EVQRP will be hosting another Gathering Of the Willing on Thursday evening Feb.20th 17:00 hrs - 22:00 hrs.??We meet at Desert Mountain Park at the Cottonwood Ramada. The Cottonwood Ramada is located in the rear of the park across from the baseball fields and just Southeast of the bathroom building. We will have several different stations set up running different modes.?The GOTA station is intended to be used by anyone from Technician to Amateur Extra as a way for you to get on the air using different modes (Phone, CW, Digital) with experienced operators. If you have a Technician license, then you would use the EVQRP Club call of WS7OTA and if your a General or Amateur Extra, you may use your own call sign or the club call sign, your choice. You just have to be aware in what portion of the band you may use if you are a General using your call sign.? If there is a mode that you would like to see or operate from, please tell the operators of the stations to show them to you. Our goal is to get you on the air and make you comfortable with operating and learning about the various modes of operations and show you the different options that are available to you.?EVQRP is not intended to be a contest club but rather a way for new hams to get hands on experience with actual HF equipment with various modes and antennas. We also like to fellowship with each other and believe this is where we really learn by sharing different experiences in amateur radio.

I would also like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to Ryan (N7OW) and his wife Mel on the new addition to their family. Mel gave birth to a healthy baby girl (Charlotte "Lottie" Marie) on Valentines Day. Congratulations to both Ryan and Mel and if you need anything from us please don't hesitate to ask, we are here for you like family.

I would like to let everyone know that I have received positive feedback from doing the GoTW once a month. I believe its a positive way to reinvigorate those that might have been getting burned out meeting once a week. I can say I feel more motivated in setting? and refreshed by only meeting once a month. I still want to encourage those to take your portable gear out and set up and operate from a park, your back yard or even your driveway, just get out and make noise and don't worry if it's not perfect.

We did a Gathering Of the Willing on Thursday January 30th and had a really great turnout. I set up my usual portable station which is an FT-857d and a Sotabeams Linked Dipole for 20/30/40 and started calling CQ on 40 and within a short amount of time I had 3 SKCC Q's in the log book.

Dan (N7DSX) and Lesli (K7LSX) set up his Elecraft KX3 along with Alpha Antenna J-Pole Jr 6-60 and I believe he made a couple of Voice contacts.

Rick (W9JRF) set up his FT817 with his 45watt amp along with his Buddipole Verticle on 17 and was trying to make some contact on that band.

Ryan (N7OW) set up his KX3 and his End Fed antenna and made 1 contact I believe on CW.

Others that showed up for some really great fellowship:

Jay (N1AV)

Andy (K7AMB)

Troy (K7TJK)

Brad (KI7YKS)

Judy (K7JLF)

Tony (K7AJF)

Jim (KF7E)

Wes (AG7WQ)

I would like to thank Wes (AG7WQ) who showed up for the first time. He sent me an email saying he is looking forward to attending future events.

This was our first event after the holidays and after taking a month and a half off and it was nice seeing all of you again and I look forward to seeing more of you in the following month

It was an early night as I know I was home by 20:00hrs that night in time for me to spend some good quality time with my wife and family.