New PCARS Members

Posted on December 4, 2011 by K8SRR

Welcome to the latest members of PCARS!
Karl W8KFWRavenna, Ohio
Robert W2THUPerry, OH
Gene AC8RHAkron, Ohio
Jennifer KB3GXBAtwater, Ohio
Kristen KB3OQVAkron, Ohio
Andrew KE8ELRAtwater, Ohio
Marie MCARRONKent, Ohio
Robert N8SKNSugar Bush Knolls, Ohio
Bob WD8PMEMacedonia, Ohio
Tim W8HFZUniontown, OH
If you meet these people on the street, in a meeting, or on the air, be sure to say Hi and introduce yourself. Let's make our new members feel welcome!
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Birthdays this Month

Posted on December 1, 2011 by K8SRR

Jeffrey K8JJMMark K8MSHPeggy KB8SZI
Jeff KB8ZWTEddie KD8SOPJanice KE8BFA
Mara KE8KBJBrian KE8NNCRoger KE8TEJ
Christopher N1CJWJohn N8GIEDavid N8NB
Jim N8PXWRussell NR8WRex NX8G
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Vermont QSO Party February 4th

Posted on January 28, 2023 by KD8MQ
Attention PCARS Contesters and Contest Newbies:
On February 4th, the club site will be open to those who want to take part in the Vermont QSO Party. We will gather at 10AM. We will be only using SSB and CW Modes since FT8 requires a logging program other than what we normally use for our contests.
Those who have not contested before or who are fairly new to the sport can participate at a more mild pace and get you contesting legs set under you.
Come on out and participate.
—
73 – Chuck W8PT
PCARS Contest Coordinator
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Winlink on Linux Session, Tuesday January 31

Posted on January 26, 2023 by KD8MQ
This coming Tuesday, January 31 at 7 p.m. at the club site, we’ll have a hands-on session to walk participants through setting up a Winlink 2000 account on their own Raspberry Pi or laptop/desktop computer running Linux.
Winlink is a message-passing system used by mariners, emergency services and hams in general to pass electronic mail even when the internet is inaccessible. Rick K8CAV gave us an overview at the Digital SIG in January and we’re going to build upon that with a hands-on session that will establish your Winlink account and send an initial message via telnet protocol over the internet. Once we’ve succeeded with those goals you will get to take your computer home and fight on your own getting the RF part of the game to work!
For the hands-on session:
Bring your Pi or Linux computer, configured with
  • Administrator-access account
  • Functioning networking (wired or WiFi will be provided)
  • A functioning web browser so we can download some files
  • Monitor and keyboard (we will have some to share)
  • If you already have an active Winlink account, bring your Winlink password so we can connect to the system.
  • If you don’t have a Winlink account yet, that is good – you’ll get a password assigned in the course of the workshop
  • If you HAD a Winlink account and haven’t used it for 400 days, your password has probably expired. So go to the winlink.org web site and go through the process to retrieve your password or reactivate your callsign.
  • You’ll need access to your personal email account, either on the computer we’re working with or via your phone, so you can confirm your new Winlink account information.
  • And you’ll need some patience as we go through this process.
The good news is that Brandon KE8ARB has agreed to be another pair of hands for the hands-on, and that is really great.
We will meet in-person at the club site as well as on Zoom. The Zoom link will be provided in another QST message closer to the event.
Please join us if you can, and 73 de Rick KD8WCK
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Freeze Your Acorns Off 2023

Posted on January 25, 2023 by KD8MQ
PCARS Members:
Well the WX has decided to cooperate with PCARS and give us weather that is appropriate for our annual QRP Special Event.
of course we are talking about FREEZE YOUR ACORNS OFF for 2023! It takes place on February 11, 2023.
As in previous years, the operating format will be a “contest” for all participants that set up a station and operate from the FYAO site. And as in years past, the host site is the shelter house at Fred Fuller Park in Kent. The winner will receive a certificate and his or her name and call sign will be added to the FYAO plaque displayed at the PCARS Club site.
We will also be having a contest within a contest…..the Best Recipe Cook-Off. So you great cooks, whip up your best recipe of chili, mac & cheese, spicy meatballs, stew, or whatever your hearts desire and bring your dish to pass and have it judged by our “expert” panel of judges. (Judges to be chosen during the event to assure “NO COLLUSION – absolutely NO COLLUSION.)
The contest begins at 1500 UTC (10 AM Local) and ends at 2000 UTC (3 PM Local). For those of you setting up a station, you are encouraged to come one hour earlier to pick your operating spot. Remember, this is a QRP Event so keep your foot warmers at home. (And you know I’m not talking about heavy socks.)
Come on out and set up a station, bring lots of food, invite your friends to see what this is all about, and just have a good time with your fellow HAMS. Most importantly, we’re here to have BIG FUN so I hope to see a lot of you there.
73 for now,
Chuck W8PT
PS: Don’t forget to wear your best Hawaiian shirt!
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Neat Maps

Posted on January 25, 2023 by KD8MQ
Bob Liddy, K8BL, sent this out. Thought it would be a help to many PCARS members
Here’s a site with helpful maps of ARRL Sections for variousContests. Note that some of the Canadian Sections have changed names/abbreviations.
73, Bob K8BL
—
73 – Chuck W8PT
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News Points

Posted on January 25, 2023 by KD8MQ
Our fellow member Gene Marsh, W8NET, will be going to St Croix in February. I wanted to make sure that we were all aware of this and that we would be looking for him on the air. Here is his announcement from last November just to remind all of us.

Hi everyone!

We are going to St. Croix, USVI, from 2/6 to 2/10. The plan is for being on the 3905CC nets for 2 nights. I will email more details as the trip is getting close. I will also have one of my clubs (probably WW8WWW), and special event N8V/KP2. Also club call KP2JR.

My new POTA antenna works VERY WELL on 40m and above. I will be testing it on 75m shortly (after our expected 6”+ rain from Nicole).

I will try to check in on 40mE, 75mE and 40mL.  [KM4P, WF4H, KI7PM and/or K7QHU, please aware for possible relay]. I believe I will have Internet.

Also, if you are interested: I will be on FT8 in the day time (for 2 days only). We will have a vehicle, and maybe will activate a couple of POTA parks.

73

Gene W8NET (W8NET/KP2)

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PCARS Thursday Net, Thursday, January 26th

Posted on January 25, 2023 by KD8MQ
Hi EVERYONE
Please join us for some good conversation on the world famous PCARS Thursday Night Net. It is held at 8:00 PM local time on the 146.895 repeater with a negative offset and a PL tone of 118.8. Contact is also available via the K8BF-L EchoLink node. We always have interesting club and other amateur radio news.
Remember you can get a good looking certificate if you attend 10 consecutive Thursday Night Nets.
I am always looking for net control operators. It is not as hard as you think and we have a very forgiving crowd of hams that visit our nets. If interested, let me know.
For now 73’s and hope to hear you on the net.
Greg KA8TOA  NCC
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Net Night at the Clubsite Thursday 1/26

Posted on January 25, 2023 by KD8MQ
Happy New Year!
OK, that’s already old. But it will be the first “Net Night at the Clubsite” for the new year! Let’s get together, eat some pizza, and any other snacks you want to bring along, check into the PCARS Net, have some beverages, probably another slice of pizza before heading home, and in between all that, enjoy some Ham Radio Fellowship! FYAO is coming up real quick, sunspot cycle keeps heading north, DXpeditions are out there – there’s a lot of ways to be “Radio Active” and I want to know what you all are doing about it!
Hope to see you there Thursday, January 26. We’ll open up around 6:30 and close up around 9:30 or 10.
73,
Tom WB8LCD
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DX/Contest SIG January 24th 7 PM

Posted on January 23, 2023 by KD8MQ
Attention PCARS DXers and Contesters:
Just a friendly reminder that we will be holding our DX/Contesting Special Interest Group meeting tomorrow, Jan 24 at 7PM at the club site.
The meeting will also be on ZOOM. The link is below. Hope to see you attending.
Topic: DX/Contesting SIG
Time: January 24 at 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 857 9042 6465
Passcode: PCARS2022
—
73 – Chuck W8PT
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Bouvet Island DXpedition

Posted on January 23, 2023 by KD8MQ
The most anticipated DXpedition is coming soon! Bouvet Island. The crew is on their way to the island.
3Y0J QSL Manager M0OXO, Charles, lists the following helpful Bouvet Island DXpedition links.
3Y0J Main Website ( As a reminder this one is not expected to be updated during the DXpedition)
GPS Travel Tracker – See the ships progress while sailing to the island
Weather on Bouvet
Club Log Logsearch
3Y0J Facebook Group
QSL Policy (QRZ.Com)
3Y0J QSL Policy & Instructions
QSL Card requests
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February 2023 PCARS newsletter inputs needed

Posted on January 23, 2023 by KD8MQ
February 2023 newsletter inputs needed, please.
Yes, January is going fast – don’t forget – the inputs for the February 2023 issue of The RADIOGRAM are due on Friday January 27th at 8pm. (as always – the last Friday of the month).
Keep New Year going by sending in your article for the PCARS newsletter. And, don’t forget the in-focus, large format photos as well!!!
Let all of PCARS know what projects or operations are keeping you busy. Let’s all get excited with PCARS, the improving band conditions, and about Ham Radio in 2023.
It would be very much appreciated if you send your inputs in prior to the deadline.
I’m looking forward to your stories and articles. Send your inputs and in-focus photos to kb8uuz@gmail.com  Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Take care & 73,
Tom, KB8UUZ
PCARS Newsletter Editor
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