• AI4ME
  [ 34 mins, 7 secs ago ]
• KJ4EZG
  [ 1 hour, 27 mins, 7 secs ago ]
• K4NTO
  [ 2 hours, 2 mins, 53 secs ago ]
• WT4M
  [ 2 hours, 30 mins, 1 sec ago ]
• W4XQ
  [ 13 hours, 9 mins, 29 secs ago ]
• KI4VCR
  [ 18 hours, 1 min, 59 secs ago ]
• KJ4EZJ
  [ 1 day, 12 hours, 54 mins, 11 secs ago ]
• KJ4EYX
  [ 1 day, 14 hours, 54 mins, 39 secs ago ]
• AG4XT
  [ 2 days, 2 hours, 56 mins, 54 secs ago ]
• AD5IY
  [ 2 days, 4 hours, 21 mins, 29 secs ago ]

More New Hams from the QRM Room!

A simple phone call during VBARC's last Board of Directors Meeting precipitated the licensing of two new amateurs in Hampton Roads! Asa KH2N called our Training & Licensing Manager, Jim AG4XT in regard to finding an amateur exam for his son Brandon. Unfortunately, Brandon was leaving for college prior to the Hamfest. Always ready to help, Jim agreed to set up an exam session for Brandon before he headed off to VMI.

Jim had a couple of VEs volunteer to assist in short order for a small test session, just for Brandon. Our President Don and I agreed to be the second and third VE for the test.

Jim set the exam date for Tuesday, August 26th. Since the CARS QRM Room would be occupied with the ongoing General/Extra classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, it only seemed logical to set up the session in one of the back studios during that time frame.

A day or two after the VBARC BOD Meeting, Don's son Darrin arrived from upstate New York for a visit. Darrin indicated that he had previously studied for the Technician exam and was ready to give it his best shot!

Fortunately, George WA4GDB was more than happy to volunteer to VE in Don's place - to facilitate Darrin's test (as you may not serve as a VE for relatives). Both young men made good with the effort to attain their first "ticket"!

All the while nearly a dozen were outside the small testing room, studying for their General and/or Extra exams, in preparation for a test seat at Hamfest! Bill WF4R, covered exam subelements G4, G5, E4 & E5. I was very impressed with Bill's presentation of electronic theory and principles. As some of you may already know, I am an avionics technician by trade (though it seems I do much more paper shuffling these days). There are still quite a few more classes remaining before Hamfest. Remember, you do not have to attend any of these classes to take the exam, there is no charge and you may attend any or all that you like. Our calendar outlines the specifics for each class.

The QRM Room has seen a good bit of testing activity over the last few weeks! Thanks again to our friends at CARS! Congratulations to our two newest Hams! Though you have many paths ahead of you and amateur radio may take a back seat when life gets hectic, you will always find Hams willing to give you a lift back to the hobby if you stray too far! As soon as you get your calls assigned I'll add them below...

As usual, I snapped a bunch of pictures that you can find here!

Posted by WT4M on Wednesday 27 August 2008 - 18:47:06 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Global Cooling

Lew passed this along a few weeks ago, but it scared me so I didn't want to look at it again... I am not scared of cold weather, just the lack of good conditions for propagation that it predicts:

The following is a link to an article that appeared on QRZ.COM on 8/17/2008. We have all been waiting for the start of sunspot cycle 24 and some articles say that we are now in the first year or so of cycle 24. However, the article indicates that we may still be in the end of cycle 23 and that when cycle 24 does start it will be relatively weak.

It’s a very interesting article which I’m sure that Al Gore will completely ignore.

Lew
W4BLO

Posted by WT4M on Tuesday 26 August 2008 - 14:32:41 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Stop Eyeballing my Spectrum!

There was an interesting article in the Washington Post today in reference to Sharing Unused Airwaves. I have included a link to the article.

Chris
KJ4EZG

Posted by WT4M on Monday 25 August 2008 - 21:49:59 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Out of the Attic

A few evenings ago, I was stumbling along the internet and (as chance would have it) ran headlong into the remains of VBARC's old website at QSL.net. I discovered that, although the website is no longer available, all (or at least a good portion) of the website still exists on the QSL.net servers.

It seems that only the original main website document (index.html) was excised and that the website “skeleton”, for lack of a better term, was left intact.

I have a utility that can “harvest” an entire website. This amounts to finding everything (all downloadable files) that the website stores and then downloads them to your local machine.

Upon rummaging through what was downloaded, I found some gems. All of these images are from before I became a club member. Quite a few of the clubs pictures from a few years ago are now located here. I would like to get these sorted out eventually, but I thought it best to post these here now, as it may take some time before I find that “round tuit”…

While there are more than a few faces I recognize, there are many I do not. This may be a nice trip down memory lane for some of our members! As with any of the pictures posted here, if you would rather it not be posted, please pass me a note...

Posted by WT4M on Monday 25 August 2008 - 18:21:41 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

VBARC Stuff

Don AI4ME our esteemed President has been persuing a way to get the VBARC logo on merchandise to allow members to proudly display their affiliation with the Club and the City. Just another way to spark interest in amateur radio and VBARC, as well as give members the opportunity to buy gifts and items with the VBARC logo.

At our last VBARC Board of Director's meeting, Don introduced a web page he had designed through cafepress to do just that. Now you can purchase VBARC merchandise directly from cafepress and have a portion of the profits go directly to the club. Quality merchandise, a well known internet distributer with a money back guarantee, no overhead and a few dollars for the club... Don's presentation to the board garnered it's immediate approval to offer the items on the web site!

So, please have a look at some of the VBARC goodies at cafepress, buy with confidence and know that the club will get a few dollars for funding our community and amateur radio endeavors! A new link will be available on the main menu, titled "Merchandise".

Posted by WT4M on Thursday 21 August 2008 - 20:00:49 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

NEW HAMS!

New Calls Added!

Well, it was about a fortnight ago that VBARC held its test session at the QRM Room, as the shack is formally known! This time CARS utilized there own handy space and held yet another session for those that couldn't make the VBARC exam. With a little help from us this time, CARS managed to edge out VBARC for the leading VE to tester ratio! VBARC's session had 11 testers and 11 VEs. CARS kicks up the ante with 5 testers and 6 VEs... Hi hi...

Always a blast to visit the QRM Room! If you haven't been out there before, you should really have a look at the next CARS Meeting or Shack Day. Just like us, they don't care where your from, just enjoy the company. I have been a member of CARS for a few years now and always enjoy when I can make it out there.

Of the five folks that made it out to test, four either got their first ticket, reacquired their ticket or upgraded! Since were talking ratios, that's certainly not a bad one.

Did you notice I said "reacquired"? That's because one of our testers was previously a licensed General Class amateur that held the call W5EDP more than a few years ago. Skip Sharp is a retired Marine that walked in the door and stated emphatically, "I am here to take a test!" Well, even this Navy Chief knows you don't get in the way of a Marine on a mission! Skip had no trouble regaining his General Class license! Welcome back Skip!

Erik KJ4FMH was actually one of first in the building for the exam. It seemed quite evident that he was eager to give Element 3 a poke in the eye. Let's just say he easily KO'd the test he had studied for! Through an unlikely deduction, I figured out that Ethan KJ4FRL (licensed at VBARC's recent session) and Erik are friends and are in a licensing "competition" to get to Extra Class! At least that's the way I'm telling it! See you both at the Hamfest (grin)!

Phil WA9KFB brought in Clayton Carriker who also KO'd his Technician exam. Phil is out there doing our hobby proud and personally mentored Clayton, his employer's son. Thank you for all of your time and energy Phil. You have helped Clayton get an early start in a life long hobby!

Lastly, but certainly not least, John Heimerl easily mastered Element 2! Upon seeing John, I instantly recognized him as the fine gent that had given an awesome presentation on the huge antenna tower out in Driver at CARS about a year ago. John has an eloquence about him such that you won't easily forget one of his presentations. John's gift of gab is certain to have come from years of experience in dealing with the public and other professionals. After all, John is the Chief Enterprise Officer at WHRO! John we are simply honored to have you as a fellow Amateur!

None of our test sessions would be complete, without some good natured fun among Hams. Don't let the cat out of the bag, but I daresay the VEs had a good time at the session. When I became a VE, I had no idea it would be a "fun" experience, nor did I anticipate the great feeling you get when someone gets their "ticket" or grabs a few more acres of frequency to use. Even though we are really just facilitators, it always makes me feel great to have a hand in someone getting their new privileges! I highly recommend it to anyone who is eligible and interested!

The team of VEs were as follows: Paul K4PRB, Leo KC4LEO, Richard WA4BUE, James WB4UVH, Bill WF4R & yours truly!

Lastly, James WB4UVH made it out to assist with the exam despite his arm being in a sling from a recent shoulder surgery. Upon returning home and looking at the pictures I took, I couldn't help a chuckle when I realized that Jim's sticker on the box of test materials was rather amusing when considering his sling! Hi hi! In all seriousness Jim, we hope everything heals up just fine and you cast aside the sling as soon as possible.

A hearty congratulations to our newest Hampton Roads Amateur Operators and the VEs that make it possible! As soon as the new calls are issued, I will get them posted here. If you're looking for your new call, just search for your name on the ULS and in a few days you'll see it pop up with your new license data!

Posted by WT4M on Thursday 21 August 2008 - 11:50:54 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Trouble with the 97

The 146.970- W4KXV Repeater is having some technical difficulties that will require a site visit. The Hampton Roads Public Service Net has once again been relocated to the 146.895- W4KXV Repeater.

Please be patient, while the VBEARS team works out the kinks!

Posted by WT4M on Wednesday 20 August 2008 - 06:25:19 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

VBARC is (again) a SSC

A few weeks ago, by chance, I noticed that our ARRL Special Service Club status had expired in May! I quickly delved into the ARRL website and learned that a new application was required. That was completed and emailed within a day. Granting a SSC application is by no means "instant". In fact it often takes several weeks to determine if a club meets the criteria.

Upon learning of our lapse, I immediately withdrew the SSC logo from the upper right corner of our website. As you can see (logo restored), as of Friday, August 15th, VBARC has been returned to SSC status! Of the 39 ARRL affiliated clubs in the Virginia Section, VBARC is among only 5 that hold Special Service Club status!

Posted by WT4M on Saturday 16 August 2008 - 07:29:57 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

August Dinner Meeting

I think we may have squeezed as many as possible in the rooms at the back of the Golden Corral on South Independence. I arrived at 6 PM and I was not the first. There were already a couple of hungry VBARC "early-birds" that had staked out their table. The second room was closed and I asked the food service attendants if they were going to open it, or should I. After a few moments one of the managers came back to tell me that they had a party of 30 show up on short notice and that they would like to use the other room. That was when they got to see my assertive side (grin). Certainly, they could not have been disappointed with our showing, and I hope the "late" party still had a good time, but the fact was with 43 signing the attendance sheet, we filled both rooms nicely! I think that a few must have missed the attendance sheet though, as at one point I counted 47.

The conversation was light and fun, but the fare was somewhat heavier! I think I had four plates! I don't know about you, but I always eat too much when I go to buffets...

Our President kicked off the formal portion of the meeting right at about 7:30 PM. Don AI4ME introduced our esteemed Field Day Committee Chairperson, John WB4AXY. We were all delighted to learn that John has officially stated to the club that he will also chair next years Field Day Committee! There I wrote it down, so it's official! No way to back out now John! Hi hi!

Seriously, I think I can safely say that we all appreciate the great job John did with our Field Day this year, and look forward to next years event, as I know he will do an even better job!

John handed out more than a few awards to folks that assisted him with the monumental effort. He also went over the details of how he and Keith KE4KDY, went to great lengths with the Governor's office in an attempt to get a proclamation delivered on time. Unfortunately it arrived about a week too late. They actually started the process 90 days out and I don't think any one of us could have done more to get it issued on time. Sometimes the wheels of government turn slower than we would like!

We did very well in the scoring department as well, with a final tally of 10,682 points. John also stated that he will pass along the breakdown, and as soon as I get it, I'll post it here for your perusal!

Ed KN4KL gave us a report on the 146.970- W4KXV repeater status. He relayed that all of the players required for installation and testing of the new equipment had a green light for Saturday the 9th of August. As we all know, that did indeed come to pass and our 97 machine is back on-line!

Al WA4TCJ gave us the run down of public service events. Of immediate concern was the ASYMCA Mud Run that took place on Saturday. I have yet to hear how things went from an amateur radio perspective, but apparently all of the contestants had a great time, judging from the photos available here. As always, please check our calendar for the full picture with regard to upcoming events!

Tom WS9B reached out to the membership for new ARES involvement. If anyone would like to start to become involved with ARES, he would be happy to help pairing them up with some of our more seasoned ARES operators.

Lew W4BLO, reminded us (once again) that there will be a Hamfest and he does have tickets! Lew pointed out that because of a conflict, our usual embroiderer would not be able to make the show. He has found an excellent embroiderer that comes highly recommended to fill the void.

Additionally, Lew pointed out that the vendors depend on our support. Not only to buy toys from them, but to assist with the doors and load-in/out. It is imperative in these times of high gas prices that we continue to be an attractive venue for a Hamfest! Please contact Lew if you can help out with Hamfest!

Jim AG4XT spoke briefly on the state of Training & Licensing. Jim has been very busy and there is no sign of letting up in sight. As we have advertised here already, August 19th will see the beginning of yet another amateur radio class. This class will be for upgrade to General/Extra and will culminate just in time for testing at the Hamfest! So if you are serious about upgrade and have the time, coming to these classes can get you a passing score on both element 3 & 4! See this article for all of the details, and please, if you know you will be coming, shoot Jim an email. As always, you can attend some, all or none of the classes and still take the tests at Hamfest (classes not required and you are welcome to those you can make, no pressure).

Yours truly got the last word with some announcements of things to come... The line-up for the next few meetings we'll see a brief presentation on "How to hunt a Fox" in September, most likely to be followed by our annual auction. Ok, perhaps it is a little backwards, as October is our normal auction time. But this might give us a chance to pocket a little change BEFORE Hamfest. I still have to run that by the President, but I really don't see another option (perhaps November) as Carl Clements will be at our October meeting and I want him to have all the time he needs with the membership. We'll figure it out...

It was great to see a couple of our new Hams at the meeting. I sat right across from Jimi KJ4FMD, who took his exams (Tech and General) at a Portsmouth Test Session. He was at our last meeting and I was hoping to see him at our test session at the CARS Shack, but he is a very busy fellow and is often on travel. I am just glad he was able to grab his ticket! Welcome to the club Jimi!

Also, William KJ4FRI who was at our test session made it out to share a meal and some fellowship. William must work for the CIA, as I have yet to get a decent picture of him! I suppose that it could be that I am just not a very good photographer... Hi hi! Glad to see you at the meeting William!

Overall a very nice Dinner Meeting. Lots of conversation followed the meeting and quite a few folks hung out long after the formal portion was through. As usual, I snapped quite a few pictures and you can see them all here. Thanks to all who came out and we hope to see you at the next meeting at Saint Andrew's in September!

Posted by WT4M on Monday 11 August 2008 - 20:57:44 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Repeater Installation Complete

Saturday, August 9th brought with it the operational return of the 146.970- W4KXV repeater. The popular Hampton Roads Public Service net has been relocated back to this machine. I was returning from a trip to Southern Maryland today with my son Billy KJ4FRK and we were delighted to hear the 97 ID while we were somewhere just south of Williamsburg!

The 97 (as it is known locally) has long been one of the most reliable repeaters in the area. Several weeks ago during one of our heavy thunderstorms this year, it was taken off the air by a lightening strike. Some of our local repeater experts sprang into action and acquired the necessary equipment to get the repeater back up.

It has often been assumed that this is a VBARC repeater, but in reality this repeater (and several others) are maintained by VBEARS. Though most (if not all) of the members of VBEARS are also long time VBARC members, the entities are separate and not affiliated. If you are interested in VBEARS, or would like to make a donation to help with the upkeep of these well utilized and maintained repeaters, please email Linda KI4LO.

The repeater location is secure and getting access and a time when all required parties were not otherwise committed was the single factor that delayed the installation and testing of the new repeater equipment. After speaking with Ed KN4KL, he indicated that though there are still a few minor adjustments required, both the 97 and the 444.950+ are now fully operational for amateur use.

If you happen to see (or hear) Wally W4KXV, Ed KN4KL, Butch KE4AZL or Sim K4SIM out and about, give them a kind word or two for the fine work they achieved on Saturday! The fruits of their labors are of benefit to all local and transient amateurs in Hampton Roads! Congratulations on a job well done!

Posted by WT4M on Sunday 10 August 2008 - 20:07:46 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

NEW HAMS!

Lots of studying for the last couple of weeks paid off as four testers got their first "ticket" and seven upgraded on Thursday, July 31st at the CARS Shack! Additionally, the average age of a General Class licensee in Hampton Roads just became considerably lower with Bethany (age 13) & Sydney (age 10) Batton and Carissa (age 8) & William (age 7) Ferguson (KJ4CVP, KJ4CVQ, KJ4EZA & KJ4EYZ respectively) all making their upgrade! All of these new, young Hams has spurred a lot of talk about starting a youth group/net. Also, Ethan O'Toole made his first license General Class, passing both element 2 and 3 in one sitting! With 11 testers, it was not an exceedingly large session, but it went well and everyone that came out to test left with something new (that is as good as it gets)! We even had a mascot, as the Batton girls brought along their recently acquired pet mouse. Besides being a broadcaster and an amateur, Steve W4XQ is seemingly a big-time rodent enthusiast! Sorry Steve, couldn't help myself... Hi hi!

The VE Team did a great job, but as we have observed in the past, more VEs doesn't necessarily mean that the process will run any faster. Though they probably were granted at least a little extra speed by the fact that I could not VE this session, as my son Billy (age 12) Ficke took and passed his Technician Class exam! He is now wondering how to put a mobile rig on his skateboard!

Steve W4XQ and I snapped more than a few pictures, and you can have a gander at all of them right here in our Image Gallery. All of the testers should see their upgrades/new grants within about a week if the past few sessions are any indication of how quickly the League is getting through the paperwork. I will be sure to post the new calls here just as soon as we see them pop up in the ULS!

A big thanks to the CARS crew for letting us set up the test in their Shack and for all of the support they gave as VEs. They always come through for us in a pinch! With 11 testers we had just enough room to get around fairly easy. The hospitality of the Hams at CARS is one of many reasons this VP of VBARC always keeps his CARS dues up to date...

I think more than one of us in attendance were surprised to see Wally W4KXV come out to upgrade to Extra! I had always just assumed he was already an Extra. Most know Wally's call from the ID on the 97 repeater, but among his accolades, he served as VBARC President in 1968-69 and 1998. I was very pleased to see my son Billy grab a chair next to such an esteemed local Ham as Wally to take his first amateur exam!

If you were unable to make it out to this test session, but will soon be in need of a test, your next opportunity will be at the Virginia Beach Hamfest. Make sure you're ready for the exam, but don't forget to bring a fist full of dollars with you to snatch up some of the nice toys that will be available! Test sessions will be held both Saturday, September 20th and Sunday the 21st during Hamfest. If you will be upgrading, you are in luck, as VBARC will be running a General/Extra Class leading up to Hamfest. Click here for the details.

Jim AG4XT (our Training & Licensing Manager) would like to thank all of the VEs that came out to assist. Believe it or not, we had 1 VE for every tester! Our team is a "who's who" of amateur radio in Hampton Roads! Here is the impressive list: Don AI4ME, Paul K4PRB, Jeff KA1DBE, Butch KE4AZL, Nathaniel KJ4TIM, Charles KR4CLT, Ed KN4KL, William N4JSP, George W4YNP & Bill WF4R. As usual Bernadette KI4VCR came out to keep us all in line!

Congratulations to all the new Hams & upgrades out there (young & young at heart), and if you hear them on the air, give them some well deserved praise!

Photos courtesy of Steve Batton W4XQ & John Ficke WT4M

Posted by WT4M on Tuesday 05 August 2008 - 15:35:56 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

New Viginia Section Manager to Visit VBARC

On April 1st of this year, Carl Clements W4CAC took office as our ARRL Virginia Section Manager. He'll be the first to admit that it has been a hectic couple of months since then. Nevertheless, Carl has graciously accepted our invitation to speak at our October Membership Meeting!

Carl would like to address any areas of interest that VBARC deems important, so please send me your areas of concern/interest with regard to the Virginia ARRL Section prior to the September meeting and I'll get that information summarized for Carl to address when October rolls around.

Please take a gander at the ARRL VA webpage for all the latest issues, particularly Carl's Section Manager Reports.

Photo courtesy of ARRL VA

Posted by WT4M on Saturday 26 July 2008 - 21:53:17 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

General/Extra Classes Start August 19th

Everyone that attended the Technician/General classes in May/June and tested in June got what they were studying for! That means our esteemed Training & Licensing Manager puts together one bang up show. More than a couple of those that were granted their Tech have expressed interest in upgrade already! Hence the need for the impromptu Test Session at the end of July. Additionally this session should help ease the heavy turnout expected at the Virginia Beach Hamfest in September.

Jim AG4XT has put together another great opportunity for local Amateurs to upgrade! General & Extra Classes will be conducted Tuesday & Thursday @ 7 PM, starting 19 August and ending with a review on 18 September. This puts you in a great position to upgrade at the Hamfest! The venue for these classes is the CARS QRM Room. As always, you need not attend classes to test at Hamfest. You may attend some, all or none of this free instruction, and no matter your choice you will not hurt our feelings. Well, in any case, I am sure in time we'll get over it (sniffle). Seriously, come on out and we'll try not to put you to sleep! Hi hi!

Posted by WT4M on Saturday 26 July 2008 - 21:48:35 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

First Annual VBARC Fox Hunt

Ok, so maybe it's not really the first, but since I have only anecdotal data on any previous VBARC Fox Hunts, I am going to roll with it...

Saturday, September 27th is the date of the contest. Yes, that is strategically positioned to take place the weekend after the Virginia Beach Hamfest! Make sure you purchase anything you need there! This event is open to the general public, as no license is required to find the fox! No transmit required, no license required... Of course, we expect that most registrants will be licensed Amateurs, but this is the perfect opportunity to bring along that buddy whom has expressed some interest in Amateur Radio! The fox will be located within the confines of First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. While not all of the details have been hammered out, and we don't wish to release the rules until they have been scrubbed by several sets of eyeballs - we have established that individuals and teams may register (teams will only be allowed to operate one receiver at any time).

A plaque will be awarded to the registrant (single or team) that finds the 2 meter fox. Only one plaque will be awarded (i.e. individual winning team members will not all receive a plaque). All registrants that participate in the hunt will receive a certificate suitable for framing.

Click for a larger image

Registration will be free, but bear in mind that the park will want $5 for parking, unless you hike or bicycle in. There are nine trails within the park, but only one allows bicycles. The area in which the fox will be hiding will be visible from one of these trails. That is to say, you will not need a machete to cut a path off a trail! First Landing State Park is a beautiful natural area and as good stewards, we should ensure that we leave it in better condition than that in which we found it (i.e. bring a small trash bag, in case you find some).

So if you have never participated in a Fox Hunt, now is the time to start surfing the net and reading up on radio direction finding... The September VBARC meeting will feature a presentation on Fox Hunting methods! Additionally, here is some detailed information on First Landing State Park and it's trail system from the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation.

Maps courtesy of Virginia DCR

Posted by WT4M on Saturday 26 July 2008 - 09:12:05 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

The next VBARC General Membership Meeting will be on Thursday, September 4th, 7:30 PM at Saint Andrew's United Methodist Church. Be sure to check our calendar for more important events!