SARA This Week Oct 29 – Nov 4
Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event Nov 3-5
This is our 19th annual Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event!
Operating from the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Trail Center, we plan to be on the air using WØJH per the following:
- Friday, Nov. 3 (half day, includes set-up, operating ~3:00 – ~4:30 pm CDT)
- Saturday, Nov. 4 (all day; operating ~10 am – ~4:30 pm CDT)
- Sunday, Nov. 5 (all day, includes take-down, operating ~10 am – ~5:30 pm CDT)
The attendee list includes 30 SARA members as of this bulletin. This represents one of the largest contingents to participate from Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. A POTA “expedition” or two may occur to give participants a chance to activate some of the nearby POTA entities.
For those unable to join us at the park, you can still participate. Operate as WØF for this year’s “Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald” from YOUR QTH! You can SCHEDULE your operating day, time, band & mode! And everyone will be able to schedule a slot on Nov 10th as we commemorate the Edmund Fitzgerald on the anniversary of the loss of the ship and crew.
WØF Scheduling open now! SARA members should contact KCØOIO at president at radioham dot org for the link to sign up.
A SignupGenius schedule has been created for the WØF callsign. The schedule has time slots available for Friday Nov 3, Saturday Nov 4, Sunday Nov 5, and Friday Nov 10. Book your time slot now or check the schedule for openings during the event if you find you have some time available to get on the air and Remember the Edmund Fitzgerald. There are plenty of slots open on multiple bands using CW, Phone, and Digital modes!
Should you find yourself with time on your hands over the weekend and want to operate as WØF, check the schedule pick an open slot or more, and start calling.
WØF Operators need to use a logging program to log your contacts. The callsign, UTC time, and signal report of each contact is needed for the Special Event certificate. Your logging software should be able to export to an ADIF file to be sent to Shel NØDRX. Paper logging is not practical for this event due to the matching process used to match QSOs for the certificates.
Annual Membership Dues
Annual dues for 2024 and beyond are being accepted now. Individual memberships are $20/year, Family memberships are $30/year for the 1st two members and $10/year for each additional family member. Associate memberships are $10/year. Dues can be paid in person, via mail, or online via Paypal. Visit the membership application/renewal page on radioham.org >> CLICK HERE <<
General Class License Classes
Classes continue through Nov 9. It’s not too late to join! The ARRL General Class License Manual Tenth Edition, updated for the new question pool now valid through June 30, 2027, will be the study guide for the class. All remaining classes will be at the Stillwater Public Library. A VE Session is scheduled for Thursday Nov 16 at Boutwells Landing.
SARA POTA Challenge ‘23
The September recap along with some interesting charts are available on radioham.org website. >> CLICK HERE << to view the update page.
There have been a lot of new US POTA entities added in the past 10 days. Don KCØDWZ and Collin KEØIYN each have the distinction of being the first to activate several of the new entities. Check the POTA map and Park list to see the new parks in the local area.
Collin has been an activating machine this past week, taking advantage of his stay-cation to get out and do POTA. Brian KB9TBB continued his quest to activate in all 50 states and DC with a swing through Utah and Idaho.
If you are a SARA member AND have registered on the POTA website https://parksontheair.com/# (sign up is under the Help/Getting Started tab), you are included in the SARA Challenge 2023.
A thorough source of information for those that want to get started POTA hunting or activating is also found on the POTA website. The https://docs.pota.app/ page is a great resource of all info for POTA. Start with the Getting Started with POTA page and go from there.
SARA is sponsoring the MN POTA Activity Day. The date will be Saturday June 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM (15:00 UTC) to 6:00 PM CDT (22:00 UTC). The objective is to activate as many MN POTA entities as possible during that day. There will be no scoring. The web domain mnpota.com has been secured and the website will be built in the near future. Mark your calendars now.
This week’s SARA activities
SARA’s on-air, in-person, and virtual activities are a great way to stay connected with others.
- “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Oct 29
19:00 Central (00:00 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 (01:00 UTC)
Frequency: 813 LSB +/- QRM or 1.966 LSB +/- QRM
Alternates: 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB) - SARA Monday Morning 75-meter Ragchew Oct 30
08:15 Central (13:15 UTC)
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) “Spooktacular” Round Robin Ragchew Oct 31
7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (or until we finish!)
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
1stTuesday 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. - General Class License Class Thursday Nov 2
6:00 PM to 7:50 PM
Conference Room, Stillwater Public Library 224 Third St E, Stillwater - SARA’s Eyeball QSO Party Thursday Nov 2
6:00 PM to 7:50 PM
Rosalie Wahl Room, Lake Elmo Library, 3537 Lake Elmo Ave N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 - Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event Nov 3 – 5
Special Event Station WØJH from Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Friday, Nov. 3 ~3:00 – ~4:30 pm CDT (20:00 to 21:30 UTC)
Saturday, Nov. 4 ~10 am – ~4:30 pm CDT (15:00 to 21:30 UTC)
Sunday, Nov. 5 ~10 am – ~5:30 pm CST (16:00 UTC to 23:30 UTC)
Special Event Station WØF from your QTH as scheduled