Welcome to HCRA

Author: KK1W

  • Foxhunting meeting tomorrow night – don’t miss it!

    February first is indeed tomorrow – also the date of our next HCRA meeting.

    We’re putting on an ‘all about foxhunting’ presentation by a few of our members. If you’ve never heard of foxhunting this will be the time to learn. If you have foxhunted in the past that’s OK, we’re going to cover some exciting new material, both technology and methods, you may have missed over the last few years.

    We’ll have a brief presentation with visual information and a video, presentations by some experienced foxhunters, examples of equipment used and then it is YOUR turn. Would you like to jump on board and ‘re-invigorate’ foxhunting in the area and if so – what type(s) of hunts would appeal to the majority of our members?

    In the back of the hall Jeff/NT1K will conducting the ‘Build-a-Beam’ workshop.The results will be a perfect foxhunting antenna. If you are one of the dozen or so folks signed up don’t forget to bring your payment along. I don’t believe our Paypal account is setup for payments quite yet.

    Don’t forget to pick up a KX3 raffle ticket while you’re there – they’re going fast and the drawing is only a month away.

    See you tomorrow night,
    Jim/KK1W

  • From the Shack – February 2013

    Next Meeting February 1st
    Foxhunting presentation and ‘Build a Beam’ Workshop

    Meeting number two of the year is another ‘double header’ thanks to the efforts of Jeff/NT1K and Rich/N1KXR. Read on and see what we have in store for you this February. We will be running two concurrent activities Friday night. At the front of the auditorium will be a presentation of foxhunting and at the rear a “Build-a-Beam” workshop.


    Local foxhunters Lou/N1LZD and Rob/KA1RBH – with state of the art for 1993 hunters!

    “Everyone foxhunting in the area in the early 1990’s can remember the dreading Rob & Lou’s
    dedicated foxhunt vehicle. Sporting GPS, Flux gate compass, Doppler DF gear, on board computer and custom programming it was a formidable opponent (but not infallible)    !

    Foxhunting, what’s it all about? Whether you’ve thought about foxhunting, been on a foxhunt in the past or are interested in participating in future hunts this meeting is for you. We’re gathering up historical data, will present a brief ‘how-to’ that should entice you to try foxhunting this spring and we’ll talk about what foxhunting might look like in the future. If you have anything you’d like us to share from the past or suggestions for future hunts we’re all ears for that too. This should be a fun presentation that will remind us the diversity our hobby provides and take our mind off the freezing cold weather for a few hours or so. Remember, spring is just around the corner.

    3EL Beam

    Build your own 2m Yagi antenna! In the back of the room Jeff and Rich will be holding a ‘Build a Beam’ workshop. Their students will assemble a pre-cut, three element “tape measure” yagi for 2 meters, solder on the coax and give it a try. The little Yagi is good for portable operations, SOTA and of course – foxhunting. More details about the workshop can be found here. There’s still room for a few more students. If you are interested contact Jeff right away so you don’t miss out. After the beams are built everyone can watch as the happy builders give them a test run.

    Show & Tell next month
    How’s your project coming along?

    HCRA’s March meeting wouldn’t be the same without Show & Tell. This is when YOU, the HCRA builder, get an opportunity to show off what you’ve been working on over the last twelve months. It’s fun for the builders and the audience alike. You never know what type of project will show up. Over the years we’ve seen everything from stop light controllers to Van DeGraaff generators, novice transmitters to remote antenna switches, QRP rigs to kilowatt amps. Wonder what you will see this year? The only way I know of is to show up March 1st for the fun!

    Jon KA1TDQ's homebrew 30 meter transmitter. WB1DBY photograph

    This year Matt/W1MSW and Frandy/N1FJ will be running the show. I’ll bet we see some different twists, don’t you? Curious, look for Matt’s Show & Tell article in February’s Zero Beat (and don’t forget to keep working on your project!)


    HCRA Zero Beat Archives
    15 additional years added!


    Click the image and go back in time to February 1978!

    Thanks to John/AC1T and Jeff/NT1K we now have an additional fifteen years of Zero Beats added to the archives. John spent many hours scanning his collection and forwarding them to Jeff for inclusion in the archives. Issues have been added from 1976 to 1990. It’s interesting to see a snapshot of what both HCRA and ham radio was like 25 to 30 years ago. Some things have changed a lot, others… You’ll have to see for yourself – just click here and take a ride in the HCRA TARDIS!
    Special request. Please take a look at the archive list. If you have, or know of someone who has other issues please get in contact Jeff so they can be added to the archive. We can accept them as a .pdf or can scan and return to you. We know there are folks out there with additional issues, here’s a chance to get them preserved and easily accessible for everyone’s enjoyment.

    Amateur Radio License Classes
    Four new hams & two upgrades – fantastic!

    Over the last three weeks the HCRA Instructor Team held classes for all three levels of amateur licenses at the HMC Auditorium. We had seven Technician, three General and three Extra class students. The final class and test session was held on January 26th

    Let’s extend a hearty ‘welcome aboard’ to the following newly minted Amateur Radio Operators:

    Technician Class
    Cindy Forbes
    Tom Isham
    Doug McLean

    General Class
    Eric LaCombe

    Upgrade to General
    Ralph Gedney/KB1LEW/AG

    Upgrade to Extra
    Diane Shippee/KB1KST/AE

    Thanks to all the instructors that participated; Frandy/N1FJ, Ed/KB1NWH, Jim/KK1W, Steve/N1SR, Rich/N1KXR and of course John/Kx1x for taking the helm and getting it done. Thanks also to our hosts at HMC for allowing us the use of their fine facility. Of course the real fun is seeing the happy faces of the newly licensed or upgraded hams!

    Spots from the cluster:

    Silent Auction Results: January’s silent auction was a success. Thanks to the many donations folks went home with bargains and HCRA added approximately $400 to our treasury. We’re still thinking of how we can bring back the ‘old style’ auction and welcome any suggestions.

    KX3 Raffle drawing is March 2nd. There are still two HCRA meetings and one MTARA meeting offering opportunities to purchase a ticket. Your absolute last chance will be at the MTARA Hamfest on March 2nd. Visit the HCRA table, say hello, join or renew your membership AND get a ticket – how cool is that? The drawing will be held at the hamfest at noon. Who knows, you could go home with a brand spanking new KX3 worth $1000 and be on the air that afternoon!

    Notes from the ARRL Cabinet Meeting of January 5th Dave/AA1YW and I attend the NE Division meeting, here’s a few highlights:
    There’ could be a new LF band coming soon on 135.7 to 137.8 kHz according to the FCC. Also the ARRL has filed a petition for a low frequency band on 472 to 479 kHz. Follow the links for more details.
    The 1900 to 2000 kHz segment of 160 meters could be made ‘Primary’ for ham operators. We’ve been secondary on this segment because it was formally used by the LORAN radio location system. The last LORAN broadcast from the system was from Caribou, ME, September 21st, 2010.
    The ARRL National Convention will be held in Hartford on July 20, 21 and 22 in 2014. Hartford was picked for the 2014 location to offer an opportunity to the participants in WRTC2014 a chance to unwind and meet other US hams.

    ‘73 and see you at the meeting,
    Jim/KK1W

  • Learn more about HCRA’s past.

    Thanks to the efforts of John/AC1T and Jeff/NT1K you can take a time travel trip to the 1970’s without leaving your chair.

    John scanned Zero Beats from his collection and sent them to Jeff for inclusion in our Zero Beat Archives page. Click the link and check out HCRA activities from 1976 through 1981. I think you’ll find many things of interest. Not only will you become acquainted with HCRA’s leaders from the 1970’s but you’ll get a glimpse of what ham radio was like thirty five years ago! It’s pretty cool stuff that’s fun to read.

    In fact, I saw the want ad  below in the 1978 November edition, Larry/WB1DBY – is this you?

    Take a look at the archive list. If you have, or know of someone who has other issues please contact Jeff to get them added to the archive. We can accept them as a .pdf or can scan and return to you if you like.

    Have fun perusing the newest ‘oldies’ and hope to see you at tonight’s meeting,

    Jim/KK1W

  • Silent Auction -TONIGHT! – are you ready for some fun?

    Yep, whether buying or selling tonight’s HCRA meeting, Coax Presentation and Silent Auction promises to be great fun. If you have something to sell, bring it down. Buying, all you need is $$$ :). Everyone is welcome, members and non-members alike so bring a friend that’s interested in radio along too.

    Besides the Silent Auction Ed/KB1NWH will tell us all we need to know about that round black wire going to our antennas and other accessories (coax). Learn which is best to use in specific applications and also where you can save money. Don’t miss it.

    And of course there’s the KX3 Raffle, coffee & donuts and a chance to get together with your friends in the new year!

    Don’t miss it, see you there!

    Jim/KK1W

  • From the Shack – January 2013

    Next Meeting January 4th
    Silent Auction and Coax Presentation

    Our first meeting of the New Year kicks off as a double header. We’ve two very interesting and exciting things for you. An expanded silent auction and an informative presentation about coax. There’s more about the silent auction elsewhere in the newsletter and on the website, here’s the lowdown about the presentation.

    We all use coax around the shack, connecting our rigs to antennas, antenna switches and tuners. Some of us also use coax for interconnecting transceivers to amplifiers or other station accessories. There’s lots of types and sizes of coax available, have you wondered if you chose the correct/best one for the job? That’s exactly what Ed/KB1NWH is going to help us out with tonight.

    Ed/KB1NWH will be sharing with us everything you need to know about coax; types available, costs and the best places to use each type in your radio shack. Ed served HCRA for many years as our technical director answering questions like this on an almost daily basis. He’s taken that knowledge, boiled it down and will give us the scoop on everything coax – from tiny RG-174 to hardline and everything in between. After the presentation Ed will take any questions you may have particular to your installation. This will be a good primer for upcoming spring antenna installations or repairs.

    KX3 Raffle

    There’s still time to purchase YOUR winning ticket for the KX3 transceiver, but time is running short. The last ticket sales will be at the upcoming MTARA Hamfest on March 2nd, with the drawing being held around noon at the hamfest. Tickets will be available at all club meetings and of course at the hamfest. Not sure you want the transceiver? Think about that a minute. You could own one of the most progressive HF transceivers, considered by many to be the equal of almost any transceiver made to date, for a $10 donation. Rated #2 on Sherwood’s receiver testing, all HF bands, built in PSK and more. Read more about the rig and the raffle by clicking here. Thanks as always for your support of HCRA and good luck!

    The return of the silent Auction!

    Here’s the latest list of donations for the auction, they may be more by time Friday rolls around. Need more details? Click here.

    Radio Shack portable scanner
    Radio Shack desk top scanner
    Sony AM/FM/SW portable radio
    Panasonic portable radio
    CDE Ham II rotor
    Mini Digital TV Stick
    Circuit board set for an ARRL wattmeter
    HP Netbook computer
    Icom 207 Dual band mobile transceiver

    This should be really fun – see you Friday night!

    Amateur Radio License Classes scheduled for January!

    HCRA’s chief instructor John/Kx1x has announced the latest round of classes. Starting January 15 with two evening sessions and ending with a full day class and test session Saturday January 26. Technician, General and Extra classes will be offered. The focus will be on Technician class to get new folks on board. The General and Extra sessions will be more of a ‘study group’ than a formal class. We had fantastic success with this format last year and are hoping for a repeat.

    The classes will be based around the ARRL License Manuals, available from ARRL, Amazon and of course regular bookstores. Another helpful resource are the ‘No Nonsense Study Guides‘ written by Dan/KB6NU. These are well written guides designed to help you pass the test. Tech and General guides are free, the Extra guide is a mere $7.99. All are available for download on their website (linked above). I highly recommend using these guides along with the ARRL manuals. Couple that with some study time there’s no reason why we won’t have a 100% pass rate, right?

    If you know of anyone looking to become an Amateur Radio Operator please point them to our classes. The classes are free, and if someone is willing to put in two evenings and a Saturday they too can join our fun hobby.

    Spot from the cluster:

    Gather up your ‘stuff’ and get it ready for the Silent Auction this month. Think of it like a flea market without prices. What a great way to raise some cash or get some bargains! Open to everyone, members and non-members alike. Read more about it here.

    KX3 Raffle drawing changed to March 2nd. Drawing held around noon at the MTARA Hamfest. Good luck! Already have a ticket, double your chances and purchase a second!

    10 Meter Contest results are posted on the website. I know there were other HCRA operators QRV, please email us your scores so we can add them to the list. Don’t forget the soapbox comments – they’re even more fun than the scores! Have you sent in your log yet? Cut off date for your entry is 0000Z January 9th. (7:00 PM local time)

    ARRL Cabinet meeting is January 5th. HCRA will be represented at the meeting. Are there any issues/comments you would like us to put forward at the meeting? If so please email them to me, thanks!

    Happy New Year – 73…
    Jim/KK1W

     

  • HCRA Auction Returns in January – but ‘silently’!

    Hey folks! We missed the auction this past November and it is always a fun event. Rather than wait a whole year we decided to hold an auction January 4th, but with a slight ‘twist’. Instead of a regular style auction we’re going to do it silently. How will this work out? We really don’t know but like anything else you don’t know until you try.

    Do you have some extra stuff in your shack? Maybe you received a newer, better whatzit for the holidays and need space? Then the January ‘Silent Auction’ is for YOU!

    Here’s how it is going to work:

    The club will have a decent amount of donated items for sale. We will manage this just like silent auctions of the past, with a clipboard at each having a suggested resale value, a starting bid and bid increment. Here’s a list of of the items we have so far, check the January Zero Beat or the website for the latest version.

    Radio Shack portable scanner
    Radio Shack desk top scanner
    Sony AM/FM/SW portable radio
    Panasonic portable radio
    CDE Ham II rotor
    Mini Digital TV Stick
    Circuit board set for an ARRL wattmeter
    HP Netbook computer

    Now for the fun part! The auction is open to the public and we invite everyone, member and non-member alike, to bring something to sell. It will be up to you, the seller, to manage your item. We have prepared a sample ‘silent bid sheet’ you can print out and use, download it by clicking here. Of course you can use a sheet of your own design too, the choice is yours.

    Like everything else at HCRA, there’s only a few simple rules:

    1. Bring your item(s) and place them on the tables provided.
    2. Fill out a bid sheet and place it in front of your item.
    3. Treat your area like a flea market table, hang nearby to answer any questions.
    4. At the end of the auction the bid sheets will be collected and the winning bids announced.
    5. If the final bid exceeds minimum (if you had one) you’re responsible for collecting from the high bidder and settling up the commission with our treasurer Dave/AA1YW
    6. If the bid did not make minimum you can either take your item home or negotiate with the highest bidder. The choice is yours.

    Items not allowed in the auction

    CRT monitors
    Computer printers
    Stuff you wouldn’t pay a $1 for and really belongs in a dumpster 🙂

    Complimentary coffee and donuts available (but donations accepted) for everyone attending. It should be a fun evening and we’re all looking forward to going home with some new toys!

    Further information or questions? Contact Jim/KK1W via email or at 413-237-4666

    Mark January 4, 2013 now for a fun evening!

  • Shhhhh! – Something exciting is returning to the January meeting!

    Stay tuned for more information.
    Merry Christmas everyone!
    Jim/KK1W

  • T minus 22.5 hours and counting…

    Until what you say? Why this weekend’s 10 meter contest – that’s what!

    Will you represent HCRA in this contest, score 100K points and win a $10 DD gift card for your efforts? Or will you do something boring like go shopping? The choice is in your hands but only YOU can make the choice.

    There’s been a lot of chatter about the contest to date and I don’t want to repeat what’s already been posted. Not sure what I’m talking about, then click here and here to learn more. Besides getting on the air, operating and having fun there’s a few important things to remember. In order of importance they could be:

    1. Your shack must be able to be QRV (on the air) on 10 meters? (don’t worry, if you don’t have an HF setup we’ve got you covered – just keep reading)
    2. Have a Novice (remember those), Technician class license or above. (that’s everyone!)
    3. Be familiar with the ‘rules of the game’. They can be found here.
    4. Send in your log (read the rules) and don’t forget to put “Hampden County Radio Association” in the club field of your entry. (you must also be a member of HCRA).
    5. Contact either Matt/W1MSW or myself if you have any questions – we’re here to help.

    That’s all there is to it. The contest starts at 7:00 PM Friday evening (0000Z December 8th) and ends at 7:00 PM Sunday evening (0000Z December 10th). A possible 48 hours of fun but because it is 10 meters you’ll have time to sleep in between – it is unusual for the band to be open past midnight.

    But wait, I don’t have an HF station, or I’m not sure how to operate, or….

    That’s OK. There’s at least one shack open to our members for guest operation this weekend. Come on over to the KK1W station and we will get you on the air. Phone or CW, we can do both. A decent radio, good antenna, KW amplifier and comfortable shack will make it fun. We’ll be operating under our club call, WB1Z and will be QRV for the entire contest. Ed/KB1NWH and Frandy/N1FJ have signed on but we need more. More ops, more company, more BS – it all means more fun!

    Please call or email me ahead of time so I can be prepared for the rush. I guarantee you’ll have a good time and hopefully learn something about contest and/or HF operation at the same time. See you this weekend!

    ’73…
    Jim/KK1W

  • From the Shack – December 2012

    Holiday Party – December 10th

    If you’re planning on going – and you haven’t bought your ticket yet – you’re almost out of time. Don’t miss out on a chance to spend a fun evening with your ham friends from both MTARA and HCRA this holiday season. It isn’t possible for us to sell tickets at the door because we need to provide the restaurant with a head count a week prior to the party. If you still want to go here’s what you need to do.

    Contact either me or Marty/W1MJB and let of us know  you will be attending. We will add your name to the list and make sure there’s food for you when you get there! You can contact us via the links on the website or call me directly at 413.237.4666. At this point in time there isn’t any other way. We don’t want anyone to miss out so get it done now!

    DON’T SEND CHECKS TO THE PO BOX! It is too late for that and it may not be checked in time for the party. Call us instead and we will make it happen for you. More info on the party by clicking here!

    ONE MORE REMINDER…

    There is no regular club meeting in December. This was mentioned in last month’s ‘from the shack’ but it bears repeating. Instead of the meeting we’re having our gala Holiday Party event – that’s a good trade off I think? If you show up the first Friday of December and we’re not there don’t say you weren’t warned!

    Are you ready for an ARRL 10 Meter Contest Challenge?

    Earlier this month we posted the 2012 challenge goal of 100K points.  Make or exceed the goal and you will receive a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card for your efforts. Why are we doing this? Because we want YOU to be on the air (QRV) and having fun while we can still enjoy the Cycle 24 peak. Ten meters has been open a lot over the last few weeks and we all have our fingers crossed it will be hopping on December 10th. You can find more information about how to operate, the 2012 rules, the 2012 challenge and past scores simply by clicking the hot links.

    The 10 meter contest is a great way to introduce new or inexperienced operators into HF operating and/or contesting. It offers both voice or CW so new ops can try a different modes if they so desire. Adding to the fun is all our individual scores count as a club score – how cool is that? In order to get new folks on the air we’re looking for folks willing to open their home station to visiting (guest) operators. Please comment below if you have time and station resources to help someone get excited about HF! It need not be for the entire contest. Even if you only host for a few hours Saturday or Sunday afternoon think what that means to someone that hasn’t had the opportunity to play radio on HF, or may not even have an HF station. Those few hours of your time could make a huge difference in someone’s amateur radio excitement for years to come.

    Putting my station where my mouth is I will be opening my station for guest ops throughout the contest. If you would like to spend some time on the air using our club call WB1Z from my shack drop me a note so I can get you on the schedule. The station is competitive with an Icom Pro-2, amp and beam antenna. Come on over, I guarantee you’ll have some fun and kick some contest butt at the same time! And if the band isn’t open we can do what all good hams do – shoot the bull, find something else to play with or break and still have fun.

    Notes from the cluster:

    Cycle 24 is still working! I just finished up a weekend of contesting in the CQWW-CW event this past weekend. The bands were hopping. 10 meters was open quite a bit, and early in the morning. 15 meters was just amazing! I ran QRP (5 watts) and worked 99 countries over the weekend. Lots of DX including Japan, Micronesia, Guam, Asiatic Russia and more, all with only 5 watts! Like everything else, Cycle 24 will soon start a downturn. Don’t miss your chance to have fun on the HF bands. Get on the air and operate. Whether in a contest, a rag chew, casual DX’ing it makes no difference. It’s all good and if you miss it another eleven years will have to pass to get back to where we are today. Don’t be an ‘armchair amateur’, get in front of the rig and have fun!

    Field Day Planning has begun.  It is in your hands!  If you have some thoughts about what we should (or shouldn’t) do for FD now is your chance to speak up. For years now our FD has been one of HCRA’s ‘Big Events’ and attracts more members than anything except perhaps the Holiday Party. If you’ve been attending you know why. If you haven’t been attending we want to know why. What would excite YOU enough to participate? Have ideas, that’s great – just be prepared to back them up with some ‘sweat equity’ to make it happen 🙂

    Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season – 73…
    Jim/KK1W

  • HCRA 10M Contest Challenge!

    Yep, it’s back again this year – the HCRA Challenge. Last year we offered a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card to any member scoring over 77,000 points. Many members blew past the 77K goal and scored well over 100K! So, what’s the goal for 2012 you ask?

    Using the same formula as last year (total club score/participants) that would work out to 73,626 points. I don’t know about you but a goal, especially considering present solar conditions, shouldn’t be less than last year’s, do you? Therefore I’m proposing the following:

    Challenge Score: 100,000 points

    If you score 100K points or higher in the 2012 ARRL 10 meter contest you will win a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card courtesy of HCRA for your efforts. In order to qualify for your ‘prize’ you have to notify me via email with your entry category and claimed score AND submit your log to ARRL for processing. When submitting your log don’t forget to put “Hampden County Radio Association” in the affiliated club line of your entry. The 10M Challenge is open to members HCRA, if you’re not a member you can’t submit a club entry, sorry.

    Are there any folks interested in opening up their station for a multi-operator effort? Please post a comment either here or on facebook if you can, it is a fantastic way to get new folks excited about HF operating.

    ’73…,
    Jim/KK1W