Operating

Who will copy the Field Day bulletin?

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 06/22/2015

We still need a volunteer to copy the Field Day Bulletin. This is an easy 100 points.

Here is a link to the schedule: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2015/2015%20w1aw%20sked.pdf

You can copy this from home on Friday night or if you are a purist, from the Field Day site. The radios should be setup by 11:00 AM for the phone bulletin on Saturday if you want to copy it from there.

Again, getting back to the stated purpose of Field Day, imagine we had to setup in the field for a communications emergency. Copy

… Click for more

Field Day Operating Signup

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 06/19/2015

For your review, here is a link to the sign-up sheet for operating at Field Day.

Note we have three stations: CW Only, CW/SSB/PSK and SSB Only.

The CW/SSB/PSK station will be on whatever mode we have the requisite operators. This way we can keep the station busy.

PLEASE NOTE…YOU MAY NOT SIGN UP YET.

I will post this sheet at the antenna setup on Friday morning at 10:00 and when we get to the site on Saturday at 9:00 AM. People that attend either setup can sign up at … Click for more

Adding a Second Receiver and DVR to the Elecraft K3 at the Club Station

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 06/14/2015

On Friday, June 12, four of us met down at the station for lunch and then to work on the K3. The K3 that the club uses is a radio that was used in the WRTC-2014 contest held in New England last summer. As contest radios don’t really need a second receiver or a digital voice recorder (DVR), this K3 was not fitted with these options. As we also like to DX with the radios at SPARC, NY4I procured the parts for the radio to add the second receiver, upgrade … Click for more

Field Day Preparation Underway

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 06/07/2015

Field Day preparation by the Antenna, Radio and Computer teams took place on Saturday. In the photo below, John, KI4UIP, Hal, W1EES; Tom, NY4I; Dave, KR4U and Johnnie, W4TSP work on two HF radios.

Below, the CW station gets tweaked by Tom, W4CU and Ron, KP2N.

Below, Ron has identified a problem with the CW configuration.

We will be setting up antennas on Friday, June 26 at 10:00 AM. All help is appreciated. Field Day setup will begin at 9:00AM on Saturday, June 27th. Lunch for those arriving early and … Click for more

Race to a Million

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 05/31/2015

A million points, that is… As a tune-up for the CW contest part of Field Day, several operators of the SPARC Contest Group fired up the W4GAC station to have some fun in the CQ WPX CW contest. This is a 48 hour event where we try to contact as many other stations anywhere in the world. In this contest, the goal is to work as many unique prefixes as possible. To make ourselves sought after in this contest, we opted to use NY4I as the club call (there are … Click for more

Field Day Update June 1, 2015

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 05/31/2015

SPARC Field Day 2015

Field Day is an ARRL operating event where amateurs setup portable stations using temporary (non-fixed) antennas and radios. Field Day is a test to allow us to establish emergency communications. The contest part of Field Day helps train operators on handling a high volume of messages that would be required during an actual communications emergency. It is also a time to have fun, socialize and learn something new about amateur radio.

This year SPARC will conduct Field Day at the DMI Facility where SPARC normally holds … Click for more

Posts published in “Operating”