[SMCARA] St. Mary's County Amateur Radio Association (SMCARA) work party at the Pax museum - Saturday, 12 June, 9 AM to 12 noon

[pete.butt at mdtechnology.net]

CALLING ALL AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS!

 

WHO:  Anyone interested in Amateur Radio that would like to assist us to
begin the process of putting together the updated K3NHK amateur radio
display station at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in our new Technology
Galleries

 

WHAT:  Amateur radio work party

 

WHEN:  Saturday, 12 June 2021 - 9 AM to 12 PM (lunch time) - about 3 hours

 

WHERE:  Patuxent River Naval Air Museum

                  Building B (the large brown metal building to the rear of
the property)

                22156 Three Notch Road

                  Lexington Park, Maryland 20653             

 

WHAT TO BRING:  Enthusiasm, work gloves, hat, sun screen (dress for warm
weather/sun).  Mostly inside work but some short periods of outside
activity.

 

 

Task 1 - Clean up antenna pile at rear of building B:

 

* Need someone to transport two 22' long Stationmaster repeater antennas to
Pete's house after event for storage (can be strapped to side of a regular
pickup truck) - I will provide necessary protective towels/bungee
straps/parachute cord to tie antennas to the side mirror and to the right
rear bumper

 

* Check out the spare GAP Titan vertical antenna and determine if it is
still mechanically and electrically in good enough condition to possibly be
used for Field Day on 26 June in Piney Point

 

* Relocate the small roof mount stand (may be usable for Field Day as a
ground support mount)

 

* Relocate several additional antennas, etc. including a 10' section of Rohn
25G tower, and a couple of somewhat beat-up two-meter Yagi antennas. the
area where these items are currently located needs to be cleaned up so the
County Government can mow the lawn and kill the weeds along the building
exterior.

 

 

Task 2 - Prepare an operating console for use in the new radio display room:

 

* I have acquired two used electronic work benches, of which we will use
only one for the operating console. we just need to swap parts to make one
complete and usable console.

 

* We will be using two multi-drawer pedestals to support the top surface.
They currently are dirty and need to be pressure washed to clean out the
drawers - I will bring soap, buckets, sponges, etc. and a small electric
pressure washer which someone can use to clean the items up

 

* Once all the parts are cleaned up and dry, we would like to move the work
station parts to the radio room and assemble them back together.

 

 

 

Task 3 - Begin the process of reinstalling the existing antenna feedlines
into the building using the new conduit system:

 

* First step is to pull out ALL of the existing cabling coming through the
old entry port in the block wall into the building and seal it up

 

* Then we need to assess if any or all of the existing cables (multiple RG-8
style coax and the HAM-IV rotor control cable) are long enough to pull
through the conduit to the new location (I will bring the appropriate very
long measuring tape).  If so, we can begin the process of pulling them
through the new conduit.  If not, we will need to determine a source of new
cable to pull through (and install new connectors on).  This will require
installation on a subsequent work party date Later this summer.

 

 

Task 4 - If we have a few minutes, the museum collections folks could use a
few folks for about 15-20 minutes to lift several large airplane models out
of one of our temporary storage CONEX shipping boxes and put them on pallets
to be moved by pallet jack to the adjacent building (building B) for
storage.

 

 

* Special needs:  I have a 12' long fiberglass extension ladder that can be
used to get up to the old entry point to remove the cables.  I need the
following:

  

1) Someone to transport the ladder to/from my home here in Lexington Park to
the museum

2) Someone to climb up about 15-16 feet and pushing the existing cables out
to the outside and help us seal up the opening on the inside.  We will need
several others to be stationed at the ladder base to keep it stable, etc.

 

Call me if you have any questions.

 

NOTE:  message CC's added for awareness and coordination as needed

 

Thank you,

 

Pete Butt - WA3UMY

Vice-President, SMCARA

Exhibit lead for the Pax River Naval Air Museum

Pete.butt at mdtechnology.net <mailto:Pete.butt at mdtechnology.net> 

301-904-8401 (cell)