News from the Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)

Hi,

We have posted the tentative list of plaque recipients to our web site (www.qsl.net/sterling and follow the link on the left). Hope we did not make too many mistakes this year.

73,
Gordon, NQ4K

Hi,

Jim, AF4MO, Henry, K2BFY, and Dick, W2YE, came over today and we finished the scoring of the logs. All logs have been entered into our spreadsheet and posted to our web site (http://www.qsl.net/sterling and follow the links). I will leave the web pages posted for 2 weeks to allow hams submitting logs to correct any fumble finger errors we make when entering data.

We got 281 logs. A significant increase over the 170 logs from last year. The Party is really growing.

73,
Gordon, NQ4K

Hi,

The next SPARC meeting in on Monday, 17 April 2006. I will bring the refreshments.

This month, Jim, KF4PQL, has arranged for Phil, AI4JF, will give a presentation on Vienna Wireless Society ballooning activities. The Vienna Wireless web site (http://www.viennawireless.org/balloon/index.php) has some interesting pictures of their ballooning activities. This should be an interesting presentation.

The Post Virginia QSO Party activities are coming along fine. We have received 221 logs so far (well above last year's 170 logs). About 30-40 of them will be paper logs that Dick, W2YE, will bring to the Meeting. If we have time after the ballooning presentation, then we will verify the score on the paper logs. Please bring a pencil or two for writing.

Looking forward to seeing you at the meeting.

73,
Gordon, NQ4K

WA3EOP writes:

Perhaps some of your would find this interesting.

Subject: Maryland State Convention

The Maryland State Amateur Radio Convention will be held this year at Otterbein U. M. Church, 108 E Franklin St, Hagerstown MD and resented by the Antietam Radio Association. (July 29,2006)

Thought I'd send you a pre-convention update.

The Co-Chairmen of this event are Karin Christensen KB3GFV and myself Page Pyne WA3EOP.

We have been working hard to make this the best MD State Convention
yet.

I have been to numerous conventions from Nationals (Twice), Division
Conventions (Twice, was a presenter once in Phila at an Atlantic ivision
event) and to several of the State/Section Level Events.

Background, in case you don't know the story... after BARC got out of the convention business Jim Cross and Al Brown of MD ARRL thought it might be nice to try an independent (non-hamfest affiliated) convention.

For whatever reason, they decided to sell the idea to ARA , which has a
reputation for making the improbable happen (i.e. rejuvenated a dead MDC QSO Party, started a profitable hamfest as other hamfests are struggling, got HPM his grave marker, etc.) and after some skepticism decided to give it a go.

Karin and I volunteered to coordinate it on a one shot deal. There is no
guarantee ARA will ever host another ,but can we make this one work?

There were challenges. We didn't have a big budget so we would be begging for speakers. We got a facility thanks to expedient efforts of Bob Long, KD3JK. Shake his hand next time you see him.

There were skeptics among the ARA board that we had a ghost of a chance of pulling anything off. We knew that the 8 to 12 folks attending forums like at Baltimore wouldn't satisfy us, as a Special Service Club we need to uphold our reputation of doing things differently and effectively.

So our goal is to offer a UNIQUE CONVENTION. And we think we are
accomplishing our goal.

We are trying to get neighboring clubs involved and excited. 8 to 12 at a convention on state level is a pitiful goal. We are looking for 150+ to gamble that a trip to Hagerstown is worth it.

So how are we doing? What will make us different?

Well we aren't going to be satisfied with 5 forums and expect it to be a
drawing card. We will run multiple forums simultaneously, like the nationals. And we will present the most variety possible.

So already we have booked the following with I'm sure another forum to
follow:

9 AM Forums
1. The Golden Age of Shortwave Receivers
2. The YL System-Its more than just another net (By the YL-ISSB which
previously has never presented at any convention!)
3. MARS Forum

10 AM
1. Software defined Radio (A technical forum)
2. Youth in Amateur Radio (Presented by the Anne Arrundel Radio Club Jr KI3DS)
3. QRP Operations on the Appalacian Trail and Basic QRP (By the well
known WB3AAL)

11 AM
1. The Rules Say
(Presented by Worldradio Columnist and National QCWA President John Johnston W3BE)
2. Ham Radio- What It is and how to get started
3. Introduction to Contesting Presented by the Potomac Valley Radio CLUB

12 n SOME DOOR PRIZE DRAWINGS and lunch break

1 PM
1. Field Day is Not Enough
Presented by CQ Magazine Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit WA3PZO
2. Emergency Preparedness- EMCOMM Forum hosted by Madxra Club
3. RFI: Find It; Fix It by W3STU

2 PM
1. Some simple projects you might like Presented by Mark Arnold and the ARRL Affiliated Opequon Radio Society
2. ARRL Meet and Greet
3. To be announced

AND THEN AT 3 PM Final Door Prizes following the ARRL Keynote Forum which has no competition and a motorcade from those interested to the Gravesite of Hiram Percy Maxim where ARRL Officials in Attendance will conduct a memorial service with probable Wreath Laying.

ARRL 1st Vice President, Kay Craigie, N3KN has agreed to be our Keynote
speaker for the ARRL Forum!

TV 25 (NBC Affiliate) asked us if they could film the Convention from 3 PM on and show brief highlights from the convention and the HP Maxim gravesite service so those attendling will likely have 15 seconds or less of TV stardom.

There seems to be a lot of interest in this convention,the first one in
Maryland that is not hamfest affiliated. (Historically)

I hope some of your will join us.
(There will be a $5 donation admission per person attending.)

Regards

Page WA3EOP
Co-Chairman of the
2006 MD ARRL State Amateur Radio Convention
www.w3cwc.org

Hi,

An update on the results from the Virginia QSO party.

We have reached 200 logs received. A good score.

Interestingly the stations with high number of counties and independent cities contacted so far are not from Virginia.

VE3NBJ Canada ON 74
W1END NH 72
K4AMC TN 69

See http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/QSOParty.htm for a list of the logs received and the soapbox comments.

73,
Gordon, NQ4K