Everglades Amateur Radio Club

JANUARY 29 TO 30, 2022

BAYFRONT PARK IN THE, BISCAYNE NATIIONAL PARK, HOMESTEAD, FL

SUNRISE SATURDAY TO SUNDAY 2PM

I need to be sure that we are all safe and prepared for the Winter Field Day Event this weekend.

On the top of the list is WEATHER.......
Temps are reported to be in the upper 30's overnight.
We are close to the water so we may experience some moderation to those temperatures due to convection since the water is much warmer.
However we will be coping with a slight Windchill.
With that said, I just want to be sure you are prepared to cope with those chilly temperatures.
Remember this is WINTER Field Day!

For those that wish to operate from home can do so. Below are the rules for home operation with the instructions on how to credit the club with the points gathered during your home ops....

Talk in frequency will be 444.800 and local intercom will be on 144.925 simplex.

As a side project, I would like to record the time it took for each operation set up to compare efficiency.
Basically I would like you to honestly track the time it took you to set up and become operations with Comms only.
If you are experimenting with a first time set up, track that also since it will make for great discussion on how to improve on expediting and simplifying a set up.

Finally,

If you intend to show up at WFD let me know if you are a :
1: visitor
2: day ops only participant
3: for the full 24 hours
4: Home Ops

You can email me at staylor168@yahoo.com to let me know

HOME OPS R&R's
These changes apply ONLY to groups who, due to the Pandemic and possible local restrictions, won’t/can’t be congregating to compete this year.
If your group wishes, you may have a “group/club” score tallied by having individual members fill in the “CLUB:” line in their Cabrillo log file (above). Individual members will operate USING THEIR OWN CALL SIGN (operating under their own privileges), using a class & category exchange that reflects their individual situation.
They will send in their log under their own callsign with the name or callsign of the group/club noted on the “CLUB:” line.
If a callsign is used in the “club” line, it cannot be one used in the contest or on another member’s entry log (it’ll confuse the scoring software). If your group uses a club name, be sure to advise everyone in your group to use the exact same unique name.
Choose wisely! There are dozens of clubs with the same abbreviation (as in LARC, PARC, etc), but it’s unlikely there’s more than one Livonia ARC, or Lincoln ARC. “Club” scores will be the aggregate of the individual members’ scores, regardless of how they operated and will be posted as distinct “Club/Group” scores once tallied.
Your individual members’ logs and scores will be tallied and posted as well (each under their own call), the same as any other entrant.
IMPORTANT.....READ THE FOLLOWING.....WILL UPDATE YOU ON WHO TO SEND THE LOGS TO.....
It might be a good idea to have someone in your club/group collect members’ logs and check them to ensure 2022 WFD Rules 7 the logs are correct before sending them in. It’ll save us time and you aggravation. “Club/Group” scores will likely be the last to be posted as all logs won’t be in till the actual log deadline.

How to receive SSTV from Space Station
In this video Randy Hall K7AGE shows you how to receive Slow Scan TV (SSTV) images from the International Space Station (ISS) from December 26-31

Several times a year SSTV images are sent from the ISS. In December 2021 from the 26th through the 31st SSTV images will be transmitted.

A simple two-meter amateur radio, or scanner, is able to receive the signal on 145.800 MHz. You can receive the signal using the antenna on an HT, mobile antenna, or a vertical antenna mounted outside.

I show you how to learn when the ISS will be in the range of your station.
Heavens-Above is a good website to use and it will generate a list of passes for your station.

To decode the SSTV signal you will need software on a computer or portable device. I show MMSSTV on my Windows computer decoding the SSTV signal. I also show decoding SSTV on my iPad.

Watch How to receive SSTV images from the ISS
https://youtu.be/YgY3saXXTXs

The Junior Orange Bowl Parade is coming back to Downtown Coral Gables! The event will take place Sunday, December 12th, which puts it just under 2 weeks away!
Once again, the committee looks to the amateur radio community for assistance in making this event possible!
They are looking for us to provide some more information from along the route than before, and more information about that will be provided when the final information is sent.

If you are able to participate this year, please contact Brandon Watson n4bgw89@gmail.com so he may begin to fill spots along the route.

They are looking forward to another successful event!

The Miami Marathon is back after a Covid break, and will take place on Sunday February 6, 2022 !

I hope that you will be able to participate, either for the first time or again, in this major community event. Ham volunteers handle a huge volume of emergency, medical, and logistical information and play a key role in the operation of the Marathon.

We do this by using a net control to efficiently and quickly manage communications with hams at each of the 22 aid stations, in principal race vehicles, as shadows to race officials, and many other important locations.

This is the 20th running of the Marathon, and it has grown to be one of the top racing events in the country with more than 25,000 runners. Hams have played this key role since year one. Together, we raise millions of dollars for many great charities and sponsor health and fitness programs for thousands of our South Florida middle school students.

This is our chance to again demonstrate the importance and value of Ham Radio to our community and on a global scale. This is the type of positive publicity that we need to fight the constant battles to save our share of the spectrum.  

If you haven't done so already, Please let me know if you can join the communications team for a few hours on Sunday February 6 ! It is a lot of fun and you get a cool shirt !

Contact: bnemser@nemal.com

Well we finally did it! We got an HF antenna engineered, tested and installed thanks to a great team of members.
I will list all involved with the install at the end of this update but special mention to the two members that headed up the effort and coordination to get the job done. Alain K4KKC and Charlie N4CRE .
The plan was to spend the evening (overnight) after the Friday meeting to build the antenna and do the install during daylight on Saturday. The antenna selected was a "Off Center Fed" diploe to hang at peak about 60 feet off the ground at center and about 20 feet at its end. Total length with supports is greater than 1/2 a football field! Tower climbing, tree climbing, rigging and roof running were all skills and tasks tested during the event. And that was during daylight. During the evening until at least 3am, tasks included erecting a 30+ foot mast to support the construction and testing of the antenna. Quality wire, 6to1, 4to1 and 1to1 baluns were tested to produce the best results. A VNA (vector network analyzer) and a Rig Expert analyzer were used to record results as the antenna lengths were adjusted. Once the best combination was tested and approved the system was hardened to survive the harsh elements of the Florida sun and rain.
23 year old rum added cheer to the celebration.
On Saturday a 6 foot aluminum extension was installed at the 60 foot height of the tower to support the pully that will hoist the antenna system in palace and allow easy access for maintenance and experimentation. Tree savers with pullies and weights to allow for wind movement and tension protection were installed at each end. DONE!
Also to add to the list of tasks, the club shack was ridden of "stuff" we have collected over the years via the free flea which unfortunately did not gain much interest in the local amateur radio community. We were the only vendor. Club members had their pick of some pretty cool stuff like high tech testing equipment, beam antennas, mikes, radios, books, and cables.
We also made some space for a new club member to set up a GMRS repeater in the very near future. That will be another update soon, so stay tuned for that and hopefully promising reports on HF contacts with our new antenna.

If you have any let me know and I will add you to the dropbox share list.

Participants: 

Luis "Cutter" WD4JKX

Jaime KG4OXO

Logan W0LAB

Charlie N4CRE

Milton KI4AZX

Oscar KN4YHH

Ivan KX4FOX

Chester KM4EAB

Jeff N4ODB

Jose FIU Army Vet

Neil KO4DVG