Saturday, December 27, 2014

Marathon Hamfest - 2 weeks away!

Its coming up fast, the Marathon Hamfest the first local Hamfest of 2015!

Saturday January 10th 2015 at the Marathon NY Civic Center, corner of Brink & Peck St. in Marathon NY
7AM – noon, Admission $5.00
VE tests will be given at 9 AM with no late entry.

Reserve tables at k2iwr@arrl.net. Reserve now, tables usually sell out.
Free coffee!!

Directions: I-81 to exit 9
Follow signs to Route 221 West
Turn left just before steel deck bridge on to Peck St.
Cross Brink St, Drive straight in to the parking lot.

Sponsored by the Skyline Amateur Radio Club of Cortland

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to take a moment to wish all our UpstateHam viewers a Merry Christmas and joyous Holiday Season!

Thanks to all the contributors for your suggestions and radio information updates that we publish here. (...and always feel free to e-mail us with ideas and information at UpstateHam@gmail.com)

A reminder, the Wednesday night CNY SWAP and Information net will NOT be on the air December 24th and 31st because of  the holiday. Tim; N2VZD will take a well deserved break over the holidays returning again on Wednesday January 7th for the New Years edition of the CNY Swap and Information net.

Thanks also to all the "hammies" out there that make this great hobby possible. We appreciate the guys that the run the NET's, lead the clubs and build our repeaters.

......and Please don't forget to support our repeater owners and trustees that build and maintain our great repeaters in Upstate NY. Their is a lot of time, aggravation and expense involved in keeping our repeaters operating. Make a donation to your favorite repeater today!


Saturday, December 20, 2014

Special Event Stations on the Air from the Land of Santa Claus

The Santa Claus stations, OH9SCL (“Santa Claus Land”) and OF9X (“Old Father Nine Xmas”) are on the air! As Santa is busy loading up his sleigh preparing for his journey around the world, his elves will be at the controls of Santa Radio and can tell you Santa's whereabouts. Stop by and say hello. Santa’s journey starts from Finnish Lapland, continuing through the dangerously narrow Baltic airspace to end up on Christmas Day in the US.
Principal radio activity will be over the weekends before and after Christmas. The Santa activity should be around 25 kHz from the band edges, and the SSB pole position is at 14,225 kHz. My DX Summit will feature OH9SCL and OF9X on its Santa menu selection. Occasionally Santa will be available on video, mostly when on 20 meters SSB. Tap the Video and Audio button on the OF9X page, and you may not only see Santa but hear how your own signal sounds in the Land of Christmas.

Friday, December 19, 2014

146.61 Repeater back on the air in Ithaca!

The Cornell Amateur Radio Club has returned the 146.610(-) 103.5 PL, W2CXM repeater to full operation. This repeater is located on top of the 9 story Bradfield Hall, on Tower Road, on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca NY. The repeater easily covers the greater Ithaca area, with very low power required for operation. If you are in the area - give it a try!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Winter SKYWARN Training class

NWS Binghamton is holding Winter SKYWARN Training classes!

NWS has upcoming Winter SKYWARN classes in Montrose, PA, Sayre, PA, Penn Yan, NY, Auburn, NY, and Cortland NY through the 2nd week of December . During these classes we are looking for volunteers to measure and report snowfall to us.  Like our spring classes, these are free and open to all ages.

The Auburn NY class will be at the Cayuga County Office Building on Genesee St., Wednesday, December 10th from 6:30 To 8:30pm The Auburn class has been canceled because of the weather!

They also encourage those who have had previous training to take a refresher class (either basic spring, winter, advanced or flood) every 2 to 3 years.  There is plenty of room in all classes so please consider coming out.

To register please follow the instructions at: http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining
- or by sending an email to bgm.skywarn@noaa.gov


Thursday, November 20, 2014

KD2SL 53.67 repeater antenna change (Syracuse)

An update from Kevin - KD2SL:

“I am running another experiment and have changed the 53.67 repeater antenna configuration once again. Up until this past Thursday we had been receiving from a 6M dipole antenna up just over 700 feet and transmitting from the "old" bat-wing TV antenna on the top of our tower. We are now both transmitting and receiving (with a duplexer) on the 6M dipole at approximately 700 feet. This may degrade your ability to hear the repeater in fringe areas, but since those fringe areas can’t get in to the repeater, being able to hear it there was of dubious value.  Still, the repeater’s receiver is working better than ever, probably because there was some desense that we didn’t realize was being caused by the split antenna arrangement.  Thankfully, running duplex into the single antenna is working well, with no cracklies or desense.  This set up is much more balanced, meaning that if you can hear it well, it should now be able to hear you.

Thanks to EVERYONE, you have all been really great sports, willing to play numerous rounds of “can you hear me now?”!  I’m very interested to know how well you can hear the repeater in this current arrangement. Please send me your reports at KD2SL@yahoo.com.”



-Kevin - Thanks for all your efforts to bringing us the great KD2SL repeaters in Syracuse! 

73 – Tony – KC2VER

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

VE Amateur Radio exams in Verona N.Y.

A note from Len; WF2V (MOARC):

Amateur Radio VE exams are being offered in Verona on the third Friday of every month at 7PM.

Our next test session is this Friday 21 Nov.
Located in Verona, NY at the BOCES library on Spring Road

The Volunteer Examiner can be reached:

Leonard Popyack; WF2V
315-853-8974

I may also be on 145.170 repeater on the VE night. If bad weather or other circumstances forces us to cancel the test session, we will announce it on 145.170

We have been giving tests nearly continuously since 1988!

Thank You.

Len
WF2V

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Upcoming CNY Amateur Radio classes

Several courses of interest to the amateur radio community in the central New York area will be kicking off early in 2015:

Amateur Radio License Course – Jointly sponsored by the Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club and the Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse, this course covers the material needed to pass the FCC test and become licensed as a Technician class ham. Beginning in mid-January, the course will meet weekly at the Methodist Church in Liverpool. There is no charge for the course and ARRL study manuals will be available at the discounted Instructor’s price. Pre-registration is required for the course, please contact N2TKX, Steve Auyer, Instructor at n2tkx@arrl.net. Classes are planned for Tuesdays, January 13, 2015—March 3, 2015, 5:00pm—7:00pm.


W2CM Bootcamp – Sponsored by the Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club this course is similar in concept to the “Now That I’ve Got My License, What Do I Do?” course sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse a number of years ago. It will cover topics of general interest to new hams, as well as to some older hams as well. There is no charge for the course which will be held prior to the monthly LARC meetings. More information on the course can be obtained from Pete, K2VGN by contacting him by email at psochocki-at-verizon.net

Between the licensing course and the course to help news hams get involved with the hobby, these two courses are a great way to promote amateur radio in the community.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Amateur radio operators support the Halloween Pumpkin Patrol

New York State Police Troop T and citizen volunteers conducted their 38th annual "Pumpkin Patrol" aimed at preventing Halloween pranks and protecting motorists along the New York State Thruway on October 30th and 31st.

In Onondaga County over 20 amateur radio operators manned the bridges on both nights. In Cayuga County over 10 amateur radio operators manned the bridges on Friday night.  Amateur Radio operators in almost every upstate county along the Thruway participated again this year.Thanks to all who gave up their evenings for this important project.

“I commend Troop T and our committed volunteers for their efforts in helping to prevent the threat of dangerous pranks during the Halloween weekend on our roadways,” said Thruway Authority Executive Director Thomas J. Madison. “These patrols help to further emphasize the importance of safety and reliability on the New York State Thruway by offering extra assistance to protect the well-being of all motorists.”

Patrols consisted of Troop T officers, as well as local radio clubs, and amateur radio operators. This year, volunteer groups from 15 different organizations spanning across 19 counties in New York State joined in the Pumpkin Patrol safety initiative. Volunteers assisting Troop T monitored Thruway overpasses and reported any unusual activity to State Police or local law enforcement.

The Pumpkin Patrol was initiated as a volunteer effort in 1976 by Katherine St. Jacques in Fort Johnson, Montgomery County.  Ms. St. Jacques was talking to a truck driver on her citizens band radio when the windshield of his vehicle was struck by an object thrown from an overpass.  The driver sustained injuries from the broken glass of his windshield.  St. Jacques and two companions decided to stand watch on the three over passes that crossed the Thruway in the Fort Johnson area.
The State Police assumed control of the Pumpkin Patrol in 1990 as part of the State Police crime prevention effort.  More than 300 volunteers will participate in this year’s safety efforts.

References:
- Press release from the NY State Police Troop T Public Information Officer Trooper Matthew Izbicki.
- CNY Central
- Syracuse.com
- WSYR News Channel 9
- local  Amateur radio operators

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Tech Class coming in November!

The Bear Bait Radio Club is having a Amateur Radio Technician Class and VE test session on 11/15 and 11/16 at the Clay Welcome Center on RT. 31, Clay NY. It's from 8-5 each day. Lunch will be provided.

Thanks to the club for all its efforts here in CNY and in the Adirondacks!

More information on the club website: www.bearbaitradioclub.com



Friday, October 24, 2014

Boonville Amateur Radio Club

Jeff; KD2AIT from the Boonville club dropped me a line this week updating us on the clubs wide coverage north country 146.655 repeater (no PL) and nightly net.  They have also done some recent upgrades to the repeater, so try it out. You can also access this repeater through Echolink on node #796920. Learn more at their web site listed below.

They also have a club Christmas Party coming up on December 12th open to all Hams. See the club web site for more information.

Check out the Boonville ARC web site at: http://www.boonvillearc.com/

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

A couple of radio events this weekend!

The weekend of October 18 holds two radio events that you can participate in. One is the Jamboree On The Air, connecting scouts from all over the world via radio. See http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota for more details.You may find scouts on local repeaters, simplex or out on the HF bands. This is a great opportunity to expose young people to our great hobby!

The other is the NY State QSO Party. This is sponsored by the Rochester DX Association.

RDXA sponsors the New York State QSO Party Sat.10/18-Sun.10/19, 2014

October 18, 2014 – 1400 UTC thru 
October 19, 2014 – 0200 UTC
-learn more about the NY QSO Party at: http://www.rdxa.com/index.php/


Thursday, October 9, 2014

Listen to Auburn and Cayuga County Police and Fire (...and many others) on-line

Many of the local Police and Fire frequencies are only accessible these days with a pricey Digital P25 Scanner. But there is another way....Listen on-line on Broadcastify.......go try the links below:

Listen to Auburn and Cayuga County Police and Fire on-line with your PC or smart phone.

Link to Cayuga County Police, Fire and EMS:
http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/1830

Link to online Auburn Police and Fire:
http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/18338

 -lots of other agencies and frequencies are available too! Search around on Broadcastify!

Link to NY State listings:
http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/stid/36

Thanks to Jim WT2W for the tip!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Ham Radio VE Exams in Liverpool NY - 10/18/14

note from the SYRACUSE VE EXAM TEAM

Ham Radio VE Exams will be held October 18, 2014  at the Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip
Street, Liverpool, with registration noon to 1p.m. in  the Sargent Room.
Open to all working for their new Ham ticket or a license upgrade.
Bring two forms of ID, one with your picture and $14 fee (cash or M.O.)
   
>  >  >  NEW from the FCC:
Hams  holding  a  license  in the past  which has expired,  can now  submit a copy of   your past license, take the current Technician Exam    -- upon passing,   the FCC will return you to your Amateur Radio License.

Questions? e-mail us at :VEexams@hotmail.com     / from the SYRACUSE VE EXAM TEAM

Friday, October 3, 2014

Echolink added to the WN8Z 149.39 repeater in Fulton

149.39 update from Pat; WN8Z:

I've installed Echolink on the WN8Z (147.39 pl 103.5) repeater located in Fulton, NY. This gives excellent handheld coverage especially to the cities of Oswego and Fulton and covers Oswego County. Node # 7390.

Also on 10/2 we got the signal back to its previous performance with a fix to a recent feed line problem with the top mounted 2M antenna. The next project before winter is to side mount a DB-224 antenna at the top - hopefully before the first snow flies...

A big thanks to Volney Multiplex, Inc. of Fulton, NY for the donated tower space and for providing emergency generator and internet service directly to the repeater shack. - Pat

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Elmira Hamfest -next Saturday September 27th

Don't forget the 39th Annual Elmira Hamfest next Saturday September 27th ...............

This is one of my favorites. If you have never gone, give it a try. Always lots of flea marketers and usually two or three dealers set up inside. Its always a nice ride down to the southern tier with the fall colors beginning to appear. My wife even likes this one!

Get the details here: http://www.arast.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=6


Thursday, September 18, 2014

This Sunday's Rochester Marathon needs Amateur Radio operators

WE NEED ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS SUNDAY'S ROCHESTER MARATHON!  Please consider signing up, first come first served (and include your t-shirt size) http://bit.ly/raramarathon2014

from:
Jim, W2COP
Rochester Amateur Radio Assn.
Public Service Coordinator

SPECIFICS:
Timeline:
7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Plan:
A minimum of twenty (20) ham operators are needed for this full day event consisting of a half and full marathon run. This event starts and ends at Frontier Field in downtown Rochester. Radio operator volunteers will be stationed at water stops along the course.  Provide safety communications for participants by summoning EMT’s, as necessary, via Net Control.  Specific tasks include; safety communications on footpaths, staff communications, relay team safety, and transport communications.  Since some portions of the course are often below grade, an antenna with some gain is highly recommended.

Radios:
Portables on 2-meters using local repeater
Additional gain antenna for low elevation canal path
Talk-in:
146.61/ 444.45  PL 110.9
Secondary
145.29  PL 110.9

IF YOU CAN’T HELP THIS SUNDAY, PLEASE CONSIDER THESE UPCOMING EVENTS TO SHARPEN YOUR DISASTER RESPONSE SKILLS:

http://rochesterham.org/public_service.htm

ABC television series "Last Man Standing" - K6H Special Event

K6H Special Radio Event:

from John Amodeo on September 10, 2014

Hi Everyone,

The Southern California based PAPA Repeater System in association with BEARS (Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society) and DEARS (Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service ), will be holding a special event radio station K6H "Hamnado" - Hollywood Celebrates Ham Radio. The operators will be hosted by the licensed amateur radio operators on the crew of the hit ABC television series "Last Man Standing".

K6H will take place on Sunday, September 28 from 7 AM to 3 PM Pacific time and will operate on 10, 20 & 40 Meters on HF and D-STAR on reflector 12A. The event will also use DARI (Disney Amateur Radio Interconnect) to link the WB6AJE repeater in Los Angeles to Disney/ABC sponsored repeaters in Manhattan - Bristol Connecticut, Washington DC and Orlando Florida. Various IRLP and ECHLOLINK nodes will be available. The event will be coming from the legendary Stage 9 (aka The Seinfeld Stage) on the CBS Studio Center lot in Studio City California. Contacts will receive the limited edition QSL card, attached.

Tom Medlin -W5KUB will be on Stage 9 to interview the participants and bring you the action live. http://w5kub.com/

The PAPA website will also stream video directly from the operating stations, so that you can see yourself contacting the K6H operators.
Check the WWW.PAPASYS.com website for updates.

On Last Man Standing, Tim Allen plays Mike Baxter, a licensed ham- KA0XTT. "Last Man Standing" is responsible for inspiring 26 of their crew members to get their licenses, which range from technician to extra class.
Season 4 of "Last Man Standing" premiers on Friday, October 3rd, 8 PM / 7 PM Central.

For mor information contact
Rob Antonacci - AA6RA - sideshowbob0374@yahoo.com

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Solar Storm

A strong solar flare is making its way to Earth, but the worst of its power looks like it will barely skim above the planet. A "strong" solar flare that launched off the sun Wednesday afternoon could cause some fluctuations in Earth's power grid and slight disturbances in satellites and radio transmissions on Friday and Saturday.

Major disruptions are not expected, even though the flare was classified as an "X-class" flare, which is at the high end of the solar flare scale. Wednesday's flare followed a weaker flare late Monday.

It has been several years since Earth has had a solar storm of this size coming from sunspots smack in the middle of the sun, said Tom Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. The flare on the sun barely hits the "extreme" on forecasters' scale, but with its worst effects missing Earth it is only looking "potentially strong" at most when it arrives at Earth as a solar storm, he said.

New calculations from satellite data show that the worst of the energetic particles streaming from the sun likely will go north or above Earth this time, Berger said late Wednesday.

So while the power grid may see fluctuations because the storm will cause changes in Earth's magnetic field, it won't knock power systems off line, Berger said. It may cause slight disturbances in satellites and radio transmissions but nothing major.

more details at SolarHam.com
:
Updated 09/11/2014 @ 11:50 UTC
Solar Update


Info from ABC, USA Today, SolarHam.com

Monday, September 1, 2014

High altitude balloon launch Friday Sept. 5th

The balloon launched on Friday night around 8pm.

9/7/14 UPDATE from N2NXZ:
Tony,
You probably see the last position on the map.
Bill,VA3XCD came home just in time to grab the signal and gatherthe GPS positions before signal was lost.
The tracker was set to sleep after the first 7 hours,it will resume @ 7:00 pm this evening (9/7) and run another 15-20 hours straight.
Where it ended up is anyone's guess. I think due to the low altitudes,it may have survived the first evening. Should this have occurred, it would have soared double or more of that altitude at sunrise and throughout the following day. So that would mean it very well could be well over the Atlantic ocean and still flying.
The launch went exactly as planned except for the tree incicdents and the GPS glitches.
The 10.135 mhz RTTY beacon should still operate for many more hours,every hour on the hour for 15 minutes. I have been listening every chance possible,nothing heard yet.
Here is the only info left using prediction charts. This will have a Hysplit option where you can see projected flight path.
I would not give up on it yet and still need to notify other operators in the Azores and Europe this morning.
Feel free to share this information Tony and thanks for the email.
Jim,N2NXZ

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(message from N2NXZ)   - NOTE - MOVED TO 8pm Tonight 9/5/14
Hello,
My name is Jim, N2NXZ - located in grid fn13ch / Hilton, N.Y. This is a request to assist for tracking a high altitude balloon scheduled to launch on September 5,2014 @ 5:00pm EST / 21:00 UTC.(May change due to weather or equipment issues) Payload will consist of (2) two separate transmitters in the bands of 70cm and 30m.
The main GPS tracking will be on the frequency of 434.651 mhz (70cm) USB using RTTY 50. Decoding software (below) will automatically select this mode once configured. This data when received will place the balloon`s location on the map specifically for the callsign N2NXZ-7 indicating your callsign as the RX station. http://spacenear.us/tracker/
Decoding software is also specific for tracking and can be found here.
This balloon will be designed to "float" and the goal is to cover many miles if everything goes as planned. But this is never guaranteed and the need for ground tracking stations is important. Your help would be greatly appreciated especially in the flight projection between my location,Hilton,NY to the East (downwind). The tracking transmitter will be timed to operate for 7 hours from launch to conserve battery power should it stay aloft in this period. A second transmitter on the frequency of 10.135 mhz (30m) will be used for RTTY beaconing. It will operate once every 15 minutes every hour. Timing could change as it will begin at any given time. We are going to try starting on the hour at launch.
The HF beacon will aid only in locations that tracking may not be available and is of course propagation dependant for certain locations. Due to temperature changes at altitude,frequencies listed can drift dramatically +/-.
My contact information - email: n2nxz@cmsdigital.net.
Tracking software questions or assistance can be found here by simply logging in. No registration required,only the anti spam code and nickname (your callsign is best).
Progress or discussions related to current balloon activity will be here also. This is much easier for participants to communicate other than individual emails. Some of you are already familiar with this process and this message is general to some who are new to tracking.

Again, your assistance is very much needed and appreciated. Please feel free to pass this information to others that could help.Looking forward to seeing you on the map!

Jim, N2NXZ

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Repeater updates (to the updates)

Folks a couple of new or back on the air repeaters that you
 may want to try out:

145.150 -  Pl 123.0, Lafayette, KD2SL
  (note the PL was changed to 123.0 on 8/23/14)
146.640 -  Pl 131.8, Clay, Bear Bait Radio Club, KD2CDY
444.250+  Pl 131.8, Clay, Bear Bait Radio Club, WA2DAD


If we get any more details on their equipment or future plans, we will post them here. (The original post was on 7/2/14)

Bear Bait Radio Club - Tailgate fest on 9/27

Bear Bait Radio Club is having a tailgate fest Saturday September 27th from 7am-1pm at the Town of Clay Welcome Center on Route 31.

Full details are on the club web site at: http://www.bearbaitradioclub.com/index.html

Also: Adirondack Hams - General Exam Class in Long Lake N.Y.
October 17, 18, & 19, 2014

Prerequisite: Tech Class Amateur Radio license
Course fee: FREE
Exam Fee: $14
Learn more at the Bear Bait Club web-site: http://www.bearbaitradioclub.com/index.html
or contact Scott WA2DTN at: kb2bdb@twcny.rr.com

Info from Nick - KD2ETO

Sunday, August 17, 2014

New DX cluster and propagation tool - DXHeat.com

A friend asked me the other day if I had tried using the new DX reporting web site DXHeat.com. I told him I had not heard of it but that I would give it a try.

I am not a huge DX guy, but I occasionally like to quick check conditions and see if I can make some DX contacts. Well, I have tried it now and its pretty cool. Very nice user interface and it automatically updates with the latest beacons (no refresh needed). They also have several mobile versions for smart phones and tablets.

Give it a try: https://dxheat.com/dxc/


Balloon chase today!

Be listening this morning for the Cornell Amateur radio club out on another balloon chase. Launching from Cato NY around 10am today. You can listen to the chasers on the 147.000 linked system here in CNY or watch the APRS tracking at Aprs.fi. There is also a beacon radio you can listen for on 144.310 mhz.

Learn more about their balloon projects.
http://w2cxm.org/projects/balloon/balloonmark6

Predicted path:

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend

Amateur Radio Activation for International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend - August 16-17

Update 8/13/14 From Fred, W2LGA:
After digging through a HUGE pile of politics, with the help of senator Griffo of Oneida, it appears the permit for me to set up a “special event” station, W2LGA, at the Verona Beach lighthouse is finally a reality. The Verona Beach Lighthouse Association has been a tremendous supporter of this endeavor and they are really looking forward to the event. I will be operating on August 16th by 10 am and continue through August 17th until 4pm. I will try to be on as many HF bands as propagation will allow. My set up will only consist of a 10 x 10 screen tent, 746pro, Spiro D-52 dipole, logging software, ..etc. I have made up a special event QSL certificate that can be obtained by making a contact and emailing W2LGA@arrl.net. I will have giveaway ICOM band plans and Gridmaps if anyone is out and about those days also. If anyone wants to join the festivities and “work the rig” … feel free to stop by and give me a break. Please let me know if you plan on working the rig so I can be sure no 2 hams are there at the same time to work it.

Looking forward to contacting all of you as well as the other 450+ ILLW lighthouses and lightships that are registered to participate ….More information can be obtained from W2LGA -Fred Legawiec at flegawiec1@twcny.rr.com. Operators for this event are needed and welcomed.

Background on the International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend:
Each year, amateur radio organizations across the nation sponsor several activities to increase awareness of our lighthouse heritage. One of these events includes International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend, which will be observed in 2014 from August 16 & 17. To celebrate this international heritage event, many clubs will activate temporary radio stations at many Lighthouse’s around the world. The main reason this event has become so popular is because it is NOT a contest. Its purpose is to promote public awareness of lighthouses and their need for preservation and restoration and to promote amateur radio as well. Lighthouses are becoming an endangered species with the advent of Global Positing Systems and automation. Hopefully this event will highlight this situation and help prevent further decay of the worldwide lighthouse system. The basic idea is to set up an Amateur station in or adjacent to a lighthouse. In this way, the station makes a visible presence to the passing public who may be visiting the lighthouse.  So if you have some time, tune in that weekend and see if you can make a contact.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

ROC City Net picnic

The 1st annual ROC City Net Picnic will be September 20th at Mendon Ponds Park, south of Rochester, N.Y. Mendon Ponds is a beautiful Monroe County Park located just west of Victor. 

(Update on 8/12/14) Joe, K2QZR reports that they have rented the west lodge at Mendon Ponds Park. "We will be there all day. I am going to have burgers Italian sausage with peppers and onions and salads etc.We also will furnish beverages. (Please bring your own adult beverages.) I won't be having a specific time to eat we will be serving food mostly all day long. Also, we will have a hf  setup as well as a 2m setup with 145.110 as the talk in freq".

"There is no charge to attend or eat. We do ask however for early sign up for food.We are doing this to make sure there is enough for all who sign up. Even if you don't sign up you can still stop bye and enjoy the social activity and get on the air. We can't guarantee there will be food available if you don't get on the list.So far we have 20 sign ups and hope to get at least 40".

 Sign-up or questions - please contact Joe K2QZR, by e-mail at K2QZRatAOL.com 


.......and if you haven't stopped by yet, try the NET on either Sunday or Wednesday!

ROC City 2M net on the 145.110 repeater in Rochester - Sunday at 7:30pm - same great group!

ROC City HF net on 3.826 Mhz - Wednesday at 8pm - great group and interesting topics!


73 - Tony

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

RARA "Thrill before the Chill"

(from the July 2014 RARA Rag newsletter)

The Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA) has once again joined with the Damascus Shriners to produce their fourth annual Fall Fest and Tailgate Party. The Shriners will provide a first class location with ample parking, indoor bathroom facilities, a separate area for larger vehicles and RVs, a large covered picnic area to eat in, and a large deck to rest after all that shopping.

This event will be on Saturday, September 13, 2014 and will open at 7 AM for vendors and 8 AM for all others. It will go to around Noon. It is conveniently located off Rt.104 at 979 Bay Rd., Webster, N.Y. 14580.

Upon entering, the staff will ask for a $5 donation that will all go to help fund the Shriners Hospital for Children. Please spread the word and don‘t miss your last local flea market for buying and selling ham radio supplies in 2014.

Come have fun and Help the Kids!!!

Hope to see you all there! 73.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Monitoring Aircraft frequencies

Monitoring air traffic can be pretty interesting. The Air bands are available on many radios today. You will find its not just scanners but many Amateur radio transceivers have these bands available as well. You can monitor commercial airliners, private aircraft, as well as military aircraft. The closer you are to major commercial airport, the better your chances are. You can also listen to private aircraft around CNY on their UNICOM frequency of 122.800 MHz (AM). You can also see live aircraft tracking info on-line at http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KSYR . It is pretty cool to listen and watch the movements from on-line radar tracking.

Some basic guidance for Aircraft Monitoring

One-Sided Conversations:  Because aircraft fly high above the ground, their transmissions have much more range than the ground stations with whom they're talking. This means that only the airborne side of most conversations will be heard. Is this a problem? You miss very little in these conversations because pilots are required to repeat back to controllers any instructions or frequencies that they are given. In fact, hearing only the aircraft has tremendous advantages. It helps the listener to avoid mix ups among simulcast ground stations, and is a terrific help in isolating military aircraft from other traffic.
Frequency Bands Used:  Although the air band is 108-137 MHz, almost all civilian voice communications are above 118 MHz. In addition, the military has 138-150 MHz and 225-400 MHz. (remember AM)
Sources of Information:  The best place for you to get information is the same place where the pilots go. Web sites like fltpln.com, airnav.com and OurAirports.com give you frequencies and all kinds of other airport information.Other resources that will get you up to speed quickly:

Link to FlightPlan.com - Syracuse Hancock listing:  http://www.fltplan.com/airportinformation/SYR.htm
Link to a great overview of Air Traffic frequencies on Radio Reference.com: http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Finding_Air_Traffic_Frequencies
Link to Military Communications web page: http://www.milaircomms.com/

…and if you don’t have a radio that is capable of receiving these frequencies there is always the Internet! 
….…start here: http://www.liveatc.net/

Syracuse Airport frequencies (from flightPlan.com):
ATIS Frequencies (repeating weather and airport notices):
124.225
Tower Frequencies:  
120.3
239.0
Ground Operations Frequencies:
121.7
348.6
Clearance Delivery Frequencies:
125.05
257.775
Emergency Frequencies:
121.5
SYRACUSE Primary Approach Frequencies:  
126.125


Thanks to the following sources of reference information: N4JRI's Scanner Pages, Radio Reference.com, and the various flight planning web sites.

Friday, June 20, 2014

VE exam in Syracuse (Liverpool)

Amateur Radio VE Exams are being held on Saturday July 19, 2014 at noon, at the Liverpool Library, 210 Tulip Street, Liverpool N.Y. for licensed Ham Radio operators preparing to upgrade or  those working to obtain their new Ham ticket.


Registration: Sargent Room 12-1 p.m.  
You will need two forms of ID, one w/your picture, and $14 fee which is set by W5YI-VEC  cash or M.O.
Walk-ins are allowed. 

*Important Note for applicants preparing for your Technician Exam: The Technician Question Pool changes July 1,  2014.  When preparing for your Tech exam be sure you are referring to the correct "new" Question Pool.

Questions? -contact the Syracuse VE Team : VEexams@hotmail.com

Thank you. 

Viv, WA2PUU - Syracuse VE Team Contact 

The Syracuse VE Team conducts exams every quarter. Contact them at the e-mail address above if you have any questions.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Field Day Activities



Field Day is coming soon........June 28th and 29th, 2014

If you want to meet some friendly hams or experience some different operating modes, why don't you stop by one of the many Field Day events taking place in our area. You will see various antenna and radio setups along with operators trying to share their knowledge and score some points making contacts through out the weekend. Its a lot of fun - so we hope to see you out there on field day!

What is Field Day?
Field Day is part educational event, part operating event, part public relations event – and ALL about FUN!
link: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2013/2013%20FD%20Flier.pdf

Check out one of the following groups:

Central New York Contesters
Operating as KD2ETT.
Erie Canal Park, 5750 Devoe Road, Town of Camillus.
Class 4A with SSB, CW and Digital modes.
Setup begins 8am Saturday.
Website facebook.com/pages/CNY-Contesters/168426069924120?ref=hl

Fulton Amateur Radio Club
Operating as W2CXV.
With Oswego County RACES, operating from the Oswego County EOC Building in Fulton.
Website fultonamateurradioclub.org

Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club (LARC)
Operating as W2CM.
William Park, 7033 Lakeshore Road, Cicero, southern shore of Oneida Lake.
Class 4A with SSB, CW, and Digital modes plus a dedicated 6M station.
Setup begins ~8am on Saturday, food service begins at noon on Saturday.
Website w2cm.org or liverpoolamateurrepeaterclub.org

Madison-Oneida Amateur Radio Club (MOARC)
Operating as W2MO.
Oxbow Falls Park, 6919 Oxbow Road, Town of Lincoln.
Website moarc.com

Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse (RAGS)
Operating as W2AE.
Camillus Ski Club, next to 401 Blackmore Road, Town of Camillus.
Class 4A with SSB, CW, and Digital modes.
Setup begins ~8am on Saturday, food service begins at noon on Saturday.
Website ragsclub.org

The Rochester DX Association (RDXA)
Operating as ?
Webster Park, Webster NY.
Running SSB, CW, VHF and GOTA stations.
Setup begins Saturday AM.
Website: http://www.rdxa.com/index.php/

Rome Radio Club
Operating as W2OFQ.
Griffiss Institute, 725 Daedalian Drive, Rome, NY 13441.
Class 3A with SSB, CW and GOTA stations.
Setup begins ~9am on Saturday.
Website romeradioclub.com

Skyline Amateur Radio Club (SARC)
Operating as K2IWR.
4-H Camp Owahta, Syrian Hill Rd in Solon NY.
Likely Class 3A, GOTA station uncertain.
Setup begins 6pm on Friday, Picnic before 2pm on Saturday, all invited.
Website skylineradioclub.org

Squaw Island & Drumlins Radio Club
Amateur Radio Clubs
Field Day Announcement
Farmington Fire Department
1225 Hook Road, Farmington, NY 14425
(Hook Road at Route 96)
Everyone is invited to stop by and learn about amateur radio; maybe even pick up a microphone and talk on the radio. Hams love to talk about what they do.
Schedule:
Setup: 11AM – 2PM Saturday
Operation: 2PM Saturday afternoon & night until noon Sunday.
Takedown: Noon Sunday till ??
Facilities:
Three Ham radio stations will be setup in a large tent next to fire house.
Power will be supplied by generator to meet requirement for “class A” operation.
Fire hall restrooms will be available for over night and Sunday use.
Phone 315-727-7144 or 315-986-8589 for details http://www.drumlinsARC.us http://www.siarc.us

Monday, June 2, 2014

Balloon Chase

Many of you may have heard the repeater activity last Thursday 5/29 as a group of students, educators and Hams from Central & Western NY chased three hot air balloons over the Fingerlakes. This was a project of the Cazenovia High School Technology Class and Pittsford-Mendon High School . The balloons were equipped with Amateur radio APRS transmitters to allow tracking and recovery. One of the balloons traveled to an altitude over 100,000 feet! All three balloons were eventually recovered. Great job guys!

We will try to get some more detailed information to post here from the team, but for now take a look at some amazing video recorded by one of the balloons.

(update 7/30/14) Read the whole story in the July 2014 RARA Rag at: http://rags.rochesterham.org/e-RAGS/RAG_July_2014.pdf

Here is a you tube link to some video from one of the balloons:

Saturday, May 31, 2014

CNY Repeater List (2014)

Some favorite CNY Repeaters from www.UpstateHam.com 
(please send additions and corrections to upstateham@gmail.com)

see the latest updated list at: http://www.upstateham.com/p/denotes-linking-to-other-repeaters.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rev-A4  11/30/14


Output
 Freq
Offset Location Call Sign PL  County Notes Echolink

10 Meter
29.64 - Layfayette *KD2SL 94.8 Onondaga Linked to 53.67
29.68 - Rochester N2HJD 94.8 Monroe confirm???
6 Meter
52.525 S FM calling  simplex 0.0
53.05 - Auburn K2INH 71.9 Cayuga
53.33 - Rochester N2HJD 123 Monroe
53.63 - S Bristol WR2AHL 110.9 Livingston
53.67 - Syracuse *KD2SL 103.5 Onondaga Linked to 29.64
2 Meter
145.11 - Bristol *WR2AHL 110.9 Livingston W2HYP 561744
145.15 - Layfayette KD2SL 123 Onondaga
145.17 - Verona KA2NIL 0.0 Oneida
145.21 - Sauquoit N2CNY 71.9 Onondaga LARC
145.23 - Auburn W2QYT 103.5 Cayuga
145.25 - PennYan N2HLT 100 Seneca N2HLT system
145.27 - Pompey WW2N 103.5 Onondaga
145.33 - Remsen *KB2AUJ 71.9 Oneida Linked
145.41 - Farmington N2HJD 110.9 Ontario N2HJD
145.45 - Bristol W2ONT 110.9 Ontario Ont.Co.RACES
145.47 - Clyde *KA2NDW 0.0 Wayne
145.49 - Cortland KB2LUV 71.9 Cortland SkylineARC
146.52 S Nationwide simplex 2 Meter Calling
146.61 - Ithaca W2CXM 103.5 Tompkins Cornell Club 
146.61 - Rochester N2MPE 0.0 Monroe
146.625 - Camillus N2PYK 103.5 Onondaga
146.64 - Clay KD2CDY 131.8 Onondaga
146.655 - Boonville WD2ADX 0.0 Oneida BRVRA 796920
146.655 - S Bristol WR2ROC 110.9 Livingston UofRMC
146.67 - Syracuse KD2SL 103.5 Onondaga
146.685 - Sodus WB2QKO 0.0 Wayne Wyn RACES
146.745 - Newark WA2AAZ 0.0 Wayne DrmlnsARC
146.76 - Rochester WR2ROC 110 Monroe
146.775 - Lafayette W2CNY 0.0 Onondaga CNYARF
146.85 - Fulton K2QQY 0.0 Oswego OswegoCEMO
146.88 - Rome W2OFQ 0.0 Oneida Rome ARC
146.88 - Rochester K2RRA 110.9 Monroe 217959
146.895 - Ithaca K2ZG 107.2 Tompkins
146.91 - Syracuse W2CM 103.5 Onondaga LARC
146.925 - Naples NO2W 0.0 Livingston Telcourier
146.94 - Ithaca WA1KID 103.5 Tompkins Tompk ARA 577796
146.995 - Lowville W2RHM 156.7 Lewis BlackRiver 427886
146.97 - Ithaca *AF2A 103.5 Tompkins Tompk ARA
146.97 - Utica WB2FAW 0.0 Oneida RACOM
147.00 + Auburn W2QYT 71.9 Cayuga 9188
147.03 + Cortland WA2VAM 0.0 Cortland FngrLksRA
147.09 + Geneva W2ONT 110.9 Ontario OntarioCtyRACES
147.105 + Syracuse K2JVL 0.0 Onondaga
147.12 + Rome K2GVI 0.0 Oneida Rome ARC
147.15 + Fulton W2OSC 0.0 Oswego OswegoCEMO
147.18 + Cortland K2IWR 71.9 Cortland SkylineARC
147.195 + Skaneateles WB2FOF 82.5 Onondaga
147.21 + Syracuse W2CM 103.5 Onondaga LARC
147.225 + Cortland *KB2FAF 71.9 Cortland Linked 147.00
147.24 + Clinton K2BRH 71.9 Oneida RomeRadioC
147.27 + Auburn K2RSY 71.9 Cayuga CayugaEMO
147.30 + Syracuse N2ACO 0.0 Onondaga RAGS
147.345 + Phoenix W2ZC 151.4 Oswego
147.345 + Rochester WR2ROC 110.9 Monroe
147.375 + Utica K2GVI 0.0 Oneida Rome ARC
147.39 + Fulton WN8Z 103.5 Oswego 7390
1.25M 
223.50 S Calling Freq simplex calling freq
224.12 - Syracuse KD2SL 103.5 Onondaga
224.26 - Verona KA2NIL 0.0 Oneida (temp. off air?)
224.26 - Webster KE2MK 0.0 Monroe Xerox Club
224.46 - S Bristol NR2M 110.9 Livingston
224.66 - Utica WA2CAV 0.0 Oneida
224.90 - Newark N2TKR 0.0 Wayne
70cm
442.1 + Utica-Frankfort KA2FWN 103.5 Oneida *StateWide
442.2 + S Bristol W2ONT 110.9 Livingston Ont.Co.RACES
442.35 + Oswego K2QQY 103.5 Oswego *StateWide
442.4 + Syracuse W2QYT 103.5 Onondaga *StateWide
442.85 + Cortland KB2FAF 71.9 Cortland 171371
443.1 + Syracuse WA2AUL 103.5 Onondaga *StateWide
443.15 + Syracuse KB2FAF 127.3 Onondaga linked to 147.00
443.3 + Syracuse W2CM 103.5 Onondaga LARC
443.600 + S Bristol N2XFX 110.9 Livingston *StateWide
443.85 + Kirkland KA2FWN 103.5 Madison Link to Old Forge
443.95 + Waterloo N2HLT 100 Seneca N2HLT system
444.15 + Auburn W2QYT 71.9 Cayuga *StateWide
444.25 + Clay WA2DAD 131.8 Onondaga  Bear Bait Club
444.5 + Auburn N2HLT 100 Cayuga location?
444.65 + Auburn K2INH 71.9 Cayuga
444.85 + Fairport WB2KAO 110.9 Monroe 78007
444.9 + Fairport N2BZX 0.0 Monroe
446.00 S Calling Freq simplex
449.025 - Dryden AF2A 103.5 Tompkins TCARA
449.075 - Clyde KA2NDW 0.0 Wayne
* denotes linking to other repeaters
Standard Rptr offsets
29                    -0.100
50                    -1.00
145/146           -0.600
147                  +0.600
220                 -1.600
440                  +5.00
445                  -5.00

Thanks to the following contributors:
N2OP - Jim, K2RTG-Dave, N2MGU-Jim, KB2DIO-Chuck, WB2YGN-John, KD2SL-Kevin, W2GTX-Doug and many others for their own lists, suggestions and review.

Note - these are confirmed repeaters that are known to be active (as of the revision date) or temporarily off the air and are expected to return at a later date.