Small Rotators for AMSAT

• Chris Keller

Working Amateur Radio Satellites (AMSAT) is fun! But there's a lot going on: continuously pointing the antenna in the direction of the satellite, tuning to compensate for the Doppler effect, and listening carefully while making and recording the QSO. If the operator wants to automate antenna tracking, the standard answer is to pick up a Yaesu G-5500 azimuth/elevation rotator for $700+, which is prohibitive if one is just trying to get started with AMSAT. Can we do better? In this talk we'll explore a couple of different options for az/el rotoators that work with small, lightweight options like the popular Arrow antenna. We'll cover the SATRAN.io project and the author's experience building one, as well as discuss astronomical telescope computerized mounts that can be commandeered for AMSAT use.

ColMon: A next generation AllMon

• Willem Schreuder (RMHAM)

ColMon is a program to collect AllStarLink repeater data and display it in a compact format. The talk describes ColMon, its design, network protocols, and deployment.

W1AW/0 Colorado Planning and Operations

• Chris Keller

During 2023, the ARRL hosted the Volunteers On The Air event, and one of the programs run under that banner was the "W1AW portable" event. Each ARRL section was invited for two one-week intervals to operate as "W1AW portable," the ARRL club callsign, on as many bands and modes as possible. We'll discuss two aspects of the Colorado section's planning and ops effort: the scheduling tool, and the use of Discord for real-time coordination. We built a custom software scheduling tool to help operators see ahead of time what was available, who would be working the bands around them, etc. Then, we centered on the Discord instant messaging platform for in-the-moment coordination, for example, when one band had rough conditions and the operator wanted to move to a different band.

Surface Mount Reflow at Home.

• Dave Maciorowski

As through hole devices become harder to find and more expensive, surface mount devices will become the only choice for building home projects. In this talk, I introduce the process of assembling a circuit board that contains surface mount devices. I list component sizes that make sense, tools you'll need, and an easy-to-build a reflow oven and controller. I will include links to on-line resources that will reinforce what you were introduced to here, and examples of making boards that come out great every time.

Git for Hams

• Tristan Honscheid (RMHAM)

A brief introduction to the Git version control system. Learn how to collaborate on and safely keep track of code, documentation, and configs.

Chasing Balloons: Overview of EOSS

• Glenn Reker (Rocky Mountain Hams)

Edge of Space Sciences is a Colorado non-profit whose mission is to promote science and education by exploring frontiers in amateur radio and high-altitude balloons. This will be an overview of what goes into planning, launching, tracking and recovering payload in trying to reach the edge of space.

WFVIEW, Icom Remote Control & Streamdeck Plus

• John Maxwell (RMHAM)

If you ever wanted to remote control your radio but didn't like all of the keyboard functionality, now you can have direct control over WFVIEW with your StreamDeck. We will use a StreamDeck+ to show how this works in the real world on an Icom 7300 or 7610 remotely over the internet.