Short Skip - December 2021

SHORT SKIP - FROM THE PARADE STAND
By Tim McGillen/N9CA   2021 LCARC President
December 2021
Hi Everyone, It’s getting awfully close to saying good-bye to 2021. Here is what’s going on:
 
Last October’s Club Program Was:   Producing “Amateur Radio Newsline” (ARN). Presented by Paul Braun WD9GCO via ZOOM. I was impressed at their teams’ dedication and skill over all these decades of production. Past ARN programs can be listened to or downloaded by Googling: Amateur Radio Newsline.
 
Thank You Paul   for your time at our November 12th Club meeting, and for all the years of dedication to making Ham Radio an even better hobby!
 
 
December 10th Club Meeting : The meeting will be held entirely via ZOOM.  So, No physical meeting!  The ZOOM meeting will start at 7:30pm. Club members will receive a ZOOM link sent to their email of-record. The ZOOM link will also be found on  www.W9LJ.org  - the Club’s website as well as on our Facebook page.
 
The topic will likely be “The Radio Sport of “Fox Hunting” a very popular shared outdoor event the LCARC used to heavily participate in the past – and or - perhaps “Making Your Own Crystal Radio Receiver” for the January 2022 contest.
 
CLUB NEWS
 
LCARC HT Give Away GOTA Program
If you were newly licensed in 2020 or 2021, you may join the LCARC for our yearly $20 membership dues and we’ll help you get-on-the-air with a programmed VHF/UHF HT provided to you by the LCARC. You must submit an application to the Club by US mail or @ www.W9LJ.org , and physically attend at least one live Club meeting
2022 Club Officers and Board
At the November 12th Club Meeting,  we had a slate of 11 volunteer Club Board members for 2022 and Club Officers were elected. They are:
Tim McGillen  N9CA                     President
George Suprenant N9GWS         Vice President
Russ McComb KB9HO                  Secretary
Jim Harney KF9EX                         Treasurer
 
The following Club members make up the 2022 Club Board of Directors
Mark Skowronski  K9MQ 
John Litton KI4CHF 
Kenny Brown  KE9TC 
Paul Pietrie  KD9NPC
Adam White KD9JCX
Pat Finick N9FTX
Andy Finick W9FXT
 
LCARC Information NET   EVERY Wednesday at 8:00pm. 147.000 and 442.075 pl 131.8 (on linked Club repeaters). Informal, informative, and fun. A great way to stay connected with local hams. You do not have to be a Club member to check-in. Typically 30 minutes
 
FOX HUNT ANTENNA Club building project using tape measures and PVC pipe coming up soon.
 
HR Items For Sale: coming to www.W9LJ.org in the next few weeks.
 
 UPCOMING HAMFESTS

SUNDAY - 01/16/2022 - WCRA 55th Annual Mid-Winter Hamfest
Location: St. Charles, IL
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs
  *Website for more info:     http://www.w9ccu.org/
Location: Kane County Fairgrounds Expo Center
Sunday 8:00am – 1:00pm
* WCRA plans to offer virtual HR information forums on Saturday, AND physical on-site in in-person forums on Sunday
                            
Saturday 01/22/2022 - Winterfest, ARRL Midwest Division Convention
Location: Collinsville, IL
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: St Louis and Suburban Radio Club
  *Website for info:    http://winterfest.slsrc.org

Winterfest 2022





SATURDAY  8:00AM – 4:00PM
·   There will be a ARRL banquet dinner with a featured guest speakers as well as in-person forums. Forum topics yet to be announced.
 
OTHER IMPORTANT HR ITEMS
Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) plan to
transmit slow-scan TV (SSTV) images on December 1 - 2 on 145.800 MHz
FM using SSTV mode PD120.
 
The transmissions from RS0ISS will be part of the Moscow Aviation
Institute SSTV experiment (MAI-75) and will originate in the Russian
ISS Service Module (Zvezda) using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver.
Transmissions are scheduled for December 1 from 1210 - 1910 UTC and
December 2 from 1140 - 1720 UTC. Dates and times are subject to
change.
 Predictions for ISS pass times are available on the AMSAT website
https://www.amsat.org/track/ .
Visit the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
SSTV blog at https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ for more information
 
 
VHF/UHF NETS   NW Indiana and Chicagoland. Courtesy of KC9UNS.
(paste in browser)   http://tinyurl.com/chicago-ham-nets
 
Indiana ARES District 1 is conducting a weekly net EVERY Tuesday evening  7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT.  ARES membership not required to check in. N9IAA repeater 146.685  pl 173.8. Joe/W1SPY offers free training and practice in the latest digital EMCOMM modes. Joe has also created a great new website that he constantly updates.   www.ARESd1.com  
 
VE Exams:Visit  www.ARRL.org  for information on physical and virtual license testing
 
December 2021  CONTESTS
December 3 - 5 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest (CW)   for details visit  www.ARRL.org


Visit:  www.CONTESTCALENDAR.com     for ALL the upcoming US & worldwide  HR contests
 
January 1 – 8th  2022   Crystal Radio DX Contest 
It is hoped that the upcoming 'Crystal Radio DX Contest' will generate interest in the design, construction and operation of crystal radios while giving entrants the opportunity to discuss and compare the design and operating capabilities of their radios. Using unpowered ‘passive’ receivers to detect stations hundreds of miles away is both an exciting and enjoyable pastime.
Info:   www.facebook.com/groups/crystalradiodxcontestgroup/
Building plans: www.analogdial.com   *click on Alfred P. Morgan- Crystal Radio Set



A TRUE RADIO PIRATE  STORY
https://youtu.be/Kgmwi6Roo88





 PROPAGATION REPORTS
Solar Flux has been hovering at about 85. The upper HF bands including 10 meters have been open in mid-day regularly.  6 meters has been active to a lesser extent.
Visit:  www.K9LA.us   www. DXMAPS.com    the K7RA Solar Update    and www.SPACEWEATHER.com




VHF & UHF tropospheric ducting openings of 200-400 miles often occur when the soil is warmer than the colder air aloft. Look for it in the fall/winter mornings and over the Great Lakes. For real-time 2 meter propagation visit:     www.APRS.mennonlink.org 
MORE HR NEWS
 
The ARRL Foundation will start accepting applications for its 2022 scholarship program on November 1. The submission deadline is December 31. More than 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $25,000 will be awarded in 2022. The 2022 scholarship year totals an eligible amount of over $800,000 to be awarded.
All applicants must be FCC-licensed radio amateurs (active non-US radio amateurs are eligible for scholarships sponsored by ARDC), and many scholarships have specific requirements, such as intended area of study, or residence within a particular ARRL Division, Section, or http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundationstate, and license class. Some scholarships also require additional documentation, such as letters of recommendation.


3Y0J DXpedition to Bouvet Island Confirms November 2022 Activation
The 3Y0J Bouvet Island DXpedition team says that with its first deposit on its contract to have the SS Marama provide transportation to Bouvet, it has confirmed its plans to activate the second most-wanted DXCC entity in November 2022.
 
The WSJT-X development team has announced the general availability release of WSJT-X version 2.5.1. This release mainly contains improvements and repairs defects related to Q65 and JT65 when used with nonstandard and compound call signs. Those planning to use Q65 or JT65 to make weak-signal contacts involving a nonstandard call sign should upgrade to this version. Also included is a new feature for microwave aircraft scatter, as well as repairs for bugs detected since the general availability release of version 2.5.0. A complete listing of changes is available in the Release Notes. Links to WSJT-X 2.5.1 installation packages for Windows, Linux, and Mac are available.


Q#1: Except for the ISS, no ham radio operator may broadcast music. What was the first song transmitted from space by the ISS - ever?
A) Silent Night B)Manheim Steam Roller, C) Jingle Bells D)Christmas Rock
 
A:   C) Jingle-Bells
 
Q#2:  All letters addressed to Santa in the United States are sent where?                A) Bethlehem Pennsylvania B) Christmas Florida, C) Santa Claus Indiana, D) North Pole Alaska
A: Santa Claus Indiana  (In southern Indiana near Evansville)
 
73, Tim/N9CA    (See you on ZOOM Friday December 10th @ 7:30pm)

​