All posts by Anita Kemmerer

I am a DX'er and digital contesting op. I am the current membership chairperson for the Nashua Area Radio Society.
Education and Training, General, On The Air

Ham Bootcamp is Coming Up – Saturday May 11th

The Nashua Area Radio Society will be holding an online Ham Bootcamp on Saturday, May 11th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time.

Ham Bootcamp is a program to help new, inactive, and prospective hams gain the skills and information that they need to Get On The Air.  It is open to any interested Ham or Prospective Ham in the US and Canada and there is no charge to attendees.

The morning session is geared toward operating on the VHF/UHF bands:

  • Putting together a Station for Repeaters – How to pick an HT or Mobile Radio and an Antenna
  • Radio Programming Tutorial
  • Making Contacts and Joining a Repeater Net
  • Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites
  • Getting Started with Fox Hunting
Abby on Fox Hunting
Abby Speaks About Fox Hunting in Fall 2020 Ham Bootcamp

The afternoon session is geared toward operating on the HF Bands:

  • Putting together an HF Station for SSB, CW, and Digital
  • Picking and putting up an HF Antenna, Feedlines, and Grounds
  • Operating on the HF bands using SSB Voice
  • Getting started with WSJT-X and FT8 Digital

We will also have a breakout session where attendees can choose one of the following sessions:

  • Learning CW
  • Intro to EmComm
  • Finding DX, Logging and QSLing
  • Portable Operating

… and more!

Registration is now open for the May 11th session.

You can get more information about Ham Bootcamp, including a link to register at n1fd.org/bootcamp 

You must register to receive the link to join the web conference.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at [email protected].

 

Activities, Antennas, Education and Training, Field Day, General, On The Air, Station Equipment

NARS Winter Field Day Plans

Brian, W1XMM, has opened up his station for NARS members to operate Winter Field Day  (WFD) on Saturday and Sunday January 27th and 28th so that members can operate WFD with the club callsign, N1FD.  Brian’s station is in a great location, in Antrim, NH and should provide for some great operating.

What is Winter Field Day?

Winter Field Day is an annual event, sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association on the last full weekend in January to encourage development of emergency operating skills.  It is open to frequencies on the HF, VHF and UHF bands.  Here is a summary of the rules. The full rules can be found here.

  • All stations are limited to a maximum of 100 Watts PEP
  • QRP CW limit of 5 watts multiplier of 2
  • QRP Phone limit of 10 watts multiplier of 2
  • Each mode worked on each band counts as 1 multiplier
SteppIR DB18
SteppIR DB18 at W1XMM

W1XMM Station

The following stations and associated bands will be available at W1XMM:

  • SteppIR DB18 40/20/15/10/6m with an Elecraft K3S
  • SteppIR Vertical 80/40/20/15/10/6m with a Yaesu FT991a
  • Log Periodic 50MHz -1.2GHz
  • Inverted V: 80M and 160M (one cable out to both)
Log Periodic Antenna at W1XMM
Log Periodic Antenna at W1XMM

Great Opportunity for New and Experienced Hams!

This is a great opportunity for newly licensed or inactive amateurs to get some operating experience and a top-notch station.  Brian and other members will be available to coach those who are new to HF and VHF operating.

W1XMM Operating Equipment
W1XMM Operating Equipment

Emergency Communications

NARS member Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, who is also the ARRL New England Division Assistant Director for Emergency Communications and Public Service, is encouraging amateurs throughout New England to operate Winter Field Day to developer emergency operating skills.   

We have been challenged by the ARES group to also set up an NVIS antenna and communicate with other ARES operators at set times.  This would be both VHF/UHF and HF.  The ARES is going to use this opportunity to test their communication skills here in New England.

SteppIR Vertical Antenna at W1XMM
SteppIR Vertical Antenna at W1XMM

Join Us

Interested in joining us for Winter Field Day?  Please sign up by Thursday January 25th at 7:00 pm.  Here’s what you can do:

  • Sign up for operating times – See this Forum Post for the link to the sign-up sheet.
  • Join us on Thursday, January 25th  at 7:00 pm for our final Winter Field Day meeting.  See this Forum Post for the Zoom link.  Or contact Brian at [email protected] to get the details if you cannot make the meeting.
  • Show up at Brian’s QTH in Antrim before your operating slot.

 

Activities, Featured, General

Bob Heil to Speak to Nashua Area Radio Society on March 7th

Our March Membership Meeting will feature Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID.  Bob will speak to us about Antennas and Installation Techniques and Radio Settings .

Ham Nation
Ham Nation

Dr. Bob Heil is well know to amateurs as the former host of Ham Nation and the founder of Heil Sound.

Heil Sound makes world class Ham Radio and Professional audio equipment including headphones, microphones, and related equipment.

Heil Talk Box
Heil Talk Box

But did you know that Bob has made a name for himself in the world of Rock and Roll? He has created touring sound systems for several rock and roll bands such as the Grateful Dead and the Who.  Bob invented the Heil Talk Box, which was used by many rock and roll musicians.  He even has a display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Bob Heil Organist
Bob Heil at the Organ

An accomplished organist, Bob played for us at the end of meeting the last time he visited us.  You can see the recording on our Videos page – look for the March 2022 Membership Meeting.

Bob Heil is a great storyteller and his previous visits to the Nashua Area Radio Society were truly memorable.  Don’t miss Tuesday’s meeting.

To learn more about Bob Heil and his incredible accomplishments, visit his QRZ and Wikipedia pages.

The membership meeting will take place on Tuesday March 7th starting at 7:00 pm. It will be a hybrid meeting, at the Nashua Library in the NPL Theater as well as on Zoom.  For more information, including the Zoom link, see our main page and scroll down to the section titled Plans for Online Meetings and Tech Nights.

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide