(This is also available in the ARRL Virginia Section Newsletter for December of 2020)Amid all the protections and social distancing of 2020, I have struggled to think of things that we can do for social gatherings and fun, but still maintain a level of safety for the New River Valley Amateur Radio Club. Activities outdoors […]
Operations
Local Beacons
K4RCA/B 1296.240 MHz Grid square EM97we (37.19733 N -80.1527 W) Elevation 3800 ft Located on Poor Mountain behind Roanoke, VA Notes: While not GPS locked, the transmitter frequency is controlled by a high stability ovenized crystal oscillator. The transmit frequency should be within a few 10’s of Hertz of the specified frequency. The transmitter […]
Last Breakfast Picnic Social and Park Fox Hunt for the Year
Saturday, Nov 14th @ 8:30am, Randolph Park, Dublin, VA Another COVID-19 friendly event before the real bad weather starts! Let’s get together again for some fun (at a safe distance). Bring your own breakfast to the small picnic shelter at Randolph Park in Dublin (same place we have the field day activities). Remember, McDonalds and […]
Satellite Ops – Where to Start?
So far, I’ve yet to make a satellite contact using the FM repeaters available. Seems I’m either not fast enough, the repeater is down, or my equipment isn’t right. There’s always SOMETHING that works against me! EDIT: Finally made a contact on Oct 8, 2020 on SO-50! Sample audio in the article below! So, why […]
Breakfast Picnic Social and Park Fox Hunt
This Saturday, Sept 19th @ 8:30am, Randolph Park, Dublin, VA Summer is almost complete, and we haven’t seen each other in a while! What’s the safest activity we can do and still meet up? Well, we seem to like eating, so let’s have a picnic! So, bring your own breakfast to the small picnic shelter […]
Field Day 2020
2020 ARRL Field Day was fun in spite of the protections and changed needed to provide for a safer environment combating COVID-19. Check out our pictures from the event, and click HERE to see our Field Day Summary and information on the contacts made.
2020 Audie Murphy Special Event Review
The Audie Murphy Special Event was a success! On May 30, 2020, spanning 3 bands with single-side band, we were able to give recognition in our own way to this American Hero. There were 151 contacts covering 29 states, Canada, and even a maritime mobile station. Many contacts were thankful and familiar with Audie Murphy […]
2020 – The Year We Make Contact!
Contest Time! To promote technical proficiency, communication diversity, and functional equipment, the NRVARC will conduct a contest for 2020. The rules are such that anyone with a ham radio license should be able to participate. Any currently licensed radio amateur is encouraged to participate. Monthly awards and a grand prize will be given to NRVARC […]
Repeater Feed Online
As a part of an experiment, we now have a feed available online for anyone wishing to listen in on our repeater traffic. This should allow members to listen in on the nets if they can’t participate, or hear what their audio sounds like on the repeaters. If using this to check your audio keep […]
How Does the J-Pole Work?
J-Pole antennas are one of the true works of electrical engineering that gives us a smaller footprint vertical with no need for a ground plane. But how do these things work? Here is a great presentation from Dr. Ed Fong WB6IQN explaining. Other articles and information on J-Poles available here: The DBJ-1: A VHF-UHF Dual-Band […]