Announcing the Arizona State ARRL Convention

July 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2008

 

Arizona ScQRPion Program Information

 

BE SURE TO SEE THE WILLIAMS QUICK TOUR AND MAPS LINKS AT THE END OF THIS PAGE

 

QRP gathering time is coming very quickly now, so finalize your plans now to get out here to the cool mountains of Northern Arizona July 18 through July 20!  You’ll find us at our flea market space on Friday, July 18.  Things are finally getting lined up for the hamfest at Williams this year.  So, here's what's going on subject to some refinements as we get a bit closer to the real deal.

 

We plan to have some kits and ScQRPion shirts available at our flea market space and at the programs. 

 

We will abandon the flea market space on Saturday July 19th to go to the programs.  The programs will be located at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (Fray Marcos) located nearby at the Grand Canyon Railway Station.  The main hamfest area and flea market is only a short distance from the hotel.  Don’t hold me to it, but if the hotel has wireless internet access this year and we can find a good streaming video site, we might be able to go live…

 

We have several outstanding presentations on Saturday, July 19th.  Here’s the tentative schedule subject to last minute adjustments in time and content.

 

7:00ish  Early morning rolls, coffee, cokes (Texas speak for assorted soft drinks), and juice

 

08:00 – 09:00  Paul Playford  Design and construction of the antennas for the last Clipperton Dxpedition

 

09:30 – 10:30  Dale Martin (KG5U)  QRP Contesting

 

11:00 – 12:00  Thomas Kuehl (AC7A)  Circuit Simulation

 

Lunch Break

 

   1:00 – 2:00 Doug Hendricks (KI6DS)  The Pack Friendly Radio (PFR-3)!  It’s beginnings at Williams 2007!

 

 Snacks and drinks refreshed

 

  2:30 – 3:30  Dr. Bob Armstrong (N7XJ)  PFR-3 to the Field!

 

 Picnic  at Kaibab Lake 5:00 pm    until ?

 

We have lined up the Santa Fe Room at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel again this year for our programs.  For those that didn't make last year to see this meeting room, it is a palace and a real bargain!  The hotel staff was topnotch and went out of their way to help us out.  No DIRT, no wind, no bugs, no heat, no rain!  Great place to relax.  We will be providing danish rolls (generic term - eats), cookies, and soft drinks throughout the day.  Our treat.  We will have a drawing at the end of EACH talk for an attendance prize.  Drawings are free. 

 

We have also reserved the group campground, KSG-3 at Kaibab Lake just northeast of Williams.  This is not our usual really nice area.  It is much smaller.  Map links are at the end of this page.  Covered ramada with only a single table, firepits, water, potties, and electricity.  Limit 6 (ish) vehicles (up to 30') and 35 camper people.  Tent and camper space is included in this area.  We will need folks to bring portable tables and chairs this year.

 

We will have our traditional picnic supper at the campground Saturday night.  Bring your own meat to cook.  Everything else will be provided.  Somehow.  Lots of door prizes.  We could also use a cookie to manage the chuck wagon.

 

Nearly forgot the usual Friday night no-host dinner gathering at some restaurant.  Steak house last year.  We'll be hanging around the flea market all day Friday.  I plan to get there a little after daylight Friday morning to set up. 

 

Sponsors!  We love ‘em and have some great ones!  In addition to the prizes listed above we have a great line up of attendance prizes to be given away at the Saturday night "bring your own meat" barbeque held at the Kaibab Lake campgrounds.    Prize announcements will be updated as we get them, but at least one of them will be a PFR-3 from Hendricks QRP Kits.  The following are only representative (i.e. we’re working on it) and have been given many times...

 

Hendricks QRP Kits: PFR-3, BITX20A, MMR40, DC40A, Capacitor Kits, and some not quite sure yets, but you can bet they’ll be good ones.

 

Norcal -  Surprises!!

 

Buddipole Portable Antenna System

 

EZNEC Antenna Modeling Software by W7EL

 

W5JH Radio Products Black Widow Paddle Kits

 

Jackite 31 foot telescoping fiberglass antenna poles

 

As you can see we have a great lineup of prizes.  However, you must attend to have a chance at winning one of these. 

 

It would be difficult for us to offer such great prizes without the support of sponsors.   Hendricks QRP Kits has provided an absolutely unbelievable array of kits.   Budd and Chris at Buddipole offered a very generous discount for a Buddipole portable antenna system.   W7EL donated a copy of his great antenna software - EZNEC. Without sponsors like these, we would not be able to give away all these great prizes.  The ScQRPions ask that you please, please keep these sponsors in mind the next time you make a radio related purchase.  Click on the name of the group to go directly to their websites.

 

General hamfest talk-in frequency is 146.78 (-) (PL 91.5). Normal ScQRPion monitoring frequency is 147.3 simplex, but there is a nearby repeater on that frequency.  We will try to monitor the general repeater frequency and 147.3 simplex.  Campground talk-in will be 146.78 and 449.75.  Click here to see the Arizona State ARRL Convention website for the main convention information.

 

The following link is for the campground website:  KSG-3 site Kaibab Lake  Click on KSG-3 for campground features once you are on the Kaibab Lake webpage.  Click on the Map icon for a map to the camping area inside the park.  The campground map link below has a map to the Lake, but no map to KSG-3…  The campground is available beginning Thursday night and final checkout on Sunday afternoon.

 

That's all I can think of for the time being.  Things will likely change some, but hopefully not too much.  Watch for changes on the QRP lists and the website.  Major changes will be posted to the usual lists.  We’ll be looking forward to seeing all of you in Williams!

 

73 john k5js

     Email to:  jwsteven at concentric dot net

 

WILLIAMS QUICK TOUR and MAPS

 

CAMPGROUND RELATED MAPS AND LINKS