2020-11-20: Scroll to bottom for update. The ACARA’s big operating event of the year, ARRL’s Field Day, is to be held this year on the weekend of June 27 and 28. Unfortunately, this year, due to the continuing coronavirus situation, the ACARA will not be participating in ARRL Field Day as a group. Instead, ACARA members are encouraged to perform their own, individual, Field Day operations, either at home or in the field. I’ve prepared a document which, I hope, . . .

Due to an abundance of caution during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Committee of the ACARA has decided to cancel face-to-face (in-person) meetings of the ACARA until further notice. Instead, meetings will be held via teleconference at the scheduled meeting date and time. Here is the information you need to join the ACARA meeting teleconference:Date and Time: Tuesday, January 18, 2022, 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/82643842702?pwd=MUFZOEE0eVJmbDR4VTltWWVIOHIydz09 Meeting ID: 826 4384 2702Passcode: 620771One tap mobile+16465588656,,82643842702#,,,,,,0#,,620771# US . . .

The ACARA’s 145.15 MHz repeater has been moved from the ATC-owned tower to the 9-1-1 Center’s tower co-located at the same site. The antenna is lower on the new tower than it had been on the old tower and is “shadowed” by the tower differently than it had been, so it’s likely the repeater’s coverage has changed a bit. As you use the repeater, try to be aware of where you’re able to successfully hit the repeater. Keep in mind . . .

On Saturday, February 25, 2020, members of the ACARA participated in the 2020 running of the Winter Field Day Association’s Winter Field Day (link) in the Jim Crouse Memorial Radio Station at the Red Cross of Southeastern Ohio. While the Winter Field Day event ran for 24 hours starting at 2pm local time on Saturday, the ACARA limited their participation to about six hours on Saturday. The ACARA competed in class 1I (“One India”), meaning “one transmitter, indoors”, and operated . . .

The ACARA’s annual February Potluck will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at the Red Cross of Southeastern Ohio, 100 South May Avenue, Athens. We’ll gather at 5pm and eat at 5:30pm. All ACARA members, their families, and their guests are cordially invited! Members, their families, and guests are asked to bring a dish to share and their own beverage and table service. For entertainment, John McCutcheon, N8XWO, will bring two animated shorts on 16mm film and I will . . .

Winter Field Day takes place this weekend, Saturday-Sunday, January 25-26, 2020. Visit https://www.winterfieldday.com/ to learn more about Winter Field Day and to read the full rules. The ACARA will be participating in Winter Field Day on Saturday, indoors, in the Jim Crouse Memorial Radio Station at the Red Cross of Southeastern Ohio, 100 South May Avenue, Athens. Operations will start at 1900 UTC (2pm local) on Saturday and will continue as long as operators are available. Operations will take place . . .

With the installation of the new Yaesu DR-2X repeater, the ACARA’s W8UKE/R 2-meter (145.15 MHz) repeater is now a System Fusion Repeater.

Please read the article at http://www.ac-ara.org/?page_id=966 for more information.

The ACARA’s annual Holiday Dinner will be on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, at Lui Lui Restaurant. We will meet at 5:30pm for punch and hors d’oeuvres and we’ll order our dinners at 6pm. As has become our tradition, the club will pay for the punch and hors d’oeuvres. Lui Lui is located at 8 Station Street in Athens and the menu is available online: http://luiluirestaurant.com/ During the holiday party, we will announce the winner of the NC8V Memorial Trophy. The current . . .

The ARRL 10-Meter Contest is the weekend of  December 14-15, 2019. Full rules for the ARRL 10-Meter Contest can be found at http://www.arrl.org/10-meter. The ARRL 10-Meter Contest is important to Athens County Amateur Radio Association (ACARA) members for two reasons: The club participates in the ARRL 10-Meter Contest as a club, in the Affiliated Club Competition. When you prepare your 10-Meter Contest entry, simply list “Athens County ARA” in the “Club Name” field and your score will count toward the . . .