GBARC Annual Holiday Party Update
The leadership has decided it would be a mistake to cancel the Christmas party because of CoVid, so the party will go on. To make it easier to socially distance we will extend the hours from 2 to 6, and we will order pizza twice so that people don't feel they have to come early and stay late. Pizza will be delivered at 3 and 5.
Additionally, with a mindful appreciation of safety, Cheryl and I are asking you follow the following CoVid protocols we are calling the 0-1-2-3 Rules by considering the number of jabs you have had. If you received the J&J vaccine in the past 4 months you can consider that to be the equivalent of 2 jabs.
0 - (Unvaccinated or showing symptoms) Please attend over Zoom
1 - (Partially Vaccinated) You can attend in person but please wear a mask at all times
2 - (Vaccinated) You can definitely attend in person but remain masked when not eating or drinking
3 = (Boosted) You can definitely attend in person, and masking is your choice
We will ask that you take your temperature at the door, where there will be hand sanitizer and masks. Please coat check in Emi's office on the 1st floor.
Thank you very much and hope to see you here!
GBARC Annual Holiday Party
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, the Solstice, or Festivus, please join us on December 19th to celebrate the end of another successful year for GBARC. Despite the pandemic, we have remained active and have met our goals, expanded our active membership and are about to embark on new educational programs. So come join us, there will be pizza from Massimo's Corner Deli (our favourite), salad, snacks and dessert. Additionally N1DID will crack open the shack bar and serve wine, beer and mixed drinks, and for others who do not imbibe there will be non-alcoholic drinks too!.
Where: QTH of Emily N1DID and Cheryl
14 Three Trees Ln, Trumbull
When: December 19th, 2-5 (or whenever)
Who: All GBARC members, significant others and family
Please RSVP to Emily N1DID (president@gbarc.org) by December 18th so we know how much pizza to order!
See the printable poster for more information.
CARA Microsoft Teams meeting
NOVEMBER 12, 2021 The Candlewood Amateur Radio Association - CARA, will host Randy Thompson – K5ZD, at their monthly meeting on Friday, November 12, which will be conducted on the TEAMS video platform. Virtual doors open at 7:00 pm for conversation and socializing. The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm. All interested amateur radio operators and visitors are invited to attend.
Our special guest speaker will be Randy Thompson – K5ZD,who will present: “Tips for Contesting Success” on November 12, 2021. This presentation will cover 5 areas that contribute to successful contest operations. Whether you are an experienced contester or someone who just wants to learn more about this aspect of the hobby, there is sure to be a tip that will help you. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.
Join on your computer or mobile app
GBARC Monthly Fox...er TURKEY Hunt!!!
It is the season for pumpkin pie, apple cider and of course our monthly Turkey hunt. I, K1PCN-Peter, will be with the turkey at his roost somewhere in the greater Fairfield-Easton Region. The hunt will begin at 10AM. All GBARC and non-GBARC members are welcome to participate. The hunt will start at the park and ride at Exit 44 off the Merritt Highway (intersection of SR 58 and Merritt). The turkey will allow me to give hints every 15 minute or so. They will be radio and science based clues. One will be given in morse code-so be prepared.
See the Turkey er Fox Hunt wiki page for more information
Enforcement Bureau Action - Good news on war against Jammers
The FCC Enforcement Bureau has imposed an $18,000 fine and revoked the license of Jerry W. Materne KC5CSG of Lake Charles, Louisiana for causing interference and failing to provide station identification on amateur radio frequencies. You can read the entire record in DA-20-255A1_Rcd.pdf We can only hope the jammer in our area takes note, and if we have a chance steer him to our website.
GBARC Parks on the Air
|
 |
GBARC Family Summer Picnic September 19thGBARC will hold it's Summer Picnic on Sunday, September 19, 2021 starting at 1pm. We will hold a short club meeting at 2pm, and have a fox hunt that will begin at 3pm, and the fox will be located on the grounds of the picnic. There will also be a cornhole toss for fun!Meat and salads will be provided, just bring your favourite brew and other snacks you might want to share.We will be providing:
The picnic will be held at the QTH of GBARC President Emily N1DID at: 14 Three Trees Ln Please bring your own chairs if possible. |
|
Upcoming Hamfest and ARRL Convention
Western CT (CARA) Hamfest
This weekend is the Western Connecticut Hamfest sponsored by our friends at CARA. It's held Sunday morning the 29th at::
Sunday, August 29, 2021 - 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Edmond Town Hall (Rear)
45 Main Street, Newtown, CT
Talk in on the CARA Repeater 147.300 + PL100 or 146.520
Admission is $7, Children under 12 Free
ARRL Northeast HamXposition
The 2021 Northeast HamXposition (ARRL Convention) will be held at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center in Marlborough, MA, Septermber 10-12, 2021. There is a Giant Flea Market, plus some great forums including Skywarn Training, QRP Forum, ARES Bootcamp, Foxhunting, Ballooning, Satellite ops, Winlink, HF Propagation for EmComm, DMR, DXLab and others! See the full Forum Schedule here:
The flea market will be open during the following times of the convention:
- Friday: 12 PM to 5 PM
- Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
- Sunday: 9 AM to 1 PM
Sunday Foxhunt - July 18, 2021 @ 11am
GBARC will hold it's monthly foxhunt this month on Sunday July 18 starting at 11am. This foxhunt will be a special treat for everyone because it will be slightly easier. This month will be hosted by GBARC President N1DID and will cover a slightly larger area. See our Foxhunts Wiki page for additional information, a map, and radio frequencies in use.
Save the Date - GBARC Family Summer Picnic
GBARC will hold it's Summer Picnic on August 22, 2021 starting at 1pm. Meat and salads will be provided, just bring your favourite brew and any other snacks you might want to share. Stay tuned for more details.
Sunday Foxhunt - May 16, 2021 @ 11am
GBARC will hold it's monthly foxhunt this month on Sunday May 16 starting at 11am. This is to allow those who normally have to work on Saturday to participate in the event. This month will be hosted by GBARC President N1DID and will cover a slightly larger area. See our Foxhunts Wiki page for additional information, a map, and radio frequencies in use.
Parks On the Air Event - April 24, 2021
GBARC is hosting a POTA event at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, CT on Saturday April, 24 2021 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. We will have snacks, beverages, and a lunch will be provided. All license class amateurs, and visitors are welcome to join! Don't forget to bring a chair, sunblock, jacket, hat and sunglasses. We look forward to seeing you there. Please see the wiki page for more information.
March 2021 Simulated Emergency Test
This month we will resume having Simulated Emergency Tests or SETS. The set will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Saturday the 27th of March 2021. updating and testing amateur radio paths of communications. This means we will test local and distant repeaters, as well as contacting other amateur radio operators on VHF and UHF simplex. Please see Emergency Drills for additional information, and refer to the chart of repeaters for a list of repeaters to test.
GBARC Monthly Digital Nets Begin
As was relayed during the January meeting, we will be starting our monthly Digital Net on Tuesday 26 January at 8:00 pm. Tonight's net control will be Emily N1DID and the modes chosen for the evening are PSK-31 and Feld-Hell, which is a very interesting version of Hellschreiber. The Net frequencies will be 28.095 at 8:00 and 3.595 at 8:30. See the GBARC Digital Nets page for additional information and information on how to check in.
2021 Winter Field Day Information Posted
Winter Field Day is an exciting and fun way to spend time on the air and despite the pandemic this year will be no different. This year, we can all work from home but as a club, and our efforts will be added to the club score. HF, VHF, UHF bands can all be used as can many expanded modes. Please see the new Winter Field Day Information Page for additional information.
GBARC 2020 Ham of the Year
GBARC is proud to announce that Junie Cassone, N1DUC, along with her sidekick Moochie (who really is a duck), has been awarded our star trophy as the GBARC Ham of the year for 2020. Junie is not only one of our youngest hams but is one of our most enthusiastic members.
Junie functions as our net control manager, and has led our SETS and nets on simplex HF, DMR as well as our weekly analog nets. She has been instrumental in helping the group grow, and has been active in many club activities such as Parks on the Air, field day and was the key organizer for Lighthouses on the Air.
In addition to being our net manager, Junie is also our new assistant secretary.
Thank you Junie for all you do to make GBARC a great club. Your accomplishments are too numerous to list, but they are significant. Thank you for being an amazing member, and CONGRATULATIONS on being Ham of the Year!
GBARC 2021 Officer Elections
At our January 2021 meeting held on the 12th, GBARC did it's constitutional duty and elected a slate of officers for 2021. Emily Clarke N1DID remains president for another year, joined by Shawn Takatsu NR1T who will serve as Vice-President. For information of the complete slate of 2021 Officers and Committee Chairs, please visit About GBARC.
Fox Hunter(s) of the Year Announced!
This year GBARC found, in the middle of a pandemic, we could still be an active club and explore one of the many aspects of radiosport - FOXHUNTING. Starting with our first foxhunt in April to the Reindeer Run in December, the season was dominated by one team, that team being Jack and Michael Singwald N1PLH.
Over the 8 foxhunts this year, they dominated the field with an impressive 5 wins, and never failed to find the fox. For their efforts they were awarded the Foxhunter of the Year Trophy and bragging rights for the coming year.
Our next Fox Hunt will be on Saturday January 9th hosted by N1DID. This foxhunt will be particularly challenging and cover an extremely wide coverage area. So be sure to plan your time to be there. Tune in, have some fun, and drive around looking for that elusive fox.
GBARC Ham of the Year Nominations
I am pleased to announce that the nominations for GBARC Ham of the Year are in. It was a lively set of nominations and I was very impressed at both the thoughtfulness and reasoning that people put into the process. The comments I received really showed how terrific and enthusiastic this group has become over the past year.
The Nominees (listed in alphabetical order of callsign) are:
- Alex Shein KC1LAG
- Junie Cassone N1DUC
- John Massi N1TVN
- Shawn Takatsu NR1T
Just a reminder about our process. On or about January 2nd, N1DID will send out information on how the membership can vote for Ham of the Year. Ham of the Year results will be announced at the January GBARC Meeting.
GBARC Holiday Drop-in Delayed
The Holiday Drop-in will have to be delayed because of snow and temperature. It's supposed to be very cold, and there is still 10" of snow in my yard. I think we will wait for after things get a little safer, but in the mean time I want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season regardless of your celebration reasons and faiths. We all have much to celebrate at the end of this year, especially that we survived it. As a club we have done awesome work to - not only survive, but THRIVE!
--- Emily N1DID
Winter Storm Advisory Information
We are expecting a winter storm that could be quite severe. Power outages are possible. I have included the warning from the NWS below.
To make sure we are all in touch and allow us to relay information please take the following steps:
- Make sure you have adequate flashlights and that any rechargeable flashlights are charged.
- Make sure all of your radios are fully charged.
- Make sure any spare batteries you have are also charged.
- When possible, keep a radio tuned to the Analog Repeaters (UHF and/or VHF) to listen for traffic and relay requests.
- If the repeaters are not reachable please tune to repeater OUTPUT frequencies and transmit to these on simplex. Tune to 146.445 on VHF and 441.700 on UHF - no duplex, no tones.. This will allow people who are listening for the repeater to hear your call.
- When all else fails, try 146.52 - the National Simplex Calling Frequency
If you are equipped with DMR please monitor the Alert A, CT Statewide A and TAC-1 channels. You can find additional information about this on the GBARC DMR Information page.
GBARC DMR Net Results
GBARC held the first of a new monthly net for DMR communications. The test was informative and we learned much from the test. This test was also helpful to understand our simplex paths. For a complete report refer to the Latest DMR Net Results page.
GBARC Holiday Drop-in (Tentative)
On December 20th Club Prez N1DID and her XYL will host a club drop in to celebrate the year behind, the holidays and the year ahead. Strict social distancing means that this will be an outdoors event. Unfortunately with 16 inches of snow predicted for Wednesday this may be in the garage (if Emily can clean it up!)
So stay tuned but something will happen on the 20th between 1 and 5pm. More information will be on the Thursday net and the call in frequency will be on the GBARC repeaters.
GBARC December Fox Hunt
On Dec 12 the club will hold it's monthly fox hunt - in this case the Santa Hunt! See the Foxhunts page for more information
GBARC December 8th Meeting (Zoom)
GBARC will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday December 8th. This is a Zoom meeting.
This meeting is important as the meeting will present the slate nominated by the nomination committee for 2021 officers one month prior to our January elections. Other topics will be the introduction of HF, DMR and digital mode nets, plus information about our December Rainbow Run (foxhunt) and the Christmas get-together. So we hope that everyone will be able to attend.
For additional information Please see the meeting announcements.
GBARC November Turkey Hunt - November 14 2020 @ 9:00 AM
GBARC will hold a Turkey Hunt on November 14 from 9:00am to Noon. This is an opportunity to learn about Amateur Satellites. Lunch in the form of hot dogs and snacks will be provided. This Turkey Hunt will be held someplace in Easton, Monroe, Newtown or Trumbull and will be hosted by Shawn AC1KC.
Please see the Foxhunts Page for additional information.
GBARC Space Day, Sunday October 25 2020 @ 9:00 AM
GBARC will hold it's first ever Space Day on Sunday October 25 2020 from 9:00am to 5:00pm. This is an opportunity to learn about Amateur Satellites. Lunch in the form of hot dogs and snacks will be provided.
Additional Information about the satellite passes is posted at Space Day Satellite Predictions
For information about what kind of satellite radios are needed see Satellite Radio Equipment
Space Day will be held at the QTH of N1DID - 14 Three Trees Ln, Trumbull. Call in will be on the GBARC Repeaters!
GBARC Lighthouse on the Air - Saturday September 26, 2020 @ 8:00 AM
GBARC will activate Feyerweather Light in Bridgeport on September 26, 2020 (raindate on the 27th). Junie N1DUC has pulled together the plan and it is now available online. Please let Junie know in advanced if you will be joining us, primarily so we can make sure we have enough food. Also let her know if you have any food allergies.
Please click here for the LHOTA plan
GBARC Monthly Meeting - Tuesday September 8, 2020 @ 7:45 PM
GBARC will hold it's monthly meeting on Tuesday August 11 at 8pm. Due to the ongoing concerns about CoVid-19 this meeting will be held using ZOOM. Please check your email for meeting details.
GBARC Foxhunt - Saturday September 12, 2020 @ 9am
GBARC will hold a monthly Foxhung on Saturday September 12, 2020. This foxhunt will take us back into the wilds of Easton/Weston. Starting Location will be the Easton Village Store on Route 59. All members and non-members are invited to attend. The purpose of the foxhunt is to track down a hidden transmitter and find some information, then relay that information according to the instructions on a sign where the fox is located. The foxhunt is designed to hone our technical skills while meeting and maintaining our physical distancing criteria.
This month's Foxhunt will be hosted by Emily N1DID.
Details Here on the Foxhunt Page
GBARC Summer Picnic - Sunday August 30 @ 1:00pm
GBARC will celebrate the end of the summer season by holding an annual summer picnic at Emily N1DID's house on Sunday August 30. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided (donations will be accepted. All you need to do is bring your own lawn chairs and masks. There is plenty of space, so social distancing will be easy.
Please sign up by clicking here!
GBARC Parks on the Air - Success!
GBARC activated Putnam Memorial State Park (gridsquare FN31hi) for the World Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF) Parks on the Air and it was a huge success for our first try. We operated QRP (20W) using two Xiegu G90 transceivers and racked up 85 contacts using a 40M inverted V and a buddipole set up for 20m. Shawn did a great job organizing the event and we had 10 members participate. We had a lot of fun, so our next event similar to this will be on September 26th when we do Lighthouses on the Air!
Note: We received our first QSL card on August 27th, so well done team!
Here is our QSL card:
GBARC Parks on the Air - Sunday August 23, 2020 @ 8:00 AM
GBARC will activate Putnam Memorial State Park (gridsquare FN31hi) for the World Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF) Parks on the Air. POTA is an opportunity for radio amateurs to set up in public locations to have a day of fun while promoting amateur radio and making on-air friends. Putnam Memorial State Park is the site of a 1778 war camp atop a bluff, with artifacts & structures, museum, visitor center & views.
GBARC Monthly Meeting - Tuesday August 11, 2020 @ 7:45 PM
GBARC will hold it's monthly meeting on Tuesday August 11 at 8pm. Due to the ongoing concerns about CoVid-19 this meeting will be held using ZOOM. Please check your email for meeting details.
GBARC Foxhunt - Saturday August 15, 2020 @ 9am
After being delayed for a week due to the damage from TS Eisisa we will hold our foxhunt this coming Saturday. iAll members and non-members are invited to attend. The purpose of the foxhunt is to track down a hidden transmitter and find some information, then relay that information according to the instructions on a sign where the fox is located. The foxhunt is designed to maintain physical distancing criteria.
This month's Foxhunt will be hosted by Shawn KC1MYE. Starting location is Tuxis Hill Park, 64 Nordstrand Ave in Fairfield.
Details Here on the Foxhunt Page
GBARC Foxhunt - Saturday June 13, 2020
All members and non-members are invited to attend. The purpose of the foxhunt is to track down a hidden transmitter and find some information, then relay that information according to the instructions on a sign where the fox is located. The foxhunt is designed to maintain physical distancing criteria.
This month's Foxhunt will be hosted by Shawn KC1MYE. After the foxhunt we will meet at the Bluebird Cafe in Easton (optionally) for a socially distanced face-to-face (masked) rag chew.
Details Here on the Foxhunt Page
All members and non-members are invited to attend. The purpose of the foxhunt is to track down a hidden transmitter and find some information, then relay that information according to the instructions on a sign where the fox is located. The foxhunt is designed to maintain physical distancing criteria
The Latest News! - GBARC SET a Great Success
On Saturday April 25th we held our first Simulated Emergency Test. By all measures it was a HUGE success and participation was good. We were monitored by many stations all of whom gave us thumbs up. We had 9 active stations and 5 monitors, and we originated over 18 ICS messages and received many more replies. Additionally we were able to check in 6 stations on simplex in a test to see how we can do going outside the city.
Thanks to John N1TVN (Net Control), Larry W1LAG (Red Cross), Marilyn KB1YYO (Shelter Alpha), Jim KC1LJII (Shelter Bravo), Sam W1SMF (Shelter Charley), Shawn KC1MYE (Shelter Echo), Frank KC1HJU (PIO and Airport), Sheldon KC1QPT (Animal Control) and Emily N1DID (EOC). Monitoring were Luis KC1HJU,Junie KC1MHV, Rhonda KC1KYN, Don KB1UCQ, Norma KB1LJP an and Cindy KC1LJO.
Our next SET will be held on May 23rd - hope to see you all there!
Monthly Meetings
Due to concerns about the Covid-19 virus (commonly called coronavirus) our monthly in-person meetings have been cancelled. We have moved to using ZOOM - one of the leading video conferencing platforms. Zoom meetings will be held at 8pm on the second Tuesday of each month. Consult the Calendar for additional information.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Net
Since we can't get together for breakfast we have started a Saturday Morning Breakfast Net. This is not a formal net, but rather a rag chew net to exchange any topic relating to ham radio or current events. These are held on the GBARC repeaters including through the Echolink net. The net runs from 8am to 10am (or longer if people are still hanging around.) We've had some good discussions, so drop by and have a good rag chew with our other members!
April Simulated Emergency Test
On April 25 we will hold our first Simulated Emergency Test to train and give members a first look at what it means to be handling emergency traffic. See our Drills page for more information
June Foxhunt
This month’s foxhunt is on Saturday June 13, 2020. It will not require you to meet with other people so you will be able to stay distanced, and the fox will be located in an area that does not require you do any walking. Everyone who participates will get points towards end of the year prizes.
Please see the Foxhunts page for additional information.
Table of Contents
| About GBARC | Donate | |
| Local For Sale |