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• WB4AXY
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• KC4UFN
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• GARY
  [ 5 hours, 27 mins, 40 secs ago ]
• N3WQE
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• WT4M
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• KI4RKB
  [ 1 day, 7 hours, 29 mins, 53 secs ago ]

Quick Email Contact Links for VBARC Leadership

VBARC's Mailing Address:

Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club
PO BOX 62003
VIRGINIA BEACH VA 23466-2003

Check the status of your license at the source!

Club Member Roster

In an effort to preclude release of your personal information on the web, and yet provide an avenue for Club Members to allow other Club Members to contact them via email (or whatever other information you wish to provide), VBARC now provides links to Club Members QRZ pages.

As a licensed amateur, QRZ will publish your name and address on their website, unless you decide to opt-out. QRZ is used by many Hams world-wide and is probably the primary source of information when it comes to obtaining direct QSL information (where to send your QSL cards).

Additionally, basic membership at QRZ is free, and amateurs can update their own personal info at QRZ, with such things as an email address, a bio, links to your primary website, etc.

Thus, providing member links to QRZ will facilitate easy access to personal information that you have already provided to QRZ and thus it will not be necessary for VBARC to release any of your personal information.

VBARC encourages its members to take advantage of QRZ’s free service and update your QRZ listing as you see fit! For a free QRZ account (needed to update your info) please visit https://secure.qrz.com/subscribe

Just as an example, here is what my QRZ Listing looks like... WT4M

To access the new Club Roster, you must be a VBARC Club Member. Registered User's do not have access to the Roster. Simply look for the "Club Members" item on the main menu.

Posted by WT4M on Tuesday 09 March 2010 - 20:17:05 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Carl Clements W4CAC Wins!

Our very own Carl Clements W4CAC wins another term as Virginia Section Manager! Not surprising, due to the long list of accomplishments that marks Carl's tenure as our Section Manager over the last few years. Carl is a member of VBARC, and the club officially endorsed his bid for reelection.

Many good things to come! Check out the full story from the ARRL... To find out what is going on at the Virginia Section, please visit their website often!

Posted by WT4M on Wednesday 24 February 2010 - 21:54:36 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

February VBARC Meeting

President Steve W4XQ called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM and turned the meeting over to Vice President John WB4AXY. John introduced our guest speaker, Mr. Bob Eshleman W4DR. Bob delivered a great presentation on his life in Amateur Radio. He was first licensed in 1950 and continues to be very active in DX. His wife Rosalie N4CFL have traveled the world for their DXpeditions.

Bob also told us about the many awards he has won, for example: Five Band DXCC, The DeSoto Cup, CQ Magazine's DX Hall of Fame, and 160 WAZ to name a few! Bob had some wonderful slides to go with his presentation of the many DXpeditions he has worked.

John thanked Bob and presented him with a certificate of appreciation. Next order of Business was an ARES report from Al, WA4TCJ. The Shamrock Marathon is coming up. It will be held on March 21st and Al needs operators to help with communications for the race. If you can help, please and let him know. Al will also have a sign up sheet at the meetings prior to the race. There will be a pre-race meeting the Thursday, March 18th.

The club is having a “Run the Diner Night” at the Silver Diner on Virginia Beach Blvd. This event will be April 15th from 6-9 PM. Twenty percent of anything over $1,000 in sales goes to the club! If you can help with this event, please . If you are too busy to lend a hand, please help spread the word so that other will come and eat and have fun watching some of VBARC's finest bus tables!

Training & Licensing – Jim AG4XT discussed the upcoming Technician/General Classes being held at the Fire Training Center in cooperation with VBCERT.

Hamfest – Lew W4BLO told us this year's Virginia Beach Hamfest will be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The theme is "Back to the Beach". Come out and show your support for the club and vendors. Advance tickets are $9.00. The date is September 11th & 12th, 2010. Hours are 9 AM to 4 PM on Saturday and 9 AM to 3 PM on Sunday. There will be plenty of room for tailgating and lots of fun to be had by all!

Field Day – There will be a Field Day meeting on March 27th, 10 AM at the Windsor Woods Library. Anyone interested in being a Team Captain please come out!

T-Shirt designs need to be turned in prior May 19th. The Board of Directors will pick out the winning design at the May BOD Meeting on that day.

The Breakfast Club – Stew K4STW announced that every other Wednesday morning some of the local hams get together for breakfast at the Little Creek Diner. It is located on Little Creek and Halprin Drive. Please for more details. The next Breakfast Club Meeting will be March 3rd.

Elmer Express – Ed Gibbs KC4UFN is heading up a VBARC Elmering Program. If you have a special expertise and would like to share your knowledge with a new ham or maybe someone who has been away from the hobby for a while, please . This is a wonderful way to make new hams feel comfortable with utilizing their new priveledges!

We have some exciting programs coming up in the near future. In March, Jeff Hanscom KA1DBE will be giving a presentation on Super Simple Satellites. In April we will have a weather program, May is
the Auction and of course, June is Field Day!

Do you belong to the ARRL? If so, did you know you can renew through the VBARC? You can! You can also sign up through the club to become a member. If you have any questions on this please contact the Club's Treasurer: John WT4M at a meeting or .

Treasurer's Report – John WT4M went over the new budget. It was motioned and accepted as presented.

The 50/50 was won by Larry Livingston K4LJL. Larry returned to his QTH with $30.50!

President Steve brought in some pictures of a club members Shack. Judy W4JJL was the first winner of "Guess Whose Shack" and won a T-Shirt!

Steve adjourned the Meeting at 9:15 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette Williams KI4VCR
VBARC Secretary

Editor's note: Please check out all of the photos from the February VBARC Meeting, when you get a chance...

Posted by WT4M on Sunday 21 February 2010 - 17:41:17 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Local Amateur N4BRA SK

Eugene Russell Taylor, 82, passed away on Wednesday February 17, 2010 in his residence surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Maquoketa, IA on December 8, 1927 the son of the late Albert E. and Hazel Babcock Taylor. He had retired from Norfolk Naval Supply Center after 30 years of service. He was an avid golfer and he was an amateur radio operator, N4BRA.

Eugene is survived by wife of 36 years, Wilma Virginia Taylor; his daughter, Elizabeth Taylor; his five sons, Christopher Steven Belk, Bryan Alan Belk, Clark Taylor, Mark Taylor, Brian Taylor, his two brothers, James H. Taylor of Lisbon, IA and Albert E. Taylor, Jr. of Wheatland, IA; his sister Lois A. Gruenwald of Maquoketa, IA; he is also survived by his special granddaughter, Sarah Virginia Belk and his canine companion Caesar and numerous extended family.

Friends are invited to gather with the family on Friday, February 19, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Great Bridge Chapel of Oman Funeral Home & Crematory, 653 Cedar Road, Chesapeake 23320.

Memorial donations may be made in Eugene’s name to your local chapter of the SPCA.

Posted by WT4M on Wednesday 17 February 2010 - 17:38:55 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Proposed Change to VBARC By-Laws

At the January VBARC Board of Dirctor's Meeting a proposed change to the VBARC By-Laws was presented and subsequently approved by the board. In a nutshell this change would remove the current provision for newly licensed amateurs to obtain free membership to VBARC. It was the opinion of the board, that in order to keep new amateurs active in the hobby, it was imperative that they join the ARRL and begin to receive QST. There is no other periodical that would so greatly assist new amateurs in how to use their new ticket - by introducing them to the depth and breadth of amateur radio!

It was therefore resolved that in order to help keep our new amateurs active and informed, it would be more prudent to offer VBARC membership free to those who join the League. In this manner, the new amateur gets the benefits of both ARRL and VBARC for the price of the ARRL membership.

The proposed change was presented for review to the membership at the February VBARC Meeting and shall be presented for a vote at the March VBARC Meeting. The proposed change is outlined below:

Posted by WT4M on Tuesday 16 February 2010 - 20:18:46 | Read/Post Comment: 2 |

This is Kilo Alpha One Delta Bravo Echo - Bicycle Mobile
by Jeff Hanscome KA1DBE*

I have a variety of hobbies and I like to combine them when the chance presents itself. This was one of those occasions. Cycling and Ham Radio.

Attending a VBARC meeting one night, Stewart K4STW mentioned that he needed volunteers for the Tour de Cure in Chesapeake. It was at that moment that I asked myself, “why am I not participating in that event?” To give you some background, I am Type 2 diabetic and my Granddaughter is Type 1 insulin dependent. When I got home, I “Googled” Tour de Cure to get more information. I signed up online for the 30 mile course.

I thought about how I could carry amateur radio on my ride. I settled on APRS and hoped that all my family and supporters could track me on APRS if I used an HT, a TinyTrak4 and a Larsen 5/8ths wave vertical. Well, lets just say that it worked for the first 2 miles and then I dropped off the map. Now for the rest of the story.

The following year I decided that I would tackle the 100 mile course. I still wanted to carry amateur radio along “Just in case”. My 5/8ths wave vertical was not very efficient on my recumbent bike so I again turned to my good friend Google for a better way. Here is my simple and very effective solution.

Enter the trusty J-pole. Using a J-pole enabled me to be ground independent and I don't believe my bike had enough surface area for a vertical. This antenna is actually a combination of two ideas that worked well when put together.

The J-pole I built was made out of 300 twin lead (TV ribbon) designed by Craig LaBarge, WB3GCK. Here are the dimensions:

Next was how to mount it to the bicycle. I remembered something I had read on an APRS reflector and again Google had my answer. Gregg Wonderly, W5GGW took a twinlead J-Pole and taped it to a bicycle flag. It was such a simple and effective mounting solution. Off to Wal-mart I went and purchased a $5.00 bicycle flag. I taped it in a couple spots to hold it straight and then wrapped it completely with white electrical tape. Below is my result.

This antenna worked very well, I was able to stay in contact with the repeater through out the entire course. It was good to hear friendly voices on some of those long stretches of road.

This antenna is not only just for bicycles. I have used it on my camper and it makes a good gain antenna for your HT for public service events.

Team Madison is riding again this year in the Tour de Cure (April 17th at Hickory High School) I will again be on the 100 mile course with my HT and my J-pole and hopefully I will hear a few more friendly voices.

* Jeff was licensed in 1979. He enjoys all aspect of Amateur Radio including CW, Digital, Satellite, and QRP operating. He is a member of VBARC, QRP Amateur Radio Club International, AMSAT, and the ARRL. His other hobbies include Cycling, Camping, Geocaching, and picks an occasional banjo string.

Editor's note: Thanks Jeff for the great article! If you have an article that you would like to post here on the VBARC site, please don't hesitate to (along with any images you would like to include).

Posted by WT4M on Friday 12 February 2010 - 18:17:35 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

VBARC and VBCERT Offer Ham Classes

VBARC and VBCERT come together to offer a series of Ham Radio classes in order to get your FCC Technician and General license to talk local and around the world by radio. Our own Jim Lindsey AG4XT is working closely with representative from VBCERT to coordinate this exceptional training at the Fire Training Center to teach this license class. To obtain training to go from no license to General Class amateur operator will be provided from 7 PM to 9:30 PM on the class dates. Options are available for those whom only wish to obtain their Technician license and for those that already have it and just want the General instruction.

Did we mention that the Classes are FREE? Yes, that is right, the instruction is free, the only cost to you will be the administrative costs required by the VEC (Volunteer Examiner Coordinator) and that is $15 due on test day.

Classes will be February 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, March 2 & 4, and testing will be on Tuesday March 9. The exams will generally take about 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

No class material is needed but bring some paper and a pencil to take some notes. This will be a PowerPoint, web based presentation class with questions and answers throughout the class.

All classes are not mandatory but it will help on the test. Additionally, walk-in's are allowed, but registration is preferred. If you have been studying on your own and just wish to take the exams, you are more than welcome to show on test day!

So it you ever wanted to learn more about Ham Radio, what it is and what it does, this is the basic starting point!

For more information (or to register) please contact VBARC's Training and Licensing Coordinator: .

Posted by WT4M on Tuesday 09 February 2010 - 09:52:18 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

A few words from the President...

What an exciting year 2010 promises to be!

With Vision 2010, we have a stronger, clearer vision of where VBARC is headed, and how to get there.

One area we focus on is recruiting new hams. Jim AG4XT will continue to do the great job he has in the past with Training & Licensing. Hand in hand with that incentive must come retention. That brings us to the next steps.

We are focused on how to bring new hams along from just being licensed to a full-fledged operator. For instance, the Ham 101 programs were very well received last year. We are going to continue to do Ham 101 this year, with an added twist. We will be taping them in order to post them on our website. Over time we will build up a library that will serve as a reference to new hams. If you have something you’d like covered in a Ham 101, please contact me.

We also have a new initiative called the Elmer Express. This program begins at the testing sessions. VBARC Elmers will be there to offer assistance to the newly-licensed folks. The goal is to take them by the hand and guide them along what can be a confusing, even intimidating road to getting on the air. Whether it’s selecting a new rig, helping them make their first contact, or getting them some help on how to install their equipment, antennas and the like. The Elmer Express will also be on the website. This will be a place where any ham can ask a question about a variety of subjects. You’ll be able to click on a subject, send in your question, and get a reply from a member with expertise in that area. And you’ll be able to contact the Elmer if you need more info. It’ll all be done in the background, so there’ll be no need to feel embarrassed about asking those simple questions. Thanks to Ed, KC4UFN for offering to spearhead this effort!

We have a number of Special Event stations planned for this year. We will be building upon the foundation of W4S at the Pungo Strawberry Festival and last year’s Jamboree On The Air station in October. We’ll be keeping Joe KI4RKB, our Asst. Special Event Coordinator very, very busy!

I started off with the statement that this promises to be an exciting year for VBARC, and these are just a few of the reasons why. As always, I love hearing comments and suggestions on what we’re doing right, and what we can do better. If you’d like to volunteer to help out with any of this year’s projects I’d like to hear from you as well. You can anytime.

Posted by WT4M on Tuesday 02 February 2010 - 00:00:01 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

VBARC Community Service Events for 2010

Al WA4TCJ has released VBARC's calendar of Community Service events for this year. Though these events give invaluable assistance to the event sponsors and participants, they also provide valuable training for Hampton Road's Amateur Community. This is another way we can serve the community, simultaneously training for ARES and emergency operations.

Many of these events offer some form of gratis for the participants (usually a T-shirt). If you are interested participating, all you need is any class license, a 2 meter HT (even if you don't have a radio, someone will probably be happy to loan you one) and the time. Please for more info!

Posted by WT4M on Sunday 31 January 2010 - 13:15:30 | Read/Post Comment: 0 |

Can I Get an Upgrade?

For many years, the Viginia Beach Amateur Radio Club has used the same logo. The story goes that the actual center of our logo (which is essentially the center of the city's seal) was digitized from copying a Virginia Beach police officer's shoulder patch.

With the superb image software available these days, I felt that an upgrade was long overdue. After working up several (only slightly different) designs of the original logo, they were presented at the last VBARC Board of Directors meeting. The selected "new" logo will now feature prominently on all VBARC correspondence and here at the website.

Posted by WT4M on Thursday 28 January 2010 - 20:41:49 | Read/Post Comment: 4 |

The next VBARC Membership Meeting will be Thursday, April 1st, 7:30 PM at Saint Andrew's United Methodist Church. Be sure to check our calendar for more important events!

Visit the ARRL Virginia Section - ARES/RACES of Virginia website.

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