The Annual Meeting of the Rochester VHF Group has been scheduled for Friday night, May 7th at 7:00 PM.  Please mark your calendar now, members.

We will have both (1) an election (yes, multiple candidates have stepped forward and more may still be considering it) and (2) a real-time workshop!

This is a members-only event so shortly, full members will be sent a Zoom link with additional detail to make attending easy.

Candidates:  Please start thinking about a statement that you can make about yourself and interest in serving.  In a couple of weeks (not now), I'll ask the you publish them to the email list for all to see. (NOT NOW...I'll let you know when).

Yours in the hobby,

Ev Tupis, W2EV

Chairman

Rochester VHF Group

What do you get when you mix a "Summits on the Air" strategy with the June VHF Contest?  F-U-N, while building orienteering, emergency communication, rovering, competition/sporting, and general operating skill.

Published author and nationally recognized amateur radio enthusiast Bob Witte (K0NR) will join us on Saturday, April 17 at 11:00 AM ET to share his experience and strategies with us.  As always, this will include audience Q&A, too!

All are invited!  You don't have to be a member of the VHF Group to attend.  Register now to get a link.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwocuqqqDMqGtcoS2Bml74Jn3yJF138wHJn

Regards,

Ev, W2EV

Rochester VHF Group

The VHF Group is sponsoring a Zoom-based "Saturday Workshop" on March 20th.  It  isn't a formal "Saturday Session" with a presenter.  It is an  informal gab-session to talk about various proven approaches to putting the transverters on-the-air.

I've invited several "in the know" folks to attend.  So far, I've heard back from both Dave (K2DH) and Peter (VA3ELE), with confirmations/intentions to attend.

Everyone is invited!  What a great opportunity even for people who are "on the bubble",  not yet active on 10-GHz but still quite interested.  Look for a link to be published shortly.

There are great things happening!

Ev, W2EV

Nationally recognized VHFer and author, Bob Witte (K0NR) https://store.cq-amateur-radio.com/shop/vhf-summits-more/ will be leading a Saturday Session of the Rochester VHF Group on Saturday, APRIL 17th at 11:00 AM ET.

Bob will join us via Zoom to share his passion for activating on VHF SIMPLEX ("Life beyond the repeater") with information and strategies that are sure to inspire others.  This session is perfect for both the newly licensed FM bound operator looking for a way to have more fun as well as anyone who is tired of staring at a computer screen and yearns for making more voice-based contacts.

This is a preliminary announcement only.  Full details (including a Zoom link) will be published later.  Promise.

Cheers,

Ev Tupis, W2EV

PS: Yes, that's two months from now.  Lol.  A Saturday Session for March is "in the works", too.  :-)

According to the article, although it is 60% smaller than a half-wave antenna, it performs almost as well (within 1 dB)!

Compare that to an HT antenna that is 6-10 dB worse than a dipole and you can see the value of having this in your "go kit" for public service events, available for your HT when the "rubber duck" isn't good enough or mounted outside at your home to make 2 meter FM contacts easier!

When: Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time

Register to get a Zoom meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtcOqrrzIrH9RU7Sd3VP1xqC_cUAqoQUWT

Join to watch and learn, or build along! Here's the bill of materials to gather:

Item

3 ft. --- 1¼ in. PVC SCH 40 pipe

1 --- 1¼ in. PVC SCH 40 pipe end cap

8 ft. --- 1 in. x 1.5 mil copper tape, self-adhesive

2 --- Ring terminals, #8 lug.

1 --- Mini-8/RG-58 coax with connector one end

2 --- #8 x ¾ in. Stainless sheet metal screws and washers

4 in --- 2 in. Heat shrink tubing or plastic electrical tape

Tools

1 --- Drill motor with set of small bits and ¾ in. step drill

1 --- Antenna analyzer, VNA or transceiver with SWR bridge

1 --- Heat gun to shrink tubing

1 --- Screwdriver

1 --- Saw to cut tubing, if needed

Here's yet another world-class presentation is coming your way!

Paul Wade (W1GHZ) will be our professor on the topic: "Visualizing Microwaves".  This is the same presentation that Paul made at the last VHF Superconference and it is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.  I was fortunate to be there.

Mark your calendars for 10:00 AM ET on Saturday, November 14.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Nov 14, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqdOihrjgiHNYKTntmp3rUDpwGX1QmdFzH

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Yes!  An exciting Saturday morning, brought to you by your Rochester VHF Group (and one really nice guy, Paul Wade, W1GHZ). :-)

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED (see below)

What: Rain Scatter Communications (for Amateur Radio Operators)

When: Saturday, Aug 29, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

If the National Weather Service can track intense rain, sleet and snow cells using radio-based radar, then enterprising Amateur Radio operators should be able to bounce signals off of those cells and make contacts over distances of hundreds of kilometers.

Join the Rochester VHF Group's Saturday Session on Saturday, August 29 at 10:00 AM as Andy Flowers (K0SM) will give us a tour of his RainScatter.com website tool and share his experiences with rain scatter communication on Amateur Radio frequencies.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwodOGtrzMjHNV6iTJ3S4zytd1wyOHgmqOq

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Mark the date: Saturday, June 6

Topic: Solid State Power Amplifiers (a Primer)

Jim Klitzing (W6PQL) is the force behind W6PQL.com the de facto online source of information on Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA's) for VHF and HF.  He will take us on a show-and-tell journey that is sure to inform Greenhorns ("I'd like a high power amplifier, and am confused by the options that I see online"), Apprentices ("Buying a high-power LDMOS

pallet from EBay is simply a starting point"), Journeymen ("Identifying the additional modules that go into assembling an SSPA") and Masters ("Best practices for putting one together").  Join us for an overview of these topics and be encouraged to visit W6PQL.com to do even more "deep diving" into this very interesting topic.

Announcement Only -- Zoom meeting Registration will be announced in the

future.

Though NY is "reopening" for business on May 15th, in-person groups of greater than 10 people are still prohibited.  This prohibition is likely to still be in place on the date of our Annual Meeting (Friday, June 5). As such, preparations are underway to hold the meeting on-line via Zoom. Election of Officers will take place at the upcoming Annual Meeting leveraging Groups.IO services.  You must be fully registered at Groups.IO in order to vote at our annual meeting.  Details will be shared later.

In the meantime...please take a moment to log-in to Groups.IO to assure your login name and password "work".  If not, complete your membership there.  If you haven't, please register with your Name or Callsign.

Regards,

Ev, W2EV

Your Benevolent Chairman

Saturday, April 25 at 10:00 AM: A topic based Spring Session of the VHF Group on Zoom.  

E-mail RVHFG1949@gmail.com for login information (already posted to our email list).

EVERYONE is invited, but only the first 100 will get to enjoy them.  Yes,"them", plural.  TWO (related) topics this time!

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10:00 - DEMONSTRATION (thanks, Dave Carlson, N2OA):

"A Tour and Demonstration of the Icom IC-9700"

This is a multi-mode VHF/UHF Transceiver with 2 meters, 70 cm, and 23 cm in one radio!  Satellites?  Yes.  Terrestrial DX and contesting?  Yes.  Repeaters? Yes.  An easy way to get on some of the more populated "action VHF bands"? Yes!

Unlike YouTube videos, this is a LIVE session with the ability to Q&A!

..............................................................................................

WORKSHOP (thanks, Bill Rogers, K2TER):

"Stacking the Icom IC-9700 with 222 MHz and 902 MHz"

Bill will walk us through a more technical presentation showing a very creative transverter approach to make this exciting transceiver even more interesting by adding two more bands to it.

And yes...this session will be open for Q&A, too!

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The 2020 Annual Meeting of the Rochester VHF Group will be held on the evening of Friday, June 5.  That is the day before the Rochester Hamfest.This date was chosen as a compromise to address several issues-at-play. The hope is that the prohibition on in-person group gatherings will be lifted by then and that we will secure a venue with adequate room for social distancing, should there remain any concern. Details will be forthcoming.

It's official!  The Rochester VHF Group will hold our first Spring Session on this Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 AM … on-line, using Zoom.  No "client" to download.  It works nicely in a Chrome browser.

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AMSAT Ambassador, Bob Beatty (WB4SON) will join us from Rhode Island to present on the topic: "Introduction to Amateur Satellites".

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Unless I can come up with a paid account, there will be two "segments", each 40 minutes in length.  When the first expires, participants will need to rejoin to continue.Remember, this is the year that the Rochester VHF Group "gives back" to those clubs that supported our 70th Anniversary celebration.  

Start thinking about that around FIELD DAY!

FIELD DAY includes extra points for satellite QSO's and since this is an on-line meeting...I may well invite other clubs to join us to see how easy it is to get satellite Q's in the log!

The teleconference will begin at 9:55 AM and the Session will begin at 10:00 AM when I (as moderator) will mute all participants.  Questions will be taken using the text-chat feature.  Still, politeness counts. Remember:  There is a 100 participant maximum...so get connected early!Formal invitations will be sent out later.  Get ready for some fun on Saturday!

The in-person version of the May 2, 2020 Spring Session (and Annual Meeting) of the Rochester VHF Group has been cancelled. I offer my sincere thanks to those who put significant effort into making it a quality and memorable event. With any fortune things will settle by later in the season and we can revisit an approach to resume the in-person social aspect of our clubs' activity.

With regret,

Ev, W2EV

 

Our "2020 Spring Session" mini-conference and silent auction is scheduled for Saturday morning, May 2 and will be held at the Webster Fireman's Field House, Webster, NY.  Expect several workshops and presentations. It is open to ALL.  Admission is $5 per person, tickets available soon.  RVHFG members may attend at NO cost.  Bring equipment for the silent auction.  A 10% sellers gratuity is sincerely appreciated.  Check back for more details.  Don’t forget to SAVE THE DATE!

10:00 AM, Saturday, February 8th - 1075 Empire Blvd., Rochester

You braved the elements. You lost your voice. You battled like a true warrior. You had more fun than you thought you would. So...join us for a little social time. Bring your spouse! What a nice way to thank them for supporting your hobby addiction!

SEATING IS LIMITED. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. E-mail RVHFG1949@gmail.com to get reservation instructions before all seats are gone.

Once you have your seating ticket, arrive, order, eat, and pay for your own meal(s).