Upcoming events

Field Day is right around the corner and we are prepared for a fun weekend.  I think it’s time to start looking beyond this fun event and map out the rest of 2018 and the start of 2019.  The first half of each year is usually the busiest.  We focus our time on Field Day planning which produces a memorable event.  2018 has been busy, for sure, and it will continue to be busy so get your rest.  

Upcoming events:  *=confirmed ?=not confirmed

*****2018*****

June     *14-ARES meeting

            *16-Swede Day Parade Rochester

            *20-OARS meeting

            *22-24-Field Day!!!!!

            *23-Cap Forest endurance ride, Evergreen Sportsmans club, 6 am to 7 pm

            ?5^th Saturday ARES Exercise

July     *3-Lacey Fireworks (ARES)

            *12-ARES meeting

            *18-OARS meeting 

August *1-5-Thurston County Fair

            *4 & 5-Tacoma Trail Cruisers Smuggler Poker Run

                        See http://www.tacomatrailcruisers.org/smuggler-poker-run.html

            *9-ARES meeting

            *10-14-Bigfoot races

            *15-OARS meeting

            *22-24—Camp Hope—Panhandle Lake 4-H Camp

            *25---Night Riders

September       *13-ARES meeting

            *15, 16-Salmon Run

            *19-OARS meeting

            ?29-5^th Saturday ARES Exercise

October  *11-ARES meeting

            *17-OARS meeting

            *19-21-JOTA

November  *8-ARES meeting

            ?16-Scout Night Hike

            *21-OARS meeting 

December *1-Skywarn Recognition Day

            *13-ARES meeting

            *19-OARS meeting

            ?29-5^th Saturday ARES Exercise

*****2019*****

January ?10-ARES meeting

            ?12 & 13-NA QSO party, CW

            ?16-OARS meeting-

            ?19 & 20-NA QSO party, SSB

            ?26, 27-Winter Field Day, OARS in planning stage

February ?1-Washington Emergency Communications Coordination Work Group (WECCWG) 

                        https://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/washington-emergency-                                         communications-coordination-working-group

            ?14-ARES meeting

            ?20-OARS meeting: 

March ?9-Mike and Key hamfest,

            ?14-ARES meeting

?20-OARS meeting

            ?30-5^th Saturday ARES exercise

April   ?6-MS Walk

            ?11-ARES meeting

            ?13 & 14-Comms Academy, ARRL emcomm northwest workshop

            ?14-Rookie roundup SSB

            ?17-OARS meeting

May     ?4-5 7QP 7 area qso party

            ?4-Lacey STEM fair

            ?9-ARES meeting

            ?15-OARS meeting

            ?18 & 19—Lacey Spring Fun Fair

            ?18-19-Olympus Road Rally

            ?19-Capital City Marathon

June     ?13-ARES
             ?15-Swede Day Parade
             ?19-OARS
             *21-23 Field Day!!!!!

If I have missed anything on this list, please email w7plc@arrl.net with the details.  Our calendar is getting busier all the time.  This shows that there is interest and appreciation in the community  for our skills.

Amateur Radio Week 2018

Lacey Fireworks Spectacular

When: Tuesday, July 3, 2018, 4:00 to 11:00 p.m.
 Setup starting around 13:00, exact location within the park is along the entrance road from 45th.

Where: Rainier Vista Park is located at 5475 45th Ave SE
Who: ARES and OARS members, wear your badge.
What: We will have a canopy and a table or two.  Hope to have a mobile packet station.  Last year we had a Morse Code Quiz and it was a real hit with the kids, and their parents.  A good opportunity to introduce ham radio to the community and have some fun.  We usually break down around 1700  when the bands start up.  Come and help out and meet some good people!

http://www.ci.lacey.wa.us/living-in-lacey/the-community/arts-and-events/july-3-fireworks

Joe Walsh PSA

Legendary rock guitarist Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, of the Eagles is featured in a just-released set of ARRL audio and video public service announcements promoting Amateur Radio.

Walsh, who visited ARRL Headquarters last year for taping, wanted to deliver two main messages in his PSAs: get involved in Amateur Radio, and become a member of ARRL. The messages highlight the tremendous service that radio amateurs provide to communities and convey how ARRL advocates on behalf of Amateur Radio on a wide range of legal and political issues.
An ARRL Life Member and long-time radio amateur, Walsh personally has been a strong supporter and advocate of ARRL and Amateur Radio, and his ham shack is just as impressive as his home recording studio. “I want to give back to the hobby that has given me so much enjoyment,” he said.

The PSA's:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Media%20&%20PR/PSA/Joe%20Walsh%20General%2060%20second%20PSA.mp4

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Media%20&%20PR/PSA/Joe%20Walsh%20Join%2060%20Second%20PSA.mp4

Field Day Plan

2018 Field Day Planning

Agenda

Operation Hours will be from 11:00 23 Jun 2018 to 11:00 24 Jun 2018.  Complete rules are available at http://www.arrl.org/field-day

Schedule

Thursday, June 21: Setup of non-operational radio equipment, tents, canopies, rope off parking area, safety station, etc,  can start at noon. Setup of operational radio equipment can start at 5:00 PM.

The new rules give us an additional 18 hours of setup time, but out of the 42 hours we can only use 24 hours for setting up radio equipments and antennas.  We need to define two 9 hours periods where NO setup will occur,  We need to set the morning start times for Friday and Saturday, as this will define the end of the setup time for the night before. e.g Start at 6am stop at 9pm the night before.  Start at 9am stop and midnight the night before.

This quite time does not preclude testing of antennas, just making changes to them.

We should consider having a night watch on site during the quite period.

Friday, June 22: Continue setup of equipment.

Q; Is the club going to provide food for the Friday night setup;  Pizza?

Saturday, June 23: Morning, continue setup and testing of equipment. Field Day operations begin as 11:00 AM

Field Day Pot Luck Dinner will be at 5:00 PM

Sunday, June 24: Breakfast at ?

Operations commence at 11:00 AM, after that secure equipment and pick up simple things, then go home and get some rest, write up an “After Action Report” offering your views on how it went, what we did right, where we could improve.  Send to w7plc@arrl.net

Monday, June 25: Starting at noon, Take down everything else: Tent, safety lines, masts, correctly coil all lines to avoid tangle, pull stakes, etc.  Inventory all items, return loaned items.  Start thinking about 2019!

Stations

Field Station: Captain, Bruce, WA7BAM

          12 x 12 tent, table, chairs, 2KW generator

          Flex 6300 radio, tuner, power supply

          Antennas: Sloper, delta, NVIS, vertical, G5RV

Shop Station: Captains, Art KL7SK/Lee, KI7SS

          Power: Duane's 4 KW with x-cords

          Antenna: SteppIR on bucket truck, NVIS. OCF 80M dipole?

          Radio: Flex 6500 or FT950

Garage Station: Captain, Duane, WB7ROZ

          Power: Duane's 4 KW with x-cords

          Antenna: 40-meter beam, NVIS, 80-meter loop, G5RV, vertical

          Radio: FT100D setup for PSK31

Personal radios can be substituted for station radios quickly

Operations

Bonus points: Need people to make these happen, who want to do one of these?

Visitors table and visitor log, need photos

Alternative energy (solar) demonstration,  need 5 contacts with a second (paper) log in addition to normal computer log, and photos of charging station

Educational session??  need photos

Formal NTS traffic message to the section manager, and up to 10 messages to friends, relatives

Satellite QSO, Phil will bring equipment,  need to log contacts, should try to make at least 3 contacts,  Photo would be nice

W1AW bulletin, has been done through PSK station in the past,  may be a challenge depending on band conditions

Social media,  post to Facebook when we get on the air, post scores throughout day, and when we shut down.

Youth Operator,  20 points for each Youth Operator (age 18 or younger) that completes at least one QSO, maximum of 100 points, That is 5 different Youth Operator.  We need there names.

Paper Logs:  We have paper logs for

Visitor sign in log, in addition to the visitor table, lets put a visitor log at each station.

Operator/Helper sign in/out log

Station reversion time sheet, you want to work a station at 2 AM, sign up so people know that you will be there.

We have these logs please use them.

Personal Items:

Bring your food and water, remember to stay hydrated.

If you want to use headphones do you have adapters, most radios use 1/4” phone jacks, some do not.

Keyers and any other operational aids.

If you bring something be sure to mark it, and live it in the car until it is needed.

Mast teams:

          Winch pull: Duane, Art, need at least two others

          Manual pull: Bruce, need at least two others

         

Antenna mast setup schedule:

          Winch team:

1.     Sloper 74' mast

2.     Delta, 63' for driven element

3.     2-fiberglass 40' for 40-meter beam

4.     70' delta reflector

5.     60' delta director

          Manual team:

1.    2-40' garage G5RV

2.    2-40' field G5RV

3.    ? 2-40' shop G5RV

4.    2- tripods plus 2 sections for the 2 verticals, guys R8

5.    2-tripods 20' push up for 80-meter loop

Additional short masts:

1.     Shade tarp, think positive, need three to four people to set this up.

2.     Sloper termination points

3.     Garage NVIS antenna