SARA Monthly Meeting is February 7!
To avoid creating a conflict for time with the Ice Station WØJH this year, the next monthly meeting of the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association is moving to the 1st Saturday, February 7. The meeting will start about 9:15 AM. We meet in Auditorium A at The Gables at Boutwells Landing (North Entrance) 13575 58th St North, Oak Park Heights.
This month’s meeting features the annual SARA POTA Challenge Awards Ceremony. SARA’s POTA hunters and activators will be recognized for their participation in the 2025 SARA POTA Challenge as the presenters Bob WØGAF, Brian KB9TBB, and Joe KCØOIO review the results for 2025! Be sure to be there to collect any recognition you have coming. All POTA Challenge participants will be getting something to acknowledge their efforts.
SARA Breakfast also February 7
The 2nd Saturday Breakfast is also moving to the 1st Saturday this month to coincide with our monthly meeting date change for February.
Join us at Perkins Restaurant, 2050 Frontage Road, Stillwater, at 7:30 AM for food and fellowship before our monthly meeting.
Ice Station WØJH Feb 14 – 16, 2026
WØJH returns to air for the Ice Station WØJH Special Event Saturday Feb 14, Sunday Feb 15, and Monday Feb 16. The cold weather and minimal snow have ensured adequate ice thickness (it’s a little-known fact that sub-zero temps add an inch of ice every night!) to be on the lake this year. This is the eleventh year for the event and occurs over President’s Day weekend.
This year’s event is being led by our host Dave KØAIF and Bob WØGAF. The Special Event operates from Dave’s (and his YL Anne KØVOB) their lake-front property and QTH at 2641 Lake Elmo Avenue North is the location for the event.
Set up each day begins about 9:30 AM and we hope to have the stations on the air around 10:00 AM (16:00 UTC) to 4:00 PM (22:00 UTC) daily. We will operate 2 stations, one from SARA’s nice insulated and heated Eskimo portable shelter on the frozen surface of Lake Elmo and the other from our heated trailer on dry (snowy?) land, across the road, near the big barn and windmill. There is ample, free parking for ~20 vehicles.
The shelter and all gear must be taken down and stowed each evening. Very important after-hours critiquing/networking sessions will be held routinely.
Access to the portable shelter station is not handicap-accessible and can be challenging for able-bodied folks due to the ice. The inland station will operate from SARA’s self-contained communications trailer.
We’re looking forward to having this year’s newly licensed hams and recently upgraded Generals and Extras participate, especially those with little or no HF operating experience. You can learn the “ropes” by watching and logging – then, when you’re ready, you can grab the microphone. There will be plenty of Elmers on hand to gladly assist … plus, they’ll be free to answer any questions. Even if you can’t stay to operate, at least stop by to see our set-ups. We can almost guarantee you’ll come away learning a bit about portable HF operation operating at Special Events!
Interested in Learning/Operating Digital HF? From the SARA cozy trailer, we can operate both digital and SSB modes. An operator and logger, using the Icom IC-7300 transceiver connected to a laptop, will be available for demonstration and hands-on instruction for visitors/onlookers.
Dates / Times / Schedule:
Saturday, 2/14: 9:30 am Setup, operating until ~4:00 pm
Sunday, 2/15: 9:30 am Setup, operating until ~4:00 pm
Monday, 2/16: 9:30 am Setup, operating until ~4:00 pm
SignUpGenius is the tool to manage the operator and logger schedule for the Event.
Frequencies: 3.860, 7.260, 14.260, 21.360, 28.360 MHz
Tune +/– 20 kHz if QRM
SSB and digital operation will used
A work party is planned for Saturday Feb 7, following the SARA meeting, to install the stairs down to the ice surface to allow safe access to the frozen lake. Although not required, please sign up on the SignUpGenius for the work party so we know who will be there.
1st Thursday Technical Topic Nights “Let’s Talk About…”
1st Thursday Technical Topic Night features a technical 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.
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 Central (00:00 UTC).
- Feb 5, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Pico Balloons” led by Rich ADØSN
>> CLICK HERE << to join the livestream via Zoom - Mar 5, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Logging Workflows” led by Dale WØDHZ - Apr 2, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Meshtastic” led by Collin KEØIYN - May 7, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Antenna Analyzers” led by Joe KCØOIO
Eyeball QSO Party
The weekly Eyeball QSO Party is at the Stillwater Public Library Conference Room through the 16th of April 2026 (90 days is as far as we can schedule with the library), except for 1st Thursdays (Tech Topic Night). The April 23rd session will be at another location due to room availability at the Library that evening.
Radios in the Parks will return in May as we move the Eyeball QSO Party outdoors to various parks in the area.
The SARA POTA Challenge
The SARA POTA Challenge 2025 numbers through November available are posted on the radioham.org website. >> CLICK HERE << to view the results.
The final results of the 2025 Challenge have been compiled and tabulated. All will be shared during the SARA POTA Challenge 2025 Awards Ceremony to be held during our monthly meeting on February 7th, 2026.
The SARA POTA Challenge 2026 began at 00:00 UTC January 1. All the categories reset to zero, a fresh start for all!
POTA raised the minimum contacts returned in the Top Hunter search to 50 Hunter contacts. This is a limitation placed on the hunter database by POTA. Therefore, the hunter threshold has changed for the 2026 Challenge, not by our choice, but because of what we can extract from POTA’s database.
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 Feb 1
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 (02:00 UTC)
Frequency: 3.813LSB +/- QRM
Alternates: 1.966 MHz +/- QRM (LSB), 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB) - SARA Monday Morning 75-meter Ragchew Feb 2
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Feb 3
7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (or until we finish!)
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)
1stTuesday of each month 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. - 1st Thursday Technical Topic Night Thursday Feb 5
6:00 PM (00:00 UTC)
Baytown Township Hall
4020 McDonald Dr N, Stillwater, MN 55082
“Let’s Talk About … Pico Balloons” led by Rich ADØSN - SARA 2nd Saturday Breakfast (on the 1st Saturday) Feb 7
7:30 AM
Perkins Restaurant
2050 Frontage Road, Stillwater 55082 - SARA Monthly Meeting Feb 7
9:15 AM (15:15 UTC)
Auditorium A
Boutwells Landing
13575 58th Street North, MN 55082
Oak Park Heights (Stillwater)
Please use the North Parking Lot and Entrance off 58th Street North.
Program: SARA POTA Challenge 2025 Awards Ceremony
