ARRL ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIVISION CONVENTION
Forums and Presentations

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View the Forum and Hamfest Schedule at the links below.

FRIDAY Schedule        SATURDAY Schedule

Check back for more updates. Last Updated 8/4/2019


Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning – Kevin Reeve N7RXE

Send a weather balloon to over 100k feet with amateur radio on board, along with experiments, sensors, video cameras and more. Several ham radio groups in Utah are having a great time flying and also helping youth do the same. Come learn about all the fun you can have building, launching, tracking, and hunting down that payload.


The Digital Radio Amateur Workstation (DRAWS™) – An Overview – John Hays K7VE

Overview of various modes and services available using the DRAWS™ Workstation


Home Brew Multiband Vertical HF Antenna – Kelby Davis AD7VO

Home Brew HF vertical antenna, continuously tune-able through 7 to 50 MHz.


Antenna modeling with 4nec2 – Kelby Davis AD7VO

Demonstration of antenna modeling with 4nec2 computer software.


Portable HF and DXpeditioning – Jared Smith N7SMI

This session will provide tips for taking your HF station portable. Whether from your back yard, the back country, or an uninhabited Pacific island, you’ll learn the basic equipment, skills, and considerations for making long-distance HF contacts from anywhere.

Update your station by adding a low-cost Software Defined Receiver (SDR) – John Long KW7A

Everyone can add an SDR to their station and gain many of the features that the newer Transceivers have. Review some of the current SDR devices and how they work. Better receive sensitivity. Add a pan adapter, see the complete band activity at once, in real time, see multiple band activity at the same time. Integrate the SDR, Pan adapter and N1MM. Sync your SDR with your Transceiver. See where everyone is transmitting to a DXpedition when using Split mode.

DXCC For The Little Guy – John Long KW7A

Ways that anyone with a small station can have a chance at obtaining their DXCC buy using multiple resources even if you have a very basic station.

How and Why of DXing – Bob Carter WR7Q

Learn why we chase DX. Where to find and listen. When are the best times and places to check? What methods work best?

Go-Kits, “What Is Right For Me” – Dan Lundwall N7XDL

Dan will demonstrate various examples of creating your very own Go-Kit so that it works for You.  His emphasis will be on making a kit that is Simple, Inexpensive and built for a targeted purpose.  He will also provide ideas for the advanced user.  The goal in giving this presentation is to show that you don’t need to be a millionaire in order to create a go-kit that is right for you.

Learning CW After Puberty with CW Academy – Bob Carter WR7Q

You may have always wanted to know Morse Code, but now you think your just too old to learn. Utilizing CW-Ops CW Academy, Bob will show you…if you are willing to commit some serious time and effort you can learn and be using CW in just a few short months at any age.

What about Decibels – Bob Carter WR7Q

We’ve all heard the term decibels (dB) and may believe we have a good idea how they work and what they mean. But do you really? Bob will share with us details explaining what the numbers mean and how they are determined

Remote control of radio transceivers, design and implementation – Gary Crum KK7DV

Computerized remote control of remote radio transceivers, including several implementations using various architectures and operating systems including Linux, Microsoft Windows, web interfaces, iOS and Android.

Rooftop antenna planning and installation – Richard Mead W7VQ

Home rooftop antenna planning and installation.

 
SOTA – Lessons From the Trail – John Overbaugh K7JTO

Lessons learned getting involved in SOTA, including recommendations to keep costs low, equipment reviews (with no endorsement or affiliation), antenna reviews, trip planning advice, etc. This is oriented toward individuals who would like to get involved in SOTA, primarily as activators, but aren’t sure where to start.

How to Build Portable Go-Boxes For Your Home And Abroad – John Jacobs W7DBO

Go-boxes are a popular way to mount your equipment in portable cases for rapid deployment. But did you also know that is a great way to set up your equipment in the shack? This session will cover how to get started in building go-boxes, what equipment works best, design considerations, tips and tricks, and a display of several boxes. Go boxes are a great option when you need to be portable with your shack but want to minimize the exposure to the elements. If you love field day, volunteering for public service events, or want to be prepared for emergency communications, you will enjoy this presentation and get new ideas for organizing your own gear.

CW For Beginners: Why Morse Code Is Still Cool – Ryan Simpkins N2OW

A beginner-level discussion regarding the process of learning CW as a language and obtaining proficient on-air skills. Topics include: benefits of learning CW, training resources and recommendations, learning using modern tools, encouraging youth (hams under 18 years old) to try CW. We will be using live demos and lots of graphics to create an interesting and engaging presentation.

Mobile Installation Tips and Tricks or How to Learn from Other’s Mistakes – David Mamanakis KD7GR

Mobile Installation Tips and Tricks or How to Learn from Other’s Mistakes

Winlink from Start to Finish – Mat Murdock K2MJM

This session will cover from set-up to getting one the air with Winlink. Winlink is a global radio email system.

21st Century Net Management with Google Sheets – Chris Clement K7CTC

Come see how the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club utilizes real-time online collaboration tools provided by Google to conduct our weekly net.

The Best ARES Emergency Communications Training Ever – LOTOJA – Kevin Reeve – N7RXE

This session will focus on how a public service event can be your ARES groups best Emergency Communications training you will ever receive. More than 130 amateur radio operators from 3 states spearheaded by the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club, provide communication and other support to the longest single day bike race in North America. Participants will leave with great ideas on how to leverage public service events as key emergency communication and training exercises for their groups. LOTOJA is a 206-mile bike race and ride from Logan Utah to Jackson Wyoming. It travels through Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Impress Your Friends With Your DFing Skills – Larry Jacobs WA7BZO

Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Solar and Propagation Update for 2019 – Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA

Overview of the current status of Cycle 24, predictions for Cycle 25 and discussion on HF propagation for the next several years.

Setting up a Pi-Star Hotspot for DMR – Chris Andrist KC7WSU

This session will cover the basics of setting up a DMR hotspot using a Raspberry pi, MMDVM hat and Pi-Star software.

Eliminating My Own QRM – Roland K. Smith K7OJL

In my new QTH and shack the noise floor was an astounding S9+. Most of that turned out to be QRM generated by devices in the shack. The presentation describes how I tracked down the noise sources and eliminated them reducing the noise floor to S4.

AllStar Link … Yet Another VOIP – Roland K. Smith K7OJL

AllStar Link using the open source Asterisk PBX (private branch exchange) to link repeaters around the world

Technical Considerations for Your Shack – Bill Mader K8TE

Keeping You and Your Gear Safe, Making Your Gear Work for You, Ideas/Gadgets That Help, Is the New Toy Worth It? Can’t Hear ‘Em? RX Performance Listing

Army Mars Forum – Steve Carver AAA8RD

A forum for Army Mars members and those interested.

FT8 – From Setup to First QSO – Jed Petrovich AD7KG

Learn how you can take advantage of this new digital mode. Presentation will cover the basics of setup and operation.

DXing from the Middle East – Joel Shelton N8XJ

Between 2009 and 2018, I lived in the United Arab Emirates for work. Licensed there under the call A65BX, I will share my DXing adventures–and occasional misadventures–operating from this fascinating oil-rich country in the Persian Gulf. For those just getting into HF DXing, I will also explain how I was able to easily work around the world using modest power levels and simple wire antennas.

Amateur Radio Satellite Communications – Carlos Cardon W7QL

Historically, communications satellites for amateur operation came from the United States and Russia as an outgrowth of the Space-Race of the 1960s, through 80s. However, many other nations have now begun launching space vehicles with amateur payloads. China is currently very active with seven satellites in daily amateur use. The US has three operational, with another slated for launch later this year. As a result of all this activity, there are now more satellites available to radio operators than ever before.

This presentation will cover the history, technology, evolution and operational aspects of amateur satellites. It will discuss the current “birds” and provide an overview of hardware, software and operating techniques used in amateur satellite communications.

Summits on the Air – Ryan Etherington K7ODX

Shared experiences, gear talk, and some how-to regarding “Summits on the Air”.

A Fun Look at a History of DXing and Ham Radio – Ron Wilcox KF7ZN

A look at the early history of Ham Radio, with an emphasis on DXing. We will mainly explore ham radio operators and their interesting and often humorous stories, mixed with some of the milestone achievements of our hobby.

DxLab Logging Software and much more – Ron Wilcox KF7ZN

DXLab is one of the largest logging programs in the world. Do you want a logging program for your contacts that will interact with other programs including N1MM, WSJT-X (FT8), and LOTW? You can use some or all of the following: Transceiver control, rotator control, prefix, region, IOTA and grid square lookup, language translation, callbook lookup, award tracking and submission and more. In this presentation we will introduce you to DXLab and give you an overview to get started with this free program.

The Basics of Propagation – Ron Wilcox KF7ZN

This will be an introduction to HF propagation covering the sun and its role, coronal mass ejections (CME), solar storms, sunspots, the ionosphere, regions of the ionosphere, solar flux, K index, A index, and the Earth’s magnetic fields, and how this affects your propagation. Some sources for using this information will be introduced.

The ARRL Teacher Institute – Lisa Cook K7LAC

If you are a teacher or know a teacher, you should attend.  We will cover how to apply, and what you will learn.  A real treat for teachers interested in STEM.

New Ham Workshop – John Jacobs W7DBO

You just got your call sign but now what? How do you get started in amateur radio? What equipment to buy? How can I get involved in the community? How does amateur radio fit into personal emergency preparedness? This workshop will cover getting started in amateur radio and will be a mostly question & answer session. So bring your questions and plan for an informative session.
 
Earthquake Preparedness – Marilyn Hoff – the Earthquake Lady

Many of us live on the Wasatch Front and that means we also live near the Wasatch Fault.  Because of this, the likelihood of being affected by earthquakes is very high.  Learn how to prepare and how to protect yourself and your family.
 

Fldigi’s Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System (NBEMS) – Joan Rapp K6QJU

Professional digital message passing for Emergency Communicators. Impress your served agencies with professional-looking printed message forms. Mesh compatible.

FT8 – Tips on Making DX QSOs and Understanding the DXpedition Mode – Jed Petrovich AD7KG

Using FT8 to make DX contacts. The special DXpedition (Fox/Hound) mode will be covered.

My Favorite Commercial and Homebrew Portable HF Antennas – Jed Petrovich AD7KG

Discussion and demonstration of several HF portable antennas that could even be used in your own backyard.

Ham Radio and Emergency Management: Building Partnerships of Trust and Benefit – a Farm Boy’s perspective

Lance Peterson, Director of Emergency Management for Weber County will speak on how Weber County has partnered with ARES and a local radio club to bring about mutual benefit.

Mesh Introduction – Charles Gray KE6QZU

This introduction to Mesh or High-Speed MultiMedia radio (HSMM) will give you an overview of what mesh is and how it works. So what is MultiMedia? MultiMedia consists of messages that contain not just text. The HSMM messages may contain, audio, images and/or video. High speed file transfer. If you use the Internet, you are familiar with MultiMedia messages, like email, YouTube, and Facebook, etc. With HSMM (Mesh) you can do the same thinks you do on the Internet on Ham Radio Bands. Before Mesh was available the best Ham Radio could do is 1200 or 9600 baud. With Mesh one can do up to 54 megabits per second. Mesh is not a replacement for the Internet, but a way for Hams to communicate with each other using High-Speed MultiMedia. Come and see if Mesh is for you.

Programming Your Radio with Software – David Mamanakis KD7GR

You bought a Baofeng, Yaesu, Kenwood, TYT, Icom, Wouxun, etc, and… Now what? You need to program it to use the repeaters in the area! But… Typing all that in manually? The Horror!  Hopefully we can answer a few questions and help you get your radio programmed!

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