NCRC February Meeting

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NCRC’s February Meeting will be a remote only meeting from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on Monday, February 13.  A ZOOM invitation will be sent out later this weekend.  Minutes and Business Meeting slides will be posted as available.

A special presentation entitled “SPY” Radio Operations, Enigmas & CIA “BUGS”, will be given by Dr. Tom Perera W1TP.

Tom will describe the desperate attempts by the resistance to build and hide secret radios so they could keep informed about the progress of the war. He will show how spies communicated critically important intelligence information back to the Allies while being ruthlessly hunted by direction-finding teams. The role of the ENIGMA and the latest CIA “Bugs” and radios will also be discussed.

Tom is a retired professor of neuroscience. He has been an active ham for over 69 years while collecting, researching, lecturing and writing about WW-II radios, telegraph keys and German Enigma cipher machines. His website: http://w1tp.com shows and describes over 3000 telegraph keys and radios and his online Enigma museum: http://EnigmaMuseum.com shows Enigma history and technology.

Very Nice Analyzer (VNA) assembly event

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NCRC invites you to a learning experience on Vector Network Analyzers, the most common instrument for RF component measurements.  This is a kickoff for the ÄRTEN™ project funded by a recent ARRL grant to NCRC.
Place: FabNewport,
Address: 1 York St, Newport, RI 02840
Time: 6:30 pm to 9pm
The first 2 minutes of the youtube DIY Vector Network Analyzer Kit explains the instrument concept but we hope to bring this knowledge to a much younger and older audience.  The remainder of the video deals with the software aspects.  To me the VNA is a fancy AC Ohmmeter for RF components.
Agenda for Friday is to review the material in the UVNA-63 box and have the team mount the pieces and connect the coax cables with a proper torque wrench.    We will then attempt to measure some common components like a resistor, capacitor and inductor and measure filter parameters of the supplied test circuits like filters.  Another skill used will be the calibration of the instrument that is typical of any VNA like the NanoVNA.  A Very Nice Analyzer learning tool indeed.
Hoping to see you and we will attempt a recording to share if you can’t.
For more info contact : VicePresident@W1sye.org

Jack Garforth N1JK Silent Key

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We are saddened to announce the passing of Jack Garforth N1JK.

Jack was a long-time member of NCRC (our records go back 33 years and he was a member before then).  His 32 years of volunteering to hold and run VE exams was just celebrated in 2021.  Jack was a constant presence at our weekly breakfast gatherings in Middletown, and was a warm and welcoming voice to even the most shy newcomer.  He was almost always present during our weekly 75 meter nets as well as RI ARES nets.  Jack’s voice and strong signal still echoes in our minds.  Jack was a life member of the Newport County Radio Club.  He will be sorely missed.

Services were private and there is a request for no flowers.  However, for anyone wishing to make a donation in his honor, the information is provided below:

In memory of: Jack Garforth
Aquidneck School PGT
70 Reservoir Road
Middletown, RI 02842

Jack Garforth N1JK receiving a VE Special Recognition Award for 32 years of service in March of 2021

WFD 2023 – It’s a wrap!

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24 continuous hours of W1SYE ops at Glen Park concluded at 2:00pm Sunday, January 29th.  45 minutes later, HF station, tent, antenna, generator and all ancillary equipment was stowed away for next year.  Many hands make light work!

Roughly 925 QSOs were made using phone, CW and digital modes.  Nine bands were worked: 160m, 80, 40, 20, 15, 6, 2, 70cm and 2.4 GHz.  Just for good measure (and bonus points), three SSB SATCOM contacts were thrown in as well.

The weather fully cooperated this year with a high of 52F around 2:00pm Saturday and a low of 37F about dawn Sunday.  Contrast this with temps in the low teens with 2 feet of snow on the ground reported by one VT station.

Thanks to all who participated in any way, shape, or form.  73

WFD 2023 is live on-the-air!

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Join Winter Field Day this weekend anytime from 2:00 Saturday until 2:00pm Sunday for 20 minutes or 2 hours or the whole 24 hours – it’s up to you!!!

  • Club Station: Anyone is welcome to stop by Glen Park, Portsmouth, RI and visit the competitive tent-bound club station operating as W1SYE  for 24 hours straight. Carl KC1NAM will be there doing satellite setup and operating in his ham-van on Saturday from Noon to dusk – clearly visible. Operations at GLEN PARK are in a field on Barker Lane, which is off Glen Rd, which is off East Main Rd opposite Anna D’s Café near the Green Grocer in Portsmouth, RI. (Or other local or RI landmarks or where they used to be, depending on many things.)
  • Solo Ops: NCRC encourages all club members to use their own call sign and make at least a few contacts sometime this weekend on 2m Simplex or HF. A battery-powered handheld radio contact made outdoors is one easy way to be 1O-RI (ONE OUTDOOR RI) and get in the logbooks. Invite your friends and XYLs to get on the radio too. From her 1H-RI UHF/VHF base station, Nancy KC1NEK will be welcoming all Simplex calls Saturday 2-5pm and Sun 10-Noon. You can pre-program your radio to these good Simplex channels to know in our area and test your reach:
    W1SYE Simplex 146.55; RI-ARES Simplex 147.420; 70cm option 446.1