What's Happening at AARC

Check back to this blog often. It is frequently updated but not sent to your e-mail each time.

Club Meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 7:30 to 9PM at the clubhouse located at the Davidsonville Family Recreation Center in Davidsonville, MD

2nd and 4th Saturdays of the Month at 3PM - Club Station often OPEN
Also open on dates when specific contests are scheduled. Elmers are available to assist club members, especially new hams, in getting on the air and operating the club's HF station.

License Exams every 2nd Saturday of the Month - Check in at Noon - At the clubhouse

YL Meeting every 3rd Sunday of the Month at 2:00pm

Technician class currently in progress 9AM on Saturdays

Morse Code class currently in progress at noon on Saturdays except during testing

Kit Building sessions currently in progress at 1PM Sundays
You may also bring items to repair or troubleshoot.

Thursday, March 18 - Club Meeting - Keith KM4AA - All About D-Star Digital Radio Systems

Saturday, March 20 & Sunday, March 21 - Contest Operation at Clubhouse
Oklahoma QSO Party – 9:00 am – 9:00 pm (Sat) and 9:00 am – 3:00pm (Sun)

Thursday, April 1 - Club Meeting - Mini-Presentations by Club Members

Sunday April 11 - Cherry Pit 10 Miler

Thursday, April 15 - Club Meeting - Giff K1GAH - Winlink Around the World
Keeping in touch from a sailboat

Saturday April 17 - Contest Operation at Clubhouse
Michigan QSO Party - Noon – Midnight

Saturday April 24 - General Licensing Class Begins 9AM to Noon

Saturday, May 1 & Sunday, May 2 - Contest Operation at Clubhouse
Combining two multi-state QSO parties!
Seventh Call Area QSO Party - 9:00 am (Sat) – 3:00 am (Sun)
New England QSO Party – 4:00 pm (Sat) – 1:00 am (Sun) and 9:00 am – 8:00 pm (Sun).

Thursday, May 6 - Club Meeting - Topic TBA

Thursday, May 20 - Club Meeting - Bryan N3ST - Frequency Coordinator for T-MARC (The Mid-Atlantic Repeater Council)
How the coordination process works and why it is in place.

Thursday, June 3 - Club Meeting - Topic TBA

Saturday June 5 - Contest Operation at Clubhouse
Alabama QSO Party – Noon – Midnight

Thursday, June 17 - Club Meeting - Field Day Preparations

Saturday, June 26 & Sunday, June 27 - Field Day! Field Day! Field Day!

Stay tuned for more exciting programs coming up in 2010!

73, Rick Creager - KK4GV - Club President

UPDATE - Morse Code Training

There will be no Morse Code Training Class this weekend (Saturday, 13 Mar) due to the scheduled monthly exam session.

Students are encouraged to continue working their way through the first 5 character groups using "Method 1".

The "post graduate" students should be breezing through character refresher and doing "Speed Drills".

UPDATE - General License Upgrade Course - Change Start & End Dates

Greetings!

As you know, we are offering a licensing course for the General class license.

    It's free - you just pay for the license manual (at a discounted price if you order it through the club)

    It starts April 24th (0900-Noon) and ends June 12th (Just in time for Field Day) http://fieldday.w3vpr.org/

    Sign-up using the "Class Sign-up Tool" on the left side of the web page or e-mail Rick aarcpres@comcast.net

License manuals will be available at least a week prior to the start of the course.

73

Upgrade to General Class

Greetings!

Do you feel the need to expand your horizons?

Is being a "Repeater Rat" not all it was cracked up to be when you started and now has you depressed?

Do you suffer from ham radio "HF Deficiency (HFD)?

Do you want to meet people on the air from around the world? Do you want to have lots of fun and improve your love life?

I'm not sure about improving your love life, but upgrading your Technician license to General class will solve almost all of your problems listed above.

March newsletter

Here it is -- a little shorter than usual.

Technician Licensing Course Underway After Weather Delay

The AARC 2010 Technician licensing course got started after Mother Nature intervened and imposed a mandatory wait period.

We have eight students including three kids.

The first class session was on 20 Feb - A week after the original start date. Parking was extremely limited due to the massive snowfall and lack of snow plowing. A single lane was cleared to the top of the hill.

Thanks to Rick/KK4GV and Cody/KB3POM, a path was shovelled to the front door.

Morse Code Training Up and Running

On Saturday, a few brave souls made their way to the snowbound AARC clubhouse to start the 2010 Field Day Morse Code Training Class.

Field Day IS NOT Cancelled Due to the Snow at the DFRC

Greetings.

To repeat: Field Day is not cancelled due to the excessive snow accumulation at the DFRC!

Just like last year was a challenge, this year will also present challenges. AND opportunities!

Each of our 10 operating stations will be installed in a custom-made igloo. Each igloo may be of any size but must conform to a the traditional igloo design with rounded dome and crawl-in entrance.

Last Reminder - Morse Code Training Starts Saturday

Morse code training will start Saturday at Noon at the AARC Clubhouse.

    + Weather permitting and
    + If the DFRC driveway and parking area has been cleared of snow and
    + a path has been cleared to the front door of the clubhouse.

ARRL Releases 2010 Field Day Package

Greetings.

Below is from this year's ARRL Field Day package:

    Dear Field Day Participant:

    The Amateur Service has as one of its Part 97.1 purposes “the continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.” We are more than casual observers or bystanders on this global stage – we are participants in that magical playground. And I am proud to say:

        I’m a Ham – My Playground Is The World!