Field Day 2017 Summary
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- Written by: Jim Andera - K0NK
Visitors, Visitors and More Visitors
Some years we’d complain about the horrible heat, the humidity and the bugs. And we might complain about the lack of visitors or too much rain. In years past we have had to send someone out for pizza or heat up hamburgers and hot dogs. This year we had no such complaints (well maybe a few bugs--but nothing that bit us too badly). All we could come up with for complaints in 2017 was generally poor propagation on the HF bands.
Without a doubt this year’s SFTARC Field Day event set a new record for Field Day comfort in terms of fantastic outdoor operating temperatures for June. Tony’s (KD0KLD) Smokey Hill Catering ensured we ate very well, mixed with a WB0CNK watermelon, a bowl of cantaloupe from KI0KK’s XYL and a KB0KCM chocolate cake.
KS QSO Party Award
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- Written by: G Wolfe - KI0KK
Dear Santa Fe Trail ARC,
Thank you for sponsoring the 2106 Kansas QSO Party SO Hi Power plaque. I was lucky enough to snag it this year. If AB0S ever uses W0NO's station full time instead of splitting time with Alan he will run away with the top score! K0VXU and K0WA are strong contenders too, when they operate in Hi Power category. And there's always the chance of a dark horse.....
It's fun to be the "pig with lipstick" in a contest and this QSO Party has lots of interest thanks to the work of Bob and Lorna, and many others including plaque sponsors like you and me {Hi score Sunday only}. The 1x1 call gimmick is a big hit and I'm lucky to be W0S - one of the three "best" calls to log since S shows up 4 times in KANSAS QSO PARTY SUNFLOWER In 2015 I logged 34 of the 45 1x1s. This year it was lots slimmer at 21/45. But needless to say "fun was had by all".
Tnx, 73,
Bruce K0BJ Colby
CQ CQ CQ KS DAY SPECIAL EVENT DE KS0KS
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- Written by: Jim Cessna - AC0KN
On January 28 2017, the Santa Fe Trail ARC club came to Del’s Sawyer’s QTH, and started setting up for special event to celebrate when Kansas joined the union on January 29, 1861.
We had 8 operators for a total of 96 SSB contacts and 6 CW contacts.
The most interesting event of the day, Jim Krentzel KE0GEY, contacted his grandfather in Oregon who is also a ham.
The antennas employed were 2 Windoms and a Comet 422 dipole.
The radios employed were Yeasue FT-3000 and ICOM IC-756 pro III.
Both radio ran 100 watts.
The airwaves were crowed with Winter Field Day, Montana QSO Party, and WW1USA events.
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How I Got My License
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- Written by: Jim Cessna - AC0KN
I inherited my mother's curiosity and should have gotten my technician license years ago. I also inherited my father's inability to deal with Morse code, and only got my license after Morse code was no longer a requirement.
As a child I remember my mother sitting at the Hallicrafter, talking to people from around the world. A series of strange, mysterious, musical dits and dahs filled our dining room. I also remember times she made appointments to travel to Los Angeles from our rural California home to take an exam -- her biggest fear was not being able to interpret a schematic drawing.
He's A Fifth Grader, Yes, But He's Much Smarter Than That!
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- Written by: Rick Nichols
The Fox TV show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" challenges the adult participants to demonstrate that they know more than the typical fifth grader knows by answering any number of questions covering any number of subjects.
With that in mind, anyone who heard and saw fifth grader Jim Krentzel, KE0GEY, do a Tech Night presentation on the Morse Code April 15 at Faith Technologies in Olathe knows full well that he's not your typical fifth grader, that he is, in fact, much smarter than that.
Standing before an audience made up almost entirely of hams several times his age, 11-year-old Jim eagerly treated them to a repetition of the presentation he's been able to do at Pioneer Ridge Middle School in Gardner for some of his fellow students. His talk, enhanced by matching-content slides, lasted about 10 minutes and concluded with the showing of the "That's all Folks!" screen image long associated with the cartoon character Porky Pig.
Read more: He's A Fifth Grader, Yes, But He's Much Smarter Than That!