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President's LetterJonathan Pearce, WB2MNFJune 2024 |
May held an outstanding schedule of activities for the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club, but June looks to be even more exciting. Major activities are scheduled for almost every weekend along with a repeat of last month’s outstanding speaker at the General Membership Meeting. Here's what's coming up.
Field Day - June 22-23, 2024
The major event, of course, is the GCARC Field Day on June 22-23. This is an annual event in which Amateur Radio operators across North America set up temporary stations in public places and contact as many other stations as possible in 24 hours. It is a test of emergency preparedness, technical skills, and operating endurance. It is also a lot of fun and a great way to promote our hobby to the community. This year we will be operating at least eight stations from the Clubhouse grounds, using various modes and bands. We will have generators, batteries, and solar panels to power our equipment. We will also have tents, tables, chairs, and refreshments to make our stay comfortable.
This is a great opportunity for all Club members to come out and see the operation and also possibly operate a Field Day station. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a beginner, there will be something for you to learn and enjoy. The event begins at 2:00 pm on Saturday afternoon, with set up starting earlier that morning.
Balloon Launch - June 1, 2024 (Postponed Until Early July 2024)
Another exciting activity is scheduled to take place several weekends before Field Day. On Saturday, June 1st, weather permitting, we will launch our first high-altitude balloon from the Clubhouse grounds. The balloon will carry a WSPR transmitter that will send out signals on the 20 meter HF band. This will allow us to track its position and altitude as it travels around the world. We hope that it will complete at least one full circumnavigation - some balloons have done multiple circuits around the globe before ultimately failing. This is a great opportunity to experiment with radio propagation, aerodynamics, and telemetry. It is also a fun way to showcase our hobby to the public and inspire the next generation of Amateur Radio enthusiasts.
This is the first of two balloons that the GCARC plans to launch this year before we start working in the fall with the Woodruff Middle School on launching their own ham-equipped balloons and performing some STEM-related projects involving many areas related to radio, atmospheric physics and lots of other areas. Please join us for the launch and follow the balloon's journey online. Watch the e-mail reflector for late-breaking information about this launch and Balloon Adventure webpage about this project.
More Antenna-Building Sessions - June 8 and 15, 2024
Our next Tech Saturday project will be the building of the Ed Fong WB6IQN DBJ-1 VHF/UHF collinear antenna. Constructed from twinlead and coax, this antenna provides decent performance on the 2m and 70cm bands. Due to the number of signups and the capacity of the Clubhouse this event will occur on both Saturdays June 8th and June 15th. Signups for this session are already closed, but it might be repeated later if there's sufficient interest.
ARRL June VHF Contest - June 8-10, 2024
The June VHF contest offers an opportunity to see the new VHF equipment and operation. While VHF and UHF operation is still limited because of the lack of antennas there are still opportunities to make contacts using the existing temporary setup. If you’re in the Clubhouse area during that period come check out the new gear in action.
May Activities
In May, the GCARC had an eventful month with engaging activities. Spencer Webb W2SW delivered an outstanding presentation on the basics of antenna design, providing valuable insights to Club members. Following that, about 14 participants were involved in the Tech Saturday Forum building and testing project focused on creating and tuning a 70 cm ground plane antenna. The hands-on experience allowed members to apply their knowledge and enhance their practical skills.
Additionally, during the Monday night TechNet session, Jim Wright N2GXJ delved into the world of antenna modeling software, offering a deeper understanding of how to optimize antenna performance. These activities not only fostered learning but also strengthened the sense of community within the Club.
There’s something happening almost every weekend at the Clubhouse! Hope to see you there and at all of the June events.
73 de Jon WB2MNF
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Thursday, June 20, 2024 @ 1651 Hours
Full Strawberry Moon - Friday, June 21, 2024 @ 2110 Hours. Used by the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples, among others, this name came about because ripe strawberries were ready to be gathered at this time. Similarly, Berries Ripen Moon is a Haida term. Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe) is indicative of the flowering season. The time for tending crops is indicated by Green Corn Moon (Cherokee) and Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki). Eighteenth-century Captain Jonathan Carver wrote that Native Americans whom he had visited used the term Hot Moon. The Tlingit used the term Birth Moon, referring to the time when certain animals are born in their region. Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon are Cree terms for this period.
Old Farmer’s Almanac - www.almanac.com
Happy Birthday : June 23, 1939