SARA This Week: January 17 – January 23
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.
Membership Update
Thanks to all our new and renewing members, we have 105 members as of January 15th! The following are current members of the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association: Rudy R, Craig M, Dave Le, Dick H, AA0U, AC9F, AD6QT, AD0SN, AE0JT, AE0SL, AG0H, AK4WQ, KA0HYR, KA0NKU, KA0OBI, KA0PLT, KA0ZLG, KB9WTB, KB0PCF, KB0UXV, KC9GEJ, KC0OIO, KD9QPO, KD9RFJ, KD0DEO, KD0EAP, KD0HRM, KD0HRN, KD0JTG, KD0LPY, KD0PKY, KD0QHX, KD0SVO, KD0VKB, KD0WGH, KD0ZWM, KE5VXM, KE0GOM, KE0IYF, KE0IYN, KE0MUW, KE0N, KE0OGI, KE0QAQ, KE0QBE, KE0QQM, KE0QQN, KE0ROH, KE0ROJ, KE0ROK, KE0SCA, KE0VNY, KF0AQF, KF0BSA, KF0CCK, KF0CCL, KF0CCM, KF0CRI, KI0B, K0AIF, K0CFL, K0GCP, K0GW, K0HAS, K0SON, K0VOB, K0ZZT, KT9C, N5JLZ, N5LB, N9EZC, N9ILW, N9JNQ, N9TOW, N0ANP, N0BJE, N0BM, N0CIC, N0CQ, N0DRX, N0DXH, N0DZQ, N0NKL, N0ODK, N0TXW, N0UC, N0UHR, VE3MXJ, W3QLC, W9LHG, WA0KKE, WA0TDA, WB9OKQ, WB0MOA, WD0AKZ, WD0GUP, WQ0N, W9CLA, W0DIK, W0ELC, W0GAF, W0MCQ, W0OXB, W0SU, W0WTP.
Want to join or renew your membership with SARA? Jump to the Membership Application page now.
Ice-olation Station WØJH Special Event Feb 13 – 15, 2021
With a little pandemic-related “rebranding,” Ice Station WØJH has become Ice-olation Station WØJH. This year, in keeping with COVID-19 social distancing requirements, we will operate from our individual QTHs … not from frozen Lake Elmo as in the past. This marks the 8th consecutive year, the club is sponsoring and conducting this Special Event. Ice-olation Station WØJH will be on the air Saturday February 13, Sunday February 14, and Monday February 15. We look forward to returning to the frozen surface of Lake Elmo next year.
All SARA members may participate, though we do suggest Special Event or Field Day or contest operating experience to take part. By taking charge of “pile ups” where multiple stations are calling at the same time, it’s likely you could have 5 or more stations calling you at once! However, if you think you’d like to give it a try … please let Joe (KCØOIO), Bob (WØGAF) or Dave (WØOXB) know you’re interested. We can give you some pointers and steer you toward some times and bands that the rate of contacts is not as hectic. And a WEBEX training session “Handling a Pile-up” is being planned for Thursday January 28th, for those interested.
We will again use the “Distributed Operating System” (DOS) format we developed for the Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald special event. 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.
An operator sign-up page has been published via the online SignUpGenius service. The sign-up page is now open for all. 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.
Technical Topic Thursday Session Video online now.
Did you miss the Technical Topic Thursday “Setting up your Ham Shack” with Tom Gillispie WØTFG January 14th? No worries, the session video has been posted to SARA’s YouTube channel.
The video has also been added to Technical Topic Thursday playlist. SARA members have exclusive access to the Technical Topic Thursday playlist on SARA’s YouTube Channel.
The February 11th topic “Using the MFJ-259/269 Antenna Analyzers.” Who better to present the topic than Martin Jue K5FLU, founder and owner of MFJ Enterprises.
If you have a suggestion for a technical topic, contact Mike KFØCCL via email at kf0ccl at protonmail dot com
Monthly Meeting January 9th Video available
The video recording of the January 9th, 2021 meeting is now available on our YouTube channel. This is an unlisted channel on YouTube available exclusively to SARA members and you need a direct link to view the video. The presentation on amateur radio satellites, AMSAT, and ARISS by Frank N1UW begins at the 32:00 minute mark.
General Class License online classes set to begin January 27.
SARA is preparing to present online classes (via WEBEX) for the General Class license. beginning 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. For more information, email Bob WØGAF at w0gaf at radioham dot org.
Board of Directors Virtual Meeting Thursday Jan 21
The Board of Directors will meet virtually via WEBEX this Thursday evening at 6:30 PM. All SARA members may attend Board meetings. Just a reminder that by our by-laws, on Board members may vote on any motions placed before the Board. The WEBEX session invite will be emailed direct to all members.
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.
- SARA HF Digital Net Sunday Jan 17
Time: 19:00 Central (01:00 UTC)
Frequency: 3.584.15 Look for the net up 500-1000 Hz +/- on your waterfall.
Mode: THOR16 - SARA Top Band Ragchew
Nightly
Time: 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 18
Time: 09:00 Central (15:00 UTC)
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - The Lunch Room
Daily (Monday thru Friday)
Time: 12:00 Central
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
– anyone can open the Lunch Room if the usual host is not there. - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Jan 19
Time: 7:00 – ~8:00 pm (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 on 160 meters at 1.966 MHz LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Wednesday Round Robin Ragchew Jan 20
Time: 9:00 PM
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
The Wednesday evening SARA Ragchew on the SARA repeater - SARA Virtual Board Meeting Thursday Jan 21
Time: 6:30 PM (00:30 UTC Jan 22)
SARA Webex virtual meeting room
WEBEX meeting info will be provided to members - SARA Virtual Eyeball QSO Party “Manhattan Project” Happy Hour Friday Jan 22
Time: 7:30 PM (01:30 UTC Jan 22)
SARA Webex virtual meeting room
WEBEX meeting info will be provided to members