Tag Archives: Contest

Activities, Education and Training, Featured, Field Day, General, Newsletter, On The Air, Youth Activities

Membership Renewals

Close to 40% of our members are up for renewal in the month of September.  We encourage those members to renew early,  beat the rush, and make sure your membership does not expire.  This article will show you how to tell when your membership is up for renewal. It will also show you how to renew your NARS membership online.

When is My Membership Due for Renewal?

Looking up my membership status
Looking up my membership status

You can visit the following page to see when your membership is up for renewal: https://www.n1fd.org/member-directory/.   Scroll to the 2nd table on the page, titled Membership Roster and Status, put your callsign in the search box and hit return.  As you can see above, I have looked up my membership status and I see that my membership is expiring in September 2019.

Membership Renewal Form
Membership Renewal Form

 

How to Renew Your Membership

To renew your membership, you can fill out the membership renewal form at 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
Field Day 2019 Team

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

HAB-3 Students and Teachers - Ready to Launch
HAB-3 Students and Teachers – Ready to Launch

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)
  • Activites 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 not yet a member, you can join the Nashua Area Radio Society online at https://www.n1fd.org/join-us/

 

Activities, Featured, General, Newsletter, Youth Activities

NARS August Activities

We have a busy month of activities coming up in August. Our monthly Club Breakfast will be held on Saturday, August 10th at 8:30 am at the Dream Diner in Tyngsboro.

The following weekend we will hold what has become our annual trip to activate Mount Washington on Saturday, August 17th. We will activate Mount Washington for Summits on the Air (SOTA) and Mount Washington State Park for Parks on the Air (POTA).

We have had members get to the top almost every possible way there is. We’ve had members hike up – this is a very strenuous climb and takes about 4 hours, one way. We’ve had some members come up on the Cog Railway.  It is the steepest rack railway in the US and 2nd steepest in the world! Reservations are recommended. There is also a Steam Punk Festival taking place on the 17th as well.

August Activities
The Mount Washington Cog Railway

We also have had members make the strenuous hike up the mountain. This is quite a hike and will take you close to 4 hours to reach the top. If you are interested in hiking up please get in touch with Jamey, AC1DC at [email protected].

Connor, KC1GGX arriving at the peak!

The final way up is to drive the Mount Washington Auto Road.  The Mount Washington Auto Road offers a one of a kind experience with spectacular views. If you’re not comfortable with heights or narrow mountain roads you can also take a guided tour on one of the Mount Washington vans.

A Stop along the Auto Road

We’ll plan to arrive at the peak around 10:00 am and set up and then operate as long as the weather permits. Please contact Jamey, AC1DC via email at [email protected] if you are planning on attending.

After hiking up the mountain on Saturday, Fred, AB1OC and Anita, AB1QB will host the ARRL’s Rookie Roundup for RTTY. Anyone licensed under three years or anyone that has not made a RTTY contact may join in the fun. The contest begins at 2 pm local time and runs until 8 pm. If you are interested in participating please contact Anita at [email protected].

Jim, K1BRM operating in the Rookie Roundup RTTY - August Activities
Jim, K1BRM operating in the Rookie Roundup RTTY

Finally, we will also have our Club’s Family Picnic on Saturday, August 24th at Greeley Park in Nashua. This will run from 11 am until 4 pm. We have a potluck lunch. Members can sign up to bring a dish on our Google Sheets page. We’ll have some foxes (hidden transmitters) out and may try a satellite contact with a hand held and yagi antenna. Bring your family and friends and come enjoy an afternoon with the club!

August Activities
Club Picnic

We have a lot going on in August and I hope to see you at one or all of the events we have scheduled!

Jamey, AC1DC

Activities, CW and QRP, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

July Contest Notes

Half Gone

It’s difficult to believe that half of 2019 is already behind us. We’re only a few months away from the start of the 2019-2020 contesting season. As the NARS Field Day totals have shown, there is still plenty of good propagation out there so don’t believe all that talk about the bands being dead. The bands, especially during contests, often have a surprising amount of activity. Take advantage of it.

13 Colonies

The height of Summer brings us things that are an equal amount of fun and competition. Though not a contest, per se, the 13 Colonies Special Event will bring you pile-ups worthy of CQ WW. If you’ve not found some slots to work already, check out the NARS club 13 Colonies effort and get involved.

A Couple of Highlights

I’ll start with one of my favorite contests of July: the RSGB IOTA Islands on the Air contest.

RSGB IOTA Contest [1200Z July 27 to 1200 July 28]

Exchange: RS(T) + Serial No. + IOTA No. (if applicable)

I have often done this contest from the Boston Harbor Islands (NA-148), either Georges Island or camping on Lovells Island. There may be a club field-trip to Georges for a Saturday 6-hour effort. Keep a watch on the Forums section of the website for more information.

CQ WW VHF Contest [1800Z July 20 to 2100Z July 21]

Exchange: 4-character grid square

I’ve done this contest from the top of Mount Wachusett and it is a ton of fun. Of course New Hampshire has a bunch of mountains to try your luck. Walk up the slope and get SOTA points, too!

Take your 6m and 2m all band radio and do SSB, FM, and CW from a mountaintop and rack up the grid squares. This is a really fun way to spend an afternoon.

North American QSO Party, RTTY [1800Z July 20 to 0559Z July 21]

Exchange: Name + state (DC/province/country) for North America. Just name for those outside North America.

The National Contest Journal holds QSO parties and sprints for each mode twice a year. These contests are fun because they are not jam-packed with people. If your new to a mode, or if you just want to sharpen your skills, these are great contests to try.

Until Next Time

Summer is a good time to catch up with family, see a few baseball games [Go Spinners!], or do that outside project you’ve been putting off. But, if you do have some time, get on the air!

73 de

Scott, NE1RD

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide