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November 18th, 2022, 7 PM

 

Meeting Topic: Ten Meters

by Keth Schlottman, KR7RK

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Ten Meters is one of the most unique ham bands. With the improving propagation conditions associated with the rise of Solar Cycle 25, there are many opportunities for 10-meter fun! Our November presentation explored 10 meters, and the speaker was Keith Schlottman, KR7RK. Keith's amateur radio journey began in 1992 with some memorable 10-meter contacts, and he has been an enthusiast for the band ever since. Keith has served as Treasurer of the 10-10 International Net, a world-wide club focused on ten meters, since 1994. After the presentation, we had a "parking lot net" on ten meters.

 

Keith is a long-time member of OVARC and has been serving as Treasurer of 10-10 International Net since 1994. In the past he served in various clubs including past President of the Southern Arizona DX Association, past Officer at RST (Radio Society of Tucson) and The Tucson Repeater Association. He has also been a speaker at the Dayton Hamvention, the ARRL Southwest Division Convention, the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, and local clubs on numerous occasions. 

 

Currently in an Oro Valley HOA restricted location, Keith is experimenting with various antenna combinations including indoor dipoles and a magnetic loop with his Flex 6600 transceiver. While it's far less effective than his previous 3-element Steppir beam on a small 40' tower, Keith is making plenty of QSO's both DX and US even during this season of less-than-optimal solar conditions.

  

Keith enjoys operating Summits On The Air (SOTA) and has activated over 350 unique summits, with over 550 total activations.  

Visit Keith at his website https://www.kr7rk.com/

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October 21, 2022, 7 PM

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THE STORY OF DX – ITS HISTORY AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

 

Presenters – Bernie-W3UR and Rolland-K3RA

An introduction to DXing for the beginner, and tips for the intermediate and even the experienced DX'er. Bernie and Rol's love of DX shines through this presentation. Learn how DXing got started, review the basic DXCC criteria, pick up some tips on making your first DX contacts, and discover how to make use of modern tools (radios, modes, propagation tools, logging software, contests, internet, etc.) to increase your country total.  

 

Bernie McClenny was first licensed as WB3JRU in September 1977 and quickly became interested in working DX. In 1991 he changed his callsign to WR3E and became a member of the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll at the age of 27. On November 4, 1996, WR3E was exchanged under the Vanity Call program for W3UR. March 1997 Bernie started the first daily e-mail DX Bulletin called The Daily DX. In the summer of the following year, he was asked and accepted as the editor of QST's "How's DX?" column. In March 2001 he purchased “The 599 DX Report” and renamed it “The Weekly DX”. He has operated from two all-time new DXCC counters - E44DX in Gaza, Palestine and 4W/W3UR in Baucau, East Timor. Other DXpeditions include A61AJ, AH3D, OH0/W3UR, VU4AN, YU8/OH2R (Kosovo), 8P9UR, J77A and most recently V47UR. He has also been a guest op multiple times at 4U1UN. When not writing or on DXpeditions Bernie can often be found on the air chasing new ones in the DXCC Challenge, hunting IOTA, working grid squares on 6 meters and guest operating in contests next-door at W3LPL. 

 

Rol, K3RA, was first licensed as KN3GJD in December 1958 while attending college at Johns Hopkins University. It was at Hopkins that he became interested in DXing, contesting, Field Day, and amateur radio licensing instruction--all major passions today. Rol has worked all countries but Scarborough Reef, although his contact with P5 North Korea was at the National Electronics Museum station. He has earned DXCC Honor Roll status for the museum station K3NEM/W3HEM/W3GR as well as for his home station. Rol has operated from UAE with the A61AJ contest team, setting an Asian multi-multi record for the CQWWCW which stood for 14 years. He has also operated many times with the V26B contest team in Antigua for the CQWWSSB, where he also operates as V26RA. K3RA also is a regular at the W3LPL multi-multi contest station for the CQWW and ARRL DX SSB and CW contests. He is a regular chaser of the DXCC Challenge, having placed first for W3 region several times. Rol is a life-long ham radio instructor, having taught literally thousands of hams at radio clubs, the local Community College, the National Electronics Museum, and lately on Zoom. He was the 1998 ARRL Instructor of the year. He is the long-time chairman of the Question Pool Committee whose members write the amateur radio exams for the Volunteer Examiner Coordinators.

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September 16, 2022 Meeting Presentation

 

Radio Propagation

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Propagation is how radio signals get from one point to another. It’s one of the most fascinating aspects of amateur radio and a topic that has been studied for years so as to better forecast propagation. Other radio services depend on propagation and try to minimize its affects, yet amateur radio operators look forward to changes in propagation.

 

At our September OVARC meeting, Michael AF7KB took a closer look at propagation and various techniques used to measure propagation. Michael has made several presentations on the subject, the most recent one being at the 2022 Hamvention. He joined us via Zoom, from an elevation of approximately 8,500 feet in Allenspark, Colorado. We learned a lot about this very important aspect of amateur radio.

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August 19th, 2022 Meeting Presentation:

 

FT8/FT4 REMOTE OPS, by K5PA

 

We were delighted to have Gene, K5PA present this topic, as FT8 and FT4 have become very popular. Gene discussed setting up and operating remote FT8 stations. This can be easily accomplished or done with greater complexity. Technical and operational aspects of operating remotely were included. Finally, a live demonstration of operating a remote FT8 station was shown. Q&A and detailed references were also included.

 

About our Speaker:

Gene Hinkle (K5PA, VO1KPA) has authored numerous ham radio articles in QST and CQ Amateur Radio magazines including both remote radio installations and FT8 operations. He has seven years of experience in setting up and operating remote stations for HF nets and FT8 digital modes. His website https://k5pa.com/ provides access to his many articles on these and other topics. He has helped establish remote radios with FT8 capabilities in Texas (Austin, Stephenville, & Lubbock), Michigan (Marquette), U.S. Virgin Islands (Saint Croix), and Canada (Newfoundland).

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July 15, 2022 Meeting Presentation:

 

Contesting and Improving Your Score

by: Doug Grant, K1DG

 

Did you operate Field Day? Did the contest bug bite and leave you curious about how to get better at this game? 

 

Doug Grant, K1DG, has been contesting since 1967. His first contest score, in the 1968 Novice Roundup, was a whopping TWO QSOs! He then operated Field Day with his local club, and has gone on to win most of the major contests, both from his own stations and with multiop teams in the U.S. and DX locations. He holds several records, including the phone CQWW USA record and CQ160M USA record. He also won a gold medal and two bronze medals at the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC, often referred to as the "Olympics of Ham Radio") and was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 2015. He is also the author of "Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners", published by ARRL.

 

Doug shared ways to improve your contest score based on his 50+ years of experience.

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June 2022 Meeting Presentation:

 

"Hidden Transmitter Hunting for the Whole Family"
By Joe Moell KØOV

Looking for a ham radio activity that everyone in the family can enjoy?  Want an outdoor "techie" sport that will make the kids set aside Facebook and iPhones for a while? Find out how you, your family and your club can have fun with radio direction finding (RDF). There are lots of variations including mobile T-hunting, radio-orienteering and foxhunting. You may already have (or can easily make) all the equipment you need to get started. Keep at it and you might join the hams who have won medals at international championship foxhunts in recent years. As a bonus, you'll learn a skill that will help you rapidly find sources of radio interference.

Joe Moell KØOV has written for almost every ham radio publication and designed many new devices for radio direction finding (RDF). His book, "TRANSMITTER HUNTING---Radio Direction Finding Simplified," is the definitive text on RDF for hams. He has written over 250 magazine articles on RDF topics as well as a chapter on the subject for The ARRL Handbook.

 

For twenty years, he served as ARRL's ARDF Coordinator and organized the yearly USA ARDF Championships. He is also moderator of the annual CQ Worldwide Foxhunting Weekend. For more information on transmitter hunting, visit Joe's "Homing In" site on the World Wide Web: 

http://www.homingin.com

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May 2022 Meeting Presentation:

 

Dr. Bob Heil-K9EID, founder of Heil Sound

 

At our May 13, 2022 meeting we are pleased to welcome Dr. Bob Heil K9EID. Bob will present a variety of information including proper radio adjustments and the importance of speech articulation.

 

We are pleased to have Dr. Bob as our featured presenter.  Dr. Bob Heil is the founder of Heil Sound. Chances are good that you might have Heil Sound equipment in your shack right now. Heil Sound also played a large part in many concerts and was the chosen equipment by artists like Peter Frampton, The WHO, Joe Walsh and many others. Heil Sound equipment is on display at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.

 

Bob was licensed in ’56. He operates on all bands. One of his first antennas was a 125 element J-Beam for 2 meters but he has also built phased array antennas for 40 and 75 meters. Bob’s shack is like a museum featuring equipment from Hallicrafters, Eico, Mars, Collins, Kenwood, Icom, Heathkit and the list goes on. Back in the day, Bob mounted a Collins KWM-1 in his 1956 Thunderbird.

 

The latest Heil Sound product is the Parametric Receive Audio System which is receiving great reviews by Amateur Radio operators.

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April 2022 Meeting Feature Presentation:

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Chasing DX during a Contest

 

Prioritize your contest time and capture that DX station that you really need.

 

Bill Salyers, AJ8B, was our featured speaker, ZOOMing in from Waynesville, Ohio.

Bill is an active operator and heavily involved in the Southwest Ohio DX Association. (SWODXA) SWODXA is the group that bestows the “DXPeditioner of the Year” award at the DX Dinner during Hamvention, hosts the DX Forum on Saturday of Hamvention, and hosts the W8DXCC Convention in August.

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Bill was first licensed as WN8IQN in 1971. His OM, K8DWE, (SK) insisted that he not be an appliance operator and had him build a keyer, tuner and a dummy load. He was 12 and it seemed like quite a challenge, but a few RF burns later and he was on the air.

After two years, the license expired as basketball overtook ham radio. However, after another year, Bill passed the Novice test and received WN8TZN. Using a home brew transmitter and a Hallicrafters SX-100,

 

Bill returned to the airwaves. With the help of yet another Handbook project, the Accu Keyer and Accu Memory (Remember those?) he really became hooked on CW. Bill upgraded to Advance receiving KB8DF and then to Extra.

 

Bill has become a somewhat prolific writer having first published an article in The DX Magazine in 1985. Since then, he has been published in QST, CQ, and the NCJ. Bill is also the editor of the weekly DX column in the Ohio Section Journal, the webmaster for SWODXA, and the newsletter editor for SWODXA.

 

Bill was on the QSO today podcast #319 and has presented several times at W4DXCC, W8DXCC, and the QSO Today Virtual Expo

In May of 2018, Bill was honored with the W8OK award from the SouthWest OH DX Association. W8OK, Frank Schwab, is considered the father of Hamvention and was also responsible for starting SWODXA.

 

Bill has also been an instructor in the CWOPS organization, the CW Academy.

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The current station consists of a 6 band Vertical, OCF for 80 Meters, and a Helically wound vertical for 160. The rig is a Flex 6400.

Bill resides with his wife of 38 years, Karen, in Waynesville, Ohio. He is an IT Director in Cincinnati and has a 2-hour commute which allows plenty of time for DXing from the car with the Yaesu FT-857.

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​Bill has modest DXCC totals including 8B DXCC and 305 overall.

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March 2022 Meeting Feature Presentation:

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Portable and Field Operations

 

Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, was our featured speaker, coming to us via ZOOM from Ohio.

 

Anthony is a prolific operator maintaining websites at k8zt.com & ZTlearn.com. He writes for CQ Magazine and the DX Engineering blog called On All Bands. He has also developed an ARRL online Contesting course. Anthony is a frequent speaker for club presentations (over 125 sessions in last two years, including 7 for QSO Today Expos) and serves as the ARRL Ohio Section Youth Coordinator.

 

First licensed in 1981 as KA8NRC, Anthony has been a QRP operator from his very first QSO (no one told him Novices should not start with a 2-watt QRP rig). After receiving his Extra Class License in 2000, he changed his callsign to K8ZT. Early in his amateur radio learning, Anthony did some publishing for two QRP Clubs - SPRAT for the GQRP Club and QRP Quarterly for the QRP ARCI.

 

He is active in a variety of Amateur Radio activities, but his favorite activity is operating! Whether it is contesting, DXing, rag chewing, satellites, CW, Phone or Digital the QRP contacts have added up and now top 98,000.

 

Recently retired, Anthony's work background includes 20 years as a Medical Technologist working in Clinical Microbiology, private computer consulting and 20 years as a Computer Technology Coordinator, Technology Director (most recently as a Technology Integration Specialist for 30 school districts). His retirement activities include volunteering as a Trainman on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

 

Anthony lives with his wife Linda, KA8ODP, near Akron, Ohio. His station is definitely not a super contest station. His small suburban lot is cramped with a modest array of antennas, proving that you can be competitive in contests without acres of aluminum if you choose your entry category carefully.

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February 2022 Meeting Feature Presentation:

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"3D Printing - It's More Than Just a Printer" 

 

Presented by Logan Zintsmaster, KE7AZ

 

Logan recounted his experiences, as a rookie, of buying and learning to use a 3D Printer. He discussed the overall 3D printing process by walking thru the steps from concept to taking the finished item off the 3D printer bed. He also offered some tips for getting started with a new printer.

Logan brought his printer to the meeting for a live demonstration during the presentation. Logan was available for "Show and Tell" and questions, after the presentation.

Logan, an OVARC Member and Director, was licensed in 1961 with a Novice and a Technician (Plus) license as KN/K8YXV. He currently holds an Extra license as KE7AZ. He has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio StateUniversity. Logan is retired, having worked for worked for Hallicrafters (now Northrop Defense Systems), Kaiser Electronics (now Collins Aerospace) and the Ham Radio Outlet Sunnyvale store. He resides in Oro Valley where he is working on an FT8, 5 band WAS with a stealth antenna.

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To view/download a copy of the PDF from Logan's presentation, click HERE.

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January 2022 Meeting Feature Presentation:

 

PLUS: ​Annual Membership Meeting/Elections in person and

via Zoom, 07:00 PM Arizona time.

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As always, our January OVARC Member Meeting was the club’s Annual Meeting. Members elected new Directors to the board and the new Directors voted in new Officers. Member voting happened before our regular meeting started.

 

At this meeting, we tried something entirely new. We met jointly with the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club. As they are an hour earlier, we linked up with them at 8 PM. Levi-K6LCM gave us some history of the club and talked about current activities. He also shared some information about their repeaters, digital systems and their club station. Levi’s presentation lasted about 40 minutes.

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The in-person meeting location is as follows:

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NEW LOCATION:

 

Mountain View Baptist Church

3500 W Overton Rd, Tucson, AZ 85742

Click HERE for Map and Directions:

If you are joining in person, although we will not require you to wear a mask, the CDC and the Pima County Health Department suggest that any unvaccinated people wear masks when attending indoor events. Masks are also suggested and encouraged for vaccinated people given the current situation in the Tucson metro area. So, please use your best judgement on this matter in considering your own health and the health of others.

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