SARA This Week – July 11 – July 17

Field Day 2021

The SARA Field Day operation logged 153 QSOs, all SSB, this year. They break down as follows:

Band     Phone   Total     %
40          2       2      1
20        118     118     77
15         30      30     20
10          3       3      2
-----    -----   -----    ---
Total     153     153     100

Those who worked from home stations this year, please reference SARA-MN when submitting your logs and points totals to the ARRL. All scores referencing SARA-MN will be compiled by the ARRL to determine the club aggregate score.

Radios in the Park 2021

SARA’s Radios in the Park: The next session will be July 22. Let’s bring out the portable stations, spread out in the park, and have some fun making QSOs!

RITP is held at Valley View Park, 5421 Osgood Ave N in Oak Park Heights starting around 5:30 PM and going until around 8:00 PM.  Reservations for the pavilion have been secured with the City of Oak Park Heights. We are required to follow all State and CDC health and safety guidelines. Please help us comply with these guidelines. Attending the event is your choice.

Radios in the Park has scheduled dates of July 22, Aug 12, Sept 2, and Sept 23 booked at Valley View Park.

Thursday Eyeball QSO Party – Outdoor Sessions

The Eyeball QSO Party – Outdoor Sessions continue Thursday evening beginning around 6:00 PM until about 8:00 PM. This week we’ll gather at Autumn Hills Park 5697 Norwich Parkway in Oak Park Heights.

We had the excitement of a hot air balloon landing in the park this past Thursday!

Hope to see you there!

Ojibwe Forests Rally Needs Hams

The 2021 Ojibwe Forests Rally, August 27-28, is just 2 months away.  It is part of the national championship for stage rallies.  It consists of a driver and co-driver (navigator) driving at high speeds through forest roads in the Park Rapids area.

Ham radio provides the safety net that coordinates the logistical, operational and emergency activities of the event.  Ham radio operators are needed to volunteer at “controls” (checkpoints) and marshal points in the forest.  For a description of how ham radio is used, visit Ham Radio & Stage Rallies (semarc.org).

If you are interested, please contact Tom Nelson NØGQA, chief of communications for the rally, at tnelson at frii dot com

Public Service Opportunities

SARA Special Event Stations 2021

SARA is planning two Special Event operations this year: the Tri-State Special Event from White Rock, SD and the 17th consecutive “Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald” Special Event from Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.

There is still time to join the team for The Tri-State Special Event out in the ghost town of White Rock, SD August 27 – 29. The White Rock Special Event is as close as many of us will get to a “roughing it” DXpedition experience. The location has no electricity, no running water (unless it rains), and no toilets. That said, there are options for overnight accommodations: camping on-site (tent and RV) or a hotel room at the nearby Dakota Magic Casino. We set up at least one station in town and another part-time station about a mile north at the marker for the borders of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

The 17th annual “Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald” Special Event is scheduled for Oct 29 – 31. The Trail Center at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park has been reserved for the weekend. More to come as we get closer to the dates.

This week’s SARA activities