We will have lots of great activities for folks who are interested in operating on the VHF and above bands at Field Day 2019. Here are some of the activities that we’ll be doing:
Satellite Contacts using a Portable Computer Controlled Satellite Stations
Weak Signal SSB, CW, and FT8 Contacts on 6m, 2m, and 70cm
Fox Hunting using Radio Direction Finding (RDF) to find hidden 2m Radio Transmitters
Satellite Station, VHF+ Station, and Fox Hunting Training
Satellites at Field Day
Field Day 2019 Satellite Passes – Saturday
We will have a lot of great satellite passes during Field Day this year! The table above shows a summary for Saturday. Sunday passes are also very good! You can see view the passes and associated details in our 2019 Field Day Satellite Pass Book.
We are planning a serious VHF+ effort at Field Day 2019. We will be putting up a dedicated 40 ft tower with yagis, low-loss feedlines, and preamps for the 6m, 2m, and 70cm bands.
We will have several “Foxes” out during Field Day 2019. Fox Hunting (locating hidden transmitters using Radio Direction Finding) is a great way sharpen your RDF skills and have fun.
Training, Training, Training
Field Day Satellite Training
We will be offering training on all of these activities at the start of Field Day 2019. Training will begin at 11 am at the VHF+/Satellite Station Tent. We will cover Satellite Operating, VHF+ Operating, and Fox Hunting then.
Fox Hunting Training at Field Day
It might be worth coming to Field Day 2019 just for the training – Don’t Miss It!
Abby, AB1BY and I were lucky enough to attend the Dayton Hamvention this year and see our club, the Nashua Area Radio Society accept the Club of the Year award. Here’s our recap of what it was like for each of us as first-time participants and Hamvention Newbies.
The Drive
On Tuesday evening I was picked up by Fred (AB1OC) and Anita (AB1QB) and we started our drive long drive through the night to Dayton. It was only about 15 minutes into our ride when I realized I’d left my wallet at home. We turned back and I tore the house apart in a frantic rush as I looked for my wallet! No luck, so I went back to the truck and looked through my backpack… and there it was. Not the best start to the trip. We also had trouble with the navigation system and the mobile antenna was not tuning up! Our trip did not seem to be getting off to a good start. We did get everything working properly and we were still in good spirits as we were excited for what was to come. We arrived in Dayton on Wednesday morning and checked into our hotels and got a nap and shower.
Fondue!
We went out on Wednesday evening for Anita’s birthday dinner to the Melting Pot, a fondue place. I have never been to a fondue restaurant and ordering was quite a process – picking cheeses, meats, and desserts. Getting coached through the process, we had our meal ordered and it was fantastic!
Enjoying fondue at the Melting Pot!
Contest University/Booth Set Up
Thursday morning was the start of Contest University at the Crowne Plaza in Dayton. I highly recommend this to anyone going out to Hamvention for the first (or any) time.
Contest University
I’m not sure of the exact number, but you can see from the picture there were quite a few people in attendance. The morning was made up of the 3 sessions in which you choose from 4 different topics to attend. There was quite a variety of topics! After the morning session of Contest University, I got my first view of Xenia, where Hamvention was being held, as we went to set up our booth for the next day. Our booth was in a great spot in the Tesla building with all the ARRL booths – prime location! The booth looked great and very professional when we were done thanks to a lot of work put in by Anita (AB1QB). We also got a chance to walk around the buildings a bit and look at the vendor booths as they set up. Fred and Anita took me over to the Heil booth and I got to meet Bob Heil (K9EID)! I also got to play with some fine Begali keys without the crowds and check out the AMSAT booth. AMSAT had a really cool display of module cubesats!
AMSAT’s model CubeSat
After setting up I headed down to the Cincinnati Airport to pick up Abby (AB1BY). The fun was just beginning!
Abby Arrives
Since Abby had exams on Thursday morning she got to skip the drive and fly out to Dayton – actually Cincinnati, which is actually in Kentucky! This was her first time flying by herself and she was a little worried but had a direct flight from Boston so there wasn’t too much to worry about. She was excited to attend Hamvention but wasn’t really sure what to expect. I picked Abby up at the airport and drove back an hour to Dayton. We had a room in the Marriott and we were on the top floor where you needed your room key to make the elevator go to that floor. Abby was really feeling like a VIP. She also likes that there was also a lounge on our floor where you could get free cookies and drinks. Our room at the hotel was nice as well. Abby liked the view from our balcony. There’s a chalk outline on the pavement that says, “Don’t Let This Be You!”
“Don’t Let This Be You!”
Dayton Hamvention Begins
We woke up very early on Friday morning and had a quick bite at the hotel before heading over to the Xenia Fairgrounds for the first official day of Hamvention. We arrived a little late for our 8:30 am meeting as the traffic and crowds were huge! The NARS booth looked fantastic and we had a lot of people stopping by to check us out. Abby and I did some live-streaming on Facebook and took our audience on a virtual tour of the Tesla building. We also were stopped several times on our walk around the grounds by people who recognized Abby from some of our club videos. She was very tickled to be recognized and have people ask her for a photo with her.
Later in the morning, we headed over to our forum room for the club talk – ARRL Spotlight on Radio Clubs and Mentoring. We had a nice crowd and Fred (AB1OC), Anita (AB1QB), Dave (K1DLM), Scott (NE1RD), Abby (AB1BY) and myself (AC1DC) all spoke on different aspects of the club.
Fred, AB1OC
Anita, AB1QB
Dave, K1DLM
Scott, NE1RD
Abby, AB1BY
We spent the rest of the day hanging out at the NARS booth and checking out the grounds around Xenia. We loved the fairground food. I got to have a corndog on a stick and Abby tried out the cheesecake on a stick.
AB1BY enjoying cheesecake on a stick
Speaking of food! On Friday night we went to the Top Band Dinner and listened to a talk by Ted Rappaport (N9NB). The food was great and Ted kept us all entertained with his talk.
Crowds and Forums
Lines as long as the eye can see
Saturday morning was another early start for us. We thought it was packed on Friday. Saturday it was mobbed! Huge crowds and the NARS booth was hopping! Luckily we had a large contingent of NARS members to handle the crowds.
Charlie, W1CBD
Tom, AB1NS
Dennis, K1LGQ & Jeff, AC1FX
Saturday, we also got our first taste of attending the forums. Abby attended the Youth Forum presented by Carole Perry (WB2MGP) and a host of other speakers, including Tamitha Skov (WX6WW)! Abby enjoyed the variety of topics presented from the speakers from around the world. She had a great time seeing and meeting other amateurs that love the hobby. She also won a raffle for $100 from DX Engineering – she has yet to use it!
While Abby was at the Youth Forum I attended the Summits on the Air forum presented by Keith Schlottman (KR7RK) with Craig (N1SFT), Brian (W1BP) and Jerry (K1OKD). This was held in one of the smaller venues on the fairgrounds and it was a full house. Keith did a great job explaining the basics of how SOTA works and he had some really nice pictures of different SOTA activations. I realized how lucky we are here in New England as he mentioned some “summits” or high points had a Wendy’s across the street!
Abby was busy on the forum circuit as she then attended the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) forum presented by Marily Melhorn (AF7BI) and Anna Manna (WB1ARU). Abby really enjoyed the presentation and how welcoming everyone was. They also had time at the end to “mingle” which Abby also loved!
Abby Hamming it Up!
Abby and Gordo!
Digital Photobomb by AC1DC & KC1GGX
Abby and Ruth, KM4LAD
Club Of The Year Awards Dinner
Saturday night was the night for the Awards Dinner. We had a lovely meal with other members of the NARS Executive Committee as we anxiously awaited the announcement and Fred’s (AB1OC) acceptance speech.
Fred (AB1OC) accepting Club of the Year Award
Fred did not disappoint with a very nice speech. Fred is always very willing to give credit to others even when he deserves the credit. He took the crowd through the club’s journey starting back four years ago up to the present. As we sat and listened to Fred talk so passionately about the club it really hit home how much this club has accomplished in such a short time. It really has been a huge group effort under the leadership of a very passionate leader.
After dinner, we all took turns with pictures of the award and with other dignitaries in attendance.
Fred (AB1OC) & Anita (AB1QB)
Abby (AB1BY)
Scott (NE1RD)
Dave (K1DLM)
Charlie (W1CBD)
Brian (W1BP)
Pietro Begali (I2RTF) & Abby (AB1BY)
Abby (AB1BY) & Joe Taylor (K1JT)
Heading Home
We got a little later start on Sunday and things were winding down at Hamvention. We greeted more people at the NARS booth and attended the ending raffles (with no luck) and the public announcement of all the award winners from the night before. We then packed up the truck and started the long drive home. We were back in Nashua early Monday morning and Abby didn’t miss school – she was thrilled…
We both realize how lucky we are to have attended Hamvention and meet so many people there, to be associated with the best club and to have made so many close friends in the club over the years. This was truly an amazing trip for both of us – something we’ll have memories of for a lifetime – and we want to thank everyone who made this such a wonderful experience.
We have lots of great activities coming up this summer for young people and for new and recently upgraded Hams. You can click on one of the links below to find out more about a specific activity that you are interested in or just read on. Our planned activities include:
All of these activities will be great fun for folks who are exploring Amateur Radio or have just gotten their Technician or General Licenses.
High-Altitude Balloon Launch
HAB-3 Students and Teachers – Ready to Launch
We are hoping to launch our High-Altitude Balloon for the fourth time (HAB-4) on an upcoming weekend in June. The launch will take place at the Winchester School at around 11 am. You can use your smartphone, tablet, or computer to track HAB-4 to the edge of space and back. You can learn more about our HAB, our launch plans, and tracking our HAB here.
We are currently monitoring the weather and the jetstream conditions to determine when we are GO for launching HAB-4. Please monitor our Youth Forum for up to date information on HAB-4 and a final decision on when we will launch.
We will be holding our 2019 Field Day at the Hudson Memorial School in Hudson, NH on Saturday, June 22nd and Sunday, June 23rd. We will be building a 14 transmitter station with 4 radio towers starting on Friday and we’ll be on the air from 2 pm on Saturday to 2 pm on Sunday. Everyone is welcome to join us for a tour, to do a Fox Hunt, and to Get On The Air and talk with other Hams. You don’t need a license to participate.
13 Colonies – A Chance To Operate in a Special Event
Each year during the July 4th week (July 1st, 9 am Eastern Time to July 7th, midnight Eastern Time) Amateur Radio operators around the world participate in the Thirteen Colonies Special Event. The idea is to work at least one K2x special event station in each of the states that grew from the original Thirteen Colonies.
The Nashua Area Radio Society operates the New Hampshire stations using the K2K special event call sign during this event. NARS members and guests operate from their home stations as K2K. This is a great way to have fun on the air, learn to operate using voice or digital modes, and practice your operating skills.
We are making our station AB1OC/AB1QB for guests to operate during the Thirteen Colonies Special Event. If you’d like to operate or just come by and listen in and learn, please contact Anita, AB1QB at [email protected].
We hide small radio transmitters during Field Day and on weekends so that folks can track them down using their radios. This activity is called Fox Hunting. All you need is a basic Handy Talky (HT) radio. You don’t need a license to try Fox Hunting.
We will have all the gear as well as experienced Fox Hunters available at Field Day to help you get started. We can also help you learn about and try Fox Hunting during any weekend that our Foxes are out.
Abby, AB1BY, and Jamey, AC1DC Operating during our Chat Net
We hold a weekly Repeater Chat Net every Sunday evening at 7:30 pm Eastern Time. Everyone is welcome to check-in to our nets, hear about upcoming activities, and answer our weekly question. Our question is usually about Ham Radio and gives each person who checks in a chance to share some information about their interests and activities.
NARS Operators and Friends at Mount Washington SOTA/POTA
We have several Summits On The Air (SOTA) activations planned for this summer. These events involve taking our radios to the top of a mountain peak in New Hampshire or Massachusetts to put them on the air and contact other Hams. A 5W Handy Talky (HT) radio is all you need to talk to Hams all over New England from a mountain top!
We will be again holding a Summer Ham Camp and Technician License Class at Hudson Memorial School in Hudson, NH. Our 2019 Summer Ham Camp will take place Monday, July 29th through Thursday, August 1st – 9 am to 3 pm.
Summer Ham Camp provides a combination of hands-on Ham Radio activities and classroom prep to enable you to earn your Technician Amateur Radio License. The planned activities include:
A Fox Hunt
HF Digital and Voice Operating with Hams around the world via a remote station
Making Contacts on Local Repeaters using an Emergency GoKit
Building a Portable HF Radio Station and Antenna and using it to Make Contacts around the world
A Practice Repeater Chat Net on a Local Repeater
Building and Tuning an HF Antenna
And more
2019 Summer Ham Camp Details
Our Summer Ham Camp includes classroom instruction to prepare you to earn your Technician Amateur Radio license at the end of the week. We provide scholarships for students and teachers which covers a license training book and the class fees. The only cost is a $15 fee to cover the FCC license exam (which we administer) at the end of the week.
We will hold our Annual Picnic on Saturday, August 24th (rain date Sunday, August 25th) a Greeley Park in Nashua, NH. This is a family activity that gives us a chance to meet everyone’s family members and get to know each other better.
Ham radio fun includes a Fox Hunt and making some satellite contacts with a simple handheld antenna and an HT.
Members bring food, drinks, and/or a desert and we share in a great pot-luck meal.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Please contact Jamey, AC1DC at [email protected] for more information.
We will be hosting a display featuring hands-on elements that will introduce you to many aspects of Amateur Radio.
Boxboro 2018 – HF GOTA Station N1T
We will be providing multiple GOTA stations including a Computer Controlled Satellite Ground Station, and HF Shortwave Station, and a Repeater GoKit Station.
Boxboro 2018 – Karen KC1KBW – BGHS Teacher Building a Kit
Our display will also include Kit Building activities. NARS members will provide tours of the display, help using the GOTA stations, and guidance to help you learn to solder and build a kit!
Something New at HamXposition – Ham Bootcamp!
Ham Bootcamp
Do you already have your Technician License and wondering how to use it to get on the air and have fun? Maybe you’ve recently upgraded to General class and would like some ideas on how to go about building an HF station and operating on the shortwave bands? Perhaps you don’t have a license yet and you are interested in trying out Ham Radio?
We’ve created an activity just for you! Its called Ham Bootcamp and we’ll be offering a one-day version of it as part of the Northeast HamXposition at Boxboro. We’ll spend a morning together helping you to get your station together and get on the air.
Ham Bootcamp will include several hands-on activities including a chance to use the GOTA stations and Kit Building elements of our display to learn with help from experienced NARs members. We will also provide a guided tour of the HamXposition Vendor area and the Nashua Area Radio Society display to help you learn about Ham Radio Gear and activities.
This activity will be free to a limited number of HamXposition attendees on a first-come-first-served basis on Saturday Morning, September 7th from 9 am until noon. Also, the Kit Building Activity will be available at a discounted price for Ham Bootcamp attendees.
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