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Posts published in “Club Station”

SPARC Open House – Sunday October 24th 11a-3pm

By Charles Adkinson on 10/18/2021

Just a reminder that SPARC is hosting it’s open house on Sunday the 24th of October from 11-3pm. Several folks have already RSVPed but there is plenty of times to come out, and no time slot is filled at the moment. There will be donuts and coffee and the opportunity to see our club station in action, ask questions, get some elmering, and even to get on the air…. come out regardless of your license, our control operators will all be Extras so you’ll have a chance to play on the low bands. 

please click here to email W4BPP with the time you plan to attend so we can keep track and make sure we don’t get overloaded at any one time. if you have already sent an email, you are good and do not need to RSVP again!

Looking forward to seeing many of you this weekend!

 

the address is: DMI Research at 6699 90th Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33782

 

73, Charles W4BPP

 

 

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Tower discussion meeting this Saturday Feb 27th at 10am

By Pat AAØO on 02/23/2021

This is just a reminder that we are having a discussion on what to do about the tower for the club station.  The meeting will take place outside DMI Research (6699 90th Ave N, Pinellas Park) at 10am this Saturday Feb 27th.  All members are welcome, especially if you have tower, metalworking and/or pulley system experience.

There will be VE testing going on at the same time so please be quiet if you need to enter the building.

 

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Medical Research Opportunities from DMI

By Pat AAØO on 01/21/2021

Next week, DMI, the research organization where our HF station W4GAC & W4TA are located is conducting research on a product to treat migraine headaches. There will be a one hour Zoom meeting and the pay is $75.00 for qualified individuals. If you are interested in participating, call 727 548-9600.

The first week of February, they are beginning a study to inject antibodies for Covid for those who cannot get vaccine or the vaccine would not be that effective. Over 60 years of age, over weight, heart conditions, immune compromised due to meds or organ transplants. Call 727 548-9600 for eligibility screening.

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Repeater Trustee Request

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 09/03/2020

The SPARC repeater system has FCC mandated 3 minute timeout requirement programmed into its RC-210 controller.  This holds true for all amateur radio repeaters under FCC license.

Most hams using the SPARC system, for the most part, are using programmable radios that have a timeout (TOT) feature in the software.  I am requesting you program your TOT to less than 3 minutes.  This would help to keep our repeaters from timing out from the occasional stuck microphone switch or shorted PTT line.

Our system also has a BEEP signal that is heard when an incoming transmission is over.  The BEEP tells us the system timer has reset to the full 3 minutes. If you transmit before letting the BEEP sound then you only have what is left on the system timer. Example:  If the last input signal talks for 2 minutes, 30 seconds and you jump the BEEP you have only 30 seconds left before system timeout.  Please let the system BEEP before transmitting.

Thank you all for keeping the SPARC system one of the most active in the Florida

73,

Ron KP2N

SPARC Repeater Trustee

 

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Coronas all around…RFI too?

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 06/08/2020

Dave KR4U reported that he was contacted by Duke Energy with an update on the RF noise at the station. Duke went to the site with a “corona detecting camera” presumably to detect any arcing on various power components. This corona is the electrical arcing kind, not the drinking kind nor that other one in the news lately. They found 12 leaking insulators! Duke has ordered the parts and will contact Dave again once they are replaced. That will hopefully significantly reduce the noise level at the club station. Many thanks to Dave and team for following up on the noise!

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Club Station Update – Tower Removal Work Party

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 02/13/2020

As you may recall, the club experienced damage due to the tornado in Pinellas Park last week.

Club tower bent over from the tornado
Club tower bent over from the tornado

Dave KR4U, John KI4UIP, Pat AA0O and Billy KN4LUZ were on site to work on the project (The author arrives late so anyone was had already left, please accept my apology for the omission).

The tower was bent just above the first section nesting point. With the help of a crane secured by Pat AA0O, the tower was safely lowered on Thursday 2/13 along with the log periodic antenna. This is only the take down stage. The 40m antenna on the shipping container appears to be ok but the wire antennas that used the tower as a center support are also down. Click the video below to see the crane in action (video by Pat AA0O).

Billy KN4LUZ overlooking the Log Periodic [Photo by Pay AA0O]
Billy KN4LUZ overlooking the Log Periodic [Photo by Pay AA0O]
Crane getting setup to lift the tower.
Crane getting setup to lift the tower. [Photo by Pay AA0O]
The tower on the ground sans antenna. [Photo by Pay AA0O]
The tower on the ground sans antenna. [Photo by Pay AA0O]
You may have also heard that the DMI roof suffered some damage. Fortunately, that was not in the rear of the building so the club station did not experience any direct damage other than the tower. The server room did not experience any damage either.

As we are still in the dismantling stage, no plans have been made yet on repairing the equipment. No doubt the club officers will share that information. Stay tuned to the normal SPARC information channels (Web site, Daily Nets, etc).

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