POTTSTOWN AREA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
MONTHLY MEETINGS
We meet on first Fridays at 7:00 pm in-person at St. James Lutheran Church, Kugler Rd. and Swamp Pike in Limerick. Summer meetings for July and August are on Zoom. Meeting dates and topics are subject to change. See our Calendar
2024
LICENSE EXAMS – PAARC amateur radio license exam sessions take place in-person on first Fridays at 4:45 pm at the same location as the monthly meeting (if there’s enough interest), except during the summer when exams are on hiatus. You must register in advance to sit for an exam. See the License Exams page to confirm testing dates.
Meetings
Updated 11/1/24
UP NEXT: Fri., Nov. 1 at 7:00 pm: Board nominations. Canceled: Operation Able Archer ’83, with Walt Skavinsky, KB3SBC. Our presenter is ill so we will hold a member discussion instead. St. James Lutheran, 93 Kugler Rd., Limerick, PA.
Friday, Oct. 4th at 7:00 PM: Fire Safety with Christ Wilcox, W3CJW. St. James Lutheran, 93 Kugler Rd., Limerick, PA.
Fri. Sept. 6 at 7:00 PM: Social Gathering with food at St. James Lutheran Church, 93 Kugler Rd., Limerick, PA.
Our monthly meetings for July and August will be online-only on Google Meet. See the PAARC Club Calendar for login credentials for the July 5th meeting at 7:00 pm.
June 7: Ice Cream Social at St. James Lutheran at 7:00pm. Last meeting before the summer break.
Fri. May 3 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA at 7:00 pm. Police Technology with Walt, KB3SBC.
Fri. April 5 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA at 7:00 pm. Antique Radios with Rick Rhoads, W3ALG.
Fri. March 1 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA at 7:00 pm. Topic: Oscilloscopes and Multimeters, with Ron Medykiewicz, WA3VEE.
Fri. Feb. 2 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA at 7:00 pm. Topic: Radiation and You, with Dr. Ron Bellamy, KC3ACL.
Fri., Jan. 5 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick at 7:00 pm. The topic is drones, with Walt Skavinsky, KB3SBC.
Fri., Dec. 1, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick at 7:00 pm. Member Night presentations on various topics, and election for PAARC President.
Fri., Nov. 3, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick at 7:00 pm. Topic: Summits on the Air (SOTA) with Tim Poth W3QP.
Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at 7:00 pm – Location: Saint James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Topic: upgrading to 2nd Gen. LiFePO4 batteries, with Tim Drager, W3UE.
Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Club social event with food and fellowship. Members are welcome to show/tell/share their summer amateur radio projects and POTA adventures.
Friday, May 5, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Presentation: Pedestrian Mobile with Ed Breneheiser, WA3WSJ
Friday, April 7, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Presentation: FLAMP and FLMSG with Nate Rosenthal, N2ADD
Friday, March 3, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Presentation: Civil Air Patrol with Walt Skavinsky, KB3SBC
Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Presentation: fldigi basics with Nate Rosenthal, N2ADD
Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick. Presentation: fire extinguishers with Chris Wilcox, W3CJW
Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran in Limerick. Member Night presentations and holiday treats.
Friday, Nov. 4, 2022 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA. Program topic is soldering, with J.R. McGee KC3SLM.
Friday, October 7, 2022 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA. Program on fire extinguishers has been postponed. We will have a social gathering instead.
Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 – Meeting at St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, PA. Topic: Attic antennas with Rick Rhoads, W3ALG.
Friday, August 5, 2022 – Meeting on Zoom. Topic: Hamfests, and fall plans
Friday, July 2, 2022 – Meeting on Zoom. Topic: Field Day recap and 13 Colonies Special Event
Friday, June 3, 2022 – Meeting on Zoom: Topic: Field Day
Friday, May 6, 2022 – Meeting in person: Topic: SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training with Lou Ruh, WX3I
Friday, April 1, 2022 – Meeting in person: Topic: Drones, with Walt Skavinsky, KB3SBC
Friday, March 4, 2022 – Meeting in person. Topic: Home brew and new show and share
Friday, Feb. 3, 2022 – Meeting on Zoom. Topic: Modulation
Friday, Jan. 7, 2022 on Zoom, 7:00 pm – Topic: grounding, with J.R. McGee KC3SLM. See the presentation PDF:
https://www.paarc.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Grounding-Bonding-and-Shielding-Ver-1.1.pdf
Friday, Dec. 3rd at St. James Lutheran – Board election, and presentation by Walt, KB3SBC on Parks on the Air (POTA).
Friday, Nov. 5th at St. James Lutheran – Board nominations, introduction to DX, visit from the EPA ARES EC.
Friday, Oct. 1st at St. James Lutheran – Members-only social event.
Friday, August 6th – General discussion, fall plans.Friday, July 2nd – 13 Colonies Special Event discussionFriday, June 4th – Field Day discussionFriday, May 7th – Parks on the Air (POTA) with Pete K0BAKFriday, April 2nd – member roundtable.
Friday, March 5th presentation via Zoom by Tom, W3EX – online license examsFriday, Feb. 5th – presentation via Zoom by Barry, K3EUI on the handheld Nano VNA network analyzer.Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 (meeting moved to 2nd Friday) Meeting on Zoom at 7:00 pm. Presentation by Eric Knight KB3TLF on Family Search family tree research tool. Friday, Dec. 4 – Member Night with presentation by Walt KB3SBC on Operation Able ArcherFriday, Nov. 6, 2020 – We’ll meet on Zoom at 7:00 pm. Barry Feierman, K3EUI will present on antanna matching. Friday, Sept 4th – We meet on the 2M repeater at 7:00 pm. No testing session beforehand.
Friday, Oct. 2nd – Zoom meeting at 7:00 pm. Tom Nolan, W3EX will present on the Elbow Reef Lightstation. Contact the secretary for Zoom login. Friday, Aug. 7th – Monthly Meeting on the 2M repeater.Canceled: Friday, July 3rd meeting is canceled due to an issue with the 2M repeater.Friday, April 3 – Monthly Meeting and the License Test at the church are Canceled Due to COVID-19 Concerns. Listen for our 7:00 pm First Friday Net on the 2M Repeater with Ed, K3BVQ as Net Control: 147.21 / 147.81 MHz PL 131.8.
Friday, March 6 – Monthly Meeting at 7:00 pm Presentation by the ARRL EPA Section Mgr., George Miller, W3GWM, via a Zoom videoconference. Refreshments served. All are welcome to attend. There will also be an amateur radio license exam at 5:00 pm at this location. See the License Exams page to learn how to sign up, and for more details. Friday, Feb. 7 – Monthly Meeting at 7:00 pm Tom Nolan W3EX, who is the ARES Emergency Coordinator for Montgomery County, will present on AREDN Mesh Networks. Come and learn how you can be a part of the growing mesh network group in the region. Refreshments served. All are welcome. Friday, Jan. 3 – Monthly Meeting at 7:00 pm KB3SBC and WA3WSJ will present on their 2019 travels in pursuit of amateur radio contacts. 7:00 pm start time.2019
Friday, Dec. 6th – Monthly Meeting at 7:00 pm Last meeting of 2019. 2020 officers selected/announced, informal program on what your callsign means to you. Refreshments: festive spread and coffee.
Friday, November 1st – Monthly Meeting at 7:00 pm At this meeting we will accept nominations for the PAARC Board for these one-year officer positions: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, plus one three-year position for a board member at large. The election will take place at the December meeting. Presentation by Barry Feierman, K3EUI on resistors and resistance. Refreshments: various pies and coffee.
Friday, Sept. 6th, 2019 – Monthly Meeting at 7:00 pm Presentation on POTA and Roving with Pete / K0BAK
Friday, Aug. 2nd – Ice Cream Social at 7:00 pm. Join us for sundaes and root beer floats. Hawaiian theme!
Fri., July 5th – Club Picnic at 6:30 pm
Sat./Sun. June 22 & 23 – PAARC Field Day at Welkinwier. For details visit: https://www.paarc.net/field-day-2/
Fri., June 7th, 2019 – AUCTION NIGHT
Fri., May 3, 2019 – Monthly Meeting: Radio frequency interference, with Barry Feierman K3EUI
Fri., April 5, 2019
Join us on Friday, April 5th at 7:00 pm for a presentation on the benefits of amateur radio when sailing with Donna Ferron, KB3DCB (moved from March). Pete – K0BAK will also give a brief talk on Parks on the Air.
CANCELED Fri., March 1, 2019 – Icy roads anticipated
Fri., Feb. 1, 2019 – Talk and demo on fox hunts, aka radio direction finding. Our presenters will be Bill W3FRB, and Jim K3CHJ. Learn what it takes to get started in this fun radio sport and try your hand at finding the indoor mini-fox. An amateur radio license is not necessary for fox hunting, so it’s a fun activity for kids of all ages! Refreshments served. All are welcome.
Fri., Jan. 4, 2019 Monthly Meeting – Mesh Networks with Tom Nolan W3EX
2018
Fri., Dec. 14, 2018 – Member Night with awards, election, and presentations.
– Setting up a DMR hotspot with Jon Durand N8EUL and Shawn Pauley W3SMP
– E.A.A.R. (Education Alliance for Amateur R
adio) training Scouts and adults
– My 9 month trip across the country with Amateur Radio, Tim Drager W3UE
Fri., Nov. 2nd, 2018 – Electric Vehicles and Plug-in hybrid cars with Ben, KE3KQ. We expect to have a Tesla Model 3 and a Honda Clarity on site. If you have an EV or plug-in hybrid, please bring it. NOMINATIONS: PAARC members will hold nominations for our 2019 Officers with a 1 year term: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer; and a Board Member at Large position with a 3 year term.
Fri., Oct. 5, 2018 – Antenna propagation, with Barry Feierman K3EUI.
Fri., Sept. 7, 2018 – SKYWARN class with Lou Ruh, WX3I. All are welcome to attend.
Fri., August 3, 2018 – Ice Cream Social at 7:00 pm.
Fri., July 6, 2018 – Club Picnic at 6:30 pm at St. James Lutheran.
Fri., June 1, 2018 – My role in the Apollo 10 Mission Recovery with Ronald Cohen, K3ZKO.
Fri., May 4, 2018 – FT8, with Barry Fierman, K3EUI.
Fri., April 6, 2018 – Outdoor adventures in the West, with Rick Rhoads, W3ALG.
Fri., March 2, 2018 – Trip to Bald Knob and the Green Bank Observatory in WV, with Ed Breneiser, WA3WSJ, and friends Walt KB3SBC, and Bill KA3RMM.
Fri., Feb. 2, 2018 – Sailing, with Donna Ferron, KB3ZCB.
Fri., Jan. 5, 2018 – Adventures and charters on the Francis L. Suter Rail Car, with Richard “Dick” Stewart, K3ITH.
2017
Fri., Dec. 1, 2017 – Member Night: Member presentation by KE3KQ on PSK31 on Rasperry Pi along with other topics. Member recognition and election. Holiday refreshments served.
Fri., Oct. 5, 2017 – Digital Voice with Tim Eichelman/N3TPE.
Sept 1., 2017 – Tower Climbing, with Phil Theis/K3TUF.
Summer Events
7/7 at 6:30 pm – Hot Dogs n’ Hams Picnic. $10 per person. Show off your mobile rig! Raffles and more!
8/4 at 7:00 pm – Ice Cream Social “Sundaes on Friday”
June 2, 2017 – Lighting and grounding, with Dale Long/N3BNA.
May 5, 2017 – DXpedition to Haiti, with Dale Long, N3BNA.
April 7, 2017 – Antennas in the attic, with Rick Rhoads, W3ALG.
March 10, 2017 (2nd Friday) – Lightning and grounding, with Ron/K3ZKO.
Feb. 3, 2017 – CrankIR Portable Antenna, with Jerry, K3BZ.
Jan. 6, 2017- The history of QSL-ing, with Tom Mills – AF4NC. Besides being an avid ham, accomplished photographer, and a pilot, Tom is also our ARRL EPA Section Traffic Manager.
2016
Dec. 2, 2016 – Member Night topics: CrankIR Antenna with Jerry K3BZ, and Pedestrian Mobile with Pete – K0BAK. It’s also member recognition night, so join us to celebrate the invaluable services of some of our PAARC members. Jim Steiner – W3BWD will be honored for his contributions as an original member of the Pottstown Area Repeater Team; the precursor to PAARC. See a brief history here.
Nov. 4th, 2016 – Ed WA3WSJ and Walt KB3SBC on their National Parks on the Air adventures as park activators. Nomination of members for the 2017 board of directors.
Oct. 7th, 2016 – Batteries with Tim W3UE.
Sept. 2nd, 2016 – Remote operation with Tom/W3EX.
Club Gathering on Aug. 5th, 2016
Join us on Friday, Aug. 5, at 7:00 pm for a demo on Pedestrian Mobile, with Ed/W3WSJ. Also, Bill/W3FRB and Jane/KC3FSR will be serving root beer floats. Location: St. James Lutheran Church, 93 Kugler Rd., Limerick, PA.
Club Gathering on July 1st, 2016 – Hot Dogs & Hams
June 3, 2016 – SKYWARN Training with Lou Ruh WX3I.
May 6, 2016 – Green “Military” Radios with Walt KB3SBC and Bill KA3RMM, aka The Green Team. See demos and interesting combinations of equipment you don’t normally see. Also to be discussed: 6 meter “goonie boxes,” that are enjoying a resurgence of popularity in the club; especially on the Wed. night Mini Boat Anchor Net on 50.400 AM at 9 pm.
April 1, 2016 – Tom Mills/AF4NC, Assistant Section Mgr./EPAEPTN Net Mgr., is an avid photographer of bald eagles and he’ll share his favorite photos with us.
March 11, 2016 – Pete/K0BAK who will present on getting started on operating mobile in HF and VHF contests.
Feb. 5, 2016 – Jim/KJ3P on the role of the ARRL Official Observer (OO).
Jan. 8, 2016 The club thanks PAARC member Ed – W3WSJ, for presenting on digital radio and answering our many questions at the Jan. 8 meeting.
Ed Breneiser – W3WSJ
To learn more about Yaesu Fusion digital radio, and the many other interesting things Ed does with amateur radio including his QRP adventures, visit his websites: Website: wa3wsj.homestead.com
System Fusion: wa3wsj.homestead.com/My_Fusion.html/
EPA WIRES X: epafusion.homestead.com/EPA_Index.html
Books by Edward Breneiser
2015
December 4, 2015 – Experimental airplanes, with Fred – KB3YAY.
Sept. 4, 2015 – Tom – AF4NC. Tom is the EPA Assistant Section Mgr., and the Net Manager of the Eastern PA Emergency Phone and Traffic Net. And also, Reg – N3KAS, will be recognized for his longtime service to the ARRL EPA.
Oct. 2, 2015 – Amateur Radio Operator Limerick Drill Radiological Training presented by Jeff Dean from PECO. Refreshments will be served.
Nov. 6, 2015 – KC3DPB will speak about Wilderness Survival.
Meeting topics are subject to change for various reasons. Please check the website and calendar for updates.