Category Archives: Activities

Nashua Area Radio Society activities. Included is Field Day, our Annual Picnic, Tech Nights, On The Air Activations and much more.

Activities, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

NARS QSO Party Update

The Nashua Area Radio Society is sponsoring the NARS QSO party on September 26th. This  QSO party is born from the frustration of not being able to have large groups of our members meet for the  SOTA, POTA, and IOTA  events that we had scheduled before the Pandemic.

There have been some important rules changes that you need to know about. We have adjusted the final exchange and scoring to make it easy for you to use the existing North American QSO Party set up in a contest logger such as N1MM+ to participate and score your operation in the NARS QSO Party.

Exchange and Multipliers

The exchange and multipliers for this contact are patterned after the North American QSO Party. Here’s a summary of what has changed:

  • The most important rule change is that this will be a phone contest only. It wasn’t possible to do an all-mode contest without having some issues in other areas related to using standard contest setups that are available in most loggers.
  • Also, the exchange will be the operator’s first name plus (state/DC/province/country).
  • Finally, the time window has been changed to 1600 UTC on September 26 to 04:00 UTC  September 27th. That’s Saturday 12:00 noon to midnight on the East coast.

Setting up N1MM+

I want to quickly go over how to set up N1MM+ to log contacts and score your entry correctly.  N1MM+ is a free logging software that will allow you to log contacts, score the contest for you and also provide you with a log in Cabrillo format as well.

When you are finished downloading open the software.

  • Go to file> new log in the database and choose NAQPSSB.
  • Change the start date and time.
  • Go down the options and change as needed taking special care with the sent exchange, mode, and operator information boxes.
  • Click ok at the bottom of the page. You come back to the logging screen.
  • The next important change to make is to right-click anywhere in the logging window and go down to change band panel display.
  • Click on this option and click on the VHF tab and the UHF tab. this will allow you to add contacts from 2 meters on up.

This explanation probably sounds kind of clunky but once you open the software it will make a lot more sense. I think you should have N1MM+ configured correctly if you follow the steps above. I have pictures that I took. Email [email protected] if you want a copy of the setup pics.

Ryan KC1KJS field day 2019
Ryan KC1KJS field day 2019

Summary of the Rules

There will be two operating categories for the NARS QSO Party: HF and VHF and up.   A summary of the rules is below.

NARS QSO Party Rules
NARS QSO Party Rules

You should submit your final log as an Electronic Entry only and your submission should include a complete Cabrillo format log and your claimed score. Logs should include date and time in UTC, Frequency, Mode, Call Signs, and the Exchange for each of your contacts. Logs are due 7 days after the contest is finished.

Certificates will be awarded to the top 3 stations in each category.

Ham Nation
Ham Nation

Fred, AB1OC, and I will be on Ham Nation this Wednesday, September 23rd, starting at 9 PM Eastern Time, to publicize this so we should see plenty of activity on the air.

I hope to get you in my log!

73

Jim Lajoie, K1BRM

Activities, Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter

Ham Bootcamp is Going Online

Are you a newly licensed Technician, or a General or Extra and have never been on the air or built a station?  Are you a prospective ham but would like to learn more about Amateur Radio activities?  Ham Bootcamp is the program for you and this year Ham Bootcamp is Going Online!

Registration is open for the Nashua Area Radio Society’s Fall Ham Bootcamp.  This year, Ham Bootcamp is going online using Zoom web conferencing. Going online will allow us to help new Hams get on the air, in a safe way during the Coronavirus Pandemic.  This will also let us reach out to new Hams across the country.

Jamey, AC1DC, elmers Randall, KC1KSY as he makes an HF Contact
Jamey, AC1DC, Elmers Randall, N1KRB as he makes an HF Contact

The ARRL has published an article about our Ham Bootcamp program.  It is the cover story in the October 2020 QST, which is just reaching mailboxes this week.  If you haven’t received your copy yet, you can access the article online at This Month in QST.  If you like the article, you can vote for it to receive the Cover Plaque award at http://www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll

Dan and Kenzie Satellite Intro at Bootcamp
Dan and Kenzie Satellite Intro at Bootcamp

Our fall Ham Bootcamp will be held on Saturday, November 7th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time.  The morning session will focus on Technician level activities and the afternoon session will focus on HF activities for General and above licensees.  Here is the agenda:

Repeaters and VHF/UHF Session Activities

  • Putting together a Station for Repeaters – How to pick an HT or  Mobile Radio and an Antenna
  • Radio Programming Tutorial
  • Getting started with EchoLink
  • Making Contacts and Joining a Repeater Net
  • Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites
  • Getting started with Fox Hunting
Jamey Explains HF Station Building
Jamey Explains HF Station Building

HF Session Activities

  • Putting together an HF Station for SSB, CW, and Digital
  • Picking and putting up an HF Antenna, Feedline, and Ground
  • Operating on the HF bands using SSB Voice
  • Software and setup for Logging Contacts via your computer
  • Getting started with WSJT-X and FT8 Digital
  • Finding DX and QSL’ing – Getting them in the log and confirmed

… and more!

Ham Bootcamp is Going Online on November 7th

Registration is now open for the November 7th session.  You can get more information about Ham Bootcamp at https://www.n1fd.org/ham-bootcamp/.

Each attendee should register separately using this link.   After registering, you will be sent a link that will allow you to register for the Zoom meeting.  Following the Zoom meeting registration, you will receive a personal Zoom link via email.

Any questions about Bootcamp?  Contact me at [email protected]

Activities, Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter

September Membership Renewals

September is the month when over 40% of our members are due for renewal.  Thank you to all of the members who have renewed to date since my first call for September membership renewals.

The following members still need to renew before the end of September :

Call SignLast NameFirst NameMember Class
NJ1HBordyBillSENIOR
KC1EMJBrandIraSENIOR
KC1HUJCallahanRobertFULL
KI1MCantaraPeterFULL
KG1RYCutbillR GaryFULL
N1CMDDudeCurtisFULL
KC1JEBEyceozAyaSTUDENT
KC1GQNHamiltonCharlesFULL
K1VLBHopkinsMikeFULL
K4BRMacdonaldJohnSENIOR
KC1FOZManchesterAlfredFULL
AB1UYMaxwellJimFULL
W1BPMcCaffreyBrianFULL
N1RFMichaelsDavidFULL
AB1ZNPentedemosCharlesSENIOR
KC1BNGPerichLouFULL
KC1HDJSchrothMichaelSENIOR
K9AENYurcakJohnSENIOR

How to Renew Your Membership

To renew your membership, the first step is to log in to N1FD.org.  Once you are logged in, you can fill out the membership renewal form on the following page:  https://www.n1fd.org/renew-your-membership/.  At the end of the form, you will be asked to pay your membership fee using PayPal.

We have multiple membership renewal options to choose from if you qualify, with the following yearly fees.  Make sure you take advantage of a discounted rate if you qualify:

  • Regular Membership:  $31
  • Senior Membership (Age 65 or over): $26
  • Full-Time Student: $26
  • Family Membership: $46
Members at a SOTA at the Mt. Washington Summit
Members at a SOTA at the Mt. Washington Summit

Membership Benefits

Your membership allows you to participate in all of our activities including:

Technician License Class
Technician License Class

Your membership in the Nashua Area Radio Society also supports our education and youth outreach work including:

  • Amateur Radio Licensing class delivery and scholarships for students, teachers, and young people
  • STEM Education for school students through Amateur Radio (ex. our High-Altitude Balloon program)
  • Activities to introduce young people and new Hams to Amateur Radio such as ARRL Kids Day, ARRL Rookie Roundup, and other youth outreach activities

If you are up for a September Membership Renewal, please go online to https://www.n1fd.org/renew-your-membership  and renew your membership soon!  If you have any questions, contact Anita, AB1QB, our membership chairperson at [email protected].

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