Joplin Hamfest August 24th-25th

The Joplin Hamfest is coming soon!! This year it is 2 days August 24th and 25th. Since they have a smaller venue they went back to the 2 day event. The hamfest is Friday 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Saturday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will set up Friday morning after 8 am.

We normally have a lot of gear donated by SK's and others but this year we will open it up. We have 2 tables that you can use to sell your gear for your own income OR you can bring things to donate to the club to sell and proceeds will be used in 2 ways this year. As promised, and sales from donated gear will be split between the SEKARC and PRO groups 50/50. We all use the 146.94 and 444.800 repeaters so it would be a nice gesture I thought to help them out as well. In the SEKARC way it will be voluntary so check your shack, your garage, your trunk and your basement for anything to sell at the hamfest!

We will keep a ledger of items sold and it would be helpful to add price labels to what you bring and you might include your callsign on the price tag IF you want the money to come back to you. Make sense? Happy hunting and lets clean out some gear and pass it on to be used by others.

SEKARC Winter Field Day Results

Great job by everyone involved. SEKARC hit it out of the park again! Here are some numbers and some photos from the event. A big THANK YOU to all. A special thanks goes out to John ADØKA for the use of his propane generator, that thing was a CHAMP !!

It was a great test run for the GoBox. We found some things we need to adjust to the setup like a headphone jack option, we need an SD card for the ft-891 to record CQ calls, and the tuner needs to be tested further. There were a few other things so if you operated it this weekend and have some ideas please let us know.

Here are the stats for K0SEK Winter Field Day 2018

 K0SEK's Contest Summary Report for WFD
 Created by N3FJP's Winter Field Day Contest Log
 Version 2.1  www.n3fjp.com

 Total Contacts = 409
 Total Points = 2,405

 Operating Period: 2018/01/27 19:08 - 2018/01/28 18:55

 Total op time (breaks > 30 min deducted): 9:51:41
 Total op time (breaks > 60 min deducted): 11:56:33

 Avg Qs/Hr (breaks > 30 min deducted): 41.5


 Total Contacts by Band and Mode:

 Band        CW   Phone   Dig   Total     %
 ----          --       -----        ---     -----     ---
   80           0      199         0       199      49
   40           0      108         21     129      32
   20           0      30           51     81        20
            --   -----     ---   -----     ---
 Total         0      337         72     409     100

Eyeball QSO / Planning Meeting

Hello, SEKARC is having it's September meeting at Fire Station #1 in Pittsburg on Saturday September 30th at 9am. We will have breakfast, coffee and donuts available. We have added a few new members since our last fire station meeting so we hope you can all attend.

Solar Eclipse QSO Party

ARLX008 Solar Eclipse QSO Party Signup So Far Has Attracted More Than 250 Eclipse Enthusiasts

ZCZC AX08
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 8  ARLX008
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  August 15, 2017
To all radio amateurs

KØSEK Prepares for Echolink

SEKARC is working on adding Echolink to the clubs 70cm 442.675 repeater. We hope to have it complete and functioning soon. Some of us are familiar with Echolink but for those that are new to it, I have included some informative links below that give an overview of the system and overviews of setting it up on your smartphone AND on your desktop. Try it out and we will let the club know when it is fully online and active.

Crawford County Historical Museum - Amateur Radio Day

Here are the plans for the September SEKARC meeting on Saturday the 24th of September. We will first meet at Hardee's on South Broadway in Pittsburg for breakfast at 9am. Grab a coffee to go because we will then head over to the Crawford County Historical Museum to set up our field radios! (SEE MAP BELOW)

Joe met with officials the at the museum and they loved the idea and ask that since they open at 10am on Saturday they would like us to arrive about that time. This makes it easier as we do not have to drag food and drinks around! So if you cannot make it for breakfast then plan on coming by the museum about 10am or later!

How long we stay kind of depends on the weather and the visitors. They are calling for a chance of rain later in the day on Saturday and of course that WILL change. According to Joe WØMQY, the officials at the museum were very excited about our visit and plan to do several media hits including the paper, the museum facebook page and possibly tv news! Also I highly suggest while you are there, going inside and seeing what they have there. There are some great historical pieces, places, faces and more. A great collection of local history. Be sure to go in and SIGN THE GUESTBOOK !! If you have any questions or suggestions please let us know, either through the group email system or comment here directly!

Some operating info...
 * they ask that we set up at or after 10am
 * there is SOME AC power on the grounds, but going all battery might be preferable
 * there are lots of trees for temporary antenna use
 * lets be sure and leave it like we found it
 * any change of plans will be sent via SEKARC email group

 If you are not familiar with this location, I have included a link below with directions and a map!

Amateur Radio Field Day 2016

It is that time of the year again.... time to make your plans for Field Day 2016. The dates are June 25th and 26th. The last 3 years have been great from lots of heat and coyotes, to great thunderstorm watching and of course LOTS of radio contacts!

I will be operating a FT-817 using PSK and JT modes on 10 through 40 meters and I know of a few others are planning to setup and we will be finalizing our plans over the next few weeks as the event will be here quick!

We will have lots of gear setup and please bring your own and get on the air all weekend of even a few hours! I requested our camping site reservation today. We will be out there setting up early on Saturday June 25. We will have a big screen room for shade and bug relief and lot's of room for other operators.

One thing I would like to see us do better is when someone comes out to setup for a few hours, let's work together to give them time on the bands and frequencies they want to operate on while the full timers stand by. I think we can work together to give everyone a chance to make some contacts and have fun as well!

Coffee QSO and QSL's

It was a good turnout for the Coffee QSO today and some of us brought a few of our favorite QSL cards to share. Joe WØMQY even brought in his original logbook from 1955. Very interesting to see and hear some of the stories. QSL's are a part of Amateur Radio that has faded some with the new digital options but nothing like getting a card in the mail!

The "Joy of QRP" .....and Donuts

Great meeting Saturday... if you missed it, hopefully we will see you at the next one !! Thanks again Joe for a great presentation! If anyone has any ideas for a guest speaker or topic please let us know and we will work on getting them here !! 73

SEKARC SS CW NET LIVES

The SEKARC SS (slow speed) NET is planning to restart again on Wednesday April 27 at 8:30 pm after the 2 meter net and on the second and forth Wednesday of each month there after.  Depending on how this works out for everyone it may be adjusted later.  The purpose of the net is practice for CW operators and to make us proficient if we ever have to use net controlled traffic.

It is a SLOW SPEED net and is designed for the new CW operator and those of us who need the practice or are just learning.  Please try and keep your speed below 8 wpm.  Our operating frequency will be between 7.057 and 7.058 MHz .  I will try to use 7.057.5 but if it is busy QSY up or down between the above.  Let's have a good time and use the equipment that works for you.

                                                     CHECKING IN

Step 1:  Net Control (NC) calls "QRL? QRL?" to see if the frequency is in use.  This is a good time to zero beat NCS's signal.

Step 2:  Net Control calls "CQ CQ CQ SEKARC SS CW NET DE WD0CFH WD0CFH NC QNI K".  That means it's time for stations to send their call signs to Net Control to copy.  Our net is a slow speed net so please keep your speed under 8 words a minute.

Step 3:  "LISTEN" for other stations first.  When you don't hear anyone trying to check in, then send "DE <space> YOUR CALLSIGN".  The space is important so that you can listen and make sure that you are not "doubling" with someone.  If NCS misses your call he will ask "AGN ?" and you should resend your call.

Step 4:  At the end of initial check in NC will acknowledge by repeating all calls.  Example: "R R  W0MQY ES KD0RTX ES N0WKZ AS".  "AS" means standby, I will return later for your comments.  NCS will again again call "QNI K" to pick up remaining stations who did not check in earlier.

Step 5:  Wait for NC to call you again.  Example: "W0MQY DE K0SEK KN".  KN means NC is calling you and only you to make some comments.  You can say "73" if you wish and end with "K0SEK DE W0MQY KN" if you have no comments.

Step 6:  NC will call "QNI K" after a few comments to see if other stations wish to check in.  If you have not yet been acknowledged by Net Control, keep trying until I hear you.
Remember:  DE <space> "YOURCALLSIGN".
NC will call the entire list until everyone has had a chance to comment, giving more opportunities to QNI in between.  Please be patient.  If NC doesn't copy your call I will ask "AGN ?".  You can then send your call again.

Step 7:  NC will close the net after the last comment with "73 SEKARC SS CW NET IS NOW CLOSED DE WD0CFH NC SK"

That's it guys.  This will be a whole new experience for me as NC and probably for a few more who have never checked into a net.  We are a "slow speed" net so don't hesitate to ask "QRS" (slow down) if you are having trouble copying.  No one is going to make more mistakes than ME.

Jack ... WD0CFH

SEKARC SS CW NET LIVES

The SEKARC SS (slow speed) NET is planning to restart again on Wednesday April 27 at 8:30 pm after the 2 meter net and on the second and forth Wednesday of each month there after.  Depending on how this works out for everyone it may be adjusted later.  The purpose of the net is practice for CW operators and to make us proficient if we ever have to use net controlled traffic.

It is a SLOW SPEED net and is designed for the new CW operator and those of us who need the practice or are just learning.  Please try and keep your speed below 8 wpm.  Our operating frequency will be between 7.057 and 7.058 MHz .  I will try to use 7.057.5 but if it is busy QSY up or down between the above.  Let's have a good time and use the equipment that works for you.

                                                     CHECKING IN

Step 1:  Net Control (NC) calls "QRL? QRL?" to see if the frequency is in use.  This is a good time to zero beat NCS's signal.

Step 2:  Net Control calls "CQ CQ CQ SEKARC SS CW NET DE WD0CFH WD0CFH NC QNI K".  That means it's time for stations to send their call signs to Net Control to copy.  Our net is a slow speed net so please keep your speed under 8 words a minute.

Step 3:  "LISTEN" for other stations first.  When you don't hear anyone trying to check in, then send "DE <space> YOUR CALLSIGN".  The space is important so that you can listen and make sure that you are not "doubling" with someone.  If NCS misses your call he will ask "AGN ?" and you should resend your call.

Step 4:  At the end of initial check in NC will acknowledge by repeating all calls.  Example: "R R  W0MQY ES KD0RTX ES N0WKZ AS".  "AS" means standby, I will return later for your comments.  NCS will again again call "QNI K" to pick up remaining stations who did not check in earlier.

Step 5:  Wait for NC to call you again.  Example: "W0MQY DE K0SEK KN".  KN means NC is calling you and only you to make some comments.  You can say "73" if you wish and end with "K0SEK DE W0MQY KN" if you have no comments.

Step 6:  NC will call "QNI K" after a few comments to see if other stations wish to check in.  If you have not yet been acknowledged by Net Control, keep trying until I hear you.
Remember:  DE <space> "YOURCALLSIGN".
NC will call the entire list until everyone has had a chance to comment, giving more opportunities to QNI in between.  Please be patient.  If NC doesn't copy your call I will ask "AGN ?".  You can then send your call again.

Step 7:  NC will close the net after the last comment with "73 SEKARC SS CW NET IS NOW CLOSED DE WD0CFH NC SK"

That's it guys.  This will be a whole new experience for me as NC and probably for a few more who have never checked into a net.  We are a "slow speed" net so don't hesitate to ask "QRS" (slow down) if you are having trouble copying.  No one is going to make more mistakes than ME.

Jack ... WD0CFH

SEKARC SS CW NET LIVES

The SEKARC SS (slow speed) NET is planning to restart again on Wednesday April 27 at 8:30 pm after the 2 meter net and on the second and forth Wednesday of each month there after.  Depending on how this works out for everyone it may be adjusted later.  The purpose of the net is practice for CW operators and to make us proficient if we ever have to use net controlled traffic.

It is a SLOW SPEED net and is designed for the new CW operator and those of us who need the practice or are just learning.  Please try and keep your speed below 8 wpm.  Our operating frequency will be between 7.057 and 7.058 MHz .  I will try to use 7.057.5 but if it is busy QSY up or down between the above.  Let's have a good time and use the equipment that works for you.

                                                     CHECKING IN

Step 1:  Net Control (NC) calls "QRL? QRL?" to see if the frequency is in use.  This is a good time to zero beat NCS's signal.

Step 2:  Net Control calls "CQ CQ CQ SEKARC SS CW NET DE WD0CFH WD0CFH NC QNI K".  That means it's time for stations to send their call signs to Net Control to copy.  Our net is a slow speed net so please keep your speed under 8 words a minute.

Step 3:  "LISTEN" for other stations first.  When you don't hear anyone trying to check in, then send "DE <space> YOUR CALLSIGN".  The space is important so that you can listen and make sure that you are not "doubling" with someone.  If NCS misses your call he will ask "AGN ?" and you should resend your call.

Step 4:  At the end of initial check in NC will acknowledge by repeating all calls.  Example: "R R  W0MQY ES KD0RTX ES N0WKZ AS".  "AS" means standby, I will return later for your comments.  NCS will again again call "QNI K" to pick up remaining stations who did not check in earlier.

Step 5:  Wait for NC to call you again.  Example: "W0MQY DE K0SEK KN".  KN means NC is calling you and only you to make some comments.  You can say "73" if you wish and end with "K0SEK DE W0MQY KN" if you have no comments.

Step 6:  NC will call "QNI K" after a few comments to see if other stations wish to check in.  If you have not yet been acknowledged by Net Control, keep trying until I hear you.
Remember:  DE <space> "YOURCALLSIGN".
NC will call the entire list until everyone has had a chance to comment, giving more opportunities to QNI in between.  Please be patient.  If NC doesn't copy your call I will ask "AGN ?".  You can then send your call again.

Step 7:  NC will close the net after the last comment with "73 SEKARC SS CW NET IS NOW CLOSED DE WD0CFH NC SK"

That's it guys.  This will be a whole new experience for me as NC and probably for a few more who have never checked into a net.  We are a "slow speed" net so don't hesitate to ask "QRS" (slow down) if you are having trouble copying.  No one is going to make more mistakes than ME.

Jack ... WD0CFH

SEKARC 442.675 is ON THE AIR !!!

Thanks to the help of the many listed below the SEKARC System Fusion repeater is up and on the air! 442.675 + offset with a PL tone of 91.5. Please feel free to put your call out there so we can get some signal reports. The Diamond X-50 antenna is not up very high so the reach will not be fantastic but give it a try!

It is the recently purchased Yaesu System Fusion repeater and we were able to complete the install after receiving a donation from Ron Young WØSEJ of a duplexer which is working fantastic. Thank you SO much Ron and you have a free cup of coffee every Wednesday you can make it over to the SEKARC Coffee QSO! Also helpful was Steve Tandy NØSLT who donated coax for the installation!

Most of the club members that helped are leaning towards adding an EchoLink connection to the repeater for now with the potential of adding a K-Link connection down the road so we will start the process of getting a node so stay tuned for updates! Here is the link to the repeater listing on REPEATERBOOK.COM

Special thanks to: Tyler Costantini KBØPQP, Ron Ginardi KBØNRG, Steve Draper N5SD, Joe Porter WØMQY, Bill Bradrick WBØLXZ, Leon Heer N3LRH and more for the help with this project! This has been a huge goal for the club and WE DID IT !!!

Below are some photos from the duplexer testing and install location.

On The Bench Testing and Adjusting

Donated Duplexer In Line

Yaesu Fusion

Setup Site

Antenna ( the top one )

Welcome to the New SEKARC Officers

Please welcome the new SEKARC officers for 2016. During the January meeting the attending members voted to promote Jack Dock WDØCFH to President and move Joe Porter WØMQY to Vice Predident. Also elected was a new Secretary/Treasurer, Jeff Chancey KAØEGE.

A special thanks to Joe who lead the club as President beginning in 2014 through 2015. THANK YOU Joe.... job well done! We had a great turnout for the meeting but we room for a LOT more of you for sure. And thanks to Loren Chancey for serving in this position for 2 years as well!!

Be sure and make plans to attend the next meeting on Feb 27th as Tyler Costantini will be giving a presentation of a possible EMP and the affects of that on ham radio and communications in general. You do not want to miss this one.

January 30th Meeting - SEKARC

Saturday January 30th at 9 a.m. Fire Station #1

This will be the first meeting of the SEKARC for 2016! We will have lot's of discussion about plans for 2016 which include the recently purchased Yaesu System Fusion repeater and the plans we have for it! Be sure to be there to voice your thoughts.

We will also have election of officers for the new year so keep that in mind! We will be accepting nominations for President, Vice President and Treasurer so make plans to attend. As usual we will have breakfast, coffee and lots of radio chatter. If you have ideas or thoughts for club goals for this year plan on being there and let's talk about it!

We will also be discussing possible activity for 2016. Let's make this a good year for SEKARC and for all amateur radio in the Southeast Kansas area!

Special Thanks to Max McCoy !!

Max McCoy KCØMAX

SEKARC would like to thank our special guest presenter Max McCoy. At our October meeting Max gave a wonderful presentation on his trip down the Arkansas River in Colorado.

It was a fascinating look at the adventure and was complete with building the kayak trailer to building the QRP rig he used on the river banks. Beautiful photos and interesting stories, from involuntary swimming to the lopsided ratio of effort per QSO!

 We had a great turnout and another special visitor that stopped by was Joplin Hamfest Guru and JARC VIP Jim Scott. It was great to see Jim and we talked about the possibility of doing some joint meetings with the Joplin club in the future! Most of the breakfast casserole and all of the donuts were consumed, we all learned a lot and had lots of fun and if you missed it, make it to the next one!!

Max McCoy Presentation - October Meeting

The October and November 2013 issues of the ARRL magazine QST, featured local author and amateur radio operator Max McCoy KCØMAX. With a kayak and portable ham radio he journeyed down the Arkansas River in Colorado and shared his story with QST readers. On Saturday 10/31/15 Max will join us to tell us more about that adventure. The Southeast Kansas Amateur Radio Club will be meeting at Fire Station #1 on West Fourth in Pittsburg will begin at 9am.

We will have coffee, juice, breakfast egg casserole and donuts for everyone and all are welcome and please bring a guest. This should be one of the most interesting and entertaining meeting in the history of SEKARC! Max is local celebrity but most do not know of his ham radio activity.

Weather permitting we will also head to the park for some portable radio work so plan on bringing your gear or at least stop by and get on the air! We usually have 3-5 operators that have some really nice portable gear on display and in use.

Below is a brief bio from Max's website MaxMccoy.com.

Max McCoy is an award-winning winning author and journalist.

He won the Spur Award in 2011 from the Western Writers of America for Damnation Road, the third book in the Hellfire western noir trilogy. Set in Oklahoma Territory at the turn of the last century, the book concludes the story of irascible outlaw Jacob Gamble, who is now nearing fifty and confronted by a new west of telephones, smokeless powder, and moving pictures.....

......... McCoy has published nineteen novels, including four original Indiana Jones adventures published by Bantam and licensed by Lucasfilm; the novelization of Steven Spielberg’s epic miniseries Into the West; and the critically-acclaimed cave diving thriller, The Moon Pool, published in 2004 by Dorchester. USA Today described his writing as “powerful.” Publishers Weeklycalled The Moon Pool, an “intelligent thriller… tightly drawn characters, a vile villain and a satisfying, thought-provoking conclusion make this a compelling read.”

Mark this on your calendar and get there on time!!

Great Turnout For the FM Net

Great turnout for the weekly FM net on 146.94. We had a few check back in that have been unable to with the 94 down but it was good to hear you all on the air tonight! We had two from Big Brutus who are setting up for the FourState QRP group's Brutus Bash! Joe WØMQY and Terry WAØITP checked in with a great signal from the Big Brutus site!

Also checking in again after the 94 has been down was Frank NØIGZ and Steve KEØAKN. Good to hear from you again! Also some regulars Bill WBØLXZ, Leon N3LRH, and Steve WDØDTS. And to top that off I believe that we had brand new first time check in from Chanute, Mike KBØBSG!

Thanks to everyone checking in so if you didn't get checked in set a reminder for next week Wednesday at 8pm! We discussed our meeting in September with a special presentation and a possible exciting presentation that you should all be there for on October 31st. On both days we will be heading to the park after the meeting at the fire station so come on out with us!

Meeting - Lincoln Park - May 30th

The May SEKARC meeting will be held in Lincoln Park shelter one. This shelter seats 25 - 30 and is located near the bocce pits in the southwest corner of the park. We have the shelter reserved from 9am until 5pm so it should be a fun radio day.

We will have some campstove coffee, breakfast casserole, donuts and around noon time we will cook some hot dogs on the charcoal and have a picnic lunch. Bring your gear and setup or just come on down for a friendly visit. Our hope is to get some bugs worked out before field day and just to get outdoors in the fresh air!

Join SEKARC Today !!