Here is your SARA weekly update!
Eyeball QSO Party
The General License class gets priority over rooms at the Stillwater Public Library this fall, so the Eyeball QSO Parties will be a bit nomadic.
The schedule is as follows:
October 2 1st Thursday Technical Topic Night at Baytown Town Hall
October 9 Lake Elmo Public Library Meeting Rooms A&B
October 16 Oakdale Public Library Large Room
October 23 Location TBD
October 30 Location TBD
November 6 Baytown Town Hall (no tech topic this night)
November 13 Stillwater Public Library Conference Room
November 20 Stillwater Public Library Conference Room
November 27 Thanksgiving – no Eyeball QSO Party
December 4 1st Thursday Technical Topic Night at Baytown Town Hall
SARA Monthly Member Meeting Oct 4th
The October meeting of the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association will be this Saturday October 4th beginning at about 9:15 AM. Yes, this is not the 2nd Saturday but rather the 1st Saturday. The meeting this month has been moved up a week due to the North Star Radio Convention.
Our guest presenter this month is Mike Cizek WØVTT, an ARRL DXCC card checker, who will share his “The ARRL DXCC Card Checking and Awards Programs” presentation.
We will meet in Auditorium A at the Gables at Boutwells Landing located at 13575 58th Street North in Oak Park Heights 55082.
The SARA 2nd Saturday Breakfast also moves up a week this month. The breakfast is at Perkins Restaurant, 2050 Frontage Drive in Stillwater, at 7:30 AM.
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. You can find all the 1st Thursday Topics in the 1st Thursdays Technical Topics playlist.
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.
- Oct 2 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Operating at SARA Special Events”
In preparation for the upcoming 4-day “Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald” special event at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Nov 7 – 10, this will be a hands-on training session. The intent is to familiarize operators with the logging software ACLog, working with the station equipment, and experiencing the sounds and challenges of operating as a logger and station operator during one of our special events. Those attending the Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald event for the first time are encouraged to attend this session. Lessons learned here are also used during the Fr Metcalf WØJH special event in January and the Ice Station WØJH special event in February. The session will be livestreamed and recorded for sharing on our YouTube channel. - Nov 6 session will be a normal eyeball QSO session as many of the usual participants will be preparing for the Split Rock weekend departure the next morning.
- Dec 4 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Pico Balloons” led by Brian KB9TBB - NO Jan 1 session – New Years Day
- Feb 5, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Meshtastic” led by Collin KEØIYN - Mar 5, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … Antenna Analyzers” led by Joe KCØOIO
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.
>> Click here << for the North Star Radio Convention website for more information and to register for the 2025 Convention. Registration is open now and the cost is $25.00 per person. You will also have the option to add a Subway lunch selection for an additional $12.50.
SARA is hosting the new GOTA 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.
“Remembering The Edmund Fitzgerald” Special Event Nov 7-10
Plans are well underway for operating several WØJH stations at this year’s big event at Split Rock! We’ll be operating from the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Trail Center and SARA’s Comms Trailer.
Monday November 10th, 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. SARA will have an extended 4-day operation and will be on the air on the 10th.
This week’s SARA activities
- “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout Sep 28
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)
3.813 MHz LSB +/- QRM
Alternates: 1.966 MHz +/- QRM (LSB), 21.316 MHz +/- QRM (USB) 50.166 MHz +/- QRM (USB) - SARA Monday Morning 75-meter Ragchew Sept 29
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - SARA Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Sept 30
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 Session 3 Oct 2
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Conference Room
Stillwater Public Library
224 3rd St N, Stillwater - 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night Oct 2
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
“Let’s Talk About … SARA SES Logging and Operating
Baytown Township Hall & Community Center
4020 McDonald Dr N, Stillwater, MN 55082 - SARA 2nd Saturday Breakfast (on the 1st Saturday) Oct 4
7:30 AM
Perkins Restaurant
2050 Frontage Road
Stillwater, MN 55082 - SARA Monthly Member Meeting Oct 4
9:15 AM
“The ARRL DXCC Card Checking and Awards Programs” Mike Cizek WØVTT
Auditorium A
The Gables at Boutwells Landing
