Summer Hiatus for MBARC & DG

I missed the June meeting of the MBARC Digital Group but was informed by KA0WFI that the current slate of officers was re-elected for the next term by acclamation.  Other business dealt with Field Day preparations.

REMINDER: The MBARC and the Digital Group do NOT MEET in July or August.  We will see you at the next DG meeting at the Ferndale Library at 7 pm on Tuesday September 16th.  Chuck and I have discussed organizing an informal DG get together during the summer however.  Feel free to post comments or suggestions or email them to us.

The MBARC, including the Digital Group, is invited to the MBARC Picnic on the afternoon of Sunday August 24 at Matt’s (KC7UHN) Smith Road property.  Mark your calendar- details will be posted here closer to the event date.

 

FD 2008 was a HOT Event

The Mount Baker ARC operated Field Day 2008 at Berthusen Park northwest of Lynden, WA this year.  The group operated as class 3A with a CW Station, SSB, and Digital positions.  AC7UM also set-up and manned a V/UHF satellite station.  An estimated 40 club members participated in the event over the three days of June 27 - June 29 from set-up to tear-down. Pictured at right is Mert, AC7KY operating in PSK-31 mode at the MBARC Digital Group tent.

The SSB and Digital operators were hearing a lot of stations but had difficulty being heard.  Perhaps our antennas were not performing up to snuff.  Everyone struggled with the 90 degree heat on Saturday and during tear-down on Sunday.

Despite the heat and the mosquitoes at dusk, I think every one had a good time.  We learned a bit more about the radio and antenna gear, and that the big generator does not have an alternator and has to have a battery charger applied to avoid conking out at 0600. There were many non-ham visitors during the event- I would estimate 20 or more, many of whom were interesting in getting licensed.

As part of the planned activities, the Digital Group tested some CW decoding software to copy the Field Day Bulletin as sent by the ARRL.  The Multi-PSK program proved very adept.  KA0WFI made contacts on VHF Winlink2000 and on HF using Pactor 3.  KN0N tried briefly to raise a QSO on D-Star simplex but got no returns.

 

MBARC Field Day Activities

MBARC Field Day 2008

The Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the ARRL “Field Day” exercise from Saturday June 28 at 11 am until Sunday June 29 at 11 am.  Complete details, operator sign-up, and a map to Berthusen Park (Northwwest of Lynden) can be found on the MBARC site.  We will be operating THREE stations for the duration of the event- Side-Band (Voice), CW (Morse code), and digital/misc modes. Members/non-members, visiting hams, and the general public are invited to observe and participate.  Please see the MBARC site for sign up details if you want to reserve an operating mode/time.  For liability reasons, ONLY MBARC members are allowed on site for set-up and tear-down.

Set-up will begin on site at 4 PM Friday June 27 for MBARC members only.

Operations will run for 24 hours starting at 11 AM Saturday June 28.  The general public and visiting hams who are not club members are welcome to visit during this time.  VIP tours will be given Saturday afternoon.

Break-down of the site will begin at 11 AM Sunday June 29 for MBARC members only. 

DG Meeting Tuesday June 17th

First off- I have been busy with graduations and other family activities so I have not had time to update the site for a while.  Things should get back to normal in another week or so.

The next Digital Group meeting is Tuesday the 17th at the Ferndale Library at 7pm.  Vice chairman KA0WFI will preside since I won’t be available.  The first order of business will be election of officers for the coming year.  The next main topic of discussion will be Field Day.  There is a lot of interest in DG making a big contribution to the MBARC event and a lot of details need to be worked out. 

DG takes a Summer hiatus along with the MBARC so this will be the last meeting until the third Tuesday in September.

-KN0N

N7RR Interrupts Trek

On the web journal of Bruce’s Pacific Crest Trail journey, his wife Margaret made the following post:

Bruce was rescued from the campground on Fuller Ridge on the Black Mountain Road and eventually got to Big Bear City last night courtesy of Tom Aterno, KI6ASP. Today, May 20th he saw a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed the foot problem as plantar fasciitis and suggested that he should not continue the trek. He is very disappointed of course. Currently waiting to board a Greyhound bus to Seattle. He will update the site when he gets back home.”

73, Margaret

DG Meeting Notes 5-20-08

MBARC DG Meeting notes 5-20-08

Treasury $1564.71

28 paid members for 2008

WEDNESDAY NET - KNØN reported that the weekly “Tech Net” has been poorly attended and will be discontinued.  We may revisit the concept next autumn.

PACKET- Status of Tel-Pacs and performance during the May 6 drill were discussed. KP2X provided a copy of his Telpac logs to KC7OAS for his review.  Chuck related that there have apparently been some issues with the CMS systems which included their all being offline simultaneously for a period of time.

FIELD DAY- Chuck provided a review of special operating events that will be recognized for point bonuses during Field Day.  Copying of ARRL CW bulletins by software was discussed. Motion by Chuck, approved without dissent to authorize up to $100 expenditure of club funds for purchase of commercial Morse decoding software at the discretion of a committee consisting of WA7HL, KK7LK, AC7KY and KNØN.  AC7UM kindly consented to run a satellite station again this year.  KA0WFI asked if any antennas were needed but Jim still has his own available.  Jim will look in to securing a radio for same.  KP2X said that the Blaine ACS will be manning a Field Day station at Waterfront Park in Blaine featuring a vintage AM/CW station pumping a kilowatt into the air.  The MBARC FD stations will be north of Lynden at Berthusen Park.

Officers for the coming year need to be elected at the next meeting.  KNØN and KA0WFI agreed to continue as chair and vice chair for another term.  I forgot to ask John if he would continue as Sec/Treas, but unless he objects at the June meeting, consider him nominated.  NO other members in attendance offered to stand for office, so that is the slate as it stands now.  Feel free to volunteer for any position up until the vote at the June meeting- we would welcome your contribution.

Rodger showed a PowerPoint on the CW Skimmer program; an impressive piece of Windows software that can copy HUNDREDS or simultaneous CW QSOs on screen a la PSK31 type displays.

Wayne McFee talked about an LC Meter project he designed that can be seen at http://www.marc.org.au   (click “LC Meter” under PROJECTS on the left panel).

Wayne also plugged a CW net that welcomes all comers, slow speed or fast.  The net meets weekly on Monday at 7pm local time on about 3551 Khz. 

KB7PKL informed the group that the ISS will be making some highly visible passes in the next week or so- check WWW.SpaceWeather.com for a nifty zip code based tracking page.

KNØN Showed the D-Rats software with a review of some of the more technical features such as the “repeater” program and XML form creation and transmission.

The Next meeting will be Tuesday June 17^th at 7pm at the Ferndale Library.

 

-Brian KN0N

 

Surrey BC Flea Market Sunday May 25

From their club web site:

The Surrey Amateur Radio Club

Is holding it’s first flea market in 13 years, this is an AFTERNOON flea market held at the Kennedy Hall located at 87th and Scott road in Surrey on May 25th, the door open at 1:00pm for sellers and 2:00pm for buyers. There will be a Kenwood TS-930 HF radio raffled as main prize along with door prizes an a 50/50 draw.
Prices are $15 for one seller which includes a donut and coffee,
and $5.00 for buyers which includes a coffee.
For reservation call Mike VE7AT at (604) 595 3598.
Thank You!

Ski to Sea Amateur Radio Ops

Bob WA7ZWG is organizing the Amateur Radio volunteers for the 2008 Ski to Sea race on  May 25, 2008. If you would like to participate and have not already done so, you need to contact him ASAP as the volunteer list has to be turned in shortly.  Planned operations will be on VHF/UHF voice and VHF packet.  There will be NO Amateur Radio ops for the Junior race on the 17th.

 

Sudden Valley Exam Results

Thank you Ron W7RE, Stan N7OC, Rodger KK7LKand Perry W7CDC for helping me with my first ARRL-VEC exam session Saturday May 10th at the Sudden Valley fire station.  It is a challenge to keep all of the paper work straight and I very much appreciate your help.  Thanks also to SVARC and to Whatcom Fire Dist 2 for their accommodation.

We had eight people take ten exams, resulting in five new Technician licensees and one General class upgrade.

QRP Wattmeter Construction Tutorial

I received the following from John, N6HI as a comment posted on the NWQRP Blog.  I wanted to share this information here since the QRP site was mainly intended for the February contest.  John has provided a good introduction for folks who would like to build their first kit. -KNØN

Hi,

 

I have photo-documented the construction of the Oak Hills Research WM-2 QRP Wattmeter, and placed it on the N6HI website for “newby” kit builders as an example of the process of construction of a typical electronic kit.  Readers of the NW-QRP Blog may find it useful.  Please feel free to note this for your readers.

Please ask that readers link to:

 

http://members.cox.net/jrehak/

… then click on “The Joy of Kit Building”

 

73, John N6HI