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Posts published in “Operating”

Winter Field Day This Weekend!

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 01/27/2021

Winter Field Day is this weekend. Full rules can be found at the Winter Field Day website at https://www.winterfieldday.com. The event starts at 2:00 PM EST Saturday and goes until 2:00 PM EST on Sunday. Available modes are SSB, CW, RTTY, PSK31 and other conversational digital modes–not FT8 or FT4 according to their rules.

For the last several years we have joined with our friends at the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society and the Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club at the Clearwater Fire Training Center to setup for Winter Field Day. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are not setting up there and instead people are operating own their own. However, just like the past ARRL Field Day, there is an allowance in the rules this year to add your score to your favorite club. More on that process later.

Many people participate in Field Day (both summer and winter) by coming out to help setup or operate but may not be familiar with setting up the logging aspects. A few weeks ago, I conducted a Zoom session to show attendees how to setup various programs for Winter Field Day. I covered TR4W as well as the N1MM logging software. You can see a video of that session at the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/F7CSWfjFzfA

As mentioned earlier the rule change that allows home stations to send their log in with a club name so the score is aggregated to that club. But this requires the submitted club name to be exactly like everyone else in the same club submits their log. To aid in standardization, I would recommend one of the following depending upon which club you want to submit your score under (spell it exactly like it is here):

  • Clearwater ARS/St. Petersburg ARC/Upper Pinellas ARC (This is the tri-club effort which I use).
  • Clearwater Amateur Radio Society
  • St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club
  • Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club
  • Aardvark Wireless Group

It is imperative if you want your score to count properly that you spell this the same as everyone else in your club of choice. SPARC, St. Pete ARC, St. Petersburg ARC and St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club will all end up in separate “buckets” and will dilute the club’s score. Spelling counts!

Another thing that is missing in doing Field Day at home is the social, camaraderie aspect. To help with that a bit, I have a Slack channel setup on the UPARC Slack channel we can use. Please feel free to join the UPARC Slack channel and stay in touch during the contest.  Check here for more info: https://join.slack.com/t/w4afc/shared_invite/zt-hz1v87k7-E9BDIkOXjm4IUypQm4EyGA

Of course, everyone is welcome to setup in the field as you would do for any Water Field Day. You can still setup in a park or even your backyard. Again, read the full rules to understand he categories and other details about Winter Field Day.

Finally, I am planning a session in two weeks to show people how to submit their logs. This again follows the idea that not many people have experience with the particular quirks in submitting a Cabrillo log for Winter Field Day. You have just over 30 days to submit the log for Winter Field Day so this leaves us plenty of time. More info on that session will be shared later.

While it is not the same as being there, hopefully you can get on the air this weekend and make some contacts. That’s a 2:00 PM Saturday start time so “see you there”.

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Aardvarks Rank High in Makrothen RTTY Contest

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 11/27/2020

Seeing the need for a small Radiosport (contest) group, two SPARC members, Tom W4CU and Rich AA2MF asked members of CARS, SPARC and UPARC if they would be interested in learning more about contesting by joining a small local group. As a result, the Aardvark Wireless Group was formed.  When asked how the name was chosen, Tom stated “we’ll always be at the top of the list.” Members of the group consist of both experienced contesters and folks that have never participated in a contest. The group provides a focal point for assisting operators in setting up and using the various logging, operating and contesting programs as well as developing and improving operating skills. To keep things focused, there are no officers, dues, or formal meetings. Just the will to enjoy the great hobby of amateur radio. With lots of Elmering (mentoring) by fellow Aardvarks, a number of stations have participated in numerous contests, both local and worldwide.

One of the contests the group entered is known as the Makrothen RTTY Contest. Makrothen is a Greek word meaning “great distance” or “some distance away”. In this contest Maidenhead grid locators are exchanged between stations. Using two grid locators, the distance between the two stations in kilometers is calculated and used as the point value for the QSO.

The final standing in the 2020 Makrothen RTTY Contest were just released. The Aardvarks finished in 8th place out of 158 team entries. Only four of our six entries were included in final tally, indicating either two entries did not list the club name correctly or two entries were misplaced. It should be noted that those two entries, if found and counted, would not lift our score enough to move to seventh place.

Final individual placements in their respective categories are:

Rich AA2MF took first place in both World and North America in the Single Operator SO2R category out of a total of ten entries. Congratulations on an outstanding effort Rich.

The Single Operator, Single Transmitter, High Power (SO-ST-HP) category had 246 entries. Two Aardvarks placed well:

  • Tom W4CU placed 7th in North America and 19th in the world.
  • Dave KR4U placed 33rd in North America and 73rd in the world.

The Single Operator, Single Transmitter, Low Power (SO-ST-LP) category had 502 entries. In this category, three Aardvarks turned in the following scores:

  • Bob N2ESP placed 9th in North America and 36th in the world.
  • Leslie WA4EEZ placed 21st in North America and 74th in the world.
  • Julia NF1T placed 43rd in North America and 153rd in the world.

Fantastic job Aardvarks. And just in, the Aardvarks just missed placing in the top ten on the ARRL 2020 Field Day Club Aggregate Score list.

If you would like to learn more about Radiosport contesting or the Aardvark Wireless Group, contact Tom W4CU or Rich AA2MF.

 

 

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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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SPARC Scores in the 2020 RTTY Roundup

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 08/15/2020

The SPARC contest Group, W4TA, placed in the top ten in the 2020 running of the ARRL RTTY Roundup. Participating in the Multioperator, Single Transmitter, High Power category were SPARC members: AA0O Pat, KA1IJA Norm, KA4IOX Paul, KB8ESY Rex, KC1YL Lisa, KI4UIP John, KP2N Ron, KR4U Dave, N2ESP Bob, NY4I Tom, VE3XD Don and W4CU Tom. The final score was 113,730 points, good for tenth place.

Rich, AA2MF, entered the contest in the Single Operator, Low Power category, placing second with a final score of 144,228 points.

Congratulations to all SPARC members that participated in this event.

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Spare Arc-Plugs for Alpha Delta Switches

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 08/15/2020

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.

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Copy the Field Day Bulletin…

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 06/24/2020

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 CW, then digital at 9:00 and phone at 9:45.

CW frequencies are 1.8025, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975, 21.0675, 28.0675, 50.350 and 147.555 MHz.

Digital frequencies are 3597.5, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095, 28.095, 50.350 and 147.555 MHz. (Note: W1AW will transmit the Field Day Bulletin using 45.45 baud baudot, PSK31 {BPSK Mode}, and MFSK16 in this mode order).

Phone frequencies are 1.855, 3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160, 21.390, 28.590, 50.350 and 147.555 MHz.

Check out this PDF for more information: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2020/4_37-2020%20W1AW%20Sked.pdf

 

 

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