Next Meeting: January 8th at 6:30 PM
Join us at the Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management Center for our monthly meeting on
January 8th at 6:30 PM. At our December meeting, it was voted and passed: Russ (KF0JOU) is our new
NACG Club President, Al (KE0YHT) is the new Vice President, and the rest of the officers remain the
same. Congratulations to the new leadership! The club is still quiet, so bring ideas for activities like
digital workshops, antenna projects, or casual get-togethers to spark some energy! New members and
visitors are always welcome! Newsletters are on the club website.
Club Dues Reminder
As we head into the new year, remember that club dues are due! Please bring your payment to the
January meeting or contact an officer for details on how to renew your membership and support our
club’s activities.
November Nets Recap
November nets were fantastic with 38 check-ins across four Sunday sessions—our best yet! Can we
break 50? Join every Sunday at 6:30 PM on 442.275 to connect and help us hit that goal. We need net
controls! Contact Justin (N0JBE) at JB@N0JBE.com to volunteer. Starting January, we’ll set up a
regular schedule.
ARES Update: Operators Needed and Nets Ongoing
Recruiting continues for ARES to support Cerro Gordo County emergencies. Complete ARRL basic
training and submit to Justin (N0JBE) at JB@N0JBE.com—no experience needed! ARES nets every
Wednesday at 7:00 PM on 147.315 (DCS 047)—FM mode. First Wednesday: simplex on 147.570
MHz. Join to practice!
How to Talk on a Repeater: Get Active and On the Air!
To encourage more activity, here’s a quick guide to repeater use: Key up your mic (press PTT), wait 1-2
seconds for the repeater to activate, then clearly state your callsign (e.g., “This is N0JBE monitoring”).
To call someone, say “This is [your callsign] calling [their callsign]” and release PTT to listen. Keep
transmissions concise (under 3 minutes), pause between turns for others to join, and always identify
every 10 minutes and at the end. No need for “over” or codes—natural conversation works! If the
repeater is quiet, throw out a CQ like “This is [callsign] listening for any stations.” Let’s make our
repeater buzz—hop on, say hi, and chat to build our community!
Packet Radio Update: N0JBE-7 Node Now Available in Mason City—with Winlink RMS!
N0JBE-7 on 145.050 MHz supports APRS, chat, and BBS. Exciting addition: A Winlink RMS node is
now available in Mason City! Connect directly to N0JBE-10 or use the RMS command on the terminal
via N0JBE-7 for email over radio. Email JB@N0JBE.com for setup help—let’s get experimenting!
Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendars!
Winter Field Day (WFD): January 24th–25th, 2026. W0MCW event open to all—winter
portable ops. Prep now!
Solar Weather Outlook
November Recap: Solar activity in November was low, with average sunspot numbers around 74 and
solar flux near 119 SFU, featuring minor C-class flares and quiet geomagnetic conditions for stable HF
bands. December/January Outlook: As of December 25, 2025, solar activity is moderate with sunspot
number 103 and flux at 134 SFU; recent flares include M8.9 on Dec 23 with Earth-directed CME,
leading to a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm watch for Dec 25. Geomagnetic conditions are quiet
(Kp~3.67), solar wind ~626 km/sec. New sunspot 4321 has unstable beta-gamma-delta field. Forecasts:
15% M-class flares, low storm risks; possible minor disturbances from coronal hole wind.
HF: Good higher bands (10m-20m) daytime, stable lower at night—watch flares/storms for disruptions
or enhancements. Check spaceweather.com for updates and share QSOs!
Get Involved!
Sunday Nets: Sundays 6:30 PM on 442.275—check in! Net controls needed.
ARES: Join via ARRL basics—contact Justin.
Club Activities: Quiet month—suggest ideas on Discord or at meeting. Let’s activate!
As the holiday season shines bright, the Northland Amateur Communications Group wishes everyone a
Merry Christmas and happy holidays! May your signals be strong and your QSOs joyful.
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