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 |
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2024 |
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2023-2024 |
2024-2025 |
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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
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 Net Control Schedule: |
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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