Several SLQS members are avid cyclists, and Derek WB0̸TUA had an idea:
combine a group bike ride with POTA activations. Derek pitched the idea
at one of our outdoor meetings using a “Park Powerpoint” preso (paper
photos taped to several sign boards). The response was an enthusiastic
“Yes!” The target date was October 4th.
The riders started at 9:30am at a parking lot adjacent to the Great
Rivers Greenway trail. Bikers met there to load up and head out,
following the Monarch Levee trail to reach US-0374, Big Muddy National
Wildlife Refuge. Here they set up for the first activation, spending
about 90 minutes as K0FHG, KC8FDU, and N0SA got on the air to get their
first activations of the day. Jim KK0̸U hauled things too heavy for bike
transport in his truck — very much appreciated!
From there the crew rode across the Discovery Bridge to the Katy
Trail (US-1766) where it adjoins Weldon Spring State Conservation Area
(US-6492). That’s a twofer! (In POTA-speak, a “two-fer” is a location
which overlaps two parks.) This site was also the place where Keith
KC0PP had been preparing an outstanding BBQ lunch for everyone.
OperatorsChow
KC0̸PP later commented: “It was a beautiful day for biking, POTA and a
picnic! It was great fun. There is already talk for another event next
year. This could become an annual event!”
And WB0̸TUA had this to say: “A heartfelt thank you to all who
participated in our first annual Bike-In/Drive-In POTA! We had a great
turnout today and the weather really cooperated. An extra special thank
you to Keith KC0̸PP who brought all the food and did all the cooking and
to Jim KK0̸U who carried everyone’s stuff from the start to the 1st Stop
to the 2nd Stop and then back to the start.”
Members who participated: John AA0̸VE, Jon N0̸WL, Larry N0̸SA, David
W0̸DCX, Keith KC0̸PP, Mike WB0̸SND, Mark KB5YZY, Katherine KD0̸LSB, Jeff
N0̸MII, Jared W7AQB, Gib KE0̸PRK, Geoff KC8FDU, Sarah KF0̸UHI, Jim KK0̸U,
Bob K0̸FHG
Our annual September gathering is an outdoor get-together at Creve
Coeur Lake Park. Everyone pulls into the parking lot, opens their trunk
or tailgate, sets up a small (or large!) table, and sets out stuff to
sell, trade, or give away. No one goes home empty-handed (much to the
chagrin of our XYLs!).
The meeting starts at 6:00 PM and goes until dark. There will be tube
steaks for sale for a nominal fee — bring your own drinks.
The meeting site is located on the east side of Marine Ave., across
from Creve Coeur Lake, in the gravel parking lot, just south of the
Heldmann Shelter. The Meeting Info tab above has maps links to direct
you to the park.
Guests are welcome, as is the case for all of our meetings. Come say
hello, and bring your swappable treasures!
We had a great turnout at this year’s ARRL Field Day at Bridgeway
Park in Bridgeton. There were over 32 attendees, including 18 SLQS
members and 14 guests. Our furthest visitors were Herbert AF4JF’s
granddaughters who traveled here from the Czech Republic. Other guests
included Rich KM7BGC (with the Red Cross, Spokane, WA), Bridgeton Park
Ranger Max, Tyler KQ4QEV from Lakeland, TN, and the family of our newest
member Caleb, who lives within walking distance from Bridgeway Park.
Since this was our first Field Day at this park, several of us met up
weeks in advance to build, tune, and test antennas, measure and build
custom feedlines, and figure out how to utilize the large 60’ x 30’
pavilion. Thanks to some tall trees and a large open field near the
pavilion, we had considerable space to deploy some larger antennas. This
included a 40 meter half square and a flat-topped 80 meter dipole – both
of which were 55-60’ above ground. Other antennas included 15m and 20m
delta loops, a 40/20/10m fan dipole, and a variety of VHF and UHF
antennas. A Low Band Systems Quadraplexer and bandpass filters were
utilized to help minimize interference between stations. We had good
success operating two 20 meter stations and two 40 meter stations
simultaneously (different modes, of course). Thanks to the help of 16
ops on the air at various times, we made 445 contacts, while using 5
watts or less on battery and solar power. Broken down by mode we made
380 CW, 41 digital, and 24 SSB contacts. And that spanned the 6, 10, 15,
20, 40, and 80 meter bands.
We enjoyed a lot of great conversation, cold beverages, and Bob
K0̸FHG’s famous Field Day pork steaks. There was also a variety of
interesting treasures brought to the Field Day site by Derek WB0̸TUA
which had been donated by Lou K8LA — thank you Lou! This really added to
the fun and sparked many conversations about some of the equipment and
parts in the totes and boxes. It was like having our own hamfest on
Field Day.
The weather was somewhat hot on Saturday, but we survived it with
several fans and an occasional refreshing breeze. We packed up early on
Sunday morning due to the threat of some rain and storms, then several
of us finished of the morning with breakfast at Denny’s. There was lots
of generous help taking down equipment and packing up.
Big thanks to Mel K0̸PFX for reserving the pavilion for us. Most of us
agree this park is definitely a keeper for SLQS Field Day. Also, thank
you to everyone who helped before, during, and after Field Day — you are
the ones who made it a success!
SLQS Field Day
Operators (alphabetical by call):
AF4JF Herbert, N0̸SA Larry, KB5YZY Mark, KC0̸PP Keith, KC8FDU Geoff,
KE0̸PRK Gib, KF0̸UHI Sarah, KK9U Sean, KQ4QEV Tyler, KT0̸AA Ton, N0̸MII
Jeff, W7AQB Jared, WA9GQT Rod, WB0̸SND Mike, WB0̸TUA Derek. And a special
mention for Caleb KF0URF who got his brand-new Technician call three
days after Field Day. Congratulations Caleb and welcome to SLQS!
Hey! It’s already June… how did that happen? We’ve been getting ready
for Field Day, but I certainly didn’t mean to keep it a secret!
Mark KB5YZY and Tony KT0AA are leading the charge once again as
co-chairs of the event. And they’re getting lots of help.
We will be setting up in Bridgeton MO once again, but this time at Bridgeway Park (link to
Google Maps), which is a new one for us. The park has a very large,
open, mostly flat field surrounded by many tall trees. An antenna
enthusiast’s dream, right? Our May meeting was held at our Field Day
site which gave us a chance to start making antenna plans. (We also
enjoyed a grilled picnic dinner thanks to Bob K0FHG!)
Our June meeting just took place, and we managed to do a dry run of
several antennas situated end-to-end. We’re hoping to minimize
inter-station interference as much as possible. Fingers crossed on that
front! We also got a taste of the kind of weather we might expect: sunny
and clear with a pleasant breeze… transitioning to dark clouds and a
torrential downpour! We got practice tearing down and finished just in
time.
We will have stations on CW, SSB, and digital. We’ll certainly be
active on HF and likely will have some VHF/UHF activity too. It seems
like we have the largest number of members intending to show up and
operate. Should be a great time! We will be using the 1×1 call sign N0A
for the event. And we will be operating 100% QRP, which means all
stations will be transmitting at an output power of five watts or less.
Yes, that’s less power than that of an old-fashioned night light. And
our radios will all be operating from battery power including power
gathered by solar panels. Sure Field Day is fun… but it’s also a way to
demonstrate the emergency preparedness aspect of our hobby to the
public.
We always welcome visitors — licensed hams or not — so please feel
free to pay us a visit. You can use the ARRL Field Day Locator
to find our site, or any other Field Day site for that matter. Be
prepared to have all your ham radio questions answered. As well as some
questions you may not have even thought of yet 😉 For questions you have
now, please contact us at info@slqs.net.
Specifically, WFD runs from 1600Z (10:00 am local) Saturday, through
2159Z (3:59 pm local) Sunday. Our plan is to run “4O” (four
transmitters, outside) as N0A, with 3 CW stations, 1
SSB/Digital station, and a VHF station. Thanks to the efforts by Mark
KB5YZY we have permission to stay overnight!
Currently, Jeff N0MII is wrangling the 20m station,
Jim KK0U is wrangling the 40m station and
Herbert AF4JF is wrangling SSB/Digital and VHF.
Mark KB5YZY is handling the 15/10m station.
Derek WB0TUA is bringing a warming tent with heater,
several folks are bringing batteries, and FOOD and COFFEE is also being
provided. If you’ve operated SLQS FD, you know we like to eat!
So, come on out and dress for the condtions! Bring nothing but
yourself, or bring your favorite key (for the CW folks), your best jokes
and join in the fun.
ONE LAST THING: Bring an insulated pad or something to sit on.
Benches & chairs get cold real fast without it!
Don’t judge the level of activity of our club by the (lack of)
frequency of posts here. All sorts of stuff is going on, so we’re in
planning mode at tonight’s meeting…
Annual Holiday Dinner Tuesday, November 19th
Our November club meeting is an opportunity to mix radio talk with
dinner. And it’s coming right up! Due to venue availability we will
depart from our normal “third Wednesday” this year — instead we’re going
to have this meeting on Tuesday, November 19th.
Winter Field Day January 25-26
We’ve been enjoying this event for the past few years. And this year
we’re lucky in that Winterfest doesn’t conflict this year! The date is
January 25-26 and we’re discussing several ideas. We’re hoping for
warmer weather than last year (!).
The club has been having lots of fun in the past several months.
You’d not know that, judging by the lack of posts here on our web site!
So here’s my take on things of late:
Meetings
Attendance at our meetings has been growing. This may be due in part
to a “return to normal”, post-COVID. We have used Zoom to enable “attend
from home,” but by and large we’ve had to bring more chairs to the
center of the meeting room each month. And not just for long-time
members; we’ve also been welcoming new members on a regular basis.
As a QRP club we’ve got a lot of CW operators, of all skill levels.
It’s been fun to welcome guys who have just started learning CW! They’ve
heard or witnessed that using Morse code is an effective and efficient
way to communicate, especially using 5 watts of power (or less!). We’re
not CW only of course; SSB and digital modes like FT8 are also great for
QRPers. As we near the peak of this sunspot cycle we’re definitely
reaping the benefits.
If you’re not a member and you’re in the St. Louis Metro area, please
drop in at a meeting and say hello! Third Wednesdays (including
tonight!).
Recent attendance at SLQS
meeting
Ten minutes before meeting start and we’d run out of chairs! Had to
raid the stack in the back of the room to get a seat for everyone.
POTA
Several of us have caught the POTA (“Parks On The Air”) bug, and
we’re all watching for an email from someone saying “Let’s do a group
POTA on at ”. We bring our portable rigs and easy-up
antennas and get together for the fun, taking turns doing our
activations while the rest of us talk radio etc. We have even been known
to catch a meal together afterwards. It’s a great excuse to get out of
the house and have fun playing radio.
Come to think of it, some of us made POTA contacts with Keith KC0PP
who was activating a park in Georgia this morning. Two-way QRP using SSB
with 59 signal reports. Ah, the joy of a high solar flux!
POTA activity in Defiance MO
One of recent “group POTA” outings had us activating Katy Trail State
Park at the Defiance trail head. Other favored group spots include Route
66, Babler, and Castlewood parks, Busch Wildlife Area, etc.
SOTA
There’s a few of us who have been doing SOTA (“Summits On The Air”)
activations for the past few years. I was inspired to give it a try last
year as Missouri celebrated its 10 year anniversary in the program. The
“summits” I activated were rather modest — I never had to break out a
machete, pick through brambles, or ford creeks. But a few were nice
uphill hikes with spectacular views at the top.
Other intrepid members activated peaks which required a lot more
fortitude. Inspiration for the beginner like me! And we sometimes
coordinated our outings to trade the all-so-nifty P2P (“peak to peak”)
exchanges. SOTA is another activity that all but requires QRP operation.
Great fun!
Missouri QSO Party
SLQS members have a real love for this annual event. This year was no
exception. We had a few mobile teams that planned and executed routes
through our great state, giving out contacts from some of our more rare
counties to folks across the US and around the world. Many of us were
using the 1×1 special event calls, helping folks try to earn a
certificate by spelling out “SHOW ME” and “MISSOURI” using the suffix
letters of our calls.
Slack
Not a ham radio activity per se… but some of us have started using
Slack to keep tabs on what’s going on. Calling out the latest DXpedition
or passing spots. Announcing upcoming POTA/SOTA plans. Trading thoughts
and ideas about antennas, rigs, 6 meter band openings… you name it.
Field Day 2024
Heh — you knew I couldn’t let it slip by. Field Day is right around
the corner. Tonight’s meeting we’ll be doing some planning, you betcha.
The weather should be spectacular! At least for the meeting tonight—who
knows what it’ll be like next month(!). Remember that we’ll be meeting
at the Field Day site tonight and for the next few warm-weather months.
Bring a radio; bring something for show-and-tell; bring questions; bring
a sack lunch and something to drink. See you at the park!
Preparations for another SLQS Winter Field Day are
moving right along. As I look outside at the thermometer… oh, who are we
kidding? As I look at the weather app on my phone (grin) I see it’s a
bracing 15º, with “Real Feel” of 1º. All I can say is that I hope the
weather is warmer two weeks from today!
When does this happen? Where will we be?
Winter Field Day is a 24-hour event happening this year from 1pm
Saturday January 27 to 1pm Sunday January 28. We will only be operating
on Saturday.
First of all, we’ll be working to stay warm! The shelter has a
fireplace and we’ll be making good use of it.
But it’s all about playing radio! We’ll have three operating
positions set up, and we’ll be contacting other WFD participants across
North America and around the world.
We will be using one of the special 1×1 call signs for this event.
Listen for N0A — that will be one of us!
Visitors welcome!
We’re happy to have visitors, so feel free to stop by.
Come one, come all, to SLQS’ annual “Tailgate Meeting” on Wednesday,
September 20. There’s no charge and it’s open to anyone. Bring that
radio “stuff” that’s looking for a new home; also be sure to slip a few
extra bucks in the wallet before you leave home. You never know what
you’ll find!
Aside from the browsing of other hams’ junk treasures, there will be
plenty of time to talk radio, and to play radio. There’s at least one
picnic table that becomes a “micro Field day” site for the evening. Got
a portable rig or antenna you care to show? Bring it and let’s get it on
the air!
There will be grilled bratwurst and chips available for a nominal fee
while supply lasts (and they go fast!). Please bring your own
beverages.
If you’re curious about our hobby… if you are interested in learning
more about electronics, learning how to build and solder kits,
discovering how we can have so much fun using low power and (gasp!)
Morse code… stop by and introduce yourself.
We will meet once again in Creve Coeur Lake Park, in a parking lot
that is perfect for this event. Here’s a pair of URLs, both of which
will take you to a Google Maps page pointing to the meeting
location:
Two things you can count on when Field Day rolls around: rain
(usually) and heat (almost always).
This year is no different. We hit 96º degrees or so, and the humidity
gave us a few degree boost, with the “Feels Like” temperature reaching
99º. Deprived of hitting triple digits. Grr. Felt like 100 — so
there!
We have finished a delicious FD dinner: the traditional SLQS meal of
pork steaks, cole slaw and potato salad. Big plus: KK9U’s XYL baked an
awesome spread of desserts: cookies of several types. But my favorite:
little Rice Krispie treats shaped and decorated to look like HTs.
Awesome!
Rice Krispie HT
Okay. This is cute. A little HT (“walkie-talkie” in hamspeak) for
dessert!
