Fitzgerald Crew 2011
Release to Listen Award 2013
2023 Simonet Memorial Award
Split Rock Lighthouse 2012
SARA Field Day 2011
Ice Station WØJH 2014
2018 WØTBC Memorial Award-NØDRX
SARA Work Party 2
May 14th Fox Hunt! What Fun!
WØJH 2004

SARA This Week: Jan 20 – Feb 6

IMPORTANT NOTICE

In-person meetings of SARA are suspended through the end of February due to the current COVID surge. This includes the weekly Eyeball QSO Party at the Stillwater Public Library, 2nd Saturday Breakfast, and the February 12 Monthly Meeting.

The February monthly meeting will be a virtual session via our WEBEX video conference room. Virtual Eyeball QSO Parties will be held on Thursday Jan 20 and Feb 10, virtual Manhattan Projects Fri Jan 28 and Fri Feb 25, Tech Topic Thursday Feb 3, and virtual board meetings on Wed Jan 12 and Wed Feb 16. Virtual meeting details can be found in the “This Week’s SARA Activities” section below.

SARA holds on-air ragchews every day of the week.

 

Ice-olation Station WØJH Feb 19 – 21

In the interest of the health and safety of our members, we are bringing back the Ice-olation Station WØJH for a return engagement for 2022. We will use a “Distributed Operating System” (DOS) format. Each operator will be scheduled to participate from their own QTH. Each Op will have selected agreed upon time(s) when and where they can operate. Each Op must operate in accordance with their license class and use the club’s call sign, WØJH. We will have multiple stations simultaneously using the same call sign, operating on different bands.

When, Where & What

  • Days: Feb. 19, 20, 21 (Saturday – Monday)
  • Times: 0800 – 1759 local; 1400 – 2359 UTC (some variations depending on mode & band)
  • Bands/Frequencies: Anywhere (Published: 80m (3.860), 40m (7.260), 20m (14.260), 15m (21.360))
  • Modes: SSB, CW & Digital
  • Scheduling
    • Sign-up will be done online
    • Signup Genius link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ca4ac2ba0ffc43-iceolation1
    • Signing up is simple
      • Review the available time/band-mode slots and determine when you can operate. All time slots listed are 1 hour. Additional band/mode slots have been for 17 and 10 Meters.
      • Select the open time/band/mode slot or slots you wish to operate (1 hour shift increments are commonly recommended)
      • click on the “SUBMIT AND SIGN UP” button at the bottom of the SignUpGenius screen
      • provide your callsign in the box or boxes
      • then click “SIGN ME UP”
      • confirmations and reminders are automatically sent from SignUpGenius.com
  • Logging
    • We strongly encourage Ops to use computer-generated logging programs (especially N3FJP ACLog and others) with ADIF export capabilities
    • For those without computer logging, talk with one of us about recommendations, details.

We will also leverage our ZOOM capabilities with the SARA conference room open each day during operating hours. We found that this helped facilitate operator handoffs with ease. An “Afterglow” decompression session will occur on ZOOM each evening.

Technical Topic Thursdays

The February 3rd Tech Topic Thursday will present “Gridtracker,” freeware software that complements WSJT-X and tracks grids and more in realtime and logs. The ZOOM meeting can be joined here:

SARA Technical Topic Thursday “An Introduction to Gridtracker”

Coming May 5th: Tim Duffy K3LR of DXEngineering for a Tech Topic Thursday on Coax.

If you have a suggestion for a technical topic, contact Mike KFØCCL via email at kf0ccl at protonmail dot com. We are always looking for ideas for technical topics.

SARA POTA Challenge ’22

The Challenge is underway! We’ve already had activators out there. And hunting parks doesn’t get any easier than it is. I’ve heard one member has made it a personal goal to work at least one POTA activation as a hunter each day.  Check POTA spots regularly for activations.

The goal of this club activity is to encourage SARA members to get on the air; as a park activator, as a park hunter, or both. Awards are planned for both activators (most parks, activations, qsos & park to park) and hunters (most parks, most qsos). Contacts with all POTA stations count. And it doesn’t get any easier for hunter credits as only the activator needs to submit their activation log. Be sure to sign up for an account at parksontheair.com.

Bob WØGAF and Brian KB9TBB are leading the team putting together the SARA POTA Challenge. If you are planning to participate, drop them an email to let them know you are taking the challenge. Bob’s email is w0gaf@radioham.org and Brian’s email is kb9tbb@arrl.net.

Newsletter Content Contributions

The editorial staff of “Signals from SARA” are always looking for content. Are you activating a park: building or repairing something on your workbench: trying a new tool, test equipment, accessory, or new to you radio – snap a few pictures, make some notes, write it up and send it along to Pat WAØTDA at wa0tda@arrl.net for inclusion in our newsletter. The February issue is being put together now. Deadline is Feb 1.

SARA Connections

We offer multiple ways to stay connected with SARA. They include groups.io, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SARA groups.io: https://groups.io/g/StillwaterMNAmateurRadioAssoc

SARA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/527705810939785

SARA on Instagram: sararadioham

SARA on Twitter: @saraW0JH

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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.

  • “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Jan 30
    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
    Alternates: 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB)
  • SARA Monday Morning Ragchew Jan 31
    09:00 Central (15:00 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 Feb 1
    Time: 7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (or until we finish!)
    SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
    EMERGENCY POWER NIGHT – extra credit for emergency power/off-grid operation
    The Tuesday evening on-air round robin ragchew
    An HF Afterglow follows with the Top Band Ragchew on 160 meters
  • SARA Technical Topic Thursday “An Introduction to Gridtracker” Thursday Feb 3
    Time: 7:00 PM Central  (01:00 UTC)   
    SARA ZOOM Room