June 2025 - Maple Grove Radio Club

MGRC Mission Statement

Maple Grove Radio Club provides education to current and future amateur radio operators, with the goal of serving the public. We are a reliable communications resource for events and emergencies in Maple Grove and surrounding communities.

You are invited to join us at Maple Grove Radio Club Field Day at the Cheseter Bird Post 523 American Legion. We will continue to focus on Food, Friends and Frequency. You can choose to indulge in the order you prefer best.

President's Message

Here we go! June is here and it is a great time to get outdoors in ham radio. As things warm up it’s great to get outside and get on the air. We have lots of volunteer opportunities coming up.

The MS 150 is June 7th and 8th. They are always looking for volunteers to ride along the support vehicles and work the radio. Radios are provided and you can get paired up with someone who’s done it before. If you want to be stationary you can work a rest stop. The ride this year goes from Proctor to White Bear Lake and is 75 miles each day.

Another great event is Field Day, June 27th-29th. This year Field Day will be at the American Legion in Golden Valley where we have our monthly club meetings and have had field day the last few years. Let’s send off this location as we will be moved by the next time this event comes around. Our presentation this month will be going over the preparation and open positions we will need filled. We always need more helpers so please come to the next meeting and let us know where you can help out. Thanks to Chris Silva and Roy Wood for coordinating this year and to Paul Brandt for working on the food! They can’t do it all though so please help where you can and bring new people who are interested in ham radio.

We are also in need of coordinators and volunteers for the Antique Car Run, Rice Lake Fun Run and the Osseo Lions Parade. Please try to sign up for as many of these as you can. If you have not volunteered before at one of these that’s ok. You will be paired up and have someone to help. The more people we have the smoother these events go. Please let me know if you have availability or interest in participating in these events, they are a ton of fun and you get to learn a lot about using your radio. A tech license is the only requirement for any of these events.

Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to Jerry and Mobile Radio for all of the storage we’ve had for many years at Mobile Radio. It was greatly appreciated and did not go unnoticed. Thanks to everyone who helped with the move into the storage unit and getting us out on time. We now have a club storage unit in Plymouth and some room to spare for when the shack needs to be packed up in the next coming months. The new Legion location and next landing spot of Maple Grove Radio Club has many great things to offer and we are greatly appreciative of moving along with the legion. There will be brand new meeting rooms to host our club meetings and activities, new kitchen and many much more! The shack in whatever form it may bring will also need work and setting up so we look forward to this exiting summer and everything that it brings. It will take all of us and I hope to see many of you out and about!

73,

Zach, KØZTW

Connect with Elmers/Mentors

Additionally, please follow the Maple Grove Radio Club Facebook page for frequent updates on club member activities.

Monthly Meeting

Join Us for a Pre-Meeting HF Operation Session

You are invited to stop by our shack on June 3rd from 1800 to 1900 (6:00 PM to 7:00 PM) to operate on the HF bands before the club meeting. This is an excellent opportunity, especially for those who have never used their callsign on HF before.

For our Technician class licensees, given the recent amazing band conditions, we should find someone available on the 10-meter band to make contact with you. This session is designed to be fun, supportive, and friendly, making it the perfect environment for both seasoned operators and newcomers.

Come join us and experience the excitement of HF operation. If you have any questions, please direct them to ae0im@outlook.com

TALARC The American Legion Amateur Radio Club

Remembering Chester Bird Special Event Station

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club would like to invite Maple Grove Radio Club members out to an on-the-air special event station. TALARC is remembering our American Legion namesake Private Chester Bird.

We will be operating from Saturday June 21st from 1700 to 2000 (5:00 PM to 8:00 PM) and Sunday June 22nd from 1300 to 1700 (1:00 PM to 5:00 PM). We will be operating at our shack at Chester Bird Post 523 American Legion.

Club Calendar of Events

Speakers Wanted For Northstar Radio Conference

Minnesota's North Star Radio Convention, hosting the ARRL Minnesota State Convention is happening on October 11th in Brooklyn Park, is recruiting presenters on all things amateur radio for this year's event.

They are on the lookout for speakers on a diverse range of topics. Whether you have knowledge to share on antenna design, DXing, emergency communications, or any other aspect of amateur radio, they want to hear from you!

They welcome hams of all levels of experience--everyone has something potentially valuable to share! To apply to speak, visit northstarradio.org/speak.

Interesting Media and Links

ARRL NEWS

2025 ARRL Field Day: FAQ with the Contest Program Manager

The days are longer, the weather is warmer, the calendar will say “June” on Sunday. That means we are in the countdown to 2025 ARRL Field Day! There’s a lot of excitement building around the theme of “Radio Connects” and hams across North America are preparing for the big weekend of June 28 – 29.

In their efforts to prepare for the activations, many radio amateurs are researching the finer points of Field Day rules. All the information is available on the ARRL Field Day website at www.arrl.org/FieldDay , but ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, wants to make sure hams can find answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Q: I’m interested in participating in Field Day for the first time this year. How can I find a club near me that’s hosting Field Day so that I can join in on the fun?

A: You can search for nearby Field Day sites with the Field Day Site Locator at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator . The tool provides locations, talk-in frequencies, and contact information for sites located throughout the Unites States and Canada.

Q: Which digital modes are allowed during Field Day?

A: Any digital mode that can support the required Field Day exchange may be used.

Q: I plan on operating portable during Field Day as a single operator. Am I allowed to operate from multiple locations throughout the event? Class B (portable) stations are fixed stations.

A: All equipment must be located within a circle whose diameter does not exceed 300 meters (1,000 feet). The only Field Day operating class that’s allowed to operate from more than one location is Class C (mobile). A mobile station must have all equipment in or on the vehicle and must be capable of being operated while in motion. For example, you can’t mount a telescoping mast to your trailer hitch and erect a full-sized beam or vertical antenna.

Q: Where can I find out more about ARRL Field Day?

A: There’s a wealth of additional information available at the ARRL Field Day website, www.arrl.org/FieldDay . Click on the Rules and Resources link where you’ll find rules, information packets, and more answers to frequently asked questions. There’s also a FAQ published in the 2025 ARRL Field Day Guide, starting on page 57 of the June issue of QST.

Borque says that if there’s a specific question that’s not covered here, in the Field Day guide in QST, or on the website, contact fdinfo@arrl.org .

Also, don’t forget the ARRL Field Day merch! T-shirts (complete with sections checklist on the back), pins, patches, stickers, posters, and more may be ordered from the ARRL Store . Place your order soon to ensure your swag gets to you in time for the big event!

Amateur Radio Ready for Above Average Hurricane Season

Hurricane season begins on Sunday, June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts this season to be above-normal in activity, citing above-average Atlantic Ocean temperatures. The scientists say the season will likely produce between 13 and 19 named storms, including 3 – 5 major hurricanes.

Amateur radio provides a robust toolset, a trained volunteer corps, and durable infrastructure for emergency preparedness. There are several ham radio nets that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) relies on to inform forecasts through surface observations made by the volunteer operators.

ARRL encourages all amateurs to participate in the Hurricane Watch Net , the VOIP Weather Net and others that provide support and information via WX4NHC, the amateur radio station at the NHC . ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, says each ham’s individual observations can make all the difference in a critical situation. “We know of stories from hurricanes in the past where a report from a ham radio station changed the forecast for landfall and impact by the NHC. We are also aware of information being shared of people being trapped and were able to get assistance to those victims after the storm.” Amateur radio operators provide an important tool before, during and after a storm. The Hurricane Watch Net is hosting a special operating event to mark its 60th anniversary on June 7 – 8.

ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX, says recent storms underscore the value of amateur radio When All Else Fails®. “ During Hurricane Helene , it was the volunteer hams who jumped into action to relay health and welfare information . As mountainsides washed away, the repeaters on top were still working. Licensed amateur radio operators took to the air using their own equipment to provide a link of important information that no other means could. During Hurricane Ian, a ham saved lives on Sanibel Island by providing emergency crews the information they needed to rescue a family from rising flood waters.”

ARRL Announces Leadership Changes in the Pacific Division

ARRL Director Anthony Marcin, W7XM, who has served the Pacific Division as Director since January 2024, has stepped down, effective May 25, 2025. Marcin was first appointed to the ARRL Board as Vice Director in November 2021.

Vice Director John Litz, NZ6Q, accedes to the Director’s chair to complete the remainder of a 3-year term ending December 31, 2025. Litz was appointed Vice Director in April 2024. Before that, he was ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section Manager from January 2020. Litz, from Stockton, California, was first licensed in 1974, and he is an ARRL Diamond Club donor and Life Member.

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, will announce a successor to Litz to fill the vacant Vice Director’s seat.

The ARRL Pacific Division is comprised of the ARRL Sections of East Bay, Sacramento Valley, San Francisco, San Joaquin Valley, Santa Clara Valley, Nevada, and Pacific.

ARRL Teachers Institute Set for Record Year

The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI) has 13 sessions announced in 2025, with more in the works. The program is a donor-funded professional development program designed to help classroom teachers elevate their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs using wireless technology.

“This is all possible because of the high level of confidence that our donors have in the program. We are grateful that many have stepped up to make this all possible,” said ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL. Through donations to the ARRL Education and Technology Program, donors have entrusted ARRL to help teachers integrate amateur radio into their curriculum.

The support has been from all levels. During a YouTube telethon to benefit the program, individual hams contributed more than $21,000, which unlocked another $20,000 challenge gift from donors. David Ginsburg, N3BKV, funded an endowment in the name of his parents. The Hy and Mimi Ginsburg Educator position is the first of several major gifts to the program.

“We are so excited that we get to grow the program this year,” said ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. Part of that growth has involved making sessions available in local communities across the country. After a successful first remote session was held on Staten Island, another will take place next week in Louisiana. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab is hosting one later in the year.

“The success of the program is evident, but the lasting impact may go even further than we can measure today," said Goodgame. Network media outlets have covered programs built by TI graduates , and there are hundreds of active hams in the schools that TI graduates lead.

The momentum continues to build around the program. “We’re seeing a huge response from the education world. Word is spreading, and teachers are excited for what the TI can help them accomplish,” said Goodgame.

Beal says those wishing to contribute to this entirely donor-funded program can visit www.arrl.org/givetostem .

Upcoming State, Section, and Division Conventions

Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

• May 30 - June 1 | SEA-PAC , hosting the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon

• June 8 | BreezeShooters Hamfest , hosting the ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Butler, Pennsylvania

• June 21 | Knoxville Hamfest , hosting the ARRL Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee

• July 12 | Souris Valley Amateur Radio Club Hamfest , hosting the ARRL North Dakota Section Convention

• July 13 | Sussex NJ Hamfest , hosting the ARRL Hudson Division Convention

• July 26 | ARRL West Virginia State Convention and Ham Fest , Sutton, West Virginia

Upcoming Contests

• May 30 - June 1 -- PODXS 070 Club Three Day Weekend Contest (digital)

• May 31 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital)

• June 2 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship, Data (digital)

• June 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

• June 4 -- Phone Weekly Test (phone)

• June 4 -- A1 Club AWT (CW)

• June 6 -- HA3NS Sprint Memorial Contest (CW)

• June 7 - June 8 -- Atlantic Canada QSO Party (CW, phone)

• June 7 - June 8 -- Kentucky QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

• June 7 - June 8 -- RSGB National Field Day (CW)

• June 7 - June 8 -- ARRL International Digital Contest (digital)

• June 10 -- DARC CW-Training Contest (CW)

• June 11 -- RSGB 80m Club Championship (CW)

Board Members