M A R A
McDowell Amateur Radio Association

Physical Address 29 N. Garden St Suite 1

Mailing Address PO Box 1084
  Marion, NC 28752

Club e-mail      Club call   W4HOG

           Club Officers |

          Directors                

                  2024    
|
  2023-2024   

  2024-2025   

Pres    
Peter Lamb    KM4DNU |
    Jim Elkins KG4IKQ Scot Reese KN4CBS
V P   
Randy Randolph K4WWB |
    David Hayden K4UVX Landy Young W4SQL
Secretary    
Wyan Young W4YAN |
    Mike White KN4UMQ Chuck Simpson K3CHS
Treasurer    Dennis Williams KO4OBH  |          

 

2024 dues are due in January - $25.00 ($30.00 for family)

 

License testing first Saturday each month, 8:30 AM registration - 9:00 AM testing.

Questions - Contact Larry Withrow AF4HX (828-442-2459) af4hx@charter.net.

 

Note - Applicants for Technician licenses MUST have their FRN number (FCC Registration Number) prior to testing or they will not be allowed to test. If you have not gotten your FRN, go to

 https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/support/knowledge-base/universal-licensing-system-uls-resources/getting-fcc-registration for instructions on obtaining one.

Video - Tower Climb to Install New Repeater Antenna

The 2 meter antenna is back in service!

Grants Mountain 146.985 (PL:118.8) repeater (left) and 444.850 (PL:118.8) DMR repeater (right)

In November, ARES and Emergency Management conducted a Simulated Emergency Test (SET) to determine the ability (or inability) of McDowell county's Emergency Services agencies (police, fire, EMS, Public Health, etc.) to maintain communications in the event of the loss of the repeaters on Grant Mountain. The Emergency Services bus was set up at the Visitor Center on the bypass as the command and communications center for the exercise. Antennas sprouted up everywhere like weeds. And there were sufficient quantities of coffee, donuts and pizza on hand to keep everyone energized.

The weather couldn't have been better for the exercise - sunny & warm, low humidity and a nice breeze. Extremely nice weather for the middle of November. However, these same conditions contributed to several brush fires in the area caused a couple of fire stations to curtail their participation in the exercise. But overall, the exercise was very successful. A few areas of limited or no communication capability were identified. The causes of these problems were determined to be defective equipment, improper equipment installation or signals blocked by topography. However in all cases, the utilization of mobile ham equipment in these problem areas provided full communication capabilities.

A great big thank you goes out to everyone who participated to make this a successful exercise.

 

MARA weekly net meeting on 444.850 118.8 tone 
Tuesdays,  8:30 PM  except club meeting nights.

 

Net Control Schedule:

Week 1
Tommy Woody, KO4RTG
Week 2
Club meeting night - no net
Week 3
Randy Dobbins, NL7OT
Week 4
Dave Hayden, K4UVX
Week 5
Don Beam, KK4NI
 

Club meetings:  Second Tuesday of each month,  7:00 PM

Meetings are held behind the Red Cross building, corner of Garden and E. Court, Marion, NC

Club House coordinates: 35° 41' 6" N   082° 0' 31" W,  Grid Sq  EM85XQ

Area repeaters and Winlink RMS Packet nodes
Winlink Packet station map -- WNC
Map of NC repeaters
Regional Repeaters
Regional Nets

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