Activities
From The WB7TJD Wiki
- Other Event Calendar pages:
- Upcoming Superstition ARC Activities
- Amateur Radio Breakfasts
- Club Nets
- Superstition Hamfest
- Meeting Information for Club Meeting locations.
- Superstition Hamfest
- Club Nets
- Amateur Radio Breakfasts
- Upcoming Superstition ARC Activities
This page under the direction of Activities Chairman
Bill Cawthorne, KF7SZT, bcaw718@gmail.com
We are happy to report that Douglas Mitchell, W7ADD, has volunteered to assist Bill with Club activities.
2013 Club Activities
A few activities have been penciled in, but I don't have all the details. -- Larry, WB7C
March 2013
Falcon Field Open House Special Event Station N7F Saturday, March 23
We ran Special Event Station N7F on Saturday, March 23 at Falcon Field Airport, celebrating Falcon Field Open House, with not much going on over the radio, but it provided us with a big opportunity to meet the public.
May 2013
Morse code @ Symbol turns 9 Years Old
The Morse @ symbol was created in 2004 for use in sending email addresses via Morse code. On the page linked in the headline, there is an MP3 file of this character that you can listen to.
To the best of my knowledge, our web site seems to be in the forefront of spreading word of the existence of this character.
June 2013
ARRL Field Day June 22-23 N7S
The Superstition ARC will run N7S on Field Day, which is always held on the fourth weekend of June. Jeff, K2DFE has put in for the call.
He indicates:
- Larry, We have received confirmation of our request to use N7S as our call sign for club Field Day operations. I will post it along with our location and talk-in frequency of 147.50 on the ARRL FD locator map. Please update info for this on the Web Site. You can add my Email address (k2dfe@yahoo.com) for anyone who wants to sign up for FD.
Thanks.....
~~~Jeff Harris K2DFE
2014 Club Planner
I'm looking ahead to lay plans for the coming year, pending Board ratification and member approval for a number of activities that we normally conduct.
I will make assumption that the week of Lost Dutchman Days will begin Sunday, February 16, and run through Saturday, February 22, with the Marathon running on Sunday, and the downtown Apache Junction Parade following on Saturday, which is the same day we have run formerly W7W and in 2013 K7D Special Event Stations.
Our 2012 W7W was on Feb 25, and K7D followed suit on Feb 23, because of the extra day in Leap Year 2012. Following the pattern, the fourth Saturday of February is this time on Feb 22.
I will also assume the Scottsdale Hamfest will be Saturday, March 8, and propose our Picnic to be at Red Mountain Park on Sunday, March 9, a date early in March before the winter visitors have left us for the summer. This has been closer to the time we have hosted the pot-luck picnic in the past, than the March 23, 2013 date we held it on.
If the Falcon Field Open House is an annual event, and considering its public-relations success in 2013, the Open House will likely be on March 22, 2014. -- Larry, WB7C
February 2014
Lost Dutchman Marathon Sunday, Feb 16
Visit the mcecg.net web site to sign up to provide amateur radio support for this annual event, a 26-mile marathon starting at Peralta Trailhead in the Superstition Mountains east of Gold Canyon, passing along Highway 60 and looping through Gold Canyon, back to Highway 60 past the west face of the Superstitions, then into Apache Junction and finishing at Prospector Park in A.J.
Lost Dutchman Legend Special Event Saturday, Feb 22
The club has a radio outing every February for one day up State Route 88, North Apache Trail. In 2013, we set up in the north end of the Goldfield Ghost Town, near the church. That didn't draw a significant crowd to our tables, but with better signage, directed at the person who knows nothing about the "ARRL" and the like, we may draw more people.
We may have to face the fact that we don't have an old 1883-style storefront from the horse-and-buggy days to run our sales pitch from! :)
March 2014
Club Pot-Luck Picnic Sunday, March 9
The picnic is open to club members and their guests.
In 2012 we had some games, in 2013 we did the club's first hidden transmitter hunt, perhaps we can do both this time around with advance planning!
We will shoot for the Dove Ramada in Red Mountain Park. Truth be told, we could have had it in 2013, had we looked at the date on the reservation slip that kept us out of there in 2013. That ramada was reserved for part of the time we wanted to use it -- the day before!
The idea is to reserve the date on your calendar, sign up at the meeting or otherwise RSVP with the number of guests you plan to bring, and list what dish you plan to bring, and leave your name and phone number for us to reach you. We need to organize and determine who is willing to perform the RSVP data collection and become the contact point for this task.
We want to thank Gene, K8WQ and wife Jo Wilson, for always being there in the past, but we really should be thinking seriously about someone new who wants to organize the picnic. Your job is to determine how much meat (hamburgers, hot dogs and brats), buns and condiments we need to get, plates and plastic "silverware," lemonade or soft drinks and the like, and who is going to cook it on the grill. --Larry, WB7C
2012 planning discussion
The following was provided by Bill, KF7SZT.
December 8,2012
So much is happening now. My relaxed attitude allowing the hamfest to be delayed is now a state of calender paranoia. I have verbal confirmation of February 9th 2013 for the hamfest. Paperwork to follow immediately upon the return of our MCC contact this week.
A lot of members are coming forward to volunteer for the hamfest. I've asked for a total membership email to alert all to the need for volunteers. we need people to form a hamfest group to spearhead the set up and tear down including trailer transport and site organization. Others will be manning traffic and perimeter control. Still others in our canopy doing raffle and ticketing. Lots to do.
Speaking of volunteers, Jeff K2DFE, Paul WA6STV, and John K7JDB have stepped up to fill the Activities Committee void. Please let me know if I am not publishing often enough guys. I've emailed a rough draft of annual scheduling forms to the activities crew excepting John. Need an email please. Paul has suggested ideas for events that sound very good. Keep the suggestions flowing from all please.
Larry, please instruct me on how to maintain an online calendar for events. I have a format that may work on this page.
Walking around a balloon festival in Gilbert today, I thought that an amateur operator's presence would be great. After all the balloonists talk to each other with various equipment. This year's Falcon Field event might benefit from wandering hams with ht's. Maybe set up a local repeater for the event at the club's canopy.
We need to set another date for a steamboat ride. May time frame? Fox hunts a quarterly event? Build classes? Morse practice for us novices? QRP to go? A school repeater in a mobile unit was suggested, junior high age? Who doesn't like to use an antenna they have built? Set up in the Tonto forest for an overnight with radios and scopes. This list is renewable and unchanging at the same time.
Then there is the Relay for Life fundraiser this April. The event coordinator, Jeff Glenn will be speaking at the January general meeting. His message is important. I've signed up and created a "team" for us. This set things in motion for the overnight at the event. 73 all
July 18,2012
Fox Hunting/ T Hunting
Thank you Byon (byonics.com)for a wonderful introduction into this sport. Lots of our meeting attendees were impressed and excited about his displays and talk. I will be involved in this activity. Not so sure if I will be punching a hole in the roof of my camper though. Let's set a time and place for some construction work shops and have some fun. Byon has asked to help us get set up and train us in the skill set needed. I will be learning for a long time.
Walk for Life at Red Mountain High School
Last year I let this event get past me. April 20th is the date the organizer gave me for the night. The set up is that we will be secured inside the school's track field overnight with all of the other fund raising participants. Our agenda is to set up a special event station with as many people and radios as possible. Last year we were offered one of the goal posts to rig antennas to. I've emailed ARRL at the main information request address. I'll let you know if they can help us organize a country wide event at all 90 Walk for Life sites. Any suggestions on what that entails need to be addressed as soon as possible. Jeff and I are on the list and I can provide some transportation/set up. We do have to walk onto the field and no deep ground rods can be used. The organizer said that short tent spikes are acceptable on the grass areas only. Secured on site means no one in or out once the gates are closed for the night. We need to be prepared for food, water, power, and tents/canopies.
Evening Steamboat Cruise
During the general meeting of July 17th, a suggestion to make the mid to end of September a target date. So, My schedule is open the last two weekends. Are there any like or dislikes for the evening of the 21st? I'll get quotes for individual vs group prices. Last I looked $20 was an individual price. We have 6 or 7 couples showing interest on the sign up sheet. Email me if you want to add you name(s).
Pricing for either Dolly Steamboat or Desert Belle is $20adult $19over60(me darn it) and a 13 or younger rate of$10 or $13. Evening tours start 18:00 hrs. Availability for September is good. I can reserve with non refundable fees or purchase at the dock no difference in $.
Perseid Meteor Shower
Jan and I will be at McDowell Mountain Park camping for this event on August 11th. We will be watching the show and looking at deep sky stuff with my telescope. Of course, the 2meter will be warmed up too. If you are campers, come join us for the night.
More astronomy stuff. Arizona Science & Astronomy Expo Held at Tucson Convention Center November 10th & 11th 2012
WBCCI
That would be the Wally Byam Caravan Club International. The Airstream RV club. They have nets as follows:
Pacific Coast 9-10 AM PDT M-F 7268.5 Khz Rocky Mountain 6:30-8 AM MDT M-F 7184 Khz East Coast 40 meter net is on 7191kHz. The club also has 2 meters active with CB while on the road. See if you can catch a signal.
Tesla Automotive
The Scottsdale dealership is listed in The Fashion Square Mall. Should you wish to see a mind numbing ride, check it out. Electric cars that provide up to 300 miles/charge with 5.4 second to 60 MPH acceleration and 5 passenger seating. The City of Mesa is installing downtown charging stations for electric cars in four locations.
April 2012
April Club Picnic
- Club picnic pictures shot by Larry, WB7C --by Larry, WB7C 13:23, 27 April 2012 (UTC)
The picnic was a tad warm for most but we all enjoyed the food provided by Gene and Jo who pre-cooked the Brats and that made the grill time short. Wonderful conversation ensued. The bean bag game began to get competitive despite the weather. Arizona is hot enough to burst a soda can in a pickup truck bed. I saw it happen at the picnic. I will anticipate next years fun.
Equipment for sale
As I QSTd on the Wed. night net, the following email was sent to me by a ham I met at the Falcon Field event.
"Bill I talked to you at the Falcon Field show. Attached is what I have:
- 1 Icon 730 with a few scratches on the case,
- MFJ 996 Ant tuner new,
- Alinco DM 340MV dc power supply,
- Radio Shack 10meter,
- A 2meter ant,
- And some misc stuff.
I'd like to sell as a package for $700.00 If you interested let me know or if you don't want it please get it in your news letter.
Thanks Ralph" retiredralph@yahoo.com
Feathered Friends Festival
I had asked for interesting events from all and the first response was an event from Tom:
"Here is some information about the Feathered Friends Festival that I was telling
you about last night. This page has general information.
This page has more information about exhibitors (2012) and contact info.
Their exhibitors are largely related to wildlife and nature. But I would see us with a message of 'have communication without depending on a cell phone' or something similar. I have not checked on cost, but seeing some of the exhibitors it must be nominal.
If you need any help on this let me know,
- -- Tom
- AD7PM"
- -- Tom
I will follow through with the URL and bring the event info to our next meeting.
Astronomy
Should interest in astronomy show, I'm sure it would take very little convincing for me to set up a scope while we do some DXing into the night. Another ham has invited me to set up and talk telescopes. Maybe he could set up at this event.
Relay for Life at Red Mountain High
My poor planning caused a lack of participation at the Relay for Life at Red Mountain. Next year should prove to be better. As this is a national event, would the ARRL help in some manner with national coordination? Just a thought.
Now using Linux
This page is now being edited in a Linux environment on my laptop. I downloaded and installed Ubuntu 11.10. Very easy and it helped me repair the Internet problem I had. At the last regular meeting a group volunteered to do a Linux presentation at the April meeting. Please let me know if I can be of service for this presentation.
Refurbishing a boat anchor
I have an interest in choosing and refurbishing a boat anchor. Let's make this a topic for a regular meeting. Bring examples of hardware, resources, and skills involved. This should be a large time requirement to cover the topic and could be a running presentation for a part of our meetings. Email me and we'll set it up. Along with a show and tell from our membership, we could introduce a whole host of topics.
Field Day
Field Day, June 23 and 24, 2012 is a ppage adapted from last year, which has the maps at the bottom of the page.
During the April meeting I would like an update of planning for Field day. The location is being settled by consensus at the ridge above Pine/Strawberry. It's only 60 days out.
Ideas on linking repeaters
A method of linking repeaters was brought to my attention by Steve KB7KWK. More fun stuff and operating hints are welcome.
73 all
Bill
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