Winter Field Day Plans 2019

Winter Field Day is coming right up January 26th and 27th!! It has been decided we will not be operating at the shelter as the weather forecast does not look good. Even with the fireplace at the shelter, the low temps are predicted to be 20 and some models suggest even lower. The location we will be using is the outbuilding at Tyler's new home on East 14th Street in Pittsburg. We will have heat, shelter, power and a warm bathroom.

At the bottom of this post there is a map you can click on to get directions on google maps. For talk ins and comms we will be using the areas 146.94 VHF with PL of 91.5 or Fusion, and the clubs UHF repeater at 442.675 offset +5 and a PL of 91.5 or just easily use Fusion mode! And speaking of Fusion and also DMR we need to make some simplex contacts using those modes which count as Voice/Phone.

We are going to be operating Indoor with one transmitter operating at once. So our Category/Class will be an I1 (India-One) station using club callsign of KØSEK. Our part of the contact exchange will be I1 - KS (India One Kilo Sierra). We will primarily be operating SSB with breaks to operate PSK31. By the way, FT8 is NOT an acceptable mode for this event. Here is a link to the WFD RULES.

Here is the link to the location, you should be able to click on it and get easy directions, especially on a smartphone!

FM Net Wed Jan 9th 2019

Great turnout tonight for the SEKARC net on the 94 repeater. Sure is great to have a nice  group checking in. We had a special visiting check in from N4DTF from the Memphis area. Nice to have guest check ins and new voices on the net!

Great to have NØSLT check in who has been not feeling well but he is back and feeling better.

KAØEGE - Jeff (NC)
N3LRH - Leon
NØSLT - Steve
WDØCFH - Jack
KCØQYD - Dennis
KBØPQP - Tyler
KEØAKN - Steve
KØVLL - Matt
N4DTF - Trent (Memphis)
KØSMK Willis

Winter Field Day 2019

Get your long johns, gloves and stocking caps ready because it's time to start thinking about Winter Field Day 2019 January 26th and 27th. For rules and general info CLICK HERE!. At this time, weather permitting we will be setting up in the State Park shelter at the intersection of US69 and US160 north of Frontenac. If weather is severe then we will have an alternative location which includes some inside facilities so stay tuned here and the email group.

Here are some images from last years setup.

SEKARC Website Survey

New Year.... New Updates !! Please send suggestions and ideas. Please include your thoughts for pages of content that is NOT necessary. It would be good to streamline the various pages and add info that we can use !!

I Love Interference Stories

Guest Contributor Claude Chafin, NØFMO

I love interference stories. I was Licensed in 1977...It was about 35 years ago I found myself in an interference problem I think it was on the 146.82 repeater...someone had left their mic keyed up for some reason. Who knew? The repeater was timing out constantly and was a big annoyance. I decided to do something about it.

So on the auto patch 146.91 repeater...I called my friend Al NØFOT (now Sk)..."Hey Al, turn your Stacked 16 element 2 meter beam around and get a bearing on this signal....."Due West" from his Northern Roeland Park Location He said.... Al was quite apathetic—"just let the radio burn up who cares" he said.

But, I took it as a challenge.

So, armed with just an Icom 2AT (2 meter HT) I decided to get another bearing....I traveled west out to Shawnee and stopped in a park near Shawnee City Hall, off Johnson Drive for my next bearing. Using my hand and arm as a shield to the rubber duck antenna, I picked up a null to the Northeast that made me think the signal was somewhere near the county line. So, I ventured into the Wyandotte County area in the Highland Crest area for another bearing. This time the bearing was due South. So, now I have it narrowed down to a few square blocks. As I moved into that area, the signal was really strong and my technique no longer worked, because I was getting saturation in the signal. At this point I removed the antenna and resorted back to the original technique. As I drove up and down a couple of blocks I realized the signal was not easy to pin down. Finally I turned down a dead end cul-de- sac… And there was this monster-sized tower. Looks like a ham to me, I thought.

Great Time at SEKARC Party !!

We all had a great time at the SEKARC Christmas party Wednesday night! Good friends, good family and good chicken and yes I did see some beef on a few plates!! I think I might have too try a burger next time, that looked good !! Vivian was the star again and I do believe Tyler won the most creative gift award again! Tell us about that pig Adam?

Thanks again to you all for making this the greatest amateur radio club in the midwest!! Oh and be sure and check out a few pictures...... nice job Dilly Dilly !!

Basics of Yaesu WiresX

This is one option for the clubs UHF repeater. Please watch this webinar from John Kruk the sales manager for Yaesu USA. I joined the webinar last week and it was very helpful explaining the basics and how to set it up. We have the money in the club needed for it and in the near future we will be putting it to a vote. We have other options for purchasing like a generator but the more info we have the better choice we can make !

I think the WiresX option would be a fun addition to our options, but let's talk about it !! There is also another video below.. a review from the great K6UDA of the FT70 handheld fusion. Many here have one and a great entry radio into fusion.