Seminars

The seminars are on Thursday 13th May 2010 in the Ballroom of the Holiday Inn, Fairborn, OH

N.B. The running order is subject to change !

0700 Registration

0800 FDIM 2010 Opens

• coffee is served 

0825 Welcome

• from QRP ARCI president Ken Evans W4DU

0830 - 0930  Anthony Luscre, K8ZT

• "You can be a Winner, How You can Benefit from QRP Contesting"
  
  Whether you compete intensely or casually, just want to make a few contacts or work toward an award; contests are a great place to try QRP. It is remarkable how well your QRP signal can be heard when it means a point for the contester on the other end of the contact. We will discover ways that any QRPer can find rewarding activities from radio contests. Topics will include:
      -  Choosing your goals
      -  Finding specific contests that best fit your goals
      -  Creating a contesting friendly station
      -  Software tools and online resources for the contester
      -  Strategic planning before the contest
      -  Being prepared to start the contest including demystifying contest exchanges
      -  How to be an efficient and effective participant including adjusting your strategies to match changing conditions
      -  Extras you need to do if you want to be truly completive
      -  Why QRP operating can improve a QRO contester
      -  The job is not done until the paperwork is completed
      -  Contesting results and evaluating your performance

0930 - 1030  Hans Summers, G0UPL

• "The Art Of QRSS"
  
  Adventures with extreme QRP and the simple man's guide to building equipment and enjoying this fascinating mode: the perfect antidote to a hectic modern life!

1030 - 1045  Coffee Break

1045 - 1145  George Dobbs, G3RJV

• "Homemade Receivers I Have Known And Loved"
  
  Few things in life beat the pleasure of hearing the first signals from a receiver you have built yourself. I have been building radios for over fifty years and am still thrilled by hearing them conjure signals from thin air. In this presentation I recall some of the simple circuits that have given me results and satisfaction and suggest how others can share in the pleasures of receiving signals by the work of their own hands.

1145 - 1300  Lunch

1300 - 1400  B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD

• "The 100 pound DXpedition"
  
  Operating from some far away place can be great fun. This talk describes how good planning and the right gear can make it possible to create an effective station with just the stuff in your checked bags. Portable, temporary, and of course QRP operations should be on the menu for your next vacation with the help of ultralight transceivers, new battery and solar technologies, and portable antenna solutions. Successes and lessons learned from operations on VP2M, V4, KP2, and the latest adventure to J6 will be highlighted. The 100 Pound DXpedition motto is: "Go light. Work the world."

1400 - 1500  Jim Everly, K8IKE  and  Jay Slough, K4ZLE

• "The Amateur's 'Gud Enuff' Test Bench"
  
  Last year Ed Hare, W1RFI, gave an enlightening presentation on 'Test Equipment and Methods', wherein he explained the tests performed by the ARRL in their product reviews. Most hams cannot afford to equip their home test benches with the equipment used by the league. However, any experimenter or builder worth his BTUs desires to evaluate that which he has created. The purpose of our presentation is to determine just how good is 'gud enuff!'
  
  We will discuss the components of a test bench that fits an amateur's budget, but is capable of adequately performing many of the key tests outlined in the ARRL Test Procedures Manual.

1500 - 1600  Gary Breed, K9AY

• "QRP on the Low Bands: Antennas and Operating"
  
  The Low Bands have some special challenges - and rewards - for all hams. Longer wavelengths mean larger antennas, and lower frequencies means higher atmospheric and man-made noise levels. For these reasons, QRPers often avoid the low bands, particularly 160 and 80 meters. As an avid fan of these bands, I'll explain some of the unique characteristics of the 160, 80 and 40 meter bands, what it takes to have effective antennas, and how to approach QRP operation.