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President's LetterJonathan Pearce, WB2MNFOctober 2024 |
September blessed us with fantastic weather, creating the perfect backdrop for a flurry of activities at the Clubhouse. The highlight of the month was undoubtedly the Hamfest, which saw outstanding attendance and enthusiasm, but we also had great attendance at the Tech Saturday Forum covering Software Defined Radios, as well as many ad hoc activities occurring each weekend. Activities in October will include the General Membership Meeting on October 2nd, Tech Saturday Forum on October 5th and other events.
· Hamfest
As many of us know, last year’s hamfest was one of the worst in the Club’s history. Rain was predicted well in advance, and it poured throughout the entire event, significantly impacting the financial outcome. This year’s event, however, was a striking contrast, with beautiful weather both predicted and occurring. Initial reports show record attendance and revenue, making this year’s hamfest the best in the last decade by both metrics.
No hamfest is successful without volunteers, and this year’s event was notable for the massive efforts of two individuals : Sheldon Parker K2MEN, who did the initial event planning and organization as he has for the past 10 years, and Ron Block NR2B, who took over on less than a week’s notice when Sheldon had a medical accident. Ron quickly assembled a group of volunteers to handle the setup and operation of the hamfest, managing the growing number of vendors and attendees as they poured in through the gates. Numerous other volunteers, including the gate and parking lot staff, announcers, speakers, overnight security team, and Clubhouse welcomers, came together to create an outstanding event.
I would also like to thank Jeff Welch KD2AZI who works tirelessly behind the scenes with our many sponsors to put together, every year, an excellent selection of door prizes.
Thanks to all who came, participated, volunteered, and provided support. The success of our hamfest is one of the many reasons our Club is viewed as one of the best.
· New Members
September was remarkable for the influx of new members, many of whom joined during the Hamfest or at the Clubhouse afterward. The board approved 12 new members, pushing our total membership to 244 - the highest in the Club’s history. Many of these new members are eager to participate in Club activities, challenging us to keep things engaging. We aim to offer activities that cover all aspects of ham radio, so if you have a specific interest, please inform the Club leaders.
While all new members are important, one stood out for his achievements at a young age. Fifteen-year-old Josiah Jarvis, along with his eleven-year-old brother Micah and their mother, visited the Clubhouse after the Hamfest. During a tour in the VHF room, we initially thought Josiah was a typical school kid interested in technology and were surprised to learn he held a General Class amateur radio license!
This revelation expanded the tour to the HF room, where we showcased digital modes that piqued his interest. Micah expressed a desire to learn CW, so we connected him with John Zaruba K2ZA, who provided online resources for learning Morse Code. Josiah joined as a student member, and the board has offered associate membership to Micah. We hope both young men will find many rewarding activities as Club members.
· Woodruff Middle School STEM Project
The after-school STEM project at Woodruff Middle School began on Monday, September 23rd, with 16 students enrolled. Club member and middle school science teacher Angela Metzger KE2DRJ has collaborated with the Club team to prepare materials and curricula for this 10-week session. The program will cover topics such as balloon physics, radio basics, and data transmission, among others, as time permits.
To generate excitement early on, student teams will learn soldering in the second session and assemble WSPR tracker radios in the third week, with the goal of launching balloons soon after. Although Amateur Radio license training is not initially part of this Club activity, we hope several students will become interested in getting licensed, and we will develop a training program at that time.
· Balloon Project
As mentioned in several status emails and on the “Balloon Adventure” page of the W2MMD.org website, our balloon team - Mike Thompson KG4JYA, Doug Dersch KD2VQA, and myself - have launched a total of five balloons. We aimed for high altitude and long duration with three of these launches, but unfortunately, none have been successful so far.
Undeterred, we are continuing our efforts. We’ve restocked our supplies of solar panels, trackers, and balloons to keep pushing forward. We understand that success in these ventures often comes around the sixth launch, so we are hopeful that a combination of luck and skill will bring us success in the next month or so.
· Holiday Dinner
The amazing culinary team of Frank N3PUU and Kathy Romeo has agreed to recreate last year’s successful holiday party meal! We are currently researching dates for the Pfeiffer Community Center and will announce them once finalized. To keep the project manageable, Frank and Kathy will reach out to individuals for help with food preparation and other tasks, so we are not calling for volunteers at this time. Last year’s event was a tremendous success, featuring great food, conversation, and music, and we are confident this year’s event will be just as wonderful.
· Moonbounce!
As mentioned last month, the Foundation has funded and ordered a 2.4-meter collapsible dish antenna for Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) or “Moonbounce” communication, a fascinating and complex area of Amateur Radio. We hope the dish arrives in time for the EME contest later in October, but regardless we will use it at other times to test our ability to bounce radio signals off an object 250,000 miles away. We’re tentatively planning the Tech Saturday Forum event in October to cover the technical aspects of EME, so plan to attend that event on October 5th if you’re interested.
73 de Jon WB2MNF
· Hamfest
As many of us know, last year’s hamfest was one of the worst in the Club’s history. Rain was predicted well in advance, and it poured throughout the entire event, significantly impacting the financial outcome. This year’s event, however, was a striking contrast, with beautiful weather both predicted and occurring. Initial reports show record attendance and revenue, making this year’s hamfest the best in the last decade by both metrics.
No hamfest is successful without volunteers, and this year’s event was notable for the massive efforts of two individuals : Sheldon Parker K2MEN, who did the initial event planning and organization as he has for the past 10 years, and Ron Block NR2B, who took over on less than a week’s notice when Sheldon had a medical accident. Ron quickly assembled a group of volunteers to handle the setup and operation of the hamfest, managing the growing number of vendors and attendees as they poured in through the gates. Numerous other volunteers, including the gate and parking lot staff, announcers, speakers, overnight security team, and Clubhouse welcomers, came together to create an outstanding event.
I would also like to thank Jeff Welch KD2AZI who works tirelessly behind the scenes with our many sponsors to put together, every year, an excellent selection of door prizes.
Thanks to all who came, participated, volunteered, and provided support. The success of our hamfest is one of the many reasons our Club is viewed as one of the best.
· New Members
September was remarkable for the influx of new members, many of whom joined during the Hamfest or at the Clubhouse afterward. The board approved 12 new members, pushing our total membership to 244 - the highest in the Club’s history. Many of these new members are eager to participate in Club activities, challenging us to keep things engaging. We aim to offer activities that cover all aspects of ham radio, so if you have a specific interest, please inform the Club leaders.
While all new members are important, one stood out for his achievements at a young age. Fifteen-year-old Josiah Jarvis, along with his eleven-year-old brother Micah and their mother, visited the Clubhouse after the Hamfest. During a tour in the VHF room, we initially thought Josiah was a typical school kid interested in technology and were surprised to learn he held a General Class amateur radio license!
This revelation expanded the tour to the HF room, where we showcased digital modes that piqued his interest. Micah expressed a desire to learn CW, so we connected him with John Zaruba K2ZA, who provided online resources for learning Morse Code. Josiah joined as a student member, and the board has offered associate membership to Micah. We hope both young men will find many rewarding activities as Club members.
· Woodruff Middle School STEM Project
The after-school STEM project at Woodruff Middle School began on Monday, September 23rd, with 16 students enrolled. Club member and middle school science teacher Angela Metzger KE2DRJ has collaborated with the Club team to prepare materials and curricula for this 10-week session. The program will cover topics such as balloon physics, radio basics, and data transmission, among others, as time permits.
To generate excitement early on, student teams will learn soldering in the second session and assemble WSPR tracker radios in the third week, with the goal of launching balloons soon after. Although Amateur Radio license training is not initially part of this Club activity, we hope several students will become interested in getting licensed, and we will develop a training program at that time.
· Balloon Project
As mentioned in several status emails and on the “Balloon Adventure” page of the W2MMD.org website, our balloon team - Mike Thompson KG4JYA, Doug Dersch KD2VQA, and myself - have launched a total of five balloons. We aimed for high altitude and long duration with three of these launches, but unfortunately, none have been successful so far.
Undeterred, we are continuing our efforts. We’ve restocked our supplies of solar panels, trackers, and balloons to keep pushing forward. We understand that success in these ventures often comes around the sixth launch, so we are hopeful that a combination of luck and skill will bring us success in the next month or so.
· Holiday Dinner
The amazing culinary team of Frank N3PUU and Kathy Romeo has agreed to recreate last year’s successful holiday party meal! We are currently researching dates for the Pfeiffer Community Center and will announce them once finalized. To keep the project manageable, Frank and Kathy will reach out to individuals for help with food preparation and other tasks, so we are not calling for volunteers at this time. Last year’s event was a tremendous success, featuring great food, conversation, and music, and we are confident this year’s event will be just as wonderful.
· Moonbounce!
As mentioned last month, the Foundation has funded and ordered a 2.4-meter collapsible dish antenna for Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) or “Moonbounce” communication, a fascinating and complex area of Amateur Radio. We hope the dish arrives in time for the EME contest later in October, but regardless we will use it at other times to test our ability to bounce radio signals off an object 250,000 miles away. We’re tentatively planning the Tech Saturday Forum event in October to cover the technical aspects of EME, so plan to attend that event on October 5th if you’re interested.
73 de Jon WB2MNF
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Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Octpber 6 to 12, 2024
Friday, October 11, 2024
Monday, October 14, 2024
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Monday, October 14, 2024
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Full Hunters Moon : Thursday, October 17, 2024 @ 0726 Hours
This is the month when game is fattening up for winter. Now is the time for hunting and laying in a store of provisions for the long months ahead. Drying Rice Moon (Dakota) describes the next process in preparing rice for winter. Falling Leaves Moon is an Anishinaabe term. Freezing Moon (Ojibwe) and Ice Moon (Haida) refer to the increasingly cold temperatures of this period. Migrating Moon (Cree) refers to the time when birds begin to fly south. Old Farmer’s Almanac - www.almanac.com
Thursday, October 31, 2024