West Georgia Amateur Radio Society

Winter 2018/2019 Fox Hunt

Our Winter fox hunt marks the 3rd time we've held a two-stage hunt, with those who find the first fox also finding a frequency to use to find the 2nd fox.  There was a new twist though, the fox was actually a dog, being walked by WX4BK through Clinton Nature Preserve.

Fall 2018 Fox Hunt

Well, the September 2018 Fox hunt is in the record books, with over half a dozen teams hunting for two foxes. Team WD4LUQ took first place honors.  Thanks go to  K4RDO, Dennis  and his XYL for being fox number 1. Those who found Fox #1 were given the frequency to Fox #2 and the hunt continued!  It looked like Dennis and Beverly had a nice time at Starbuck's while frustrating the hunters. Also, thanks to  WGARS for supplying the food for an afternoon cook-out (especially KX4DV for the burgers). Great fun, food and friends.

WGARS routinely hold a variety of events, including fox hunts.  We hope you will join us for future ones!

Field Day 2018 Most Successful In Memory

West Georgia Amateur Radio Society had the most successful Field Days in memory! Operating as class 4F, which allows four HF stations plus a bonus GOTA (Get-On-The-Air) station, we exceeded 1700 points, about 400 points more than last year! In reality, we were operating 3F, as 10-meters had no activity and that station made no contacts, but we identified as 4F during the event because we were hoping there might be some activity on the 10 meter band.

The club set up Saturday morning, installing antennas made by the club two years ago, all custom-cut dipoles for each operating band (80, 40, 20, and 15). We held a class on antenna building and constructed a 10 meter antenna with parts Wayne (KM4BYH) had on hand, which we used on our GOTA station.

Debbie (KM4BYH - XYL) generously handled cooking and setting up food for the crew, so we were well-fed and ready to go when the starting bell rang!

All antennas tuned up well on their respective bands and conditions were good from the very start! All stations were manned at the beginning, and with the exception of the 10 meter band station, stations were manned for our entire time of operation - Noon Sunday. 

We had a good turnout amongst younger people, having all stations operated by under-eighteen year olds! Paige (KN4GHU) was licensed since last field day, so could have operated GOTA, but she and Brian (KM4UPX) were teaming up on the 15 meter band.

Field Day 2018 Preparation Underway

Field Day is a national (US) amateur radio exercise where amateur radio operators work to make as many contact over 24-27 hours on the last full weekend of June and will take place June 23rd-24th in 2018. The West Georgia Amateur Radio Society will hold its activities at Little Tallapoosa Park, utilizing the Carroll County EMA mobile command center vehicle. 

Amateur radio operators and the general public are invited to participate.  Non-amateur radio operators will have the opportunity to attempt an amateur radio contact.

WGARS operations will take place at the Equestrian Campground at Little Tallapoosa Park, just look for the gravel road to your left almost immediately after entering the park.  If you need directions, click here. Coordinates of the entrance are 33.6452835, -85.0513928.

2018 Officer Elections

Congratulations to our newly elected club officers! Most went unopposed, but we did have a run-off vote for the 2nd Board Member position, with the two highest vote getters tied with 9 each of the 24 votes. The transition to the new officers is coincident with our annual Christmas Party, held on the normal meeting night in December. We all look forward to an exciting year ahead!

September 2017 Fox Hunt

WGARS held a differnet kind of Fox Hunt (to us, anyway) on September 23rd. First, the boundaries were not our typical "inside the Greenbelt", but anywhere in Carroll county. The other difference is rather than competing, we worked together as a group, calling on home stations to listen for signals in their area and search teams to share any signal reports as well. The hunt began around 10:00AM.

We also utilized some homebrew software to plot the signals and project potential fox locations.  WX4BK and KM4UPX logged the first two signal readings using Yagi antennas, and the software plotted the first projected location, which KM4UPX and his daughter Paige went to.  A third signal report by WX4BK crossed the first two, with an area of about 1/4 mile. 

Antenna Building 2017

June was a busy month for WGARS members!  In addition to a fox hunt an antenna building party was held to custom build dipole antennas for Field Day.  WX4BK made a brief presentation on construction of an antenna using only wire, PVC, a soldering iron and some electrict tape or heat-shrink tubing. The wire lengths for 80, 40, 20, and 15 meter antennas were pre-calculated and the group went to work measuring the antenna lengths, handing the wire off for soldering to the coax, then on to soldering connectors on.

Other team members worked outside, stretching the antennas out and checking them with the club's antenna analyzer. Most all antennas tested being a little long.  The legs were intentionally cut long so they could be gradually trimmed until properly tuned.