[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] Last Digital Modes Practice Session, scheduled for 6/2 is a "GO"

Fri May 31 19:32:38 EDT 2019

The last scheduled digital modes practice session is a "GO"  on Sunday, June
2.   The digital mode practice sessions will be held at Jefferson Manor
Park, 8:00-1130 a.m.   If  another group has rented the pavilion we will
move to another area and use battery power.  However, from experience this
is most unlikely early on a Sunday morning. 

Ed Bradshaw and I will be present to conduct this last session.  If you plan
to attend the sessions, please send me an email so that we can plan to have
adequate resources available.  For those on the attendance list, I will have
in my possession, 65th Anniversary shirts and Baofeng UV-5R radios for
distribution.  

Please keep in mind that the goal of the digital mode practice sessions is
to develop a sufficient number of skilled operators so that digital mode
stations can be added to the Field Day line-up for the first time.   Since
non-CW digital modes was added to ARRL Field Day as a

category in 2016, our club has not been able to take advantage of this new
category of scoring.

Another purpose of the sessions is to increase the number of  opportunities
for "hands-on" operating time for all participants, including those without
any prior operating experience.

By June 7th a final determination will be made about the extent of digital
mode stations deployed during Field Day 2019 based on the level of club
interest and capabilities with digital modes.

Don, KI4D

Field Day 2019 Chair

Weather Details for Sunday, 06/02/2019

Precipitation: 20%

UV Index: 8

Humidity: 63%

Cloud Cover: 53%

Sunrise:     5:43 AM

Moonrise: 5:20 AM

Day: More clouds than sun. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

Moon Phase:

From: Don (KI4D) <don.ki4d at gmail.com> 
Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2019 12:57 PM
To: 'Alexandria Radio Club Field Day Planning'
<alexandria-radio-club-field-day-planning at googlegroups.com>
Cc: 'Paul Fiorino' <pfiorino at gmail.com>; 'Michael Callaham'
<vze32sw5 at verizon.net>; 'drz1953 at yahoo.com' <drz1953 at yahoo.com>; 'Bjorn
Jernudd' <jernudd at gmail.com>; 'Ian Bellamy' <ianbellamy52 at gmail.com>
Subject: Digital Mode Session for 5/19 is a "GO"

The digital mode practice session is a "GO"  on Sunday, May 19.   All
digital mode practice sessions will be held at Jefferson Manor Park,
8:00-1130 a.m.   We have not rented the pavilion shelter, but we will be
using it unless another group has rented it.  In such a case we would have
to move to another area.  However, from experience this would be quite
unlikely on a Sunday morning. 

A YouTube video below should be helpful in picking up the essentials of
WWJT-X and FT-8.  Although FT-8 is very popular as a contest digital mode,
it is not useful for emergency communications work.  Since Fldigi is the
free "go-to" software for emergency communications work using digital modes
and can be used to earn 100 bonus points for message traffic on Field Day,
it is included in the digital mode practice sessions.   Two YouTube videos
below provide some of the essentials.  

The remaining sessions are scheduled for:

* May 19th

* May 26th  - KI4D will be out of town

* June 2nd

If you plan to attend one of these sessions, please send me an email so that
we can plan to have adequate resources available.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of the digital mode practice sessions
is to develop a sufficient number of skilled operators on digital modes so

that digital mode stations can be added to the Field Day line-up for the
first time.   Since non-CW digital modes was added to ARRL Field Day as a

category, our club has not taken advantage of this new category of scoring,
see attached graphic.

Another purpose of the sessions is to increase the number of  opportunities
for "hands-on" operating time for all participants, including those without

any prior operating experience.

By early June based on the level of club interest and capabilities a
determination will be made about the extent of digital mode stations in
Field Day this year.

Don, KI4D

Field Day 2019 Chair

Getting started with FT8 - YouTube

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkoQ9FD5KX8>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkoQ9FD5KX8 

Fldigi Tutorial - YouTube

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN2QPZZzkn4>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN2QPZZzkn4 

Ham Radio: FLDigi: PSK31 - A Beginners Fldigi PSK31 High Level Introduction
- YouTube

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhpX4Vo_Ng8>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhpX4Vo_Ng8 

WTOP WEATHER

Details for Sunday, 05/19/2019

Precipitation: 20%

UV Index: 9

Humidity: 86%

Cloud Cover: 37%

Sunrise:     5:51 AM

Moonrise: 9:06 PM

Day: Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High
around 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Moon Phase:
 Waning Gibbous

Wind:

SSE 16 mph

From: Don (KI4D) <don.ki4d at gmail.com <mailto:don.ki4d at gmail.com> > 
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2019 1:42 PM
To: 'Alexandria Radio Club Field Day Planning'
<alexandria-radio-club-field-day-planning at googlegroups.com
<mailto:alexandria-radio-club-field-day-planning at googlegroups.com> >
Cc: 'Paul Fiorino' <pfiorino at gmail.com <mailto:pfiorino at gmail.com> >;
'Michael Callaham' <vze32sw5 at verizon.net <mailto:vze32sw5 at verizon.net> >;
'drz1953 at yahoo.com' <drz1953 at yahoo.com <mailto:drz1953 at yahoo.com> >; 'Bjorn
Jernudd' <jernudd at gmail.com <mailto:jernudd at gmail.com> >; 'Ian Bellamy'
<ianbellamy52 at gmail.com <mailto:ianbellamy52 at gmail.com> >
Subject: RE: Digital Mode Session for 5/12 is Cancelled

The Jefferson Manor Park 5/12  digital mode practice session is cancelled
due Rain and thunderstorms.  To keep the rain gods from completely stealing
our digital mode show I am forwarding the YouTube video below which I think
is very, very good.  I will be forwarding others later.  

Cancellations with for weather or insufficient turn-out will normally be
announced on Fridays by email, however, l thought there was a chance for a
weather change.   The remaining sessions are scheduled for:

* May 19th

* May 26th

* June 2nd

All digital mode practice sessions will be held at Jefferson Manor Park,
8:00-1130 a.m.  If you plan to attend one of these sessions, please send me

an email so that we can plan to have adequate resources available.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of the digital mode practice sessions
is to develop a sufficient number of skilled operators on digital modes so

that digital mode stations can be added to the Field Day line-up for the
first time.   Since non-CW digital modes was added to ARRL Field Day as a

category, our club has not taken advantage of this new category of scoring,
see attached graphic.

Another purpose of the sessions is to increase the number of  opportunities
for "hands-on" operating time for all participants, including those without

any prior operating experience.

By early June a determination will be made about whether there is sufficient
club interest and capabilities in digital modes to include digital mode

stations in Field Day this year.

Don, KI4D

Field Day 2019 Chair

Getting started with FT8 - YouTube

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkoQ9FD5KX8>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkoQ9FD5KX8 

Details for Sunday, 05/12/2019

Precipitation: 90%

UV Index: 2

Humidity: 88%

Cloud Cover: 100%

Sunrise:     5:58 AM

Moonrise: 1:15 PM

Day: Rain likely. High 57F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Rainfall near a half an inch.

From: Don (KI4D) <don.ki4d at gmail.com <mailto:don.ki4d at gmail.com> > 
Sent: Saturday, May 4, 2019 8:25 PM
To: 'Alexandria Radio Club Field Day Planning'
<alexandria-radio-club-field-day-planning at googlegroups.com
<mailto:alexandria-radio-club-field-day-planning at googlegroups.com> >
Cc: 'Paul Fiorino' <pfiorino at gmail.com <mailto:pfiorino at gmail.com> >;
'Michael Callaham' <vze32sw5 at verizon.net <mailto:vze32sw5 at verizon.net> >;
'drz1953 at yahoo.com' <drz1953 at yahoo.com <mailto:drz1953 at yahoo.com> >; 'Bjorn
Jernudd' <jernudd at gmail.com <mailto:jernudd at gmail.com> >
Subject: Digital Mode Session for 5/5 is Cancelled

The Jefferson Manor Park 5/5  digital mode practice session is cancelled due
Rain and thunderstorms:

Details for Sunday, 05/05/2019

Precipitation: 90%

UV Index: 4

Humidity: 88%

Cloud Cover: 93%

Sunrise:     6:03 AM

Moonrise: 6:46 AM

Day: Thunderstorms. High 72F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

https://wtop.com/weather/

Cancellations with for weather or insufficient turn-out will normally be
announced on Fridays by email  The remaining

sessions are scheduled for:

* May 12th

* May 19th

* May 26th

* June 2nd

All digital mode practice sessions will be held at Jefferson Manor Park,
8:00-1130 a.m.  If you plan to attend one of these sessions, please send me

an email so that we can plan to have adequate resources available.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of the digital mode practice sessions
is to develop a sufficient number of skilled operators on digital modes so

that digital mode stations can be added to our Field Day line-up for the
first time.   Since non-CW digital modes was added to ARRL Field Day as a

category, our club has not taken advantage of this new category of scoring,
see attached graphic.

Another purpose of the sessions is to increase the number of  opportunities
for "hands-on" operating time for all participants, including those without

any prior operating experience.

By early June a determination will be made about whether there is sufficient
club interest and capabilities in digital modes to include digital mode

stations in Field Day this year.

Don, KI4D

Field Day 2019 Chair