Here is your SARA weekly update!
Radios in the Park 2025
The popular outdoor “Radios in the Park” Eyeball QSO Party series continues through Sept 11. Folks start to gather around 5:30 PM and we wrap up by 8:00 PM every Thursday evening. Note that locations may change due to weather forecasts.
Here is the schedule:
August 21st Valley View Park 5421 Osgood Avenue, Oak Park Heights
(Google Maps Plus code: 25JX+35V Oak Park Heights, Minnesota)
August 28th Brown’s Creek Park 8312 Neal Ave N, Stillwater – trail parking area
(Google Maps Plus code: 35C4+39V Stillwater, Minnesota)
POTA site for Brown’s Creek State Trail US-9386 and/or Brown’s Creek Aquatic Management Area US-10721
Sept 4th Baytown Township Hall 4020 McDonald Dr N, Stillwater
(Google Maps Plus code: 2554+4M Stillwater, Minnesota)
1st Thursday Tech Topic Night: “Introducing the Flex Radio Aurora with Mike VA3MW”
Sept 11th Pioneer Park 515 2nd St N, Stillwater
(Google Maps Plus code: 356R+7J Stillwater, Minnesota)
1st Thursday Technical Topic Nights “Let’s Talk About…”
The video and slides from the Aug 7th “Let’s Talk About… Oscilloscopes” have now been posted online. The video of the session is on the SARA YouTube channel, >> click here << to view the video or you can find all the 1st Thursday Topics in the 1st Thursdays Technical Topics playlist.
1st Thursday Technical Topic Night features a technical topic presentation and discussion based upon the level of interest in the club and the willingness of someone to prepare and lead the session. The sessions are livestreamed via Zoom for those who choose to join the session virtually and are recorded and posted to the SARA YouTube channel for future viewing and reference.
We are looking for topic ideas and discussion leaders for future 1TTT nights beginning in October. If you have a suggestions or you are willing to lead a discussion, please let drop me an email at kc0oio2002@gmail.com.
The 1st Thursday Technical Topic Nights are held at the Baytown Township Hall, 4020 McDonald Dr N, Stillwater, MN 55082, beginning at 6:00 PM.
- Sept 4 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Flex Radio Aurora” with Mike VA3MW
Introducing your members to Aurora, FlexRadio’s newest innovation—a compact, all-in-one 500 W HF/6m SDR transceiver. This is new RF technology like no other. What really sets it apart is its efficiency: it delivers 500 watts of RF power, yet uses less energy than your toaster or microwave, thanks to its advanced DSP transmitter and switch-mode amplifier design. In 1952, Leonard Kahn published a technical paper explaining how to make SSB transmissions by envelope elimination and restoration. That is what FlexRadio is doing today.
General Class License Upgrade Class begins Sept 18
SARA’s education team will be presenting our fall General Class license upgrade class starting September 18 and lasting 8 weeks through November 6. Sessions will be held at the Stillwater Public Library 224 3rd Street North from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. To register for the class, email Bob WØGAF at w0gaf at me dot com. Share the word!
North Star Radio Convention Oct 11
The 3rd annual North Star Radio Convention is coming up quickly! The Convention will be held at the Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Center on Saturday October 11th. Doors open at 8:00 AM. The Convention is recognized as the ARRL MN Section Convention.
20 informative breakout sessions are scheduled, there is sure to be something of interest to everyone. Our own Collin KEØIYN is presenting two of them; “From Club Challenge to State Events – The Creation of MNPOTA” and “Equipment Setups for POTA”; and member Dale WØDHZ is presenting “Amateur Radio Logging and Logging Workflows.”
New this year will be a Swap Fest running from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The ARRL Forum and the Youth Lounge are returning as well.
SARA has been invited to host the new GOTA-style station to encourage folks to get on the air from the North Star Radio Convention. SARA will set up our Eskimo shelter and a full station outside. The primary focus is getting the youth and newer hams a chance to operate HF. Joe KCØOIO will be leading our team for the Convention’s GOTA station. I will be looking for some help with setup, staffing the station (1-hour segments) throughout the day, and teardown. We will also need someone to transport the club equipment trailer to and from the Convention site that day.
>> Click here << for the North Star Radio Convention website for more information and to register for the 2025 Convention. Early registration is open now and the cost is $15.00 per person. After September 26, the cost goes up to $25.00 per person. You will also have the option to add a Subway lunch selection for an additional $12.50.
The SARA POTA Challenge
The latest SARA POTA Challenge 2025 monthly numbers are posted on the radioham.org website. >> CLICK HERE << to view the most recent results for 2025. The June 2025 numbers are now up on the website.
Just a reminder, we are only able to track participation for those with a minimum of 10 Hunter contacts, a limitation placed on the hunter database by POTA.
SARA members who have registered on the POTA website https://parksontheair.com/# (sign up is under the Help/Getting Started tab) are automatically included in the SARA Challenges.
This week’s SARA activities
- “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Aug 17
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 Evening HF Ragchew
Nightly
20:00 Central (01:00 UTC) 813LSB +/- QRM
Alternates: 1.966 MHz +/- QRM (LSB), 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB) - SARA Monday Morning 75-meter Ragchew Aug 18
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Aug 19
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. - Radios in the Park Aug 21
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Valley View Park
5421 Osgood Avenue, Oak Park Heights
(Google Maps Plus code: 25JX+35V Oak Park Heights, Minnesota)
