PCARS (K8BF)

Welcome to PCARS

Jan 15

Posted by wb8lcd in News

PCARS puts the FUN in Ham Radio!

Check us out at our local meeting and see how much fun we’re having in person! In addition to our monthly meeting, we try to have at least one activity each month—another good opportunity to check us out. If you think we look like we’re having FUN, then the next step is to join us.   We’ve got members as far away as California and we welcome all Hams as part of our group.

In addition to having fun, we have made friendships with other Amateur operators, and have spread the message about what Ham radio is all about to our communities. Read the rest of this entry »

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New PCARS Members

Dec 4

Posted by k8srr in News

Welcome to the latest members of PCARS!

Norm K8NI Youngstown, OH
Bill W8IFM Stow, OH
Gary KD8SUL Windsor, OH
Lee KC8HOU Kent, OH
Llewellyn KD8LVV Ravenna, OH
Richard KD8WCK Kent, OH
Gary KD8WCL Ravenna, OH

If you meet these people on the street, in a meeting, or on the air, be sure to say Hi and introduce yourself. Let’s make our new members feel welcome!

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Birthdays this Month

Dec 1

Posted by k8srr in News

Ray AB8YN Erica AE8YL Russ K8QF
Steve K8SRR Jennifer KB3GXB Denzil KC8RFT
Art KD8CGF Rich KD8FDK Rodney KD8JRF
Rick KD8NLQ Herschell KJ4MPN Jim W8CYN
Joe W8KNO Ray WA4WGA Tom WB8LCD
Daryl WX1DER
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Latest HamRadioNow episode

Mar 7

Posted by admin in News

Well known antenna law expert Fred Hopengarten K1VR is lead attorney in the WW8N tower case in Ohio. Gary WW8N sued his village after they denied a variance to erect his 60-foot Rohn tower. He won, but the village appealed, and that appeal is pending.
I talked to Fred via Skype about the case, and ham radio antenna law in general. The good news: Fred is bullish on a ham’s chances to win using PRB-1 and their state version of that law. The bad news: if it’s going to court, it’s gonna cost… likely more than the tower and antenna array will cost.
This hour with Fred is free. His book, Antenna Zoning for Radio Amateurs, is $50. And your next hour will Fred could run about $1500 (his standard retainer). I’d start here.
Watch on our web site: HamRadioNow.tv
And thanks for supporting our programming!
73, Gary KN4AQ

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QRP/CW Special Interest Group Meeting Is Coming Up

Mar 4

Posted by KD8MQ in Club Activities

Each Tuesday evening the PCARS Special Interest Groups (SIGs) meet at our club site(705 Oakwood Street in Ravenna ).

The meetings begin at 7:00 pm, and are open to all PCARS members.

The  next Special Interest group meeting will be the QRP/CW group. This group deals with anything related to QRP, Portable, or CW.

All PCARS members are welcome!

If you have any questions about a particular group, contact the moderator, using the e-mail link below. Or, if you have a suggestion for any other group that you would like to get started (satellites, D-STAR, EME, you name it) send a note to Tom, WB8LCD email.Here is the current schedule for SIG meetings, along with the moderator contact info for each:

  • First Tuesday of the month: Digital Modes (Rick, K8CAV email)
  • Second Tuesday of the month: QRP/CW (WA2DFC email /WB8LCD email)
  • Third Tuesday of the month: Antennas (Tony, WA8AR email)
  • Fourth Tuesday of the month: DX/Contesting (Chuck, W8PT email / Joe, W8KNO email)
  • Fifth Tuesday of the month:Linux for Hams (Terry, KB8AMZ email/Mike, KB8TUY email)

For More information on any of these Special Interest Groups, Click Here.

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PCARS Tech Class

Mar 4

Posted by admin in News

Don't forget!
Our Spring Tech class begins on Tuesday, March 11th.  Please spread the word.  Attached is the flier for the class.
Thanks,
Tom wb8lcd

pdf icon TechClassFlier-Mar11-2014.pdf

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March Digital Special Interest Group meeting

Mar 3

Posted by admin in News

Greetings to all you digital communications enthusiasts!
 
March has certainly roared in like a lion but you can take some of the chill off by coming to the monthly Digital Special Interest Group meeting on Tuesday March 4th at 7:00 PM at the PCARS club site in Ravenna at 705 Oakwood Street.
 
Steve K8SRR is going to be there to show you how to get your HSMM WRT-54 series routers configured and operating. If we have time we’ll try to get a mesh network up and running and demonstrate how resources can be used and shared on a mesh network.Bring your router and come on down for a very interesting and informative meeting! 
 
73, Rick K8CV

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PCARS March Newsletter

Feb 28

Posted by admin in News

Greetings PCARS Members, ARRL Officials, Other Amateur Radio Clubs and other interested people,
If you are getting this via e-mail, then: Attached is the March 2014 issue of The RADIOGRAM sent directly to your e-mail box for your viewing pleasure!

If you're reading this on the web page: Hey download your copy – click the PDF icon or the NEWSLETTER tab and you can either view it on-line, or right click, 'save-as' and then put it on your computer to view off-line.

Hope you enjoy this issue - 
READ ALL ABOUT IT – FYAO Winner Announced – Results from the 2013 CA QSO Party – Info on Field Day 2014 – Powerpole Project Day Pictures – and MORE!!

LOTS of good information. PCARS has a TON of stuff going on and even more in the works – something for everyone!
Feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone interested in ham radio or PCARS.

Take care & 73,
Tom "Parky", KB8UUZ
PCARS Newsletter Editor
The Radiogram is the monthly newsletter of PCARS. Every month, we bring you news, events, DX listings, articles, and lots of fun. All of the issues, dating back to the very first, are on the club website (http:www.portcars.org) for you to download and read. Amateur Radio articles are welcome. Send your submission in .txt (text) format to the editor: Tom "Parky", KB8UUZ at:  kb8uuz@portcars.org

pdf icon PCARS-Mar2014.pdf

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NWS – Weekend storm briefing

Feb 28

Posted by admin in News

To all -
 
    We are probably getting pretty tired of the winter weather and have heard about this weekend’s predicted snowstorm. 
 
    Thanks to George, N1EZZ, for passing along this National Weather Service briefing for the weekend.  Things remain a bit iffy about just how much snow you will get depending on where you are in the storm track, but it could be upwards of 8 inches or more.
 
    Stay safe!
 
 
    73, Jim, KC8PD
 

pdf icon 2014Mar1-3_1.pdf

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Latest HamRadioNow episodes

Feb 27

Posted by admin in News

Hey, everyone…

We’ve got two new… well, one new and one recycled… episodes of HamRadioNow on-line.

The new one is Episode 133, At the Movies, and it’s not really movies. Jeff AC4ZO and I review two recent Ham Radio video programs. The first is ARRL at 100, the league’s Centennial celebration video. The second is Episode 1 of a new program from the UK, TX Factor. Spoiler alert: we don’t like everything we saw! But we did like a lot of it.

The recycled one is Episode 134: ARDF (Fox Hunting). This was the first documentary video I released on DVD, back in 2006. ARDF is Amateur Radio Direction Finding, an on-foot version of Fox Hunting (Hidden Transmitter Hunting) that’s been popular in Europe for decades, and the program digs into the 2006 USA Championships. I’ve been meaning to put it on-line for some time (not selling too many DVDs these days), and after watching the excellent TX Factor with all their edited field production, I figured I needed to let people know I could do that, too (but I can’t really afford to anymore).

Thanks to all of you who continue to support HamRadioNow! We get a few thousand more of you, and we get back in the field!

73, Gary KN4AQ

–

HamRadioNow.tv
ARVN: Amateur Radio//Video News
Gary Pearce KN4AQ
508 Spencer Crest Ct.
Cary, NC 27513
kn4aq@arvn.tv
919-380-9944
www.ARVN.TV
www.HamRadioNow.TV

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PCARS – Important update!

Feb 27

Posted by admin in News

To all -
 
    Net Nite at the club site is canceled for tonight, Thursday, February 27th.
 
    Road conditions have been miserable in many parts of the county due to the blowing snow and temperatures will continue to drop during the day with overnight lows forecast as likely below zero.
 
    Stay at home and stay safe!!  But make sure you take the time to check in to the PCARS net at 8:00 p.m. (and maybe the ARES net beforehand.)
 
    Catch you on the net and we look forward to seeing you at the March 10th  club meeting.  Please spread the word about the Net Nite cancellation.
 
 
    73, Jim, KC8PD
    VP, PCARS
      

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Solar info for hams

Feb 27

Posted by admin in News

    You may already be familiar with this site, but if not, here is a great site www.solarham.com that tells you just about everything a ham needs to know about current solar activity other than the SPF you need for outdoor operations!
 
    73, Jim, KC8PD
 

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PCARS – Echolink node

Feb 27

Posted by admin in News

To all -
 
    The internet service at the PCARS club site has been restored (the service for the entire facility is undergoing an upgrade) and, thanks to Steve, K8SRR, the Echolink node is back up and running. 
 
    The current operation is using a short-term technical patch that will be eliminated once the IT installer has made some changes for our access.  Once that has been accomplished our overall access will be enhanced and with the plan for a switch from DSL to RoadRunner we will have a huge improvement in both the speed and reliability of our internet service.
 
    Thanks again to the folks at Family & Community Services who provide this to us at no charge.  Otherwise the cost to PCARS could be around a $1,000 per year.
 
    73, Jim, KC8PD
 

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