Archive for January, 2026

January 2026 SDXA Minutes

here is the link to the minutes: sdxa minutes_2026_01web

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Welcome to the Spokane DX Association  

Serving Eastern Washington and North Idaho

June 4, 2026 on Zoom

World Team Radio Championship
by Pat Barkey N9RV

Pat Barkey N9RV, is a Contest Hall of Famer and one of the world’s most respected amateur radio contesters. He is the past editor of the National Contest Journal and is a frequent speaker at Contest University. He is also an active member of CWops and President of the Big Sky Contesters.

This upcoming WTRC will be his fifth (1996, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2026).

Pat works as a research director at the University of Montana in Missoula.

June 27-28, 2026

ARRL Field Day led by Jim Monroe N7ESU

July 02, 2026 Zoom

80/160 Inverted L with Folded Counterpoise

by Bill Eisinger AA7X

Bill, who is a retired electrical engineer and lives in Boise with 336 confirmed entities, will share about his 80/160 Inverted L Antenna over a FCP (Folded Counterpoise). The FCP is the concept of K2AV. This is a way to get a good ground plane under a 80/160 antenna when you do not have room for an extensive radial field.

 

August 08, 2026 (Sat.)

Summer Picnic

LOCATION: Jeff Banke’s (Greenbluff, WA)

September 12, 2026 (Sat.)

2nd SDXA Antenna Shootout

LOCATION: Gary Bytnar’s Antenna Farm (West of Davenport, WA)

Awards Dinner

October 1, 2026 – Awards Dinner

DXpedition SOLICITATIONS

ALL DXpedition funding requests are to be to the SDXA President. Since funding is limited, in this manner, our SDXA Officers can give your request the consideration it deserves.

SOLAR ACTIVITY AND PROPAGATION SECTION


For additional info, try this SOLAR LINK for everything you ever wanted to know about the current Sun at the SolarHam site by VE3EN
Link to SPACEWEATHER.COM, a quick source for the daily activity on the sun
Link to NOAA SPACEWEATHER
What is this?

JOIN THE SDXA

Regular dues – $20 per person.
Second family member – $10.
Under 19 years of age are free.
DUES LINK.
We accept PayPal too.

The Miscellaneous Area

  • NW HAM RADIO CONVENTION & SWAP MEETS

    Lynn N7CFO keeps the best listing.
    More Information


Gary Bytnar AD7XG

  • IA ETHICS OPER PROCEDURES

    LINK

  • OUTSIDE HELP IN ANTENNAS & TOWERS

    LINK

  • CONTESTING LINKS

    There are a lot of links to contesting activities in the DX/Contesting drop down menu above the 24-hour clock on the right of this page. But here are a couple of the best.
    1. WA7BNM
    2. CONTESTING.COM

  • INTERNET ENTITY PRONOUNCER

    How do you pronounce a DX entity’s name? Here is a link to the pronouncing. There is also a audio link to a human voice saying the entity’s name correctly. This authority is the 3rd edition Merriam Webster Geographical Dictionary. Covering only legitimate countries, it does not cover non-country ARRL entities.
    More Information

 

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Sidebar – Next Meeting

April 2nd, 2026
In Person Meeting
See main page for info

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CLUB MEETING

NEXT SDXA MEETING

February 5, 2026 on Zoom

CQ9A Madeira Contest Station by Chris Hurlbut-KL9A

2026 SDXA Programs

  • January — E51MWA – North Cook Islands DXpedition By Rob N7QT

2025 SDXA Programs

  • January – WSJT-X: A Look into new developments with Brian Moran N9ADG
  • Febraury — “Helically Wound Vertical for 160M Antenna” with Bill Salyers AJ8B
  • March — POTA: Exciting Way to Get on the Air with Ara Kourchians – N6ARA
  • April – Mobile State QSO Parties  – Randy Foltz K7TQ
  • May – WA7BNM Contest Calendar and 3839Scores — Bruce Horn WA7BNM
  • June — CW and RTTY Skimmer and the Reverse Beacon Network — Bob Wilson N6TV
  • July — Cy9C-DXpedition to St. Paul Island, presented by Larry Menzel-W0PR
  • August — SDXA Picnic
  • September — Antenna Shootout
  • October — Annual Awards Dinner
  • November –Six Meter Long-Distance Propagation via Es and TEP During the Decline of Solar Cycle 25 by Frank Donovan, W3LPL
  • December — More Band for the Buch by Ward Silver N0AX

2024 SDXA Programs

  • January –“Operating Techniques: Tips & Tricks, and KL9A Station updates” with Chris Hurlbut KL9A 
  • February — H44WA Solomon Islands DXpedition” with Robin Amunbson WA7CPA
  • March — Gary Sutcliffe, W9XT, Low Band Receive Antennas
  • April — H4ØWA  Temotu DXpedition with Jay Lopes AC7DC
  • May – Station Design and How it Works for Contesting and DXing with Craig Thompson K9CT
  • June – End-Fed Half-Wave by Steve Dick K1RF
  • July – Contest Operating at PJ2T – Three SDXAers share their experiences
  • August – SDXA Picnic
  • September – Next Level Contesting; Making the Move to SO2R – K5ZD
  • October – Annual Awards Dinner
  • November – Clipperton DXpedition with Rob Fanfant N7QT
  • December – Ham Radio DXing with Lucas Ford W6AER

 2023 SDXA Programs

  • January — DXpedition to Palau (T88WA) With Rob Fanfant N7QT (Zoom)
    • The team includes N7QT Rob, WA7CPA Robin, N7JP Jack, N9ADG Brian and K5EM Justin. Rob and Robin are both also members of the SDXA.
  • February — Three mini-presentations (Zoom)
    • 1-How to improve weak signal FT8 Reception with Rob Fanfant N7QT
      2-Silent Key Estate Planning with Mel Ming N7GCO
      3-Reflections on CW Ops with Dale AveryWU7X
  • March – Field Day 6A – Mike & Key Style with Michael Dinkelman (Z00m)
  • April — SDXA Connection Dinner
  • May — Practical Hints and Tools and Field Day Planning (Hybrid)
    • 1. Practical Hints with Mike Buettner K7STO
      2. Field Day Planning with the Idaho Renegades
      3. World Team Radio Championship Incentive with Randy K7TQ
  • June — YJ0A Dxpedition with Al K7AR & Bob W7YAQ
  • July – Picnic
  • August – World Radio Team Championship & IARU Report with Geoff PJ2DX
  • September – Improving your  Audio with Mike Daskalopoulos KJ6MIC
  • October — Awards Dinner
  • November – Officers Elections (planned program didn’t happen)
  • December – Base Station Automation Techniques & Recommendations, with Bob Wilson N6TV

2022 SDXA Programs

  • January — “Hot DX from Baker Island” with John Miller K6MM
  • February — Everything You Need to Know About USB and Serial Interfaces with Bob Wilson N6TV
  • March — “Planning Your First DXpedition” with Al Rovner K7AR
  • April — “Rebuilding Your Ham Shack after a Fire” with Dave Ellison W7UUU
  • May — Four Antenna Related Products/Recommendations by Mel Ming N7GCO & Del Morissette WA7AQH
  • June — Receive Antennas by Mark Bauman KB7GF
  • July — PNW DX Convention Preparation with Randy K7TQ & Mel N7GCO and
  • DX Spotting Tool by Mel N7GCO
  • August – PNW DX Convention
  • September — Activating entities in the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) By Don Greenbaum N1DG
  • October — Insights from the Idaho Renegades with Bob K7TM, Jim N7ESU & Pat N7UVH
  • November — “Station Grounding” with Grant Saviers KZ1W
  • December – Awards Program

2019 SDXA Programs

 

  • January — “Station Audio” with Del Morissette WA7AQH
  • February – “Antenna Modeling Orientation” with Bob Zavrel W7SX
  • March 2019 — “Operation Salmon Run in the Field” with Mike Buettner K7STO & Woody Jacobson N7HCJ
  • April 2019 — Home Brewing and Station Accessories
    • Gary Swartout (K7GS) Shared a number of his wonderful home Brewed equipment
    • Bob Lee (N7AU) Showed his designed and built Crank up Tower Pushing Tool
    • David Wilhelm (WA7TNT) Showed how to add the SDXA Logo to Your QRZ Page
    • Mel Ming (N7GCO) Showed a couple of Voice Keyers, Card to control your Rotators and PSTRotatorAZ, a  Rotator Control Program
  • April 2019 Saturday Workshop – “Antenna Modeling: EZNEC” with Bob Zavrel W7SX
  • May 2019 — Show and Tell
    • John Gager (K7KB) showed a “Serial rotor control box”
    • Mike Buettner (K7STO) showed his “NON-Tennis Ball Antenna Launcher”
    • Harold Hepner (AD7QJ) showed his “Tennis Ball Antenna Launcher”
    • Bob Hallock (K7TM) showed his “Antenna Launcher #3”
    • David Wilhelm (WA7TNT) showed his “Icom AH-4 Modification”
    • Mel Ming (N7GCO) showed an introduction to FT4
  • June — “ARRL Sweepstakes from the Pacific Northwest” with Brian Moran N9ADG
  • July– “Ducie Island 2018 DXpedition VP6D” with Rob Fanfant N7QT
  • August – SDXA Summer Picnic
  • September — “Using  and SDR To Identify Noise In The Shack” and “Behind the Curtain: Inside the ARRL Boardroom” with Mike Ritz W7VO
  • October – Hints for DXing with Bob Hallock K7TM
  • November — “Maximizing LoTW” with Bart Jahnke W9JJ
  • December – SDXA Awards Dinner

2018 SDXA Programs

  • .
    January – “low band transmitting antennas 40-80-160 using EZNEC” with Bob Zavrel W7SX
  • February – “Mellish Reef DXpedition” with Rob Fanfant N7QT
  • March – “Tools for DXing” with Mel Ming N7GCO
  • April – “First Time DXpedition Experience” with Bengt-Erik Norum K7ADD
  • May – “80 & 160 meter four square receive antennas” with Bob Zavrel W7SX
  • Station Tour – Chris WX7B
  • June – J5T DXpedition to Guinea Bissau in Africa.
  • July – “Using FT8” with Rob Fanfant N7QT
  • August – Summer Picnic at Shadle Park
  • September – “RTTY Contesting” with Randy Foltz K7TQ
  • October – “PJ2T station’s big anniversary” with Geoff Howard W0CG
  • November – “Contesting” with Chris Hurlbut KL9A
  • WRTC 2014 Gold Medalists N6MJ, KL9A
  • December – Awards Dinner and Jim Fenstermaker K9JF  on ham radio in Kosovo

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