SARA This Week Feb 14 – Feb 20

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.

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Technical Topic Thursday: Using the MFJ-259/269 Analyzer 

Ice-olation Station WØJH Special Event Continues through Feb 15, 2021

Ice-olation Station WØJH operations continue Sunday Feb 14 and Monday Feb 15. This year, in keeping with COVID-19 social distancing requirements, we will operate from our individual QTHs … not from frozen Lake Elmo. This marks the 8th consecutive year, the club is sponsoring and conducting this Special Event. Brad, VE3MXJ – SARA’s Thunder Bay member, is activating WØJH/VE3 many times on 40 meters and 20 meters, so be sure to get him in your log!

We are using the “Distributed Operating System” (DOS) format. Each operator will be scheduled to participate from their own QTH. Each Op has selected time(s) when and where they can operate. Each Op is operating in accordance with their license class using the club’s call sign, WØJH. We have multiple stations simultaneously using the same callsign, operating on different bands.

PLENTY OF OPERATOR SLOTS REMAIN AVAILABLE!

An Operator sign-up page has been published via the online SignUpGenius service. The sign-up page is now open for all. SARA members check the SARA This Week email for the SignUpGenius link. There are band/mode time slots starting at 8:00 AM CST (14:00 UTC) to 6:00 PM CST (0:00 UTC) each day. Operating bands include 80M, 40M, 20M & 15M  (depending on time of day & typical propagation characteristics) and modes are Phone, CW, and Digital.

General Class License online classes are in progress.

Online classes (via WEBEX) for the General Class license, began Wednesday January 27. If you are interested in upgrading your license, or you know of someone that would be interested: this is the class for you. The class will use the ARRL General Class License Manual 9th Edition as the study guide. The study guide may be purchased online at the arrl.org or from Amazon.

The sessions will be recorded and will be available for viewing on the SARA YouTube channel in the near future.

For more information, email Bob WØGAF at w0gaf@radioham.org.

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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. A reminder that SARA activities refrain from discussions of political, religious, racial, or other inappropriate topics. We are a multi-cultural, multi-generational association with a shared interest in amateur radio – let’s be sure to keep it that way.