SARA This Week: Aug 1 – Aug 7

SARA’s Radios in the Park: The next session will be August 12. I am toying with the idea of some sort of “hands-on” training session with a variety of manual antenna tuners.

RITP is held at Valley View Park, 5421 Osgood Ave N in Oak Park Heights starting around 5:30 PM and going until around 8:00 PM.  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. Please help us comply with these guidelines. Attending the event is your choice.

Radios in the Park has scheduled dates of  Aug 12, Sept 2, and Sept 23 booked at Valley View Park.

Eyeball QSO Party – Outdoor Sessions

The Thursday Eyeball QSO Party – Outdoor Sessions continue this week as we check out Brekke Park in Oak Park Heights. Brekke Park is located at 5500 Omar Avenue. From Osgood Avenue North, go west on Upper 56th St North to Omar Ave (1st left) then south on Omar into the park. It has been the site of a SARA Field Day operation, a New Ham Night, a Go Kit Picnic plus other SARA activities over the years. Eyeball QSO Parties run from about 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. And lately, we’ve been stopping at Carbone’s to quench our thirst and take in nourishment during an “afterglow” flowing the Eyeball.

EFHW Antenna Group Build Project?

The growing interest in portable operations such as POTA (Parks on the Air), along with some interest in building your own antenna has led to some interesting discussions at the Outdoor Eyeball QSO Parties over the past few weeks. The idea of offering a “SARA” End-fed Half Wave antenna kit is gaining traction. A parts list and pricing are being gathered. For this project to progress, I need someone to step forward and coordinate the project. Drop me an email if you are interested.

Possible Amateur Extra Class License Upgrade Study Group

I have recently had some discussions with our friends at the South East Metro Amateur Radio Club (SEMARC) regarding a joint offering of an Amateur Extra Class license study group. There are some SEMARC members interested in studying to upgrade to Amateur Extra Class and I am sure there are SARA members interested as well.

The study group concept is not an instructor-led class, rather group members each take a weekly session / license manual chapter from the license manual and serve as the group leader for that chapter. This helps focus group members through increased interaction and discussion. The clubs can make available facilitators that would add particular insight to the topic discussion each week.

SARA has facilitated successful Amateur Extra Class study groups in the past. A joint offering from SARA and SEMARC will increase the number of participants and enhance the study group experience. If you want to upgrade to Amateur Extra Class and are interested in this potential study group, please let me know via email ASAP so that plans can be finalized for a study group yet this Fall.

SARA Special Event Stations 2021

SARA will have two Special Event operations this year.

The first on the calendar is the Tri-State Special Event out in the ghost town of White Rock, SD August 27 – 29. The White Rock Special Event is as close as many of us will get to a “roughing it” DXpedition experience. The location has no electricity, no running water (unless it rains), and no toilets. That said, there are options for overnight accommodations: camping on-site (tent and RV) or a hotel room at the nearby Dakota Magic Casino. We set up at least one station in town and another part-time station about a mile north at the marker for the borders of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

The 17th annual “Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald” Special Event is scheduled for Oct 29 – 31. The Trail Center at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park has been reserved for the weekend. The Mariner Motel in Silver Bay is the primary lodging, and there is also the AmericInn in Silver Bay and with more lodging choices up and down Highway 61. And tent camping is available at the State Park for the more hardy. More to come as we get closer to the dates.

This week’s SARA activities