Thanks to the efforts of Paul K1YBE and Ted W1GRI, who visited the site at noon today, the DSTAR machine is back up and running. The issue was the failure of a “Relay In A Box” — which is used to interrupt the power from the uninterruptible power supply to the computer. That RIB had failed open — no power to the PC, so no fancy Reflector stuff.
The RIB will be replaced when we can gain access to the repeater again.
There is an absolutely amazing video that captures solar activity for the past decade. Each second represents one day of sun time. While the video runs an hour, the real value is to fast forward or backward to cover large amounts of time and see how the activity changes. You will note periods of time when most of the activity is near the equator, then progressing more toward the poles over time. Simply amazing!
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/watch-a-10-year-time-lapse-of-sun-from-nasa-s-sdo
Unfortunately, the W1`AAD DSTAR repeater has developed a problem. While the repeater itself is operating, the computer that allows it to connect to the internet, allowing the use of Reflectors like 69C, is NOT working.
While we can do much remotely, the computer is simply no longer responding and a trip to the site is being arranged (but it is located in a school that has been closed due to COVID).
The Newport County Radio Club VHF station will be on 2-meter Simplex 146.52 MHz Saturday June 27 at 7:30 PM, and will switch over to 70-cm Simplex 446.000 MHz at 8:00 PM. Anyone wishing to help the club with some Field Day points is encouraged to dust off your handheld radios and give it a try. You could expect to hear something like:
CQ Field Day, this is NE1RI
At which point you would respond with your callsign like this:
NE1RI this is WB4SON
Assuming they hear you, the club station would reply with their exchange “2 Alpha RI” (Two transmitters in the field with auxiliary power):
WB4SON 2 Alpha RI
And you would give your exchange “1 Delta RI” (one transmitter at home) in response:
NE1RI 1 Delta RI, 73 from WB4SON
If you happen to have a BaoFeng UV5R that was programmed by the club (there are 100+ members with that radio), then use Channel 10, which is 146.52 MHz, or Channel 13, which is 446.000 MHz
Note you don’t have to send in a log or even keep one unless you want to. Besides generating a few points for the club, this is a great way to know your gear is working.
NE1RI will be holding a NTS Traffic Net at 18:00 local time on Saturday June 27 on the W1SYE Repeater during Field Day for the purposes of passing Bonus Point messages. Usually a single message is passed to the RI Section Manager Bob Beaudet W1YRC, and ten messages can be sent to anyone else. NCS will be NE1RI, with an alternate of WB4SON.
N1CKT will be NCS on the regular Thursday W1SYE net at 7:00 PM, and will do a practice session for those interested after the regular net clears.
Chuck says the following YouTube video explains the process quite well:
Applicable Field Day 2020 Rules for message bonuses are:
7.3.5. Message Origination to Section Manager: 100 bonus points for origination of a formal message to the ARRL Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator by your group from its site. You should include the club name, number of participants, Field Day location, and number of ARES operators involved with your station. The message must be transmitted during the Field Day period and a copy of it must be included in your submission in standard ARRL radiogram or no credit will be given. The message must leave or enter the Field Day operation via amateur radio RF.
The Section Manager message is separate from the messages handled in Rule 7.3.6. and may not be claimed for bonus points under that rule. Available to all Classes.
7.3.6. Message Handling: 10 points for each formal message originated, relayed or received and delivered during the Field Day period, up to a maximum of 100 points (ten messages). Copies of each message must be included with the Field Day report. The message to the ARRL SM or SEC under Rule 7.3.5. does not count towards the total of 10 for this bonus. Available to all Classes. All messages claimed for bonus points must leave or enter the Field Day operation via amateur radio RF.