Author: BJ Watts

Rochester Skywarn Training - March 18, 2019 6:30 PM

Rochester Skywarn Training – March 18, 2019 6:30 PM

Posted on by BJ Watts

This year’s Skywarn Training event for Rochester was held at the International Event Center on March 18th 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm. The training is required every 2 years for Olmsted County weather spotters. The National Weather Service website has more information as well as additional times, dates, and locations available for training.

Useful links and notes:

Skywarn® and the Skywarn® logo are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.

Midwinter Madness Hamfest - March 23, 2019 - 8:00AM-1:00PM

Midwinter Madness Hamfest – March 23, 2019 – 8:00AM-1:00PM

Posted on by BJ Watts

Each year the Maple Grove Amateur Radio Club puts on a very nice hamfest in Buffalo MN. The Midwinter Madness Hamfest has a good mix of vendors and swap tables as well as door prizes. VE Testing will be available. Vendor and Club tables are available for purchase if you wish to be an exhibitor. General Admission is still only $10 and children under 15 are free. If you’re planning to attend from the Rochester area, contact KC0NPF, BJ and we may be able to caravan and enjoy a little simplex action on the way up. If you’re driving independently, Talk-in is on the KØLTC Repeater 147.000 +600 114.8 once you get towards the west side of the Twin Cities.

KC0NPF’s Repeater Linking and D-star related link page

Posted on by BJ Watts

This is just a brain-dump of a lot of stuff I’ve been reasearching and poking around at recently. There’s a LOT of cool stuff in Ham Radio out there. I haven’t been on a ham radio binge this bad in a while 🙂

Reflectors, D-star, DMR, SIP bridges, all kinds of cool stuff in the following links:

  • [Streaming just about anything via Raspberry Pi](http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Raspberry_Pi_RTL-SDR_Broadcastify)
  • [XReflector system](http://www.xrefl.net/) Not currently used by the RARC but may be worth exploring in the future
  • [PAPA System of linked repeaters in California](http://www.papasys.com/)
  • [All-Star Linking system based on Asterisk PBX and capable of linking just about anything](https://web-tpa.allstarlink.org/)
  • [Peanut D-star application](http://www.pa7lim.nl/peanut/) D-star from your mobile or PC WITHOUT an AMBE dongle, transcoding is provided by the service. Registration required for obvious reasons.
  • [ARDOP open packet protocol](https://winlink.org/content/ardop_overview)
  • [Open P-25 project](http://osmocom.org/projects/op25/wiki) Decode P-25 systems like ARMER with software.
  • [Scanning P-25 with RTL-SDR](https://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-radio-scanner-tutorial-decoding-digital-voice-p25-with-dsd/)
  • [Winlink PAT on Raspberry Pi or other Linux PC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdpKZ4SZli8)
RARC Social at Wildwood - March 29, 2019

RARC Social at Wildwood – March 29, 2019

Posted on by BJ Watts

The RARC holds a social event the last Thursday of each month at Wildwood. Plenty of parking and the food is great. We average around 7 to 10 people, and we have had as many as 13. We meet around 5:30 pm. We have been leaving around 7:30. We discuss anything and everything. It is very informal. Hams that you have not seen at meetings or public service events have shown up. Come and join us bring the family have some drink some eats and have a good time.

RARC Monthly Meeting - April 9th, 2019 @ 6:30 PM - Timewave

RARC Monthly Meeting – April 9th, 2019 @ 6:30 PM – Timewave

Posted on by BJ Watts

The Rochester Amateur Radio Club (RARC) monthly meeting is at 6:30 p.m on the second Tuesday of every month, at the Rochester City Emergency Operations Center located in the lower level of the 2185 Wheelock Drive Rochester Fire Station No. 2 building.

Meetings start with a 15 minute club-business discussion, then a Rag-Chew time with treats, and finally a very interesting presentation of amateur radio interest.

Contact BJ, KC0NPF@gmail with your club meeting ideas and suggestions for future meetings!
Feel free to join us for an optional social dinner before at 5pm at Whistle Binkies North, voted best bar in Minnesota!

RARC Monthly Meeting - March 12th, 2019 @ 6:30 PM - Noah Chelliah

RARC Monthly Meeting – March 12th, 2019 @ 6:30 PM – Noah Chelliah

Posted on by BJ Watts

Meeting Materials

The Rochester Amateur Radio Club (RARC) monthly meeting is at 6:30 p.m on the second Tuesday of every month, at the Rochester Fire Station No. 2  Emergency Operations Center (EOC, south side basement entrance)

Feel free to join us for an optional social dinner before at 5pm at Whistle Binkies North, voted best bar in Minnesota!

Contact BJ, KC0NPF@gmail with your club meeting ideas and suggestions for future meetings!

Iron Challenge - February 23rd, 2019

Iron Challenge – February 23rd, 2019

Posted on by BJ Watts

The Iron Challenge is a Fat Tire Bike Race, 4k Trail Run and Duathlon raising money for Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge and Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch. For 2019 the Iron Challenge will feature 3 levels of Fat Tire bike racing, 3 levels of a 4k Trail Run race and 3 levels of a Duathlon. This event could use 1-2 more people, sign up here! Contact Braeden – KE0NHW for more information.

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