Return to Hybrid Meetings Proposed

The club is hoping to resume hybrid meetings beginning in July. This means members would be able to attend both in person or by Zoom. Watch the website or the President's emails for more information and the date this will happen.

WE DID IT, IT'S MARYLAND LAW

MDC Section graphic

Many thanks and much appreciation to Maryland Delegates Mr. Boteler and Mr. Buckel and their staff.

Narrative –
Local Government - Regulation of Amateur Radio Station Antenna Structures
Requiring that an ordinance adopted by a county or municipality to regulate amateur radio station antenna structures may not preclude amateur radio communications, must accommodate amateur radio communications, and must constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the purpose of the ordinance.

Maryland QSO Party Coordinator Needed

The club is in need of a person to serve as the Chairman of the Maryland-DC QSO Party. We are the hosts of the annual event and provide a plaque to the club that initiates the most contacts and points (AARC as the host is ineligible). All other participants are acknowledged by a certificate of participation.

The process is largely automated as a Python program tallies the final score as well as software to help with the mailing. Information is on the website, click here.

Extra Training Needs Extras

Are you an Amateur Extra? 

Keith, AE3D, is seeking Extras to narrate brief topics that will be a part of the upcoming AE class lectures. If you have the time to record a brief presentation on an Extra topic contact Keith at learn@w3vpr.org. The topics are pre-written.

 

HB 331 on Amateur Radio Antennas to Take Effect

On Friday, May 27, Governor Hogan notified the Speaker of the House of Delegates that HB 331 on the regulation of amateur radio station antennas will take effect without his signature. 

Article II, Section 17(c) of the state constitution allows such bills duly passed to become law if not vetoed or signed by the governor.

RigExpert correspondence

Dear Eric Berman,
We feel supported

The RigExpert brand comes from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Therefore, with the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine, our team received hundreds of emails from all over the world.

Each such appeal contained words of support to Ukraine and the RigExpert team.

Radio amateurs from all over the world offered us their help: shelter for Ukrainian families, financial assistance, offices, information support, and much more.

Such unprecedented support inspired us then and gives us wings now.

Presentation on Working the FM Satellites

The May 5, 2022 presentation was on Working the FM Satellites by Chris  Mishaga, KB3IBI. The presentation can be accessed by clicking this link.

2021 MDC QSO Party Award Presented

-2021 MDC QSO Paty Award_2.jpg'

Open Shack

One of the benefits of membership in the Anne Arundel Radio Club is the ability for members to use the Club station radios during Open Shack Sundays. 

The Shack radios are an Icom 7300, IC 9700, Yaesu FT-991A, Kenwood TS-570 and a Flex. And members can access digital communications as the club has hot spots available for DMR, D-STAR and Fusion.

The operating schedule for Open Shack is posted here

General Class

The next General Class has started, however you can still attend. For information, contact Keith, AE3D at training@w3vpr.org. The Class is held at 1:30 pm on consecutive Sundays, except May 29 (Memorial Day weekend) via Zoom.

Field Day 2022

Field Day is approaching. As ARRL says:

Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

FCC Fees Coming in April

The FCC fee to obtain licenses or get a new sequential or vanity license will become effective on April 19. This means the April testing session is the last session the AARC will have before the fee takes effect.

WI-FI at the Clubhouse

Upgrades are in progress on the technical infrastructure at the clubhouse.

You will see a new WIFI network on the air now, it is called AARC-GUEST

This is what you will use for any phones, tablets, laptops, and whatever else you have.

When you first connect you will get a Welcome screen and a button to click to accept the terms.

The password is posted in the clubhouse.

You should notice an increase in speed as we have our own internet connection

FCC Fees HAM and GMRS

The notice of fees was published on March 19 2021. Usually they become effective 30 days after which would have been today. They have NOT gone into effect yet.

TEXT OF NOTICE:

 

OFFICE OF MANAGING DIRECTOR

ANNOUNCES EFFECTIVE DATE OF FY 2021 APPLICATION FEES ORDER

 

Website Article Notifications

The website can be setup to send you an email notifications when a new article is posted.By default this is not enabled for each user.

This PDF will show the steps to do to setup to enable this feature.

Click on this article to open the PDF attachment at the bottom of this post.

 

Until Further Notice

Until Further Notice all Anne Arundel Radio Club Meetings will be held on Zoom!

First, you should know that unless otherwise stated meetings are from 7:30pm till approximately 9:00pm on the days in question.  Further you should know that a Zoom Meeting Invite, will contain the Meeting ID and Password needed to be a part of that meeting. 

New Here Perhaps?

NOOBIES CLICK HERE

I recently received an email from a member who obviously didn't understand some of the basics of how our club works.  I thought "Maybe he's not alone?"  So I wrote up a page of stuff for Noobies to the AARC.  Stuff every member should know.  If you are new here.... I suggest you click on the heading above and read it. 

Repeater Feed on Website

There is now a live feed of the 147.105 repeater on the W3VPR website. It is hosted by Broadcastify.com, where it is also available. 

The feed is currenlty being fed by KB3YMU using a Uniden BCD436 scanner, an old Dell laptop running Proscan. The site is backed up with UPS and generator.

This is an informational feed due to the delay(90 seconds), this is just inherint in the network between the capture of the audio, transmision to the Broadcastify site and encoding time for internet broadcast.

It is not meant to use in conjunction with realtime communications, rather for when you are unable to receive the signal or for testing your rig, you are able to transmit and then wait to hear your transmission via broadcastify.

If you have any question you may contact w3vpr@w3vpr.org

 

Paperwork

In 2018/2019 we created new Application Forms, Membership Renewal Forms, Waiver Forms, Yearly Survey Forms and Photographic Release Forms both online and hard copy.   But its clear from what is being filled out that many members don't understand the reasons for each, and even who should fill them out.

So, if you want to understand the process...... click here.

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