Category Archives: On The Air

Articles and other information related to On The Air Operations, Special Events, Activations, DXxpeditions, Portable and Mobile On The Air Activities, Nets, etc.

Activities, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY – The Results are in!

The ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY contest results are in!  The N1FD multi-op team placed 1st in the Multi-Op Area 1 category.  We had the highest score in the contest by a landslide!   The contest was held on Sunday, August 20.  The final scores were just posted on the ARRL Website.

Rookie Roundup RTTY Scores

2017 ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY Scores
2017 ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY Scores

Congratulations to Aron, W1AKI, Tom, AB1NS, and Jim, K1BRM. They operated from AB1QB’s QTH in the ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY on Sunday, August 20.  The rules for the contest now allow any licensed Ham who had never made a QSO in the RTTY mode to participate.

Jim, K1BRM operating in the Rookie Roundup RTTY
Jim, K1BRM operating in the Rookie Roundup RTTY

With coaching from Aron, W1AKI a veteran of several previous Rookie Roundups, all team members quickly picked up RTTY operating.  The team made a total of 66 contacts to 30 states and 1 DX, including one with club member Mike, AB1YK.

Next Rookie Roundup is CW

The next Rookie Roundup will be held on December 17 and the mode will be CW.  Rookies licensed in 2015, 2016 or 2017 are invited to participate.  Also, anyone who has not made a CW QSO can join us as well.

Activities, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

SOTA/6m Activation on Mt. Kearsarge

Portable 6m SOTA Station
Portable 6m SOTA Station

We were on Mt. Kearsarge a few weeks back for our second SOTA activation. This location had a great view to the south and provided us with a picturesque location to operate from The CQ VHF contest was going on at the same time that we were up on Mt. Kearsarge.

We brought our 6m portable station and used it for the second activation.

Solar Panel Power for SOTA Activation
Solar Panel Power for SOTA Activation

The setup is solar/battery powered and it has worked well during both of our club SOTA activations. The setup provides 100w out on 6m and keeps the batteries charged throughout an activation.

6m Portable SOTA Antenna
6m Portable Antenna

Anita and I used the same M2 Antenna Systems 3 Eelement, 6m Yagi and portable mast setup that we brought to our Pack Monadnock activation awhile back. We had lots of fun again and we made about 40 contacts on 6m.

Abby, AB1BY, and Jamey, KC1ENX, Provide a BBQ
Abby, AB1BY, and Jamey, KC1ENX, Provide a BBQ

Abby, AB1BY, Jamey, KC1ENX and Patrick, KC1HDN, were also up on Mt. Kearsarge and we all had fun hanging out together during the activation.

We have a great SOTA activation coming up on Mt. Washingon next weekend. Anita and I are really looking forward to this next one. See Jamey’s article for all of the details. It should be one of the most fun activities of the year for us. We hope to see you on Mt. Washington!

Fred, AB1OC

DX, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

The Bouvet Island DXpedition 2018

Bouvet lies at 54 degrees, 25 minutes South and 3 degrees, 22 minutes East. It’s the product of a volcanic eruption that last occurred in 4,000 B.C.  Bouvet is 97% ice-covered, and with surrounding rocks and small islands, has an area of 19 square miles, with 18.4 miles of coastline.  Its location, ice, rock cliffs, high seas, harsh climate and surrounding pack ice and icebergs isolate it from human presence.  Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier first saw the island in 1739.  The island was not seen again until 1808.  There was a disputed landing by Benjamin Morrell. But, the first documented landing was by the Norvegia expedition in 1927, which named the island Bouvetoya, and claimed it for Norway. More on the Bouvet Island DXpedition…

Source: The Bouvet DXpedition 2018

The Bouvet Island DXpedition will give us a chance a very rare one! Please consider supporting if you can.

Fred, AB1OC

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