Amateur radio

HacDC Amateur Radio Group (W3HAC) - Regular meetings 2nd and 4th Wednesdays @ 7:30 pm First Meeting - HacDC Amateur Radio Group (W3HAC) Wednesday September 28, 2011 7:30 PM

Agenda: starting an amateur radio club setting up a radio station/repeaters/digipeaters/antennas/lightning protection affiliating with ARRL, conducting FCC licensing classes Spaceblimp

HAM CLUB (provisionally "HARC") We met 19:30, Wed 28 Sept.

Founders: Bill B Nick B Phil S Steve Martin R

Goals:

01. Increasing HacDC membership 02. Hardware building and using focus 03. Licensing new HAMs 04. Meeting regularly (2 Wednesdays per month (2nd and 4th))

Action Items:

01. Bill (WA1IVD) will contact ARRL to start a liason for the group.

Links:

Your friendly local ARRL: info on everything radio - has local test times, local ham fest info, etc. http://www.arrl.org/

Technician class Q & A's (starts on page 7) http://www.ncvec.org/downloads/Revised%20Element%202.Pdf

Detailed member interests/activities: creating interest & education in amateur radio (getting HacDC members licensed) equipment design, building, and tinkering (setting up HacDC station/repeater/web controlled) APRS (antenna tracker, spaceblimp microcontroller tracker/digipeater) spaceblimp/nanosat/cubesat (attitude control system, telephotography) HF digital modes & beacon systems spread spectrum microwave/high power wifi direction finding & fox hunting

Older Discussion:

I would like to start an amateur radio night. I'm thinking Wednesday nights, if there aren't (as yet unpublished) plans for that night. I hear Elliot's into it, and maybe others.

I'd like to set up a repeater here at the space. --(Celtikill)

I too think HacDC would be a great place for a repeater, an IRLP node, a weather station, and/or a zillion other fun things. Put Radio Night on the calendar, blog about it, and see who shows up!

Going forward, try to make contact with some ham [clubs] in the area, to see about sharing equipment / expertise / members.

--Myself 23:38, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

When I first read this, I was thinking radio station, and was going to point out the local amateur radio station. And then I decided that I was going to point it out anyways - because I can see an interesting friendship developing over time. I can put HacDC in contact with people there if it is ever desired.

• RadioCPR

David

Perhaps this page, or perhaps the entire hobby of amateur radio, fails to make clear the distinction between "the amateur radio service" (licensed under part 97 of the FCC rules), and "low-power broadcasting", which is something completely different. Hams can't broadcast. We transmit, but only for the purpose of communicating with other amateurs. We're prohibited from broadcasting to the general public. Music is forbidden on the amateur bands, for instance. We should also consider low-power broadcasting, but this page is about ham radio. Myself 20:29, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

For the sake of completeness, HacDC now has a club amateur radio callsign, and it is KB3TEA. If we were to set up a club repeater, or participate in a ham radio contest as a club, we would use that. -- Jay (club license trustee)