SKYWARN frequency change might be necessary

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Skywarn Logo Attention all operators:

During the past two activations of IMO SKYWARN quadrant two, the ACARTS 146.88 MHz repeater experienced intermittent transmitter failure. The most recent occurrence was at about 9 p.m. last night, June 24.

Please be aware that if the 146.88 MHz repeater exhibits the same issues during the severe weather expected today and tomorrow, the active net control station (whoever it is at the time) will move SKYWARN operations to the FWRC 146.76 MHz repeater.

This decision will be made on an as-needed basis. Ideally, however, if the issue arises early in the operation, SKYWARN will change frequencies sooner, rather than later, to avoid dealing with the issue during potential periods of heavy spotter reporting.

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How to find Field Day

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The Fort Wayne Radio Club’s Field Day 2013 station will be located at Dolnick Learning Center on the north campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (northeast of the intersection of Stellhorn and St. Joe Roads). Use your GPS to get to that intersection and then refer to the campus map below. The best entrance is Dean Dr. from St. Joe Road (first traffic light north of Stellhorn Rd.), except that visitors coming from the east on Stellhorn Rd. might pefer to enter on Sirlin Dr. from Stellhorn Rd.

FWRC Field Day map

Field Day 2013 Plans

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(Webmaster’s note: The text below is a verbatim excerpt of the most recent email message FWRC President Steve Nardin, W9SAN sent regarding plans for Field Day. Sorry about all the capital letters. That’s how Steve typed the email and I didn’t have time to reformat.)

 
*********************************************************
 
         OTA PLANNING MEETING 13 JUNE 2013
 
 *********************************************************
 
Current helpers:
 
 
 Food: W9LAN + KB9DOS + KB9DEB  (others needed)
 
 GOTA Station:  W9BJG
 
 PR Material:  W9BJG
 
 cOMPUTERS:  need helpers (logging programs and networking; screen reader SW)
 
 CONFIRMATION RECEIVED: DOLNICK IS OURS FROM JUNE 21 @ 7 PM TO JUNE 23 @ 4 PM
 THANKS TO DAVE JONES, KC9TIK, & LARRY TEMENOFF, KB9OS!!
 
 
 FIELD DAY & QRP NIGHT & FWRC MEETING:  JUNE 21, 22, 23 DOLNICK LEARNING CENTER
                                        VEC LICENSE TESTING ON SATURDAY
                                        AFTERNOON SATURDAY, HOG ROAST
                                        SUNDAY MORNING, FIELD DAY BREAKFAST
                                        (WITH BLUEBERRY PANCAKES!!)
 
                                         ALSO LOOKING AT BOY &  GIRL SCOUT VISITS
 
 
 
 ARRL FIELD DAY LOCATOR SYSTEM:  W9SAN LOADED TODAY; WORKING OK! WWW.ARRL.ORG
 
 NEED TO PLAN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SATURDAY AFTER VEC TESTING.
 PR INFO PACKAGE READY TO GO OUT: W9BGJ
 
 RELATED: I HAVE 11 x 17 FIELD DAY POSTERS. DOES ANYONE HAVE A PLACE THEY COULD POST 
 
 ONE OF THESE? PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME!
 
 (A BLACK AND WHITE PDF FILE OF THIS WILL BE SENT OUT FOR ALL TO PRINT AS NEEDED)
 
 STATIONS PLANNING:
         KC9MUT: 20 M SSB W/YAGI
         W9BJG: GOTA
         K9FMX: 40 CW
         KB9W: DIGITAL STATION
         W9SAN: VHF STATION; 6&2
         KU8T: SET UP STATION
         NEED OTHER STATIONS FOR 80 / 160 / 15 / 10 METERS
 
 BATTLE CRY:    BEAT INDY!!!!  WIN INDIANA!!!!
 
 FRIDAY NIGHT:  Arrive approx 5 pm with equipment
                Start club meeting at 7 pm
                If possible, start setting up stations; QRP radios to the air
                If tents setup, owners should stay all night
 
 SATURDAY:      Arrive to start setup at 8:30 am
                VEC testing from (9) to (11)...someone please get me this information
                Field Day starts at 2:00 pm
                Hog Roast at 5:30 pm
                Run and log contacts all night!
               
 SUNDAY: 
                Field Day Breakfast, 10:00 am (?) probably
                Shut down operations at 2:00 pm
                Take down stations and be gone by 4:00 pm
 
 
 Other items: please e-mail W9SAN@ARRL.NET
 Planning on attending either activity?  Please let me know! Thanks.

FWRC Participates in VHF QSO Party

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June 8 and 9, FWRC participated in the ARRL VHF QSO Party, the biggest VHF & up contest of the year. Because we did not receive confirmation to use Dolnick Learning Center at IPFW, a last minute change was made to operate from the QTH of Steve, W9SAN. We put up a temporary 30 foot tower with 6 and 2 meter yagis, set up stations in the trailer and my garage, and operated from 2 pm Saturday to 2 pm on Sunday. Despite bad propagation, we all had fun and made a decent number of contacts. We also put up a tripod and extendable mast for 432 and made several contacts on that band, too.

Special thanks to:

K9FMX
KC9MUT
N9WLW
KC9EZP
KB9WWM
KC9OAX
K9RFZ

We also had a chance to Elmer a new ham by checking out his new QRP rig and making new key and power cables for him. (AC9EZ).

May Fox Nearly Invisible

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may 2013 foxhunt 1The fourth foxhunt of the 2013 FWRC’s foxhunt season occurred on Sunday, the 5th of May on a warm but overcast spring day. The mild Sunday afternoon put everyone in the mood to HUNT!!

May’s hunters included the team of Jim & Annie Pliett, K9OMA & KA9YYI plus Carole & Al Burke, WB9’s RUS & SSE; the team of Charles Ward, KC9MUT and Fred Gengnagle, KC9EZP, and the team of Kim & Jim Machamer, KB9’s DOT & DOS, a total of eight participants eager to get at the wily fox.

Now the role of the fox was played by Dave Spence, K9NDU & Bob Dean, KC9UHU and they were hiding at an Acres, Inc. nature preserve off Zubrick Rd. adjacent to I69 just south of the Vera Bradley complex. You had to drive by the entrance to the preserve off Zubrick Rd. to spot them, otherwise they were invisible.

The high power fox was a mobile rig driving a quad antenna while the actual fox was a microfox programmed to output cw one minute out of every five. The fox broadcast on the input to the 146.94 machine so that local hams would be able to listen-in on the progress of the hunt.

Dave & Bob had added camouflage to the microfox and installed it in the branches of a tree at about six feet off the deck. It was extremely hard to spot as can be demonstrated in the pictures associated with this issue of the Chronicles.

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