User:KB1LQC/K2GXT

K2GXT is the Rochester Institute of Technology Amateur Radio Club located on the RIT campus in Henrietta, New York. Student run and recognized by the RIT Center for Campus Life, the club participates in amateur (ham) radio activities. Areas of interest include public service, technology, operating activities, and the promotion of amateur radio to both the RIT community and to the general public. The "RIT Amateur Radio Association" was formed in 1952 and assigned the call sign of K2GXT in 1953 by the Federal Communications Commission. K2GXT was formerly an ARRL (W1AW) Affiliated Club and is working to re-obtain affiliation in 2008.

Facilities
The K2GXT station is located under the Student Alumni Union (SAU) in the tunnels. Located opposite of WITR, the RIT FM radio station, in room 04-A091. The room contains amateur radio equipment and supplies.

Repeaters
K2GXT is open to all licensed amateur radio operators on their repeaters and iGates.

A repeater is used to allow amateur radio operators to communication with each other easily. An individual, group, or club usually builds a repeater and obtains a special frequency to transmit and receive on. Radio operators can communicate with extended range with repeaters that are located with a large HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) which means the antenna is located higher than most objects in the area. Some repeaters are linked to the internet with Echolink and IRLP. This allows radio operators who can access the repeater to connect to anywhere in the world via the internet and converse with other amateurs in those regions of the world.

2 Meter Repeater

147.075 MHz + Offset 110.9 Hz Tone

Echolink : K2GXT-R, node 25308 IRLP Node # 5800

The 2 Meter repeater was installed in November 2007. It is the former Xerox Amateur Radio Club repeater, a GE Mastr II base station that was converted for full duplex use by club members. It is located on top of Ellingson Hall, a dormitory located on the RIT campus. The antenna is installed at 150 feet at the antennas base, making it the highest antenna on the RIT campus.

The K2GXT 70 CM Repeater was taken off the air in November 2007 due to failure of the repeater. It was replaced with the 2 Meter repeater.
 * 70CM Repeater

144.390 MHz
 * APRS Digipeater & iGate

Located on top of the Ellingson Hall dormitory on the RIT Campus. Antenna is 150 feet in the air at its base. Provides APRS digipeating and an iGate link to the internet.

Activities
K2GXT is affiliated with the Rochester Amateur Radio Association and has joined them on many activities and events which serve Monroe County and the Greater Rochester Area.

Project M.E.T.E.O.R
Members of K2GXT are affiliated with Project M.E.T.E.O.R with the call sign W2RIT. The project is an ongoing senior design which aims to put a satellite in space without getting a ride on a commercial rocket. K2GXT operators as well as non K2GXT members were responsible for keeping communications with the electronics on the weather balloon and providing APRS tracking of its location.

Community service
Representatives from K2GXT have joined other community hams for Pumpkin Patrol, volunteering to watch bridges the night before and the night of Halloween to prevent pumpkins and other debris from being thrown on to the NYS Thruway. In the past, pumpkins being thrown from overpass bridges have caused many tragic accidents. Troop T of the New York State Police sponsors this event and has thanked the Amateur Radio Community for its involvement.

Members of K2GXT have assisted in providing communications and bike/rider transportation and repair the American Diabetes Association Tour De Cure in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and also at the 2007 MS Bike Race at Keuka College.

NA1SS International Space Station
Members of K2GXT helped the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA) conduct a contact with the International Space Station NA1SS and the Sherman Elementary School in Henrietta, New York on Monday January 8, 2007.

RIT Blimp
Members of K2GXT and RIT Aero have built a twelve-foot remote controlled blimp in 2002. The blimp was written up in the March 2005 RC Universe Magazine.

The blimp has been rebuilt in 2007 and flown at RIT Tigers Hockey Games (NCAA Div. 1) with attendance in the thousands from around the Rochester area. In 2008 it was fitted with an ATV (amateur television) camera and provides a video down link above the crowd. This upgraded RIT Blimp was flown at "Imagine RIT", an innovation festival on May 3, 2008 to showcase its technology with radios and imaging science.

Valentine's Day messages
The RIT Amateur Radio Club sent free Valentine's Day messages across the United States. Students, faculty, and staff could submit short messages called "traffic" to the club before Valentines Day. K2GXT operators would then transmit the messages via amateur radio to an nationwide amateur traffic network. When the message arrived to the local area of the recipient, the message would be delivered by telephone.

Communication to troops stationed overseas
The RIT Amateur Radio Club, K2GXT, provided communication to soldiers stationed overseas during the Gulf War in 1991. The RIT Amateur Radio Club was the only club part of the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) in Western New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania at the time. Messages would be sent from the RIT Campus in Henrietta, NY to a "gateway communication center" in Rochester, NY. The messages would then be sent to command stations located in the Persian Gulf which would distribute the messages to the soldiers.

Awards

 * DX Century Club (DXCC) awarded in 1983 for confirmed contact of more than 100 countries.
 * ARRLOfficial Relay Station Certificate April 7,1984.
 * Brass Pounders League award for traffic handling.