RARS - The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society

May

online now

Tuesday June 2, 2020 (day 154/2020)

All in-person meetings are cancelled. The RARS officers are making alternate arrangements for virtual meetings. Please check this website often for updated information.

6:00 PM: New Ham / Elmer meeting.
7:00 PM: General Social/Gathering.
7:30 PM: Business meeting and program.

General meeting info and Map
Have an idea for a meeting?
Email the RARS Vice President

Welcome to our newest RARS members

K4ZXX	Jeff Stewart	N1AEW	Ernie Bauer	K6UTJ	Tom Tyndall
KX4YK	Neil Riemann	N1GNF	Rick Shanks	K4HEW	Joe Owen

See why YOU should be a RARS Member

Network with 400+ Amateur Radio Operators

Access to experienced Amateur Radio Operators (Hams) who volunteer as mentors to enhance enjoyment of our popular hobby and service. With more than 400 members, RARS is able to offer a wide array of public service, education, and advocacy activities covering many aspects of the Amateur Radio experience.

Community Support through Public Service

Many RARS members members contribute their skills and equipment in support of community service organizations across the RTP area, providing communications to many worthwhile nonprofit and charitable organizations. Typically when organizations hold fundraising events such as bicycle rallys, walk/run marathons, and Special Olympics. For example, the National MS Society has several walks in the spring, and a major bike tour in the fall. These events are outdoors, spread over several miles (150 miles for the MS-150 Bike tour). Ham Radio and repeaters are ideal for providing both logistical and safety communications.

RARS members also provide a public service through participation in such organizations as ARES and Skywarn which provide Emergency Communications Services to Public Safety officials and Government Agencies.

Members Only Clssified Ads

The RARS website supports a very active classified add listing that anyone can see but only RARS Members have posting privledges. The classified ads are among the busiest pages of our website and the ads are a free service provided to all RARS members.

Membership Social Events

RARS members stay in touch in a lot of ways either in person or on-the-air

The RARS 2 meter net is held nightly on one of the 2 club repeaters.
The monthly RARS Dinner is on the first Tuesday of each month.
The RARS Membership Meeting is held on the second Tuesday of each month.
RARSfest, held each spring, is one of the laregest hamfests in the state, drawing commercial dealers and vendors from around the country.
The annual international operating event called "Field Day", an exercise in setting up emergtency communications sp where members show their ability to provide communications in an emergency or other adverse conditions.

Other RARS activities can often be found on the RARS Calendar or in our monthly newsletter, The "Exciter".

Education and License Exams

RARS conducts license classes for both initial licensing and advancement to higher class licenses. There are also frequent technical programs at our meetings as well as a weekly technical net on the club repeater. The RARS VE (Volunteer Examiner) team also conducts about half a dozen License Exam Sessions each year. For the newly licensed there is a NEW HAM meeting each month before the Membership Meeting. There is also a weekly Tech-Net on the club repeater.

Operating Events

Many RARS members participate in on-the-air events either as individuals or together such as:

Contests where points are scored for making a number of contacts, different locations, different types of stations, different operating modes, etc. Certificates are awarded to the high scores and bragging rights are always claimed.
RARS sponsors the NC QSO Party each year. A QSO party is an operating event "contest" where points are awarded for contacting ohter stations with special emphasis on contacts made with a specific state. Each state has an annual QSO party and RARS sponsors the one for North Carolina providing a plaque for the contest.
RARS also sponsors a "Sixty-four on Six-Four" award for confirming 64 contacts on the RARS 146.64 MHz repeater.
DXing is making contacts with foreign countries. The ARRL awards coveted certificates for confirming contact with 100 or more different countries. Higher level endorsements are also awarded for confirming contact with higher numbers of countries.
Special Event stations are often set up at historic sites or at special events and special call signs may be authorized by the FCC for use at these Special Event stations. Unique QSL cards are usually available for having made contact with a Special Event station.
Fox Hunts are an exercise in finding hidden transmitters. Transmissions will be made from an undisclosed location and hams compete to see who can find the transmitter first.

Special RARS "Members Only" benefits

While some of the RARS benefits are available without actually becoming a paid member of RARS, there are some great benfits that are restricted to Members Only:

A voice in club operation. Only RARS Members in good standing may vote on issues that are brought before the membership.
RARS Leadership. Only RARS Members may hold officer positions in RARS.
Access to the RARS Email-List reflector facilitating group discussions via email.
Access to the RARS Roster.
Ability to post items for sale in the online RARS Classified Ads.
Sell items on the RARS Table at RARSfest
Purchase RARS branded items: polo shirts, badges, etc.

Select a topic to expand details.

Current News and Events
Updated May 11, 2020 21:48:44

COVID-19 Impact on RARS Meetings and Gatherings

Due to the current COVID-19 related mandates all RARS in-person gatherings are suspended until further notice. Information will be published as the situation evolves. Please utilize the RARS nightly net on the W4DW 146.64 repeater and the RARS-L Email Reflector to stay in touch with fellow members.

All montly dinners (2nd Tuesday of each month) are cancelled until further notice.
All RARS Board Meetings will be online (virtual) meetings until further notice.
The April 11th RARSfest and ARRL Roanoke Division Convention is cancelled.

The April 14th RARS meeting will be held on the 146.64 repeater at 8PM. The presentation will be “A tribute to the Golden Age of Radio: A RARS Variety Show” By Virginia NC4VA

The May 12th RARS meeting will be held using Zoom at 7:30PM. Zoom is a conferencing application that runs on computers, tablets and phones. The presentation will be “Radio and the Disappearance of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan” By Brian Harrison, KN4R. More information will be in next month’s Exciter.

Email notice was sent to all membbers on Sunday monring May 10th.
Refer any questions to the RARS president using the link on the RARS Contacts page.

ARRL List of Canceled Hamfests and Conventions

RARS CLUB SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE
Order your T or Polo RARS Shirts directly from Supreme T-Shirts and Apparel in Garner.

RARS and Scouting Amateur radio has been a part of Scouting since 1918. RARS is working to develop contacts within the local Scouting community to foster and promote education, technical awareness, and achievement in Amateur Radio. If you are interested in helping the local Scouting youth programs, visit our Scouting page... http://www.rars.org/scouting/

Have you heard of the RARS Sixty-Four on Six-Four Award ?

RARS has sponsored this award for years but many newer hams are unaware of it.
Read about it <HERE> and get some new "wall-paper" for your shack.
Download the application/logsheet <HERE>

Build A Multi-Band Off-Center Fed Dipole For Your Attic

Article by Daniel Marks, KW4TI

This antenna is a 20 to 25 foot long (6.0 m to 7.6 m) off-center fed dipole antenna for the 20 m and 40 m bands designed for those who need to conceal an antenna. It is small enough to fit inside the attic of many homes. It can also be set up as ......<more>

YOU can promote RARS with these Brochures RARS Members are encouraged to download the brochure and use it to promote RARS at hamfests and other events attended by those interested in Ham Radio.

Check out the new RARS Kudos page.

RARS@FB

Dick Bitner Benevolent Fund

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RARS · P.O. Box 17124 · Raleigh, NC 27619-7124