 July 18, 2023 Editor: Michael Walters, W8ZY | ||
Field Day Log Submission Deadline 2023 Field Day is in the logs, and now it's time to make sure that all the logs are submitted and to start planning Florida Ham Joins Field Day in Rhode Island There's not enough time to do all the things we like during our summer vacation. In only 3 weeks, we traveled from Florida to Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. We visited family and friends, celebrated life events, and
made doctor visits. I also got to see the gang at the Providence Radio Association (PRA) and operate Field Day with them. The PRA got permission to use the Masonic Youth Center in Warwick, Rhode Island, which overlooks Narragansett Bay. The setup was done by the time I arrived at noon, and it included four trailers, each with their own quiet generator, radios, and antennas, and computers were ready to hit the airwaves at 2 PM with call sign W1OP. After greeting all my buddies and meeting some new members, we had lunch and chatted about everything under the sun. W1GS and I got going on 20-meter CW, with him at the key and me on the logging computer. There was plenty of activity and the QSO rates were adequate, but the band noise was S-9. We swapped positions after an hour or so, and things started to slow a bit. Then, we switched to 40-meter CW, where we had a whole new group of stations to work. It was fun to slowly fill in the Section map, especially with the new Ontario, Canada, designations. After a few hours, we finally found a Vermont station. After that, we made contacts with Colorado, Texas, and Utah. N1BAQ had the satellite gear ready, but we heard nothing during the first pass we tried (we found out later that the bird was turned off!). We did have a 6m station that was active, using 4 elements of a 5-element beam. It seems that the donor of that set-up left the reflector home! And of course, satellite QSOs on 144/432. It was great to reunite with my ham buds at the PRA, share our family adventures and successes of our harmonics. The club has grown, attracted young new hams getting licensed, and after 105 years since establishment and 102 years of continuous ARRL affiliation, The Providence Radio Association is a proud, active and vibrant club. Perseverance Pays Off for Two Visually Impaired Hams "We all acknowledge that it is stressful and taxing on one's brain cells to complete the test for any level of the ham license. There's a lot of studying and some memorization in preparation to sit for an hour in front of the Volunteer Examiners (VEs). You must read each question, select the correct answer, then fill in the corresponding circle on the test form. "But what if you are blind, or partially blind? Do you give up your dream of becoming a ham? Certainly not! That was the attitude taken by Jacob Johnson, KN6ZQV, and Ben Weiss, AK6CC, who now have their Amateur Extra-class licenses, when they tested with the Western Placer ARC, in California. "Jacob completed each element within 3 months; Ben tested to renew his lapsed Extra credentials. "With only receiving help from the VEs to fill out their registration forms, they each successfully completed their exams. "Yes, it requires a strong desire, an inordinate amount of patience, and incredible focus. But it can be done. And Jacob and Ben are a testament to a triumphant outcome." Kansas Hams to Operate Net for National Sunflower Day The Sunflower Linked System, a multimode linked system in Kansas, is hosting a special event for National Sunflower Day on August 15, with the call sign W0S, Whiskey Zero Sierra. Stations are encouraged to check into the Sunflower Net using one of the connectors listed at www.sunflowernet.us. The connections are available on Allstar, Hamshack Hotline, EchoLink, DMR, D-STAR, Fusion, P25, or M17. Operators wishing to answer callers as W0S should contact Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, to reserve a slot for this 1-day event. Operators wishing to contact W0S should log onto the Sunflower Net during the day (typically from 8 AM to 8 PM) for the event. The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas, according to Colston, one of the managers of the Sunflower Linked System. According to https://whatnationaldayisit.com/day/sunflower, National Sunflower Day is August 15. All are welcome to operate in observance of National Sunflower Day! VOTA Update The ARRL yearlong operating event recognizing volunteers continues to attract attention online and on the bands. With favorable conditions and near-record Operators around the country are working the volunteer lists and the W1AW/ stations each week. This is the Year of The Volunteer, and we thank each and every ARRL volunteer for their dedication to amateur radio. Submitting Info for this Newsletter ARRL Club News is for radio clubs to show how they are working in the community and the hobby to advance amateur radio. If your club completes a project, supports an event, does an EmComm activation, or activates a park, we want to hear about it. You can submit your newsletter article to us at clubs@arrl.org. We like to get them as text or Word files instead of PDFs. If you have pictures, please submit them with caption information, as well as the name and call sign of the photographer. We want to highlight the good work being done by the clubs and show others in the community. Think of this as a chance to show off your club and your programs. How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention If your amateur radio club is planning to host a convention, hamfest, tailgate, or swapfest, please consider applying for it to be an ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL-sanctioned event, and to get some ideas on how to prepare for and conduct a hamfest or convention, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events. To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application. The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online at www.arrl.org/hamfests. In addition, the Convention and Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each month also presents information about upcoming events. Important Links ARRL Home: www.arrl.org Find an ARRL Affiliated Club: www.arrl.org/clubs Find your ARRL Section: www.arrl.org/sections Find a license class in your area: www.arrl.org/class Find a license exam in your area: www.arrl.org/exam Find a hamfest or convention: www.arrl.org/hamfests Email ARRL Clubs: clubs@arrl.org | ||
 | ||
for next year. To me, Field Day is one of the best weekends of the year for ham radio. You have the chance to get out with friends, get on the air, show new hams what HF is like, and have some great food. It's the celebration of ham radio that can be enjoyed by everyone. If you have not submitted your log, entries must be postmarked or submitted via the ARRL web app at
turnouts for operating events, many hams are getting the chance to contact more and more ARRL volunteers. We encourage you to take a look at the ARRL Volunteers On the Air (VOTA)
