Field Day 2020 and Annual Business Meeting

DATE: Monday, June 1, 2020

TIME: 7:00 PM

Speaker: Tim Long W2UI and James MacMurray N2UZQ

Tim Long got his start in amateur radio in 1961 when he passed his Novice exam given by his scoutmaster WA2FFJ and received call WN2KHQ. That call sign became WB2KHQ, then WA4DXR, then WB2SPN, and now W2UI. Tim has served SARA in various positions including many years as Secretary, two stints as Vice President, two tours as President, and countless years as Treasurer (dues cheerfully accepted). Tim holds BSEE and MSCS degrees and is now retired after a career with Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp. in West Milton. Besides ham ra- dio antenna work and Field Day, Tim enjoys golf.

James MacMurray was born in 1972 and grew up in Scotia. James was licensed in 1993 and received his Extra while going to college for Data Communications. He is past president of SARA, current treasurer for SMARA, Emergency Coordinator for Schenectady County ARES, and Assistant Section Manager for Eastern NY. He has served as a Director for SARA for the past 6 years and served SMARA as a past President, Vice President, and Treasurer. Currently James is a full time Employee Retirement Examiner 3 for the State of New York Office of the State Comptroller. James has interests in VHF/UHF weak signal, HF phone, and HF Digital contesting.

The June meeting is also our annual business meeting, including our annual election of Board Members and Officers. Officers and Board of Directors Nominations for 2020-2021 are as follows:

President: JR Hotaling N2PEQ
Vice President: Jim Silva KC2ZVK
Secretary: Jim Stewart K2PK
Treasurer: Tim Long W2UI
Board Member: Bob Saltzman WB2ARK
Board Member: Skip Evans W2YJL
Board Member: James MacMurray N2UZQ
Board Member: Terry Saunders N1KIN

Please plan to attend this meeting.

 

 

“Field Day 2019—ARES Northern District Counties”

Speaker: Fred Halley,W2EMS Northern District Emergency Coordinator

Abstract: Fred’s talk will be a photographic survey of Field Day 2019, compiled from his travels throughout the counties comprising the ARES Northern District. He will describe the accomplishments (and failures) from a wide range of FD operations.

Fred Halley, W2EMS Fred was first licensed in 2000 as KC2CQL, and received his current call in 2010, having upgraded to amateur extra. He was appointed as Saratoga County Emergency Coordinator in Fall, 2011. He ran the SCARA Sunday night news for several years. Fred is very active in public service events and Field Day activities, and has participated in the Simulated Emergency Test (SET) for the past 10 years. Fred was appointed Northern District Emergency Coordinator in July, 2017.

 

“Amateur Radio: A Historical Perspective”

Speaker: Bill Hudzik W2UDT, Hudson Division Vice Director

6:45-7:15 p.m. Refreshments*

7:15-8:15 p.m. General Meeting

Abstract: Bill’s talk will focus on the history of Amateur Radio, including how amateur radio came about, and how “Ham” and “Q” signals and traffic handling were developed, among other topics. He will also have some hand-outs for attendees to bring home.

Bill Hudzik, W2UDT has been continuously licensed since 1961. He has operated from KP2, KR6, C6A and V2 over the years. Bill has served as Northern New Jersey section manager for 4 terms, Assistant Director for 3 years, and is on his third elected term as Vice Director for the Hudson Division. He has been active with the North Jersey DX Association (NJDXA) for over 28 years, serving as Secretary, Vice President and President of the organization and continues to serve as a volunteer letter manager. He is also a member of the New Providence Radio Club, the Raritan Valley Radio Club, and the Frankford Radio Club. Bill is an ARRL Life Member as well as a Diamond Club Member. He is an active contester and DXer.

* Coffee (decaf & high-test), tea, and donuts will be available at 6:45 p.m. to get things rolling. Members are invited to bring goodies to share as well.

 

“An Update from our Section Manager”

Speaker: John Fritze

Abstract: John’s talk will cover a wide range of topics, beginning with recognition of the 100th birthday of Rudy Dehn W2JVF. John will also describe the duties of a Section Manager, report on the ENY Section Luncheon, and discuss the ENY ARRL website, as well as ARES Connect. He will conclude with an overview of ARRL’s Winter Field Day. This presentation is sure to generate lots of discussion, so come with questions for John.

John Fritze has had a distinguished career in amateur radio. He was first licensed in 1977 as WA2TQW (novice), followed by Advanced and Extra Class as K2BCR. Since 2003, his call has been K2QY. He has been an ARRL member 42 years and is an ARRL Life Member. John has been president and director of the Albany Amateur Radio Association (AARA) multiple times in the 1980s and again in 2010-2013, and currently serves on their board. He served as President of Albany County Amateur Communication Emergency Services (ACACES) 2013-2017, as Radio Officer for Albany County RACES/ARES, as the Albany County Emergency Coordinator, and as ARES ENY Northern District Emergency Coordinator since 2012. He is one of the first VEs in the country (1984), and is an instructor with Capital Area Radio Enthusiasts (CARES). He has served as Hudson Division Assistant Director, and is chairman for Digital Communications for ARES/RACES in ENY. John is an ARRL Field Instructor, Examiner, and VE. His amateur radio interests include DX, contesting, ISS, NBEMS, Winlink, APRS, Satellites, ISS, DXpeditions (to Bermuda, Barbados, St. Maarten…), Summits and National Parks on the Air, Home Brewing, public service events, QRP, Minimalist radio, Mobile HF, and Maritime Amateur Radio (HF and VHF/UHF)!!

 

December Social Event

Happy Holidays from SARA

“Nikola Tesla:
Prolific Genius – The World’s Greatest Inventor?”

Speaker: Robert Saltzman WB2ARK, Union College Academy for Lifelong Learning (UCALL) & General Electric Global Research (retired)

Abstract: Bob’s presentation about Nikola Tesla explores in depth the life and contributions of this extraordinary man, from his birth in the Balkans, to his (possibly suspicious) death in New York City. Tesla has often been proclaimed to be the world’s greatest inventor, and even scientist. His ideas, inventions, and patents have indeed made a massive impact on our world—from AC motors and power transmission, resonant circuits, remote control, bladeless turbines, to wireless radio (which he, not Guglielmo Marconi, invented). Tesla was a gifted individual, with fascinating traits and behaviors, who valued discovery over profit. His relationships with Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse and the infamous Current War will also be discussed. Various demonstration items will be shown. This presentation was recently given to the Union College Academy for Lifelong Learning.

Bob Saltzman grew up in White Plains, NY. He graduated from Union college in 1969 with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering, and earned an MS in Computer Science from Union Graduate College in 1976. He worked at Union’s radio station WRUC (the first radio station in the country) as Chief Engineer and DJ. He has been a basketball announcer, received the College’s Special Appreciation award, and serves on the Alumni Council.
Bob was a member of Union’s amateur radio station W2UC. He has been licensed and an ARRL member for sixty years, and currently holds an Advanced class license. His major interests have been RTTY and CW. He has been a SARA director for many years.
He worked at GE Global Research for forty-five years where he developed various systems: imaging for GE’s computed tomography (CT) scanner, the first commercial Internet connectivity and World Wide Web presence, secure computer-controlled police radio dispatching, email, word processing, computer graphics, streaming multimedia, and computer and network security. He was a member of IEEE and ACM, among others. He was awarded a patent for co-inventing what is now known as the Web log, or “blog.”
Bob worked in display fireworks for 35 years and also ran an electronics and television repair business.
He has been a member of Niskayuna Fire District 1 Grand Boulevard Fire Company as a paramedic, firefighter, and officer, since 1975, and was also a member of the GE Technical Rescue team. He has been awarded the lifesaving Certificate of Merit from the Red Cross and president Ronald Reagan, and was a GE Phillippe Service Award nominee.
He volunteers with the American Red Cross and the Regional Food Bank, and was recently appointed to serve on the Niskayuna Town Historical Committee. He loves photography, plays piano and guitar, and works with a local rock band.
Bob is actively involved with the Union College Academy for Lifelong Learning (UCALL) Curriculum and Special Events Committees and is a frequent presenter. He has given presentations (many of them also for SARA) on Display Pyrotechnics, Computed Tomography Imaging, World Wide Web, eBay Buying and Selling, Computer Security, and Innovation and Human-Computer Interfaces. He has been a researcher and lecturer on the assassination of John F. Kennedy for fifty years.

 

“Introduction to Parks on the Air”

Speaker: Mark Anderson WB2SMK, Senior Project Engineer for the Design Lab at Rensselaer

Abstract: Parks on the Air – what is this? I remember something called National Parks on the Air – is this the same thing? Who does this? What do you need to participate? Is it hard to do? How do I get started? What special gear is needed? Can anyone get involved? What does it cost? Mark will answer these questions and more.

Mark Anderson developed an interest in electricity in grade school, experimenting with the Three B’s – batteries, bulbs and buzzers! As this interest developed, Mark eventually built a classic All American 5 tube radio, a combination AM/Shortwave unit, when he was in 6th grade. He was hooked. Mark’s father did some digging and discovered that Lafayette Radio and Electronics in Syosset, Long Island, would be holding Novice classes at their store. While driving to and from the sessions, Mark and his dad would listen to Jean Shepherd, aka W2ORS, on WOR. Mark was awarded WN2BIJ at the ripe old age of 13 in 1970. Once his Novice ran out after 2 years, Mark became a general, then many years later upgraded to advanced and ultimately upgraded to extra, holding the WB2SMK call throughout. Mark is a member of the Straight Key Century Club (# 14139T) and is a member of Parks on the Air. Mark was a member and officer of W4NC in Winston Salem, NC during the 4 years he lived there and after moving back to NY in 1985, became a member of SARA where he has also held officer positions. Mark received his BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He began his career at RPI as a Project Engineer for the Center for Manufacturing Productivity and Technology Transfer. He then moved to Westinghouse Power Generation and General Electric, working for multiple business groups. He has held various positions in several electrical and computer related fields including: manufacturing, robotics, vision systems, instrumentation, software development, factory automation, HMI, engineering, numerical control/CNC, machine tools/ machining, and business process analysis.

Mark is currently a Senior Project Engineer for the Design Lab at Rensselaer and the Course Coordinator for the Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) class. For the Design Lab, he has supervised over 100 project teams working with several hundred students for various sponsoring companies and individuals. In his role as IED Course Coordinator, Mark leads a team of 15-20 instructors who teach a dozen course sections serving over 300 students each semester.

 

“Introduction to Software Defined Radio (SDR) Technology”

Speaker: Terry Saunders N1KIN

Abstract:The first part of this talk will examine the similarities and differences between standard and SDR radio topologies. Second, we will introduce the concepts of IQ signal processing, followed by a brief discussion of how this technique enables high fidelity generation and demodulation of all manner of emission types. Real-world analogies will be presented to illustrate the technical concepts in a simple manner. The final part will describe a recent remote SDR project, which will highlight the advantages as well as the challenges of using an SDR rig.

Terry Saunders, formerly an engineer at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, has worked on a number of projects, spanning oil sands-water separation, malaria and other disease detection systems, and test development work around next generation polymer laminate films and filtration technologies used by the biopharmaceutical industry. Terry holds multiple U.S. Patents.

Terry grew up on both the west and east coasts of the US. Originally from southern California, Terry moved to Maine at the age of 15, where he lived until he graduated high school and joined the military. Having been an electronic hobbyist from a young age, the US Navy’s “Aviation Electronic Technician” program seemed a perfect fit to train on, and work with cutting-edge airborne radar, radio communication, and electronic countermeasure systems, while getting paid to learn. Terry graduated at the top of his class, earning several academic commendations, and attaining the rank of E-5 within his first 3 years of enlistment. After his service, Terry re-entered the civilian sector and took a manufacturing job in the optical disc industry where he would spend the next 20 years manufacturing Optical Disc products.

Starting in the trenches as a technician, Terry was recognized for his diverse technical background, problem solving skills, and inventiveness. He was brought into the engineering fold where he worked on signal processing, laser recording systems, injection molding, electroplating systems, and IT Systems. Through an MBO effort, Terry secured an ownership/management stake in the company. After the eventual slowing of the CD industry, in 2005 Terry sold his stake in the CD company and looked for new challenges. Terry entered the biotech industry working for Whatman, originally a filtration company which now makes a full catalog of disposable products for the biomedical/pharma industries. At Whatman he served as engineering supervisor, managing a diverse technical staff responsible for all cleanroom manufacturing operations, and developed the automated testing systems used in production of disposable medical filtration products. Whatman was acquired by GE Healthcare in 2008, and Terry was relocated to Westborough, Massachusetts to head up the cleanroom operations used to make disposable bioreactors and other related consumables for 6 years. Terry relocated to New York after being offered a job at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, in what Terry’s wife describes as “the last move”. Terry is now semi- retired, and enjoying his hobbies at home.

Terry is a licensed advanced class ham radio operator, and enjoys computers, lasers, PC gaming, disturbingly overpowered home theater, and brewing beer. Terry resides in Halfmoon, NY with his wife Kristi, their cats Dot & Dash, dogs Pinot & Zin, and half a dozen hop plants.