03/25/2026
St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club
Many of us use Alpha Delta coax switches in our stations for antenna selection. These switches use Arc-Plug gas discharge tubes as lightening protection. Spare Arc-Plug elements sell for $10 – $12 from the traditional ham retailers. Mouser Electronics sells them for $2.37 each in quantities of 10. P/N 576-CG21000.
Thanks to Richard K2UPS for this tip.
A normal task we always do on Field Day is to copy the W1AW special bulletin sent each year before and during Field Day. This activity simulates what you would do if in a real emergency and you were relying upon bulletins from the ARRL for information. So it is a good skill to learn. To boot, you get 100 bonus points for doing it.
The bulletin is sent in multiple modes (CW, digital (RTTY, PSK31 and MFSK16) and phone. This starts at Friday night at 8:00 local time with … Click for more
As you may know, our normal Field Day at the fire training center is not happening this year. Many members are taking advantage of the rule changes to operate class 1D or 1E from home. One of the changes the ARRL made—for this year only—is the ability to aggregate our individual scores under one club name. Please note that you still just make contacts with your own call but when it comes time to send in your Field Day entry, in the spot for club name you can add a … Click for more
Members of SPARC, UPARC and CARS came out to Lake Seminole on Saturday March 14 to enjoy the sunshine as well as operating HF and satellite portable. Patterned after other “in the Park” events put on by our clubs in the past, approximately 15 people came out to enjoy a day in the fresh air. Unlike Field Day, everyone is encouraged to bring their own radios and test their portable setup in the field. It also gives members a chance to see … Click for more
Another Winter Field Day has come and gone (more than a few weeks ago due to my belated report). The weather was mild if not just a tad cold at night (for us Floridians anyway). The now annual combined Winter Field Day effort between the Clearwater ARS, St. Petersburg ARC and Upper Pinellas ARC took place the weekend of January 25 at the Clearwater Fire Training Center.
