NCRC Meeting: Mon July 13 @ 7:00 PM via ZOOM

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It is time for the Newport County Radio Club monthly meeting.  We will continue to hold our meetings via Zoom.  The next one will be Monday July 13 at 7:00 PM.  Check your email for your invitation!

In addition to our usual business items and induction of new members (153 now), the meeting will discuss the results of our 2A Club Field Day Station.

Following the presentation there will be a 45 minute overview on Digital Radios (DSTAR, DMR & Fusion) as well as HotSpots and AMBE Servers given by Bob WB4SON

W1AAD DSTAR Machine Running Again

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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.

A Decade of Solar Activity

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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

W1AAD DSTAR Repeater Having Issues

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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).

Work NE1RI on 2m & 70cm Simplex For Points

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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.