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 Congratulations to Jack AA3AZ for his most recent accomplishment 5 band DXCC
 Hello all Lars here.
Looks like I will have about 6 months, before I’m healed and so I have been thinking of a little something to do in the meantime.
You see the rig at the right here, it’s my beautiful Kenwood TS-520 and its a so called “hybrid rig” it means that the radio have both old time tubes and transistors, the tubes are just used in the transmitter “PA”, but easily delivers a nice and clean 100w out.
Now to my crazy idea, if you guys know of anybody who wants to get rid of his old non working TS-520, 520s or 520se, even TS-820, 830 or even TS-530 would work fine, I would be happy to buy for around $90- 100, just as something to do…. As you might have figured out, cheaper is better, since trying to get back to shape, (torn rotator cuff) so I can get back to work again, isn’t cheap…
Mind You, I’m not a repair pro, but hoping to learn “how to”
Thank you for taking time to read this…
Lars KB3WBT
PS: E-mail me at sm7fyw at hotmail.com
Now is the time to renew your Quad-County Amateur Radio Club membership. It’s still only $12.00 a year, the same as it was in 1975! In 1975, that would buy you a tank of gas, today it would only buy 3 gallons. Or you could look at it as only $1.00 a month… or 3 cents a day!
 Here’s the 2013 Membership Application!
2013 promises to be a fun-filled year with lots of enjoyable ham radio activities already being planned! Come join the fun, and support your Club!!!
 The plans have been finalized for the 6:30 PM December 15th dinner. The new owner of The Arrowhead has initiated a prime rib buffet since purchasing the business. We have agreed on adding a tray of sliced turkey breast and a tray of stuffing to the regular fare. We will have our own table. The price is $13.99. Reservations may be made via email to treasurer@qcarc.org, or by contacting W3DWR after the Sunday night net.
Quad-County members participated in a number of contests over the summer months, with good results! Here are some of the official results:
ARRL June VHF Contest
Current Club President Herb Murray W3TM and Secretary Joe Shupienis W3BC hit the bricks to participate in the Rover-Limited category. Activating 5 grids and handing out 92 QSOs, their final official score was 5,406 points, with contacts being made in 48 grids! It was a lot of fun, and they activated some grids neither had operated from before, notably FN02, EN92 and EN91, along with FN00 and FN01. We are fortunate to live in or near so many “rare” grids, and the 6 meter stations were grateful!
That score was enough to win the WPA Section, and to take second place in the Atlantic Division!
Field Day
Overcoming confusion about our location, we stuck it out and had a great time. Finishing in the top 10 of all stations in the WPA section, we scored 2,550 points and most importantly had 26 participants who helped put our signals on the air for the full duration of the event!
That score allowed us to take First Place honors in our 2A-Commercial category for both the Western Pennsylvania Section and the Atlantic Division. We finished 6th place in our category, Nationwide.
Great work, everybody!
CQ WW DX (SSB)
This is “The Big One” — the 900 pound gorilla of contests. Current Vice-President Peach Caltagarone AB3OG graciously opened up his Hummingbird Speedway facilities to the club, and the 16 members and guests who stopped by to operate and observe. We strung up a number of antennas, including a pair of crossed G5RVs and W3BC’s “Half-Rhombic,” a 300 foot monster pointed at Europe.
Results were very good! We logged 91 counties — that’s almost DXCC in a single weekend! the antennas worked flawlessly, digging out European, African and Asian stations well into the wee hours. Then it was back at it Sunday morning, with all the comforts of home — W3BC brought an HD TV and antenna. We were able to receive 11 HDTV stations, and could keep an eye on the football games as we racked up our own score on the air!
Our goal was to introduce non-contesters to RadioSport, to allow everyone to try their hand in a big contest, and to have fun. We did that and more! We finished 2nd Place in the 3rd call district, 17th place Nationwide, 27th place in North America, and 96th place worldwide. With over 8,000 other stations sending in logs, that is quite an accomplishment!
The CQ WW DX (CW) weekend is coming up, as is the ARRL Sweepstakes (SSB) weekend. Gear up for these and be sure to include “Quad County Amateur Radio Club” as your club to help out our club aggregate score! Whatever you favorite on-air activity, it’s coming to your radio soon!
Congratulations to newly licensed and upgraded hams. The following hams earned new licenses and privileges at the recent VE session following 6 weeks of classes held at the Red Cross in DuBois.
Bill Latta, Punxsutawney, KA3MKY – General
Steven Caltagarone, Reynoldsville, KB3ZKI – Technician
Roger McEachron, Treasure Lake, KB3ZKJ – Technician
Paul Murphy, Punxsutawney, AB3RB – Extra
 THE QUAD-COUNTY Amateur Radio Club, Inc. proudly presents our 2012 Annual Report, detailing the activities of the past 12 months in this, our 38th year. You may view or download it here:
2012 Annual Report
 Reynoldsville Reunion: Ed Golla Jr K3AHS and Mayor Peach Caltagarone AB3OG enjoy the opportunity to catch up on old times at the picnic Hams and their friends and families turned out at the QTH of Ed Golla for the 2012 annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, September 29. Mother Nature cooperated (for once) and we had pleasant weather for the entire time we were there. Ed K3AHS had a nice fire going to ward off any chill or bugs, while Don KB3LES, Sam KA3ESM and Joe W3BC with help from Herb W3TM and Tom, went to work setting up the antennas and radios. It wasn’t long before the sweet sound of DX on 10 and 12 meter bands filled the autumn air.  VHF, UHF and HF antennas were set up and working  Hotdogs with "BUX Sauce" -- a Quad-County tradition! The main event at every picnic is eating, and the club-supplied hamburgers and hotdogs along with the covered dishes brought by our members resulted in way more food than we all could eat. Nobody went home hungry!
It’s been said that the two things hams enjoy most in life are eating and radios. It’s probably a tie for first place. Well when we combine the two at a picnic, it’s a sure-fire good time for every ham there.  Brad N3HAO demonstrates that nothing is more fun than a picnic... except a picnic WITH RADIOS! We’ve had lots of practice taking our show on the road this year, and so we were able to put up antennas covering “DC to Daylight” in a matter of minutes. The bands were in good shape, with great propagation on 10 and 12 meters to Europe and beyond.
Social Networking
Ham radio is the original “social network”–the kids today on “MyFace” have nothing on us! We’ve b een doing it for years, both on the air and off. The picnic was no exception. Everywhere you looked you saw friends, old and new, talking with each other and enjoying a good time. And that’s why all of us were there.
Gallery
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- Reynoldsville Reunion: Ed Golla Jr K3AHS and Mayor Peach Caltagarone AB3OG enjoy the opportunity to catch up on old times at the picnic
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- Hotdogs with "BUX Sauce" -- a Quad-County tradition!
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- Brad N3HAO demonstrates that nothing is more fun than a picnic... except a picnic WITH RADIOS!
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- QCARC Fall Picnic, September 29, 2012
L-R: Doug Rowles W3DWR, Ed Golla, Jr K3AHS, Charlie Lindahl KA3DEO, Brad Bedell N3HAO, Joe Shupienis W3BC, Jeff Rowles KA3FHV, Sam Mc Ghee KA3USM.
Total attending: 16
Mising from last year: Fred WA3GQU and Fuzzy K3QEQ
(c) 2012 Joe Shupienis W3BC
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- VHF, UHF and HF antennas were set up and working
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 Hello again all, the Swede is back!
This time I got the inspiration from all the good band openings on 10m.
Openings you say, I haven’t heard anything in a long time!!
Well, I used to say the same thing, after I scanned the band using my vertical AV-620, which for those of you who does not know what that is, it’s a 6-band vertical covering 6m to 20m, and it’s considered one of the best verticals.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to replace my home built 3 element 10m quad, which couldn’t take the snow/ice, without breaking, and of coarse that’s what happened again last winter/spring.
After a research online, I decided to buy an Italian made 4 element beam, the manufacturer is Sirio, and is well known among cb’ers for their lightweight and good antennas.
Since the 27mhz is close to 28mhz, its a breeze, to re-tune the antenna to cover the lower end of the 10m band.
When I got the new antenna, I saw that the element brackets were already pre installed, so then I only had to put the mast-bracket on, (boom in 2 sections) and assemble the elements, put them in their brackets and install the gamma-match.
It took me about half an hour, and a little help to tune the gamma-match for 28,400 Mhz.
After it was assembled, I could not find a pipe that was tall enough, so it ended up sitting at the altitude of 2′ above my lawn, but even at that modest height, I heard CE, LU and PY stations with 59 signals!!
The next day, I got my “expensive” tower out, (top section) so now the beam was about 12′ up, and able to be turned, once again I hooked it up to my Icom 706, and again I heard a lot of stations, coming in with very good signal strength and so did a whole lot of beacons, I’ve never heard before!
While I had the antenna sitting “on the ground” it was hooked up to my Icom using about 100′ RG-58, but still very good signals on the rx and I also made quite a few contacts, to see how good side-lobe and F/B rejection it had, because as you all know, to see it on paper is one thing, but what you really get, is something else, so, when you have about 59+20-30dB on the front of the antenna, and you are getting about 8-9 S units on the back, you know it works! (note: not calibrated S meter!)
About a week later, I was lucky enough to get the antenna up in my tower, and results just got better!
Since I have been home for almost a month because of my injured shoulder, I have had the fortune to be able to monitor 10m, from when it opens, around 8-8,30 am, towards Europe and Scandinavia, and yes, apart from about 2 days, yes 2 days, the band has been open!
Around noon, the west-coast beacons are gaining strength (readable all morning though) but after noon people out there start to show up, and then you will hear FO4BM, with good signal, S 54-55, and then the VK and ZL stations show up, they are all easy to work, when there are no pile-up, and that’s with my old boat anchor Kenwood TS-520!
So, if you say that the band is not open, it might be because you just need a better antenna….
What I’m saying isn’t that I have the best antenna there is, but rather that 10m is open, if you just listen with a better antenna.
Don’t forget, that even you technician licensees are allowed on 10m, up to 28,500 Mhz, why not give it your best shot?
The antenna, Sirio SY 27-4 is about $170 incl from H&Y electronics (the cheapest place I’ve found) and it only took 3 days to get it, the weight is also very low, so a TV antenna rotator is more than adequate.
So, now what’s stopping you, get on the fun, get on 10m!
Cleaning out the shack. Here’s what was a 1000′ roll of Cat-5 ethernet cable. I used no more than a couple hundred feet so it’s about 800 feet of the good stuff.
$25 / obo
Local pickup unless you want to pay a lot for shipping.
Call Joe 814-372-3235 or catch me on the air.
 The Quad-County ARC and the Punxsutawney Area ARC are both sponsoring a Ham Radio Fall Picnic from noon to ??? on Saturday, September 29 at the QTH of Ed Golla. This was the site of many happy Field Day operations and picnics. Thanks to the generosity of Ed Golla, Jr. K3AHS, we have been invited to return to the home of so many happy ham radio activities.
The picnic is for members, former members, non-members, guests and anybody interested in our clubs or amateur radio in our area. The clubs are providing hamburgers and hot dogs, with condiments and soft drinks. You are encouraged (but not required) to bring a covered dish to share with the group. This will be a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with your ham radio friends, old and new. Please plan on attending.
The picnic will be held, rain or shine, [or wind! -Ed.] and in case of blizzard, shovels will be provided.
Directions
From Reynoldsville: Take PA-310 south for 3.5 miles. Watch for the Quad-County sign on the right at the driveway (1.8 miles beyond the Lakelawn Cemetary entrance). Proceed up the driveway past the gray house (with a “G” on the chimney) and back through the field along the trees to the picnic grounds. Talk-in on the 147.315 Quad-County repeater.
From Punxsutawney: Take PA 310 north for 9.0 miles. Watch for the Quad-County sign on the left at the driveway (2.1 miles beyond the Amish Restaurant / old PA-952 intersection). Proceed up the driveway past the gray house (with a “G” on the chimney) and back through the field along the trees to the picnic grounds. Talk-in on the 147.315 Quad-County repeater.
GPS Coordinates:
- 41.062992,-78.927251 (driveway)
- 4366 Pennsylvania 310, Reynoldsville, PA 15851
- 41.065015,-78.92907 (Picnic area)
 WWe hit the road once again on Saturday, August 11; this time to set up a public demo booth at the Super 322 Drive-In Car Show between Woodland and Bigler. Lars KB3WBT, Ed KB3VWX, Don KB3LES and Joe W3BC strung a G5RV from the 50-foot peak of the screen to a similarly high tree. Lars and Don set up the radios and some portable antennas, and we hit the airwaves.
 Sam KA3USM sat in at the operating position, and Herb W3TM and guest made the rounds and pointed us to the best car displays.
Lars worked DX station after DX station and tuned higher and higher bands as the day progressed and the MUF increased. He agreed that sunspots are a good thing. The weather was very pleasant with scattered clouds and nary a drop of rain. We handed out information packets to those who stopped by, and got the chance to browse through the car show at our own pace.
Theater owner Bill Frankhouser was very appreciative of our efforts, and hopes to have us back again next year.
Photo Gallery
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