A group for all Amateur Radio operators in the area and for those interested in becoming one!
SEKARC PAGES
▼
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
December Breakfast Meeting
Our December meeting will be at Hardee's for coffee and breakfast Saturday December 30th at 9am! Holiday week is a busy time for family and activities so if you can, stop in for a meet and greet. Have some good coffee and great biscuits.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Merry Christmas From Amateur Logic TV
Another great Christmas show from Amateur Logic !! Have a Merry Christmas everyone and let's look forward to 2018 !!
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
ARRL International Grid Chase 2018
Source: The ARRL International Grid Chase
Get ready to kick off 2018 with a new year-long operating event!
Bart Jahnke, W9JJ
ARRL Contest Branch Manager
You may not know this, but your station is in a Maidenhead grid square. The entire world is divided into thousands of these 1° latitude × 2° longitude squares, each one with a unique designation. They're all part of a geographic location system adopted in the 1980s at a meeting of the VHF Working Group in Maidenhead, England.
Unless you are a VHF enthusiast, this nugget of information may not mean much. But at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2018, the global Amateur Radio community will be very interested in grid squares.
Get in the Chase
The objective of the ARRL International Grid Chase is simple: Work stations in as many grid squares as possible and upload your log data to ARRL's Logbook of The World. If you are not currently registered with Logbook of The World, this is a good reason to get started. Go to https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/getting-started/. Registration and uploading are free.
Every new grid square contact confirmed through Logbook of The World counts toward your monthly total, so you have an incentive to start the chase as soon as you ring in the New Year.
Just turn on your radio and start calling "CQ Grid Chase," or listen for others doing the same. Make the contact, enter it into your log, and you're on to the next (see the sidebar, "Tips for the Chase").
At the end of each month, your totals on the Grid Chase leader board will reset to zero. Fear not, though. The online scoring system will maintain your monthly totals for a grand total at the end of the year, when an annual summary will be released and awards given to top finishers in various categories.
The ARRL International Grid Chase is open to all amateurs, regardless of location or license class. Any operating mode is eligible as well as every band, except 60 meters. You'll find the complete rules at www.arrl.org/aigc2018.
Get ready to kick off 2018 with a new year-long operating event!
Bart Jahnke, W9JJ
ARRL Contest Branch Manager
You may not know this, but your station is in a Maidenhead grid square. The entire world is divided into thousands of these 1° latitude × 2° longitude squares, each one with a unique designation. They're all part of a geographic location system adopted in the 1980s at a meeting of the VHF Working Group in Maidenhead, England.
Unless you are a VHF enthusiast, this nugget of information may not mean much. But at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2018, the global Amateur Radio community will be very interested in grid squares.
Get in the Chase
The objective of the ARRL International Grid Chase is simple: Work stations in as many grid squares as possible and upload your log data to ARRL's Logbook of The World. If you are not currently registered with Logbook of The World, this is a good reason to get started. Go to https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/getting-started/. Registration and uploading are free.
Every new grid square contact confirmed through Logbook of The World counts toward your monthly total, so you have an incentive to start the chase as soon as you ring in the New Year.
Just turn on your radio and start calling "CQ Grid Chase," or listen for others doing the same. Make the contact, enter it into your log, and you're on to the next (see the sidebar, "Tips for the Chase").
At the end of each month, your totals on the Grid Chase leader board will reset to zero. Fear not, though. The online scoring system will maintain your monthly totals for a grand total at the end of the year, when an annual summary will be released and awards given to top finishers in various categories.
The ARRL International Grid Chase is open to all amateurs, regardless of location or license class. Any operating mode is eligible as well as every band, except 60 meters. You'll find the complete rules at www.arrl.org/aigc2018.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
New "BIRD" In The Air
AO-91 is an FM repeater [1] satellite with a strong 2 meter downlink (receivable with a rubber duck) and an incredibly sensitive receive system on the 70 cm uplink. There are reports of people getting into the bird using a handheld inside a house. That is incredible. This will likely become another “Easy Sat” like AO-51 was. It’s currently being tested by AMSAT-NA but it will be open for general use very soon.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Holiday Dinner December 6th
SEKARC will be having it's SECOND annual Holiday Dinner. It will be held at Barto's Idle Hour Wednesday December 6th 2017 at 6 PM.. The radio nets will not be held that evening. Everyone is invited and XYL's and kids or anyone you would like to bring are also welcome to come!
Monday, November 20, 2017
QRP... In This Solar Cycle ??
YES, YES, and MORE YES !!
QRP is fun in any cycle!! Just ask some of our QRP fans in the club. Sure it is challenging, but these days so is using 100 watts or more !! The latest podcast from the ARRL features QRP so give it a listen !!
QRP is fun in any cycle!! Just ask some of our QRP fans in the club. Sure it is challenging, but these days so is using 100 watts or more !! The latest podcast from the ARRL features QRP so give it a listen !!
Friday, November 10, 2017
Digital Modes and FT8
Here is a great video that covers the growth and progress of digital modes and the through the current explosion of the new FT8 mode! This guy explains things very well and is very informative. I follow him on YouTube and I suggest you do also. He also explains the development of modes from Joe Taylor K1JT and how Taylor has changed the ham radio world!
FT8 is the newest weak-signal mode from Joe Taylor, K1JT, and friends. It operates very much like JT65 but is four times faster and more automated. Learn a little about the history of digital modes and conversational vs bare essential modes! Two sample QSOs!
Friday, November 3, 2017
FT8 IS COOL BUT SO IS OLIVIA
Have you tried the new digital mode FT8? It is truly incredible what signals can be decoded and not heard or even seen on the waterfall! Well if you are like me, you kind of like have a conversation with your QSO you might try OLIVIA mode. It also uses low power and I have decoded signals with it that I could not hear and barely see on the waterfall. Sure OLIVIA is slower and if you are looking for speed then FT8 is your ticket!
Watch this review of OLIVIA from Ham Radio Concepts, then watch his follow up video next talking about CONTESTIA mode!! Great alternatives for low power digital QSO's!
Watch this review of OLIVIA from Ham Radio Concepts, then watch his follow up video next talking about CONTESTIA mode!! Great alternatives for low power digital QSO's!
CLICK FOR OTHER GREAT VIDEOS |
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Foxhunt - Chilly Success !
2m made from video |
The location was Lincoln Park in Pittsburg KS. We had a great turnout for a chilly Saturday in October. Hams there were Joe WØMQY, Matt KØVLL, John ADØKA, Loren KDØRTX, Jeff KAØEGE, Tyler KBØPQP and his wife Meg, Steve N5SD, Jim ADØOD, Bill WBØLXZ and Keanan (passed Tech/Gen waiting on call).
The previous post here had instructions for two antennas, the video was for a 2 meter beam and the photo was for a 70cm version. Several members had built the 2m version and those seemed to work really well! Steve N5SD had a vintage version of a foxhunt antenna which was interesting. John ADØKA had a homebrew as well with attenuater and other pieces.
Bill WBØLXZ built a 70cm beacon operating from a solar panel that he planted the night before and that one proved to be challenging to find but it did get found. One of the challenges with that one was that the frequency was published at 433.92 but with some solar power limitations it drifted down to about 433.6.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
It's FOX HUNTING Season !!
Get your horses ready and best red coat... SEKARC is having a FoxHunt this Saturday October 30th. The plan is to meet at Hardee's for breakfast and coffee. Visit, eat, drink and have a good conversation over a biscuit and coffee!
Then we will discuss the plans for the hunt. Much of this will be open for discussion so plan on being a part of it! At 9am let's gather at Hardee's, then around 10, after the plans are laid down, a couple of us will go to Lincoln Park and plant the foxes! Then about 10:30. the rest will leave and head to the park. Meeting in one place like maybe the parking lot in front of the band dome? I am not sure if there are other events in the park so we will be flexible on that. For last minute details and instructions monitor the .94 repeater for traffic regarding the hunt.
Then we will discuss the plans for the hunt. Much of this will be open for discussion so plan on being a part of it! At 9am let's gather at Hardee's, then around 10, after the plans are laid down, a couple of us will go to Lincoln Park and plant the foxes! Then about 10:30. the rest will leave and head to the park. Meeting in one place like maybe the parking lot in front of the band dome? I am not sure if there are other events in the park so we will be flexible on that. For last minute details and instructions monitor the .94 repeater for traffic regarding the hunt.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Intro To Foxhunting
At the September meeting we planned having a foxhunt activity at the October meeting. So everyone knows what it is and can prepare, I am posting this Intro to Foxhunting. There are other videos on youtube so check them out and find a cheap metal tape measure at the dollar store !!
Friday, October 6, 2017
How I Learned Morse Code Fast
Here is a method for learning CW fast. There are many out there so give it a try! Joe and Jack would love to have some new CW join the slow speed net!
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
New Mode FSQ
A new digital mode....... check this out. Options are good and digital has a BUNCH of options these days!!
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Eyeball QSO / Planning Meeting
Hello, SEKARC is having it's September meeting at Fire Station #1 in Pittsburg on Saturday September 30th at 9am. We will have breakfast, coffee and donuts available. We have added a few new members since our last fire station meeting so we hope you can all attend.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Intro To Working Satellites
Working "The Birds"
Here is an introduction to working satellites... try it !!
Thursday, September 7, 2017
K7AGE and Raspberry Pi
Randy K7AGE posted some interesting info regarding ham radio and the Raspberry Pi.. Check out the video and the links below !!
Thursday, August 24, 2017
FT8 on a Light Bulb Dipole?
Jim, W6LG tries FT8 using light bulbs as the antenna and communicates with another ham in Canada. The distance was 750 miles or about 1200km! Someone was talking about this at the coffee qso this week !!
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Solar Eclipse QSO Party
ARLX008 Solar Eclipse QSO Party Signup So Far Has Attracted More Than 250 Eclipse Enthusiasts
ZCZC AX08
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 8 ARLX008
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 15, 2017
To all radio amateurs
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Receiver Test Elecraft K3 vs Yaseu FT450
This is an interesting video comparing the rx signal between an Elecraft K3 and the Yaesu FT450. Value he gave for the K3 was $5,000 as he had it setup and the FT450 was about $500. As I right this, I have no idea which is which in the examples. So give it a listen and see what you think?
I will follow his YouTube channel to see if posts the results and identifies which radio is #1 and #2 in this test. His channel looks interesting... you can comment here or go the the YouTube page and place your vote and comments there.. please take our poll linked below the video for your vote!
I will follow his YouTube channel to see if posts the results and identifies which radio is #1 and #2 in this test. His channel looks interesting... you can comment here or go the the YouTube page and place your vote and comments there.. please take our poll linked below the video for your vote!
Here is the YouTune link K3 vs FT450
Here is a link to his YouTube Channel JIM W6LG
Interesting video... I am curious, are you?
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Ham Nation and our Net Check-in Winner
On Wednesday July 12th we had a gust check in to our 2 meter net. He was a winner on this show !! Nice to have a celebrity among us !! Plus Ham Nation is a good show to watch. Plus I believe that Bob Heil talks about his pine board transmitter that we discussed at the coffee a little while ago.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
July Trip To The Museum
SEKARC held its July meeting with a breakfast and coffee at Hardee's then rolled over to the Crawford County Historical Museum to set up some field radios! We had 4 stations setup and on the air! It was the nicest day in July for sure... about 80 degrees and a nice breeze in the shade! It was also nice to get to meet one of the new hams in the area Dusty KEØNWV.
John ADØKA tested a couple of new antennas he had recently built and they worked great! He even made a 6m contact in Las Vegas! ( CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW)
John ADØKA tested a couple of new antennas he had recently built and they worked great! He even made a 6m contact in Las Vegas! ( CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW)
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
July Meeting Saturday 7/29
It looks like the weather on Saturday is supposed to be pretty nice ( at this point ) so SEKARC is having it's July meeting starting at Hardee's for breakfast at 9am, then after some coffee and a biscuit we will head to the Crawford County Historical Museum about 10am as we have done before!
We will setup some radios and antennas, get on the air and have some radio fun. There is plenty of room for multiple setups and lots of trees !!
We have a few things to discuss and plan for. Among those is the upcoming EchoLink functionality for our repeater, a possible Special Event Station at the Little Balkins Days celebration and early talks for a Winter Field Day!
We will setup some radios and antennas, get on the air and have some radio fun. There is plenty of room for multiple setups and lots of trees !!
We have a few things to discuss and plan for. Among those is the upcoming EchoLink functionality for our repeater, a possible Special Event Station at the Little Balkins Days celebration and early talks for a Winter Field Day!
Friday, July 21, 2017
KØSEK Prepares for Echolink
SEKARC is working on adding Echolink to the clubs 70cm 442.675 repeater. We hope to have it complete and functioning soon. Some of us are familiar with Echolink but for those that are new to it, I have included some informative links below that give an overview of the system and overviews of setting it up on your smartphone AND on your desktop. Try it out and we will let the club know when it is fully online and active.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
K2BSA Will Be On the Air During National Scout Jamboree
from The ARRL Letter on July 13, 2017
K2BSA Will Be On the Air During National Scout Jamboree:
The Boy Scouts of America station K2BSA will be on the air during the 2017 National Scout Jamboree, July 18 to July 28, from the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve in West Virginia. The K2BSA operation will demonstrate Amateur Radio to several thousand Scouts and fulfill the Radio merit badge requirement for QSOs.
"We need you on the other end of the contact," the BSA announcement said.
K2BSA Will Be On the Air During National Scout Jamboree:
The Boy Scouts of America station K2BSA will be on the air during the 2017 National Scout Jamboree, July 18 to July 28, from the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve in West Virginia. The K2BSA operation will demonstrate Amateur Radio to several thousand Scouts and fulfill the Radio merit badge requirement for QSOs.
"We need you on the other end of the contact," the BSA announcement said.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
ARRL podcast - Solar Minimum
ARRL The Doctor is In ! From the ARRL..... "We're on the downhill slide to the solar minimum, but that doesn't mean the end of Amateur Radio enjoyment. Even at the very bottom of the cycle there is still plenty to do, and plenty of ways to do it!"
It always amazes me with all of the talk on the solar minimum... I guess for Field Day 2017 I guess someone turned that switch off because the bands sure were full of radio signals.... ALL NIGHT and DAY !!
It always amazes me with all of the talk on the solar minimum... I guess for Field Day 2017 I guess someone turned that switch off because the bands sure were full of radio signals.... ALL NIGHT and DAY !!
Field Day 2017 a Great Success !!
The ARRL Field Day 2017 for SEKARC was a huge success! Great weather and with the help of the borrowed portable tower from the Crawford County Sheriff's office, our Field Day took a huge leap forward! At one point and for most of the time we had 6+ antennas up and were able to work all of the available bands for Field Day. We covered 2m, 6m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, 80m and 160m all using the tower to get air under them.
We had great participation as several visitors worked some pile ups, ate some great pulled pork (thanks Matt). I would hate to try and name them all for the fear of leaving someone out but a big thank you to the full time crew and the part time operators. And even those that just stopped by for a visit.
KØSEK call had 484 contacts from 64 sections including Hawaii, USVI, and most of the Canadian provinces. I think we about tripled any previous score so we will have to get even better next year! You can see more photos at this link....... SEKARC Field Day 2017
We had great participation as several visitors worked some pile ups, ate some great pulled pork (thanks Matt). I would hate to try and name them all for the fear of leaving someone out but a big thank you to the full time crew and the part time operators. And even those that just stopped by for a visit.
KØSEK call had 484 contacts from 64 sections including Hawaii, USVI, and most of the Canadian provinces. I think we about tripled any previous score so we will have to get even better next year! You can see more photos at this link....... SEKARC Field Day 2017
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
ARRL Field Day Weekend !!
It's time for Field Day 2017! SEKARC hopes you will take some time this weekend to visit and participate in your local Field Day event. Arrl.org has a Field Day locator map to find one close to you. SEKARC will be out at Big Brutus in West Mineral KS. The operating hours are from 1pm Sat the 24th through 4pm Sunday.
We will have stations setup for you to use, or you can bring your own and get on the air! Plus Matt KØVLL will be making some pulled pork for dinner and we will have chips and beverages. It should be a fun weekend so will we see you out there?
Field Day 2017 PSA from ARRL
Monday, June 12, 2017
Past Field Day Photos
June 24th and 25th Big Brutus - ARRL Field Day
Here are some photos from our previous Field Day's held at Big Brutus. It really is a great place for radio! Beautiful skies day and night, and very quiet! Please plan on coming out for a visit and get on the air! We will have rigs and antennas setup for your use or you can bring your own and we can work out the transmitting times and bands!
Monday, June 5, 2017
Field Day Tower News !!
Great news for Field Day 2017. Jason the Crawford County Emergency Manager was given the ok from the Sheriff's department to use the tower trailer on Field Day at Big Brutus!! At this time he plans on bringing it out on Friday the 23rd so we will need to have a few of us there by afternoon/evening but we were planning to do that anyway!
Tyler, Matt and others are working on the antenna cabling plans so stay tuned for materials that they may need. This is shaping up to be our best Field Day yet so we hope everyone can participate!
Below are pictures from the test deployment last month!
Tyler, Matt and others are working on the antenna cabling plans so stay tuned for materials that they may need. This is shaping up to be our best Field Day yet so we hope everyone can participate!
Below are pictures from the test deployment last month!
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Baja Kansas at Pitt State 2017
On Sunday May 28th, a group from the SEKARC volunteered at the Baja Kansas Endurance Race 2017 at Pitt State! Tyler KBØPOP. Jeff KAØEGE, John ADØKA and Gary Goddard operated dispatch for the recovery teams. It was a great event and it is being held next year at PSU so we will be helping again and welcome other folks to help!
Basically a car with issues would be called in by a spotter on the track with car number, and position marker (location on the track) and if they needed a lift and tow (example in photo below) or just a tow. Then the other part of our team would dispatch out the recovery crew to that location. It was a little like chaos at first but as the cars dropped out it slowed down a little.
Hat's off to the recovery team which I believe were from Alabama and surrounding states. They were great to work with and VERY helpful and made it really easy on us. They were from a trail riding club. They were also all volunteer and came a LONG way to do so !! To link to their site just click the image below!
Below is a promo video and then some other photos from the event!
.
Basically a car with issues would be called in by a spotter on the track with car number, and position marker (location on the track) and if they needed a lift and tow (example in photo below) or just a tow. Then the other part of our team would dispatch out the recovery crew to that location. It was a little like chaos at first but as the cars dropped out it slowed down a little.
Hat's off to the recovery team which I believe were from Alabama and surrounding states. They were great to work with and VERY helpful and made it really easy on us. They were from a trail riding club. They were also all volunteer and came a LONG way to do so !! To link to their site just click the image below!
Below is a promo video and then some other photos from the event!
.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
HF Loop Podcast From ARRL
Here is a new edition of the ARRL podcast The Doctor Is In. The topic is HF loop antennas!!
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Busy Wednesday the 24th
SEKARC is having a bust Wednesday... first our weekly Coffee QSO at Root Coffeehouse. 8th and Broadway in Pittsburg. A couple of hours of coffee, cakes and conversation! Then around 11 it will be off to lunch.... not sure where but smart money is on Freddies !!
Then by 1 pm those that would like to will head out to the Crawford County tower location just South of the Museum location. It is across the field from where we have setup n the past. The Crawford County Emergency Manager will be there with the 100ft portable tower system for a demo!
After the demo, those that are interested and weather permitting can head over and setup some portable radio gear and get on the air!! Kind of a practice run for Field Day. It should be a fun and interesting day so join us if and when you can!!
Then by 1 pm those that would like to will head out to the Crawford County tower location just South of the Museum location. It is across the field from where we have setup n the past. The Crawford County Emergency Manager will be there with the 100ft portable tower system for a demo!
After the demo, those that are interested and weather permitting can head over and setup some portable radio gear and get on the air!! Kind of a practice run for Field Day. It should be a fun and interesting day so join us if and when you can!!
Friday, May 5, 2017
Field Day 2017 Planning
Field Day 2017 is fast approaching and we thought it would be a good idea to start the planning process! The survey below is just to gather some initial information as we put together plans for the event! We realize plans can change and if you know anthing about the SEKARC is that we are flexible and as always, our Field Day is about the FUN not the POINTS !!
All are welcome anytime..... ARRL Field Day details can be found HERE !!
All are welcome anytime..... ARRL Field Day details can be found HERE !!
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
1947 License Listing - Archives
Browse and search this 1947 license listing... there are some Pittsburg Kan amateurs listed.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Meeting Update Saturday April 29th
*UPDATE
As we suspected, the weather is not cooperating with us for Saturday. It has been decided to postpone the museum/antenna trailer portion of the day so at this point we will only be meeting for breakfast at Hardee's 9am !!
As previously mentioned, the Saturday meeting will begin at Hardee's at 9am for breakfast and coffee! Come anytime, eat some great biscuits and gravy and drink some coffee! Then at 10am we will move out to the Crawford County Museum area. (MAP LINK BELOW)
Weather permitting, Jason Vanbecelaere the Crawford County Emergency Manager will be bringing the counties 100ft mobile tower trailer. Jason would like to try the set up at the Crawford county road and bridge building just south of the museum. There is a flatter spot. If it is raining then we will cancel for a later date. We would still be able to park and operate at the museum as the site for his setup is directly South. Just a walk across the grass. Hopefully the rain will NOT change things but I will send out a notice as soon as a decision is made.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Solar Power For Ham Radio
I found this nice presentation..... Solar Power For Ham Radio !! Check it out and post your comments and/or tips you may have to offer !! It is a couple of years old so there may be some better battery technology on the market now! But still good information.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
April 2017 Updates
Here are a few updates and some information !
#1 I noticed that some of the new join requests had not been updated or I had the wrong email address so I THINK they are all caught up now. We welcome a couple of new members so check out the member list on the website and check to make sure if you want to be listed on the roster that you are but if you would like to be removed let us know!!
#2 Wednesday is coffee/net day.... at 9am every Wednesday we meet at Root Coffeehouse for coffee and chat. Then at 8pm is the FM net on the .94 repeater and at 8:30 is the Slow Speed CW or PSK on 40 meters ( check the website for modes/details )
#3 On April 29th we will be having the Crawford County Emergency Manager Jason Vanbecelaere bringing the "emergency tower on a trailer" rig for us to check out and hopefully deploy if the weather permits!! 9am breakfast at Hardees then 10am to the Crawford County Museum on the bypass... bring your portable rigs and get on the air!!
Thursday, April 6, 2017
From Sanibel Island Beach de KAØEGE/4
Loren and I recently vacationed on Sanibel Island in Florida! It's always nice to see Loren's Dad Frank, and wife Carol. Yep it's Frank of Xuron fame! If you have never been to Sanibel it's a barrier island in Southwest Florida off of Ft. Myers. Beautiful place to visit! Especially when you get to also spend time with family!
On Saturday March 25th I loaded up my new beach cart with radio gear and headed to the beach to make some contacts! The cart had my Yaesu FT-857, LDG Y-100 Tuner, Fishing Pole Antenna, Chair, two 12v batteries (one SLA and one lawn tractor battery), WolphiLink Digital interface, Samsung Tablet, a tub that doubled as two tables (one was the lid on top of the cart, other was the tub upside down). UTC clock, coax and cables, and small cooler with drinks and snacks!
I setup away from the water as it was a Saturday on Sanibel, I did not want to get in the way of the folks collecting shells.... and there are a LOT of them on these beaches! I set the antenna up among the inkberry and sea oats growing on the beach.
It was a perfect day... good breeze, mostly sunny and the temperature was in the mid 80's. The homebrew antenna and umbrella stand needed to be guyed a little... the antenna took one stake as the wind was strong but only from one direction. The umbrella held up great. I used the large bungies used to secure the load on the cart and hooked the umbrella to the cart for support! I did find that the cheap PVC I used MAY have been a little too flexible. Next time I set up on the beach I will go with the local beach umbrella solution. They have much more experience and the cost is reasonable! One of the many mental notes made during my first time playing radio on the beach!
I had originally planned to setup on a Thursday, but afternoon thunderstorms had other plans for me! On Friday we had plans to bike to the lighthouse area of the island. Oh and, ask Loren about the "low hanging driftwood!".
Being a Saturday and a contest weekend, of course the bands were loaded wall to wall with contesters. So I found a somewhat quiet frequency on 20 meters sideband, fired up the radio and with in two minutes made my first contact with Joe WØMQY back here in Pittsburg and was clear as a bell. I heard him calling me so we had a nice short qso and then Leon N3LRH came in with a great signal. Next from Kansas was Frank NØIGZ and finally Jack WDØCFH. It was great to reach them and the gear seemed to be doing the job!
I later switched to PSK and and worked Joe and Leon there as well! I did not make a lot of contacts but it was still fun. Below is the contact map. Yep even got Russia and Portugal !!
It was a lot of fun. I learned a few things about beach umbrella management. I also learned that I do need to downsize a BIT more... next time I will probably not bring the tuner, or maybe have it if needed but the FT-857 and my portable antenna are usually pretty good on 20 meters without the tuner.
No matter what, I was lucky to get the chance to setup there.... not many do.
On Saturday March 25th I loaded up my new beach cart with radio gear and headed to the beach to make some contacts! The cart had my Yaesu FT-857, LDG Y-100 Tuner, Fishing Pole Antenna, Chair, two 12v batteries (one SLA and one lawn tractor battery), WolphiLink Digital interface, Samsung Tablet, a tub that doubled as two tables (one was the lid on top of the cart, other was the tub upside down). UTC clock, coax and cables, and small cooler with drinks and snacks!
Pulling through the sand went pretty well ! |
Thin antenna blended right in with the tall grass |
I had originally planned to setup on a Thursday, but afternoon thunderstorms had other plans for me! On Friday we had plans to bike to the lighthouse area of the island. Oh and, ask Loren about the "low hanging driftwood!".
Being a Saturday and a contest weekend, of course the bands were loaded wall to wall with contesters. So I found a somewhat quiet frequency on 20 meters sideband, fired up the radio and with in two minutes made my first contact with Joe WØMQY back here in Pittsburg and was clear as a bell. I heard him calling me so we had a nice short qso and then Leon N3LRH came in with a great signal. Next from Kansas was Frank NØIGZ and finally Jack WDØCFH. It was great to reach them and the gear seemed to be doing the job!
I later switched to PSK and and worked Joe and Leon there as well! I did not make a lot of contacts but it was still fun. Below is the contact map. Yep even got Russia and Portugal !!
It was a lot of fun. I learned a few things about beach umbrella management. I also learned that I do need to downsize a BIT more... next time I will probably not bring the tuner, or maybe have it if needed but the FT-857 and my portable antenna are usually pretty good on 20 meters without the tuner.
No matter what, I was lucky to get the chance to setup there.... not many do.
Not a bad view... |
Maybe a bigger and darker umbrella nest time ? |
All done.... until next time !! |
Sunset from the location.... beautiful |
Our shell collection from the trip |
QSL Card for Sanibel |
Monday, April 3, 2017
Gmail Tap.... April Fools or Great Idea?
While I am pretty sure this is an April Fools joke... we realize what a great idea this is !!
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
K7AGE Builds an RF Sampler
Another cool project from Randy K7AGE. Check this out and give it a try !! It's always good to build your own test gear. Randy makes great videos...
Friday, March 17, 2017
W5CYF Makes A Great Portable Setup
This guy makes great videos... here is a cool idea to build a lightweight, cheap and easy setup for portable radio work! Using PVC... weather getting warmer, time to go PORTABLE !!
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
How To Handle a Poor Operator
This is a really funny and interesting video. He hits everyone with a laugh. From QRP'ers to KiloWatt'ers, and Wide band "broadcasters" to contester hating. He has a funny way of poking fun at ALL OF US while relaying a great message! Enjoy...
Riley Hollingsworth — One Big Knob
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Ham Radio - Ancestors of the Internet
Ham Radio - Ancestors of the Internet is an interesting short video.....
Monday, February 13, 2017
SDR Play - The Simplified SDR Option
SDR has been a topic here on our site for some time. Many of us have tried the dongle/upconverter hassle and I am pretty sure we loved the SDR side but hated the hardware. This device takes care of that. From the YouTube channel linked below here are some basic facts..
The SDRplay RSP is the natural step up from a low cost dongle - covering 10 kHz to 2 GHz without the need of an up-converter - with high performance front end filters and 12 bit ADC, it gives outstanding general coverage RX capability. As well as supporting popular 3rd party SDR software it comes with downloadable SDRuno software.
For more information see www.sdrplay.com I also noticed it is featured in the latest QST magazine!
Here is the SDR Play YouTube Channel
The SDRplay RSP is the natural step up from a low cost dongle - covering 10 kHz to 2 GHz without the need of an up-converter - with high performance front end filters and 12 bit ADC, it gives outstanding general coverage RX capability. As well as supporting popular 3rd party SDR software it comes with downloadable SDRuno software.
For more information see www.sdrplay.com I also noticed it is featured in the latest QST magazine!
Here is the SDR Play YouTube Channel
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
ARRL Podcast - Meteor Scatter
Meteor Scatter
Some of the members have been making some meteor scatter contacts and I thought this podcast might be interesting to the club! Between five and 300 metric tons of space debris plunges into our atmosphere every day. And believe it or not, hams have been bouncing signals off of it for decades!
Some of the members have been making some meteor scatter contacts and I thought this podcast might be interesting to the club! Between five and 300 metric tons of space debris plunges into our atmosphere every day. And believe it or not, hams have been bouncing signals off of it for decades!
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Great January Meeting
Thanks to the good crowd for the January meeting of the SEKARC! Great turnout, good food, fresh coffee, friendly eyeball QSO's and an informative presentation introduction to the LT Spice IV program. A free program to download but full of useful aids for building and analyzing circuits! Thanks to Bill WBØLXZ!
We had a few first time attendees and added a couple of new hams to the roster! Member Romel Downs KEØAKO had the 2 newest hams, his sons KEØKOW Zach and KEØKYU Tyler asked to join the Roster! Matt KEØKGV attended his first official meeting after participating in other club activities and we also had a new attendee Greg WI4T from near Lamar joined us as well! Welcome to them and thanks for all that attended! The SEKARC is still growing and 2017 should be a fantastic year!
The official business took care of a couple of things as well. It was moved, seconded and approved that we keep the current officers for a 2nd year as we did before! President Jack WDØCFH, Vice-President Joe WØMQY (wom-quee) and Jeff Chancey KAØEGE Sec/Treasurer will retain their offices for 2017.
It was also approved to move forward with adding Echolink to the clubs UHF repeater. We have the Raspberry Pi and internet access we just need to build an interface to connect them all. We will provide updates as progress is made. While you wait.... if you haven't already, download the Echolink app for your smartphone or pc and get your license setup and navigate around some. It's a nice tool, and method to keep in touch while out of range of the repeater!
We had a few first time attendees and added a couple of new hams to the roster! Member Romel Downs KEØAKO had the 2 newest hams, his sons KEØKOW Zach and KEØKYU Tyler asked to join the Roster! Matt KEØKGV attended his first official meeting after participating in other club activities and we also had a new attendee Greg WI4T from near Lamar joined us as well! Welcome to them and thanks for all that attended! The SEKARC is still growing and 2017 should be a fantastic year!
The official business took care of a couple of things as well. It was moved, seconded and approved that we keep the current officers for a 2nd year as we did before! President Jack WDØCFH, Vice-President Joe WØMQY (wom-quee) and Jeff Chancey KAØEGE Sec/Treasurer will retain their offices for 2017.
It was also approved to move forward with adding Echolink to the clubs UHF repeater. We have the Raspberry Pi and internet access we just need to build an interface to connect them all. We will provide updates as progress is made. While you wait.... if you haven't already, download the Echolink app for your smartphone or pc and get your license setup and navigate around some. It's a nice tool, and method to keep in touch while out of range of the repeater!
CLICK HERE for ECHOLINK INTRO |
I see you Ron...... |
Schematic for below RF Range Finder |
Built from the schematic above ! |
One of Bill's projects - SDR |
Thursday, January 26, 2017
SEKARC Meeting Saturday Jan 28th 9AM
Make plans to attend the January meeting of the SEKARC! We will have coffee, breakfast and donuts ready by 9am so come on by! We are meeting at Fire Station #1 in Pittsburg 911 W 4th in Pittsburg. There is a local map below and I highlighted the parking locations in yellow if you have never been there!
The main topic of the meeting is the election of officers for 2017. Then after the business is handled we will have a presentation from Bill WBØLXZ on the software program LTSpice! We will also have an update after meeting with the new Crawford County Emergency Manager and possible activity when the weather warms up some! Hopefully we will have some new faces that pop in as I have heard from a couple of newer members so we will see you all there!
The main topic of the meeting is the election of officers for 2017. Then after the business is handled we will have a presentation from Bill WBØLXZ on the software program LTSpice! We will also have an update after meeting with the new Crawford County Emergency Manager and possible activity when the weather warms up some! Hopefully we will have some new faces that pop in as I have heard from a couple of newer members so we will see you all there!
Parking in YELLOW. Behind station, on the South side of 3rd Street or the East side of Warren Street |
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Election of Officers for 2017
Yes it is that time again! The SEKARC will be voting in new officers for 2017 at the January meeting on the 28th at Fire Station#1 in Pittsburg. Of course we will have the usual breakfast casserole, coffee and juice and a great program on the LTspice program!
If you know someone that would make a great officer to make 2017 great for the SEKARC then speak up! If you would like to nominate someone let us know and if YOU would like to take a run at an office then go for it!
Jack and Joe have served well for the last 2 years and they gotta be exhausted from the demands placed upon them! =) Let's kick off 2017 with a great meeting and We hope to see you all there on the 28th! Another topic we can discuss is the possibility of adding Echolink to the clubs UHF repeater. Then you could access from anywhere with a cell phone connection! We have mentioned it before but let's get some input from the members and talk about it.
If you know someone that would make a great officer to make 2017 great for the SEKARC then speak up! If you would like to nominate someone let us know and if YOU would like to take a run at an office then go for it!
Jack and Joe have served well for the last 2 years and they gotta be exhausted from the demands placed upon them! =) Let's kick off 2017 with a great meeting and We hope to see you all there on the 28th! Another topic we can discuss is the possibility of adding Echolink to the clubs UHF repeater. Then you could access from anywhere with a cell phone connection! We have mentioned it before but let's get some input from the members and talk about it.