Short Skip - October 2021

SHORT SKIP - FROM THE PARADE STAND
By Tim McGillen/N9CA   2021 LCARC President
October 2021
Hi Everyone,
 
Last month’s Club Program: “Solar Effects On Earth’s Power Grid” was by Charlie Sutana AJ9N via ZOOM from Florida. Charlie, thank you for an insightful “what-if” program. You gave us all a lot to think about. The Covid pandemic just might look like small potatoes. Here is a link to the recorded program:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ji55rwreqjkbzsykxdbqe/LCARS_2021-09-10_Meeting_Geomagnetic_Disturbance_Impact_as_of_2021-08-24_2200_UTC.pptx?dl=0&rlkey=bde0pg3huavyowrmcutk1ovxk
 
October’s Club Program:   “The Raspberry Pi Mini Computer + Ham Radio, + Much More” presented by LCARC Club VP George Suprenant N9GWS.  Kits available at;  adafruit.com dfrobot.com, Chicago electronics and vendors on Amazon.com.  A case and fan are needed it you plan to run a full SDR or FT8 with the thing.  BridgeCom makes an HT to WiFi hotspot using a Raspberry PI (with no fan!).
Popular links are below. Click on OR copy and paste address into your browser.
 https://all3dp.com/2/amateur-pi-raspberry-pi-ham-radio-internet-radio/


http://www.hamblog.co.uk/top-10-amateur-radio-uses-for-raspberry-pi/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dN4hos5_6M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzkDxKkjRXQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrN55ZwZikQ
http://www.g0hwc.com/raspberry-pi-ham-radio.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNWX85wa8Y
https://www.rtl-sdr.com/building-a-ham-tranceiver-with-an-rtl-sdr-raspberry-pi-and-rpitx/
 
October’s Club Meeting: The physical Club meeting and ZOOM link will start at 7:30pm Friday Octuober 8th. Look for the ZOOM link on W9LJ.org. Club members will also have had this link sent to their email as well as a meeting reminder. The physical meeting is at the EMA office 2900 W. 93rd, Crown Point IN.
  
MORE 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 (found on www.W9LJ.org) and physically attend at least one live Club meeting.
 
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
 UPCOMING HAMFEST NEWSAt ARRL.org, there are three Indiana Hamfests in October. All three are waaay waaay down in southern Indiana. For me, plan B is to wait until November.
 
11/13/2021 - 11/14/2021
Fort Wayne Hamfest & Computer Expo, ARRL Central Division Convention
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Type: ARRL Convention
Sponsor: Allen County Amateur Radio Technical Society
Website: http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com
 
11/27/2021 - Wabash Valley Amateur Radio Association Hamfest
Location: Brazil, IN
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: None
Learn More
 
*BTW, no Illinois hamfests are currently posted on ARRL.org  until 2022!
 
OTHER IMPORTANT HR ITEMS
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  
 
OCTOBER CONTESTS
FT8 North American Stations are to transmit on the “ODD” ½ minute intervals. SO… looking at the main page of WSJT,  in the middle middle of the page, just below the software menu click setting box that says DECODE, is a another click check box that says “Tx even 1st”. Make sure this box is not “clicked toggled” to “on”.
 
SOTA & POTA   (not SODA)
Summits On The Air. Worth a few moments to read the interesting link below to understand what HR equipment they are using, the adversities, and the joy of it all. So, copy and paste the link below into your browser.  I think you will be glad you did.
https://www.k0nr.com/wordpress/2021/09/sota-pota-yellowstone-grand-teton/
 Locally, we do have 3 sand dune “mountains” at the Indiana Dunes State Park and of course Mount Baldy near Michigan City. Hmmm?
 
The 2021 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is Just Ahead
 The weekend of October 2 – 3 2021 is designated for holding the annual ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET), although local and Section-level exercises may take place throughout the fall. The SET is ARRL’s primary national emergency exercise and is designed to assess the skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers, as well as those affiliated with other organizations involved in emergency and disaster response.
The SET encourages maximum participation by all radio amateurs, partner organizations, and national, state, and local officials who typically engage in emergency or disaster response. In addition to ARES volunteers, those active in the National Traffic System (NTSÔ), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), National Weather Service (NWS) SKYWARN®, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and a variety of other allied groups and public service-oriented radio amateurs are needed to fulfill important roles in this nationwide exercise.
 
The SET offers volunteers an opportunity to test equipment, modes, and skills under simulated emergency conditions and scenarios. Individuals can use the time to update a “go-kit” for use during deployments and to ensure their home station’s operational capability in an emergency or disaster. To get involved, contact your local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Net Manager
 
JOTA - Scouting Jamboree On The Air
The weekend of October 15-17 2021. Millions of scouts (boys and girls) participate around the world with amateur radio each JOTA. * This not a contest but an event. Please ANSWER when you hear them call “CQ” .   Visit ARRL.org for info,  or click the link below.
https://www.scouting.org/international/jota-joti/
 
SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP
October 18-22 2021 This 5-day event runs Monday through Friday from 1300 UTC Monday through 2359 UTC Friday. A station may operate no more than 6 hours in a 24-hour period, and a maximum of 24 hours of the 107 hour event.  These are school Clubs looking for contacts to score points for certificates. They will be clustered about the frequencies below. Why not answer them and give them some points?  They are our future!     More details at ARRL.org
 Phone (MHz): 1.855-1.865; 3.850-3.880; 7.225-7.255; 14.250-14.280; 21.300-21.330; 28.440-28.460


 CW (MHz):      1.800-1.810; 3.530-3.540; 7.030-7.040; 14.030-14,.040; 21.130-21.140; 28.130-28.140
 
 CQWW DX SSB CONTEST
October 30th and 31st .    “CQWW is the largest Amateur Radio competition in the world.”      Over 35,000 participants take to the airwaves on the last weekend of October (SSB) and November (CW) with the goal of making as many contacts with as many different DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible.
Visit  www.CQWW.com for more info.
 
EVEN MORE HR NEWS 
·         Lance Collister, W7GJ, will undertake a 6-meter DX-pedition to the Austral and Marquesas Islands. He'll spend October 15 - 24 as FO/W7GJ on the Australs, and October 28 - November 7 as TX7MB on the Marquesas. He is planning to use the Q65-60A for all 6-meter moonbounce activity and FT8 for terrestrial contacts.
 
·         The Arizona Association for Summits on the Air (SOTA) will host the 4th annual 10-Point s2s Madness event on Saturday, October 2, 1400 - 2359 UTC. In this event, multiple hams simultaneously operate mountaintop portable on 10-point summits. Hams can participate as activators or chasers; add your information to the Alerts section on the SOTA website if you plan to activate. The same website will display the spots on the day of the event, if you are a chaser. In the past, 25 - 30 activators are on a 10-point summit at the same time. For more information, contact Pete Scola, WA7JTM, or search social media for the hashtag #TenPointMadness.
 
 
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Predicted Solar flux; October 5; 82 on October 6; 80 on October 7 - 8; 78 on October 9 - 11; 75 on October 12 - 20; 80 on October 21 - 22; 82 on October 23 - 25; 84 and 82 on October 26 - 27, and 84 on October 28 - November 1.
The northern autumnal equinox occurred at 1920 UTC on September 22, which means Earth is bathed in approximately equal amounts of solar radiation over the Northern and Southern hemispheres, always a good sign for HF propagation.
 
Propagation
Also, check out  the Propagation Page link of Indiana Section Manager and Club friend Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
 
For What It’s Worth – A Survey
Here is your Chance! Please for the direction(s) you want the Club to do more of:      Email your thoughts via W9LJ.org
 
·         Contesting   
·         ARES
·         More NETS
·         DMR
·         Local Volunteering
·         Building sessions
·         Computers
·         Advanced Ham Radio License Classes
·         Off-The-Grid outings
·         More on Propagation
·         A Bowling Team
·         Breakfast get together
·         Dinner night
·         Or some-thin else
 
 
Q: In what year was SSB beginning to be heard on the ham bands?     
   1955, 1960, 1948, or 1962 
73, Tim/N9CA    (Hope to see you Tuesday October 8th @ 7:30pm)
A:   1948

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