| The Southtowns Amateur Radio Society is unique, in that they have their own private clubhouse and antenna farm. STARS was fortunate to be granted permission to use an unoccupied building on the Town of Hamburg Recreation Center property which was once used by the military as a NIKE Missile base during the time of the cold war. Over the past decade the building has been stripped, painted and renovated and has become one of the shining lights' of STARS. Located outside the Village of Hamburg, it is a very isolated and very RF quiet QTH. |
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Larry Shannon K2KVS, Bob Lehning WA2YSJ and Rich Budzynski KI2X enjoy operating during a contest at the STARS Nike Base Club Station. |
A 75-foot commercial grade tower adorns the property and supports many of the antennas that the clubhouse uses. A Hygain TH-6DX graces the top of the tower allowing QSO's on 10, 15 & 20 meters. There's not a pile up that can't be broken in short order from this location. 160, 80, and 40-meter dipoles at the 70-foot level fill out the HF antenna needs. Various 2-meter, 220 MHz, and 440 MHz antennas balance out the remainder of the antennas.
Inside the building there are two rooms. The main HF room boasts an Icom IC-765 and a Clipperton Amplifier. From here, multiple operators may access the bands on SSB and CW. For those interested in the digital modes, a RACSAL Interface provides the capability to operate Slow-scan Television (SSTV), PSK31, Radio teletype (RTTY), Packet, and more, by interfacing with the PC. The secondary room is a conference room. A conference table makes an ideal setting for board meetings, other small gatherings and for eye-ball rag chewing. Also housed in this room are a refrigerator, coffee pot, and microwave oven to help those who operate during the all night contest periods. Small training sessions are held here, as are some VE sessions. The STARS 2-meter repeater, remote receiver is housed in a special room adjacent to the conference room. |
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STARS has instituted its own video library, containing tapes on lightning protection, operating practices, and DX-peditions. A fine library of Amateur Radio books and magazines are also available on a read-it-there or check-it-out basis.
The STARS clubhouse is generally open on weekends and for special events. During the summer months, the Club holds July and August meetings here. One of the highlights of the year is the August annual picnic for club members and guests. While most members have their own station at home, very few can match the performance and accessibility to the bands that the STARS Nike Base Clubhouse can provide. Many people have used this to their advantage by coming out to work rare DX and for racking up large scores during contests. STARS is proud to have this station and encourages fellow hams and non-hams to come out and operate. |
A group of scouts, their leaders and family members came to the STARS Nike Base Club Station to learn more about amateur radio. |