QST…QST…QST…The Tulsa Amateur Radio Club Christmas Par-ty is scheduled for December 19th 6 PM at the Golden Corral, 71st and Mingo. It’ll be a great time to celebrate with your ham radio friends and fellow club members and of course we have some cool raffle prizes from Santa to give away. Spouses are always welcome. See you there!
Where did 2023 go???
This year is almost gone and then we’re into 2024!
On January 1st we can officially celebrate the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club’s 100-year anniversary!!!
We’ve put a committee together to start planning events and activities.
Steve KF5VCQ, Robert KI5WDD, Ray K5CFY and Remell KA6DOY are on the committee. They’ll be scheduling some fun events during the year and if an-yone has any ideas for an activity, event or a way to celebrate this once in a century event, talk to Steve KF5VCQ or send an e mail to him at kf5vcq@cox.net or one of the other three committee members.
Just to get the ball rolling, how about…
A special event station with a new QSL card to cele-brate the event?
…or maybe a once-a-month special event station.
An anniversary dinner banquet?
Some 100-year anniversary shirts, hoodies, jackets, mugs, hats, etc.
POTA stations or a DXpedition to some interesting places in Oklahoma.
What’s your idea?
Speaking of celebrations…
As I said above, on January 1st we can officially celebrate the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club’s 100-year anniversary! Well, that also means we have new club officers, or I should say officer (without the s). We have some awesome leadership in TARC and that means that most of the officers will be returning to their positions, with one ex-ception.
There’s good news and bad news…
The bad news first…Ian KC9THI has a busy year coming up at work and has decided to step down from the 2nd Vice President position. But noth-ing will change, he’ll still be supporting the club in the same way he did during 2023.
We are grateful for his huge amount of enthusi-asm, energy, great ideas and support of TARC.
Now the good news…
Ky Vargas KY5VAR has stepped up to fill the 2nd Vice President position. He also brings with him a huge amount of enthusiasm, energy, great ideas and support of TARC so this is really a win-win for the club and I’m looking forward to work-ing with Ky in 2024.
Still speaking of celebrations…
The next in person meeting of the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club is January 16th Tulsa University’s Keplinger Hall Room 3140 at 7 PM. This meet-ing will kick off our 100-year anniversary, the installation of our new 2nd Vice President and lots of recognition for the club members that went above and beyond in supporting your club with their time, talent, experience and enthusiasm. Come on out to the meeting and support your club officers for 2024. We also have a short presentation planned about Faraday bags, what they are and what they do.
Are you using the Superlink Repeater System…
I had heard several reports from users of the Superlink system that they had been told not to use it. That is a huge misunderstanding. I’ve always encouraged eve-ryone within the Superlink System to use it. This en-sures that it remains functional and works when we need it in severe weather. However, if you are having a conversation with another ham in the same area, the Tulsa or OKC metro areas, and have established con-tact on the Superlink, if you are within range of a lo-cal repeater or simplex frequency then change fre-quency and free up the Superlink for others to use that are not local; this is particularly true in areas where we have several repeaters for local communications. Bottom line: Use the Superlink!
Know a good radio or amplifier repairman…
I’ve been contacted several times by hams looking for anyone good at radio/amplifier repairs.
Do you know someone locally or within the Midwest region that repairs ham radios and/or amplifiers? Let me know!
The wheels are turning slow…but they are turn-ing…
The TARC Young Ladies Group is starting slow, but it is coming together. I’ve contacted some other YL Groups to find out what their events and activities are and how they found other interested YL’s. More to follow in 2024.
Looking for a club T shirt or other apparel with the club logo? Robert KI5WDD is now taking orders and will soon make ordering a shirt, jacket, hat, etc. much easier. We’re also looking at different types of
100 year anniversary clothing. Contact Robert at rkerns007@gmail.com.
Something new…
TARC now has an HF Go Box and it’s really a nice set up. It was demoted at the September and October meetings and it has already been checked out for use. Would you like to use it?
Contact Paul KE5EHM at ke5ehm1@gmail.com.
Something else that’s new…
We’re working on our second club go box. This has a Yaesu FT-991A which is a VHF/UHF/HF radio so it’ll have the capability to work all three bands. It should be done in time to be demold at the January meeting. The radio was donated by Forrest (Frosty) DeLunger KC0KFL. Thanks, Frosty!!!
The Nervous Novice CW Net is going strong and growing…
The net is going very well and band conditions are im-proving so if you want to learn CW get on this net. Mike KI5EGH does a won-derful job as Net Control and will slow down to your CW speed if needed so no reason not join in. The Nervous Novice Net is on Monday evenings at 1900 hrs. on 7.037 MHz +/- QRM.
While we’re talking about Mike KI5EGH, congratula-tions Mike on making your 1,000th CW contact!!!
Do you like the new TARC badge? See Andrew W5AWS and bring $2.00.
Of course, it’ll have your name and callsign on it. hihi
During severe weather monitor the Superlink Re-peater System…
As we’ve seen earlier this year, storms and strong winds can be here year-round, so please monitor the Superlink System for the W5IAS Weather Watch when severe weather is forecast. Frequencies for the repeater in your area can be found at W5IAS.com, click on Repeaters and scroll down to TARC: Wide-Area Link System.
The Tuesday TARC Net is going strong…
We’re averaging 40 check ins between NetLogger and over the air check ins.
We give signal reports, answer ham related ques-tions, give announcements of upcoming ham ra-dio events and activities and we even have time for some trivia!
Both Ian KC9THI and Grant KC1KCE are doing a great job as net control!
And don’t forget about Club Spotlight! If you belong to a club and have an event coming up, you need operators for an event, you have a ham-fest or just want to talk about your club or your station, you can have 5 – 10 minutes on the Tues-day net to reach anyone listening on the Superlink Repeater System. Just let us know, it’s that sim-ple.
We’re still looking for Net Control Operators and Loggers for the TARC Net…
Thanks going out to those currently doing the logging and Net Control!
Loggers:
Dave KI5TZS Andrew W5AWS Brent N5LOL
Net Control Operators:
Ian KC9THI Grant KC1KCE
Can we add your name to the list!
Pick a Contest…any Contest! Go to ARRL.com, click Contest Calendar, scroll to Contest Corral, click on the month you want to check.
Try POTA or SOTA! Call CQ! Go to a local park, throw up a wire and get on the air!
Use the new TARC HF Go Box!!!
Upcoming events…
” We’re still working on a date and topics for the next Ham University. Stay tuned!
” If you’re looking to get your amateur radio license or upgrade your license, the next TARC exam session is scheduled for December 9th at 10:00 AM. Tulsa Uni-versity. Contact David N5DMK at n5dmk@att.net
” Winter Field Day is scheduled for January 27th and 28th 2024. Weather permitting we’ll have the TARC Comm 1 trailer out for the first time in the new year. Location to be determined, but the date is firm.
The next regular meeting…
of the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club will be January 16th 7 PM at TU’s Keplinger Hall Room 3140.
Please come out to the meeting and support your club and the club officers that give so much of their time and effort to make TARC active and successful!!! Thanks!
Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Be safe, be a good friend, Get on the air!
Mark WA5MA
President – Tulsa Amateur Radio Club