News from the Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)

 Hi,

It is time for our monthly SPARC meeting.  This month has gone by fast.

Wednesday, 2 September, at 7 PM.  

This is at 7 PM not at 8 PM as for the other Wednesdays when we hold our 2M/Zoom Net.

This meeting will be online using Zoom.  Connection information is below.

Refreshments will be provided by you.  I think I will have a chocolate chip cookie and unsweetened ice tea.

Marty, NV3H, has arranged a guest speaker for the evening.  Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, will talk about the Personal Space Weather Station project.  From the web, "The Personal Space Weather Station project ultimately aims to create a small, multi-instrument system that can make ground-based measurements of the space environment.  The observations from this project will not only be useful to the owner of the system, but also aggregated into a central database for space science and space weather research purposes."  This should be interesting.  Another facet of amateur radio I did not even know existed.

We also have a few items of club business to discuss.

We have posted our activity calendar for the year.  See https://www.qsl.net/sterling/Activities/activities.htm.  Still a lot of holes. 

SterlingFest has been postponed until May 2021.

Conrad, N4ZQA, proposed an outdoor gathering, which I am calling a "Stand-In."  We sent out an email about this.  Conrad also suggested maybe a demo of a satellite communications. 

A Tech Ten Talk has not been identified.  Any volunteers?

See you Wednesday evening at 7.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

 

Email nq4k@arrl.net for Zoom connection information.

 Hi,

We had a great Net/Zoom meeting Wednesday evening.  Fourteen attendees. 

A suggestion was that SPARC do something to memorialize Dick, W2YE.  Maybe sponsor a VQP Award in his name. 

Eventually we will update our SPARC web site with information about Dick. (https://www.qsl.net/sterling/Silent_Keys/SK_Main.html).

Conrad, N4ZOA, suggested we hold a meeting in a large open space where we could all talk but also be socially distanced.  He recommends the parking lot behind the Herndon Art Center and behind the Herndon Caboose.  I will try to pick a date/time.  Comments?

Next Wednesday is our regular monthly club meeting.  Starts at 7 on Zoom.  A separate email will be coming out on this subject.

That is all for now.
73, Gordon, NQ4K

 Hi,

Our weekly 2M/Zoom Net will be Wednesday, 26 August at 8:00PM.

Same agenda.
  Open net
  Check-ins
  Initial round of introductions and comments.
  Short story/tech talk (looking for volunteer)
  Final round of comments with Joke
  Close net

You can join us on 2M repeater or on Zoom or both.

Zoom enables you to join us by phone only.  Or join with your computer or smart phone without a camera and microphone to see the video and hear the conversation.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

Join via 2M Repeater
     2M on the Dulles Repeater 145.310 (-) PL77

 Email for ZOOM connection instructions.

 Hi,

Good net meeting.  Eleven attendees.  Two by 2M repeater.  Nine by Zoom.

The jokes are getting better.  I have to get better material however.  Seems like people already know the punchline.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

 Hi,

Our weekly 2M/Zoom Net will be Wednesday, 19 August at 8:00PM.

Same agenda.
  Open net
  Check-ins
  Initial round of introductions and comments.
  Short story/tech talk (looking for volunteer)
  Final round of comments with Joke
  Close net

You can join us on 2M repeater or on Zoom or both.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

Join via 2M Repeater
     2M on the Dulles Repeater 145.310 (-) PL77

 Email for Zoom meeting connection information.

 Hi,

We had an excellent 2M/Zoom Net yesterday evening.  Nine attendees.  Really good discussion.

I started Zoom about 20 minutes before 8.  Usually a few people sign in early and we chat for a few minutes before the meeting starts.  I was waiting and then it was a few minutes before 8 and there was no one joining.   Then it was 1 minutes before 8 and there was no one joining.  What if you gave a meeting and no one came.  I had 2M repeater on and no one was responding to my calls.  Disappointment was setting in.  Then I remembered to check to ensure I had started the correct meeting and found I had not.  Started the correct Zoom meeting and all was well. 

There were no participants on the 2M net.  We keep the 2M net active for 30 minutes, but no one joined us on it.

The jokes are getting better.  However, Kevin, W4KLS, knew the punchline to all my jokes.  Maybe he knows all the jokes.

Steve, KS1G, commented on the MAB balloon launch for LCPS and National Air & Space Museum.  They may need operators and call signs.  See the SPARC email traffic for more information.

See you next week,
73, Gordon, NQ4K

 Hi,

Great Zoom meeting on Wednesday evening.  Nineteen attendees.  Very good discussion and Show and Tell.  A few items of equipment for sale.  It was surprisingly fun.

See you all next Wednesday at our 2M/Zoom Net at 8PM.  We will send out and email invitation next week.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

Hi,

Since the Wednesday meeting is a Show and Tell AND a Ham Radio Stuff Exchange, I have some stuff for sale. 

Not sure where I got this stuff.  Maybe at one time, I thought I would actually get on the air with it.  Did not happen.  Now just occupying space.

Hallicrafters S-108 - a receiver, circa 1959.

Hallicrafters SX-99 - a receiver, circa 1955 - 1958

National NC-183 with external speaker.  a receiver, circa 1947.  (The year I was born)

I have not turned any of this stuff on.  If someone is interested, I could plug it in and see if it still lights up and works. 

73, Gordon, NQ4K