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January 21, 2025
Editor: Mike Walters, W8ZY [ mailto:
mwalters@arrl.org ]
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In this Issue:
The Maker Movement and the Radio Club
PCARS Supports Local Agency
Call for QST Articles About ARRL Field Day
Call for QST Articles for the July 2025 Special Issue on EmComm
Submitting Info for this Newsletter
How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention
Important Links
The Maker Movement and the Radio Club
Remember the Maker movement with its Maker Faires and Maker Fests? We were
thick with them before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Richmond (Virginia) Amateur
Radio Club (RARC) displayed and demonstrated in every local Maker Fest since
their start in 2014. Then it all stopped.
In November 2024, the "RVA MakerFest Resurgence" took place and the RARC was
there with members of the Powhatan Area Radio Club (PARC) and Richmond
Amateur Telecommunications Society (RATS) lending support.
In the past we focused on making radios and gadgets and the tools we used to
make them. We had a small HF operation on the side, but the Maker part
dominated. This restart of the local Maker movement was to be held at a high
school in a less visible location than the well-known science museum. We were
not sure whether we would have many visitors, so we decided to have a good
amount of equipment for the hams. We set up one VHF station to demonstrate
Winlink on VHF, and two low-power HF stations. We brought a bunch of
handhelds. If no one showed up, at least we would have fun playing radio.
We should have been putting up antennas and getting on the air from the
beginning! I watched passersby notice the antennas sticking up and come over
to see what they were about. It had not occurred to us that we were making
stuff that did not have an apparent use. Showing how we used this gear we had
made was a big step forward. It resulted in lots of conversations about ham
radio and what you can do with it, from balloon chasing to marathon support
to talking to distant lands.
We were outside in a V-shaped grassy area. We put three 6-foot tables in a U
shape, with the stations on the side tables. The keys were especially
important. They were designed and produced by industrial designer Rob Thomas,
KC4NYK, for the classes leading up to the 2022 ARISS space station contact at
Woodson Middle School in Hopewell, Virginia. Middle schoolers and early teens
love codes and ciphers. Therefore, Morse code is attractive. And it is a
"language" their parent does not know! We showed the kids how to use the keys
and handed them a souvenir phonetic Morse code to take home, and they began
using code. Their parents hovered over them, interested in seeing their
children so engaged.
The poster shown at the event was laid out by Rob, with content developed by
the team. It attracted plenty of attention and, like the antennas, drew
people to the tables to ask questions. We often heard, "I did not know ham
radio still existed. I had a [named an older relative] who used to talk on
the radio all the time." It is nice for them to see amateur radio operators
very much in existence, with 3,000 in the greater metropolitan area and
17,000 in Virginia.
On the front table we had a computer connected to an SDR receiver showing a
spectrum display. "Seeing" radio signals attracts people and results in
questions. Also on the front table were examples of ham-built gear. Having
gear that's opened up gets the most interest from passersby and gives hams a
chance to explain what the "guts" are and what they do. Next is the test
equipment. We selected a digital multimeter, a NanoVNA spectrum analyzer, and
a soldering iron. Beside them were the keys, the phonetic code strips, some
wooded coasters with Morse code on them, some ARRL brochures, older copies of
ARRL's On the Air magazine to give away, and our business cards, which
contain information on our exam prep classes. The QR code on the back leads
to the "Get Licensed" page of the club's website.
The table on the left had the VHF station mostly demonstrating Winlink, with
explanations of how ham radio is used in emergencies.
The table on the right had one HF station in the morning and a second station
in the afternoon.
Over the 12-hour day, about 20 hams attended. There was plenty of interaction
with the public.
By Bruce MacAlister, W4BRU
PCARS Supports Local Agency
[
https://weeklyvillager.com/radio-club-donates-over-11000-to-center-of-hope]
On December 12, 2024, Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) President
Mike Gonzalez, KP4VZ, alongside Treasurer Greg Ash, KA8TOA, presented a check
in the amount of $11,178.51 to Mark Frisone, Executive Director of Family &
Community Services, for the Center of Hope. This amount was raised through
the dedicated efforts of club members and the broader community, who have
provided significant support to Portage County over the years.
An article detailing this event was published by the Weekly Villager, which
can be accessed at
weeklyvillager.com/radio-club-donates-over-11000-to-center-of-hope [
https://weeklyvillager.com/radio-club-donates-over-11000-to-center-of-hope ]
.
Call for QST Articles About ARRL Field Day
QST, the membership journal of ARRL, seeks manuscripts about ARRL Field Day
for possible publication in the June 2025 Field Day issue. This is your
club's chance to share your Field Day successes and lessons learned, so other
clubs and groups will benefit from your experience. Here's what QST is
looking for:
�-�1,200 to 1,800 words �-" Tell the story of your Field Day operation with a
"how-to" angle, so readers will understand how to duplicate your success.
�-�2-5 high-resolution images �-" Include captions that explain what's
happening in the photos, the names and call signs of any hams pictured, and
the name (and call sign, if applicable) of the person who took each photo.
�-�Send the manuscript and photos to
qst@arrl.org [ mailto:
qst@arrl.org ] by
April 1.
Call for QST Articles for the July 2025 Special Issue on EmComm
Every July, ARRL publishes a special issue of QST, the membership journal of
ARRL, with an EmComm focus. This issue is a perfect opportunity for your club
to share your experiences doing exercises and drills, as well as
participating in responses, so other groups will benefit from your
experience. Here's what QST is looking for:
�-�1,200 to 1,800 words �-" Tell the story of your participation in an
exercise or response with a "how-to" angle. For example, if your club
designed an exercise, talk about the rationale that led to the choice of the
exercise scenario and parameters.
�-�2-5 high-resolution images �-" Include captions that explain what's
happening in the photos, the names and call signs of any hams pictured, and
the name (and call sign, if applicable) of the person who took each photo.
�-�Send the manuscript and photos to
qst@arrl.org [ mailto:
qst@arrl.org ] by
May 1.
Submitting Info for this Newsletter
ARRL Club News is for radio clubs to show how they are working in the
community and the hobby to advance amateur radio. If your club completes a
project, supports an event, does an EmComm activation, or activates a park,
we want to hear about it. You can submit your newsletter article to us at
clubs@arrl.org [ mailto:
clubs@arrl.org ] . We like to get them as text or
Word files instead of PDFs. If you have pictures, please submit them with
caption information, as well as the name and call sign of the photographer.
We want to highlight the good work being done by the clubs and show others in
the community. Think of this as a chance to show off your club and your
programs.
How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention
If your amateur radio club is planning to host a convention, hamfest,
tailgate, or swapfest, please consider applying for it to be an
ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL-sanctioned event,
and to get some ideas on how to prepare for and conduct a hamfest or
convention, visit
www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events [
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL] .
To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at
www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application [
http://www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL] .
Please send a copy of the application that returns to you to Steve Ewald at
sewald@arrl.org [ mailto:
sewald@arrl.org ] .
The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online at
www.arrl.org/hamfests [
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL] . In addition, the Convention and Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each
month also presents information about upcoming events.
Important Links
ARRL Home:
www.arrl.org [
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Find an ARRL Affiliated Club:
www.arrl.org/clubs [
http://www.arrl.org/clubs?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL]
Find your ARRL Section:
www.arrl.org/sections [
http://www.arrl.org/sections?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL]
Find a license class in your area:
www.arrl.org/class [
http://www.arrl.org/class?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL]
Find a license exam in your area:
www.arrl.org/exam [
http://www.arrl.org/exam?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL]
Find a hamfest or convention:
www.arrl.org/hamfests [
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL]
Email ARRL Clubs:
clubs@arrl.org [ mailto:
clubs@arrl.org ]
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ARRL Club News for January 21, 2025