2020 S.A.R.A. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
2019 SARA Executive Officers
2018 WØTBC Memorial Award-NØDRX
SARA Field Day 2011
SARA Work Party 1
Fitzgerald Crew 2011
Ice Station WØJH 2014
SARA Work Party 2
WØJH 2004
2023 Simonet Memorial Award

SARA This Week Aug 29 – Sept 4

Greetings, all!

This “SARA This Week” message was delayed by my participation in the WHite Rock expedition.

SARA holds on-air ragchews every day of the week. Details can be found in the “This Week’s SARA Activities” section below. and virtual meetings via WEBEX including the Tech Topic Thursday session, the monthly member meeting, monthly Board meeting, and event planning meetings.

Over the summer season, outdoor Eyeball QSO Parties allow SARA to gather outdoors weekly. The weekly outdoor Eyeball QSO Party is at a local Stillwater-area park beginning around 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.

We also hold virtual meetings via WEBEX including the Tech Topic Thursday session, the monthly member meeting, monthly Board meeting, and event planning meetings.


Eyeball QSO Party – Outdoor Sessions

The Thursday Eyeball QSO Party – Outdoor Sessions continue this week with our 2nd to the last Radios in the Park session.

Radios in the Park 2021

The next SARA Radios in the Park is Thursday September 2. 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.

This RITP session will focus on the use of different types of manual antenna tuners, we’re calling it Manual Antenna Tuners 101. Professor Dave and his team will guide you through the nuances of manual antenna tuners (more accurately described as matching networks). This is a perfect session for the new/newer HF operator, as well as those of use with plenty of years behind us. We’ll have a radio, antenna, dummy load and 3-4 tuners set up for operators to get in there and practice with manual antenna tuners. Learn how to use different types of tuners: tapped inductor, roller inductor, differential T roller inductor and maybe even an automatic antenna tuner. Get some elmering and hands-on experience on how to match your antenna to the 50-ohm load your radio is expecting.

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

Monthly General Meetings to resume in September

The monthly 2nd Saturday meeting of the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association is set to resume on Sept 11. Boutwells Landing has notified us that we are booked for the usual meeting room for September through December, however they have not advised us of COVID-19 protocols. Given the current surge in the Delta variant, a senior residential care facility is likely to be extremely cautious when it comes to outside visitors and use of their facilities. It may be necessary to conduct our September entirely via Webex or possibly outdoors. The Board will continue to monitor developments with Boutwells.


SARA White Rock Ghost Town & Tri-State Marker Special Event Station 2021

This year’s event is in the logbooks. And my tent is on it’s way to the landfill (that’s a story for another time). Once again, the weather conspired against us Saturday. Heavy thunderstorms Saturday morning soaked the 3 of us staying out at the Base Camp – 2 campers and 1 townsfolk. All I can say is I am very glad I covered my sleeping gear with a tarp inside the tent!

We logged somewhere around 150 contacts between the in-town and marker stations. We did not get the PSK active due to the weather situation and small team out there.

A wet Saturday morning – it got worse…

Much better Sunday morning! 

There’s some stories to be shared…


“Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald” Special Event Station 2021 

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.

There is the possibility that we will offer opportunities for off-site operating time slots for SARA members who may wish to operate from home, particularly in the CW and digital (FT8, PSK) modes. Planning for the event will spin up in September after wrap-up work on the White Rock expedition.


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 August 29
    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
    (the YSF reflector US SARA-QRX-FCMG 64144 remains offline due to technical issues)
    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 (01:00 UTC)
    Frequency:  1.966 LSB +/- QRM
    Alternates: 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB)
  • SARA Monday Morning Ragchew August 30
    08:15 Central (14:00 UTC)
    Frequency:  3.856 LSB +/- QRM
  • The Lunch Room – Informal Ragchew
    Daily (Monday thru Friday)
    12:00 Central
    SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    – anyone can open the Lunch Room
  • SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew August 31
    Time: 7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (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 Sept 1
    Time: 9:00 PM Central
    SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    The Wednesday evening SARA Ragchew on the SARA repeater
  • SARA Eyeball QSO Party: RADIOS IN THE PARK Thursday August Sept 2
    Time: ~5:30 PM to 8:00 PM Central
    Valley View Park,  5421 Osgood Ave N, Oak Park Heights MN 55082