Club Station

Sweepstakes Operators Needed

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 11/13/2016

You are invited to join the SPARC Contesters as W4TA participates in the ARRL SSB Sweepstakes contest beginning this Saturday at 4:00PM. Sweepstakes is the oldest domestic amateur radio contest held, beginning in 1930.

We will gather around 1:00PM to reinstall our temporary 40M/80M dipole antenna, with operating activities starting at 4:00PM. The object of this contest is to exchange QSO information with other stations in the United States and Canada (including territories and possessions) using the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands. While the contest lasts around 24 hours, we typically operate until we get a clean sweep of all 83 ARRL/RAC sections.

If you would like to tryout our new antenna system, learn how to contest or just enjoy the fellowship, drop by the club station on Saturday or Sunday morning.

For additional information on how the Sweepstakes contest works, click HERE.

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W4TA back in Contest Mode…New Antennas Work Great

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 11/06/2016

With the completion of the relocation of our Log Periodic antenna on our new tower and the erection of a temporary dipole for 40M/80M, W4TA is on the air. The tower puts the antennas up around 55 feet. And boy do they work well in combination with the Alpha 9500 amplifier. We inaugurated the antenna/amplifier combination in the CW Sweepstakes contest, the oldest contest in amateur radio. It was no effort to hold a frequency and it was fun to hear the pile ups focused on us.

Congratulations to all that were involved in raising the SPARC contesting effort to a new level.

test1 — Tom, W4CU working CW Sweepstakes

test2 — Contest Crockpot Chile keeps the operators fueled for the contest

test5 — Special lunar element enhances propagation

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Log Periodic Antenna Moved

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 11/02/2016

The Log Periodic antenna was transferred from its old location atop the shipping containers to the new tower by John, KI4UIP; Donn, N4KII; Dave, KR4U; Bob, N2ESP; and Hal, W1EES. Ron, KP2N replaced the logging computer power supply. With luck, W4TA will be ready for the sweepstakes. Click on title for photos.

lp2 — The LP antenna removed from shipping containers.

lp1 — The LP antenna installed on new tower.

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It’s Party Time

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 10/03/2016

Yes, it’s time for an antenna get together.

The plan is to remove the log periodic antenna from atop the storage containers, followed by the mast, rotator and thrust bearing. If you would like to help (or supervise) in this effort, the party starts at 10:00AM on Saturday (9/8) the day after the next SPARC meeting.

Hope to see you there.

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Tower Installed

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 09/27/2016

Our trusty tower team consisting of John, KI4UIP; Donn, N4KII and Dave KR4U were at it again. Today (9/27) the tower tilt mechanism was mated with the telescoping tower. The tower mounts to the base with two large bolts that also serve as hinges when the tower goes from horizontal to vertical or vice versa. Once the third leg is bolted to the base, the tower can then be extended to a raised height of approximately 54 feet.

Final installation details include adding tower grounding, installing the rotor, mast, and antenna followed by coax and rotor control cables.

twr6 — Tower Installed waiting for antenna

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Tower Tilt Mechanism Installed

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 09/20/2016

Today (9/20) the crew of Dave, KR4U; Donn, N4KII; and John KI4UIP installed the tower tilt assembly on the concrete base. Notice the ancient Egyptian influence used in keeping the heavy mechanism above the threaded rod so as not to bend the rods. Now we get to prepare the tower while the concrete base continues to cure.