Just a quick reminder that we will be having a Field Day Committee meeting tonight on Zoom at 7:00.? If you are not on the committee and would like the link to the meeting let me know and I will send it to you.??
Thanks
Mark - KW1X
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Re: FM Broadcast band receiver kits
Hi Matt, ? ?I would like to purchase one of these kits if possible. Thanks,
On Sun, Apr 21, 2024 at 12:59 AM, Matthew Penttila NA1Q <mcpenttila@...> wrote: I will have the FM Receiver Kits (87.7 to 107.9 Mhz)  available at the Monday club meeting. They are $10.00 ea. They require soldering, I have a printed instruction sheet to go with them. If anyone would like help building this kit, see.me at the end of the meeting, I will demonstrate how solder paste and hot air installation of ICs and how to correct solder bridges. Anyone interested let me know via email NA1Q@ARRL (dot)NET or PM or call / text my cell 73 Matt NA1Q?
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We will be having a Field Day Committee meeting this coming Saturday, April 27th at 7:00PM on Zoom.? The reason for the evening meeting is because several of the committee members will be busy Saturday morning performing a radio communications test for the upcoming Gaspee Days Parade and Road Race.? Please try and attend the Zoom meeting if possible.? I will be sending out the invite to the committee members later in the week.? In case anybody would still like to join the committee, there are still a couple of slots open!
Thanks and 73!
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FM Broadcast band receiver kits
I will have the FM Receiver Kits (87.7 to 107.9 Mhz)  available at the Monday club meeting. They are $10.00 ea. They require soldering, I have a printed instruction sheet to go with them. If anyone would like help building this kit, see.me at the end of the meeting, I will demonstrate how solder paste and hot air installation of ICs and how to correct solder bridges. Anyone interested let me know via email NA1Q@ARRL (dot)NET or PM or call / text my cell 73 Matt NA1Q?
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Gaspee Days Parade and Road Race - June 8 2024
I met with some of the event organizers a couple of weeks ago and got a more complete description of their event and communication needs. We have asked them to provide BVARC with a more detailed and prioritized list of locations / people they would like to have supported. While some radio locations will be fixed, in other cases radio support will have to keep up with event organizers as they walk along the course dealing with issues.
We will carry out an initial assessment of radio coverage before the next club meeting and plan to share more details with club members then.
73
Martin? AA1ON
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Hi Marshall, Thanks for the help, but hold on contacting you friend, Mark Hofstra is coming over tomorrow with another antenna to see if he can get it to work.
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On Apr 8, 2024, at 4:19 PM, Marshall Cross W1HK < mcrossw1hk@...> wrote:
Hi Teri, if you let me know how long it is, ratio of the step-up transformer, if you have a ground wire connected?to the transformer, and what the antenna is not doing, I will forward the info to Bob, W1IS who has done a lot of research on end-feds and published a book that has a whole chapter about this type of antenna. Marshall, W1HK.? Hi everyone,
I was wondering if there is anyone who has put up an End Fed antenna successfully that?I can talk with to figure out what I am doing wrong.
You can contact me at W1PUPteri@...?or 407-963-6529
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Hi Teri, if you let me know how long it is, ratio of the step-up transformer, if you have a ground wire connected?to the transformer, and what the antenna is not doing, I will forward the info to Bob, W1IS who has done a lot of research on end-feds and published a book that has a whole chapter about this type of antenna. Marshall, W1HK.?
Hi everyone,
I was wondering if there is anyone who has put up an End Fed antenna successfully that?I can talk with to figure out what I am doing wrong.
You can contact me at W1PUPteri@...?or 407-963-6529
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Hi everyone, I was wondering if there is anyone who has put up an End Fed antenna successfully that?I can talk with to figure out what I am doing wrong. You can contact me at W1PUPteri@...?or 407-963-6529
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Free CERT Training in Providence
BVARC members have been invited to join the Providence Emergency Management Training?starting on April 22nd! We will be holding classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at the PEMA HQ. If you have not taken CERT yet, we highly encourage you to register! There are 8 units that are taught by subject matter experts and a hands-on Rodeo on May 18 for graduation. Anyone is eligible to take CERT!?
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Share the link below and use it to sign yourself up as well.
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Location:?591 Charles St, Providence, RI 02904
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If you have any question about the content of the classes please feel free to email or call me (Teri)
73
Teri Diiorio?
W1PUP
W1PUPteri@...
407-963-6529
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28023.2 ? Sent from for Windows ?
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April 6th Bellingham Library Event in Valley Breeze
 This was in the Valley Breeze March 21-27th N Smithfield, Blackstone, Woonsocket Edition.? 73 Matt NA1Q
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I finally found time to writeup my experience in replacing my TH7DXX with the C31xr that I obtained last November from Pete W1RM.? Hope you enjoy it.
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Randy K5ZD
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Re: FIELD DAY SET-UP/TAKE DOWN
Hi Mark, great idea to start the list. Only thing maybe add Callsign to the signup. I'll be there Friday to help set up and Sunday to help break down. I do have some physical limitations, but try my best. I'll be there Saturday afternoon, I have dialysis Saturday mornings, so I will be out probably after 2pm Saturday. If you have a crew getting together earlier Friday to launch lines into the trees I will be glad to help out as I have an antenna launcher we've used at past Field Days.?
73 and thanks for heading this up. Matt NA1Q? Ps If you need to call me 978-828-4322?
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024, 13:29 Mark Hofstra KW1X < kw1x.mark@...> wrote: ? I know it¡¯s early but I¡¯m sending out this sign-up sheet to get a feel for who can help out in the set-up and take down for the upcoming field day.? Please be advised that in order to get premium operating times you will have to help out in one way or another.? Just click on the link below to sign-up. Thanks and 73 Mark Hofstra ¨C KW1X Field Day Committee Chairman Sent from for Windows
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FIELD DAY SET-UP/TAKE DOWN
? I know it¡¯s early but I¡¯m sending out this sign-up sheet to get a feel for who can help out in the set-up and take down for the upcoming field day.? Please be advised that in order to get premium operating times you will have to help out in one way or another.? Just click on the link below to sign-up. Thanks and 73 Mark Hofstra ¨C KW1X Field Day Committee Chairman Sent from for Windows https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4DA4A92CA2F94-48729845-field
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FCC issues WW9XPI experimental license to SpaceX
Just a quick FYI, 3/20/2024 the FCC announced that they granted the experimental license WW9XPI to SpaceX for supplimental communications. This won't affect the ham radio community, but it may change cellular and internet service here in the US down the road.?
DA 24-280
Released: March 20, 2024
OET ANNOUNCES PERMIT-BUT-DISCLOSE EX PARTE STATUS FOR?
EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE WW9XPI
By the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology:
1. The Office of Engineering and Technology has designated matters pertaining to Space?
Exploration Holdings, LLC (SpaceX) experimental Special Temporary Authority (STA) to operate on an?
experimental basis, Call Sign WW9XPI; file number 2479-EX-ST-2023 as "permit-but-disclose" for?
purposes of the Commission's rules governing ex parte communications, effective March 20, 2024.?
Pursuant to the authority granted under this STA, SpaceX has been testing its satellites¡¯ capabilities to?
provide Supplemental Coverage from Space. We find that designating this proceeding as "permit-but-
disclose" will serve the public interest by facilitating the resolution of broad policy issues associated with?
SpaceX¡¯s operations.1
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Playing on 900 Mhz for less than $70
Hi everyone,?
With the flood of inexpensive Chinese radios coming into the US, I recently discovered the Retevis RT10 900 Mhz 1 Watt Handheld. Now 1 watt isn't the most power, but we as Amateurs have secondary operating privileges in the 902-928Mhz portiin of radio spectrum known as the 33cm band.
As of now if you wanted to play on 900 Mhz, you needed to buy repurposed commercial gear, modify it, and biggest factor is the fact of spending a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars on the equipment to get on the band.
Enter the RT10. Right now they're selling for $69.99 on Retevis website with free shipping. They program similar to most DMR type radios, you need to download the software from Retevis. Word of caution, the software will not work on Windows 11, so you'll need to track down a Windows 10 machine for the programming software. I was fortunate that my Lenovo laptop from 2016 is unable to be updated to Windows 11 due to hardware constraints.? So that is my radio programming laptop now.?
Programming is easy, download the software, hook up the radio to the USB port using the 2 pin Baofeng or Kenwood style programming cable. Run the software, download the current code plug from the factory from the radio, save it for future reference, then program in your DMR ID number, and go to the Zones and start programming the repeater info, ie RX and TX frequency, Analog or Digital, CTCSS Decode and Encode, RF Power Low or High, Signal Bandwidth, etc.
Then write it to the radio after using the Save As tab abd type in your callsign with the radio model, ex. NA1Q RT10 Codeplug.? Then as I change it, I add the date behind the RT10 to show the latest revision of my codeplug incase I need to go back to an older version.
Now there's no display, or keypad, bit it does have voice prompts to tell you what zone and channel you're on, but you'll need a cheat sheet to keep those channels in each zone memorized. I suggest using laminated recepie cards once you are happy with the channels in each zone.
Plus side is this a 900 Mhz ISM radio approved for part 15, not for any other service. Plus side is part 97 allows us to experiment with equipment like this with our Amateur license, making it fully legal to use in the Amateur band.
I look at it as for $70 to add an extra ham band to my station is cheap money, there are 900 Mhz repeaters around the area, the closest to us is Cumberland,? Wrentham, Greenville, North Providence,? and Scituate.?
Also they do what they call 900 Mhz Day on Thursdays to promote the use of the band and run a net on Thursday evenings on the NEAR900 reprater network also.
73 Matt NA1Q
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Hi everyone,
I appologize for this may be rather lenghty.
The reason we did 2A was W1DDD? running 2 HF stations (stations 1 and 2) the free VHF 6 meter station (station 3) and the GOTA station NA1Q (station 4) plus we had a couple QRP stations and a satellite station running intermittently between breaks Saturday and Sunday. So in theory we could have 4 plus stations running, but not for the full 24 hours. I know back when I attended with my camper, Cassie K1GTC the FT8 Demon operated 21 of the whole 24 hours, she needed a nap at 3am. We did 196 contacts, she did 192 of those. But that was the only station running 24/7, the others went QRT from around midnight to 8-9am Sunday when folks started to show up.
I say unless you have 100% commitments from each operaror to operate and can keep everything manned the whole 24 hours, I would stick with the 2A for this year.?
Now with all that said, I don't look at Field Day day as a contest, I look at it as a time for the club to get out, operate, and HAVE FUN. Every year we we experiment, and learn something new. Like last year I learned about how to install guy wires on a tower.?
As for this year, I'll be there Friday to help set up, the club has permission to use my callsign for the GOTA, I'll bring my antenna launcher along with extra plug weights to get lines up in the trees. I don't know about Saturday as I have dialysis, but should be there Saturday afternoon and for dinner. Sunday will be iffy, depends on how I do, as of right now I'm planning on being there and help with the teardown and packup Sunday afternoon.
I don't know if Cassie will be attending this year, depending on her schedule with work and school.?
So thats my 2 cents fwiw. 73 Matt NA1Q
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The NA SSB Sprint Contest this Saturday from 8pm to midnight is looking for more stations from RI.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
Hello Peter, Thank you for planning to operate in the NA SSB Sprint Saturday evening.? Besides the score itself, one of the objectives is to try to work all 50 states in the 4 hours.? That feat has been done in the past, but it has been several years since that was accomplished.? There is usually one or two states that are difficult due to low activity from that state.
RI has recently been one of those states that has prevented this.? We appreciate that you were on in April 2023.? For this next event on March 23, we have all of the states lined up with adequate participation... except RI.? You are the only RI station that has committed to being on and we appreciate that greatly.
I know you commented, "Glad to represent RI for the first hour or two."? Is there any chance of being on a little more?? Or are there other folks that you know in RI that might be able to also participate RI for at least part of the time?? We have been sending e-mails to a few folks that we know, but so far others are not available that evening.
Please let us know what you think, as well as any other suggestions that you may have.? And we are sincerely thankful for each of the contacts that you will be able to provide from RI.
73 Bob KW8N and NA SSB Sprint Contest Committee ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
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Everyone,
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It would be great if we could operate 3A or even higher but we just don't have the operators to warrant it. We've also had issues with interfering on the bands on other radios that will need better station-to-station coordination and filtering that we've lacked in previous FDs.?
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Mickey
On 03/20/2024 2:21 PM EDT Peter Sichel K1AV <psichel@...> wrote:
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Hi all,
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I want to solicit more thoughts on the question of operating 2A vs 3A during summer Field Day this June.
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This past Saturday we had our first committee meeting for the upcoming June 22nd-23rd Field Day.? Some of the more important things discussed:
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- We will be operating 2A RI using W1DDD.? Discussed possibly going 3A depending on participation.? WE NEED OPERATORS!
- We will be having a sign-up sheet for operating times.? If you want premium operating time you will have to help out in some way or another with set-up on Friday afternoon/Saturday morning or take-down on Sunday afternoon.? There will be a sign-up sheet for this as well.
- ...
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At the first planning meeting Randy K5ZD suggested we operate 3A so I¡¯m interested to hear more about what people are thinking both from a contesting and club activity perspective.
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Having operated Field Day from Aruba last year, I¡¯m looking forward to participating with BVARC this year and think we might have more active operators available.? Personally I would rather have radios be idle some of the time than not enough opportunities for everyone who wants to operate.? I¡¯m aware there¡¯s a challenge of keeping the radios from interfering with each other and believe part of the issue is the IC-7300 requiring an external bandpass filter (Mark KW1X has a set of these).? I assume we¡¯ll only operate one station per band (phone or CW) at a time.? I¡¯m willing to bring and setup my FTdx10 which has a stronger front end if desired.?
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In my current understanding we have:
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- Station 1: club IC-7300 with a 20-15-10m tribander on a 30¡¯ tower.
- Station 2: club IC-7300 with an 80-10m capable doublet.
- GOTA station using the QSO-A-Go-Go trailer (Mickey¡¯s IC-7300) and call sign NA1Q with free standing antenna [I forget the model].
- A 6 meter ¡°free¡± station for all 3 modes (CW, SSB, Digital). ?6 meters could be open during the day or not.
? [I don¡¯t remember who volunteered to bring this.]
- Possible station for satellite contact?
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Additional antennas:
- Fan dipole.
- EFHW (40-10).
- Wolf River Coils style 1/4 wave vertical (20-15-10).
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Day time: 40m, 20m, 15m, or 10m.? The GOTA station could use any band which is not otherwise active.
Late shift: 80m, 40m, 20m. ?15m could be active late into the evening.
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To make our decision easier I think it would help to understand how many people want to operate for an hour or two, versus volunteering to operate for 4 hours or more including late evening or early morning.
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I can volunteer for 4 hours or more.
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73 and Enjoy!
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Peter Sichel K1AV