News
Repeater Upgrade Update – Yaesu DR-1X
At the March 23, 2105 GARA meeting, following an informative and vigorous discussion, the membership voted to move forward with the purchase of a Yaesu DR-1X repeater under the club discount program. Prior to the vote, Bill, N8KSG, described how the Rockingham Amateur Radio Club bought and installed two DR-1X repeaters and explained the benefits and drawbacks they've noticed over the past few months of operation. David, AJ4TF, presented an opposing viewpoint, and questions were asked of both. After the discussion, a motion was made to purchase the DR-1X, including ...
K1N QSL Update
For those of you who worked the Navassa Island DXpedition earlier this year, here is an update about QSL cards, LoTW uploads, etc from N2OO who is handling QSLing for the team:
N2OO - Callsign Lookup by QRZ.COM NOTICE: K1N NAVASSAMarch 16, 2015: Current QSL status for K1N: The QSL design is almost ready to go to the printer. We just had our first incoming MAIL opening party at my QTH. 14 SJDXA QSL team members took 7 hours to open and sort 14 mail trays of QSL mail (which included some of my non-K1N QSL requests). LoTW: An LoTW upload was made for all "pre-depat...
Repeater Upgrade – Yaesu DR-1X
Dear GARA members,
As anyone who deals with technology knows, nothing lasts forever. And, like with cars, there is a time when it makes sense to upgrade to a newer model before your old one experiences more problems than you can afford. On rare occasion, someone will come along and offer you a good deal on a car with new features around the same time you’re looking to replace the old model with a new one. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the deal.
Our club is in a similar situation. Because of their age and the ...
Raleigh Amateur Radio Society RARSFest on Saturday, April 4!
The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society will be holding its annual RARSFest hamfest and ARRL convention in the Jim Graham building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 4. There will be many activities in addition to the swap meet, including J-pole building, an indoor fox hunt, QSL card checking, and an ARRL open forum. VE testing will also be available, so it's a perfect opportunity to buy some new gear and upgrade your ticket at the same time! Best of all, parking is free. Tickets are $8 if you buy them in advance or $10 at the door. Plan your ...
DXpeditions Galore! Republic of Malawi Up Next – 7QAA
If the 9Q0HQ DXpedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo was just too easy for your tastes and you're already running SSB QRP-style, consider trying your hand at working 7QAA, the current DXpedition to the the Republic of Malawi, the small landlocked country in southeast Africa. This station started on the air with CW and RTTY ops on March 11 and will continue those until March 21. On March 22, they will be switching modes over to SSB and RTTY on all bands from 10-160m, and work until April 1. The station will upload the logs to LoTW after the DXpedition is ...
The 9Q0HQ DXpedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
If you're missing that DXpedition fix since K1N has been off the air, there's a new opportunity knocking. 9Q0HQ, the DXpedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Italian team I2YSB is on the air from March 10 through March 25 on all bands and many modes. You can check this website for information related to the team, equipment, band plans, and more. Look for the call on your favorite DX cluster, and good luck!
VE Testing This Saturday!
VE testing is normally held at Hinshaw United Methodist Church in Greensboro on the second Saturday of each month, but due to the Charlotte Hamfest and N4G, in March, it's delayed until the third Saturday. That means that you haven't missed your chance in March to get licensed or to upgrade your ticket! If you're interested, please contact Roy Smith at n4byu@arrl.net for a reservation. A reservation isn't necessary, but it's requested and advised so that the VEs can make the necessary preparations. Testing starts at 9:00AM, and you will need to bring two forms of ...
Charlotte Hamfest this Weekend
If you're not busy Friday afternoon or early Saturday, you might consider a short trip down the road to Concord to attend the Charlotte Hamfest. As in previous years, the event will be held at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, not far from I-85, the Charlotte Motor Speedway or the Concord Mills Mall. This is one of the area's larger hamfests with 80 commercial booths, 312 flea market tables, VE testing, forums, antenna building classes and more. You can find more information at http://charlottehamfest.org/.
Once you've returned from your time finding deals and ...
The 2014 ARRL Centennial – A Reflection
2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the ARRL. To help celebrate this milestone, the ARRL announced two activities to be carried out throughout the year – W1AW operating portable in every state and several territories; and the Centennial Challenge, where points were accumulated for making on-air contacts with ARRL members, volunteers, staff, and officers.
The part that first caught my attention was the W1AW portable operations. As the ARRL was offering a special certificate (and optional plaque) for working all states during their portable operations, I almost ...
K4HC ARRL Centennial QSO Party
Have you heard ‘K4HC ARRL Centennial QSO Party’ by Greensboro Association on SoundCloud?
2014 was an exciting year for Ham Radio. The Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) turned 100 years old in 2014 and for the whole year several events and competitions were held that infused the hobby of ham radio into the airwaves for one of the busiest years for QSOs that it has ever know. One such competition was the ARRL Centennial QSO Party. GARA had it's mark made in the record books with astounding QSO efforts by one of its very own members. Christopher Thompson - K4HC ...
