Field day balloon launches with radio packages

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Bruce KN4GDX ties APRS radio package to Mylar balloon with Byron AK4XR helping

Amateur High |Altitude Balloon (HAB) Launches – W4OVH Field Day 2025  One Field Day bonus is an educational project. At one of the planning meetings, we decided to do a balloon launch with a radio package as our educational project.  We has done one before, but with disappointing telemetry. Bruce, KN4GDX, took the project on again for 2025.  Payloads Planning and Testing Two amateur payloads were planned and prepared for the Field Day 2025 launch.  Launch was planned for ~1500 on June 28 at the field day W4OVH site; and actually occurred at about 1530.  The following description covers the planning, launch activities and tracking of the two payloads. The first payload, from Zachtek, was similar to the 2024 HAB payload launch, which worked while testing, but unfortunately did not … Read more >>

Sunshine Corner

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SUNSHINE CORNER – JUNE 2025 Happy Birthday wishes to the following club members:  Jan, KE4TMW; Ed, KQ4DPP; Jim, KM4SXM; Robert, W4PHX; Seth, WA0FZY; Wayne, AG4ZZ; Gene, N4HFW; Bob, K4HJF; Daniela, KQ4IKQ; David, KQ4BDS; Dana, KM4TTP; Ron, K3FR and William, KO4QDL – best wishes for a great year ahead! We have quite a few of our club members on the injured reserve list for one reason or the other – surgery, sickness, family member health issues – so let’s send healing thoughts to everyone for complete & quick recoveries. The 2025 Tail Gate Event is now in the books. Mother Nature had other ideas that weekend, but we did muscle our way thru. Special thanks to John, KG4NXT, who was the Chairman for this event. Also thanks to the club members … Read more >>

President’s Letter for June 2025

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Hello Everyone, I’d like to start with another apology for the short President’s Letter. My wife’s and my medical issues persist, but I am told by the doctors that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel. We are close to the end of our adventures. Our 2025 Tailgate Party (in lieu of Hamfest) was back on June 7th  : this year we had a confluence of poor weather. It was humid and we had a persistent light rain and wind, the combination of which kept attendance down significantly. As such, the club’s take was down compared to recent years, however we still managed to turn a profit. Our 2 club photographers, George, K4GVT and Rosalie, KN4ZLY, have once again provided us with many memories. OVH Tailgate … Read more >>

Sunshine Corner

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SUNSHINE CORNER – May 2025 Happy Birthday wishes to the following club members: John, KM4VCJ; David, KG4GIY; Bill, WA4FIC; Carl, KK4ZYX; Robert, KQ4PSE; Craig, WA3UFY; Roberto, KM4RIE; Susan, K3SSP; Bruce, KN4GDX; Don, WA2SWX; Jim, WI4EE; John, KG4NXT; Kenneth, KI4EOH and Lynn, KX4HR.  Hope you have a great year ahead! Sending get-well wishes to Art, W1CRO: he had to spend some time in the hospital.  Hope he is back on his feet soon! Ken, KN4DD, is recovering from his second knee replacement. We hope to see him moving around better, soon. Happy Mother’s Day to all our moms, hope you had a special day to celebrate. Final planning meeting for Tailgate and Field Day will be a combination meeting for both events on Tuesday, May 27th.  The meeting will be at … Read more >>

Gil, KM4OVH, wins VAQP Rover Plaque despite deer attack

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Bent Antenna Mast and grill damage

Gil, KM4OVH, is a national competitor in the ARRL VHF contest and a past statewide Plaque winner in the Virginia QSO Party (VAQP). The VAQP starts at 10 AM on Saturday and runs until midnight and then runs 8 AM to 8 PM on Sunday. Gil always plans his route in detail ahead of time to maximize his multipliers. Byron, AK4XR, has been understudying Gil and following in a separate vehicle. For Gil and Byron, things went as planned on Saturday. The plan was to grab some sleep at Gil’s family farm and to continue the planned route on Sunday at 8 AM. As they drove at 1 AM on Sunday with Gil in the lead, A DEER APPEARED in the left part of the road. Gil applied the brakes … Read more >>

President’s Letter for May 2025

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Hello Everyone, Please let me apologize for the brevity of this month’s President’s Letter’s up front. My wife’s and my medical issues came all at once and have been keeping us quite busy. I am hoping to get back to normal in June. Our next OVH Monthly Breakfast get together will be on May 17th @ 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM EDT Yorkshire Restaurant 7537 Centreville Rd Manassas VA 20111 (703) 368-4905 We usually have 4 to 10 people that show up. I hope you can find the time to go. The next regular OVH will be held on Tuesday, May 20st, at 7:30 PM in the training room at the Buckhall VFD. W4OVH Monthly Meeting – 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT Buckhall VFD Hall 7190 Yates Ford Road … Read more >>

Sunshine Corner

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SUNSHINE CORNER – March 2025 Happy Birthday wishes to the following club members: Harry KC9TXL, Harry KN4IJY, Brian KK4CBS, Gene KN4JMB, Gil KM4OZH, Paul N4PD, Joe KI4OHR, Lillian KK4MXY, David KI4AZX, Everett KJ4OLF, Paul W4ZB, David KD4DEE, Mark KN4OGC and Paul KO4UOO. Hope you have a great year ahead!         Condolences to the family of Ken WB4ZOH. Ken passed away at the beginning of April after being in hospice care for some time. Ken was a long time member of the OVH and was the net control of the Thursday Night Net for several years. Per Ken’s wishes there will not be a service. Thawfest III is Saturday, April 12th at the Madison High School off of Rt 29 about an hour south of Manassas. John KG4NXT … Read more >>

OVH Parks on the air or POTA

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Both spring and Don, WA2SWX, arrived recently. Don retired and moved to Ecuador last year with his wife Edith. He was back here for a brief visit. It was time to POTA again and the OVH was invited. We set up at Conway Robinson State Park, which has a shelter and lots of tall trees for antennas. We had a nice pile up on 20 Meters on FT8 despite Conway Robinson having been activated 216 times. OVH members attending were: Theresa, KG4TVM; Gene, N4HFW; James, KQ4CAX; Ken, KE2N and John, KG4NXT. Al, KB4BHB, contacted us as a Hunter on 2 meters. Heritage Hunt and Woodbridge Wireless have expressed interest in doing club POTA events. Say tuned.