Thank you to Stuart Smolkin, WA5EYI, Museum Curator, for Asheville Radio Museum (North Carolina) virtual tour last week.  https://www.avlradiomuseum.org  He showed his passion for technology as well as entertaining and educating visitors about the wonders of radio waves and their huge importance to our daily lives.

The President’s Sideband: Let's Build Ourselves an Antenna

It's time to get moving with our post-covid club projects and activities! In that vein I am planning to offer the project to build and tune a UHF (70cm), and/or a VHF (2m), 1/4 wave vertical antenna with ground plane, as we have discussd in recent meetings, on Saturday, August 28 from 8:30 - noon. Mark your calendars!

The project will have two goals:

1) To teach the practical use of the nanoVNA to make measurements on RF components and systems, with an emphasis on antenna measurements, and

2) To have each participant build, tune, and test a (hopefully) weather-proof ground-plane antenna suitable for base-station use at home, or for portable use in outdoor ham activities.

Participants will be encouraged to purchase their own nanoVNA (cost ~$50 to $90) and bring it to the session. Beyond that, no experience with a VNA will be expected. We will instruct you on how it works, how to calibrate it, and the use of the (free) VNAsaver software package. (If you have a lap-top bring it.) We will have exercises in making measurements on simple components, filters, and antennas.

For the antenna construction you will be provided with instructions and all the hardware (a PO- 239 UHF socket, PVC pipe and fittings, etc, and some 12 AWG copper wire). You will assemble the antenna, and use the nanoVNA to tune it to resonance in the 70cm band, and examine the effect of the number and angle of the radials. We hope to have a set-up ready for you to compare the performance of your new antenna with the "rubber ducky" on your HT.

The cost of the activity will be minimal, just enough to cover the hardware, probably in the range of $5-10.

If you want to take part, but don't want to purchase a nanoVNA at this point, we hope to have have 2-3 loaners available, or perhaps you might team-up and share with a friend who owns one.

Sign-up and more information will be on the STARS groups.io, including recommended models of nanoVNAs (beware of many of the cheaper models) and where to purchase them. Let's also discuss the project further tonight's meeting.

Tue, August 24: “Amateur Radio Public Service” by Bruce Pigott, KC1US.

Tue, August 31: “Programs Helping Hams and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get on The Air” by Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC.

Tue, Sept 21: “Satellite Operations with HTs” by Clint Bradford, K6LCS.

Tue, October 26: “Homebrew 2M” by Bruce MacKinnon, KC1FSZ.

Coming August 24: “Amateur Radio Public Service” by Bruce Pigott, KC1US. This presentation will cover procedures, resources and clubs involved with public service events. Items discussed will include typical tasks, recommended equipment to use and communications protocols. Information about training as well as the groups and agencies that need radio support are also presented. Bruce has been doing events since 1989. He has been an operator, leader at large activities and a ham planner and organizer for various Public Service events. Bruce has maintained repeater systems, done many Field Days, participated in VHF contests, and built APRS tracker boxes. He has held a number of engineering positions, such as component engineer and test engineer for assembled boards and IC wafer trim and test.

Coming August 31: “Programs Helping Hams and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get on The Air” by Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC.   Fred will be at N.E. Sci-Tech for this presentation and will share several successful programs that clubs can sponsor to help Hams to get on the air, learn new skills, and have fun. He will also share some programs that have been successful getting school students interested in and active in Amateur Radio. Programs include Tech Nights, Ham Bootcamp, Field Days, High-Altitude Balloon Launches, ISS Astronaut Contacts and more. The presentation includes videos of activities associated with the programs that will be shared.  Bio: Fred is President of the Nashua Area Radio Society (https://www.n1fd.org), is an ARISS Mentor and Telebridge Station, and is a candidate running for ARRL's New England Division Director position, for which he would greatly appreciate your input.  For more information on Fred, please refer to his www.QRZ.com page.

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Club Repeaters

Natick UHF: 446.325 PL 146.2 at New England Sci-Tech (linked)

Milton UHF: 449.125 PL 146.2 at Blue Hill Science Center (linked)

Milton VHF: 146.985 PL 88.5 at Blue Hill Science Center (linked)

Natick UHF: 447.025 PL 146.2 (portable, on air, not linked, can be used for events)

Hopkinton UHF: 448.025 PL 88.5 (off air, newly acquired, needs new location)

Membership privileges include use of the amateur radio facilities of New England Sci-Tech in Natick, attendance at STARS meetings on Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, newsletters, and invitations to club events and activities. Any member of New England Sci-Tech can join STARS for free, or you can join the club separately. See membership options.

508-720-4179 -- [email protected]