Most Recent Blog Posts

  • Experimenter’s Picnic 2025

    A Sunday Afternoon in August… what’s better than a cookout with Ham Radio?

    (Most photos by Cushla, KD2TCH, from https://www.facebook.com/David.Sarnoff.Radio.Club)

    Ben AC2YD sets up solder staions to practice soldering!

    And That’s just the start….

    And YES we set up a station and made a couple of contacts… one 3 miles away, one in Slovenia.
    SEE NEXT PAGE—

    Anthony sets up a station… next to the food.

    And we had to talk about it all… (Note “Rigel-6” in background.)

    What’s a cookout without a Theramin? NEXT PAGE

    Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, VeggieBurgers, and soda!
  • Field Day 2025 Wrap Up 2- Reporters and Tangles
    Come on in!

    Dot, Dot, Dash… Our club caught the attention of two Franklin Reporter journalists… Here’s a link to their story. Note that the video may not show… but have no fear!

    https://franklinreporter.com/ham-radio-enthusiasts-gather-in-township-for-field-day-activities/

    The video is shared on Facebook (you don’t need an account) at https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1644675236193130/?t=0.

    Tangles

    Even after Friday night weed whacking, there was still work to do.

    We are setting up!
    Half of setting up is untangling the antennas (G5RV shown)
    Sorting out the ground wires
    And setting up on the “grassy knoll”

    The effort was worth it!!

    https://franklinreporter.com/ham-radio-enthusiasts-gather-in-township-for-field-day-activities/
  • Field Day 2025 Wrap Up 1
    Safety officer Bob made wonderful signs for the entrance!

    The weather was better than last year… that is, we did not have an actual thunderstorm. The turnout was great with 30 participants, and the score was great!

    Setting up
    Raising up several antennas with one rope…. on the tallest tree around.
    Our “Rigel-6” antenna did great on 6 Meters! Simple and not very directional

    Officials Come Visit!!

    Bill Kelly, from the American Red Cross came to visit!
    SNJ Section Manager Ron Fish KX1W visits the GOTA station (which did wonderful things this year)
    Don’t forget dinner!!

    A good chance to take a break! Lasagna (veggie and meat), salads and meatballs!

    And Cushla the cook takes a break!
    Why go back on the air when there’s more food?
    Bob goes on the air… sitting in his historic church chairs!

    More to come…

  • ARRL Field Day 2025 is coming!
    three hams sitting at a table with lots of wires and stuff.. one talking on a radio
    Join us on Field Day 2025!

    We have two pages of information (click on the page names to go there):
    1) Field Day 2025 is the page for visitors and general information about ARRL Field Day and to contact us!
    2) Field Day Prep is the page for members to find a site map and work that needs doing

  • Morse Code Day 2025

    In honor of Morse and Vail’s first intercity telegraph message on May 24, 1844, and the connecting of Boston to Washington via New Jersey in 1846, we held a small commemoration and demonstration at the Kingston NJ Canal House and Telegraph House.

    The goal was to explain the use of the small white building, built as a toll house in 1834 and adapted for a telegraph office sometime in 1846.

    As part of the commemoration, we set up a Morse Code station (CW) and antenna and contacted two other Amateur Radio Stations via Morse Code.

    The photo shows Don, AK2S, demonstrating telegraphy to two of the 30 people assembling for the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park “Pop-up walk” held Saturday morning. Park historian Vicki Chirco and park guide Claire Apel led the attendees to the Kingston Lock, where Charlie N2CTW shared our current knowledge of the Telegraph Office as well as basics of Morse Code using a code practice oscillator.

    Don contacted two other stations, Bob, K2QPN and Rob, KE3TI. As an extra treat, Don sent a radiogram from the Kingston Telegraph Office… the first telegraph message to originate from that location in over 100 years.

    -Charlie N2CTW

    Here’s the Library of Congress’ material on the event:
    First telegraph message, 24 May. 24 May, 1844. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mcc.019/.

    Here’s an enhanced view of the tape- three styli pressed the tape with the Morse code characters…. Three styli recorded the same sequence of pulses. As you can see below, sometimes one stylus’s marks are clearer than the other styli. Vail’s handwriting is below showing the letters received.

    WHAT H    would be .--   ....   .-   -   ....   it can almost be seen in the image with contrast enhanced.  ("What hath God wrought" is the message)

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