SARA Work Party 3
2019 SARA Executive Officers
SARA Work Party 2
Release to Listen Award 2013
WØJH 2004
2023 Simonet Memorial Award
OXB Special Install
The Joe Simonet WØTBC Memorial Award
May 14th Fox Hunt! What Fun!
Split Rock 2013

SARA This Week: April 18 – April 24

SARA gathers daily via on-the air nets and ragchews. We also gather virtually for the weekly SARA Eyeball QSO Party or Tech Topic Thursday session, the monthly General member, and Board meetings. Although we’d love to gather in-person, our current on-air and virtual gathering plan remains the best choice for the health and safety of all our members. We look forward to  gathering again in person this month starting with our tri-weekly outdoor “Radios in the Park” Eyeball QSO parties beginning April 29th.


It’s World Amateur Radio Day!

World Amateur Radio Day, held on April 18 each year, is celebrated worldwide by radio amateurs and their national associations which are organized as member-societies of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). It was on this day in 1925 that the IARU was formed in Paris. Get on the air and celebrate amateur radio today!


Sunday Fusion – now on the WØJH repeater

The 1st “Sunday Fusion” SARA’s digital voice hangout last Sunday was a success with 10 members checking in via WIRES-X and the repeater. Most impressive was K0GCP checking with an FT-70D handheld direct from his QTH near 35E & Randolph, a line of sight distance of nearly 20 miles! 5 watts from indoors and full quieting. “Sunday Fusion” makes use of the System Fusion C4FM digital voice capabilities of the repeater along with WIRES-X and YSF connectivity, “Sunday Fusion” is an informal “hangout” for those who want to explore the System Fusion capabilities of their radios. Join Bob WØGAF and the rest of the group hanging out on System Fusion direct via the repeater or connect via WIRES-X to the W0JH-Room 63969 or the YSF reflector US SARA-QRX-FCMG 64144. Sundays at 7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC).


Radios in the Park 2021!

The 1st Radios in the Park gathering for the season is Thursday April 29th. We’ll gather at Valley View Park, 5421 Osgood Ave N in Oak Park Heights starting around 5:30 PM and going until around 8:00 PM. Additional dates are May 20, June 10, July 1, July 22, Aug 12, Sept 2, and Sept 23. Reservations for the pavilion have been secured with the City of Oak Park Heights. We are required to follow all State and CDC health and safety guidelines including masks and social distancing. Attending the event will be your choice. We are also planning to utilize our Webex platform to stream live from the site for those who can not make it out to the park. More details to come.

Word is that a couple of brand-new IC-705 QRP transceivers will make an appearance with it’s proud owners at that first session. The May 20th session will feature a “Tailgate Swap” so bring your “surplus” amateur radio gear and help it find a new home.


SARA’s groups.io email reflector growing

The newest benefit for SARA members is the StillwaterMNAmateurRadioAssoc group on groups.io.  Recent topics have included DX News, Hotspots, Maxtrac programming, and more! If you haven’t yet joined, why wait? Join now:

https://groups.io/g/StillwaterMNAmateurRadioAssoc.

This group is an email reflector for all things SARA and amateur radio. You can post questions, projects, activities and amateur radio experiences that you can share with SARA members are encouraged. This is an SARA members-only group and requests to join will be approved based upon your current membership status.

Topics are only limited in that they are to be amateur radio-related. Questions about antennas, steps to “tuning up” an antenna, how to use a piece of test gear, tracking RFI issues, programming a radio, figuring out a new radio, showing a new piece of gear, SARA events and activities, licensing questions, … the list is endless! Several recent posts have featured some great equipment for sale!

Sign up now and start sharing your questions and sharing your knowledge.

https://groups.io/g/StillwaterMNAmateurRadioAssoc


Technical Topic Thursday

The “Yaesu System Fusion with John Kruk N9UPC” video is now available via our YouTube channel.

The May 13th session will feature Joe Eiesenberg KØNEB, CQ Magazine’s kit building editor, for an evening of “Kit Building Techniques for Success.” The June 10th session is planned to be a live in-person session at the Radios in the Park gathering that evening, which we also intend to stream on Webex.

SARA members have exclusive access to the Technical Topic Thursday playlist on SARA’s YouTube Channel.

Sessions available include (click on session to go direct to the YouTube video)
  • Antenna Basics Part 1 VHF UHF (WØOXB)
  • Antenna Basics Part 2 HF (WØOXB)
  • Good Amateur Radio Practices (KCØOIO & VE3MXJ)
  • Hamspeak – the language of amateur radio (KØGW)
  • Shack Electrical Considerations (KAØPLT)
  • Setting up your ham shack (WØTLG)
  • New Ham Introduction to Operating SARA Special Events (WØGAF. WØOXB & others)
  • Using the MFJ-259/269 Antenna Analyzers with Martin Jue K5FLU
  • An Evening with Icom – IC-705 and more with Will Jourdain AA4WJ
  • Yaesu System Fusion with John Kruk N9UPC

Field Day 2021 – June 26 -27

SARA is planning for a small scale Field Day operation at this time. Ideas being discussed include more of a Radios in the Park type of activity, possibly at either Autumn Hills Park or Valley View Park, and a B.Y.O.R. (bring your own radio) practice. Members are also encouraged to work from home stations again this year and submit your own logs and points to the ARRL referencing SARA-MN for the compiled club score.

The Thursday May 6th Virtual Eyeball QSO Party will feature a Field Day discussion session.


This week’s SARA activities

SARA’s on-air and virtual activities are a great way to stay connected with others. These activities provide healthy social contact while maintaining personal distancing.
  •   “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout April 18
    Time: 19:00 Central (00:00 UTC)
    SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    or connect via WIRES-X to the W0JH-Room 63969 or the YSF reflector
    US SARA-QRX-FCMG 64144.
    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
          Time: 20:00 Central (01:00 UTC)
          Frequency:  1.966 LSB +/- QRM
    Alternates:
    21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB)
    50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB)
  • SARA Monday Morning Ragchew April 19
    Time: 08:15 Central (13:15 UTC)
          Frequency:  3.856 LSB +/- QRM
  • The Lunch Room
    Daily (Monday thru Friday)
    Time: 12:00 Central
          SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    – anyone can open the Lunch Room if the usual host is not there.
  • SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew April 20
    Time: 7:00 – ~8:00 pm (or until we finish!)
          SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    The Tuesday evening on-air round robin ragchew
    An HF Afterglow follows with the Top Band Ragchew on 160 meters
  • SARA Two Meter Wednesday Round Robin Ragchew April 21
    Time: 9:00 PM 
          SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    The Wednesday evening SARA Ragchew on the SARA repeater

  • SARA Virtual Eyeball QSO Party “Manhattan Project” Happy Hour Friday April 23
     Time: 7:30 PM (00:30 UTC)
    SARA Webex Meeting Room
    Webex meeting link will be sent direct to SARA members