12 results for month: 03/2015

K4HC’s 8-Band DXCC

GARA's very own Chris Thompson, K4HC, recently finalized his 8-band DXCC endorsement with a confirmed QSL on the 30 meter band.  This means that Chris now has at least 100 confirmed DX entities on each of eight ham bands, including the original five needed for the 5-band DXCC (80m, 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m), and three additional bands, including 17m, 12m, and finally 30m.  It is an especially huge accomplishment considering Chris completed his initial 5-band DXCC using 100W (no amplifier) and a wire antenna.  He has since added a hex beam antenna to his arsenal, but has kept the 100w power output.  All hams who work DX should be encouraged by this ...

Yaesu DR-1X Application Approved by Yaesu!

Following the submission of the application to purchase a new Yaesu DR-1X System Fusion repeater late last week, the GARA board has just received confirmation that our application has been approved by Yaesu!  Because of the popularity of the program, there is a one- to two-month wait time to receive the repeater, but Yaesu will notify us when it is ready to ship. Thanks again to everyone who has already donated to fund this project, and thanks to all members for supporting this important initiative!

The NC QSO Party Results are in!

The NC QSO Party results from the event on March 1-2, 2015 are in, and our very own Cameron Conover, AJ4TW won first place in the Single Op/In State/Phone category!  Cameron, with setup and logistics assistance from Jesse, K4AX, operated alone from a temporary shack in a friend's house in Surrey County.  Here is the text from the RARS site where the winners were posted: Single Op/In State/ PhoneNumber 1 of 51 entries in this category was Cameron AJ4TW in SUR with a score of 142,964 and 636 Q’s. Cameron could have entered and won as an Expedition station, but chose to operate in this category. That’s a great result considering he worked a ...

Repeater Upgrade Update – Yaesu DR-1X

At the March 23, 2105 GARA meeting, following an informative and vigorous discussion, the membership voted to move forward with the purchase of a Yaesu DR-1X repeater under the club discount program.  Prior to the vote, Bill, N8KSG, described how the Rockingham Amateur Radio Club bought and installed two DR-1X repeaters and explained the benefits and drawbacks they've noticed over the past few months of operation. David, AJ4TF, presented an opposing viewpoint, and questions were asked of both.  After the discussion, a motion was made to purchase the DR-1X, including provisions to purchase an additional power amplifier to be used with the new ...

K1N QSL Update

For those of you who worked the Navassa Island DXpedition earlier this year, here is an update about QSL cards, LoTW uploads, etc from N2OO who is handling QSLing for the team: N2OO - Callsign Lookup by QRZ.COM NOTICE: K1N NAVASSAMarch 16, 2015: Current QSL status for K1N: The QSL design is almost ready to go to the printer. We just had our first incoming MAIL opening party at my QTH. 14 SJDXA QSL team members took 7 hours to open and sort 14 mail trays of QSL mail (which included some of my non-K1N QSL requests). LoTW: An LoTW upload was made for all "pre-depature" advance early donors (donations made pre-January 30) as a THANK YOU for their ...

Repeater Upgrade – Yaesu DR-1X

Dear GARA members, As anyone who deals with technology knows, nothing lasts forever. And, like with cars, there is a time when it makes sense to upgrade to a newer model before your old one experiences more problems than you can afford. On rare occasion, someone will come along and offer you a good deal on a car with new features around the same time you’re looking to replace the old model with a new one. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the deal. Our club is in a similar situation. Because of their age and the era in which they were designed and built, our VHF repeaters are challenging to ...

Raleigh Amateur Radio Society RARSFest on Saturday, April 4!

The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society will be holding its annual RARSFest hamfest and ARRL convention in the Jim Graham building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 4.  There will be many activities in addition to the swap meet, including J-pole building, an indoor fox hunt, QSL card checking, and an ARRL open forum.  VE testing will also be available, so it's a perfect opportunity to buy some new gear and upgrade your ticket at the same time!  Best of all, parking is free.  Tickets are $8 if you buy them in advance or $10 at the door.  Plan your trip to Raleigh now to find your the next piece of your station!  For more ...

DXpeditions Galore! Republic of Malawi Up Next – 7QAA

If the 9Q0HQ DXpedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo was just too easy for your tastes and you're already running SSB QRP-style, consider trying your hand at working 7QAA, the current DXpedition to the the Republic of Malawi, the small landlocked country in southeast Africa.  This station started on the air with CW and RTTY ops on March 11 and will continue those until March 21.  On March 22, they will be switching modes over to SSB and RTTY on all bands from 10-160m, and work until April 1.  The station will upload the logs to LoTW after the DXpedition is over, but they're uploading to Clublog daily.  They'll also participate in the ...

The 9Q0HQ DXpedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

If you're missing that DXpedition fix since K1N has been off the air, there's a new opportunity knocking.  9Q0HQ, the DXpedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Italian team I2YSB is on the air from March 10 through March 25 on all bands and many modes.  You can check this website for information related to the team, equipment, band plans, and more.  Look for the call on your favorite DX cluster, and good luck!

VE Testing This Saturday!

VE testing is normally held at Hinshaw United Methodist Church in Greensboro on the second Saturday of each month, but due to the Charlotte Hamfest and N4G, in March, it's delayed until the third Saturday.  That means that you haven't missed your chance in March to get licensed or to upgrade your ticket!  If you're interested, please contact Roy Smith at n4byu@arrl.net for a reservation.  A reservation isn't necessary, but it's requested and advised so that the VEs can make the necessary preparations.  Testing starts at 9:00AM, and you will need to bring two forms of identification (including a photo ID) and a photocopy of any previous licenses ...