Here is your weekly SARA update!
2026 SARA’s Radios in the Park
Radios in the Park, SARA’s outdoor eyeball QSO party, wraps up this Thursday September 10th at Pioneer Park, 515 2nd St N, Stillwater (Google Maps Plus code: 356R+7J Stillwater, Minnesota). Folks start to gather around 5:30 PM and we wrap up by 8:00 PM every Thursday evening.
SARA Monthly Meetings resume Saturday September 12th
We resume the regular monthly meeting of the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association this coming Saturday the 12th. We meet in Auditorium A at Boutwells Landing. Use the north entrance located at 13575 58th Street North, Oak Park Heights. Once you’ve entered, proceed down the stairs then turn left down the hall to the Auditorium at the end of the hallway, across from the restrooms. Please do not arrive before 9:00 AM, the entrance desk is not staffed until then. The Meeting will begin by 9:30 AM, once we have the video equipment set up and have established the Zoom livestream.
Our special guest this month is Dave Minster NA2AA, CEO of the ARRL. Mr. Minster will join us at 10:30 AM on a separate Zoom meeting stream that the ARRL will be hosting for us. We will all need to change to that Zoom meeting session and join Mr. Minster for this very special session with the CEO.
SARA’s Monthly membership meeting is usually held the 2nd Saturday of the month September though May. The 2026-27 meeting season will have shifts to the 1st Saturdays on two occasions, October 3rd (North Star Radio Conference is Oct 10) and January 2nd, 2027 (Fr Metcalf Special Event is Jan 8 – 10).
2nd Saturday Breakfast Sept 12 7:30 AM
Don’t forget, the 2nd Saturday Breakfast at Perkins Restaurant 2050 Frontage Road Stillwater at 7:30 AM. Note: some traffic changes have been implemented on Washington Ave at W. Frontage Road, closing left turn access to the frontage road. It appears you will have to go a little north to the new 4-way stop at Tower Drive and make a u-turn to get back to Perkins.
1st Thursday Technical Topic Night “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 always looking for topic ideas and discussion leaders for future 1TTT nights. If you have a suggestion or are willing to lead a discussion, please let drop me an email at kc0oio2002@gmail.com. We need topics and volunteers for December and beyond!
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 (23:00 UTC).
The Sep 3, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic “Let’s Talk About … Cloud-based logging with Wavelog” led by Collin KEØIYN is now available on the SARA YouTube channel
>> CLICK HERE << to watch the video.
- Oct 1, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
“Let’s Talk About … 3d Printing and ham radio” led by Leslie KD9ZMI - Nov 5, 2026 NO 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
due to the pending Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event Nov 6 – 8, we will not have a Tech Topic on this evening but rather the session will be an Eyeball QSO Party. - Dec 3, 2026 1st Thursday Tech Topic Night
To Be Determined!
North Star Radio Convention Oct 10 – Registration is open!
Hosting the 2026 ARRL Dakota Division Convention, the 2026 North Star Radio Convention is Saturday October 10, 2026 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. The Convention is being held at the Hennepin Technical College, 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445.
Join us at the North Star Radio Convention, the premier statewide event for Minnesota amateur radio enthusiasts. The North Star Radio Convention is known for its expert speakers and workshops covering topics for all experience levels, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Reconnect with old friends and make new ones among amateur radio enthusiasts from across the region.
SARA is a founding club and Platinum Sponsor. We will have an information table as well as hosting the Convention’s official “Get On The Air” station. Plans are afoot to draw more attention to the “GOTA” this year (more to come…)
Register now at https://northstarradio.org/. Early Bird Registration starts at $20 per person, $32.50 with Subway box lunch. Youth (under 21) registration is free (optional lunch is $12.50). Registration includes access to all sessions. Early bird registration ends September 24th, fees will increase after that date.
Special Event: Tri-State Portable – WØJH
September 25, 26 & 27, 2026
White Rock, South Dakota
Once again SARA members will have a chance to operate from a remote location! In case you don’t already know, White Rock is where North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota connect. (On a map, look a little northwest of Wheaton, MN or just east of Rosholt, SD. Except for only two residents, White Rock is a ghost town.) This will be our eighth time operating here. Other times include: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2019 & 2021.
Simple Plan & Prime Directive:
We’ll set up three stations (two SSB and one CW) to operate from this unique location. We are there to have Amateur Radio FUN! We operate from “Downtown” (SSB), the “West End” (CW) and also from the tri-state marker.
We operate on HF frequencies (160 – 10m). A list of frequencies and schedules will be available in advance to SARA members, and the event will be listed by the ARRL. WX, propagation and operator bedtimes dictate our schedule.
Mark your calendar now for this rare Special Event Station!
SARA’s Fall General Class License Upgrade Prep Class
SARA will be conducting a General Class license upgrade class again this Fall. The classes will be held on Thursday evenings beginning September 17. Sessions will run from 6:00 PM to 7:50 PM and will be at the Stillwater Public Library, 224 Third Street North.
The SARA instructor team uses the ARRL General Class License Manual for the class. You can order the manual direct from the ARRL store at https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2009476073 or from Amazon >> click here << in Kindle ebook or the spiral-bound print editions.
Interested in the class? Send Bob WØGAF w0gaf at me dot com an email to get on the class roster.
The SARA POTA Challenge
Summer is coming to an end, but that hasn’t slowed down our POTA hunters and activators. We now have eleven folks who’ve made it to Legend status.
The numbers for July 2026 are now posted on our website. >> CLICK HERE << to view the most recent posted results.
Important Note: The POTA group has changed the minimum number of hunter contacts required to be included in the data feed we use to calculate our totals. You will now need a minimum of 100 hunter contacts to be included in the data feed. We will continue to include anyone that has been on the reports with less than 100 contacts, but new challenge participants will need to make 100 contacts before they are included in these reports. Please reach out to Bob – W0GAF or Brian – KB9TBB if you have questions.
The Parks on the Air resource page is a great place to get your POTA questions answered.
To participate in the POTA Challenge, there are two simple steps required.
– Register for an account at parksontheair.com
– Go out and work some parks
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
- NO “Sunday Fusion” Digital Voice Hangout September 6
- SARA Evening HF Ragchew
Nightly
20:00 Central (01:00 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 September 7
Frequency: 3.856 LSB +/- QRM - Two Meter Tuesday (TMT) Round Robin Ragchew Sept 8
7:00 – ~8:00 pm Central (or until we finish!)
SARA Repeater 147.060+ MHz (DCS/DTCS 026 Normal)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 Sept 10
6:00 PM
Pioneer Park, 515 2nd St N, Stillwater
(Google Maps Plus code: 356R+7J Stillwater, Minnesota).
- 2nd Saturday Breakfast Sept 12
7:30 AM
Perkins Restaurant
2050 W Frontage Road
Stillwater, MN 55082 - SARA Monthly Meeting Sept 12
9:15 AM
Auditorium A
Boutwells Landing
13575 58th Street N
Oak Park Heights, MN
