President's Letters 2023

Jonathan Pearce, WB2MNF

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January 2023

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2023, a year that hopefully will have no global pandemics, no massive natural events that tear down our towers - just great opportunities to explore various aspects of the hobby that we all love. As this year's president I'm excited to help plan new ways that our Club can assist its members by creating outstanding educational events, many new activities, and additional resources to allow Club members to explore new aspects of this great hobby.

Thanks to Past President Tony Starr, K3TS

None of this would have been possible, however, without the leadership that our previous president, Tony Starr K3TS, provided over the last two years. Tony had to deal with two situations never previously faced by a Club president - restoring the Club to normal operations after a global pandemic and dealing with the aftermath of a massive tornado that tore down two of our towers. Tony handled both of those situations masterfully - he continued the ZOOM meeting format of monthly Club meetings until it was safe for in person meetings, which occurred without the much-feared “super spreader” events. Current in-person meeting attendance is now back to normal, with the addition of more than a dozen regular ZOOM participants.

When the towers came down, Tony moved immediately, recognizing the opportunity to purchase the new tower, organizing the work party to pick it up, and pulling it to the Clubhouse using a trailer and his own truck. Tony was also frequently involved in the refurbishing of the tower and its final implementation. Without Tony's guidance during these periods the Club might be in a very different position at this point. I'm personally grateful for his leadership and hope I can provide as much value to the Club as he did. Tony isn’t going anywhere - he’ll be filling several critical committee positions and is always a significant presence at Club functions.

Club Leadership

I'm also grateful to have an outstanding group of Club leaders this year. Ron Block NR2B, assumes the position of Vice President, with Karl Frank W2KBF and Al Arrison KB2AYU continuing in their positions as Recording Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Frank Romeo N3PUU moves into the officer group as Corresponding Secretary. On the board, former Club president Jim Wright N2GXJ moves from the trustees to the board and is joined by new board member Chris Prioli AD2CS. Chuck Colabrese WA2TML, Jim Clark KA2OSV, Jeff Garth WB2ZBN, and Bill Price NJ2S continue with their board positions. John O'Connell K2QA joins the trustees, along with the existing trustees Mark Gottlieb KK2L, Bob Fields KC6AOH, and Chuck Lanard KD2EIB.

I’ll be introducing each member of this group at the January meeting, so if possible please attend in person so the Club leaders have the opportunity to meet as many Club members as possible.

Content, Activities, and Resources

This group of leaders will be focusing on three primary areas to enhance the value of the Club to its members : Content, Activities, and Resources.

• Content will include creating outstanding presentations at the monthly membership meetings, as well as useful collaborative Tech Saturday events and the alternate-Monday Technical Zoom Nets.
• Activities will include additional Clubhouse participation in contests using the HF and soon-to-be-operational VHF stations, additional informal events on alternate Saturdays, and whatever additional activities the board can create.
• Resources will include the addition of brand-new grant-funded VHF equipment, and ultimately the installation of a new VHF tower. We're also hopeful to make additional enhancements to the HF station if sufficient funding can be obtained.

While we hope to enhance the value of the Club to all members, a primary emphasis will be on newly licensed hams, providing content, resources, and activities that guide them in their quest to obtain the fullest possible experience from Amateur Radio. The success of the licensing classes conducted by Chris Prioli AD2CS has resulted in a large number of newly licensed members, so our unique resources at the Clubhouse will be targeted to allowing new Technician Class licensees to experiment with a brand-new VHF station as well as the satellite station, and new General Class licensees to use the outstanding HF station recently enhanced with a Flex radio. Many of our general meeting and Tech Saturday events will be structured to provide additional content for this group of members.

The DigiNet that meets using ZOOM on alternate Monday nights and has had a significant number of participants has been re-branded as the TechNet for 2023. This will allow it to expand to cover other technical areas of interest with participants from a broader geographic area or who need to participate from their home locations. Check the GCARC TechNet page on the w2mmd.org website for the current topics, dates and ZOOM information.

In addition to the new activities, our ever-popular Field Day and hamfest functions will continue, and hopefully will expand. With several possible openings among operators of Field Day stations, we hope that newer General Class licensees will step forward to operate critical stations and become a permanent part of what's one of the preeminent events in Amateur Radio. We're also discussing a number of new additions to the hamfest, including a portable satellite station, enhanced emergency communications functionality, additional seminars and several other new activities.

Club members make the real difference

Club leaders can plan all we want but the real keys to success are in the hands of the members. Come to meetings in person whenever possible. Meet other members and the Club leaders and let them know what you'd like to see. Tech Saturday Forum events are always popular, but there's usually someone at the Clubhouse every Saturday morning so feel free to stop by, see what's going on, talk to some other people and perhaps operate one of the Club stations. Check into our VHF and 10 meter nets if possible, and check out the ZOOM TechNet for various technical topics. Club meetings and other sessions are now being recorded and uploaded to our YouTube Channel, so check that out if you've missed something.

Most importantly - COMMUNICATE - let us know what you'd want to see the Club provide and come out and be part of it.

February 2023

Our January 4th General Membership Meeting was quite successful, with 33 in-person attendees on a rainy night accompanied by 15 ZOOM participants. Retiring president Tony Starr K3TS gave an outstanding presentation on working 5 Band DXCC offering multiple tips to those of us for whom DXCC on even a single band seems unimaginable. One member contacted me after the meeting expressing his encouragement at the large number of members who are focused on getting things done. This is the goal of our Club - to provide Content, Activities and, Resources to allow large numbers of Club members to find innovative ways to enjoy their hobby together.

Tech Saturday Forum
The Tech Saturday event was similarly successful with Chris Prioli AD2CS presenting a tutorial on troubleshooting with oscilloscopes. Although 16 members attended the entire session, some were involved in side conversations that led to some interesting observations. Notably, Jerry Barnish K2EAB and Mike Thompson KG4JYA realized that both were seriously interested in radio astronomy, which prompted a discussion as to how to use Club resources to advance that activity and get others involved. Several suggestions were advanced including using the Monday night “TechNets” for these types of activities, as well as the Club's Discord server to provide online discussion capabilities. We'll be working on advancing these type of activities in the coming months.

The February 4th Tech Saturday session will cover the configuration and operation of the FLEX-3000 HF radio recently installed in the HF room, and its interfaces with fldigi, WSJT and the PST Rotator interface. The Flex requires virtual COM ports and sound cards so we'll cover them as well. Tech Saturday starts at 9:00 AM on the first Saturday of each month following the General Membership Meeting.

HF Station
The HF station was also in operation for the ARRL RTTY contest later that afternoon and Courtney Smith KD2SPJ came down to operate for a few hours. We plan to have this station available for local operation each Saturday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and encourage all appropriately licensed members to feel free to drop in, become familiar with the operation of the FLEX-3000 or Icom 7300 radios and other equipment, and to use the station frequently. The Clubhouse HF station provides an opportunity for those of us in HOA restricted communities or who may be newly licensed and looking to evaluate their ham radio opportunities without a significant initial expenditure of funds. The Icom 7300 provides a traditional radio operating experience, while the FLEX-3000 provides an introduction to SDR-type operating. The Elecraft amplifier and new tower and antennas provide state-of-the-art capabilities for HF operating.

Satellite Station Is Operational!
The satellite station has been offline since March 2022 due to the reconstruction in the VHF room. Much of the heavy construction work (replacing insulation, patching holes in walls, new paneling and ground installation) has been completed, so the VHF room can be temporarily opened until the custom - built furniture is completed. This let us temporarily install the satellite station on a folding table and make it operational for a couple of months. We'll have it operating for the February Tech Saturday event, although it's too early to evaluate when satellite passes will occur on that day. We expect the satellite station to be operational almost every Saturday thereafter, so let me know if you're interested in satellite operations and we'll schedule a time to get you involved. Obviously satellite contacts can only occur when satellites are overhead so users will need to be flexible, But if you're interested we'll find a time to make it happen.

HF Station Upgrades
One of my goals for 2023 is to consolidate remote and local operation in the HF room. Currently, operation is bifurcated between remote and local operators, with remote operators using “remote ham” to operate the Kenwood radio, while local operators can use either the Icom 7300 or the Flex 3000. Currently only remote operators can use the Elecraft amplifier. My goal is to consolidate this experience using a single radio, probably a FLEX-6400 or 6600, and also provide both local and remote rotator control and antenna switching without needing any manual tasks that must be performed locally. Unfortunately, the Flex software doesn't appear to have that capability, nor is it envisioned in the future, so we would need a separate device providing these capabilities while also being significantly resistant to external hacking. Network security is paramount within the Clubhouse network, and exposure of PCs to the Internet is severely limited; therefore allowing remote access to a program like PST Rotator may create an unacceptable security risk. Alternatives may exist, however, so please let me know if you'd like to work on this project.

KC4/WB2MNF - almost
As I finish off this column I’m sitting on the Viking Polaris expedition ship staring out my window at the continent of Antarctica. I had initial thoughts of bringing an HT down here, carrying it on shore, briefly pressing the transmit button and then announcing that I had operated in Antarctica, but Viking prohibits “ham radios” on their ships. Besides, my primary objective (other than the sheer excitement of being here) is to take great photographs and the HT would have taken the place of a camera on the RIB boats that bring us to the shore. Once I’m back and have a chance to process these photos anyone interested can take a look at https://pearcefamily.org to see if I got anything interesting. It will probably be mid-February before I’m done but hopefully I’ll have some good stuff.

And Viking cruises actually streamed the Eagles-Giants game for which I’m sure that we were the southernmost viewers and also created the southernmost singing of Fly Eagles Fly!

This month we welcome the following new members :

• Vincent Antonelli KA2APD from Scarsdale, NY
• Gary Castellini N2IEC from Vineland
• Ben Johnson WB2GUK from Egg Harbor Township
• Bill Robinson KD2ANM from Franklinville (returning member)
• Marty Wilt W2ILT from Laurel Springs (returning member)

​March 2023

February is the shortest month of the year, but it certainly wasn't short of challenges and successes for the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club. We started out the month by finding with only a few hours notice that our normal monthly meeting spot at the Pfeiffer Community Center was closed, necessitating a quick reversion to a Zoom-based meeting. Fortunately most members were able to make the switch, and Zoom attendance was almost equal to the usual in-person attendance. The management team met at the Clubhouse for the meeting, and that group's attendance was about the same as the usual Zoom attendance, so overall attendance at the meeting was almost at the usual level. For the March 1, 2023 meeting Len Rust W2LJR arranged for us to use the Mantua Masonic Lodge so we'll be able to meet in person once again.

Tech Saturday was its usual success with more than 20 attendees signed into the Clubhouse for a session on the use of the new Flex 3000 radio in the HF room. Following that discussion Jim N2GXJ initiated an impromptu work group session to design and implement a 160 meter antenna for the Clubhouse, to be ready in time for the CQ World Wide 160-Meter Contest to be held the weekend of February 24th. That effort, described in this March 2023 CrossTalk issue, has resulted in a functional antenna, and although at this point requiring some further tuning it should be usable for the 160 meter contest. A great example of Club teamwork in action!

The weekend of February 18th, saw several other projects completed. The aging and massive EchoLink® computer was replaced by a compact PC, and a 220 MHz port was added to the WinLink® station. Both of these projects were team efforts, utilizing the skills and efforts of members who frequent the Clubhouse on Saturdays.

We also had our first “HelpNet” in February, occurring on Monday night February 27 at 7:30 PM. HelpNets are unstructured Q&A sessions for members who would like assistance on a particular issue or project. In this case Mike KG4JYA was looking for some assistance in getting SDR Console to recognize his SDR radio, and while he has solved that problem we’re still going to meet to talk about various SDR issues. All members are invited to initiate HelpNet discussions and to participate in them. They’ll be announced through email and on the Club website.

Finally, to any members who haven't renewed their membership - please do so either at the March meeting or through the Pay Dues Here page on the website. We only have a little more than half of the renewals necessary to meet our budget and will shortly be reaching out to contact individual members who haven't renewed. To avoid an e-mail or phone call on this issue please renew soon.

This month we welcome the following new members :

• Norman Coltri, WA2UUP from Swedesboro.
• Michael Covaleski, N2MMC from Sewell (Returning Member).
• Susan Frank, W6SKT from Swedesboro.
• Joseph Gadoury, KE2AKT from Tabernacle.
• Todd Woodward, KD2ESH from Turnersville.

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​April 2023

What could be more exciting than combining ham radio with rockets? Several months ago we were contacted by Nicholas Kreuz KC3RFB who is an electrical engineering student at Rowan University and is the architect of the avionics suite for a rocket being constructed by students to compete in an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics rocket competition in June. Nick and his team were looking for some help in designing the antenna to be used with the radio telemetry and module that controls ignition and parachute deployment of the rocket. We spent several hours at the Clubhouse working with him to get an antenna that would handle the 29g acceleration (even more than Tom Cruise in Top Gun) when the engine fires. At our March meeting Nick, Daniel Millar, and Thomas Stanek from that team presented the overall concept of the rocket including the basic design, propulsion and avionics programs – and they brought along the rocket! Judging from the crowd surrounding them at the end of the presentation it was one of the more interesting sessions that has occurred at our meetings. We’re continuing to work with those guys and hope we can build an ongoing relationship with the Rowan EE department.
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It's always exciting to hear and see Club members working together on projects, and these cooperative activities continued through March. Len Rust W2LJR hosted a successful Tech Saturday event in March with a presentation on DMR radios, which filled the Clubhouse with more than 20 participants. The usual ad hoc discussions followed with some participants wandering into the HF room while others watched the latest satellite passes. Tech Saturday is turning into a great collaboration event so be sure to put it on your calendars (the first Saturday following the General Meeting) and come out when you're available.

As a result of Len’s presentation there are now two digital radio hotspots at the Clubhouse for use by Yaesu System Fusion and DMR radios. Frequencies and modes will be listed on the Clubhouse whiteboard so bring your radio and check them out.

The April Tech Saturday session will occur on April 8, 2023 with a presentation by John Zaruba Jr K2ZA on Yaesu System Fusion and Wires-X technology. Don’t miss it, especially if you have a Yaesu radio!

Jim Wright N2GXJ who was one of the primary architects of the 160 meter loop antenna at the Clubhouse presented his successes at the March General Membership meeting. Jim reported making 132 contacts during the CQ 160 meter SSB contest, working 33 states and provinces as well as stations in the Caribbean, northern South America, and central Europe. A great result for a project that was initiated only a few weeks ago.

The TechNets are continuing on alternate Monday nights with Gary Mirkin WA3SVW to present several sessions on amateur slow-scan TV software in April. Check the w2mmd.org website for Zoom connect info.

About a dozen hams came out to participate in the hidden transmitter “Fox Hunt”, which is always a fun-filled event. Fox hunts pit the direction finding skills of the participants against each other in locating a tiny transmitter that's hidden in an unknown location by the previous winner - sometimes in diabolically difficult and creative places.

The ARRL Field Day event occurs in the fourth weekend of June, and is one of the two major group events for the Club (the other being the Hamfest in September). Since the “Winefest” that occurs on the 4H property adjacent to the Clubhouse will be held on the same weekend as Field Day this year, Field Day chair Tony Starr K3TS announced that all of our operations will need to occur within the Clubhouse boundaries, and will probably operate several fewer stations than in the past. Field Day represents a great opportunity for new members and newly licensed hams to get a great taste of contest operating while working closely with other Club members in our largest event of the year. If you're a new ham and haven't worked at Field Day please consider volunteering to operate one of the stations for at least part of the scheduled time period.

The GreenCube satellite quest continues as described on the W2MMD VHF/UHF/Satellite Station page. GreenCube provides a fascinating opportunity to explore a different type of satellite operating along with solving many small but annoying problems that inhibited success. Check out that article if you’re interested, and come down to the Clubhouse some Saturday when there are active GreenCube passes to see if we can pick up some additional countries. Late news – we just worked Japan and Korea on GreenCube, marking the longest-distance satellite QSO that may be possible from our location.

Progress is also being made on the acquisition of a VHF tower to replace some of the functionality of the tower that was lost to the tornado several years ago. Stay tuned for more info as details get worked out.

As you can see there’s lots happening at the GCARC so find your niche and come out and be part of the fun!

This month we welcome the following new members :

• Jacqueline Blanch KD2JBY, of Manchester Township, NJ
• Keith Evans KC3PAA, of Wilmington, DE
• Daniel Lenco WA2BPH, of Pedricktown, NJ
• James McCullough, of Sewell, NJ
• Edward Scheidts KC2QFB, of Riverside, NJ

​May 2023

After months of planning and discussion the VHF tower replacement project moved into high gear in late March and early April. The tower planning team had evaluated numerous alternatives for the VHF tower, balancing tower height, wind load, and cost, and had also concluded that a crank-up tower would be necessary to allow future maintenance. After making tentative tower selections, Al KB2AYU fortuitously located a ham in Missouri who was selling 2 towers of the exact models that we were seeking along with many accessories that would have significantly added to the cost. Realizing that this was too good an opportunity to pass up the board quickly approved purchasing both towers, which were delivered to the Clubhouse on Monday, April 3rd. Tentative plans are to locate both towers behind the Clubhouse at approximate midpoints between the existing VHF and HF towers.

In reviewing the required zoning and building permit applications with Stan WA2JRZ who is a certified city planner we confirmed that the application will need to be signed by the landowner (4-H) rather than the Club, so Ron NR2B and I met with our 4-H contacts to discuss the issue, and we're now awaiting for their decision. Assuming that we can proceed as planned, we'll submit the necessary township paperwork and begin planning the excavation and installation of the towers. Having two towers will allow us to mount all of the antennas that we had planned, which would not be possible with only a single tower. See Figures 1 and 2.

Electrical Box Support - See Figures 3 and 4.
The Clubhouse work team also use the opportunity to begin to remount the large electrical box behind the Clubhouse that houses the connections to the incoming electrical mains. That box had previously been mounted on two short telephone poles that had shifted and were pointing at an angle to the ground. Those poles were removed, and on a subsequent Saturday a massive wooden frame was erected and was placed into two deep holes that had been dug and filled with concrete. This will create an extremely solid permanent base for that box and will facilitate additional electrical connections in the future.

Trimming the VHF Tower - See Figure 5
Al KB2AYU also used the opportunity to take the precarious step of cutting off the top section of the collapsed VHF tower and lowering it to the ground, using the forklift to manage a cable on which the tower section was suspended. As those of us on the ground held our respective breaths, Al carefully cut through each of the supporting tower sections to the last, which resulted in the top of the tower dropping several feet and then hanging from the rope, exactly as had been hoped. That section was then lowered down using the forklift and was placed with the other broken tower sections behind the Clubhouse. This will facilitate using that tower for other purposes.

Working the ISS - See Figure 6
Late March also provided an interesting opportunity to view, listen, and actually work the International Space Station. Jim N2GXJ sent an announcement that the ISS would be visible at a certain time when it was making almost a direct overhead pass of southern New Jersey. Many Club members were able to view it as it passed overhead, and several were able to listen to the FM repeater located on the ISS. And John K2ZA was actually successful in digipeating through the APRS digipeater on 145.825 MHz With his Yaesu FT1D HT running 5 watts. The repeater on the ISS can be heard on most passes with a HT and may be worked with an HT or mobile radio at off hours.

Field Day Planning
Planning for Field Day is underway with Tony K3TS already meeting with the operating teams and sketching out station locations and operating positions. An unexpected benefit came from our discussions with our 4-H contacts who proposed to trade a portion of their property during the “wine fest” which also coincides with Field Day for the use of the “front yard” parking area of the Clubhouse for a 4-H event later in July. This significantly expands the area available for Field Day from what we previously had anticipated.

GreenCube Satellite Contacts
The Clubhouse satellite station continues to rack up contacts with the GreenCube satellite - so many that there are few stations on each pass that haven’t yet been worked. Forty-eight countries have been worked so far, which may be approaching the maximum number of stations that are operational on this satellite within the footprint that covers our area. Some European stations have reported working more than 60 stations but they may have more stations within their footprint than we do.

Coming Up in May
Our May 3, 2023 General Membership Meeting will host Randy Smith WU2S describing the AREDN system, a ham-based mesh-type network utilizing commercial radios reflashed with ham software.

​The May Tech Saturday Forum will be presented by Chris AD2CS and cover using the widely-available CHIRP software to program HTs and other radios.

This month we welcome the following new members :

• Robert Bleattler, KC3VXW, of Upper Chichester, PA
• Bert Espanol, N3PKH, of Swedesboro, NJ
• Carl Jackson, KE2BEE, of Mount Royal, NJ
• Felicia Jackson, KE2BED, of Mount Royal, NJ
• Melissa Seidner, KE2BEK, of Burlington, NJ
• Ethan Yost, KE2AVA, of Burlington, NJ​
  

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June 2023

It’s June - and June means only one thing to serious hams : It’s time for FIELD DAY! For the GCARC, Field Day is a weekend of communication, creativity, and camaraderie - for friendly competition with other clubs without the semi-militaristic approach that other groups utilize to “win”. It’s a chance to all GCARC members regardless of license class, age, or experience to get together and enjoy a weekend of ham radio, camping (for some), and showing that hams can, in fact, communicate using improvised stations operating with emergency power.

Who should come to Field Day? EVERYONE! There’s always a need for station operators if for no other reason than to give the primary operators a break. If you’re a little nervous about your operating skill, don’t worry - there are plenty of experienced operators to show you the way. Not sure if your license class covers operating some stations? Don’t worry - the control op’s license class prevails. Got a Technician license or haven’t been active for a while? Sign up for the Get On The Air (GOTA) station that we’re hoping to set up if enough ops are available. Want to let your kids talk on ham radio? Sure - they can grab a mic and make a few Field Day contacts. Want to try satellite operating? Come on over - we’ll be posting the upcoming satellite passes - including the International Space Station - and who knows what might happen???

If you’re new to the Club, Field Day is a great way to meet other members in an actual operating environment. Some unlikely teams have formed in previous years and have been very successful. Got some free time on Saturday morning? Come out and help get the stations set up - we can always use the help.

This year’s Field Day chair is Tony Starr K3TS, a veteran Field Day and HF operator and GCARC past president. Reach out to Tony ([email protected]) if you haven’t done so already and let him know that you’d like to be involved. Or feel free to just drop by the Clubhouse site to see what’s going on. We hope to have a large turnout for this year’s event.

Field Day weekend is June 24-25, 2023. Setup starts Saturday morning with the contest starting at 2 PM and ending at 2 PM on Sunday.

Other June Activities

The June 7, 2023 General Membership Meeting will include the much-anticipated PIZZA NIGHT, so you may want to skip dinner before that meeting. There's no instructional program planned which will allow more time for pizza eating and local rag chewing.

The June 10, 2023 Tech Saturday Forum will follow up on previous Yaesu System Fusion and DMR presentations and will cover the construction and use of “hotspots”, which are small computers with RF boards that function as gateways between 70 cm radios and other hotspots connected through the Internet. Tech Saturdays also provide opportunities to use the Clubhouse stations, and also inspire many ad hoc discussions among participants.

May Events

Not to be overshadowed by the upcoming Field Day activities, the month of May was extremely productive. Chris Prioli AD2CS presented an interesting Tech Saturday Forum session on programming radios using CHIRP, a software program that can handle a variety of different types of radios. That session was followed by training in radio direction finding as preparation for the fox hunt that occurred the following day.

Meanwhile back at the Clubhouse, Frank Romeo N3PUU and others cleaned up the newly-remounted electrical box and prepared it to handle some upcoming projects. Having received the 4-H's approval for the installation of our new VHF towers, Stan Slachetka WA2JRZ, Ron Block NR2B, and I commenced work on the zoning and building applications, aided by Frank N3PUU’s efforts at obtaining engineers drawings for the towers. Inspired by Len Rust W2LJR’s presentation on DMR, Chris AD2CS and I constructed digital hotspots for the Clubhouse that will aid Yaesu System Fusion and DMR users in accessing other stations throughout the associated network.

This month we welcome the following new members :
Joe Gallagher, KC2VAQ, who has a General Class license and lives in Woodbine, NJ
Jacques Latoison, KC3VYU, who has a Technician Class license and lives in Chester, PA
Phyllis Martin, W2PDB, Returning Member and General Class from Elmer, NJ.

July 2023

I got special permission from Crosstalk editor Jeff WB2ZBN to submit this article later than usual so that I can include Field Day experiences - and what a great Field Day we had! Despite predicted thunderstorms and some heavy downpours on Saturday afternoon we had a record turnout of participants and visitors including family members, many of whom hung around to help with the logistics of the event. The new antenna configuration created by Jim N2GXJ appeared to work well, and Field Day chairman Tony K3TS reports that there were plenty of operators to staff the seven stations that comprised our 7A participation status. Although it's been an active event for many decades, Field Day just seems to be getting better and better for the GCARC.

Since I'm the satellite station operator my Field Day experience is different from those of most others so I'll talk about some unique experiences that I encountered after I worked the critical Field Day satellite contact at 3:30 AM on Sunday morning. This schedule was necessary because I couldn’t get my laptop to run the PST Rotator program needed to rotate the antennas to track the satellites and had to reload everything onto a different computer, after which all of the earlier passes were over. Satellite contacts can only occur when satellites are overhead, and the ISS takes 90 minutes to the circle of the earth (and ended up being the only satellite that we could use), so I had plenty of time to wander around the Field Day site in the middle of the night in between passes. It was mostly quiet although one intrepid CW operator was softly pounding out QSO after QSO in a dimly-lighted tent. Around 4:00 AM I ran into Jim KA2OSV who couldn't sleep and who shortly went back to operate the 20 meter phone station, apparently successfully. Then Herb KT2Y showed up in the Clubhouse about 5:00 AM and we chatted briefly before he went back to his trailer. I racked up a couple more satellite contacts over the next few hours at 90 minute intervals until the breakfast crew comprised of Jeff WB2ZBN showed up and started preparing breakfast. I also took some overnight pictures of the site that will be shown at the General Membership meeting. “Field Night” is an interesting time…

Tech Saturday Covers Hamlib and Node-Red

On the July 8, 2023 Tech Saturday Forum, I'll be talking about two programs that together have captured my imagination for the last couple of months. These are the programs contained in the “hamlib” library that control radios, rotators, amplifiers, and other station components, and the “Node-Red” graphical programming language that can be used to build dashboards that control this type of equipment. There are countless YouTube videos on this topic (see https://bit.ly/3JEdVsb) so you can see how to set up a dashboard for your equipment configuration and individual operating pursuits. I used these programs to replace the hardware-based satellite antenna switcher that had multiple cables connected to the computer with a single Raspberry Pi device that connects wirelessly and whose only external connections are 12VDC power and the antenna relays. We've also built applications that monitor the Clubhouse power meter and display it graphically on the dashboard, and also monitor network speed. Both of these programs work on either Windows or Linux and are free. So if you're interested come on out on Saturday, July 8th and see if you're as fascinated as I am.

Tower News

Progress on the installation of the two VHF towers is slowly continuing. With help from Stan WA2JRZ, Ron NR2B, and Frank N3PUU we prepared and submitted the zoning application to Harrison Township which amazingly was approved within a couple of days. Meanwhile Frank obtained the tower specifications and installation drawings from the manufacturer which will be included in the building permit application, to be submitted sometime this week. Hopefully that process will be relatively painless after which we can begin the excavation for the tower bases and complete installation before cold weather begins.

Clubhouse Ramp Project

The project to build a ramp for the front of the Clubhouse has made some slow progress with Bill NJ2S having researched and printed the ADA requirements for such a ramp and Carl N2CRW having prepared a CAD drawing of the ramp and its connection to the Clubhouse. Still remaining are the time-consuming tasks of developing a bill of materials for the project and costing out each of the components. Frank N3PUU has volunteered to help with some of the design in his “spare time”, but the project still needs someone to take overall ownership and get it done. Piece meal approaches to projects without anyone taking overall responsibility generally have a low success rate since progress ends when no one is willing to take the next step so we're again reaching out for someone willing to take on this project, gather the resources necessary, and see it through to its conclusion. Please contact me if you’re interested in taking on this important task.

Clubhouse Front Door Lock Code Change

The combination to the lock on the front door of the Clubhouse will be changed on Saturday, July 1st for security purposes. If you already have Clubhouse access come to the Clubhouse on a Saturday to get the new code, or contact Chris Prioli, AD2CS. We'll make a general announcement when the lock code has actually been changed.

Note that all licensed members have access to the Clubhouse and its resources so if you’d like to take advantage of this wonderful Club asset come down to the Clubhouse some Saturday morning or contact me or one of the Club leaders to arrange a time to get checked out on operating the alarm system and equipment.

Car Show On July 29 - NO Clubhouse Parking!

On Saturday, July 29, 2023 a car show will take place on the 4H fairgrounds during the Gloucester County 4H Fair, July 27 - 30, 2023. The cars in the show will be using the “front yard” of the Clubhouse as a result of a trade that we made with 4H to gain additional area for Field Day. Therefore there will be NO PARKING in front of the Clubhouse for GCARC members on that day. To access the Clubhouse you'll need to pay the entry fee for the car show and park in their designated areas across the road. That's what I'm gonna do - I'm interested in both cars and ham radio!

This month we welcome the following new member :
John Peterson, KD2ODE, who has a General Class license and lives in Westampton, NJ

August 2023

Sadly I have to begin this message noting the loss of one of our most valued and dedicated members, Chuck Colabrese WA2TML. Chuck fought a brave battle with cancer for several months, but succumbed to it on Friday night, July 21, 2023. Chuck was a pillar of our Club, serving as a director for many years and bringing his wisdom, experience, and compassion to every meeting. He was also involved in all aspects of the Club’s activities, from Field Day to license exams and training, and always ready to lend a hand for Club projects. We will honor Chuck’s memory at the August General Membership meeting and remember his legacy in our future events.

August Activities

Do you want to learn how to install and operate amateur radio equipment in your vehicle? If so, don’t miss our August events at GCARC! At the Wednesday night General Membership meeting, Tony Starr K3TS will share his tips and tricks for going mobile at our general meeting. Tony is an expert in mobile radio, so you’ll get valuable insights from him. On Saturday, we’ll have a Tech Saturday at the W2MMD Clubhouse where you can show off your own mobile stations, exchange ideas, and get help from others. Whether you already have a radio in your car or you’re thinking of getting one, these events are for you!

And while Tech Saturday is designated for planned activities, the Clubhouse is open and occupied almost every Saturday, so stop by if you’re looking for help with a particular issue, you want to operate the HF station or possibly work some satellite passes, or just check out what’s happening that day. Call the Clubhouse phone at 856-244-6914 to check to see if anyone is there.

The Perseids meteor shower peaks on August 13th this year, and we hope that it will give us a chance to work with our new grant-funded VHF/UHF equipment to try to bounce signals off of meteors. Look for an announcement closer to that date.

We hope to get the building permits for the VHF tower installation from the Township soon, which will allow us to start working on the foundation planning. In that case we might need some volunteers to help with the construction, so please stay tuned for more details. And if you prefer to stay indoors, we have some cleanup and organization tasks at the Clubhouse that need your attention. Let’s work together to make our Club space more neat and efficient!

We hope to see you at our August activities and have some fun with amateur radio!

Soldering Classes

Several significant activities and advances have occurred at the Clubhouse during July. One of them was the successful delivery of two classes on proper soldering techniques by Chris Prioli AD2CS and John Zaruba Jr K2ZA on Saturday mornings July 8th and 15th. We were pleasantly surprised to see 14 people attending the classes, as we had only a few registrations a week before.

We were especially glad to see many new members who had not been very active in other Club events before. This shows that hands-on sessions are appealing and we will look for more opportunities to offer them in the future.

VHF/UHF/Satellite Room Air Conditioner

Also, the new mini-split air conditioner was installed in the VHF room by Frank Romeo N3PUU and others, being completed on Saturday, July 15th. This unit will provide ample and efficient cool air to control temperatures for the computers and networking equipment that permanently resides in that room. It will also act as a heat pump in winter. The unit was purchased for the Club by donations made to the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Foundation.

Many thanks to Frank, John O’Connell K2QA, Earl Moore KC2NCH, and others who worked on that installation.

Clubhouse Work Area Cleanup

We used the project area outside the VHF room to store boxes of stuff from the VHF room while we renovate it. The project area is for making things with microcontrollers, Raspberry Pi, SDR, etc. but we couldn’t use it for that because of the boxes. Chris and I spent two days sorting out the boxes. We put cables, connectors, hardware, and other things in containers on the shelf along the wall.

​Now the project area is free for its original purpose. We hope to set it up soon as a workspace for training and building projects. We also want to have a collection of common components for people to use in that area.

Volunteering At GCARC

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any not-for-profit organization, and particularly at GCARC. We have several different groups of volunteers who participate in various types of activities, and I think there are additional opportunities that may be less evident for other members.

The core group of volunteers is a small but dedicated team that meets most Saturdays to work on projects. They take care of the Clubhouse maintenance and improvements, training on equipment and other skills, Club communications like CrossTalk and the website, and many other tasks.

The workday group is a larger team that comes out several times a year for major Clubhouse workdays. They have done amazing things like cleaning and painting the Clubhouse, installing ground rods for the lightning protection project, and other similar tasks.

Finally, there are the many event volunteers involved in the planning and execution of Field Day and the Hamfest. Dozens of members come out for these activities year after year to make them a success.

But I think there's an opportunity for a fourth group of volunteers to handle short term projects that occur frequently, or minor tasks throughout the month. These projects and tasks are great for new members who want to get involved with the Club without having to commit to a long-term or large scale activity. They are also great for members who have specific skills or interests that they want to share with the Club.

Some of these projects include :

• Processing monthly membership meeting and Tech Saturday videos for the YouTube site
• Assisting or backing up the AV team at the Wednesday night General Membership Meetings
• Assisting in the inventory of Clubhouse assets and keeping that inventory current
• For the more technically inclined, managing the SatNOGS station, reviewing observations, and adding new satellites to the list of those being tracked
• Reviewing new technologies for presentation at meetings or write-ups in CrossTalk. For example, the VarAC HF digital communications program has recently been updated, it is installed on the HF station at the Clubhouse, and might provide an opportunity for an interesting short article or presentation

If you’re interested in becoming part of this project group or any other group of volunteers, please contact me, Ron Block NR2B, or Chris Prioli AD2CS, and let us know your availability and interest. We would love to have you join us and contribute to the Club in any way you can.

Volunteering is not only helpful for the Club, but also for yourself. You can learn new skills, meet new friends, have fun, and make a difference.

This month we welcome 9 new Club members. See the list on the Current Events page.

Thank you for your support!

September 2023

Despite being a popular month for vacations there was some active Club activity in August. Following up on his excellent presentation on mobile radio installations at the General Membership Meeting Tony Starr K3TS brought his truck over to the Clubhouse for Tech Saturday and demonstrated some of the installation techniques that he had described in his presentation. Other members brought their vehicles and picked up some tips on effective mobile installations. Tech Saturday always creates an opportunity for informal collaboration on projects and conversations no matter the planned topic.

Meteor Scatter Successes
As noted elsewhere in this month’s CrossTalk an intrepid group of experimenters at the Clubhouse had some success in bouncing 6 meter radio signals off of meteors and creating contacts with distant stations. Working meteor scatter is one of the more unusual ham radio activities and requires the station with the capability similar to those at the Clubhouse for success. Since this is one of our early efforts we had to figure out how to make things work, but we hope to be better prepared for the events occurring in December and January, especially if we can get the new VHF equipment set up in time. Look for announcements in December for the next meteor scatter event.

2023 Hamfest - September 10, 2023
I hope that every Club member has a large notation on their calendars for September 10th on which is inscribed in big letters “Go to the Hamfest!”. Along with Field Day, the Hamfest is one of the two major Club events of the year, and a large volunteer group is needed to run the event, so if you're interested in volunteering please let me know and I'll forward your information accordingly. The Hamfest also provides an opportunity to get together with a large group of hams from various areas, sit through some interesting technical and organizational presentations, and perhaps purchase some valuable amateur radio equipment! Weather for the Hamfest is always great so we expect to have a large turnout of members for this event. (Note - my voice recognition software continues to transcribe “Hamfest” as “hempfest”; please be assured that it is the former! We don’t want any dissatisfied customers at the HAMfest!).

Recording Secretary Needed
A pretty nice day was ruined when I received an e-mail from Karl W2KBF informing me and the GCARC Board that he wouldn't be seeking reelection as Recording Secretary at the end of 2023. If you're one of the people who actually reads the Board and General Membership Minutes in CrossTalk you know that Karl does an outstanding job of parsing through the somewhat obtuse discussions at these meetings and recording them in a reasonable way. Thanks are certainly in order for his time in this position, but we're now faced with seeking a new Recording Secretary. This position is an officer of the Club with voting privileges and has the obvious responsibility of creating the official record of activities at Membership and Board meetings. This position starts at the beginning of the year and has a one-year term. Karl’s musical abilities and prowess at playing the accordion were certainly a plus but aren’t required for this position. If you're interested in being nominated for this position at the end of the year please contact me so I can inform the Nominating Committee of your interest. 

DMR at Tech Saturday
September 9th (the day before the Hamfest) is the September Tech Saturday Forum at which Len Rust W2LJR will be presenting a session on “DMR Techniques You May Not Know”. Most DMR users know how to connect to a repeater or hotspot and link into a talk group but may not be familiar with the DMR capabilities that allow directly calling a distant station without knowing which repeater or hotspot it's using. Similarly, the procedures for sending SMS text messages, sending digital APRS locations, roaming and simplex operation may not be widely known. Len will be covering these topics and others that may broaden the capabilities of DMR users.

If you have a DMR radio and are planning to attend, please email me your DMR ID and callsign. It may be useful for attendees to program several code plug entries in advance of the session so that they can participate in the activities like direct calling and SMS messages but these require the destination ID and callsign to be programmed as a “talk group” that can be selected through the menu. We’re hoping to publish a list of code plug additions before the session containing the connection information to allow everyone to participate.

Technical Committee Members Wanted
Many of the Club “committees” actually only include the chairman, but I’m hoping to expand the Technical Committee to include a small group of Club members who are interested in experimenting with various types of ham-related activities and collaborating about those activities. The main vehicle for this collaboration is the Monday night “TechNet”, which will restart on Monday, September 18, 2023. The challenge for any such activity, though, is creating subject matter, which I hope that this group can identify. This group can go in many different directions depending on its interests, so please let me know if you’re interested in participating.

October 2023

September was a busy month for our Club with several events that catered to the different interests and skill levels of our members. We had a great presentation on radio propagation by Carol Richards, N2MM at our general meeting, and an interactive session on advanced DMR radio techniques by Len Rust W2LJR on Tech Saturday. We also learned how to solder surface mount components with Chris Prioli AD2CS in a hands-on workshop. These sessions are a good way to engage members who may not attend the regular meetings, and to offer a large variety of activities for our Club.

Hamfest
Then came the hamfest… For those of us who have wondered what the “worst case scenario” for a hamfest would look like, this was it. Rain was forecast well in advance of the event, allowing potential attendees to make alternative plans. And the forecast came true - rain poured down throughout most of the morning, creating so much noise in the presentation shed that most presenters had to abandon the PA equipment and sit closer to the audience to be heard. Nonetheless we had about 270 attendees throughout the course of the day, and attendance at the educational seminars was reasonable. The financial results will be presented at the October General Membership Meeting but were actually better than expected considering the weather.

The Tower Project Moves Forward
Another major event was the final approval for the building permit to erect the two VHF towers behind the Clubhouse. Although the Harrison Township zoning officials were extraordinarily helpful and quick in their processing, it still took several months to prepare and obtain the documents that were necessary for approval. With that approval in place, though, we can now begin installation of the towers.

Some history about the towers may be useful. As most of us know, on September 1, 2021, a tornado ripped through Mullica Hill and knocked down our HF and VHF towers. A GoFundMe initiative was started by Al KB2AYU that yielded about $14,000 to be used for tower replacement. Fortunately a replacement for the HF tower was identified quickly and transported to the Clubhouse site where Al, Frank N3PUU, and many others spent countless hours refurbishing the tower, replacing the cables, getting broken pieces welded, and repainting it. They also had to assemble the massive beam antenna, including 2 elements on 40 meters. With all of that completed and the tower erected in September 2022 the HF station was once again fully operational. About $2800 remained of those donated funds. No other Club funds were used on the HF tower.

Replacing The VHF Tower
The remaining funds were not sufficient to replace the VHF tower but fortunately we were able to secure an ARRL grant for $25,000 that put us on the path to regain VHF station functionality. In the interim Al loaned his “tower trailer” to the Club, allowing the erection of 2 meter, 220, and 440 antennas as a temporary solution. In addition, a grant of $11,600 was obtained from the ARDC to purchase new VHF equipment that would allow the W2MMD VHF station to be one of the best in the country.

With partial funding in place the team began evaluating various tower replacement options that would support antenna configurations commensurate with the equipment provided by the ARDC grant. Unfortunately the wind load from the desired configuration exceeded the capacity of most towers that were affordable. In a stroke of luck, Al identified a ham selling two crank-up towers of the exact type that we were considering (the use of crank-up towers was deemed essential to allow for ongoing maintenance and upgrades). Using two towers would allow erection of the desired antenna configurations, and both towers came with thousands of dollars’ worth of additional components that would otherwise have to be purchased separately. For $22,000 plus $2,000 for transportation we were able to obtain tower components worth about $60,000 if purchased new. The towers arrived at the Clubhouse on April 3, 2023 and have been sitting on the ground waiting for approval of the required Township permits.

Tower Funding
Now that construction can begin, we needed to identify the additional funding that will be needed to place them into operation. Frank N3PUU produced a detailed bill of materials for the installation of both towers, ending up with an estimated figure of $10,000. This will cover purchasing the reinforcing bars required for the foundation, digging the holes and filling them with concrete, replacing the cables on one of the towers, adding fencing to avoid unwanted access and other related expenses. The antennas currently on Al’s tower trailer will be moved to these new towers and will later be augmented with additional antennas that were salvaged and rebuilt from those on the demolished VHF tower. Construction will largely be done by Club members with professional help for tasks such as excavating the 8-foot-deep foundation holes. As is true with all ham radio stations these towers will never be “finished”, and further plans exist to mount additional antennas and microwave devices.

Obviously the remaining donated funds are not sufficient to complete this project, so additional funding will be necessary. In discussing this issue at the September 20, 2023 Board Meeting the board decided to limit Club contributions to the tower project such that the remaining funds in the Club treasury would cover one year’s expenses, about $14,000. This allows a contribution from Club funds of $2,200 to partially defray the expenses of the tower. The board also agreed to remove a previous commitment of approximately that amount that had been allocated for the construction of furniture in the VHF room. These amounts offset each other, meaning that the Club hasn't actually allocated more funding for VHF activities than it already had done.

Donations Needed
Combined with the $2,800 remaining from the tower donation funds, results in a total of $5,000 to be applied to the $10,000 cost of the tower construction. The obvious shortfall will need to be made up from donations, primarily from Club members although several other fundraising opportunities have been suggested and are in the works. We hope that members will recognize the “sweat equity” that has been invested by Al, Frank, and many other members of the team and will contribute to the “financial equity” that will be necessary to complete the project. More details on opportunities for donations will be discussed at the October General Membership Meeting and thereafter.

But on your upcoming visits to the Clubhouse start looking for the delivery of materials for the tower foundations followed by two large holes appearing in the ground, subsequently filled with concrete with bolts sticking up from the concrete. While it may be impossible to get both towers erected before winter cold sets in, we hope that one tower might be standing by winter. Early next year we'll begin a significant initiative to acquaint or reacquaint members with various types of VHF operation available, and how they can utilize the new state-of-the-art VHF station at the W2MMD Clubhouse.

Nominating Committee : Officer, Director, and Trustee Nominations
The GCARC Nominating Committee is tasked with developing an initial slate of candidates for elected Club positions. This Committee is composed of the current and all previous presidents, plus the two directors whose terms end in the current year. These nominations are presented at the October and November meetings, at which nominations from the floor can also be proposed. The election will occur at the December 6th meeting.

The committee’s nominees are :

• Jon Pearce, WB2MNF - President
• Ron Block, NR2B - Vice President
• John O’Connell, K2QA - Treasurer
• Frank Romeo, N3PUU - Corresponding Secretary
• John Zaruba Jr, K2ZA - Recording Secretary
• Al Arrison, KB2AYU - Director
• Bill Price, NJ2S - Director
• Carl Wittig, N2CRW - Trustee
• Sheldon Parker, K2MEN - Trustee
• Len Rust, W2LJR - Trustee

October Presentations
There will be are several excellent educational opportunities presented at the October 4, 2023 General Membership Meeting and the October 7, 2023 Tech Saturday Forum. At the general meeting Jim Wright N2GXJ will describe the process for designing and constructing the 160 meter loop antenna at the W2MMD Clubhouse. This project was an outstanding example of the synergy that occurs when several Club members get together with an idea and figure out how to implement it. Jim will follow that session on Tech Saturday by describing how antenna modeling software was used to design the antenna. If you're not familiar with this type of software be sure to attend this session. Jim is an outstanding presenter and his sessions on many topics are always illuminating.
​

November 2023

GCARC Club activities continued in October with two outstanding presentations by Jim Wright N2GXJ on the design and implementation of the 160 meter loop antenna that's installed at the W2MMD Clubhouse. At the Wednesday night General Membership Meeting, Jim presented on the overall design and construction of the antenna and the process by which it was designed and installed. During that discussion he referenced computer models that were developed to predict the characteristics of that antenna based on its orientation, elevation, feedline point, and other factors. At the following Tech Saturday Forum, Jim showed the computer software that was used in that design, allowing participants to download and model antennas to their hearts’ content.
 
The first of the Monday Night GCARC TechNet ZOOM Forum sessions also took place on October 9, 2023 and covered a number of intermediate and advanced DMR radio techniques from presentations developed by Len Rust W2LJR. TechNet ZOOM Forum sessions occur on the second Monday night of each month and cover a variety of informal technical topics selected by the group. Zoom links for TechNet can be found on the W2MMD website.
 
The Bike MS : City To Shore Ride also ended in October and many GCARC members participated in that event. This annual event is one of the few opportunities that local hams have to contribute their skills to a worthwhile public activity, and we hope that this participation will continue in subsequent years.
 
October Clubhouse Project Day
As described on the W2MMD Clubhouse Operations page, we had a very successful project workday on Sunday, October 22nd when nine Club members got together to excavate trenches along side the Clubhouse for grounding strips and ground rods to complete that portion of the lightning protection project for the VHF room. That team also removed the satellite antennas and rotators, the latter of which had ceased functioning and needed to be diagnosed and potentially replaced. The great turnout for this event exemplifies the volunteer spirit that keeps this Club running.
 
VHF Tower Progress
At the October General Meeting the membership gave its approval for $2,200 of Club funding to be contributed to the installation of the two VHF towers. Planning for those towers has moved forward with final decisions being made on various components needed for the tower foundation. Timeframes for construction are still dependent on the delivery of certain required items, so at this point, we don't know when the initial tower excavation will occur.
 
Donating To The VHF Tower Project
As was discussed at the October meeting, the VHF towers will require approximately $7,000 in donated funds to complete the installation. Donations can be made at any Club meeting, at the Clubhouse any Saturday morning and on the “VHF Tower Donation” page.

November Events
 
Tech Saturday Forum
Tech Saturday Forum will occur on Saturday, November 4th at 9 AM at the Clubhouse and will be a continuation of Mike Thompson KG4JYA’s presentation on Radio Astronomy. Tech Saturday events are always informative and create many informal opportunities for collaboration on a variety of different projects.
 
Rowan RCA NASA Radio Event
The RCA Heritage Program Museum team at Rowan University is organizing an event for Club members. The event will take place on Saturday, November 11th at 10 AM. During the session, RCA engineer Steve DiMedio will demonstrate the operation of one of the radios used on the Apollo lunar lander, which was developed by an RCA team in the 1960s. He will also give a short PowerPoint presentation describing its development. The session will be held at the RCA Museum at Rowan University. For details on parking and event location, please refer to the Club Member News page. This is the second such event that this group has organized for the Club and promises to be as extraordinary as the previous one.
 
Holiday Dinner
As part of the fundraising process for the VHF Tower Project, and also to create an exceptional social event, GCARC will hold its holiday dinner on Wednesday, November 29th at the Pfeiffer Community Center beginning at 7:00 PM. Advance reservations and payment are necessary to ensure sufficient food availability, and must be made by November 15th. Reservations for this event can be made at the W2MMD website, at the Clubhouse on any Saturday or at the November 1st General Membership Meeting. Please plan to come out and enjoy some great food, conversation, and camaraderie.
 
“Got My License - Now What? : Where Do I Go From Here” Training Session
Through Chris’ license class efforts our Club has brought several dozen new ham licensees into our hobby over the past few years. Unfortunately many of these new hams need some guidance as to how to take the “first step” into the hobby - whether it’s getting on 2 meters with an HT, setting up a home station, building or buying an antenna, or many other issues. An article in the current QST issue laments hams who have apparently become licensed but never actually had their first QSO. To deal with this issue we’re organizing a training session specifically targeted at this group, which will review several basic areas of operating ham equipment and then will delve lightly into the larger expanse of the hobby some of which may create interest in some participants. This session will be held at the W2MMD Clubhouse on Monday, November 27th at 6 PM. If you’re newly-licensed and would like to attend, or if you know someone who would benefit from this session please email Education Committee chair Chris Prioli AD2CS to register for this session.
 
GCARC TechNet ZOOM Forum
The November TechNet occurs at 7:30 PM on November 13th with Zoom information available on the W2MMD website. This month's topic will be concepts and techniques of meteor scatter operation in preparation for the event occurring later that week.
 
Meteor Scatter Operation
The Leonid Meteor Shower occurs in November, peaking on Friday, November 17th. Following up on our success in the previous meteor shower, the Clubhouse will be open on the mornings of Friday and Saturday, November 17th and 18th at 9:00 AM to attempt to work some 6 meter meteor scatter. Feel free to stop by if you're interested in participating in this interesting and rare ham radio opportunity.
 
The VP Takes Over!
I’ll be away for the first week in November on a “too good to pass up” scuba diving trip, so Vice President Ron Block NR2B will be running both the General Membership Meeting and introducing the Tech Saturday session. Unfortunately the dive boat has no opportunity for ham radio activities or I’d be looking for between-dive QSOs from WB2MNF/MM in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Belize. I’ll also have no access to email during that period so please be patient with any late email replies from me during that week.
 

December 2023

As my first year as GCARC President ends I feel very fortunate to have avoided some of my predecessors’ challenges of global pandemics, tornadoes bringing down towers, and other similar calamities. On the contrary, the great members of this Club have turned out to create events and activities in record numbers. Meeting attendance is at an all-time high, as is Tech Saturday Forum participation. Sign-ins at the W2MMD Clubhouse have doubled those in previous years. Many areas of the Clubhouse are unrecognizable due to the outstanding work of a dedicated group of volunteers. At the December meeting I'll be reviewing some of the accomplishments of the Club that would have been impossible without the active participation of its membership.

RCA Museum Visit
On Saturday, November 11, 2023 about two dozen GCARC members and guests were treated to a visit at the RCA Heritage Program Museum at Rowan University for a tour of the museum and a fascinating presentation on an Apollo era radio that had been recreated by a former RCA employee. That session is described on the RCA Museum page.

Thanks again to GCARC member Anthony Cerami N2OAC for setting it up.

Volunteer Appreciation Awards
Many Club members have been prolific in their volunteer assistance to the Club, yet the Club has had no formal way of recognizing them. At the October Board Meeting the Board approved the creation of “Volunteer Appreciation Awards” to recognize those members who have made significant contributions of their time to benefit the Club. “Significant” generally means about 10 hours of activity in Clubhouse project work, organizing and running activities, preparing and presenting material at Club meetings, and similar types of contributions. Financial and equipment contributions are recognized separately and are not part of this award structure. Board members and officers are not eligible. At the November meeting the Board approved a number of members meeting these criteria over the last year or so, and those awards will be presented at the 2023 Holiday Dinner for those attending, and at the December meeting for others. Going forward the board will review potential awardees each quarter.

“Got My License, Now What?”
A recent QST article lamented the apparent phenomenon of Technician class licensees who pass their test but never pursue the hobby. Through our licensing classes we have been successful in assisting more than two dozen new hams to obtain their licenses, but have had no process for following up and helping them to become operational in the hobby. To address that situation we've created a “Got my license, now what?” evening session that covers the primary areas with which Technicians need to be familiar to find their ham radio niche. That session will cover basic concepts of HF operation, using handheld radios with repeaters and nets, opportunities for Technicians in VHF and satellite operating, SDR radio use, and other topics as a quick overview to make sure the participants are familiar with them. The goal is not to go in depth in any of these sessions, but rather to create a basic level of familiarization from which additional sessions can be created.

Tony K3TS, Ron NR2B, Mike KG4JYA, John K2QA and I will each present parts of that program. That session will take place on Monday night November 27th at 6:00 PM in the Clubhouse and any new hams who feel it would be useful are welcome to attend.
 
VHF Tower News and Funding Needs
The VHF tower project is moving slowly ahead. Anchor bolts for one of the towers had to be custom ordered from a supplier and have recently arrived. Some additional work is necessary on one of the tower bases and cold weather is approaching so it's most likely that excavation for the towers won't begin until the spring. This gives us more time for fundraising for this project. As was discussed at the October meeting, the VHF towers will require approximately $7,000 in donated funds to complete the installation. Donations can be made at any Club meeting, at the Clubhouse any Saturday morning and on the “VHF Tower Donation” page.

Meteor Scatter Success and Other Unique Operating Opportunities
The Leonid meteor shower passed on November 17-18 and once again we were able to work some meteor scatter contacts using the radios and antennas at the Clubhouse. Details of that operation are described in a different Crosstalk article, but our goal is to create Club activities when any interesting radio opportunities arise. The ARRL EME Contest was on the weekend of November 25th and the Clubhouse team attempted to bounce signals off of the moon using the 2 meter satellite antennas and the high-powered 2 meter amplifier that the Club received from the ARDC grant.

The Geminid meteor shower occurs on December 13 and 14, thankfully at a more convenient time than the Leonid did, so we'll again be operating during that period.

Finally, Karl Frank W2KBF has pointed out the solar eclipse operating event that will occur on April 8, 2024 so we'll be focusing on that in March to get prepared. The outstanding resources at the Clubhouse provide us with the opportunity to participate in almost any type of radio event, so our goal is to be able create member activities for each of them.

The Next Generation of Ham Radio
Many hams are content utilize current modes of Amateur Radio operation, working DX on 20 meters or rag chewing on repeaters, but another important facet of Amateur Radio is the ability to experiment with new technologies. Of the many newsletters in our hobby I've particularly enjoyed one named Zero Retries (https://www.zerotries.org) which reports back on new technologies, particularly those involving digital communications. Like myself, the author is not a technical expert but is interested in developments in these areas and hopes to see them pursued more strongly in the future.

Let me know if you find anything of particular interest here - there’s some technology that I’d like to pursue with the club but can’t do it alone.