Monthly Club Meeting of the Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association via Zoom. This is a virtual only meeting.
Speaker: Mark Pride, K1RX
Topic: World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) 2026
Description: Join us for a discussion about the 10th World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC), taking place 8–13 July 2026 in the United Kingdom. Often likened to the Olympic Games of amateur radio, WRTC brings top-tier contesters together under equal operating conditions to showcase skill, strategy, and camaraderie. This meeting will highlight the significance of the event and explore how all ham radio operators, regardless of contest experience, can contribute through volunteering, outreach, and donations.
Time: Oct 13, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting
The Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association (SCARA) is taking a new approach this year in support of the American Diabetes Association’s Capital Region Tour de Cure. Rather than providing direct event communications and support, we will be operating a Special Event Station (call sign K2D) during the event.
Our core objectives remain unchanged despite this modification in our role at this event:
Offer valuable public service as members of the local community.
Demonstrate the functionalities of amateur radio to the public.
Provide hams with opportunities for training and practical experience.
SCARA is proud to participate in the 2025 Capital Region Tour de Cure with a unique twist! While cyclists will be logging miles on the roads, our ham radio operators will be racking up miles on the airwaves through a special event station (using the call sign K2D).
Tour de Cure® is ADA’s premier fundraising cycling event, bringing together communities with a shared mission: to fight diabetes and support those affected by it. SCARA is honored to join this mission by doing what we do best — making radio contacts across the country and around the globe — while helping to fund diabetes research, education, prevention programs, and advocacy.
There are several ways that you can become involved:
Operate at the Special Event Station on June 1, 2025, at the Tour de Cure venue: Ellms Family Farm in Charlton, NY — the start/finish line for riders. The site features music, food, and a beer garden for participants such as us. (This event presents an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate amateur radio to an audience of several hundred attendees who will be present throughout the day, if not all day.)
Operate from anywhere in Saratoga County using the K2D call sign from May 31–June 2 (0000Z–2359Z). Consider combining this with a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation.
Support the cause with a donation to the American Diabetes Association — and have your contribution credited to our amateur radio effort, even if you don’t plan to operate. Make your donation at www.diabetes.org/hamradio. Please spread the word to others, including family and friends, about this option to help.
Register as a “Virtual Rider” and “Join a Team” under role
Select a Team – “Saratoga County Amateur Radio Assoc.”
Don’t worry about the Fundraising Goal of $500 ($250 if you are a Red Rider) as mentioned on the next registration page. (Conceptual background: For our fundraising goals, we will provide information about SCARA’s team’s webpage to our contacts, allowing them to choose whether or not to donate. )
Answer the questions including providing your T-shirt size
“Continue to Confirmation” and enter the discount code THANKYOU25 (must be all caps to work). Your entry fee should be $0.
Participants will receive a t-shirt, a meal, and access to the Beer Garden at Ellms Family Farm (the event venue) covered by the $10 participation fee. If you are participating off-site, arrangements will be made to ensure you receive your T-shirt.
Ask your friends and family to donate too. If they mention your name when donating, the amount will go to the SCARA Team, and you’ll receive recognition gifts for reaching fundraising milestones. See https://tour.diabetes.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1403
Diabetes affects more than 11% of the U.S. population, making it a serious and widespread health challenge. Among ham radio operators, many are older adults—a group particularly vulnerable to this condition. That means a significant portion of the amateur radio community is directly managing diabetes, either personally or through loved ones. This event is more than just a gathering—it’s a chance to merge our passion for amateur radio with a cause that deeply affects our peers, friends, and families. By coming together, we can raise awareness, support one another, and make a meaningful impact on a health issue that touches so many in our community.
After you register as a team member, further logistical and operational details will be provided.
We hope you’ll join us in making this a fun, meaningful, and impactful event!
73,
Michael Levy, K2ZIP
President, Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association
The Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association (SCARA) is proud to participate in the 2025 Capital Region Tour de Cure with a unique twist! While cyclists will be logging miles on the roads, our ham radio operators will be racking up miles on the airwaves through a special event station using the call sign K2D — all to raise funds and awareness for the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Tour de Cure® is the ADA’s premier fundraising cycling event, bringing together communities with a shared mission: to fight diabetes and support those affected by it. SCARA is honored to join this mission by doing what we do best — making radio contacts across the country and around the globe — while helping to fund diabetes research, education, prevention programs, and advocacy.
Diabetes is a widespread health concern, affecting over 11% of the U.S. population. Given that many ham radio operators are older adults—a demographic with higher diabetes prevalence —it’s likely that a significant number within our community are managing this condition. This event holds personal significance for many of us, as we unite our passion for amateur radio with a cause that impacts our peers and loved ones.
We invite you to support our cause! Every contact we make and every dollar we raise brings us closer to a world free of diabetes and all its burdens. Your donation, no matter the size, can make a powerful difference. To donate use this link http://www.diabetes.org/hamradio Thank you for supporting our station, our mission, and everyone impacted by diabetes. 73, Mike
The annual Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon is scheduled for Sunday, October 16th.
We need a few radio operators and other support folks to ensure a successful event. I’ve attached the information about the event but please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We will be working with a couple of the area Amateur Radio clubs and the local CERT volunteers to help staff the event.
Please email Fred Halley at W2EMS@ARRL.NET if you are able to assist with this event.
The other day we announced the Corona Challenge, encouraging people to get on the air, and exercising “social distancing” to the extreme. We had some feedback saying that it was too complicated, so a slight change was made to the rules. Here are the revised rules:
Corona Challenge – On Air Operating Event 2020
Purpose: to encourage All Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association Members to get on the air and become more active while practicing “Social Distancing” or “Self-Quarantine” during the State of Emergency in Saratoga County New York
Dates: March 22, 2020, through the end of the State of Emergency in Saratoga County, NY. The end date will also be announced to club members.
Suggested Frequencies: Any Amateur Bands and Repeaters
Modes: SSB, AM, FM, DMR, C4FM, D-Star, CW, RTTY, FT8, FT4, SSTV, basically any over the air mode used by Amateurs
Exchange: Call sign, signal report,
Logging: Date, Time, Band, Mode, Call sign, Signal report, Optional: Name and QTH
Scoring:
SSB, AM FM (voice) – 1 point each
CW and Digital (Excluding Digital Voice) – 2 points each
Only count a QSO’s with a station once per band and mode
Total Score: Total QSO points plus any bonus points
Entry: Send the completed summary sheet and if claiming more than 50 QSO’s, please also send an electronic ADIF formatted log or excel sheet with the logging information to KG2H@ARRL.NET
The 17th annual Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon is scheduled for Sunday, October 20th.
We need a few radio operators and other support folks to ensure a successful event. I’ve attached the information about the event but please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We will be working with a couple of the area Amateur Radio clubs and the local CERT volunteers to help staff the event.
We have two Public Service events coming up that volunteers are needed for:
The first is this Sunday, October 9th. Karen, KS2O, is in need of three more volunteers. Please if you are available, e-mail her at ksmithkb2uuc@aol.com. The weather Sunday looks good, partly sunny and upper 60’s.
The second Public Service event is the Annual Pumpkin Patrol on both October 30 and 31st (yes it’s two nights). Lots of operators are needed. This is a NYS State Police sponsored event and it behooves us to put on a good showing! This is an enjoyable evening, refreshments being delivered throughout the Capital District, sometimes alternate rag chewing nets are going on simultaneously, but meanwhile everyone is protecting NYS Thruway traffic from trash thrown onto the highway from the overpasses. Again, please let Karen, KS2O, know if you can help one or both evenings: ksmithkb2uuc@aol.com.
I urge everyone to participate in Public Service events when possible. These nets not only help us become better operators in the event of a real emergency, they are also high profile and show professional agencies our abilities.
There is no need to respond to me directly if you can not help, thanks.
Joe, KD2FWG, gets some early contacts in the ARRL Filed Day log!
Radio operators are needed to support the 14th Annual Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon will be held on Sunday, October 16th. Each year the Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon attracts top regional multi-sport athletes, as well as recreational runners and bikers. The start, exchange area, and finish are all at Riverview Orchards and the courses are through rural fall foliage lined landscapes along the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway.
Awards for first, second, and third place male and female finish in each ten-year increment starting with 19 and under. Awards also for first place male, female, and mixed teams.
Radio Operators Needed
Radio operators are strategically placed along both the running and biking course to provide real-time updates to the race coordinators and to provide communications should an accident, injury, or illness occur on the race course.
Radio operators receive a moisture wicking polyester tee shirts a Giffy’s Bar-B-Q chicken dinner after the race.
Here are a few of the race details:
Special Event: Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon.
Date: Sunday, October 16, 2016.
Time: Race start 0830 hours, Radio Volunteers to stage at 0730 hours.
Event length: About 4 hours.
Location: Riverview Orchards, 660 Riverview Rd, Rexford, NY 12148
Contact Fred, W2EMS if you’re interested in helping out at this event.
