The beginning of June marks the unofficial start of Summer. There are still the various state QSO parties you can work (see Contest Calendar dot com), but the weather is finally nice! Wouldn’t you rather get out of your shack and operate in the great outdoors? June is a great month to operate VHF/UHF from a mountaintop, QRP portable from a picnic table, or with your friends on Field Day.
Exchange: Maidenhead grid square (RST is optional)
Go to the top of a mountain with your all-band, all-mode radio. I’ve done VHF contests QRP with an FT-817 (now being sold as the FT-818). These radios are not very economical with your batteries, but since I was driving to the top of the mountains when I did this I could bring all the power I wanted. No problem! Other radios such as the FT-857D offer the same all-band and all-mode features but have 100 watts.
I’ve always been partial to Icom radios (if I can’t use an Elecraft), so the IC-7000 was a go-to radio for me. Same deal with being something of a power-pig. But, if you’re operating from your car then you have no problem.
Finally, if you do have a hankering for Elecraft, the KX-3 can take an internal 2-meter module that allows you to run on both 6m and 2m. If you can’t bring a whole power plant worth of power with you then this is an excellent option.
Exchange: 11A NH (“11 Alpha New Hampshire” on phone)
The NARS club is going all-out (again) this year planning an 11A. There is so much going on for this event that I won’t even try to give you a synopsis here. To catch up go to the Field Day page and see the fine article written by Fred.
I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful Field Day can be to someone a little tentative on the air. Field Day is a very relaxed event, and there will be a whole host of Elmers present that WANT you to get into the game. We will sit with you, explain everything, let you make some contacts, give suggestions and encouragement, and generally have fun because YOU are having fun!
Please come to the June main membership meeting, and the June Tech Night to receive the full orientation. If you can’t make those meetings, no worries. The point of the meetings is to help the members feel comfortable and informed (and safe) during the event. There will be additional instruction before on-air activities begin.
Until next time
This concludes the June contest notes. I hope all of you with a portable radio will try to get outside and make a few contacts. SOTA, POTA, and IOTA all have programs that reward the adventurous. Get out there and get a little sunshine!
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.
Several of us got together at our QTH this past weekend to begin testing our stations for Field Day 2019. The image above shows the setup and testing of our Digital and CW stations in progress. The Setup and Test Team included:
As always, our Field Day 2019 plans include several new elements (see above). We will again be using the N1MM+ logger in a networked configuration. The planned size of our station (11A with 14 transmitters, and 4 Towers on the air) makes it essential that we set up and test our stations including the associated computers and software ahead of time.
Triplexer and Filters
We began our tests by configuring and cabling our Filter Boards and attaching dummy loads in place of antennas for testing. The first phase of the test concentrated on the multi-band SSB, Digital, and CW stations so antenna switches were added to the mix to enable us to switch antennas/bands.
SSB Station Test
The photo above shows the SSB multi-band station test in progress. Most of our stations will be using IC-7300 Transceivers as is the case with the SSB test station shown above.
Field Day 2019 Highlights and Plans
We are planning on being an 11A station with four towers for Field Day 2019. Here’s a list of our planned stations:
CW Stations – 20m, 40m, and 10m/15m/80m
Digital Stations – 20m, 40m, and 10m/15m/80m (FT8, RTTY, and PSK)
SSB Phone Stations – 20m, 40m, and 10m/15m/80m
All Mode 160m Station (SSB, CW, and Digital)
All Mode VHF+ Station on 6m, 2m, and 70cm (SSB, FM, CW, and Digital) – using an IC-9100 and featuring rotatable yagis and tower-mounted LNAs
SSB Phone GOTA Station – sharing four Flex SDRs with the Digital Stations
A Computer Controlled Satellite Station – using the new IC-9700!
A Talk-in GoKit 2m/70cm FM station in the Public Information Tent
We will have a total of 14 transmitters on the air!
Field Day 2019 Site Layout at Hudson Memorial School
Our antenna plans include the addition of a fourth tower for VHF/UHF weak-signal operation. Work is underway to ready our towers and antennas for Field Day 2019 as well.
Overall Schedule for Field Day 2019
We will be holding our Field Day at the Hudson Memorial School again this year. The chart above shows our planned schedule for setup and operations for Field Day 2019.
Field Day 2019 Team Leads
It takes a lot of help and planning on the part of many NARS members to pull off a Field Day at the scale that we do each year. Without everyone’s help, we would not be able to do Field Day 2019. Thank you, team!
Meetings to Plan, Learn, and Sign-up
We are planning to share our plans, sign-up operators and the setup/teardown teams, and provide training for Field Day 2019 at our June Membership Meeting and Tech Night as follows:
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