(primary content is Saturday) Always the weekend after Labor Day.
CQ CQ CQ All APRS and Digital radio enthusiasts - >
Summer Gathering is almost here and the weather is forecast to be great!
This is a very social and very educational event right here in the Pacific Northwest in North Bend, Washington.
The Summer Gathering is great fun and a great opportunity to learn and practice just about anything you can do with a computer and your ham radio particularly focused on the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) http://www.aprs.org/.
Here is the link to Valley Camp: http://valleycamp.org/ it is located in North Bend, Washington 10 minutes off of I-90 at exit 34. At the bottom of the Exit 34 ramp, turn north and continue 1/2 mile past the convenience stores and truck stop and watch for and take the right turn onto SE Middle Fork Road (County Road sign says Valley Camp 2.2 miles). Continue to the "Y" and take the left on SE
Middle Fork Road (lower road). Follow until you come to the stop sign. The entrance to the camp is straight ahead across the small intersection. GPS Coordinates for the entrance of camp: 47.4680 -121.6808 (Don't forget the minus on the longitude or you'll end up in Mongolia!)
Many folks arrive on Friday for socializing. The presentations are on Saturday. Try and arrive for breakfast from 7:00 to 8:30. Presentations start at 9:00am. If you plan to attend and want to stay overnight we still have bunk space available in Teneriffe Lodge as well as full service RV sites and plenty of tent spaces.
Please contact Teena at info@valleycamp.org as soon as possible with your request and to get info on overnight accommodation.
The location is a beautiful camp with hot showers and a bunkhouse or camping or RV opportunities. The event runs on donations and we encourage you to shoot for $10 for the day or $25 for the overnight experience - there is a donation box at the event. This venue is made available to us at no charge but it can't continue to happen without your participation and support.
If you donated what you would pay for your breakfast, we would probably be in great shape. Please help us keep this event going for another 17 years!
Bring your thirst for knowledge, some warm clothing for the evenings and some food and drink to eat and share. There are grills going for lunch and dinner and coffee early each day...
Valley Camp is an incredibly beautiful place - lots of nature trails and birding opportunities for the family along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
Here’s an idea of the content:
- Getting Started with APRS - why do we use digital and what characteristics make it work
- Digital Communication and Emergency Communications Debate - Who can you trust, what can you use...?
- APRSIS - the swiss army knife of free digital communications software
- APRS_Messenger - more tools for effective communication
- FLDIGI-FLAMP - is the Amateur Multicast Protocol the perfect emergency communication tool?
- There will be excellent operating conditions for you to try HF - a K3, computer with lots of digital modes, interface and 4-element Triband antenna
- There will still be free beer with every new digital mode you try...
- There will be a talk about Bats just before sunset Saturday
- There will be cheezy Sci-Fy Movies late into Saturday Night...if that's your thing...
- Or you can just socialize and learn from your fellow hams is this near perfect venue.
Summer Gathering - Rules Of Engagement:
Please wear a name tag. Please meet your fellow participants. If you don't know someone, go find out what makes them tick. There is a treasure trove of interest and experience here –make sure you check it all out. If you are willing to act as a subject/topic resource, please put your interests/areas of expertise on your name tag.
Please socialize anytime, but during presentations, please move conversations to the South Side with the Demos – we want everyone to be able to hear our brave presenters;
If you have a QUESTION you would like answered during the Gathering, please:
- write it out and put it on the Kiosk, and/or
- bring it up during the introductions, and/or
- grab any of the presenters or other participants anytime during the weekend – Don't leave without getting help or setting up future help;
Please DONATE to Valley Camp to keep this beautiful venue available to us for events like this. The Mail Box for donations is on the railing of the main pavilion on the north side cleverly labeled, "Donations" We are hoping the day folks will help with $10, more if you are so moved, if you enjoyed the free breakfast, maybe add more and check with Thom and Teena for overnight stays –
Contact Thom Proehl, K7FZO
k7fzo.thom@gmail.com
