News from the Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)

 Hi,

Nice video from Kevin, W4KLS.  See

https://www.qsl.net/sterling/Field_Day/1998FD/1998FD_Main.html

Takes a few moments to load.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 1:31 PM

 Hi,

Our weekly 2M/Zoom Net will be Wednesday, 30 September 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

Join via Zoom Meeting
      Email for connection details.

posted by SPARC'ie  # 1:33 PM

Hi,

The stand-in was fun.  In the open air.  Well separated.  Lasted about an hour.  It was nice to see everyone in person again.

There were nine attendees.  Nice turnout for a Sunday afternoon.

It was crowded at the parking lot.  Lots of people out walking. No one bothered us however, so all was well.

Kevin, W4KLS, took some pictures.  See the links from our activities web page. . 

We decided to do it again next month.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 1:33 PM

 Hi,

The 2M/Zoom net last week was fun.  13 participants.

We wondered where Mike, WB8RDN, was.  We know he was expecting to be deployed with the Red Cross.  Maye we will get an email from him.

Steve, KG1S, mentioned that the ISS repeated was operational. 

The Stand-In for Sunday is on. 

See you next Wednesday.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 1:33 PM

 Hi,

This email formalizes the first SPARC Stand-In. 

The Stand-In is a daytime outdoor event to enable SPARC members to meet and talk to each other in person while maintaining Covid-19 safety, i.e. outdoors, masks, and distancing.

We shall meet around the amphitheater to the right of the Claude Moore Visitor Center.  If that is otherwise occupied we shall meet somewhere nearby, there is plenty of open space there.

The date is Sunday, 20 September, the third Sunday of the month.

The time will be 1300.  In previous emails we had mentioned other times, but have settled on 1300 for the first event.

This will probably last about an hour.  Enough time to say hello to all and for some ragchewing.

There is no formal agenda.  There is no moderator. Just stand around and talk to other hams.

Someone had suggested a demo.  But I ran out of energy so did not get around to arranging it.  If someone wants to do one, please let us know.

I will probably be monitoring the Dulles Repeater 145.310 (-) PL77.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 2:28 PM

 Hi,

Our weekly 2M/Zoom Net will be Wednesday, 16 September 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

posted by SPARC'ie  # 2:28 PM

 Hi,

Excellent meeting.  eleven attendees.  Good conversation and the jokes are getting better.

Two interesting items.

Bill, KJ4VTH, has a new call sign.  Now WJ4U.

We owe all an email about our stand-in  Probably on Third Sunday, 20 September..  In afternoon, at 1400.  In Claude Moore Park at Visitor Center around the amphitheater. 

Some discussion of what to call it.  Started with "Stand-in," then I thought "Stand-Out" because we are outside and we "Sit-In" when we have our regular meetings.  Then Marty, NV3H, suggested "SPARC QRT Party."  All very confusing.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 2:26 PM

 Hi,

We had a fun and interesting meeting.  Sixteen attendees.  Good to see everyone again.

Nathaniel, W2NAD, gave a presentation on "Personal Space Weather Station," but I would call it: Using Ham Radio Data to Quantify Space Weather and Propagation.  The presentation is on our web site at:  https://www.qsl.net/sterling/Activities/activities.htm.  Click on the link under the 2 September 2020 Club Meeting presentation.  It is an excellent presentation.  Nathaniel also provided some links to additional information:
   https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077324
   https://zenodo.org/record/2483022#.X1BDnMhKiHs
   https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2483021

Nathaniel is dong really good work.  He is also a founder of HamSCI,  See https://hamsci.org.  An innovative and organized melding of ham radio and science.

Please remember to thank Marty, NV3H, for arranging for the speaker.

There were several items of club business.

The memorial service for Dick, W2YE, will be at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel on 11 September 2020, at 5:30 PM.  A few club member indicated they will attend.  We also discussed options for a club gift.  Dick's obituary suggested a donation to ARRL, so we decided the Club would donate $250 and buy a Brick for the Diamond Terrace. (http://www.arrl.org/memorial-gifts).  Club members wishing to make a donation to support this may give money to Gordon, NQ4K, by mailing it, bringing it by his house, or handing it to him when you next see him.

We have a new treasurer.  Charlie, K3SR.  He volunteered to assume the role of treasurer from Ray, KD4RSL, who has been the treasurer for longer than I can remember.  Charlie is still getting organized and it will be a couple of weeks before he is ready to accept money and write checks.

We discussed the Stand-In and agreed it would be a good idea.  We will send out a separate email on the event.

We will continue the Wednesday Evening 2M/Zoom Nets at 8PM on non-club meeting nights. They are becoming more popular and the jokes are getting better.  We send out an announcement email every week.  The repeater and Zoom connection information remains the same from week to week.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 2:26 PM

 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

posted by SPARC'ie  # 1:44 PM

 
The 39th Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) will be a virtual conference on September 11 and 12, using Zoom video communications and YouTube video-sharing platforms.
Registered DCC attendees participating via Zoom will be able to interact with presenters and other attendees via a chat room as well as raise a virtual hand to ask questions. Click here to register (you don’t need a Zoom account to register).
Non-registered DCC attendees can watch the live stream for free on YouTube, however, non-registered DCC attendees will not be able to ask questions or chat. No registration is required for YouTube access (the YouTube URL will be announced and posted on this webpage preceding the DCC).
DCC registration is free for TAPR members and $30 for non-members. Members receive a 100% discount at checkout. Click here to register.

posted by SPARC'ie  # 12:24 PM

 Hi,

A celebration of life will be held at Loudoun Funeral Chapel on Friday September 11, 2020 at 5:30PM.

See https://www.loudounfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Richard-Maylott/

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 5:35 PM

 Hi,

The meeting is still on.  Marty, NV3H, checked with our invited speaker and he is all set.  Should be an interesting presentation.

Most comments are favorable about the Stand-In.  So it is on.  Maybe a date change, but we can talk about that at our meeting.

73, Gordon, NQ4K

posted by SPARC'ie  # 5:35 PM