SARA This Week Feb 19 – Feb 25
Ice Station WØJH Feb 18-20 (President’s Day Weekend)
Ice Station WØJH has returned to the frozen and slippery surface of Lake Elmo on Saturday Feb 18. After a protracted absence from the lake a beautiful, sunny, and calm morning greeted us as we stepped onto the lake. Set up was a little rusty and the glaze ice on the lake and elsewhere made it a treacherous activity. After some good laughs and some lessons on how not to get mason line over the trees, the lake station got on the air on 20 meters and stayed there all day until we shut down about 2300 UTC.
Sunday Feb 19 and Monday Feb 20 we’ll be setting up and operating from a portable ice fishing, tent-type shelter and from our self-contained, enclosed trailer. The heated shelter station is located on the east side of the lake; the heated trailer station, on dry (snowy?) land, across the road, near the big barn and windmill. There is ample, free parking for ~20 vehicles.
The shelter and all gear must be taken down and stowed each evening. Very important after-hours critiquing/networking sessions will be held routinely.
Newly licensed hams, especially those with little or no HF operating experience, are encouraged to participate. You can learn the “ropes” by watching and logging – then, when you’re ready, you can grab the microphone. There will be plenty of Elmers on hand to gladly assist … plus, they’ll be free to answer any questions.
Interested in Learning/Operating Digital HF? From the SARA cozy trailer, we can operate both digital and SSB modes. An operator and logger, using the Icom IC-7300 transceiver connected to a laptop, will be available for demonstration and hands-on instruction for visitors/onlookers.
Dates / Times / Schedule:
Saturday, 2/18: 10:00 am Setup, Operating until ~5:00 pm
Sunday, 2/19: 10:00 am – ~5:00 pm
Monday, 2/20: 10:00 am – ~5:00 pm
Frequencies: 3.860, 7.260, 14.260, 21.360, 28.360 MHz
:: Tune +/– 20 kHz if QRM
:: SSB and digital operation will used
SARA Eyeball QSO Party Feb 23 at Lake Elmo Public Library
Due to limited room availability at the Stillwater Public Library, this Thursday’s Eyeball QSO Party is scheduled for the meeting room at the Lake Elmo Public Library 3537 Lake Elmo Ave N, Lake Elmo, MN 5504, from 6:00 PM to 7:50 PM.
Weather note: a significant winter storm with a 90% probability of 8 inches of snow is being forecasted for the area Tuesday evening through Thursday evening. We likely will pivot to an on-line “Tech Topic Thursday” session in lieu of the in-person session. Watch for an announcement by Tuesday as the storm forecasts firm up.
SARA Spring Technician License Class begins March 2
Do you know of someone who wants to get into ham radio? One of the best paths into the hobby is through the learning from others. And one of the best places to learn from others is through the Technician License Class offered by SARA.
SARA’s Spring Technician License Class starts March 2 and run 8 weeks through April 20. A VE Exam Session will be April 27. The classes will be at the Stillwater Public Library from 6:00 PM to 7:40 PM. SARA instructors will guide students through the material from the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, preparing them for the 35-question Technician Class license exam.
Start spreading the word that the SARA Technician Class license class is coming. For more info, or to register for the class, contact Bob WØGAF at w0gaf at me dot com
Metro Skywarn Spotter Training May 6th
SARA will host a Metro Skywarn Storm Spotter training session on Saturday May 6th at the Stillwater Public Library. Metro Skywarn is returning to a limited number of in-person training sessions this year, along with continuing to offer online sessions as well this spring. The session will be in the Margaret Rivers Room from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The session is for all interested in Skywarn storm spotting, new and renewing. Spotters need to renew there training every two years to keep current with Metro Skywarn. Registration is required, go to metroskywarn.org/calendar/ to register.
This week’s SARA activities
SARA’s on-air and virtual activities are a great way to stay connected with others.
- Ice Station WØJH Sunday Feb 19 and Monday Feb 20
~10:00 AM Central (1600 UTC) to 5:00 PM (2300 UTC)
See above section for full details - “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Feb 19
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)
Frequency: 1.966 LSB +/- QRM or 3.820 to 3.826 MHz (depending on QRM).
Alternates: 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB) - SARA Monday Morning 75-meter Ragchew Feb 20
08:15 Central (14:15 UTC)
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Feb 21
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
New Feature: the “Ask the Elmer” segment
The group leaders will have a renewed focus on encouraging any and everyone, especially those new to the airwaves, to join the session via the repeater. - SARA Eyeball QSO Party Thursday Feb 23
6:00 PM to 7:50 PM
Lake Elmo Public Library Meeting Room
3537 Lake Elmo Ave N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042
Weather note: due to expected winter storm, this likely will be changed to an online “Tech Topic Thursday” Zoom session.