Category: Uncategorized

When?
Saturday, September 14, 2024
9:00AM – 2:00PM CST

Where?
MAAC Foundation First Responder Training Campus
4203 Montdale Park Drive
Valparaiso, Indiana 46383

EVENT INFORMATION:
https://maacfoundation.org/first-responder-appreciation-and-demonstration-day/

MAP:
https://goo.gl/maps/Jb33iWNFjMXfrpi6A

The Porter County Amateur Radio Club will setup at 7:30AM CST, and the radio fun begins at 9:00AM CST. Join us as we get on the air and operate special event station K9M.

Contact us on your way to the event on the K9PC VHF (146.775MHz) and UHF (442.250MHz) repeaters (131.8 CTCSS). Ground simplex frequencies VHF (146.475MHz) and UHF (445.975MHz) for local event communications.

73,
K9PC

As many of you know, we just held the first Ham Cram session in several years this past Saturday at MAAC. We had 19 register originally, and 17 showed up for class.

First, thanks to Joe N9TAX and Matt W9MDM for all of the work that goes into preparing for and running one of these sessions. To take a group of people from zero to “ready to take the tech exam” in 8 hours is pretty intense. Also thanks to Tavas KD9NSC for creating the registration form on the website and for helping with promotions.

We had three students that had to bail before the exams, and they said they’d come to our regular Saturday session to take the test.

Jack N9ITB and myself would also like to thank our team of VE’s that came out – Kurt AK9RT, Allan KA9EFD, James KC9KTV, John KC9AFE, and Carl N9IFD. We worked through a pile of tests in short order.

2 did not pass this time, but promised to keep at it and come back on a Saturday. The others all passed, so welcome to a wonderful hobby. Many of them just joined this list and hopefully will join us for meetings and activities. It’s exciting to see the club grow.

We also bought a Quansheng UV-K6 HT and pre-loaded it with a code plug that Tavas, KD9NSC built. Everyone there got a ticket and when we were done, we had a drawing for it. I will deliver it to the winner tonight on my way home from work.

See everyone on the 5th!

Are you interested in ham radio, but having challenges understanding the Technician materials?

We have a solution for you. It’s the Ham Cram!

What is it?

HAM CRAM is an Entry Level Technician Course

March 16th, 2024

MAAC Foundation Center

4203 Montdale Park Dr

Valparaiso, IN 46383

8am – 5pm Guided Study Session with the Exam at 5pm

Cost for exam is $15 cash, and can take it more than once for $15 each try.

Registration form here: https://forms.office.com/r/Ge4KuNJ2ss

***MUST HAVE A VALID STATE OR SCHOOL PHOTO ID WITH YOU TO TAKE THE EXAM***

You will also need to register with the FCC’s CORES and get an FRN number. You will need to have that number to take the exam. Register here: https://apps2.fcc.gov/fccUserReg/pages/login.htm

Students/minors without a photo ID need to bring only one of the items below if a legal guardian presents their photo ID; otherwise two non-photo IDs are required.

a. Non-photo State ID card (some states still have them)

b. Birth certificate (must have the appropriate seal)

c. Social security card

d. Employer’s wage statement or Minor’s work permit

e. School ID card

There will be a working lunch, so either please bring a lunch, order Uber Eats, or bring cash to throw in on pizza.

Please email either Joe Krajacic joe@n9tax.com or Matt Melton w9mdm@outlook.com with any questions.

The FCC Technician License exam covers basic regulations, operating practices and electronics theory, with a focus on VHF and UHF applications. Morse code is not required for this license. With a Technician Class license, you will have all ham radio privileges above 30 MHz. These privileges include the very popular 2-meter band. Many Technician licensees enjoy using small (2 meter) hand-held radios to stay in touch with other hams in their area. Technicians may operate FM voice, digital packet (computers), television, single-sideband voice and several other interesting modes. You can even make international radio contacts via satellites, using relatively simple station equipment. Technician licensees now also have additional privileges on certain HF frequencies. Technicians may also operate on the 80, 40 and 15 meter bands using CW (Morse Code) and on the 10 meter band using CW, voice and digital modes.

You can download the study guide here to get started:

http://pc-arc.net/…/2022-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide…

Practice Exams

http://www.qrz.com/hamtest/

Practice Exams and Flashcards

https://hamexam.org/
https://hamstudy.org/

Flash Cards/Practice test

https://hamstudy.org/tech2018

Just a reminder, there is a club meeting tonight at the MAAC Foundation in Valparaiso, IN.

No presentations are scheduled for tonight, so if you have something to show or discuss, feel free.

As always, the meeting starts at 1900 CT and run until 2100 CT.

See you there!

The club meeting for September 2023 has been cancelled.  Please check back for information on our next club meeting in October.

Special thanks to all the club members that help make MAAC First Responder Appreciation Day a huge success!  The K9M special event station made a bunch of contacts on 20m and 40m SSB.  K9M will be active on FT8, FT4 and SSB through 9/1/2023 at 00:00UTC.

73’s

K9PC

Ok we need to get the count together for meat for Lunch/Dinner Saturday and Breakfast for Sunday Morning that the club is providing, please bring a side for these meals if you plan on attending and reply to the group with what you are bringing so we don’t have a ton of the same things for sides. As for Friday night /Saturday Morning please bring cash to throw in on whatever we decide to do if you are around for those two meals.

So far we have heard from the following people, please reply if if you plan on attending next weekend and respond with what meals you will be here for so we can get the proper count for meat. Please reply by Thursday so that I can get the shopping done.

Joe and Company
Melton
Matt Lasayko
Jeff Kluff

Field Day Plan
It’s June 23-25 this year.

We have once again been invited to set up and operate at Joe Krajacic N9TAX and Brandie W9BLK’s place, located at 648 S. 300 W in Hebron, IN.

We will be setting up the tents and grills Friday evening after 5PM, and anyone who wants to set up and hang out/camp out is welcome to join.

Officially, the event starts at Noon on Saturday the 24th, so if you want to set up Saturday morning, you are welcome to do that as well. Feel free to bring a radio or any antennas you want to try out.

Past experience has shown that things start to wind down around 2AM on Sunday.

Everyone is invited – non-ham spouses, friends, kids. Come and stay as long as you want.

The food plan that’s been discussed is that everyone brings a side dish or dessert to share, and the club will supply the meat for lunch and Dinner on Saturday and Items for breakfast on Sunday. If you have any specific requirements for grill stuff outside of burgers/dogs/brats or the like, feel free to bring your own and toss it on the grill.

While we will all operate under the club call of K9PC, we’re not really contesters and this is more of a social event and a chance to get out and operate somewhere outside of the house. If you have friends who have shown an interest in ham radio feel free to bring them. Someone will be happy to show them what it’s all about.

Google or Apple maps finds Joe’s house just fine. If you have any issues we will try to be monitoring the PCARC 146.775 – PL131.8 repeater. Please park in the front yard on the right side of the driveway forward of the lilac bush. That’s all for now!

Yeah, finally. I mean, it’s only the end of October and 6 months after the event… — Paul

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We are just a little over a week away from field day, below you will find the plans so far, please checkout the signup link below, this is just to give us an idea of how many people will be there and when, and get a little bit of a schedule together for the radio so that we can stay on the air, by no means is that a strict schedule or head count, please sign up for the meals you plan to be there so we can get a better idea of how many people to expect. If you have not yet paid your 2021 dues, we will be collecting throughout the weekend.  Any questions feel free to reach out to the group

https://signup.com/go/egBCqUL

Bathroom situation -> the LaPorte Group has ordered a Porta Potty for the weekend

Internet situation -> we went out last weekend and programmed the microwave link down to the ground and the router/switches so we will have WiFi and ethernet available on site
Food situation -> see below

Tentative Schedule

Friday

Joe and I will be getting the portable tower and big generator out to the site, it will be a couple of trips, but we are hoping to be back to the site by 3:00pm to start setting everything up. 

Dinner that night will be a buy-in, we will get some pizza with the cash that everyone throws in.

Some of us will be camping out Friday night if anyone wants to join (Bring your own tent, camper, or car)

Saturday Morning 

Breakfast (Maybe go out, or send someone to McDonalds?)

VE Testing will begin at 9am for anyone who shows up (please pass the word if you know of anyone looking to test, anyone who tests and sticks around after would have a chance to get on the air while sitting with someone else at the station, if you would like to sign up to take the exam or know anyone who is please click here https://signup.com/go/tBscWKB and put your name on the list

While the testing is going on we will begin station setup in the tents

Lunch Saturday will be Burgers and Brats (provided) please bring your own drinks and a side to share with everyone

Getting on the air 12 Noon Sat – 12 Noon Sunday, we will have a few stations setup, feel free to bring yours for the GOTA, or if you want to set up your gear at the station. (the signup above is just to help us fill 24 hours of people on the air, but will not be a strict schedule)

Dinner Friday is generally chip in for pizza

Several of us will be camping again Saturday night feel free to join

Sunday Morning

Breakfast…. TBD

We will stay as long as people are willing to stay and be on the air, if we do not have people who are on the air all night we will probably pack up earlier on Sunday. 

Groups.io email list
https://groups.io/g/pcarc

Field Day Facebook Event
https://www.facebook.com/events/3703143009775988

PCARC Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/487413255242338

PCARC Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/PorterCountyAmateurRadioClub

Website
https://pc-arc.net/

http://www.arrl.org/field-day

Like last year we will be convening at Danny Scheetz tower in LaPorte for Field day, more details to come soon but here is the initial invite. Feel free to bring a tent and camp out!!

3354 W Schultz Rd, La Porte, IN 46350-8497, United States

Our local Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/118355726857039

New to Amateur Radio?
What is Ham Radio | Get Your License

Field Day Locator!Looking for a Field Day site near you? Want to promote your club’s Field Day efforts? Use the Field Day Locator to do both!Learn More

ARRL Field DayARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

The objective is to contact as many stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20,15 and 10 Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above, and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions.
Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2. DX stations residing in other regions may be contacted for credit, but are not eligible to submit entries.
Each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either locally or by remote.

2021 ARRL Field Day is June 26-27

Rules & Resources | Facebook Group | Field Day T-shirts & Gear | Join ARRL

ARRL Field Day is always held on the 4th full weekend in June.

2021 Field Day results will appear in December QST.

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Follow 2021 Field Day preparations with the news and stories below (more stories will be added every few weeks, so check back):

ARRL to Extend Field Day Rule Waivers from 2020, Add Class D and E Power Limit – 10 Feb 2021

New to Field Day? START HERE!

Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

“What Is Field Day” (Printable PDF Flier)

Get ready for 2021 ARRL Field Day (YouTube video), created by J. Mitch Hopper, K9ZXO, QSL Manager — Sangamon Valley Radio Club. See also a version with Spanish-language subtitles.

We welcome the public to come learn more about ham radio! Use our Field Day Locator to search for a Field Day site near you.

Want to see what Field Day is all about?  Watch our 2019  Field Day Public Service Announcement or view what several groups uploaded to Youtube from their 2018 Field Day activities.  You can also listen to/download our 30 sec. radio announcement for 2019 Field Day (mp3).

Field Day on Social Media!

Greetings!

Our next meeting is tomorrow night at 7PM. Our special guest speaker is
Craig Thompson, K9CT, who will be talking about the Pitcairn Island
DXPedition.

Please join us! The link is:

https://uchicagomedicine.zoom.us/j/99115065305?pwd=Sm11WHM3NXFtOVBmRFZ1aG0wTkhJUT09

We also need to hold elections – we didn’t have enough for a quorum last
time, so please join early enough so we can get that taken care of.

73

—
Paul Braun WD9GCO
Amateur Radio Newsline Anchor
ARNewsline.org
Certified Music Junkie

“Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Berthold Auerbach

“Never follow anyone. Be your own hero.” — Neil Peart

—
Paul Braun WD9GCO
Amateur Radio Newsline Anchor
ARNewsline.org
President, Porter County Amateur Radio Club
Certified Music Junkie