Xmas Eve Santa Claus net on WN8Z 147.39 Repeater

2015 SANTA NET

The gang on the Hi-Gate Echolink conference server has again for the 5th year in a row made special arrangements with Santa Claus to talk to the kiddies on Christmas eve. Santa's sleigh has been equipped with a radio similar the one on the international space station and he will be available to talk to the little ones when he leaves the North Pole and flies across the globe.

The WN8Z repeater in Fulton (147.39 PL 103.5) will be connected to the Do-Drop-Inn conference server beginning at 6 pm on Christmas eve and available for third party traffic for all the little ones in Central NY to talk to Santa.

As with any networked conference, please be patient when checking in - press ptt switch - pause then check in per the net controls instructions. Check ins will be heard from around the country, and around the world, so bring the little ones into the shack and chat with Santa!

Sounds like fun

de Wn8z

(Here is a link to the you tube promo by the gang at Newsline that explains:
 http://youtu.be/N3G2uP2r6-A )

- Thanks for connecting that up for us Pat!                                                  

Don't miss the "The Night Before Christmas" on the Fulton 147.15 Pathfinder NET at 9pm.













                                                               ...BE CAREFUL SANTA!

MERRY  CHRISTMAS! from UpstateHam.com

Have some fun with Short Wave Listening (SWL)

On some of our recent area NET's we have been chatting about Short Wave Listening (from 150 khz to 30 mhz). So I thought I would put together a small primer on shortwave. Many of us got our start as SWL's when we were young and have stories about our favorite experiences and equipment. Personally I have always been intrigued by listening to all types of radio from around the world.

I recently have read and heard many comments on the rapidly disappearing SWL Broadcasters that are being replaced by newer technologies. Don't give up yet, as there are still a lot of communications to be heard. You can easily find quite a few broadcasters and all kinds of utility, marine, aircraft and military communications on the low bands.

The Radio Wave Net

Message from K2FX:

The Radio Wave Net will be held on Sunday Evenings at 8:30PM on the 146.655 repeater system located in S. Bristol, NY.  It will commence immediately following the conclusion of the ROC City Net that’s held on the 145.11 repeater. We’ll just shuffle everyone over to the other frequency for the net.  The NET will be held weekly!

Please also pass the word that there is a FB Page for the Net.  Just do a search on The Radio Wave Net, and you’ll find it.  I look forward to hearing people from Central New York join us!! The next net will be held this coming Sunday, December 20th.

73,

Paul Jason Kolacki-K2FX

The Radio Wave Net was created for the purpose of discussing topics relating to Conspiracy Theories, UFO's, ET's, and Scientific Studies through Ham Radio.

Rochester Hamfest 2016 - looking for volunteers

Message from the RARA Team!

"The Rochester Hamfest... bring it home, where it belongs!"

Given the excitement of returning to a "self produced" model for our Hamfest, we circulated a Volunteer Sign-up Sheet at the last meeting. If you did not have the opportunity to sign-up (or are now thinking you want to be part of our success), you can still join in!

Follow this link, and fill-in the details: http://goo.gl/forms/62ei4tR5wJ

NO NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, IF YOU SIGNED UP AT THE MEETING.
(unless you are the one person with terrible handwriting that we couldn't decipher) :-)

NOTE: If the form doesn't work well for you, send an e-mail to: HFproducer@rochesterham.org and we will sign you up manually.

All volunteers will be informed of an upcoming organizational and kickoff meeting that may be taking place as early as next week!

"... we need YOU to make it happen!"

from the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA)

more info at http://www.rochesterham.org/

First P25 repeater in Rochester!

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to share with my fellow amateurs that I just put Rochester's first P25 system up in town. Located at Highland Hospital 444.35 analog 110.9 pl and P25 NAC 293 . Using Motorola Quantar in mixed mode, and coverage is City wide. I need to install a preamp and additional receiver cavity but Friday proved to be a great outcome. Antenna is DB 420.

So for Christmas don't forget to purchase some XTX portables. The 444.25 at Strong hospital will be the next system to be switched over. Currently working on it and it will be mixed with ALLSTAR, ECHOLINK , and current IRLP.

73 - Mike; W2HYP/ WR2AHL/WR2ROC

..........nice job Mike! 

Thanks for all you do for the amateurs in Upstate NY!

Can you help with the 2016 Rochester Hamfest?

I think most Upstate NY Hams will agree that the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA) Hamfest is one of the better Hamfests around each year. Though in recent years it has had some ups and downs, its always one I try to catch. I thought the 2015 edition was pretty good and I like the Barnard Fireman's grounds location.


Fast forward to planning for the 2016 edition. I am a member of RARA and just received the latest club newsletter. In the Presidents column he mentions the hamfest challenges for 2016. The need for volunteers to help make it happen is pretty obvious. Can you help out in some way? The leadership is looking for ideas and help to keep this hamfest alive. If you can help, please attend the December RARA meeting on December 4th.

Read the RARA President's message in the December newsletter here: http://rags.rochesterham.org/e-RAGS/RAG_December_2015.pdf

SKYWARN Recognition Day Is Saturday, December 5

    
The 17th annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/) on-the-air event is set for Saturday, December 5, from 0000 UTC to 2400 UTC. Cosponsored by ARRL and the National Weather Service, SKYWARN Recognition Day pays tribute to Amateur Radio operators for the vital public service they perform.

Update on QCWA 6 Meter NET - Tuesdays

In case anyone missed the previous announcements, the QCWA 6 meter net, Tuesdays at 7pm, will only be held on the Auburn 53.05 repeater until further notice, due to technical issues with the link to the Syracuse 53.67 machine. Thanks for your understanding and patience.

73 KB2VSN

ARRL - National Parks on-the-Air 2016

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and radio amateurs will be able to help mark the occasion with the ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event. The fun begins at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2016.

“As ARRL just celebrated our own Centennial, and Amateur Radio is often enjoyed in the great outdoors, it seemed fitting to devise a program to help NPS celebrate their own 100th birthday,” said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X.

Winter SKYWARN Training

Winter SKYWARN Spotter Training Classes are coming!

The training will be held at various area locations and on-line. This class is for beginners or anybody that has a general interest in weather. These classes train volunteers how to accurately measure and report snowfall totals to the National Weather Service. The class is free and open to everyone; no age requirements, previous training, or equipment is required.

The SKYWARN program is a nationwide program that provides real-time severe weather reports to the National Weather Service. "Trained weather spotters provide valuable lifesaving information to the National Weather Service and we encourage those who have an interest in weather to participate in this critical program," said David Nicosia, Warning Coordination Meteorologist in Binghamton NY. "Despite all the technological advances, SKYWARN Spotter reports are still crucial to the National Weather Service in providing more accurate severe weather warnings," Nicosia continues.

See the full training schedules at:

Binghamton:  http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining
Buffalo: http://www.weather.gov/buf/Skywarn
Albany: http://cstar.cestm.albany.edu/skywarn/Talks.htm

Learn more about SKYWARN and Amateur Radio at: http://www.upstateham.com/p/skywarn.html

My Favorite Marsh-Man (from AR Newsline)

11/19/15 -UPDATE from Steve on his day in the Marsh (and the pictures):
So the Marshes-on-the-air (MOTA) was a big success! Thanks to the local community for being so supportive . In total I made 57 contacts on four bands 40, 20, 10, and  6m in the 5 hours I was out. The weather  cooperated with just a few brief moments of drizzle . The furthest contact was Colorado which gave me a signal report of 44 as well as Florida where I received a 56/7 and to the northeast; Nova Scotia where I received a 56 as well . We hit various other states including Michigan , Virginia, New Jersey , Mass , New Hampshire and Maine. Overall we did very well with good signal reports from all . Again this was a lot of fun and I really appreciate all the local contacts and enthusiasm from everyone in the immediate ham community. I can't wait to get out and find some more interesting spots to activate in the future . One final note I wanted to thank my YL for being so supportive and being a good trooper putting up with my quirks with my hobby. This is the second expedition she has gone on with me (IOTA) and I give her a lot of credit for putting up with me and getting out in the field . youtube video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHHHgX7iIgI

Thanks
 KD2ETP; Steve

(This story from the Nov. 6th AR Newsline Broadcast - hear it on Monday Night Ham News this Monday on the KD2SL & KC2VER Repeaters in Syracuse)

 The Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area in New York's Adirondack(?) region holds many things in its vast acreage of wetland: aquatic birds, frogs, deer and various grasses. But it holds something even more for one Syracuse area ham: endless radio possibilities. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has the details:

Since earlier this year, Steven Mussi, KD2ETP, has believed he could enter the upstate New York wetland known as Clay Marsh and find solid footing for a QRP adventure. So Sunday, Nov. 8, will find Mussi canoeing out across the swampy landscape, climbing ashore on some hospitable patch of land, and setting up his Elekraft KX3 and his two antennas.

Communications Exercise - You can help Nov. 8th

Onondaga County ARES, RACES, OCREC and the amateur community are requested to participate in a national exercise scheduled for the upcoming weekend. This training exercise
simulates a national Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and Geo-Magnetic storm.




All amateur operators are invited to attend. There are no deployment requirements for this exercise so it is a great opportunity for everyone to participate; including our operators who find it difficult to get out into the field...we have a need for your participation in our emergency plans. We welcome operators of ALL skills and physical abilities. Details below:

MOTA event November 8th

Steve; KD2ETP has announced an upcoming portable HF QRP excursion. "Marshes-on-the-air"; MOTA, is to be held in the Hamlin Marsh (also known as the Clay Marsh) on Sunday November 8th. Steve will be spending the day working QRP on the HF bands from his canoe in the marsh. You will remember his past local QRP events; "Frozen-Lakes-on-the Air"; FLOTA and "Islands-on-the-air"; IOTA, earlier this year.

Catch him on his HT on the KD2SL 146.67 repeater for details.
HF frequencies listed below:
- (so far) 7.210 mhz
- more to come?

Stay tuned here for more details on times and frequencies as they become available!

Store Fest at RW Antenna Store

 Store Fest 

Fri-Sat-Sunday. 10/23-25, 8-5pm Fri-Sat, 10am- 2pm Sunday.

10-70% off New and used Amateur Radio, CB, Scanner, Shortwave  Gear. Large inventory of accessories, antennas, rotors, towers, cable, connectors, power supplies, and more.

RW Antenna Store has been a great supporter of  the Upstate NY Amateur Radio community and can be found at most of our Upstate NY Hamfests.

RW Antenna Store,
6150 Crosby Rd., Lockport, NY 14094 (716-434-9216)
www.rwantennastore.com

NY QSO Party - October 17th

                            2015 New York QSO Party            
     
Set aside the date: Saturday, October 17th, 10:00 AM ET

Phone – CW – RTTY/Digital

Since 2009 Rochester has been the home of the NY QSO Party. This is a great opportunity to be a station that everyone wants to work. All stations work only NY'ers!

All the information you need such as rules, FAQ's and awards are just a click
away... www.NYQP.org.
                                         
"But my station isn't good enough."  WRONG!

There is lots of activity on 40 and 80 meters so signals (yours and theirs) will be strong. QRP stations have made almost 600 QSO's in the NYQP. Activity on the upper bands grows every year.

Work a few, work a bunch. Operate from home or grab a friend and mobile a number of Counties (only if you can deal with being very popular). Can you work all 62 NY Counties? The fun is there waiting to happen!

If you expect to be operating mobile from a number of counties please post your plans to the NYQP website. More contacts, more fun! CQ NYQP!

More information and rules at: http://www.nyqp.org/

Thanks to the NYQSO Team for forwarding this notice on to us!

Send us your event info to post on UpstateHam.com at UpstateHam@gmail.com

Ham Radio Exams Saturday, October 17th

 Syracuse VE Exam Team - Ham Radio Exams 
Saturday, October 17th, 2015

All exams available: Tech, General, Extra

- registration noon to 1 p.m. at Liverpool Public Library in the Sargent Room.

Bring: copy of current license if you hold one.
2 forms of ID are needed - one with your picture
Exam fee $14 in cash or M.O.
Last exam scheduled  for 2015

Please Email any Questions to: VEexams@hotmail.com

The Syracuse VE Team has been doing these exams for 31 years!
They were also the 2nd exam team in New York state to begin under the volunteer system. 
Thanks to them and all the upstate groups that conduct training and exams!

Listening to Digital Voice communications

I recently have had several inquiries from folks interested in listening to digital voice modes. So this week I came across this interesting article that does a pretty good job of answering some of those questions. The article explains the equipment required to continue listening to many digital Amateur and public service radio transmissions. It covers most of the digital voice modes and the basic functionality of each mode. Though written from the perspective of a Canadian Ham/SWL, it is very applicable to what is happening around the world.

from Scanner Digest #72 (Summer 2015)
CANADA Report - John Leonardelli - VE3IPS

ve3ips@gmail.com

Buzz Buzz Bzzzzrrrp - The Short Guide to Digital Radio

The world of scanning is changing as we move from an

analog world to a digital one. Each digital mode has

different characteristics in how the analog voice is

converted to and decoded from digital. Linking methods

vary across each mode and inter-operability is lacking

between them. Many local amateur radio club nets that

offered interesting listening are now moving to the digital

modes. However, many ARES/RACES groups continue to

offer analog and digital mode nets to test out the

communication readiness.

Signalink and Other USB Digital Interfaces - Bug Fix for Amateur Radio Digital Modes

Huge Windows bug ruining your receive performance on all digital modes, fix discovered

https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/3eytah/huge_windows_bug_ruining_your_receive_performance/

There's a bug with the USB audio chipset used in many ham radio sound interfaces that occurs in Windows Vista and later. The affected chipset is the TI PCM2900 series PCM2904 and below, pre-C revisions.
A non-exhaustive list of devices using this chip and therefore have the bug guaranteed:
All Icoms with built in USB Audio
All Kenwoods with built in USB Audio
All Yaesus with built in USB Audio, as well as the SCU-17 Interface
All Signalink USB's

If you have one of these devices, and are on Windows Vista or later, your performance is reduced due to this bug even if you think it's working fine. Wait until you see your performance afterwards! This is confirmed by Texas Instruments, who never recommended this chipset for use on Windows Vista and later in the first place, and also tested with more than 70 hams who gained massive receive performance after the fix.

Pumpkin Patrol 2015

The Liverpool Amateur Radio Club (LARC), the Amateur Radio community and The New York State Police (Troop T) are again pleased to sponsor the 2015 Pumpkin Patrol. (Most counties across NY have Ham radio groups participating)

This is a two night public service event to be held on October 30th and 31st from 19:00 to 21:00 hours. The chairman is seeking Amateur Radio Operators who can dedicate one or both evenings. Operators are encouraged to work in pairs and non-ham friends, family or pets are encouraged to accompany them. Teams will operate from their vehicles (no walking or standing required) and repeater coverage is generally okay for handheld use although mobile units are encouraged.

Binghamton area repeaters

A few folks have asked for news on active Binghamton Area Amateur Repeaters.

Check out our list below:

146.730 - 100.0 Binghamton K2TDV (Ingraham Hill) Linked to Ithaca 146.895 K2ZG
146.865 - 146.2 Maine  WA2QEL (E.A. Link Field)
146.820 – 146.2 Vestal WA2QEL (Kopernik Obs) Linked to 146.865
147.345 + 146.2 Hancock WA2QEL Liked to 146.865
147.120 + 100.0 Vestal K2ZG
147.075 +  CSQ  K2VQ Not Sure of the Location
145.470 – CSQ  W2EWM Town of Binghamton near the PA border.
147.255 + 100.0 WA2VCS Endicott
145.390 – 123.0 N2YR Endicott
146.760 – CSQ  W2VDX Owego
147.300 + 91.5 K2OQ  Candor
147.390 + 91.5 K2OQ Owego
145.430 + 77.0 N3KZ Elk Mt. PA I-81 Good Signal From Binghamton South

444.100 + 146.2 WA2QEL Vestal Linked to 146.865
444.300 + 173.8 N2YOW Endicott Linked to WA2VCS 147.255
444.700 + 131.8 N3KZ University of Penn. Linked 70CM -currently down.

Thanks to KD2GIV; Kris for his list of observations from the Southern Tier (7/8/15)

Bear Bait Radio Club - upcoming events and news!

The Bear Bait Radio Club is having their second annual Tailgate Fest on Saturday 9/26 from 6am until 1pm. It’s at the Town of Clay Welcome Center (4401 Route 31, Clay, NY 13041). Everybody is welcome to buy or sell radio related equipment and must take their things with them when they leave.

We also have a Technician Course and VE session on 10/3 – 10/4 in Long Lake at the Gieger Building on Mt. Sabattis and then we’re back in this neck-of-the-woods for a course and test on 11/14 – 11/15 at the Clay Welcome Center. Both sessions are 8am – 5pm on both days. The cost is $14 and if they want more information, they can contact Scott on our website www.bearbaitradioclub.com or check the ARRL site.

- W2CJS-3 APRS is now working off the Blue Mountain repeater with good coverage in the central Adirondacks. Also watch for more news here on other improvements to the clubs repeaters in Long Lake and on Blue Mountain in the Adirondacks!

- Message from Nick Deyulio (KD2ETO)

.....Thanks for the update Nick!

Elmira Hamfest 2015 - Sept. 26th

40TH ANNUAL Elmira HAMFEST/COMPUTERFEST

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015 -  8AM to 2PM at the Chemung County Fairgrounds, Horseheads, NY

Tickets: $6 in ADVANCE and $8 AT THE GATE.  Get yours now!

HOURS:
- Flea Market:  6AM to 2PM
- Vendor Bldg: 8AM to 2PM
- Pancake Breakfast:  7AM until sold out.
- Lunch:  10AM until sold out.
- FCC Exams:  9AM

Free Flea Market (price of ticket) - 1 Spot per ticket, Ham & Electronic Gear preferred.
Flea Market Parking for Sellers only!


Inside Vendor Area - Quicksilver Radio

Indoor Vendor Area Available - 8' Tables for rent, Electric available,
Indoor vendor space available by reservation on a first pay - first serve basis.

Door Prizes drawn throughout the day.

Major Prizes drawn at the end of the day.

Be sure to fill-out and deposit your ticket stub in the drawing barrel at the ARAST Club table.  The earlier you get the ticket in the barrel, the more prizes that you have a chance to win.

FCC EXAMS will be held at 9:00 AM On the grounds. Walk-ins welcome.

More info:
http://www.arast.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=6
Location:
CHEMUNG COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS
GRAND CENTRAL AVENUE
HORSEHEADS, NY

GPS Coordinates:

Vendor Gate

N 42° 08.661 W 076° 49.000

General Admission Gate

N 42° 08.743 W076° 49.233 

LARC has upcoming VE Exams and back to "BootCamp"

The Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club (LARC) will start its 2015/2016 VE test sessions starting on September 24th at the North Syracuse Community Center. Testing starts at 5:30pm. Walk-ins are welcome. All exam elements are offered.

If  you plan to attend please bring two ID’s (one photo), a copy of your license or CSCE if you have one, and a black pen. The cost to take the exam is $15. If you pass you can continue on to the next level at no charge. Any re-takes cost another $15. Calculators are permitted. Cellphone/Smartphone calculator apps are not allowed.

For any VE Testing questions please contact Al May by email at wa2kfv@w2cm.com.

And don't miss LARC's next "BootCamp" series on Digital modes, September 24th at 6:15pm.

W2CM BootCamp – Sponsored by the Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club this get-together 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 mainly for new hams, but all are welcome. There is no charge for the course which will be held prior to the monthly LARC meetings starting at 6:15pm. More information on the course can be obtained from K2VGN by contacting him at k2vgn@w2cm.com

Learn more about LARC at: http://www.w2cm.com/

More VE Exam listings here: http://www.upstateham.com/p/you-want-to-be-ham.html

Strong tropo ducting today - Have some fun!

Strong ducting today and forecast-ed for the next two or three days! Give 6, 10, 2 Meters a try!















Get more Tropo predictions at : http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

Learn more about VHF/UHF propagation at: http://www.dxfm.com/content/propagation.htm

Check out old Radio Shack and Allied Catalogs online

 Back a few months ago I posted a brief story about the demise of Radio Shack. Generations of home electronics hobbyists, ham radio enthusiasts and computer geeks spent their growth-spurt years hanging around their local Radio Shack stores. I was one of them. The company's heyday ran from the 1970s through the late 1990s, when it rode the CB radio craze as the largest retailer in the market, and then transformed into a creditable maker of computer gear. Ham Radio and Scanners were also a big part of that heyday.

Well now you can go back and view your favorite old Radio Shack catalogs on line. Thanks to the folks at RadioShackCatalogs.com. At this website you will be able to view these old 1939-2011 Radio Shack and Tandy Electronics' catalogs, sale flyers, brochures, and more...year by year...page by page.

What's unique about this website is that the catalogs are presented as a VIRTUAL catalog, in a "page-flipping" format. This gives you the experience of paging-through an actual Radio Shack catalog. They also have old sales flyers and even TV commercials along with lots of company history.

Check it out here: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/index.html

You can also view old Allied Radio catalogs at this site: http://www.alliedcatalogs.com/

I spent an hour last night looking back at some of the cool stuff I enjoyed in my youth. Take a look for yourself, I think you'll have some fun!

Also check out our previous Radio Shack story: http://www.upstateham.com/2015/04/the-demise-of-radio-shack-and-where-to.html

If you have a Radio Shack story you would like to share with our readers, drop us a line at UpstateHam@gmail.com.

North American SSB Sprints - 4 hour DX contest! - Sat. 8/29/15

- received this notice in the mail last night!

THE FUNNEST 4 HOURS IN RADIOSPORT!

North American SSB SPRINT - THIS SATURDAY EVENING  

 AUGUST 29, 2015  (UTC 8/30 00z-04z)

==========================================================

AS WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PREVIOUS EVENT,

WE WANT TO HAVE ALL 50 STATES AND ALL CANADIAN AREAS ON THE AIR AND NEED YOUR HELP! 

RULES AND RESULTS at: http://www.ssbsprint.com

QUESTIONS WELCOME via: http://ssbsprint.com/contact-us

Dear Fellow Contester:

This is one final reminder regarding the exciting four hour NA SSB Sprint contest that will be occurring this Saturday evening August 29, 2015.  We know some of you are quite familiar with the SSB Sprint and have already indicated that you will be on, while others are less familiar.

Some local repeater changes and updates

The Drumlins Amateur Radio club in Newark NY reports that on September 1, 2015, PL tones go live on the 146.745 and 146.685 repeaters. Both repeaters will now be using 71.9 Hz.

We were also sent a notice that the 147.300 in Syracuse will add a PL tone of 67.0 Hz on October 1st, 2015.

Please also note that EchoLink is back up and running on the W2QYT 147.00 repeater.

Lighthouse Weekend at Verona-Sylvan Beach

  Just a polite reminder that this Saturday and Sunday is International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend. I will be setting up an amateur station at the Verona Beach Lighthouse on 4th avenue in Verona-Sylvan Beach. I plan on beginning set up at about 8:00am on Saturday and operating continuously through 5 pm Sunday. (Weather permitting …. My R7 and Thunderstorms do NOT play well together). All are welcome and the event is 100% free! The Verona Beach light has been beautifully restored to its original splendor by the Verona Beach Lighthouse Association! Please come out and see their fine work and maybe work my rig awhile and make some other lighthouse / lightship contact. To date there are over 450 lighthouses and lightships signed up to have amateur stations around the world!! By Saturday it will easily top 500!!

Thanks and hope to see you there or at least make a contact on the air! J

from

Fred Legawiec, W2LGA

Do you have interesting Amateur Radio related news or stories to share?

 At UpstateHam.com we are always looking to publicize your event, NET , or maybe tell a story, or share your review of a radio or antenna. If you, your club or organization would like some help getting the word out on your event, just drop us a line at UpstateHam@gmail.com. If you would like to share an Amateur Radio related experience or story, just send us a note and we can get things started. We can also help you with final edits or adding your pictures to help tell the story.

 Our goal is to pass on interesting Amateur Radio related information to our viewers in Upstate NY and beyond. We try to cover the area from Albany west to Buffalo and from Binghamton north through the 1000 Islands and Adirondacks.

......and we are always looking to be accurate and improve our content. Please send your comments, corrections and suggestions to us at: UpstateHam@gmail.com

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend - August 15-16

INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND

by Dave Timmons, W2DST

Once again we have received permission to operate station K2R from the grounds of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, Rochester N.Y. for the 2015 event.

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend

AN ANNUAL AMATEUR RADIO WEEKEND EVENT.

FOUNDED IN 1995 BY TWO MEMBERS OF THE AYR AMATEUR RADIO GROUP, (AARG), SCOTLAND, AND HELD ON THE THIRD FULL WEEKEND IN AUGUST.

15-16 August 2015 - Duration 48 hours from 0001 UTC 15.8.2015

During last year's event the station was operated by Tim Brown WB2PAY, Laura Enders KD2BEA and Dave Timmons W2DST. We had several visitors and made 125 contacts in 23 states and 4 countries. We contacted 21 lighthouses and 1 lightship.

If interested in participating this year please contact Dave Timmons W2DST at W2DST@arrl.net. Operating hours will generally be from 11 AM to 5 PM both days.

Links:
ILLW - http://illw.net/
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse - http://www.geneseelighthouse.org/

*borrowed from the June RARA RAG newsletter

Adirondack & North Country Amateur Radio

Blue Mtn. Repeater January 2015

With the peak summer season upon us, more of us are getting out into the outdoors. For those of you who head to the north country, we thought we would share some of the great Ham Radio information for that area. With spotty cell phone service, the Amateur repeaters can also be a great asset in an emergency. Many of the repeaters are located on very high profile mountains with excellent coverage. There are over (40) listed repeaters in the North Country, so check them out. Thanks to all the North Country repeater owners/trustees and their support teams for putting together some great coverage repeaters.

See all the ADK/North Country repeater and club information here: http://nnyara.net/ 

Field Day 2015 Reports.......June 27th & 28th

SCDXA at the Lake

Salt City DX Association had a nice set up on the east shore of Onondaga Lake next to the Yacht Club. From all reports they were pretty successful with over 1200 QSO's!

Equipment:
Station 1-Kenwood TS590
Station 2- Elecraft K3
GOTA station W2AXR-Alinco DX70TH

Logging software:
Networked N3FJP on 3 laptops

Antennas:
Hex beam at 50 ft on crank up AB577 Mast for 20-10 mtrs
Inverted Vees at 45 ft for 80/40 mtrs
Multiband vertical 40-10 near the shore

Generator:
Honda 2000i 1600 watts continuous


Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse (RAGS) had their Field Day operation at the Camillus Ski Lodge in Camillus, NY.  They were running four stations during the event and were running a digital station (PSK31 and RTTY), one CW station, and two SSB stations. I didn't get a report on their contact activity but heard folks had some good food and a very nice time!

Thanks to the folks who forwarded reports and pictures to us!

Keep them coming! Email us at: UpstateHam@gmail.com

Statewide UHF linked system - change at Bristol

There has been a recent change in the Statewide UHF system near Rochester NY. The 443.600 is no longer on the air and has been replaced by the 444.550 repeater, PL 110.9 , also in Bristol. Thanks to Mike; W2HYP and his team for filling in this important link in the Statewide system.

See the full details of the UHF Statewide system here: http://www.upstateham.com/p/the-empire-state-network-linked.html

Fusion Repeater update - Upstate NY

Auburn now has a Yaesu System Fusion repeater. The 147.270; K2RSY repeater is now a System Fusion repeater. It is running in Auto/Auto mode and compatible with both FM analog and C4FM Fusion Digital radios. If you are using an analog FM radio, don't forget to set the decode for 71.9 so you don't have to hear that "buzz" when two digital radios are talking.

Syracuse and Cortland both have additional Fusion repeaters coming into service this summer. Stay tuned here for more updates.

Upstate NY System Fusion Repeater List:
K2RSY  147.27, Auburn NY, +0.600 PL 71.9, Cayuga County
K2ALS  146.700 pl 100hz Gloversville NY, Fulton County ARES EC (Auto Mode)
KC2VER 145.31, Syracuse NY, -0.600, Onondaga County (temp. Running low pwr. 9/1/15)
W2CM 147.21, Syracuse NY, +0.600, PL 103.5, Onondaga County
W2XRX  145.2900 Canadice NY,  -0.600 PL110.9, Ontario County
WN8Z 147.39 Fulton, NY  +0.600 PL103.5, Oswego County
W2IT 444.900, Rochester NY, PL=110.9, - on the air now? Monroe County
W2ES0 Lancaster, NY, 147.255,PL= 107.2 Hz., Erie County
WB2ELW/R2 Hamburg, NY, 147.090,PL= 151.4 Hz., Erie County
WA2EMO 444.750, Arcadia NY, PL 110.9, Wayne County

Let us know if other Fusion repeaters at Upstateham@gmail.com.

Syracuse VE Team Amateur License Exams on 7/18/15

3rd quarter VE exams   available by the Syracuse VE Team

Saturday, July 18th 2015 -
Liverpool Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool
Register noon to 1 p.m. in Sargent Room

All tests available: Tech, New General Class, Amateur-Extra.
Bring copy of current  license if you hold one.
Two forms of ID (one with picture)
W5YI/VEC fee $14   cash or M.O.
Questions:  VEexams@hotmail.com

RadioCom 2015 - Utica Hamfest

RADIOCOM 2015 - HAMFEST AND COMPUTER FAIR

Sponsored by the Utica Amateur Radio Club, Inc.

NEW DATE and LOCATION!

Sat, July 25, 2015

Deerfield Fire Department

5476 Trenton Road, Deerfield, New York 13502

      Vendor Setup:                                        6:00 AM
      Hamfest Hours  (auction at 10!):           8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
      General Admission  :                             $5
      Flea Market Tailgate Space :                 $2/space with admission
      Indoor Flea Market Space w/ table:      $4/space with admission

AMPLE INDOOR SPACE AND TABLES ARE AVAILABLE!
DOOR PRIZES TO BE AWARDED!

Talk-In: 146.76 (-600) K2IQ
VE Testing on Site Check in @ 9:00 AM


Hamfest Contact:
Bob Decker (AA2CU)                                                                             Marty Benedict (W2MVB)  
315-797-6614                                                                                          315-866-5924
Email: tbd2626@yahoo.com                                                                   w2mvb1@gmail.com

Talk-In  Call K2IQ  146.76 (-600) 

Utica Amateur Radio Club, Inc.   P.O. Box 71  Utica, NY 13503

www.uticaarc.org

N.F.W.A. Antique Radio Swap Meet - August 1st, 2015

Niagara Frontier Wireless Association

N.F.W.A. Antique Radio Swap Meet
Saturday, August 1, 2015

Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village Museum
3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Amherst N.Y.

8:00am – Noon

This is our annual summer meet. Gates will open at 8:00am. Set-up in the parking lot.

Come and enjoy an antique radio and ham equipment flea market and auction.

There will be a donation auction at 11:00am to help cover costs. Please bring some saleable items.

We will also be running a 50/50 raffle to help keep this a free event.

ENTRANCE IS FREE!

No fee to set up and sell. Tables will be available (a limited number) for a $5 rental fee.

Free coffee and dounuts will be available, as will the free lunch to follow the meet.

The Museum will be open at noon for anyone wishing to see some of the wonderful exhibits (including our own radio and TV displays).

The Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village Museum is located at 3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Amherst, N.Y., (north of Buffalo) at the junction with New Road on the south side of Tonawanda Creek in a quiet park like setting.

 Learn more at: http://www.nfwa.net/

Field Day- June 27th and 28th

Field Day is coming soon........June 27th and 28th, 2015 
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

ARRL Field Day locator: http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

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 http://www.ragsclub.org/field-day.html

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


Salt City DX Association - W2ZC
Onondaga Lake Park Near Yacht Club, Liverpool, NY
GOTA: YES
Contact: John Carioti - 315-491-5255
jvc7388@gmail.com
saltcitydx.com

Skyline Amateur Radio Club (SARC)
Operating as K2IWR.
4-H Camp Owahta, Syrian Hill Rd in Solon NY.
Website skylineradioclub.org

Squaw Island & Drumlins Radio Club
Amateur Radio Clubs
Field Day Announcement
Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill, Naples, NY
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.
info at: http://www.siarc.us

XRX - Amateur Radio Club (old Xerox Club)
Nazareth College, Pittsford,  NY
Website: http://xarc.us/2015/06/xarc-field-day-information/

Upcoming Hamfests - the next two Saturdays

The Great Rochester HamFest returns Saturday June 6th to the Barnard Fireman's Field - 360 Maiden Lane Rochester NY 14616. This has been one of the better Hamfests in Upstate NY. You don't want to miss this one. Always some excellent tailgating here.

Learn more at the RARA website:
http://www.rochesterham.org/Hamfest.htm


Skyline Amateur Radio Club

Cortland Hamfest

& Technology Fair

Saturday June 13, 2015

From 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM

at the Cortland County Fairgrounds

For your GPS: 4849 Fairgrounds Dr. Cortland, NY 13045

Our 33rd year!

Talk-in on the 147.780/180 K2IWR repeater {PL71.9}

learn more: www.skylineradioclub.org or e-mail k2iwr@arrl.net