Presidents Corner
President – Mark Adams WA5MA
1st Vice President – Jack Conway W5JHC
Outgoing 2nd Vice President – Ian Duncan KC9THI / Incoming 2nd Vice President Ky Vargas KY5VAR
Secretary – Andrew Shead W5AWS
Treasurer – Jerry Weikel KE5PMK
Public Service Liaison – Bart Pickens N5TWB
Callsign Trustee – Gregg Wonderly W5GGW
Newsletter Editor – Richie Shroff W5OKL
ARES Emergency Coordinator, Tulsa County – Paul Teel WB5ANX
Where did 2023 go? Hello 2024 and Happy Anniversary TARC!!!
January 1st has come and gone so now 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 events during the year and if anyone 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.
See the attached photo from the Affiliated Clubs section of the May 1924 QST. (I’m assuming this is the start of the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club!)
Speaking of celebrations…
As I said above, it’s now 2024 and we can officially start celebrating 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 exception.
There’s good news and bad news…
The bad news first…Ian KC9THI will be busy at his work and so he has decided to step down from the 2nd Vice President position. But nothing 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 enthusiam, energy, great ideas and support of TARC and we’re sad to see him go.
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 working 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 meeting 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 in 2023. Come on out to the meeting and support your club and club officers for 2024. We also have a short presentation planned about Faraday bags, what they are and what they do.
It was a Merry Christmas Parade in Sand Springs!
This was another year that TARC has helped with staging of the Sand Springs Christmas Parade floats. We did have some hiccups and a few bumps along the way, but we did a super good job! Thanks to those that came out during the cold night with their HT and helped.
Oh yes!…and the TARC Christmas Party!!!
We all had a great time at the TARC Christmas Party! It was wonderful to see some fellow hams (without an HT in their hand) and their spouses. Some of which I had only heard their voices on the radio and only knew them by their callsign. We had some great raffle prizes, too. So much fun and I think next year we’re gonna need a bigger room! Thanks to those that came out to celebrate and to Robert and Bart for picking up the raffle prizes. Great job guys!
The wheels are turning slow…but they are turning…
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, hat or hoodie 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 demo’d 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 demo’d 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 improving so if you want to learn CW get on this net. Mike KI5EGH does a wonderful job as Net Control and will slow down to your CW speed if needed so no reason not to join in.
The Nervous Novice CW Net is on Monday evenings at 1900 hrs on 7.037 MHz +/- QRM.
While we’re talking about Mike KI5EGH, congratulations 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
Spring storm season is right around the corner…
As we’ve seen earlier this year, storms and strong winds can be here year round, this is Oklahoma after all, 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.
Photo coutesy of Tyler Layne Photography
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 questions, give announcements of upcoming ham radio 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 have an event coming up, you need operators for an event, you have a hamfest or just want to talk about your club or your station, you can have 5 – 10 minutes on the Tuesday net to reach anyone listening on the SuperLink Repeater System. Just let us know, it’s that simple.
Every month is a contest month…
Pick a Contest…any Contest! January is full of them! 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, grab one of the club go boxes, throw up a wire and get on the air!
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 January 20th at 10:00 AM. Tulsa University.
Contact David N5DMK at n5dmk@att.net. David has the exam session running like a fine oiled machine and will have you in and out in no time at all!
- Winter Field Day is scheduled for January 27th and 28th 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 very Happy New Year!
Be safe, Be a good friend, Get on the air!
Mark WA5MA
President – Tulsa Amateur Radio Club