Make plans now to enjoy this year’s W4VLD Field Day. We’ll be operating at 5202 Phillips Road (Coordinates: 30.7432,-83.3949) in Valdosta. Don’t forget the potluck meal Saturday evening at 6:00pm. Even if you can’t stay for the whole event, at least make plans to come share some time with your fellow hams over a meal. If you have any questions, please click the “Help Me” on the above menu and then click “Contact W4VLD”.
Recently the VARC was contacted from members of the local American Legion post. The wanted to know if any of the local vets who are also hams would be interested in joining the legion to promote both the legion and the VARC. If you are a VET and this sounds interesting to you please contact either the local post or the VARC.
Information about the American Legion Amateur Radio Club has been posted below.
The American Legion has formed a special entity to provide a forum for military veterans who today are engaged in a hobby that can also provide emergency communications “when all else fails.” During the May 2011 Spring Meetings, the National Executive Committee authorized the establishment of The American Legion Amateur Radio Club (TALARC).
There are estimated to be 700,000 federally licensed amateur radio operators, or “hams,” in the United States. Over the years, countless members of the U.S. military were trained as technicians or engineers, and later obtained amateur-radio licenses to continue to use their abilities at home, as both recreation and a public-service commitment.
“The beauty of amateur radio is that it attracts folks of all career interests, from doctors, Ph.D.s, engineers, rocket scientists to mechanics, housewives, construction and office workers, students and everything in between,” says Robert L. Morrill, chairman of the Legion’s Public Relations Commission. “Hams provide backup communications to emergency-management agency offices across the country when ‘all else fails,’ and have done so with distinction in virtually every major disaster when cell towers and commercial communications have been knocked out after earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and man-made disasters.”
The club has established an amateur radio station at National Headquarters with the call sign K9TAL (K9 The American Legion) in order to conduct special-event operations on The American Legion Birthday, Veterans Day, etc.; operate SKYWARN during local severe weather; and provide members an opportunity to operate the station during visits to National Headquarters. A special QSL card is provided to all amateur radio stations that work K9TAL on the air.
In January 2005, the Legion signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to support emergency disaster preparedness. Subsequently, the Disaster Preparedness Booklet was made available to posts. Amateur-radio support was an integral entity.
“The potential to serve here is limitless,” Morrill says. “Legionnaires who are hams can help others get licensed, coordinate with local emergency authorities, provide counseling and assistance to schools, and a whole array of other support.
“While some people may think that ham radio is an old technology, the simple truth is that hams were working with digital transmissions long before folks had home computers, and they provided the impetus to make ‘wireless’ happen. They were transmitting emergency calls from their cars long before anyone had a mobile phone to do the same. Today, hams are conducting broad-spectrum experiments on ham bands that may eventually become routine ways to communicate for all of us.”
Membership is free to members of The American Legion family.
For information, or to join: [email protected]
Last Saturday morning VARC members gathered to support the Azalea City Festival 5K run. Because of the help from the VARC the event went off with out any major issues and everyone running made it through the course safely. And the weather was just perfect for both the run and the festival. This will be the last run or ride event until the Honeybee festival this fall. Hope you will come and help out then. A big thanks to Ed, Matt, and Micheal for their support with the 5K!
This last Saturday club members and non club members took off their “I am No. 1” jerseys and put on the club colors to support the Century Bike Ride. These giving members braved the early cold morning in order to setup communication and GPS tracking for the bike ride. The ride organizers were again very happy with the ham support because of the special support we provide to them. Thanks team!
Every February, the Magnet Lab invites the public to spend the day at its world-class research laboratory, and every February, they come by the thousands.
Open House typically attracts around 5,000 guests. The 2013 Open House will be held on Saturday, February 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This free event features something for visitors of every age: hands-on demonstrations, self-guided tours, activities from our Community Classroom Consortium partners, food, and the chance to meet and chat with our scientists and other MagLab staff. It’s also a chance to do good for the community: The canned goods we collect as the unofficial price of admission go to America’s Second Harvest Food Bank of the Big Bend.
Open House offers an up-close look at our record-breaking 45-tesla hybrid magnet, our 900-megahertz superconducting magnet and other powerful research instruments. A special Exploration Station features hands-on science fun designed especially for families with young children.
Hams from the Valdosta and Thomasville areas enjoyed a great day touring the labs. It was an awesome day learning about science and seeing the biggest magnet in the U.S.A. See you there next year!
Several hams from the Valdosta area made a road trip down to Orlando for the hamfest. The weather for the hamfest was excellent! The fest was well attended from hams from all over the Southeast area. There were several vendors selling new ham equipment and the flea market are had a lot of low cost used gear. Friendships between hams were renewed and testing was provided for those who were looking to become a ham and for those wanting to upgrade. Orlando is one of the best hamfests to attend from the Valdosta area.
Tonight was the first VARC meeting of the year. Due to the unavailability of the normally scheduled meeting place the club meeting was held at the “Smok’in Pig” barbeque restaurant which is known for its great food. The normal crew was present for a great evening of socializing and tasty barbeque. Ham radio discussions centered around the up coming Orlando hamfest on February 9th and the Century Bike Ride coming up in March.
Well 2012 is behind us and hopefully each one of us had a great holiday season to top it off. We are well into the New Year now with the first Monday evening net behind us with 13 check ins. So thirteen is our lucky number!
The first testing session for the year was yesterday the 12th. Unfortunately no one showed up for the session so each one of us need to step up to ensure that there are people testing during each session.
The first club meeting for the year will be the last Saturday of the month. Please make plans to be there to learn about computer repair.
For the October club meeting it was decided that VARC members would attend the Moody AFB 2012 air show. Several members did and of course everyone enjoyed the blue angels and their awesome air display. Several people stopped by KI4ROO’s military communications truck to learn about it and Amateur Radio in general.