March 11 & 12 – Charlotte Hamfest – VE Sessions @ 1pm (VE’s be there at Noon, please)

April 16 & 17 – GCARS at Kings Mountain National Military Park for NPOTA (National Parks On The Air)!  More details to follow in another post. If you want to camp, you must contact the State Park to reserve a camp site.

April 30 – Skywarn Class at Airport in Hickory NC

https://charlotteskywarn.com/announcements/

May 27 &  28 GCARS will be helping with Emergency Communications at the Lowell Freedom Festival  and we will have a booth! We need you to come and share the joy of ham radio with the community!

Hey GCARS! This sounds like a fun opportunity for my home school group! What do you think??? I’ve got a lot of work to do before this could become a possibility but it would be sooooo cool to speak to an ISS astronaut!!! 😀  Food for thought & 73, Chantel KM4LWL

http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact

The Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award was instituted in 1968 by then Roanoke Division Director Vic Clark, W4KFC. Vic intended the award to be recognition for a long history of significant and consistent contributions to Amateur Radio. The amateur selected would have, over the years, dedicated much of his or her time to Amateur Radio and the ARRL.  Nominations for the award were solicited in late 2015.  The selection committee is comprised of past award recipients, and the administration of the award is done by the Roanoke Division Director.
Out of a field of five very worthy candidates, one clearly received the
majority of the votes.

Congratulations to our 2015 Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award
winner:

David Ritter ND4MR of North Wilkesboro, NC.

The award presentation is currently planned at the 2016 Charlotte
Hamfest on Saturday, March 12, 2016 during the ARRL forum:
http://www.charlottehamfest.org/

Please join us in congratulating our 2015 Roanoke Division ARRL Service
Award winner!

——————————————————————–
ARRL Roanoke Division
Director: James F Boehner, N2ZZ
n2zz@arrl.org

GCARS is having a fox hunt this Saturday!!!!!

Here are the details & logistics:

GCARS is having a foxhunt (transmitter hunt) on Saturday, February 13th (more details to follow). The first team to the fox will not only be the winners of the hunt but will also find a delightful surprise that will involve chocolate! This is a pre-Valentine’s Day fox hunt so let’s have fun (in the cold!).

To prepare for the foxhunt, we will be building portable tape measure yagi antennas at our next club meeting, Monday, February 1st during the presentation time! 

This is going to be a great meeting and a fun foxhunt (unless the fox hides so well that he gets the chocolate!!!!) Thanks everyone for your help!

As always, if you have questions, please leave a comment.

Thanks & 73,

KM4LWL

NPOTA is National Parks on the Air!!!

Throughout 2016, Amateur Radio will be helping the National Park Service celebrate their 100th anniversary. Hams from across the country will activate NPS units, promote the National Park Service and showcase Amateur Radio to the public.

What do you think about helping the NPS celebrate at Kings Mountain State Park??? This sounds like fun! This is happening all year long! Check out all the information at http://www.arrl.org/npota

We could maybe work it as a club or you can work it as an individual! It’s fun being a ham!! 73, KM4LWL

Happy New Year! I’m so excited to start the New Year by sharing this day with my kids! ARRL is holding a “CQ Kids Day” and it is  tomorrow, Sunday, January 3rd! Get on the radio and make contacts with kids! Get your kids and grandkids on the radio tomorrow!!! Let’s show them how much fun ham radio can be!!

For all the important details check out the ARRL website: www.arrl.org/kids-day

Your kids can earn a certificate of participation!!!! You do not want to miss out on the fun!

If you participate tomorrow, leave a comment below and share about your “CQ Kids Day” experience!

ARRL will hold another “CQ Kids Day” on Saturday, June 18, 2016!!!

Hope to hear you on the radio tomorrow! 73, KM4LWL