Weekly Report @ JSCARC
Whew, hold onto your satellites… JSCARC is radio active in its activities, events, and membership.
During the week ending February 25, we’ve moved mountains and continue our climb upwards to soaring heights.
1. New JSCARC Licenses classes
Anchored by Bob N9RCS, we have enlisted 16 new recruits to potentially gain their licenses and/or new membership into the club. Classes are held 12-1 every Wed in B14A/2000.
2. New 160m antenna and capability
We just finished installing a first ever 160m capability for the JSCARC. A shunt fed tower was erected, tuned, and used during the CQ 160m contest this weekend. W9TWJ, AB5SS, W5OC test drove the new antenna and validated our new capability with flying colors.
3. 2nd 2018 VIP Visitor.
Mr. Will Marchant was extended our courtesy red carpet to the W5RRR shack. He demonstrated impressive moxy to conduct QSO contacts through a *huge* pileup on 20m SSB this Saturday. Will had been a VP for AMSAT/ARISS as well as serving SAREX duty in the recent past. He is a senior engineering expert in Mission ops and payload engineering to the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of Berkeley. Note: The previous week, JSCARC hosted a courtesy visit with a Spanish/German ham from Europe.
4. CW Decoder Project.
The AB5SS design is now in the capable hands of Stu, W4STU for refinement quality check and build up notes. Stu is the last piece of the puzzle to let us release the offerring of the CW Decoder DIY kit for the club. Standby, we’re getting close, as Stu has been working it this last week and getting close. This is the club’s first project of 2018.
5. ARISS (Amateur Radio on the ISS).
After the previous week’s hugely successful autotrack of the ISS during a realtime ARISS to groundstation event, Mike N8MTV has gotten all the kinks out of our tracking system. He’s been working closely with Ken Ransom N5VHO on a track to certify the W5RRR system as an ARISS Southern Ground Station. After certification, JSCARC/W5RRR will play a key support role to ARISS direct downlinks, and crew-to-student outreach via ham radio. Mike is renovating our spare Azimuth-Elevation satellite rotor and controller for a combination portable ARISS stations and a deployable Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) Moonbounce communications system!
6. W5RRR Shack Refurb.
Wow, Keith KG5HOK and Jerry N5FWB, pulled out all stops and hammered, screwed, and glued together the final construction of our new MCC consoles benches. These dress up our shack and will be dedicated for ARISS/Satellites and EOC station ops on the back wall of the shack
7. ELMER Program.
Kudos to the club members who have volunteered to serve as our 1st wave of Elmers (mentors) to our new crop of potential members. This is an important of our club identity and we’re hopeful to provide this continuing service and role to any new potential member or new ham.
8. Development of our Constitution
Bob N9RCS is spearheading the continuing development of our updated JSCARC constitution and bylaws. Bob has kicked up internal leadership weekly meetings, after hours, to update our constitution in hopes of getting our 501.c.3 issuance to enjoy all the freedoms of a non-profit organization.
9. Echolink at W5RRR 2m repeater
AB5SS again has brought new capability and innovation to our club.
John built up a remote Echolink station at this house, to allow out-of-area members and users to realtime monitor our 2m FM repeater via Voice Over Internet Prototol (VOIP) Echolink. It was an immediate success during last week’s 2m net. Instigated by N8MTV’s challenge to consider implementing this capability, AB5SS took the bait and got it up and running, almost overnight.
10. Planning and sponsorship
Keith, KG5HOK, continues to develop a new project plan and new potential funding injections into the club. He’s promoting our club’s value and commitment to the center and negotiating political sponsorship to fund our 2nd 60′ tower as a enhanced capability for the club. Standby and keep your fingers-crossed
11. QSL cards keep coming in from around the country and the world.
It’s great to receive these QSL cards to be reminded how awesome our station and work affects others.