Saturday, June 29, 2013

Funny search terms to finding this blog

I've been keeping track of some of the funny search terms used to find this blog, and I thought I'd share. Most of them make at least some kind of sense, I'm really not sure how the last one ended up coming here. Anyways, without further ado

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Favorite Memories of Field Day

I've just concluded my first ever field day participation. I made about 40 contacts on the GOTA club station, maybe 10-15 on the VHF, and 39 on my home station. I just want to share a few of my favorite moments from the whole process. I'm going to try and not give a blow by blow, but just focus on these key moments.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Current Ham Radio Goodies Wishlist

Today is the start of Field Day. Get out and find a place to participate! Seriously, it will be awesome!

As a result, I don't have time for a full blog post, but I will post a wish list of things that I have been considering getting. I'm including them roughly in the order that I think I'll actually get them. Just for those who want to thank me for all of the wonderful help I have given them to getting started with Ham Radio;-)

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Field Day 2013 Invitation



http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2013/2013FieldDayLogoWeb.jpgYou are hereby invited to participate with the Loudoun Amateur Radio Group’s 2013 Field Day. Activities will include learning about radios, talking to people over the radio across the world. Many requirements for the Radio Merit Badge can be passed off as well. You do not need an amateur radio license to participate in this event!

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

Why: Field Day tests the ability to set up an emergency communication station anywhere in the country. Amateur Radio Operators are often the only people able to communicate in the event of a major disaster, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, etc. They also can communicate from remote locations.

Date- Saturday, June 22
Time- 2:00 P.M. and later

Location: Westerman Farm (W5ODJ)
38668 Sierra Lane
Lovettsville, VA 20180

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Field Day ARRL Section Cheat Sheet



Here's another cheat sheet from John K3US, for use in Field Day. Of course, you don't have to have a call sign from the region you operate (I operate in Virginia, KD7UIY, which would be a West Coast callsign), but it can still help plenty.

           *******  Sections Lookup Cheatsheet******
Step 1. find the number in the call    2. zip to the right place on cheat sheet!
        3. listen and log their report.     4. Convert long section  name to abbrev.   5. Log it!
Section Abbrev lookup    ARRL section list is at http://www.arrl.org/section-abbreviations
Call Number
If in doubt or you get flustrated as to the abbrev, just write down exactly what they said  and move on to the next contact !   write, call, exchange, time
“Grabbing their info” is good enough for the log.
11111111
1111111111111111111111     LONG
ABBREV
1111111111111111
1
Connecticut
CT
1
Eastern Mass (or Massachusetts)
EMA
Maine
ME
New Hampshire
NH
Rhode Island
RI
Vermont
VT

Western Mass  (or Massachusetts)
WMA

VE2,VA2
Maritime  (Canada)
MAR
VE2,VA2
VO1
Newfoundland  - Labrador  (Canada)
NL
VO1
22222222
2222222222222222222222222222222 
22222222222222
2222222222222222
2
Eastern New York
ENY
2
New York - Long Island
NLI
Northern New Jersey
NNJ
Northern New York
NNY
Southern New Joisey
SNJ
Western New York
WNY
VE2,VA2
Quebec   (Key-Beck)     (Canada)
QC
VE2,VA2
VY2
Maritime                        (Canada)
MAR
VY2
KP2
Virgin Islands
VI
KP2
33333333
3333333333333333333333333333333
33333333333333
3333333333333333
3
Delaware
DE
3
Eastern Pennsylvania
EPA
Western PA
WPA
Maryland – DC   (they are combined)
MDC
VE3,VA3
 Greater Toronto Area,      (Canada)
GTA
New sections! VE3,VA3
VE3,VA3
 Ontario East,                     (Canada)
ONE
New sections! VE3,VA3
VE3,VA3
Ontario North,                  (Canada)
ONN
New sections! VE3,VA3
VE3,VA3
Ontario South,                  (Canada)
ONS
New sections! VE3,VA3  
44444444
4444444444444444444444444444444
44444444444444
444444444444444

4

Alabama
AL

4
Georgia
GA
Kentucky
KY
North Carolina
NC
North Florida
NFL
South Carolina
SC
South Florida
SFL
Tennessee
TN
Virginia
VA
444444444
West Central Florida
WCF
44444444444444444444
KP3,KP4
Puerto Rico
PR
KP3,KP4, WP3, WP4
VE4,VA4
Manitoba,                     (Canada)
MB
VE4,VA4






           *******  Sections Lookup Cheatsheet******
Step 1. find the number in the call    2. zip to the right place on cheat sheet!
        3. listen and log their report.     4. Convert long section  name to abbrev.   5. Log it!
Call Number
If in doubt or you get flustrated as to the abbrev, just write down exactly what they said  and move on to the next contact !   write, call, exchange, time
“Grabbing their info” is good enough for the log.
55555555
555555555555555555555        LONG
Abbrev.   55555
5555555555555555

5
Arkansas
AR

5
Louisiana
LA
Mississippi
MS
New Mexico
NM
North Texas
NTX
Oklahoma
OK
South Texas
STX
55555555
West Texas
WTX
55555555555555555555
VE5,VA5
            (Canada)       Saskatchewan
SK
VE5,VA5
66666666
6666666666666666666666666666666
6666666666
66666666666666666666

6
East Bay
EB

6
Los Angeles
LAX
Orange
ORG
Santa Barbara
SB
Santa Clara Valley
SCV
San Diego
SDG
San Francisco
SF
San Jose
SJ
San Joaquin Valley
SJV
66666666
Sacramento Valley
SV

KH6
Pacific 
PAC
KH6, WH6, AH6  _H#
VE6,VA6
                (Canada)              Alberta
AB
VE6,VA6
77777777
7777777777777777777777777777777
7777777777
7777777777777777

7
Arizona
AZ

7
Eastern Washington
EWA
Idaho
ID
Montana
MT
Nevada
NV
Oregon
OR
Utah
UT
Western Washington
WWA
77777777
Wyoming
WY
7777777777777777
KL7
Alaska   also WL, AL, KL with any #
AK
KL7, AL7, WL7,  _L#
VE7,VA7
    (Canada)        British Columbia
BC
VE7, VA7
88888888
8888888888888888888888888888888
8888888888
8888888888888888
8
Michigan
MI
8
Ohio
OH
West Virginia
WV
VE8
Northwest Territories,  (Canada)
NT
VE8



               *******  Sections Lookup Cheatsheet******
Step 1. find the number in the call    2. zip to the right place on cheat sheet!
        3. listen and log their report.     4. Convert long section  name to abbrev.   5. Log it!
Call Number
If in doubt or you get flustrated as to the abbrev, just write down exactly what they said  and move on to the next contact !   write, call, exchange, time
“Grabbing their info” is good enough for the log.
99999999
9999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999
9999999999999999
9
Indiana
IN
9
Illinois
IL
Wisconsin
WI
VE9
Maritime,     (Canada)
MAR
9999999999999999
00000000
0000000000000000000000000000000
0000000000
0000000000000000

0
Colorado
CO

0
Iowa
IA
Kansas
KS
Minnesota
MN
Missouri
MO
North Dakota
ND
Nebraska
NE
South Dakota
SD
0000000000
0000000000000000000000000000000
0000000000
0000000000000000

ODDBALL SECTION ABBREVS

__L#
Alaska, second letter of call sign is L    KL7, KL5, AL1, WL2 are examples
AK
KL or AL or NL or WL + any number
CFS
the state of confusion
CFS
we don’t go there!
GTA
Greater Toronto Area, Canada
GTA
VE3, VA3
MAR
Maritime
MAR
VE1
NB
New Brunswick, Canada
NB
VE9
NL
Newfoundland or Labrador, Canada
NL
VO1
NT
Northern Territories, Canada
NT
VE8, VY1
__H#
second letter of call sign is  H
Pacific,  mostly Hawaii but also some other Pacific Islands
PAC
KH#, AH#, WH#, NH#
PEI
Prince Edward Island
PEI
VY2
PR
Puerto Rico
PR
KP4, NP4, WP4
VI
Virgin Islands
VI
KP2, NP2, WP2
USA
prefixes:      http://www.ac6v.com/prefixes.htm#

note:
Canada     -  many different Special Event prefixes are used in Canada so you might hear one of these:   CF-CK,  CY,  VA-VG,   VO   VX   VY   XJ-XO

Mexico
XE followed by any number