Contesting

Field Day 2017

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 06/07/2017

Join us June 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th at the SPARC club house for this year’s ARRL FD activities.

Our goal is not a big score, but for everyone to take part and experience station setup and getting on the air.

Field Day setup begins on Friday at 2:00PM. We will begin station configuration. This includes tables, antennas, radios, computers, and power.
Saturday morning, beginning at 10:00AM, we will finish station setup and verify all systems are go. We will form Ad Hoc

… Click for more

Enjoying the Dayton Hamvention Without Actually Going

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 05/16/2017

Anyone that has been involved with amateur radio for any period of time has most likely heard tales of the Dayton Hamvention. If you have never been, it is an event unlike anything you can imagine. Rows and rows of tables in the outdoor area where you can find most anything you desire related to this wonderful hobby. Inside is crammed full of vendors with all the latest gear. Going to Dayton is something every ham should do at least once in their ham radio experience. Dayton also has extra-curricular … Click for more

FQP: A Big Struggle, A Big Success

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 05/01/2017

By Bob Wanek N2ESP

This year, SPARC contest station W4TA participated in the Florida QSO Party with a special 1×1 call: W4S. 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the FQP. In celebration, twenty Florida stations were given special 1×1 calls such that the proper suffixes, when combined together, spell out FLORIDA SUN as part of this year’s FQP spelling bee. That means that the rest of the country was looking for us.

Things started slowly for the CW station on 40M while the SSB … Click for more

Join Us to Create a Pile Up

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 04/09/2017

This month, join the contesters at SPARC Contest station W4TA as they use the special 1×1 call sign W4S in the Florida QSO Party. The object of the Florida QSO Party is for everyone to work Florida (67 counties) and Florida to work everyone.

This year is the 20^th anniversary of the FQP. In celebration, twenty Florida stations have been given special 1×1 calls such that when the proper suffixes are combined together spell out FLORIDA SUN (e.g. SUN = W4S & K4U & W4N… Click for more

NAQP RTTY Effort a Success

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 02/26/2017

The W4TA SPARC contest team set another club record this weekend. Eight operators were able to make 950 QSOs and 147 multipliers in 12 hours on four different bands for a total of 139,650 claimed points. Our previous record was 94,416 claimed points in July of 2012. Quite an improvement.

Special thanks to Ron, KP2N in organizing, preparing for and keeping the effort on track. Additionally for keeping the equipment humming (and making noise), and for his patience in mentoring the less experienced members of the team,

Additional thanks to … Click for more

SPARC Contesters Set New Club Record!!!

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 02/13/2017

Prior to this weekend, the highest score the SPARC Contesters managed in the CQ WPX RTTY contest was a commendable 4th place (U.S) in the Multi operator, Single transmitter category with a 2.3 million-point showing in 2009. That effort used the callsign AK4K with operators KP2N, N1XX, N2ESP, N4RI, VE3XD and W4CU. After this weekend, that club record is no more.

This weekend’s effort in the CQ WPX RTTY contest exceeded that score by a good margin. Operators for this weekend’s contest were Ron … Click for more

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