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All BARA members and friends are welcome to participate. The goal is to provide a place where members can bring forward ideas, develop activities, and help turn those ideas into something the club can actually do. Your participation and feedback are always welcome. NY QSO Party Is Up Next
This year there will also be an effort to put a 2-meter simplex station outside at the gazebo, weather permitting. Dennis KE2CIO is bringing an Elk LPDA beam on a 35-foot mast and a Yaesu 2-meter radio for the operation. If weather does not cooperate, the station will move indoors.
There is also a special connection to Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) this year. Greg KE2CAV will be operating a Scout JOTA station at Council headquarters, while Roger KE2HMB will be running another Scout station at Beech Mountain Scout Camp. BARA hopes to encourage Scouts to participate in both JOTA and the QSO Party and to make plenty of contacts with the Scout stations.
As always, an event like this takes more than radios and antennas. Volunteers are needed for setup, operating and logging, coaching, food and drinks, meeting and greeting visitors, and teardown. The club will provide basic refreshments and pizza, and members are encouraged to bring something to share.
If you have not participated in a BARA operating event before, the QSO Party is a great opportunity to give it a try. Experienced operators will be available to help, so you do not have to be an expert to take part. What Do BARA Members Want to Do?
The survey is intended to help BARA develop activities based on what members actually want rather than simply guessing what might be of interest. Responses will be anonymized, with an option for members to provide contact information if they would like to be contacted about an idea or activity.
The survey is only useful if members take a few minutes to complete it, so watch for it and let the Activities Group know what you would like to see. Learning by Doing
Fox hunting is another possibility. Dennis KE2CIO and Roger KE2HMB are working on a fox transmitter based on a Baofeng radio and controller, which could pair nicely with a tape-measure Yagi building project. The combination could eventually lead to a foxhunt or an orienteering-style activity in one of the area's parks.
There are also opportunities for members who enjoy building their own equipment. Jim W2UO has prepared material on building a QRP transmitter, providing another possible project for members who would like to experience the satisfaction of putting a radio together and then getting it on the air. Special Interests and Field Trips
Not every activity has to involve sitting around a table at a club meeting. The group is also considering special-interest groups and field trips.
POTA is another area with considerable potential. Brian NE2B has suggested developing both planned and informal POTA activities, giving members opportunities to operate together at parks on a regular basis. The group is also looking at the best ways to let members know when these opportunities are happening, including the BARA Net, email, repeaters, and the club's online communications.
Field trips could provide another way to see the technology and organizations connected with amateur radio. Possibilities mentioned include visits to WSKG or other broadcast facilities, transmitter sites such as Ingraham Hill, public safety facilities, utilities, emergency operations centers, and perhaps ARRL Headquarters. More Programs at BARA Meetings
Some of the ideas already suggested include:
Other possibilities include a follow-up to the previous DXpedition presentation by James KB2FMH, a look at artificial intelligence and amateur radio, and a "Get to Know Kopernik" program that would give members a better understanding of the facility that hosts our meetings.
Another idea borrowed from the experience of another amateur radio club is a short "Kawfee Tawk" style presentation before the regular business meeting. The Goal Is Participation
You do not have to be an expert to lead an activity. You might know how to install a mobile radio, have built a simple antenna, enjoy POTA, have experience with Linux, know someone who could arrange a field trip, or simply have an idea for something you think other members would enjoy.
The Activities Group is a place to bring those ideas forward and see where they can go. The next meeting is scheduled for the last Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM by Zoom. All BARA members and friends are invited. Bring an idea, volunteer to help with an upcoming activity, or just join the conversation.
There is a lot more to amateur radio than making contacts. The Activities Group is looking for ways to help BARA members learn something new, build something useful, operate somewhere different, and have a good time doing it together.
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