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January 2021
In 1976 I attended my first GCARC meeting, mostly because I wanted to participate in Field Day. Little did I know that in a few short years, I would be named Field Day Chairman! And that's the way it works in our Club. Show up regularly for and participate in any one of our various Club activities, and soon you may end up running it! This includes the various committees, but also extends to serving as a Club officer, up to and including the position of President. And thanks to the one-year term of office bestowed upon us by the founding members, many from our ranks have been given the chance to hold the gavel. In most cases, their primary qualification for the office, like mine, was just coming out and participating in the various activities of the Club. They learned by doing, and by watching those members who had come before them and helped to build the legacy of GCARC for future generations of hams in the Southern New Jersey Section.
Just this past fall, I taught a Morse Code class to a group of budding CW operators within our Club. This was the first time I had ever taught a class in anything. Certainly there were more qualified teachers within our ranks, and better CW operators than I, but I gave it a go and actually got it done. Again, my primary qualification was simply a willingness to take the time and do it. And I got the feeling that my students really appreciated my efforts, however unqualified for the job I may have been on the day of our first class. One thing is for sure, at the completion of the course, I was far more qualified than I was when we started out!
We have a number of really talented people in our Club, who are quite willing to share their knowledge with us on a regular basis. Whether it is through our meeting programs, Tech Saturdays, or the various operating events, there is a lot of great knowledge that we can acquire just by showing up and listening to the experts who are willing to take the time to show us how it is done, whatever "it" may be. And it is really encouraging to see the newer members taking on some of these activities. This will ensure that the Club will remain vital even if some of the older members reach a point where they are no longer able to stay actively involved. This is an important thing in a hobby like ours which is dominated by older folks.
I am honored to have been given the opportunity to serve GCARC as President for 2021. There have been many great GCARC members who have served in this office before me, and I hope that my performance will be up to the standards that they have set. I would especially like to thank my friend Jim Clark, KA2OSV, for his efforts of the past two years, and for his trust in me as he passes the gavel to my hand, and also to all of you members who have also put your trust in me. I will make every effort to do the best job that I possibly can. All I ask in return is that you show up for and participate in your favorite Club activity, and learn all that you can from it. But be careful, as someday you may find someone handing the gavel to you! Wishing you all good health and prosperity in the new year, and hoping that it will be a better year in every way.
Membership renewal dues will be accepted starting on January 1st.
March 31st is the deadline to renew your membership.
February 2021
Well we are off to a good start for 2021. January saw two successful online meetings for me, as I tried to figure out just what I am doing, but by the time the second meeting (Board of Directors) rolled around, I realized that I was starting to get the hang of it. And while I may still be a little green at manning the helm, the crew is able and seasoned, so we are in fine shape. We have some great things to do this year, to take the Club in some new and interesting directions, and hopefully we can have a blast just getting there.
The new Technical Committee is off and running, under the direction of Jon Pearce, WB2MNF, and is doing exactly what I envisioned it to do, which is overseeing and coordinating the various technical projects that the Club is working on. Big improvements will be made this year to both the VHF/UHF and HF stations, as well as to various infrastructure items like the grounding and power systems. The guys from the "SkunkWorks" have taken responsibility for the VHF/UHF station, and I have a couple of enthusiastic newer members who want to do the same for the HF station, but they will need some help, so if you have the time and/or ability, please contact me via email or phone and get signed up.
We had an unexpected insurance inspection of the Clubhouse, but did get enough short notice to be able to get most of the glaring and obvious infractions that we could find corrected prior to the inspector's arrival. Our most sincere thanks go out to Charlie Olinda, N2SRQ, who was able to quickly get us new tagged and certified fire extinguishers for the Clubhouse that were sorely needed to replace the old outdated ones. And he did this at no cost to the Club. It is members like Charlie, and we have a number of them, who make this Club great and make it possible for us to enjoy the amenities we have that most other radio clubs just dream about.
As most of you know, we were forced to raise the dues this year in order to maintain a balanced budget. Our operating expenses rely mostly on dues and the hamfest to be paid, and the expenses have been rising while the revenues have been flat. We were concerned that we might experience a drop off in membership if we raised the dues, but we took a chance because we were bound by the by-laws to do so. Well I am happy to report that new membership applications are rolling in at a refreshing pace. And when you look at all of the benefits of membership in GCARC, there is little wonder why so many have seen the value in that small expense. Rest assured, your dues will be well spent for the benefit of all our members. And you will get a lot more out of the Club than the dues cost you. Thanks to all who have renewed their memberships, and to those who have not, please don't forget. March 31st is the deadline to renew your membership dues.
We are hoping to have a Field Day kickoff meeting within the next month or so, and the fact that we were able to pull off a successful FD last year during the height of the pandemic panic provides some real assurance against the kind of uncertainty that we had last year. We now can say, with great confidence, that we will have a Field Day this year, and it will be even better than last year! And last year, it was great, by the way. I for one am looking forward to it. Field Day is THE reason I got my license 45 years ago, and the reason I first joined GCARC. It is still my favorite event of the year. More news to come!
I have appointed Jim Clark, KA2OSV, to fill the vacant directorship left when Jeff Welsh, KD2AZI became Vice President. Just when you thought you were out, we pulled you back in!
That is about all I have for now, so I hope everyone is on the air and making contacts. Propagation will be steadily improving so if you are not on the air, now is the time to get that station operational. If you need any advice or assistance, contact one of our Club Elmers listed on our web page. Hope to see everyone on the next meeting.
March 2021
As I write this, the snow, sleet and freezing rain are falling outside my shack window, and my back is sore from scraping and shoveling, but I know that springtime weather is just around the corner. Now is the time to start planning that antenna project, or planning that spring or summer portable operation that know you wanted to do last year, but for whatever reasons, did not. The nice weather will be here before we know it.
The W2MMD station grounding project is now underway, with the inside work being the first phase, and when the weather breaks, the next phase to be done will be the outside perimeter grounding system. The final phase, improving the grounding of the towers, will be done last, possibly in the fall. This system will protect our equipment and our Clubhouse from damage in the event of a lightning strike. We are very fortunate to have our own Ron Block, NR2B, as the grounding system designer, as he is a veritable expert on the subject. We also have a great technical team to do the work, so this project will be done right.
A few weeks ago, I put out a plea for volunteers to help with this project, and got a great response from more than a dozen willing and able hands. This team will make up the HF station grounding task force. The VHF station task force is mostly comprised of members of the GCARC Skunkworks, so I am confident that the biggest hurdle that we faced on this project, which was finding the needed labor, has been cleared. The funding request for the work being done up front will be brought before the membership at the March meeting, and hopefully approved with no issues. Later phases of the project will likely require additional funding.
Field Day is less than 4 months away, which is just around the corner. The Field Day Committee, under the leadership of Vinnie, N4NYY, is currently making plans for another great event. Each year our Field Day just gets better, so if you miss it, you are missing one of the greatest benefits of being a GCARC member. It is the event that I look forward to the most. So put your name on the list to be a band chairman or operator, and make plans to get on the air with W2MMD on Field Day, always the fourth full weekend in June. It's a blast!
The planning for the Hamfest is underway, too, and the date has been set for Sunday, September 12, 2021. Mark that on your calendar, and stay tuned for more details. We already have the biggest hamfest in the Philadelphia area, but it could very well get even bigger if more people come out of isolation later this summer. The timing for us was great last year, but could be even better in 2021.
This month we welcome a new member of the Club. Joseph Novak, N2LWE, who has an Amateur Extra Class license and lives in Malaga, NJ.
That's about all I have for this month. As soon as it is practical and safe, we are going to return to having our meetings at the Pfeiffer Community Center, and the first night back will be Pizza Night. I wish I could tell you when that will be, but right now I can't. In the interim, I hope everyone is well and getting on the air whenever possible. Don't forget the ARRL DX SSB contest the weekend of March 6-7, 2021, your chance to work some new DX without having to work hard for it! 73 to all and good DX!
April 2021
Spring is in the air! Hopefully, your antennas still are, too. An old ham saying goes that if your antenna survived the winter, you didn't build it big enough or put it up high enough! But now that the snow is gone, and the ground is soft, why not take advantage and put down a few more radials under that HF vertical, or start digging the hole for that new tower base. Because if you put it off and don't start now, before you know it, fall will be in the air and winter will be just around the corner! We have some good antenna knowledge within our Club, so if you want to do an antenna project, but don't know where to start, just ask, and the GCARC Elmers will be glad to help!
The W2MMD Clubhouse Grounding Project is well under way. If you visited the Clubhouse in mid-March, you might have been shocked to see the HF station stripped bare and the walls opened up to the studs! This was good evidence of how quickly the project is moving along, thanks to the excellent planning by our Technical committee. And of course, where would we be without the knowledge and generosity of Ron Block, NR2B, who has not only engineered the design, but also donated many of the parts that we needed. The project itself could have very well been out of our reach were we not fortunate enough to have Ron as an active member. Our Club is fortunate indeed, in that we have such a collection of talent, knowledge, and resources that other radio clubs can only wish for. For me, it is a privilege to preside over such a great group of Club members.
We are getting ever closer to Field Day, an event which many of us consider the highlight of the Amateur Radio year. A lot of planning goes into making it consistently great, but we also try to make improvements each year as well. Last year, many of our regulars did not show up due to the COVID situation, but hopefully this year that will be less of a factor. We had difficulty staffing some of the key stations last year, and you may have noticed that some of the band chairmen are already recruiting operators in an effort to resolve that difficulty in advance. If you are planning to operate a particular band / mode, or just would like to, it is important that you contact your band chairman and get signed up. With our membership, we should have no trouble putting 8 stations on the air at the starting gun, and keeping half of them on the air throughout the overnight shift. Just once I would like to see us take first in our class like we used to do. It can be done!
Activity on our 2 meter repeater seems to be picking up somewhat, with the Club nets showing more check-ins lately. I was recently thinking about putting a VHF radio in my truck, like I had for many years in the early days of my amateur career. In those days the repeater was buzzing with activity from before sunrise until well into the evening. The morning and afternoon drive times were especially busy. It was a great time for the Club, from a standpoint of us being so connected via on-air activity. I believe we can get some of that activity back just by monitoring one or all of the Club repeaters, and I would like to suggest that we all try that. Due to working from home, I am in the shack for many hours a day, and while I often monitor 2 meters, it is usually .52 simplex. But I would gladly switch to the repeater if there were just more activity to listen to. So dust off that VHF radio and put your call sign out there. I will be listening for you.
I was happy to learn that Tech Saturdays will be resuming before the Summer begins, and I am hoping we can do some other in-person events as well. I am about burned out on Zoom and Skype meetings myself. Between my job and three organizations that I belong to, I have had enough virtual meetings to last me the rest of my life. I promised that our first meeting back at the Pfeiffer Community Center would be a pizza night, and that promise still stands. Pizza night has traditionally been held in June, and I think that would be a very good time to shoot for. I am open to any comments or suggestions about this, as long as you email them to me, as I am often too busy working to take phone calls.
This month we introduce four new Club members :
Welcome to the Club and hope to SEE you ON-THE-AIR!
That's all I have for now. I hope that all of you have spent the long winter months healthy, happy, and ON THE AIR! And I hope to see you all very soon! 73!
The W2MMD Clubhouse Grounding Project is well under way. If you visited the Clubhouse in mid-March, you might have been shocked to see the HF station stripped bare and the walls opened up to the studs! This was good evidence of how quickly the project is moving along, thanks to the excellent planning by our Technical committee. And of course, where would we be without the knowledge and generosity of Ron Block, NR2B, who has not only engineered the design, but also donated many of the parts that we needed. The project itself could have very well been out of our reach were we not fortunate enough to have Ron as an active member. Our Club is fortunate indeed, in that we have such a collection of talent, knowledge, and resources that other radio clubs can only wish for. For me, it is a privilege to preside over such a great group of Club members.
We are getting ever closer to Field Day, an event which many of us consider the highlight of the Amateur Radio year. A lot of planning goes into making it consistently great, but we also try to make improvements each year as well. Last year, many of our regulars did not show up due to the COVID situation, but hopefully this year that will be less of a factor. We had difficulty staffing some of the key stations last year, and you may have noticed that some of the band chairmen are already recruiting operators in an effort to resolve that difficulty in advance. If you are planning to operate a particular band / mode, or just would like to, it is important that you contact your band chairman and get signed up. With our membership, we should have no trouble putting 8 stations on the air at the starting gun, and keeping half of them on the air throughout the overnight shift. Just once I would like to see us take first in our class like we used to do. It can be done!
Activity on our 2 meter repeater seems to be picking up somewhat, with the Club nets showing more check-ins lately. I was recently thinking about putting a VHF radio in my truck, like I had for many years in the early days of my amateur career. In those days the repeater was buzzing with activity from before sunrise until well into the evening. The morning and afternoon drive times were especially busy. It was a great time for the Club, from a standpoint of us being so connected via on-air activity. I believe we can get some of that activity back just by monitoring one or all of the Club repeaters, and I would like to suggest that we all try that. Due to working from home, I am in the shack for many hours a day, and while I often monitor 2 meters, it is usually .52 simplex. But I would gladly switch to the repeater if there were just more activity to listen to. So dust off that VHF radio and put your call sign out there. I will be listening for you.
I was happy to learn that Tech Saturdays will be resuming before the Summer begins, and I am hoping we can do some other in-person events as well. I am about burned out on Zoom and Skype meetings myself. Between my job and three organizations that I belong to, I have had enough virtual meetings to last me the rest of my life. I promised that our first meeting back at the Pfeiffer Community Center would be a pizza night, and that promise still stands. Pizza night has traditionally been held in June, and I think that would be a very good time to shoot for. I am open to any comments or suggestions about this, as long as you email them to me, as I am often too busy working to take phone calls.
This month we introduce four new Club members :
- Doug Dersch, KD2VQA, of Mullica Hill
- Larry Dial Jr, KI2LDD, of Mickleton
- Matt Katsoris, WV2O, a returning member from Franklinville
- Rolf Wurmbach, KD2VQG, of Pilesgrove
Welcome to the Club and hope to SEE you ON-THE-AIR!
That's all I have for now. I hope that all of you have spent the long winter months healthy, happy, and ON THE AIR! And I hope to see you all very soon! 73!
May 2021
Greetings all! Springtime is a busy season at my house, as my wife is an avid gardener, so I often have a long list of chores to do this time of year. But it is equally busy down at the W2MMD Clubhouse and W2MMD HF station, where several major improvement projects are coming together nicely. The team of volunteers that has been working on the grounding project has completed most of the work on the HF station, and are on track to have that station up and running by Saturday, May 8, 2021, which is the scheduled date for our first Tech Saturday - Open House. This and other improvements will make our Club's greatest asset even greater. We are most fortunate to have the W2MMD station for our members to use and enjoy, and I for one am thankful that we have such an able team of volunteers who are working hard to improve and maintain it. As I so often say, it is something that most other clubs can only dream about.
Speaking of improvements, when the HF station comes back on line, we will be upgrading its performance significantly, thanks to the generosity of Club member John Hill, W2HUV, who has ordered a new Elecraft KPA-1500 legal limit amplifier for our use. This will make the already big signal of W2MMD even bigger. Hopefully the production issues that have plagued Elecraft due to fires, the pandemic, and worldwide component shortages, are being resolved, and we will have the amplifier on site soon. This, combined with some scheduled antenna maintenance, should make our HF station a formidable performer in the pileups. If DXpeditions resume, and the sunspots cooperate, we could soon be having a lot of fun with our HF station!
Field Day is just around the corner, and much planning and preparation work is already underway. Many of us consider Field Day to be the highlight of the Ham Radio year, and I can say with certainty that it is my favorite event. There is no other 24 hour event that I spend more time planning and preparing for. For example, I am currently in the process of building a 2 element beam for 20 meters, with full size elements, that is specifically designed and optimized for Field Day use. Everything from the way the antenna assembles and disassembles, to the computer-modeled tuning and performance, has been done with Field Day in mind. I am looking forward to putting the antenna on the air on June 26th and making lots of contacts for W2MMD, and I hope that you can join me. If you have been missing out on the fun at Field Day, it is time to change that. Come out and see what you have been missing!
Our annual Hamfest is scheduled for Sunday, September 12, 2021, and much planning and preparation is already being done for that. Many other clubs have cancelled their hamfests, some for a second year in a row, but we are determined for ours to happen as planned, with the proper precautions in place, exactly as we did last year. We were fortunate that the timing of the most severe restrictions being lifted coincided with our September date, and we are hoping for similar good fortune this year. And at this point, the tightening of restrictions on outdoor gatherings is about the only thing that would force us to cancel the event. While a possibility, that is not very likely to happen. We are hoping for a pent-up demand for hamfests to drive our attendance numbers even higher than last year's, and I am confident that we will see at least some improvement to what was, by all of our measures, a very successful event.
Also, with many of the indoor restrictions from COVID-19 being eased, we are on schedule to resume our in-person General Membership Meetings at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown. Barring a reversal of this trend, we are shooting for the June meeting to resume our old routine. One aspect of that was traditionally that the June meeting was Pizza Night, and we hope to be able to do that again. As such, the May meeting will be another ZOOM meeting, and will be held online. The turnout for the online meetings has been good, but I am really looking forward to an even bigger turnout in June. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to pull it off. If we can do that, Field Day on June 26th, and the Hamfest on September 12th, I can assure you all that GCARC will have a great summer. Until, enjoy the rest of Spring, and I will see you on ZOOM for the May 5th meeting!
This month, we welcome new Club member, Russell Guise Sr, KD2WDM, from Franklinville. Hope to see you at our meetings and at Field Day.
A big Thank You to Club member Bob Demola, KD2GFL, for volunteering to cut the grass around the Clubhouse. That area is not cut by the 4-H grass cutter, so we have to maintain it ourselves.
June 2021
Here it June already, and good timing is once again working in our favor. Our illustrious governor has graciously lifted many of the restrictions on public gatherings, and with many of our members feeling a bit safer due to the widespread availability of the COVID vaccines, we are good to go with our first live meeting of the year, and of course, Field Day!
The live meeting and Pizza Party will be held at the Pfeiffer Community Center on June 2nd, which at the time of this writing, is rapidly approaching. I for one am looking forward to seeing everyone come out for these events, and getting back to the business of doing what we do best, which is being the most active and fun general-interest radio club in South Jersey. We have a number of other fun events planned as the summer progresses, and hopefully we can get these all in without any of the severe restrictions of last summer.
So if you missed Field Day last year, here is your chance to get back into it. We will need operators around the clock, so just come out at whatever time is convenient for you. There is also always a need for help with the setup on Saturday morning and the tear down on Sunday afternoon, so those times are good as well. The main thing about Field Day is to just show up. If we could get half of our membership to just do that, we would have a Field Day of epic proportions.
There has been some great progress with the improvement projects at our Clubhouse. The Lightning Protection Project is really coming together nicely now, and we will soon have legal-limit solid state power in the HF station. The first Tech Saturday Open House was a great success, and the turnout was good. Our tech committee is doing a great job with projects, and getting things to just work better. We will also be needing to replace the rotator on the big HF Yagi, due to a failure of the old one during high winds. This was not a planned expenditure, but it is a necessary one. As you might know, it is better to take care of these problems in the summer if possible, and that is what we plan to do. One thing is for sure, our HF station will be in tip-top shape come the fall and winter DX and contest season, thanks to our great all-volunteer workforce who keep it that way. I am looking forward to hearing the even bigger signal of W2MMD on the air later this summer and in the fall.
I am pleased to see that we still have a steady flow of new member applications each month, and that most of our membership has renewed their dues for another year. This month we welcome Jim McDonald, WB2AOL, a returning member and old high school chum of mine, who now lives in Columbus, OH. We also welcome Art Olson, N2AJO, from Brick NJ; and Gary Kinney, KC2ULS, from Medford NJ. That we continue to attract new members, with many from outside our immediate area, is a testament to the fact that as a Club, we are doing things right and capturing the interest of many who are involved with the hobby now, and that GCARC is as relevant today as it was 62 years ago.
That is all I have for this month, but I hope to see everyone out for the June meeting and pizza party. And don't forget to tell your spouse and family that all home projects and family events planned for the last full weekend in June will need to be re-scheduled! Looking forward to a great turnout for Field Day, and I do so hope that we win our class this year. 73!
July 2021
By the time most of you read this, Field Day 2021 will be history, but as I write this, it is but a few days away. Almost every piece of HF gear I own (except for the amplifiers) are packed away in my camper, along with four or five antennas, an AB-577 mast from AB2E, lots of tools, cables, and hardware, and just about anything else that I think we might possibly need. If there is one word which sums up Field Day perfectly, it is PREPARATION. If you have good preparation, you will have a good chance at having a great Field Day. To say that I am anxious, and chomping at the bit, would be entirely appropriate. Field Day is by far my favorite amateur radio event of the year.
Speaking of annual events, another one that I am very fond of is held over the first week in July every single year. It is the 13 Colonies (http://www.13colonies.us) event, and I not only love working it, but I am also one of the operators for K2I, the New Jersey station. The idea is to work all 13 Colonies, plus the 2 bonus stations, and earn a nice certificate. It is a lot of fun, and from our location here on the East Coast, it is relatively easy to work them all. I routinely do it on the first day or two of the event, often just using the 40 meter band. I encourage all of you to check it out. You can look for the spots on DX Summit (http://dxsummit.fi) or eHam.net (https://www.eham.net). Go to the QRZ page of KU2US (https://www.qrz.com/lookup/ku2us) for more information. You will not regret it.
During the month of June we held our first in-person General Membership and Board of Directors meetings of the year, and both were quite successful and enjoyable. The ZOOM meetings got us through the COVID era and allowed us to stay active and keep the Club together, but even as convenient as they were, they paled in comparison to an in-person meeting. I for one am very happy to be able to get back to meeting in person, and I look forward to being able to keep doing it, especially now that the weather is nice. Maybe in the winter time if a blizzard is upon us, we can do another ZOOM meeting, but for now, I am happy to do them in person once again. And for those who cannot make it, we are committed to having a live ZOOM simulcast of the meetings, so we will have the best of both worlds.
For those of you with VHF capability, the summer E-skip season has been perking up lately, with many reporting 6 meter contacts to Europe. If you are looking to increase your VHF DX totals, now is the time to do it, as the E-Skip season is a short one. Someday I am going to put up that 6m beam that is in my shed, but for now, just let me know if any of you work any good ones. It may encourage me to get that job done!
This month, we welcome back Gene Schoeberlein, AA2YO, of West Deptford, who is returning to GCARC after a brief absence from the Club. Great to have you on board.
That is about all I have for this month. I hope all of you are having a great summer, and are getting your antennas in shape for the fall DX season. And don't forget the NAQP phone and CW contests next month in August. They are a blast to operate and you don't need big power or big antennas. Until then, 73 and hope to see you all at the next meeting.
August 2021
By now you must have heard that Field Day 2021 was an unparalleled success, and that a great time was had by everyone. Participation was great all around, and our score was significantly better than last year. We won't know until December if we won our class (7A), but whether we won it or not, we had more fun this year than last year, and last year was not bad! Thanks to all who came out and pitched in, and congratulations in advance for our excellent score, regardless of where it ranked. If you missed Field Day this year, you missed a lot, so do plan on coming out next year. You will not regret it.
I am happy to report that many significant projects around the Clubhouse are getting checked off the list, thanks to the tireless work of our all-volunteer teams of members who are getting these projects done. The HF station is now in fine shape, with legal limit power, and full remote control, including antenna rotation. This accomplishment was through no small task, but we got it all done and it is ready to go. Other improvements include a new air conditioner in the main room, and a new toilet in the bathroom. Overall, the Clubhouse has never looked better. And as I always say, it is an asset that members of other radio clubs can only dream of. We are fortunate indeed to have the motivated members that we have, who continue to get things done for GCARC.
This month in August, two of my most favorite contests are on the calendar. The North American QSO Party CW will be held on August 7th, and the NAQP SSB contest will follow, two weeks later, on the 21st. These contests are just 12 hours long, and single operators can work no more than 10 hours of that. There is a 100 watt power limit, which evens the playing field, and no spotting assistance may be used, unless you are entering in the multi-op class. These contests, in my opinion, are the very best contests for a beginner who wants to give contesting a try, and they are held twice a year, in August and January. Participation has been growing by leaps and bounds, so there is no shortage of contacts to be had. Why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose but 10 hours of your time, and you might just have a lot of fun.
Our annual hamfest is just around the corner now, so if you have not signed up yet for a volunteer position, please do so at the next general meeting, or by contacting Sheldon Parker, K2MEN. If the weather is good, we are expecting a good turnout again, so we certainly can use all the help we can get. If you were not aware of it, we have one of the largest and longest running hamfests in the region, which is generally held in high regard by many. Lets all pitch in if we can, and try to keep that tradition going. And unlike Field Day, you don't need to devote an entire weekend to it to be a major participant. A few hours on Saturday night or Sunday morning is all it really takes. Mark your calendar now for Sunday, September 12th.
That is about all I have for now.
This month we welcome new member Peter Bircsak, WB2EDJ, from Monroeville NJ. Welcome aboard!
I hope to see everyone come out for the August 4, 2021 General Membership Meeting at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown. We will try to have a ZOOM link up for those who are unable to attend in person.
September 2021
By the time you read this, the dog days of summer will be mostly behind us, and our annual hamfest will be just days away. I always look forward to September, because of the great weather, and the many enjoyable things to do outdoors, but I also know that the dark, cold winter days are just around the corner, so the need to finish up those final antenna projects is increasing with each passing day. Now is the time to get those projects done, not in late December or January. A little pre-planning goes a long way.
Speaking of our 2021 Hamfest, last year we were one of the few clubs in the region who was able to pull off holding a hamfest in a "normal" fashion. A combination of timing, and a good operating plan, came together to help us succeed. We had a strict protocol in place for health and safety, and with great cooperation from all in attendance, everyone stayed safe but still managed to enjoy the day. Based on that experience, we are this year prepared to respond to any similar pandemic-related challenges that may arise on the weekend of the hamfest. And we will. At this point, a hurricane would pose more of a threat to the event than any public health issues.
Also, it is not too late for last minute volunteers to help out either on the day of the event, or the evening before. If you have some time to give, contact Sheldon Parker, K2MEN, and let him know that you are available. He may need you to replace someone who suddenly cannot make it due to illness or some other unexpected issue. We would always rather have too much help than be caught short-handed. We have one of the bigger hamfests in the region, and the better our turnout, the more help we will need, so please, if you have not signed up yet, try to free up a few hours for the Club on the morning of September 12th, or the evening before.
While I have your ears (or eyes!) about volunteering, the annual MS City to Shore Ride is coming up on September 25-26th, and they are desperately in need of volunteers to help out with that great charitable event. Contact Herb Dyer, KT2Y, if you have some time available that weekend and would like to help out. I am sure that it will be appreciated.
That's about all I have for now, but before I bid you 73, let me take this opportunity to welcome some new Club members : Christopher Prioli, AD2CS, of Pitman and Carl Hale, KD2WTY, of Williamstown. Chris is a new ham who completed all of his license testing requirements up to and including the Amateur Extra Class test, all in one day.
This stands in stark contrast to the 39 years and 10 months that your President took to get from his Novice Class exam to the Amateur Extra Class exam!
We have a lot of really smart people in GCARC, but it is always nice when we can add a few more.
Don't forget this month's General Membership Meeting will be on September 1st in Williamstown. This meeting will also be broadcast live via ZOOM. As always, I look forward to seeing all of you there. 73!
October 2021
What a month September has been so far! It literally started out in a whirlwind as a tornado tore through our county, and right across our W2MMD property, taking down two of our towers! This of course happened while we were having our General Meeting via ZOOM due to impending bad weather. That move turned out to be a good call. We were fortunate that our Clubhouse was not damaged, and our equipment stayed safe and dry. But ironically, the indoor equipment that was undamaged had coverage under our insurance policy, while our outside antennas did not. Fortunately, our treasurer Al, KB2AYU, started a GoFundMe page for us, and the response from the local amateur community has been fantastic! We are well on our way to being able to replace our towers and antennas without putting the Club into financial jeopardy. We also received many other generous contributions by cash or check from the local community, including a very generous contribution from The Bank of Elmer. In all, close to 200 individuals and organizations stepped up to help us re-build our antenna systems, and I cannot begin to thank them all enough for such generosity. It is good to know that our local community as well as our community of fellow hams is there for us in a time like this.
The damage from the tornado was primarily the loss of the 54 foot HF and 90 foot VHF towers, and most of the antennas on those towers. The only damage to the Clubhouse was that most of the skirting around the bottom was blown off, and also we lost some roof shingles from the shed, but those items were repaired during a Saturday work party a few days after the storm. Thanks to all who came out for that. There was also a lot of tree damage on the property, but the 4H people took care of all of that, and within a few days the property had been completely cleared. We were without power for about 4-5 days, but it was restored before the hamfest, in another stroke of good luck. Our recently repaired generator was not used because it has not been tied in yet, but that is a project that we would like to do soon. We also need to replace the front doors on the Clubhouse, as the old ones is in bad shape, and we are lucky it was not blown in. A new steel door and screen door will be ordered soon, and we are looking for a volunteer to head up the project of replacing them. This needs to be done before winter. If you have the skill and the will, please call or email me as soon as possible.
We also dodged another bullet with the hamfest. The tornado tore through the 4-H property just about a week before our scheduled hamfest, but the pavilions and other fairgrounds facilities were miraculously undamaged. Had we not been able to hold the hamfest, our financial plight could have been much worse, as the proceeds from the hamfest is what pays the bills for the Clubhouse throughout the year. Again good fortune smiled on us, as we had one of our most successful hamfests in years, with excellent weather and very good attendance. So while we may have started out the month with some bad fortune, since that time things have gone increasingly better for us, and I am confident that we will bounce back from this in fine shape.
We have an excellent core group of very motivated people who keep things running smoothly and get things done, and the rebuilding project is already in the works. I am thankful to have such a collection of talented and motivated individuals helping me get things done for the GCARC membership. It makes my job as President easy and a pleasure!
Well that's about all I have for now, and wow - that is quite enough!
This month we welcome new member Robert Sincavage, N3XUB, of Mantua, NJ. Rob has already checked into our Club nets and is happy to be a part of such a lively and active Club as GCARC. Welcome Rob!
This month's meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown, with a live ZOOM simulcast.
I look forward to seeing all of you then. 73!
The damage from the tornado was primarily the loss of the 54 foot HF and 90 foot VHF towers, and most of the antennas on those towers. The only damage to the Clubhouse was that most of the skirting around the bottom was blown off, and also we lost some roof shingles from the shed, but those items were repaired during a Saturday work party a few days after the storm. Thanks to all who came out for that. There was also a lot of tree damage on the property, but the 4H people took care of all of that, and within a few days the property had been completely cleared. We were without power for about 4-5 days, but it was restored before the hamfest, in another stroke of good luck. Our recently repaired generator was not used because it has not been tied in yet, but that is a project that we would like to do soon. We also need to replace the front doors on the Clubhouse, as the old ones is in bad shape, and we are lucky it was not blown in. A new steel door and screen door will be ordered soon, and we are looking for a volunteer to head up the project of replacing them. This needs to be done before winter. If you have the skill and the will, please call or email me as soon as possible.
We also dodged another bullet with the hamfest. The tornado tore through the 4-H property just about a week before our scheduled hamfest, but the pavilions and other fairgrounds facilities were miraculously undamaged. Had we not been able to hold the hamfest, our financial plight could have been much worse, as the proceeds from the hamfest is what pays the bills for the Clubhouse throughout the year. Again good fortune smiled on us, as we had one of our most successful hamfests in years, with excellent weather and very good attendance. So while we may have started out the month with some bad fortune, since that time things have gone increasingly better for us, and I am confident that we will bounce back from this in fine shape.
We have an excellent core group of very motivated people who keep things running smoothly and get things done, and the rebuilding project is already in the works. I am thankful to have such a collection of talented and motivated individuals helping me get things done for the GCARC membership. It makes my job as President easy and a pleasure!
Well that's about all I have for now, and wow - that is quite enough!
This month we welcome new member Robert Sincavage, N3XUB, of Mantua, NJ. Rob has already checked into our Club nets and is happy to be a part of such a lively and active Club as GCARC. Welcome Rob!
This month's meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown, with a live ZOOM simulcast.
I look forward to seeing all of you then. 73!
November 2021
Greetings all! So far, the month of October has been a great one for GCARC. Our fundraising goals were easily met, and we were able to pick up a great replacement for our HF tower that we lost on September 1st, and to our luck it turned out to have an identical base configuration and bolt pattern. We had plenty of help show up for the trip to pick it up, at the QTH of K2HES in Ocean County, and all went well. Many thanks to all who made it possible. This Club really comes together when the need arises, and it is impressive, even to me, to see how we get things done.
We still need a crew with some carpentry skills to take on replacing the front door, before the really cold weather hits us. Please call me if you would like to volunteer. This is an important job, if not ham radio related in any way, but we do need to get it done. There are a few other small projects going on at the Clubhouse, but generally at this time of year we would be winding down for the winter. That is, in a normal year when a tornado did not blow down our towers! This year we will probably be working on things all winter! Hopefully, it will be a mild one.
By the time you read this, the 2021 CQWW SSB DX contest will be in the books. It is one of the "Big Four" contests that I make an all-out effort in, and this year my goal was to make a million points. I will let you know how I made out! Setting goals is one of the most important things a contest operator can do to improve. Contesting is one of the best ways to become a really proficient operator, and to improve the performance of your station. If any of you would like some personal tips on how to get started in contesting, just drop me an e-mail and I will pass along what I know that works. Also in November, the ARRL Sweepstakes is a great domestic contest if you don't have a big station. Low wire antennas and 100 watts can net you a lot of domestic contacts.
We will also be having our first license testing session at the Clubhouse, hopefully in November 11th if we can pull it all together. We think there is a demand for this, and we are looking forward to doing this on a regular basis. There are a lot of activities that we are already involved with, but this one in particular is really worth our time. Every new ham that we can bring into the hobby is one more that we can count on to help us keep it going in the long term. I don't believe that Amateur Radio is going to disappear any time soon, but we need some new blood no matter what.
This month we welcome new members Carl Wittig (no call) of Mantua, NJ, Jeff Thomson, N2SQA, of Cape May Court House, NJ, and Todd Buirch (no call) of Bridgeton, NJ. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the November 3, 2021 meeting at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown. Until then, 73
December 2021
Well here we are, in the last month of 2021. I can hardly believe it went by so fast. During this year, GCARC accomplished some great things. Among these were the installation of a top-notch grounding system and full legal limit power at our Club station; a Field Day event that was world-class and successful in every way, a hamfest that broke all previous records for ticket sales and income, and many other smaller accomplishments that were too numerous to mention, but every bit as successful.
We also suffered some serious damage to our antenna systems in an unheard-of (for South Jersey) tornado, that caused devastation to some of our neighbors. But once again, how we handled that disaster was just another series of accomplishments worth celebrating. We initiated a fund-raising campaign of epic proportions, and thanks to the incredible generosity of the amateur community, we are well on our way to rebuilding our antenna systems to be even better than they were before. There is still a lot of work to do, but we will get there, I am sure.
While all of these accomplishments were underway, I had the great honor of presiding over all of them, but I can hardly take any credit at all for any of them. That credit is due to you, the membership, who worked extra hard, and dug deep to contribute in any way that you could. Without that kind of giving, of your time and your personal resources, not one of these tasks could have ever been completed. It takes a lot of hard work and a fair amount of money just to keep things running in a normal year, but in a year like 2021, it takes an extraordinary level of effort and funding. You all deserve a round of applause for rising to the occasion like you did.
I am continually impressed by the number of very ambitious projects that this Club has going on at any given time. Our hobby is diverse and multi-faceted, so much so that it would be impossible for any single ham to be involved in all aspects of it. But as a Club, GCARC has so many of those aspects expertly covered, that it is almost certain that our Club has something for everyone. Maybe that is why our membership has been growing, and even drawing in new members from outside our local area. And hopefully, we can continue this growth into the future.
So what lies ahead for 2022? Well, aside from the continuing rebuild of our antennas and continuous improvements to our station, lots of great new things! For example, new licensing classes will be starting up thanks to the efforts of Chris, AD2CS, and an able team of instructors that he has recruited; as well as some interesting new technical projects, thanks to the efforts of the SkunkWorks and our Technical Committee. There will be plenty to do, but I am certain that we will accomplish even more than we did in 2021.
This month we welcome new members Jerome Milden, K2OOO, of Swedesboro; Richard Subers, W2RHS, of Clayton; and David Danichkin, KD2UXC, of Vineland. The final general membership meeting for 2021 will be held on Wednesday, December 1st, at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there. Also the 2022 Pfeiffer Community Center agreement has been paid and approved.
We also suffered some serious damage to our antenna systems in an unheard-of (for South Jersey) tornado, that caused devastation to some of our neighbors. But once again, how we handled that disaster was just another series of accomplishments worth celebrating. We initiated a fund-raising campaign of epic proportions, and thanks to the incredible generosity of the amateur community, we are well on our way to rebuilding our antenna systems to be even better than they were before. There is still a lot of work to do, but we will get there, I am sure.
While all of these accomplishments were underway, I had the great honor of presiding over all of them, but I can hardly take any credit at all for any of them. That credit is due to you, the membership, who worked extra hard, and dug deep to contribute in any way that you could. Without that kind of giving, of your time and your personal resources, not one of these tasks could have ever been completed. It takes a lot of hard work and a fair amount of money just to keep things running in a normal year, but in a year like 2021, it takes an extraordinary level of effort and funding. You all deserve a round of applause for rising to the occasion like you did.
I am continually impressed by the number of very ambitious projects that this Club has going on at any given time. Our hobby is diverse and multi-faceted, so much so that it would be impossible for any single ham to be involved in all aspects of it. But as a Club, GCARC has so many of those aspects expertly covered, that it is almost certain that our Club has something for everyone. Maybe that is why our membership has been growing, and even drawing in new members from outside our local area. And hopefully, we can continue this growth into the future.
So what lies ahead for 2022? Well, aside from the continuing rebuild of our antennas and continuous improvements to our station, lots of great new things! For example, new licensing classes will be starting up thanks to the efforts of Chris, AD2CS, and an able team of instructors that he has recruited; as well as some interesting new technical projects, thanks to the efforts of the SkunkWorks and our Technical Committee. There will be plenty to do, but I am certain that we will accomplish even more than we did in 2021.
This month we welcome new members Jerome Milden, K2OOO, of Swedesboro; Richard Subers, W2RHS, of Clayton; and David Danichkin, KD2UXC, of Vineland. The final general membership meeting for 2021 will be held on Wednesday, December 1st, at the Pfeiffer Community Center in Williamstown. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there. Also the 2022 Pfeiffer Community Center agreement has been paid and approved.