UDXA - Home

2013-06-09

Field Day is Coming

Hello all:

Field Day is less than two weeks away. I appreciate those who are assiting in our effort. If you are planning on attending, please sign up at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkK1tysaZZhDdFhnV2V1aHdkZXYyTDV3dHRCcmoyOGc&usp=sharing

This information is important for two major reasons. First, there are columns to indiate if you want to operate phone or CW or both. Our operating schedule is based upon this information. Second, we need a count for the Friday potluck.

Directions to Field Day Site

For most members, the easiest way to get to the Field Day site is to go south on I-15 and take the Highway 6 East exit (#257) at Spanish Fork and then take Highway 89 South to Fairview. In Fairview, turn left on 400 N and follow the road (Fairview Canyon, Highway 31) to Skyline Drive.

The Field Day operating site: 39.6945, -111,3436

Turn off from Skyline Drive: 39.6936, -111.3295 (most important for low clearance equipment)

Outline of Activities

Thursday - Begin Setup
Friday - Potluck Dinner
Saturday - Station Training, Field Day Operating at Noon
Sunday - Field Day operations end at Noon, Break Camp and Cleanup

One major rule change this year allows Class A and B operations to setup beginning on Thursday 18:00 MDT (Friday 0:00z), using a maximum of 24 hours. This will allow us to have more station training and operating time prior to the actual beginning of Field Day.

We have plans for four stations, with an additional 6m station. We will even attempt a satellite contact for the bonus points. John Hardy has develped a program that will allow us to display our QSO count on a big screen monitor. Ross Hunter is bringing his K3 and P3 panadapter to help us monitor band activity. Of course, there will be plenty of time for visiting and socializing... unless, of course, you are operating.

If you have any questions, please pass them along to me or Robert Wyatt.

Jed
AD7KG

Author: Jed Petrovich (AD7KG) : Vice President

2013-03-20

7QP 2013

Greetings to all,

Daylight Savings has started and it already feels like spring. Lots more time after dinner to play outside. Next to raking the lawn and putting the snowblower away, this is the time to check out your antennas. Got may 4th marked on your calendar?

We are pleased to announce that the 2013 7QP will be held on May 4 this year (local time). In response to several suggestions from participants last year, two changes have been made to the entry categories. The new rules are below and on the web at 7QP site.

The County Expedition category has been split into single and county line entries to allow the singles to compete among themselves.
While neither of these affects the scoring, the new entry categories need to be accommodated by the various popular logging programs.
We look forward to seeing more mobile and county expedition entries as a result of these changes.

The Mobile category now has single and multi-op. Single ops are no longer competing with operator + driver teams that can operate safely while in motion.

If you are thinking of going mobile, it's time to make sure the whole system works as it should. I needed to find a quiet dc-dc converter for my laptop. The typical LT runs on 17 or 18V from its charger. It won't play from the 12 car battery. The solution is a dc-dc converter to boost 12 to 18. Most of these converters are very cheaply made and one of the things they leave out to save cost is RFI filtering. This can usually be fixed, as in my case, by the addition of bypass capacitors and some clip-on ferrites, but it takes time.

Got N1MM? (or another logging program?) 7QP is supported by most programs but you need to get one installed and working. About half of them are FREE. I pick on N1MM because it was used by over 80% of the stations submitting logs in last year's 7QP. No more paper, no crummy handwriting, and no grief sending in your log. Point and shoot. Adding a logging program could be the best thing ever to happen to your station. Automatic dupe checking in any contest and when it's over, load you log into any of several apps to track DXCC, WAS, USA-CA, etc., or even better: LOTW.

7QP is looking for a few good men to go mobile and light up the darker corners of our domain. This year we have split the mobile category into single op and op+driver. It makes things safer and levels the field. During the 7QP ops chase mobiles as they move from county to county. It is great fun. And unlike the fixed ops, you can work the same stations again from each new county. Last year 15 mobiles submitted their logs. It doesn't matter if the counties are rare or not. Buddy up and polish that mobile rig. We would be pleased to see a few new mobiles out there this year. Let us know too so we can put it on the Planned Operations table. See it here.

Whether you operate from home or on the road, the 7QP welcomes you. Not ready for the full 18 hour duration? No problem, operate when and as you can. We are an equal opportunity QSO party!

Author: Darryl Hazelgren (K7UT) : Director1

2012-12-14

2013 Board Members

This evening was our annual Christmas Party, and the vote for the 2013 Board Members. Those voted in will take on their duties in January 2013.

President: Dan Bishop (WV7V)
Vice President: Jed Petrovich (AD7KG)
Secretary: Graydon Jensen (N7RXL)
Treasurer: Tom Fredrickson (K7TYF)
Director: Jack Friend (AK7O)
... and we keep one of the directors from 2012

Author: WebMaster

2012-11-29

Club Officer Nominations

An update from Rob Wyatt (NE7Q)...

"As many of you already know, we vote for the next years officers at the December Christmas dinner. So, for those of you who were unable to attend the November meeting, here is a list of the candidates running for UDXA office next year:

President:
Dan Bishop WV7V
Curt Wilbur K7CU

Vice President:
Jed Petrovich AD7KG
Robert Wyatt NE7Q

Secretary:
Graydon Jensen N7RXL
Ross Hunter KJ7YU

Treasurer:
Tom Fredrickson K7TYF
Charles Mayne WF0V

Director:
Jack Friend AK7O
Bob Craven N7GTE"

Author: Wes Voss (WV7P) : President

2012-10-28

2012 Club Member Survey Results

Thanks to all who participated in the club survey this year! Perhaps we can do this again on a regular basis.

Of the 103 individuals with accounts on our website, 84 are members. Of those members, 42 responded to the survey while 44 did not. That is considered a good response and statistically valid.

Meeting Attendance

While 40% of respondents attend almost all meetings, another 38% attend sometimes. 21% do not attend.

Of those who attend, 75% find the meetings beneficial and 87% find the level of material presented to be just right.

Email Reflector

75% find the reflector to be very beneficial.

ClubLog Website

16% of our members find Club Log to be very useful, 33% find it to be somewhat useful and 50% have never used it.

Club Website

43% find it to be very useful and 55% find it somewhat useful.

Club member operating time

62% of respondents operate less than 5 hours per week. 21% operate between 5-10 hours per week. 16% operate more than 10 hours per week.

Club member modes of operation

CW – 52%

Phone – 85%

Digital – 33%

Field Day Focus

Play to win – 38%

Technical training – 1%

Social Activity – 29%

On air training activity – 22%

Other Comments (summarized)

A number of the comments expressed the desire to have more mentoring activities between our more experienced members and newer members. Suggestions included:

- Invitations from more experienced contesters to newer members interested in contesting to participate in multi-op contest teams. Perhaps this could be done by considering skill levels of those invited vs the seriousness of the effort, providing introductory experience in contesting to newer operators, and providing more serious competition experience and coaching to those already possessing a moderate level of skill in more competitive contests.

- Experienced members could serve as mentors in a particular area of expertise, such as antennas, getting signed up with LOTW, Clublog, getting digital modes set up ,etc.

Club multi-op events or other group Field Day type events

Hold more meetings in Utah County

More information on station design

Members really enjoy having outside speakers

Sister international club

Raffles

Inter-club contests

Drive to the meetings is too far

Clublog does not meet all club reporting needs

More activity related to 6m, satellites, and VUCC

Members like non-meeting actvities such as club lunches, informal dinner before meetings, Christmas party and summer BBQ

The majority of members find the comments on the club email reflector to be of great value

Recognition and other incentives for intra-club competitions or other outstanding achievement

Some would enjoy more technical presentations

Thanks again to all who participated in the survey, help each other with DXing, contesting, station design, antennas parties, etc. We've got a great club because we have great members.

73, Wes (WV7P)