SARA This Week Feb 18 – Feb 23
Ice Station WØJH continues Feb 18 – 19, 2024
The Ice Station WØJH is on the air again Sunday and Monday. Nearly 400 QSOs were logged Saturday. 10 meters was active, accounting for nearly half the contacts for the day. And it looks like it will be active again today. The trailer station was on 10 around 28.364 all day. Look for them there again today. The lakeside station found packed conditions on 20 meters and but found success on 15 meters. Today’s forecast of sun and 33 plus calmer winds should make for a great day to join the crew on site.
TNX to our gracious hosts Dave (KØAIF) and Anne (KØVOB), their lake-front property and QTH on Lake Elmo Avenue is the location for the event. Their QTH is at 2641 Lake Elmo Ave. N. (Lake Elmo, MN 55042). There is ample, free parking for ~20 cars. Attendees should park in this area since there is no safe parking along the lake. This is the tenth year for the event. Talk-in is on the SARA repeater.
We’ve set up to operate from the shore this year due to poor ice conditions. Lakeside operations are from the “mouse house” storage shed at the lake’s edge. Although we will not be out on the lake, access to the lakeside station is still not very handicap-accessible. The inland station is operating from SARA’s self-contained communications trailer. Both stations are kept cozy with portable heaters.
The stations will be on the air each day from around 10:00 AM (16:00 UTC) to 4:00 PM (22:00 UTC).
Technician License Class starts Feb 29
SARA’s Technician License Prep Class begins Thursday February 29 and continues for 8 weeks through April 18. Classes convene at 6:00 PM. They will be held at the Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street, Stillwater.
SARA’s instructors utilize the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 5th Edition as the study guide for the class. The book is available for order online from the ARRL, Ham Radio Outlet, DXEngineering, Gigaparts, and Amazon (print & Kindle eBook versions).
A license exam session by SARA’s Volunteer Examiner team will be held on April 25th.
To register for the class, email Bob WØGAF at bobajensen at me dot com.
Amateur Extra Class License Study Group
SARA facilitates an Amateur Extra Class License study group when there is sufficient interest. The current Amateur Extra Class license exam question pool expires at 11:59 PM June 30, 2024, so now is the perfect time to pursue that goal. SARA’s Extra Class license study group is a peer-led study program. Using the ARRL Extra Class License Manual, participants work through the license manual together, with a member of the group taking the lead each chapter/week. This has been a successful practice in the past. Mentors from SARA may join the sessions to add some real-life experience and technical knowledge to the session.
Are you interested in joining an Extra Class Study Group? SARA is considering facilitating a Study Group this spring starting Feb 29. If you are interested in joining fellow hams pursuing the top-level license, please email Bob WØGAF at bobajensen at me dot com. We have at least 6 interested so the study group will proceed!
SARA to host Metro Skywarn Training March 2
SARA will be hosting the first Metro Skywarn training session of the season on Saturday March 2. The session will be held in the Margaret Rivers Room at the Stillwater Public Library. Metro Skywarn is requiring sign-ups to ensure the room is not packed. To sign up for this session >> CLICK HERE <<. Training must be renewed every 2 years for those already holding Metro Skywarn IDs. And this training is the only way to get a Metro Skywarn ID.
The SARA POTA Challenge
The SARA POTA Challenge 2024 is off to a great start. January results were shared as part of the POTA Awards Ceremony. The full slide deck from the Awards Ceremony has been posted to the radioham.org website.
MN 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). The mnpota.com website is live!
This week’s SARA activities
- Ice Station WØJH Special Event Station Sunday Feb 18 & Monday Feb 19
2641 Lake Elmo Ave. N., Lake Elmo, MN 55042
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Sunday and Monday
Frequencies: 3.860, 7.260, 14.260, 21.360, 28.360 MHz (+/– 20 kHz) - “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Feb 18
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 Feb 19
08:15 Central (14:15 UTC)
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Feb 20
7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (or until we finish!)
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
1st Tuesday 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 Board of Directors Meeting Feb 21
6:30 PM (00:30 UTC)
SARA’s Zoom Teleconference Room - SARA Eyeball QSO Party Thursday Feb 22
6:00 PM – 7:50 PM Central
Conference Room
Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street, Stillwater