2024 Freeze Your Acorns Off

PCARS Members and Friends of PCARS:

Freeze Your Acorns Off 2024 will take place tomorrow, March 2, at the Roy Smith Shelter House in Kent’s Fred Fuller Park.

We will be celebrating our 19th year of holding this event. Those of you who will be setting up a station, you know what you have to do to plan your operation.

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 our contest within a contest…..the Best Recipe Cook-Off. So as many as you believe that you are great cooks, whip up your best recipe of chili, mac & cheese, spicy meatballs, stew, or whatever your heart desires 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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Bob Heil SK

The following was posted on the Steel City Amateur Radio Club by N3LRG.

Bob Heil. SK
Posted on 03/01/2024 by N3LRG

Today we say goodbye to our beloved founder, Dr. Bob Heil. Bob fought a valiant, year-long battle with cancer, and passed peacefully surrounded by his family. Bob’s impact on professional and live sound cannot be overstated. Driven by a lifelong passion for sound, Bob’s pioneering work revolutionized how concertgoers experienced live sound. Bob created and developed numerous pro sound innovations and products over the years, some of which are preserved in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. In 2007, Bob was the recipient of the Audio Innovator Parnelli Award, recognizing his outstanding influence on the live sound industry. Countless artists, creators, broadcasters, podcasters, sound engineers, and sound professionals worldwide continue to be impacted by Bob’s work. While Bob’s presence will dearly be missed, we are immensely proud and happy to honor and carry on his legacy.


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MARCH Radiogram Is Ready To View

Greetings PCARS Members, ARRL Officials, Amateur Radio Clubs, and all interested people.

The March 2024 issue of THE RADIOGRAM is on the web and ready for you to enjoy. Check out all of the latest happenings with PCARS!

https://www.portcars.org/wp/go/march-2024-radiogram/

In this action packed issue: Club Officers share their updates – Tech Tips on a Refined Tape Measure Yagi – Links from Around The World – Upcoming Events – And much, much more!

Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who has an interest in ham radio or the Portage County Amateur Radio Service in Ohio (PCARS).

Thanks & 73!

J.C. – KC8JC
PCARS Newsletter Editor


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DX/Contesting SIG Tuesday February 27th @ 7 PM

PCARS DXers & Contesters:

One more friendly reminder that our DX/Contesting Special Interest Group meeting will take place tomorrow, Tuesday evening, February 27, at 7PM at PCARS World HQ.

Our discussion will be on the upcoming PCARS Special Event: Freeze Your Acorns Off that takes place on March 2. We will also be discussing our participation in the Wisconsin and Idaho QSO Parties that take place the weekend of March 10

So I hope to see many of you in person or attending on ZOOM.

Event: DX/Contesting Special Interest Group meeting
Topic: FYAO & WI and ID QSO Parties
Time: February 27 at 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98524721220?pwd=TDUwRjd3VHB5K1c3RTl5U3k4WkwxQT09

Meeting ID: 985 2472 1220
Passcode: 088557

73 – Chuck W8PT


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Changes to UK Licensing

PCARS DXers & Contesters:

The UK has made some changes to their licensing, the most significant is that they have up’d the legal power from 400w to 1KW. Read below:

UK Licensing changes now in effect
By G4IRN, John Warburton

From 21st March 2024, the UK licensing authority OFCOM has made changes to UK amateur radio licenses. The full statement can be read here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/278345/amateur-radio-general-notice-decision.pdf

Changes impacting DXers and contesters:

  • Holders of full licenses can now operate 1KW output on the primary amateur radio bands (up from 400W).
  • The use of ‘Regional Secondary Locators’ is now optional for call-signs beginning M or G. The RSL is the second letter of the call-sign where D=Isle of Man, G=Guernsey, I=Northern Ireland, J=Jersey, M=Scotland, W=Wales. Stations in these entities can now drop the second letter and use just their G or M prefix.
  • Stations in England can optionally add the Regional Second Locator letter ‘E’ – so their M0ABC call-sign can become ME0ABC.

The UK DX and contesting community envisage that most stations will continue to use their Regional Secondary Locators, however for contests where the DXCC entity is a multiplier, it is recommended that contest organisers mandate the use of a prefix that identifies their DXCC entity.

73 – Chuck W8PT


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