Outing Saturday 26 August 2017

FOBB and Skeeter Hunt are over now! Car problems and wx kept me tied up and I didn’t get to play radio for the FOBB this year. Rain and lightning make contesting in the great outdoors of Central FL very interesting! I managed about 70 minutes in the Skeeter Hunt but only got 5 QSO’s with poor band condx and Murphy working on my antenna connector. So how did you do?

You get your chance to brag at our breakfast gathering at Cracker Barrel in Sanford, FL at 0730 on Saturday 26 August 2017. New gear, toys or trophies are fair game for braggin’ rights. Bring ’em on!

Around 0900 we should be setting up portable gear in Sylvan Lake Park on SR 46 about 5 miles west of I-4. We’ll be in picnic area A in one of the 2 pavilions unless it has been reserved. So watch for our antenna laden vehicles and amateur radio license tags in the other 2 picnic areas if we’re not in our usual spot.

Come on out and play radio in the park!

72,

Kelly K4UPG for the group

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Outing Saturday July 22, 2017

We’re going to go out and try to stir up some QSO’s to show how it is done! Come join us Saturday July 22, 2017!

We will meet at 0730 at Cracker Barrel in Sanford, FL for breakfast and show n tell (bragging). Around 0900 we will be setting up in Sylvan Lake Park. Normally we are in Picnic area A beside the lake unless someone has reserved it. So load up your gear or come out and share ours for a bit if you have your license to operate.

We enjoy having those interested in low power (QRP) amateur radio especially portable in the outdoors. Since 2009 we have been gathering and stirring up the air waves with our little radios. Lots of ideas and helpful tips if you are wanting to know what gear is useful and how to hang wire HIGH in the tall trees.

This is good practice for the upcoming Flight of the Bumblebees QRP on air contest on July 30th. Usually over 100 Bumblebees (portable ops) gather to make contacts in this short contest. Next month is the Skeeter Hunt and many of us enjoy this annual event. So come tune up your ears and gear. It’s summer in the park and time to play ham radio.

72,

Kelly K4UPG for the Central Florida QRP Group

Outing 24 June 2017 – Summertime QRP

Summer QRP Contest Time

Summer marks the start of QRP Contest time for many portable ops. I am not heavy into contesting, but I do enjoy being able to make contacts with some of the ops that I’ve met on the air, through their blogs or some of the many QRP email lists and groups that I enjoy. Our June outing is a great time to test your new antenna or rig, see how others get wire into the trees at 40 or more feet up and have some fun.

As is our custom, we start with breakfast at 0730 EDT meeting at the Sanford, FL Cracker Barrel just off I-4 at State Road 46. This is where the problems of the world (everyone else, not ours) gets discussed and solved over a meal and coffee to get us fueled and ready to go. We also have some show n tell and often pass around some tiny rigs or accessories that someone has homebrewed.

If you cannot make it to breakfast, you can join us around 0900 EDT at Sylvan Lake Park which is about 5 miles west of I-4 on SR 46 and 3/4 mile south on Lake Markham Road. We typically take over picnic area A unless it has been reserved. Watch for our license tags and antennas in Picnic Area B or C if you don’t catch us in our normal hangout. The trees and tall and the facilities make for a quiet and shady operating area.

Here’s a list of the main summer events for QRP portable fun: Flight of the Bumblebees is normally announced about the 1st week of July and is one of our favorite times out. I operated from Honeymoon Island State Park on the Gulf Coast in 2010 and had a great time. Watch  Adventure Radio Society and the QRP-L  yahoo group for announcement details. My friend Rem kicks off mid-summer with the SYBO QRP contest each year in mid-July and you get extra multipliers based on the heat index so it is great for Florida hams as long as the LIGHTNING doesn’t chase us to shelter. Wednesday, June 21st is the first day to get your number of the Skeeter Hunt outing run by our QRP friend Larry W2LJ. It is the bookmark for the end of Summertime QRP in late August. Get out in the parks and make some QSO’s.

You are always welcome to join us for our monthly outings, the 4th Saturday unless it conflicts with local hamfests. Watch our blog for updates!

72,

Kelly K4UPG

for the Central Florida QRP Group