Summer Happenings

2 pm Sat. 6/23 – 2 pm Sun., 6/24  ARRL Field Day
PAARC at Welkinweir in Pottstown. Join us! Learn more:  www.paarc.net/field-day
ARRL Field Day page:  www.arrl.org/field-day
ARRL Field Day locator: www.arrl.org/field-day-locatorSat., 6/30   Harrisburg ARC Firecracker HAMFEST
Opens to public at 8:00 am. Cost: $5 per ham. Harrisburg Area Community College, 3599 Industrial Road, Harrisburg, PA 17101 Talk-In: 146.76 (PL 100)  http://www.w3uu.org7/1 – 7/7  13 Colonies Special Event – Independence Week
July 1 (9AM EST) to July 7 (Midnight EST)  www.13colonies.net/index.html​
All HF bands will be in play, including the WARC bands, with the exception of 60 meters. Simplex on 2 meters and 6 meters is encouraged. All modes of operation may be represented – SSB, CW, RTTY, Digital, Etc. – The mode of operation is up to the individual colony state station. Please refer to the State information pages for details. The 13 Colonies Special Event is a not for profit event.

Fri., 7/6  PAARC Picnic at 6:30 pm  www.paarc.net/club-picnic

Sat., 7/14   MARC Kimberton HAMFEST
The 2018 MARC Hamfest will be held on Sat., July 14th at the Kimberton Fire Company grounds, Route 113 (742 Pike Springs Road) south of the intersection with Route 23 in Kimberton, PA. Doors open for sellers at 0700 and for buyers at 0800. Admission is $6. and includes a door prize ticket. Visit website for more: http://www.marc-radio.org/hamfest2.htm  Note: PAARC has reserved 2 indoor tables. Members, feel free to bring a few items to sell!

8/3  PAARC Ice Cream Social at 7 pm, St. James Lutheran

8/4 Reading Radio Club Mini Fest in Sinking Spring, PA (Reading, PA area)
Heritage Park, 992 Clematis St, Sinking Spring, PA West on Rt 422 at Rt. 724, after one mile left on Park Ave (just past the Sunoco station on the right); Park Ave 0.3 miles to dead end, left onto Clematis St; 0.2 miles to the entrance to Heritage Park. Talk-In: 146.31+ (PL 131.8). GPS: N 40° 19.320 W 076° 01.950 (need confirmation)
http://www.readingradioclub.org | Directions
Opens: 8 AM, Vendors 7 AM; Auction at 12 Noon (for unsold items buyers wish to auction off). Cost: $5, ULS,U18 free; sellers $8. VE Testing*: 8:30 AM (free admission for VE Exam only; test fee applies)
All Regional Hamfests  www.qsl.net/w2vtm/hamfest.html
ARRL Special Event Calendar   www.arrl.org/special-event-stations

D-Star Class – 7/8

The Education Alliance for Amateur Radio is offering a free D-Star training class on July 8th 2018 from 10 am – 2 pm at the Upper Pottstgrove Township Office 1409 Farmington Ave, Pottstown, PA 19464.  The topics that will be covered are D-Star basics, using android apps with D-Star, and an intro to DRATS.  Light refreshments will be served.  The class is free of charge.  This is a hands on class so bring your D-star radio, laptop and or android tablet or device.  Programming assistance will be available as well.  Please RSVP before July 7, 2018 to kb3sbc at comcast dot net.

PAARC Field Day – 6/23-24

PAARC Field Day runs from 2 pm on June 23rd, to 12 noon on June 24th, 2018. This year we’ll be at Welkinweir, part of the the Green Valleys Watershed Association. Their web is: http://www.welkinweir.org  A group of PAARC members will be setting up amateur stations in Welkinweir’s covered pavilion with electric power and picnic tables, plus two stations will operate from the nearby field. The elevation here is 452′.  Porta-pottie’s and running water are on-site. There is a paved parking lot and a generous number of trees around the pavilion.  This is ham radio’s annual open house event, and the public is welcome to join us.

Welkinweir is easy to find going south from Pottstown on Route 100, past Pughtown Rd., to just past the Little’s John Deere dealer, then right onto Prizers Rd., and go 1 mile unto you see the visitor’s entrance on the left. GPS coordinates: 40.15490 / -75.68412.  See the PAARC Field Day webpage for details and station info. 

Welkinweir entrance sign

Welkinweir entrance sign

Welkinweir Pavillon

Welkinweir Pavillion

Pond at Welkinweir

Club Meeting & License Test – 5/4

Join us on Friday, May 4, 2018 at St. James Lutheran Church, 93 Kugler Rd., Limerick, PA.  

Club Meeting – 7:00 pm:  
May 4: FT8, with Barry Fierman, K3EUI

License Exam Session
 – 5:00 pm – Go for your Amateur Radio license or try for an upgrade. Pre-register by sending a request to VETesting@PAARC.NET. Test sessions are administered by examiners accredited by the ARRL. See what to bring to exam session here: www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session. 2018 tests: 1/5, 2/2, 3/2, 4/6, 5/4, 6/1, 9/7, 10/5, 11/2, 12/7.

Future Club Meeting Presentations:

June 1: My role in the Apollo 10 Mission Recovery, with Ronald Cohen, K3ZKO