SARA This Week April 14 – April 20
Here is your SARA update for this week!
License Prep Classes wrap up April 18
SARA’s Technician License Prep Class and Amateur Extra Class License study group wrap up this week.
New Ham Night is scheduled for Thursday May 16. This annual post-class session will be held at Valley View Park in Oak Park Heights. More to come.
VE License Test Session April 25
A license exam session by SARA’s Volunteer Examiner team will be held Thursday April 25th in the Town Hall at Boutwells Landing, 5600 Norwich Parkway, Oak Park Heights, MN 55082. This is the entrance on the south side of Boutwells Landing. The test session begins at 6:00 PM. Pre-registration is preferred. Contact Shel NØDRX at n0drx@hotmail.com or call 651-439-1272 to register.
Please refer to the “What to Bring to an Exam Session” before the session and be prepared ahead of the session.
The SARA POTA Challenge
The SARA POTA Challenge 2024 is off to a great start. March results have been shared at the monthly meeting and will be posted to the radioham.org website.
Through March 31, we have 56 members participating as activators and/or hunters. Hunters have made 10,693 QSOs. Two have already attained Legend status (>1000 Hunter QSOs): Shel NØDRX has 2,247 and Bob WØGAF has 1,658. Shel is the top Phone hunter at 2,247, Bob is the top CW hunter at 1,507, and Pat WAØTDA leads the Digital tally with 514.
Activators have made 255 qualified activations, activated 160 parks, and logged 8,263 QSOs. Atop the Activator leader boards we have Dale NØVXH with 33 activations, Bob WØGAF with 25 parks activated, and Dave WØOXB with 1,742 activator QSOs.
The recent Tech Topic Thursday “POTA Q&A” session was recorded and has been posted to the SARA YouTube channel. >> CLICK HERE << to view the video.
SARA members who have registered on the POTA website https://parksontheair.com/# (sign up is under the Help/Getting Started tab) are automatically included in the SARA Challenges.
A thorough source of information for those that want to get started POTA hunting or activating is found on the POTA website. The https://docs.pota.app/ page is a great resource of all info for POTA. Start with the Getting Started with POTA page and go from there.
MN POTA Day 2024
Minnesota Parks on the Air Day is Saturday June 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM (15:00 UTC) to 6:00 PM CDT (22:00 UTC). Details can be found at mnpota.com. This is a free admission day to MN State Parks.
Activators can register their planned activation(s) and indicate if they are willing to mentor others interested in POTA activating, co-operate, demonstrate, or welcome visitors to their activation.
MN POTA Day builds upon SARA’s POTA Activity Day the previous 2 years. The SARA POTA Activity Day will continue on the same day with a similar schedule as in previous years: 2nd Saturday Breakfast, day of operating in the parks, and dinner to follow at a local establishment in the evening.
This week’s SARA activities
- “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Apr 14
19:00 Central (01:00 UTC)
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
or connect via WIRES-X to the W0JH-Room 63969
System Fusion digital voice hangout to expand use and familiarity with the digital voice capabilities available on the WØJH repeater. - SARA Top Band Ragchew
Nightly
20:00 Central (02:00 UTC)
160M on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays: 1.966 LSB +/- QRM
80M on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays: 3.813 LSB +/- QRM
Alternates: 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB) - SARA Monday Morning 75-meter Ragchew Apr 15
08:15 Central (13:15 UTC)
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Apr 16
7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (or until we finish!)
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
1stTuesday is Emergency Power Night – participants are encouraged to operate the stations on emergency power.
The Tuesday evening on-air round robin ragchew
Featuring the “Ask the Elmer” segment
The group leaders focus on encouraging any and everyone, especially those new to the airwaves, to join the session via the repeater. - SARA Eyeball QSO Party Thursday Apr 18
6:00 PM – 7:50 PM Central
Conference Room
Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street, Stillwater - SARA Technician License Class Thursday Apr 18
6:00 PM – 7:50 PM Central
Margaret Rivers Room
Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street, Stillwater - SARA Extra Class Study Group Thursday Apr 18
6:00 PM – 7:50 PM Central
3rd floor Lounge Commons
Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street, Stillwater