The next meeting for Story County Amateur Radio Club
will be at 7:30 pm, Thursday, September 4, 2008, at the 4-H building on the
southwest corner of 13th Street and Stange Road in Ames. A map showing the location is available here.
CyRide's Blue route runs past the building. The program will be announce later.
Note: There is no August meeting.
View a powerpoint presentation (about 4.5 Mb) of our Field Day 2008 activities.
Getting started in amateur radio
Story County Amateur Radio Club
SKYWARN Business Meeting and
Spotter Training 2008
Brochure in pdf format for printing
Constitution of the Story County Amateur Radio Club
Prepared
By
Amateur Radio, also known as "ham
radio", is communication and experimentation. It is also a hobby and a
service. "Hams," who are licensed by their governments, operate
two-way equipment from their homes, cars, or other locations to communicate
with other hams across town, in the next state, or around the world. Special
sets of radio frequencies are set aside for use exclusively by amateur radio
operators.
In the
An important role of ham radio is emergency
communications. Hams are well known for their role in providing communications
during emergency situations.
Who are Hams?
Just about anyone can be a ham. There are
no age limits. Many people with disabilities find a door to the world with
amateur radio. Some famous people are hams, but most are people from all walks
of life who enjoy making friends around the world.
Anyone with an interest in radio,
computers, satellites, electronics or communications will find many
opportunities in ham radio. Many people use amateur radio to keep in touch with
friends and family members.
Find out how Hams help with Emergency Service or how they say Hello World.
How Can I Become a Ham?
Getting an amateur radio license is
easier than you might think. In the
Hamfests provide opportunities for
amateur radio operators to get together for swap meets, seminars, and
friendship. Most hamfests begin in the early morning and wrap up in early
afternoon and sometimes sooner. Testing is often offered at hamfests, usually
during the first few hours of the event. Hamfests &
flea markets planned for 2006 in the central
More information on Amateur Radio can be
found by visiting the American Radio Relay League web site at http://www.arrl.org or by writing to The
American Radio Relay League,
The
The club generally meets on the first
Thursday of each month, at 7:30 PM, at the 4-H building on the southwest
corner of
SCARC
officers are: Arnold, AG3V (President); Bill, K0KT (VP); Ron, KN0R (Sec/Treas);
Dave, KI0Q (Repeater Mgr); Suzanne, ND0D (Communications Mgr)
The club owns and maintains a repeater on
147.240 MHz. This repeater is funded by donations from users.
For information or questions about the 
.
Pictures
and QSL cards from Iowa amateurs of the 1920s from the collection of Bill
Smith, W0WOI, ex W5USM, a former member of SCARC.
Some
QSL cards from early Story County amateurs from the W0WOI's collection.
For amateur radio operators, a fox hunt
is a search for a hidden transmitter.
SCARC fox hunting activities started with our first hunt (in a long while) on April 7, 2007. Our plans are to have fox hunts once a
month. So, check out the SCARC
Fox Hunt Info Page for results, more details about our plans, building antennas, etc.
Field Day 2007 ran from 1 PM Saturday,
June 23 to 1 PM Sunday, June 24 at the American Red Cross office at
Field Day 2006 ran from 1 PM Saturday,
June 24 to 1 PM Sunday, June 25. SCARC
had stations set up at the American Red Cross office
Field day 2005 set up began about 10 AM
Saturday and FD operations went nearly as planned.
Preliminary
FD results: fdsummary.htm
Field Day
pictures. At least 1.68 MB of graphics: 2005fdpic.htm
We used the main floor conference room at
Red Cross HQ on
The RC station ran 80 and 40 with ONE
station. All modes as selected by the operators. No one brought digital
equipment so only SSB and CW were used. I completed the 10 MHz low pass filter
for this station. 40 meters nearly always outperforms any other bands during
FD.
The Airstream station was on the city
hall parking lot west of city hall. The distance isolation and filters worked
well. As far as I can tell neither station was detected at the other. The
second station ran 20 and 15 meter bands. No signals were detected on 10 and 6.
The FT-857D and Paul Doi's solar panels for daytime power with my 12 volt
generator for night time power. worked part of the time though the added loads
of the computer and a light and a fan demanded more energy than the cloudy
Saturday and my neglected battery could supply. AG0BG's generator and a battery
charger did nearly continuous service.
My 12 volt
alternator worked OK when the antique engine would start.
I detected no city official visits,
though a reporter from the ISU Student Daily did visit. The on-line version of
his article is at: http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/06/28/42c0b0dfa0d64
Our own Peggy Murdock (KC0RYQ)
represented the
20 meters was dead a few hours between 3
and 5 or 6 AM. The RC station operated continuously for the 24 hours of the FD
period.
There were just enough operators and
loggers to keep both stations on the air. And the FD logging software acquired
out by AG0BG and K0KT worked very well. Though I did see a couple anomalies
when call signs were input suffix first. The software was N3FJP's Field Day
2.3. Go to http://www.n3fjp.com for
information.
The logs show a total of 751 contacts on
80, 40, 20, and 15 meters, with CW and SSB used on each of the bands.
The March 6, 2008, meeting of the
Please mark your calendars for
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008, 9:00 AM.
First the Mid
Story County Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a group of SCARC members and other
amateur radio operators who have voluntarily registered their ham radio
stations for emergency service. For more ARES information, contact ND0D,
Susanne Van der Valk, 
.
Many ARES participants
serve as SKYWARN severe weather spotters in cooperation with the National
Weather Service in
The Story
Polk County ARES meetings for 2008 will be January 8,
April 29, July 7, and October 14 at the Johnstone Supply Classroom, 11000
Justin Drive, Des Moines,
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR 2008
2008 Polk
February 24: 801 Grand Power Climb
May 17: MS
Walk
May 31: Dam to
Dam
June 8: Copper
Creek Triathlon
June 28-29:
Field Day
July 27: Big
Creek Triathlon
August 6:
State Fair Parade
August 23-24:
MS150
September 20:
Asthma Walk
September 27:
Head of
October 19:
November 22:
Living History Farms Cross Country Race
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR 2007 (just so you
can see what happened last year)
Please let me (KN0R, see below) know if you have any additions or
corrections to the following information.
February 28: Amateur Radio Operators will help with the American
Lung Association's 801 Grand Power Climb. See http://www.lungia.org/ia/
for more information and/or contact Dan Miller
KC0FRL (515)285-7981 evenings (515)491-0186 Days or 
.
June
10: GREAT AMES ADVENTURE
RACE! sponsored by the
HAMFESTS/FLEA
MARKETS SCHEDULED FOR 2008
Please
let me (KN0R, see below) know if you have any additions or corrections to the following
information.
January 26: Sheldahl Swapfest
will start at o'dark thirty. Bring your
stuff, tables are free, and have fun, coffee, and donuts. Contact Dave N0LVA, 515-266-2842 or
n0lva@mchsi.com, for more information.
March 15: Mahaska Hams Swapmeet at the American Legion Hall,
April 27: DMRAA Hamfest at the 92.6 KJJY Event Center,
May 2 and 3: 3900 Club Hamboree at the
August 3: CVARC Summerfest 2008 at the Teamster's Hall,
September 21: BVARC 10th Annual Flea Market at the
Eagles Club,
HAMFESTS/FLEA MARKETS that were
SCHEDULED FOR 2007 (just so you can see what happened last year)
January
27: Winterset flea market --
February
10: Montour Swap Meet, 8 to 10 am at the
March
20: The annual auction/spaghetti dinner
will be starting around 6:00 p.m. Bring any ham/electronic equipment that
you no longer need, want, or works. The price of the meal is $4.00 which
includes all you want to eat, drink, and those great meatballs!!! The
auction will start sharply at 7:00 p.m. Call 515-490-6273 if you need
more information.
April 29: DMRAA Hamfest -- 92.5 KJJY Event Center,
June 16: There
will be a swap meet at Sheldahl early Saturday
morning. It will probably start at 7 am
or earlier and not last past 10 if that long.
June
29, 30: 3900 Club Hamboree 2007/ ARRL Iowa State Convention at the Marina Inn
Exhibit Center, South Sioux City, NE.
See www.3900club.com for more details.
July
7: 75 meter picnic and CIRAS swap meet
starting at 9 am at the
August
5: CVARC Summerfest 2007 at Teamsters
Hall, 5000 J Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA.
See http://cvarc.rf.org/Summerfest_2007.htm
for more details.
August
18: ARTS Pancake Feed/Flea Market,
Sheldahl, 147.075 tone 114.8
September
8:
September
16:
Updates to amateur radio events when admitted, are posted at
http://www.scarc.networkiowa.com
and announced on
AMES
2008 Dates: Saturday, January 19 at 9:30 am and Tuesday,
April 1 at 7:00 pm plus some other times later in the year.
Location: 296
Contact: George Oster, NP2N, 515-233-3535, 
BOONE
2008 Dates: February 9, April 12,
June 14, August 9, October 11, December 13
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Kruck P&H Warehouse
Office, 807 6th St.,
Directions: Come into Boone on Story
Talk-In: 146.850
Contact: Steve N0NEU (515) 432-4006 or 
DES MOINES
2008 Dates: January 20, March 16, May 18, July
20, September 21, November 16
Time: 1:00 PM, but registration starts at 12:30 PM (no
admittance after 1pm)
Location: Johnstone Supply Company classroom,
Contact: Dan Miller KC0FRL, home = (515)285-7981 or cell = (515)491-0186
or email =
Other
There will be a Amateur Radio General Class License
Course taught in
AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE RENEWAL
The Federal Communications Commission changes the renewal
rules every couple years. For details check their web page.
ARRL
bulletin 10 dated April 12, 2004 on FCC form 605 and its use.
BOONE: 146.850 Boone
DES MOINES: 146.940 (114.8 CTSS)
DES MOINES: 146.940 (114.8 CTSS) Polk
DES MOINES: 146.820 (114.8 CTSS)
ARCS Net, Sunday 9:00 PM
SHELDAHL: 147.075 (114.8
CTCSS)(linked to others)
STATEWIDE NETS:
3.970
3.970
3.990.5
A list of Iowa Repeaters is can be found on this link.
You can go directly to the SKYWARN website at the
National Weather Service office in
Printable brochure in PDF format
2004broc.pdf Print on both sides
of the paper and fold in thirds with the map on the cover. This does not
contain the updates of this web page.
Constitution of the
The SCARC constitution is
available here: newscarccon.htm
Website created by KB0JUL, maintained by K0CQ for several
years, and last modified by KN0R.
Send email to KN0R at for any updates to this page. (Sometime, I'll get around to cleaning up
this page. Really!)