend and into next week!

It’s about time we get both HCRA Fox Boxes back into hiding so hunters from the HCRA are out trying to locate that diabolical fox!

HINT, I was able to wake it from its slumber with 50 watts in my mobile from a few areas along Memorial Drive (Rte.33) in Chicopee, MA.

FB1 is running one watt into an 18-inch antenna. To activate FB1 go to the 2-meter simplex frequency of 147.550 MHz (PL 100.0Hz), key your transmitter, identify yourself with your call sign then press the DTMF “1”. If the Fox can hear you (and you can hear it) you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID, and then repeat 2 more times before going back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to locate it.

This is a good opportunity for base stations to get in on the fun. If you can hear the fox please give its signal strength and direction if possible. Please do not reveal its location, just a location where you can hear it from, this then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use. It’s just as important for the hunters to know where it CANNOT be heard as well as where it CAN be heard!

When you locate the Fox Box you do not have to touch it to claim finding it. Eyeball contact is sufficient with a photo for good measure. The photo should not reveal its location as there might be other hunters out there still trying to find it. It is located less than 500 feet from a safe parking location. Announce it and post a photo on the https://groups.io/g/WMAFoxHunters and the HCRA Facebook Group that you found it along with any comments other than its location. We want to know who has found it and who hasn’t.

I can tell you it’s in a publicly accessible location with nearby safe parking. Getting to FB-1 may require a short walk on mostly flat ground.

Please do not post the frequency or PL on social media, websites, or email lists.

Note: Larry, W1AST will be hiding FB-2 first thing Sunday morning, so watch for his announcement.

ALL Fox Hunters are welcomed to participate!

Happy Hunting!

Ken, KD1KU

Fox Active in Nashua NH, September 4, 2021

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Wayne Grant, KB1HYL, writes on the Granite State ARA list at 8:11 AM on September 4, 2021:

Just letting you know that the fox is out of its cage.  It’s in Nashua, Mine Falls Park, west of the Everett Turnpike.

When you find it, would you please sign the log book with your name, call sign, date and time.  Then, if you would, please replace the camouflage over it to make it not too obvious for the next person.

 I’ll be shutting it down around 7 PM today.  (If I can find it ;^)

73

Wayne – KB1HYL

 

Tally-Ho! Fox is Hiding in Windsor, CT Vicinity, September 3, 2021

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Rod Bungard, N1RUU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on September 3, 2021 at at 4:42 PM:

Greetings Fox hunters, Happy Labor day weekend!
 
Fox #5 PL 123.0
 
Is out hiding, the fox is running 1.5 watts into a 18 inch antenna. Your first try may be from home. You do this by going on the 2-meter simplex frequency of 146.550 MHz (PL 123.0), 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. If you hunt the Fox please log to this group even if you don’t find it.

Hint: Located in the Town of East Windsor.

Operators Needed for WBZ Special Event Station

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VT iconPaul N Gayet, AA1SU, writes on the Vermont ARRL Members List:

The Billerica Amateur Radio Society, along with the Hampden County Radio Association in Springfield, will be commemorating WBZ’s 100th anniversary by conducting a special operating event starting at 1300z/9:00 am EDT September 17 and ending at 0400z/12 am EDT on September 19. Amateurs using the callsigns W1W, W1B, W1Z, and WB1Z will make two-way contact with other amateurs across all bands on SSB, AM, CW, and digital modes. A special QSL card will be sent to anyone who contacts one or more of the special event stations and sends a card accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. A historical sheet will also be available for download.

If you or someone you know might be interested in operating one of the special stations, please contact Larry Krainson, W1AST, at wb1dby@comcast.net. Seeking New England operators only at this time.

More information on this event at https://nediv.arrl.org/wbz100/

——————————————————————–
ARRL Vermont Section
Section Manager: Paul N Gayet, AA1SU
aa1su@arrl.org
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W1A/N6A Special Event Station: “Discover the HF Experience Event,” Elmer Call Up

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Yankee Clipper Contest Club logoGerry Hull, W1VE, writes on the YCCC list:

Hi Folks,

For those who are planning to attend the Northeast HamXposition Sept 10-12, we are planning, as usual, a special event station.  Marty, NN1C and I will be spearheading the effort.

Rather than just a drop-by-and-say-hi/Quick QSO moment, we thought it would be great to turn this into another “Discover the HF Experience” activity.  If you remember, this was done in the past by both YCCC and a group of contest clubs at the Dayton Hamvention.  It was a great success. 

So, this year, at HamXposition, we will have three operating positions.  Two of the stations will be remote, and the third will be a local station at the Xposition, with dipole antennas.

We are excited to show hams what shortwave radio is, and especially what it is like in 2021.  We would like to give new hams/non-hams at least a taste for what HF radio is, and why we get so excited about it.   We have two fantastic superstations for our remote operations, and they should excite both old and new!

What we need is some of your expertise and time.  A new ham or someone interested in the hobby can read books till they are blue in the face — but what they can learn from an Elmer will stay with them forever.

I have a sign-up sheet for Elmers.  You sign up for any of the three stations in half-hour increments.  We will have another public signup sheet for those new-hams/non-hams/shy-ops wishing to participate.    Perhaps you will come and just explain what HF is all about, perhaps make a QSO or two, or just enjoy some operating time.   However, explaining what we do and how we do it should be our primary focus.

If you do not want to operate — come by and be an ambassador for our hobby.

We will be setting aside some specific times where we will simply talk to the crowd, and answer lots of specific questions. What’s SSB?  What’s CW?  What’s Digital?  What are the HF bands? What is a remote station? Etc. 

Here is the sign-up sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k9z9-oM0copOynmLGlQI4-Nh_HDLYS_n5-MWUkz14xU/edit?usp=sharing

(It is only open to YCCC mail members.  If you can figure out how to share publicly, let me know.)

The hours are:

  • Friday 6pm – Midnight
  • Sat: 9am – Midnight
  • Sun: 9am – 12 noon

About the stations:

The local station will be a 100w station with low dipoles, located on the property, signing W1A.

W1A@W1KM Cape Cod, Massachusetts Remote:

Greg has graciously given us permission to use his station.  It is one of the premiere HF contest stations on the east coast, with antennas literally sitting on the Cape Cod bay. 

N6A@WA6TQT Anza, California Remote:

My good friends who are the owners/supporters of WA6TQT (ex W6BH Radio Ranch) have graciously offered the Anza Superstation for this special event.   It has a commanding signal into the pacific (worldwide, actually) on 160-10m.

Please help!  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

73,

Gerry W1VE

Middlesex ARS (CT) Special Event W1E, Epilepsy Foundation’s Mud Volleyball Competition, August 21, 2021

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Middlesex ARS Mud Volley special event station W1E
Tage, K1ESI, working 20 meters CW, Don Gouin, K1CMM, and Matt Ferro, KC1CMT, discussing the band conditions. 

Members from the Middlesex Amateur Radio Society of Portland, Connecticut, operated special event station W1E on August 21, 2021 to raise awareness of the Epilepsy Foundation at its Mud Volleyball competition at Zoar Pond in Middletown, Connecticut. 

To receive a special event QSL card, please send a SASE to the address listed on the W1E QRZ page.

NZ1J: POTA Operation from Sleeping Giant, Wharton Brook State Parks, August 14, 2021

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Dave Tipping, NZ1J, writes on the Meriden (CT) ARC Facebook group:

We had a [Parks On The Air] activation at Sleeping Giant [K-1717] and Wharton Brook [K-1728]  simultaneously today.

Rob, K1RCT, hunted both activations from the EOC. The parks are only two miles apart and the EOC is four miles from each park. At these short distances, even with portable antennas, we were able to work every band from 160 meters to 70cm on each of the three paths. That, along with QSOs with quite a few club members, resulted in about 200 total QSOs. For anyone who wants to get on the air more, Parks on the Air is a very good way to do it. 

map of POTA operations