Martin County Amateur Radio Association Inc News

National Hurricane Conference Week-Orlando,FL

Raymond Jaworski — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:00:00 GMT

March 30 – April 2, 2026

The 2026 National Hurricane Conference is a great opportunity for licensed ham radio operators with Skywarn Spotter Certification to hear from the expert weather groups.

Please check back later for specific dates and times you can attend a forum on weather related topics.

Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando 9840 International Drive Orlando, Florida 32819

Skywarn Spotter Certification Class in Indiantown, Martin County FL.

Raymond Jaworski — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:00 GMT

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THIS POPULAR CLASS.

https://www.weather.gov/mlb/skywarn

Save the date of Wednesday February 19, 2025 for the next National Weather Service (NWS) Skywarn Spotter training class to be held "live" in Indiantown, Florida. 4PM-6PM

Shaw Hall at Indianwood Golf and Country Club

14574 SW Rake Dr. Indiantown FL 34956

In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and billions in property and crop damages. To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service (NWS) established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the focus is reporting on severe local thunderstorms. In an average year, the United States experiences more than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. SKYWARN® storm spotters form the nation's first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given your family and neighbors the precious gift of time--minutes that can help save lives.

Who is eligible and how do I get started?

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter. Ready to learn more? Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours. You'll learn:

Basics of thunderstorm development
Fundamentals of storm structure
Identifying potential severe weather features
Information to report
How to report information
Basic severe weather safety

Skywarn Spotter Certification Class in Martin County March 23,2024

Raymond Jaworski — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 02:18:32 GMT

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THIS POPULAR CLASS.

https://www.weather.gov/mlb/skywarn

Save the date of March 23,2024 for the next National Weather Service (NWS) Skywarn Spotter training class to be held "live" in Martin County, Florida. 10AM-Noon

Who is eligible and how do I get started?

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter. Ready to learn more? Find a class in your area. Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours. You'll learn:

Basics of thunderstorm development
Fundamentals of storm structure
Identifying potential severe weather features
Information to report
How to report information
Basic severe weather safety

Stuart Air Show 2023

Steve Sprayberry — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:46:49 GMT

A sincere "Thank You" to all those who came out to help with the setup, exhibition, operation and tear-down for the popular four-day event! Once again this year we reserved special event call-sign N4A (November For America) for the Veteran's Day holiday weekend. The South Florida Winter weather was perfect!

K4GMW shows off his latest home-brew radio receiver based on a single surface-mount chip to a group of Home-school students and parents during Friday's STEM event.

(Click on the photo for a larger image)

Members of the South Fork High School Physics class gather with their instructor, Marc KK4NFL, for a picture in front of an F15 fighter jet on the tarmac.

Stuart Hamfest 2023

Steve Sprayberry — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 18:09:19 GMT

I don't recall a Stuart Hamfest with better weather than we had on Saturday! Temperatures in the 70s and a pleasant breeze made it a perfect Florida Winter Day.

Although not as good as last years, attendance was healthy. Door prizes were announced hourly, and our grand prizes were awarded at 1300 hours. Congratulations to the following lucky winners:

First Prize: Yaesu FT-710 AESS HF/50MHz 100W SDR Transceiver

Joanna Cummings N2QFT

Second Prize: Icom IC-2730A 50W Dual-Band VHF/UHF Mobile Radio

Christopher Kyle KQ4FGV

Third Prize: Yaesu FT-70DR Dual-Band 5W Handheld Transceiver
Paul Dufresne KQ4GVD

The Youth Forum winner of a 50-In-One Electronics Kit

Our Free SWAPS area was

well attended and traffic

was good. By all accounts,

lots of deals were made!

MCARA's President Position is OPEN. Important- Please read!

Raymond Jaworski — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 02:04:24 GMT

March 8, 2023 *

Hello members of the Martin County Amateur Radio Association,

By now, I am sure that you know that Dave Morris K4AW (President) and Stephen Sprayberry (Spray) W4SPR (Treasurer) have decided to give someone else an opportunity to serve on the MCARA Board effective February 2023. Thank you Dave and Spray for your continued hard work, skills, friendship, and dedication towards our highly respected and “almost 50 year old” amateur radio organization.

At the Annual meeting held on February 23, 2023, we were able to fill the elected position of Treasurer, with Doug Shields W4DAS stepping up to the plate, along with the other positions per MCARA’s By-Laws.

To assist the next President, POSSIBLY YOU, and to balance the workload amongst the members, various committees such as Nomination, Program and Repeater will be established again. Special events such as Field Day and Hamfest etc. will have leaders as well.

However, the Nomination Committee is still looking for someone who would be interested in being nominated to run as President of MCARA for the next 11 months. This is a great opportunity for YOU! As President, your involvement will be a rewarding experience.

IMPORTANT: Please contact ASAP any member of the Nomination Committee below if you are even a little bit interested in the President’s role. We hope to have the nominations in order before the March 23, 2023 meeting so we can move forward.

REMEMBER THAT WE ALL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AND IT’S UP TO YOU HOW YOU SPEND IT. AMATEUR RADIO IS FUN!

Respectfully submitted from your 2023 Nomination Committee,

Ray Jaworski KI4RHL 772-485-9677 autopilot9999@yahoo.com

Doug Shields W4DAS 772-349-7820 w4das@comcast.net

Joe Sawyer KI4OXP 772-485-4629 swyrjos@gmail.com

JOTA Scouting Jamboree on the Air 2022

Raymond Jaworski — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT

An all weekend event that lets Scouts around the world get on the air and learn what amateur Radio is all about. Check back later for more details.

Location: TK Scout camp, Hobe Sound/Tequesta ,FL.

2021 Skywarn Reconition Day runs for 24 hrs

Raymond Jaworski — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Hello NWS Melbourne SKYWARN Spotters,

We would like to announce that SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2021 will be held virtually this year on December 4th. This event is completely voluntary, but all are encouraged to participate.

What is SKYWARN Recognition Day?

SRD was developed in 1999 as a way to thank HAM radio operators, who have traditionally encompassed a large percentage of SKYWARN spotters, for all of their help in reporting hazardous weather conditions to the NWS. For 20 years, HAM radio operators would gather at NWS offices around the country and try to make as many contacts as possible around the world during a 24 hour period by exchanging weather information. From 1999 to 2018, NWS Melbourne made the most contacts out of all participating offices seven times, most recently in 2014. In 2020, due to COVID restrictions, the event expanded greatly to include a social media campaign in which we shared SKYWARN information, trivia questions, and asked spotters to check-in by sending us a weather report and their spotter ID.

How Can You Participate?

Like in 2020, 2021 will include a day of social media posts, with activities planned for 8am-4pm on December 4th via our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

However, this year, we ask that those who would like to participate check-in with their spotter ID here at any time between 7pm December 3rd and 7pm December 4th, 2021. After checking in, a point will be added for your zip code location to a national map featuring SKYWARN spotters from across the U.S., which can be accessed here. No personal information will be shared publicly at any point. We would like to have as many of our spotters participate as possible, but, again, this event is voluntary.

Who Can Participate?
All trained NWS SKYWARN spotters (ham radio operators or not)! All SKYWARN™ spotters provide critical weather information before, during and after adverse weather strikes. This includes reports of wind damage, tornadoes, flooding and wall clouds. This is our 24 hours to recognize all of the SKYWARN™ spotters serving our nation!

Whether you choose to participate in SRD 2021 or not, we would like to thank all of you for time and assistance during hazardous weather all year long. It is a great help to us.

Thank you,

NWS Melbourne

Local Contact is Ray Jaworski, KI4RHL Skywarn Coordinator Martin County, FLA

Let your kids and grandkids talk to Santa on 80M

Raymond Jaworski — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 01:53:10 GMT

https://www.cqsanta.com/

For the 16th consecutive year, The 3916 Nets will be presenting The Santa Net on 3.916 MHz. Good girls and boys can talk to Santa Claus, via amateur radio, nightly at 7:15 PM (Central) starting Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, through Christmas Eve, December 24th.

“

We enjoy helping young people and their families have a shared Christmas experience that they'll always remember

Pete KE5GGY

Pete Thomson (KE5GGY), of The 3916 Nets, commented on The 3916 Santa Net. He said, "Christmastime is a very special time for our nets every year. We enjoy helping young people and their families have a shared Christmas experience that they'll always remember. And we're thrilled to introduce young people to the excitement of amateur radio."

Youngsters can talk to "Santa at The North Pole" via strategically placed operators who relay the voice of Santa. Thomson said that The Santa Net is a team effort that involves the efforts of a number of 3916 Net members. He said, "In our first year, we connected 10 kids to Santa on Ham Radio and it's grown steadily since. This year, we're expecting over 1,000 children to participate."

Prior to each night's Santa Net, pre-net check-ins can be made at www.cqsanta.com.

Third party rules and regulations apply. The Santa Nets are presented annually by The 3916 Nets. The Rag Chew Crew, The Tailgaters and The Freewheelers are all amateur radio nets that meet on 3.916 MHz nightly. For more information on The 3916 Nets, go to www.3916nets.com For more information on The Santa Net, email KE5GGY at Gmail dot com.

Stuart Air Show 2021

Steve Sprayberry — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 20:00:04 GMT

What could be more exciting than three Florida Winter days filled with thundering jets, vintage aircraft, good food, and Ham Radio?

The new MCARA tower, recently refitted by Jay W4EME and J.B. N5WTF worked flawlessly, and can now be extended with a single hand!

Our canopy provided ample covered space for radio gear, rag-chewers, and guests. And since we were so well protected, just a short shower on Thursday was all we received during the entire event.

On Friday morning, we became "Station #2" in a group of five exhibits especially for local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students from The Pine School, Clark Advanced Learning Institute, and JD Parker Elementary.

None of it would have have happened without your help! Well done, to all those who participated!

Thanks to John N4NNY for taking the fantastic photos!

Free Skywarn Spotter Classes December 2020

Raymond Jaworski — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 18:25:52 GMT

Please preregister:

https://www.weather.gov/media/mlb/skywarnclasses.pdf

Saturday December 5 Virtual (online class) 10am-noon Basic

Monday December 14 Virtual (online class) 10am-noon Basic

Monday December 14 Virtual (online class) 100-300 pm Advanced

Must be an east-central Florida resident to register (Serving Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Martin, St. Lucie, Seminole, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Volusia Counties.)

Stuart Air Show Listen-in Frequencies

Raymond Jaworski — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 21:02:11 GMT

Special Event Station N4A (November For America)-

If you are planning to attend the 2020 Stuart Florida Air Show this weekend ,or within range, bring your HT and listen in to the Witham Field (KSUA) before and after the actual Air Show.

During the Air Show performance, the AIR BOSS directing the aircraft has the airspace under control and the frequency changes from time to time. Try listening on Air Boss 118.05

Other frequencies to monitor are below:

Tower on 126.6 frequency (AM mode)

ATIS: 134.475 Ground: 121.7 PBI Approach: 132.8

MCARA Club K4ZK 147.060 PL 107.2 N4A Special Event Station Friday and Sunday on 20m.

Reminder: PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN HEADSET and NEVER TRANSMIT ON AIRCRAFT BANDS.

NWS Melbourne,Florida Skywarn Open House- CANCELLED

Raymond Jaworski — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 14:00:00 GMT

The NWS Melbourne,Florida Skywarn Spotter & Community Open House event scheduled for 22 February 2020 has been cancelled due to projected building construction. Please continue to monitor the local weather at www.weather.gov/mlb. Ham radio operators are encouraged to check in to the Treasure Coast Weather Net (TCWN) on Sunday nights at 9PM on the 146.775 repeater (-offset, tone 107.2) or Echolink node 146175. Be Safe!. KI4RHL Martin County Skywarn Coordinator.

Next Skywarn Spotter class in the area-October 12,2019 -Registration information

Raymond Jaworski — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 01:42:43 GMT

SKYWARN® WEATHER SPOTTER TRAINING

Learn about the 2019-2020 Neutral El Nino effects on Florida’s weather. Learn how to report severe local weather. This FREE SKYWARN SPOTTER class in Stuart will give you all the information needed to become a registered spotter for the National Weather Service.

Saturday October 12, 2019

9:00AM Doors open & Registration

9:30 AM to 11:30 AM Basic Class

Anyone interested in severe weather, tornadoes, waterspouts, and helping save lives and property are invited. Reservations are highly recommended.

You can sign up for this or other local Spotter classes at:

https://www.weather.gov/media/mlb/skywarnclasses.pdf

For more information or to sign up via email please contact Ray Jaworski KI4RHL Martin County’s Skywarn Coordinator at autopilot9999@yahoo.com or call (772) 485-9677 and leave a message.

Training will be held at the Martin County Emergency Operations Holt Center, in Room 225, 800 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, Florida, 34994.

https://www.facebook.com/mcskywarn/

http://www.mcaraweb.com/skywarn.html Martin County Amateur Radio Association

http://www.wx4mc.org Martin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service / (ARES/RACES)

http://www.stuarthamfest.com Stuart’s 45^th Annual Hamfest March 21,2020

Martin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (MCARES) is a 501©(3) public charity that recruits and trains volunteers to serve their community in emergency and backup communications, and also promotes all aspects of ‘ham’ radio.

Stuart Hamfest

Steve Sprayberry — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 14:10:59 GMT

Well another Stuart Hamfest is in the books. As the Chairman for this year I feel it was a rousing success! We had a great crowd lots of vendors,awesome forums and great food! The prize ticket prizes were extremely well received and we had more than enough hourly prizes too! Thank you to Everyone who attended! Thank you to all the companies who graciously donated prizes! I’d like to thank each Martin County Amateur Radio Association (MCARA) member for all the time, effort and dedication you gave to make it a success!

I’m looking forward to making next year even better!

Thank you again!

Eric D

K4EJD

#ARRL

#DXEngineering

#Retevis

#BaoFengTech

#Mastrant

#EasyWayHamBooks

Next Skywarn Spotter classes in the area-Registration information

Raymond Jaworski — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:04:59 GMT

In case you missed the February Basic and Advanced classes in Stuart, Florida you can always register for another NWS Melbourne, FL sponsored class in the area to stay current. Remember you should get recertified every 24-36 months to stay on the NWS list of current Spotters. If you moved out of the area or changed your phone number please let NWS know about it. Visit this easy to use registration website to find a class near you: www.weather.gov/mlb/skywarn. The February, March and April months could see an unusual amount of hail and severe cold front storms.

Next Skywarn Class on 2 February 2019 is still on.

Raymond Jaworski — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 03:28:54 GMT

As of this moment, the Basic and Advanced Skywarn Spotter Classes are still "on" for February 2nd, 2019 here in Stuart, Florida. If interested in attending these classes please register for one or both at https://weather.gov/media/mlb/skywarnclasses.pdf

Results of the 2018 Skywarn Recognition Day event

Raymond Jaworski — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 01:23:50 GMT

https://www.weather.gov/mlb/srd2018

During the first weekend of December, the National Weather Service Office in Melbourne, Florida supported SKYWARN™ Recognition Day for the 20th consecutive year. The event for Amateur Radio (ham) operators was held from 7pm Friday, November 30th through 7 pm Saturday, December 1st and is co-sponsored by the NWS (www.weather.gov) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL; www.arrl.org). Local amateur radio operators and their family members attended a SKYWARN™ Open House from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, December 1st, for tours of event operations and of the National Weather Service office.

SKYWARN™ Recognition Day (SRD) provides a venue for National Weather Service (NWS) offices to recognize Amateur ("ham") Radio operators for their commitment in helping keep their communities weather-safe. During every tropical weather threat, and many other major weather events, Amateur Radio operators staff local NWS and American Red Cross shelters, standing ready to provide emergency communications should standard services fail or become overloaded. Many Amateur Radio operators are also trained as SKYWARN™ weather spotters by local NWS offices, to provide valuable information during hazardous weather situations. Often, these spotter reports allow NWS meteorologists to issue severe weather warnings with greater advance notice and confidence than would otherwise be possible.

During the 24-hour event, Amateur Radio operators throughout the country visited their local NWS office, set up portable radio stations to simulate emergency conditions, and worked in teams to exchange weather reports with other hams across the nation and the globe.

2018 SRD results:

Total Contacts:   558
States Contacted:  46
NWS Stations Contacted:  43
Countries Contacted:  1
Bands: 2, 20, 40, 80 meters
Modes: SSB, FM, Echolink

Radio Operators & Assistance Provided by:

Dave Allen - N4ESI	Brevard County - PCARS
Walter Aucoin - WB5ZGA	Brevard County - PCARS
Rodger Boogren - AK4MI	Brevard County - PCARS
Gregory Bowman - N4EN	Brevard County - PCARS
Alan Dixon - N3HOE	Brevard County - PCARS
Jan Ferguson - W4REN	Brevard County - TARC
Ken Hendrickson - N8KH	Brevard County - PCARS
John Hudacek - KJ4VQF	Brevard County - PCARS
Gordon Johnson - KA4JRY	Brevard County - PCARS
Debra Markley - WD8JPX	Brevard County - PCARS
Jerry Phelps - KJ4IMP	Brevard County - RACES
Stephanie Phillips - K4MVO	Brevard County - TARC
Donald Purnhagen - KN4ILG	Brevard County - PCARS
Spencer Rich - KM4KFG	Brevard County
Dana Smith - KM4TIX	Brevard County - PCARS
Eric Smitt - K9ES	Brevard County - PCARS
Dennis Tokarzewski - AJ4DT	Brevard County
Glen Vinke - KX4CQ	Brevard County - PCARS
Don Winn - AF4Z	Brevard County - PCARS
Wayne Burkett, Sr. - KA1VRF	Indian River County - TCWN
Carm Miranda - K4CRM	Indian River County - VBARC/ARES
Dave Roy - K1EUS	Indian River County - VBARC
Sandy Roy - KA1HUG	Indian River County - VBARC
Ray Jaworski - KI4RHL	Martin County - ARES/RACES
Ron Tagg- KD4PQQ	Martin County - ARES/RACES
Ellory Buehl - W2DNR	Volusia County - DBARA/ARES
Warren Greenburg - AE4WG	Volusia County - ARES
Karl Martin - KG4HBN	Volusia County - ARRL NFL
Pete Blottman - N2RFW	NWS Melbourne
Don Burkhardt	NWS Melbourne
Fred Johnson	NWS Melbourne
Jessie Smith - WX4JRS	NWS Melbourne
Scott Spratt - KT4PD	NWS Melbourne
Roddey Stevenson	NWS Melbourne
Derrick Weitlich - W1DKW	NWS Melbourne

For questions, comments, feedback, please email Derrick Weitlich or Jessie Smith.

To receive a QSL card from WX4MLB after the event, please send your card along with an SASE to:

NWS Melbourne
421 Croton Road
Melbourne, FL 32935.

Electronic QSLs can be exchanged via EQSL (www.eqsl.cc).

Annual Statistics from WFO Melbourne (local records)

YEAR	Total Contacts	NWS Contacts	States	DX Countries	Contacts nation-wide
1999	279	20	38	7
2000	489	38	43	12
2001	276	33	48	3
2002	388	35	44	29
2003	538	42	43	20
2004	1524	68	49	57	1st Place
2005	778	71	49	20	3rd Place
2006	921	70	50	24	2nd Place
2007	930	64	47	17	1st Place
2008	1192	74	50	40	2nd Place
2009	1373	77	50	43	1st Place
2010	292	35	43	6	15th Place
2011	1604	81	50	43	1st Place
2012	978	74	50	25	1st Place
2013	1024	54	47	21	1st Place
2014	1294	63	50	38	1st Place
2015	1407	65	50	32	-
2016	1209	65	50	21	2nd Place
2017	182	27	33	6
2018	558	43	46	1

2018 SKYWARN Recognition Day Official Website

Hurricane Michael Devastates Florida Panhandle

Steve Sprayberry — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 13:19:10 GMT

On October 10th, 2018 Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach in the Florida panhandle with wind-speeds measured at 155 mph. It was the strongest storm on record to strike the Florida panhandle, and was responsible for at least 45 deaths in the United States, and an estimated $15 billion dollars in damages.

ARES groups from around the state were deployed to provide emergency communications for local and state government, and the American Red Cross. Our own Dave Morris, K4AW assumed the role of American Red Cross Communications Manager for Hurricane Michael DR 748-19. He finally returned home to Stuart on Wednesday, October 31st, after a three-week deployment. Dave issued the following letter of thanks on behalf of the American Red Cross:

"I wish to acknowledge and congratulate each of you and the many amateurs who manned the stations at the Red Cross shelters and District Operations during Hurricane Michael. As the Amateur Radio leadership team on DR 748-19 I hope you will pass along to your associates our heartfelt appreciation for an outstanding job. The professionalism and dedication by each operator was truly inspiring.

"I wish to give special recognition to Sal Martocci, K4YFW, who was by my side throughout the first three weeks. He has become the voice of the American Red Cross in North Florida. Special thanks to Randy Pierce, AG4UU, whose vision and hard work in support of Florida SARNET demonstrated what a phenomenal emergency communications system we are so fortunate to have in our state, and to Pat Lightcap, K4NRD who tirelessly served as Net Control for more hours than one can imagine.

"Special recognition to Karl Martin, KG4HBN, who pulled the ARES team together and maintained a full staff at all locations throughout the entire critical period.

"Beside SARNET we were fortunate to have the North Florida ARES net on 80 meters run by Terry Webb, N0TW, and Paul Eakin, KJ4G. With the 80 meter net we had virtually 100% coverage. Their team provided a much needed service day and night.

"Supporting this outstanding leadership team were a group of phenomenal amateur operators who are the unsung heroes spending countless hours in the field to help alleviate human suffering. On behalf of the American Red Cross we hope you will give your team the recognition they richly deserve and express our sincere appreciation.

"God bless each of you." -- David Morris, K4AW, Communications Manager, October 10 - 31, 2018, Hurricane Michael DR 748-19, American Red Cross, Tallahassee, Florida.

Well done Dave! Thank you, once again, for your tireless service!

Martin County ARES/RACES & Martin County Amateur Radio Association

Stuart Air Show 2018

Steve Sprayberry — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 14:27:32 GMT

What could be more exciting than three whole days filled with thundering jets, vintage aircraft, good food, and Ham Radio?

Despite some initial difficulties encountered erecting the antenna tower, it worked flawlessly the entire weekend. Thanks to Eric W4ELB, the Tower-Meister, for his dedication.

Our expanded canopy-village provided ample covered space for radio gear, rag-chewers, snacks, and guests. And since we were so well protected, not a drop of rain fell during the entire event.

On Saturday afternoon, an extra special pyrotechnics demonstration had all the airport fire apparatus rushing to the field. For a few moments, we wondered if the strafing P-51 Mustang had delivered some live ordinance!

None of it would have have happened without your help! Well done, to all those who participated!

Click on any of the pics to view a larger image.

73,
Martin County Amateur Radio Association

Field Day 2018

Steve Sprayberry — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 12:35:27 GMT

Stuart's Sandsprit Park became the epicenter of Amateur Radio in Martin County on Friday morning with the setup of our stations for Field Day 2018. While we deployed our new 106-foot tower trailer for the first time, several others worked to locate and capture two 70 cm foxes hiding in the foliage around the park. The setup went flawlessly, with many hands making light the work.

Our stations went On-The-Air on Saturday afternoon at 2 PM, joining thousands of others in the largest Amateur Radio event of the year!

A few hours later, a massive smorgasboard of BBQ showed up, and the party was officially in full swing! Combine the sounds of SSB and CW, four kinds of BBQ, and the fellowship of good friends, add you have a recipe for an unforgettable event. Thanks to all who participated!

Pinewood Maker's Faire

Steve Sprayberry — Wed, 09 May 2018 19:00:03 GMT

2018 Stuart Hamfest

Steve Sprayberry — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 13:18:36 GMT

The 2018 edition of the Stuart Hamfest was held on Saturday, March 17th at the Martin County Fairgrounds. We had an absolutely perfect Florida winter day, filled with good food and many Ham Radio friends. Our very special guest this year, Bob Allison WB1GCM, from the ARRL Lab, led a forum on Software Defined Radios (SDR).

An Icom IC-7300, and many other prizes were given away at the event. Visit www.stuarthamfest.com to see if you are a prize winner. If you missed the hamfest this year, next year's Stuart Hamfest is just around the corner!

2017 Stuart Air Show

Steve Sprayberry — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 15:14:10 GMT

The 2017 Stuart Air Show went into the history books as a remarkable event for many reasons!

First, an antenna tower that relocated itself overnight, and then later refused to go up and ate a bunch of coax and rotor cable for breakfast. Once repaired, however, the pileups on 20 meters just wouldn't quit!

If you have never watched an aviation fuel tanker being pulled out of the mud by a tank, complete with a wary and watchful 50-cal turret gunner, you have missed something!

On Sunday, a typical Florida afternoon thunderstorm transformed our small tent into a refuge for a half a dozen unexpected guests, which were forced to learn Morse code, or be evicted!

None of it would have have happened without your help! Well done, to all those who participated!

Click on any of the pics to view a larger image.

73,
Martin County Amateur Radio Association

JOTA Jamboree on the Air -K2BSA 20-21 Oct 2017

Raymond Jaworski — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 01:54:50 GMT

World Scout Calling Frequencies

HF SSB Voice

80 meters — 3.940 MHz and 3.690 MHz where authorized.
40 meters — 7.190 MHz and 7.090 MHz where authorized.
20 meters — 14.290 MHz
17 meters — 18.140 MHz
15 meters — 21.360 MHz
12 meters — 24.960 MHz
10 meters — 28.390 MHz
6 meters — 50.160 MHz

HF CW Morse Code

80 meters — 3.570 MHz
40 meters — 7.030 MHz
20 meters — 14.060 MHz
17 meters — 18.080 MHz
15 meters — 21.140 MHz
12 meters — 24.910 MHz
10 meters — 28.180 MHz
6 meters — 50.160 MHz

The JOTA is not a contest. The idea is not to contact as many stations as possible during the weekend. It is about Scout to Scout conversations to learn about one another and the country where they reside.

All participating groups are asked to send a report of their activities to their National JOTA-JOTI Coordinator (NJC) after the event.

For those of you using Echolink, there are now two conference nodes designated for Scout contacts. You're familiar with *JOTA-365* (node 480809). We also have *JAMBO* (node 832996). For further Scout frequency information including D-STAR, DMR, and IRLP, go to https://www.k2bsa.net/scout-frequencies/

JOTA Newsletter

JOTA-JOTI 2017 Mark Your Calendar — 20 to 22 October

Sign Up Your JOTA-JOTI Station

The World JOTA-JOTI Team has activated the online sign-up system. Review the start up instructions at https://www.k2bsa.net/jota-station-registration/

USA JOTA 2017 Patch

2017 JOTA Patches are available in Scout Shops and online at ScoutStuff. Order number 641467. They also have 2017 JOTI Patches, order number 641466.

World JOTA-JOTI 2017 Badge

The World JOTA-JOTI 2017 badge is available from the World Scout Shops at JOTA-JOTI 2017 Badge. They also have large blanket badges and pins.

JOTA-JOTI Neckerchief Interest

If badges and patches aren't enough for you and your Scouts, you may be interested in a JOTA-JOTI neckerchief. The World Scout Shop has indicated that they would consider producing a neckerchief if sufficient interest exists. If you're interested, please complete the interest form at JOTA-JOTI Neckerchief Interest.

JOTA-JOTI Participant's Guide

The World JOTA-JOTI Team has published a Participant's Guide to help you get on the air and the Internet for the largest Scouting event in the world.

They've also published a brief history of the 60 years of Jamboree on the Air as well as the Top 10 Challenges and Activities in 2016 that might provide ideas for your event this year.

Online Scout Station Scheduling

Many 2016 JOTA station reports suggested they needed an online scheduling tool. It was available but under utilized. You can find it at
http://n8fq.org/sked/index.php?board=jota
Note the URL change from 2016. Thanks go to Dave Edwards, KD2E, and his extra effort to continue this system for 2017. Try it out.

Echolink Conference Nodes

JOTA Station Reports

Icom America has once again this year donated an ID-51A Plus 2 to encourage stations to file their reports after Jamboreee on the Air. Everyone who files a report will have their names entered into the drawing. We'll open up the reporting system on JOTA weekend. For more information on filing your report, see JOTA Station Report Best Practices.

Cub Scout Program Helps — JOTA

The BSA National Radio Scouting Committee has developed an early draft of Cub Scout Program Helps for Jamboree on the Air. See https://www.k2bsa.net/cub-scout-program-helps-jota/ Thanks to Christian Ingerslev, AB2SN for his work on this project.

Boy Scout Troop Meeting Plan — Radio

The National Radio Scouting Committee has also developed a draft Troop Meeting Plan for Radio. You can find it at https://www.k2bsa.net/troop-meeting-plan-radio/ Thanks go once again to Christian Ingerslev, AB2SN.

JOTA Facebook Profile Picture Frame

Update your Facebook Profile Picture with the 2017 BSA Jamboree on the Air patch design. Go to https://www.facebook.com/profilepicframes?query=jota and select the JOTA 2017 Boy Scouts of America picture frame. Thanks to Doug Cook, KX5DC.

K2BSA @ Jamboree

K2BSA had a successful 2017 Jamboree. Thanks to everyone who got on the air and provided QSOs for our Scouts. You can read the full report at K2BSA 2017 Jamboree Report. The highlights include nearly 2,500 Scouts introduced to amateur radio with roughly 1,400 contacts. 200 Scouts tried out ARDF-Foxhunting and 305 earned the Radio Merit Badge. BTW — Slide decks used in the training are available at Jamboree Radio Merit Badge.

Radio Scouting Net

Chris Overbey, WA5DM, hosts a Radio Scouting Net on the second Thursday of every month. 9 PM Central on Echolink *JOTA-365* (480809). Check in and compare notes about your JOTA station and all Radio Scouting topics. We're getting a good turn out of experts, newbies, and everybody inbetween, sharing insights into what works and what doesn't work. Don't miss it.

New JOTA-JOTI Introduction Video

As part of our overall communication efforts, we've produced a short video introducing Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet. It can serve as an excellent introduction for all Scouting audiences, from parents, to unit and district leaders, to planning roundtables. Use it as part of your efforts to line up Scouting events, like district and council camporees, with Jamboree on the Air.

Next Skywarn Class is 20 Jan 2018

Raymond Jaworski — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 01:43:13 GMT

This FREE SKYWARN BASIC SPOTTER class will give you all the information needed to become a registered spotter for the National Weather Service.

Saturday January 20, 2018

10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Anyone interested in weather, Amateur Radio, Aviation, CERT, Red Cross, 1^st Responders, Police, Fire, Mobile Home residents etc. are invited. Bring a friend!

For more information or to sign up please email Ray Jaworski, KI4RHL, Martin County Florida Skywarn Coordinator at autopilot9999@yahoo.com , or call (772) 485-9677. Reservations are recommended.

You can also sign up for this or other local Spotter classes at:

http://www.weather.gov/media/mlb/skywarnclasses.pdf

Training will be held in Room 225, 2nd floor, at the Martin County Emergency Operations Holt Center, 800 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, Florida, 34994. Doors open at 9:30 am for registration.

Hurricane Irma

Steve Sprayberry — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 12:49:32 GMT

Hurricane Irma

Amateur radio operators from Martin County Amateur Radio Association and Martin County ARES/RACES were activated and deployed to shelters and hospitals throughout the county supporting emergency communications for the duration of Irma's visit here. Deployment began at 0800 on Saturday, September 9th, and continued until Monday afternoon.

A very special thanks goes out to all those who deployed, their families, and all those who supported the deployment of the thousands of volunteers throughout Florida!

Stuart EchoLink

Steve Sprayberry — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:06:45 GMT

Thanks to much effort by Eric, W4ELB, EchoLink has returned to Stuart!

Repeater: WX4MC

Location: Adjacent to Martin Hospital South

Frequency: 444.90 MHz

PL Tone: 107.2 Hz
Offset: +5 MHz

Echo Link Station: W4ELB-R

Echo Link Node: 858505

To connect to an EchoLink node thru the WX4MC repeater, use the touch-tone keypad on your radio. While holding down the PTT button, enter the # sign, followed by the desired node number. Then listen for progress messages. To disconnect, enter the # sign twice.

Most smart phones are EchoLink capable with the installation of a simple application.

Issues experienced with EchoLink on the WX4MC repeater should be reported to Eric, W4ELB via email: w4elb@att.net

For more information about EchoLink on the Web, consult www.echolink.org

Happy Birthday W2DRX!

Steve Sprayberry — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 13:04:25 GMT

On Monday, August 7th a group of MCARA and MCARES members joined Bill W2DRX at his QTH to celebrate his 95th birthday! After the singing and the pie and whipped cream, we all checked into the Monday Night Net. We wish you many more Doctor X!!!

ARRL Field Day 2017

Steve Sprayberry — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 18:22:12 GMT

Field Day 2017

MCARA/MCARES members began Field Day preparations on Friday by erecting 8 antennas and two towers, and setting up four radio stations. Then, on Saturday morning, Tom K4TMA fired up the BBQ! And the weekend just kept getting better from there!

The weather was perfect, the radios worked flawlessly, the food was fantastic, and we even made some new friends! We really didn't want to break it all down on Sunday!

Aerial by Mike K4MNJ

Thanks to all who contributed to make possible another great Field Day event!

Pinewood Maker's Faire

Steve Sprayberry — Sat, 27 May 2017 01:06:37 GMT

The second annual Maker's Faire was held on Tuesday afternoon, May 2nd, in the gymnasium at the Pinewood Elementary School in Stuart. MCARA and MCARES members presented several educational activities in an effort to ignite the fires of creativity in those attending, both young and old. Conductive dough was used to teach basic electrical principles, and, when connected to a RaspberryPi-based 12-channel capacitive touch-driven sound synthesizer, to entertain. In addition, a GOTA station served to segue to our favorite hobby, Amateur Radio!

Photos by K4OIL

Stuart Hamfest 2017

Steve Sprayberry — Thu, 04 May 2017 14:19:48 GMT

Thank You MCARA!!

Sincere thanks to all of you that worked to make the 2017 Stuart Hamfest a great success! Not only was the weather perfect, and the food great, the comradery and the deals were outstanding as well!

Congratulations to the following prize winners:

Grand Prize, an Icom IC-7300, was won by Ramon Alicea KJ4UZM
Second Prize, a Kenwood TM-V71A, was won by Erica Simpson KM4WRG
Third Prize, a Yaesu FT-60R, was won by Marc Weiner K4MGW.

New Hobe Sound UHF Repeater N4PSK

Steve Sprayberry — Tue, 02 May 2017 12:24:28 GMT

Stuart Amateur Bob Dye (N4PSK) just put up a new UHF repeater in Hobe Sound!

Bob says “443.900 107.2 It is on the air. I just tested it from Hobe Sound to Tradition's in PSL at Gatlin on a 2W hand held.”

The repeater uses a positive 5 MHz transmit offset, and requires a 107.2 Hz tone.

Bob indicates that the repeater is on private property. All licensed amateurs are welcome to use the repeater. Questions or comments should be directed to Bob via

email: bob (at) n4psk.com

Thanks to Dave N4DWM for reporting and providing the photos!

March for Babies

Steve Sprayberry — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 21:51:20 GMT

Almost a dozen MCARA members came out for the Saturday, April 28, March of Dimes event in Jensen Beach's Riverside Park. Radio Operators were stationed around the course to improve communications for event support personnel. The March raises awareness and funds to improve the care of babies from preconception to annual family walk day.

Left to Right: K4TMA, N4DWM, KV4MS, K4MNJ, KE4MZT, KD4PQQ, K4GMW, K4OIL, W4SPR, KI4OXP. Photo by K4OIL.

Skywarn Net Activated for January 2017 Severe weather

Raymond Jaworski — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:28:13 GMT

5 1/2 Hour Skywarn Net Summary

On the evening of January 22,2017, at the request of National Weather Service- Melbourne Florida, we activated a Martin County Florida Skywarn Spotter Net on the 145.150 repeater. The net started at 8:00PM and lasted through the night until 1:30AM on the 23rd with Net Controllers* changing guard at the top of the hour. While Martin County was spared any major damage, no reports of hail, rain, or wind damage (that met the Spotters guidelines) were reported.

Successfully, we monitored the path of the potentially severe storm in Martin County which impacted the entire state of Florida. The Skywarn Net was prepared to take any reports which could have been relayed to NWS-Melbourne via RF, Echolink,landline, cell phone, Twitter, and Facebook. The Statewide Amateur Radio (SAR) Net was also monitored on UHF 444.150 as well as the Treasure Coast Weather Net (TCWN) on the 146.775 repeater.

Thank you to all that checked in and/or monitored:

WW4RX*

KD4PQQ*

W4SPR

AJ4Q

KM4STV

N4BG

N2IVN

N4BKT

KI4OXP

W4DAS

K4BQP

KJ4CWJ

KI4RHL*

Ray Jaworski KI4RHL

Martin County Florida Skywarn Coordinator

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Steve Sprayberry — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 23:00:06 GMT

Our members operated a station at the Road To Victory Military Museum to commemorate Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Wednesday, December 7th.

There were many commemorative stations on the air from all over the country, including the Battleship Iowa in Los Angeles, the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, and special event station W2W hosted by the Pearl Harbor Commemorative National Electronics Museum in Baltimore.

Thanks to all who participated!

Doug's Great Laptop Deal

Steve Sprayberry — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 02:01:06 GMT

Take advantage of a great laptop deal posted on eBay by our neighbors in Tampa:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151744607899

This site is not affiliated with MCARA, and we do not benefit in any way by your patronage of this site.

Skywarn Training Class- Basic

Raymond Jaworski — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 13:30:00 GMT

National Weather Service (NWS) Melbourne will come to Stuart Fl on Saturday June 11, 2016 to teach and certify anyone that wants to become a Skywarn Spotter. Registration is requested. If you haven't attended a Skywarn class in 2 years please attend to get recertified with the NWS program. Hope to see you there!

2016 Orlando Hamcation

Doug Shields — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 01:35:51 GMT

Wow, what a weekend! The 2016 Orlando Hamcation and the ARRL National Convention are now over. But, what a hamfest it was. This year's Hamcation has to rate at the top of my list of all time favorite hamfests. The only one better might be my first time at Dayton. I am sure I had more fun at this hamfest than any other.

The weekend started early as I went up to Orlando on Thursday to set up the MCARA table. As I was on the floor assembling the support for our sign, I heard a familiar voice of a friend from Canada. He had traveled down to enjoy the beautiful Florida weather and take in the Hamcation. The weather certainly cooperated as it was just as good as it gets all weekend. I saw dozens of my radio friends and barged right up to Doug rehman, K4AC, our division director to invite him to Stuart. I met Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, the new ARRL CEO-elect from West Palm Beach. Of course, I invited him to our hamfest as well. I saw lots of ARRL staff members at the ARRL Expo area.

Friday I left the Hamcation at closing time and headed to the Florida Contest Group dinner. I was among contesting royalty. At least two WRTC world champions were there, and lots of the BIG names in contesting. Ward Silver, N0AX, gave a very interesting talk on the future of contesting. He had a lot of ideas that would revolutionize contesting as we know it. For a contester wannabe like me it was a pretty amazing gathering.

Fortunately for us, the Hamcation organizers mover the prize ticket barrel into our building this year. Everyone that wanted to drop their ticket in the prize barrel had to walk right past our table. There were far more people in the room than I have ever seen. We handed out more flyers, and offered more prize tickets than ever before.

Many thanks to the club members that helped at the table. I think everyone had a good time and again we heard many comments about how people like our hamfest.

So the Stuart Hamfest is less than 5 weeks away. There is lots of work to be done. There are many opportunities to help out. Be sure to be at the next MCARA meeting on Thursday the 25th. There will be stories and reports from Orlando, election of Club Officers and Directors, and a LOT of planning for our hamfest. If you only make one meeting a year, this should be the one. We hope to see you there.

Jupiter Lighthouse - ILLW Report

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 23:47:14 GMT

We had a great time at the Lighthouse this past weekend for the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend as a joint event with the Jupiter Lighthouse Radio Group.

This year we were set up in the Lighthouse Park which is about the same distance from the Lighthouse as the museum location. We had a fair number of Amateur Radio visitors to the station but not as many public visitors as in years past. We did have a chance to get some new hams on the air on HF as well as some regular members and visitors.

A big thanks to our President Ron Schoner, K4OIL for hauling the tower trailer, setup, and providing a second station - also thanks to VP Gary for setup and patience helping us figure out what- and how- to set things up.

Setup and take down:

Joe KI4OXP

Gary K4GMW

Ron K4OIL

Mike KV4MS

We had a lot of showers and thunderstorms - and also a Geomagnetic storm hit as well- making the physical, and aether conditions a challenge. Even with the challenges we were able to rack up over 100 contacts on our operating position- with the JLRG gang doing about the same from their position. Contact modes included digital, CW, and Phone.

Operators:

Joe WI0JMP

Bill N4BKT

Ron K4OIL

Ron KD4PQQ

Kathy KM4MJA

Peggy KM4MIZ

Ron KF4FJP

Anson WU2F

Visitors included Ron McCord and Family (who also just got their Amateur Radio licenses), Joe Pelikan WI0JMP, Dennis Marshall (who has a pending application to join us), ARRL Southern Florida Section Manager Jeff Beals WA4AW, and I'm sure a few others I did not get to meet and greet.

At the end of the event we had a short memorial and final send off for our former Director- Lee, K4LJP from the top of the Lighthouse.

Antenna Restrictions and Making Antennas Fit- by Julian Frost N3JF and John Amodeo NN6JA

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 22:36:58 GMT

Julian Frost N3JF and John Amodeo NN6JA have made a short piece title Antenna Restrictions and Making Antennas Fit. You'll see members of PSL ARA, MCARA, and Jupiter Lighthouse Radio Group in this short story of success, cooperation, and thinking outside the box.

MCARA member Nancy, KK4WCC lives in a community for people aged 55 and older. The home-owner's association banned Nancy from putting up any kind of outside antenna. John Amodeo, producer of the hit TV show "Last Man Standing" (starring Tim Allen, himself a ham radio operator) and Julian traveled to Stuart to see what they could do to make a 39ft long antenna, fit in a 23ft long attic!

What cuts should be used for crystals? What do AT, BT, and GT cuts mean?

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 02:44:57 GMT

Quartz crystals are a natural structure. When plates of Quartz are cut in certain relationships to the crystalline axes, the plates will show the piezoelectric effect.

The crystals have mechanical resonance and will vibrate at a very high natural frequency due to the stiffness with the natural period depending upon the dimensions of the crystal.

Quartz Crystals may be rotated at specific angles for grinding to yield a particular coefficient of frequency. Figure 5 shows the coefficients of frequencies for given angles of cut.

The AT (+35 deg 15') and BT (-49 deg cuts) are used at HF. AT is most used for 500 KHz to 6 MHz. The BT cut is widely used over the same lower range and up to 12 MHz, though the AT cuts is more stable at the lower range than the BT.

For Lower Frequencies, say a 100 KHz standard oscillator, the GT cut is recommended, the the CT and DT cuts are also commonly used. The CT, GT, and DT cut plates are called contour cuts. They oscillate along the long dimension of the plate and are much smaller than a AT or BT plate cut for the same frequency.

2015 Stuart Hamfest Prize Winners

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 01:13:11 GMT

Our thanks to ALL for supporting the Stuart Hamfest again this year. We had an overwhelming turnout and a busy- albeit short- hamfest. This year we sold out of inside vendor space and had several new commercial vendors as well. We had more tailgaters than we could count (literally). The bargains on the club donation table and consignments were flying off the tables... (not literally). :-)

So with no further adieu - here are the winners of the prizes, all purchased by Martin County Amateur Radio Association thanks to a near cost deal from our pals at Gigaparts.com (thanks!)

Grand Prize: Barry Mathison KC8CCH
Second prize: Jack Moyer K4KDI
Third prize: Donald Hartlein N4NOD

Portable SDR Project from Michael Colton

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:45:01 GMT

The Portable Software Defined Radio, or PSDR, is an Open Source, Fully stand-alone HF/Shortwave Software Defined Transceiver which includes a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and Antenna Analyzer as well as a GPS receiver. A rugged portable transceiver designed to be a flexible platform for development, learning aid, and a useful test kit in it's own right.

Check out the video embedded below.

The project is now fully funded on Kickstarter- you can learn more at the Portable SDR Kickstarter pages.

Logic gates AND OR how they work

Mon, 09 Mar 2015 18:29:16 GMT

At a recent meeting we were asked about logic gates AND OR how they work. Here is a simple treatise via Computerphile. http://youtu.be/UvI-AMAtrvE

February Meeting Election Results and Dues Changes

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 14:50:33 GMT

MCARA are pleased to announce our February Meeting Annual Election results as follows:

New President: Ron Schoner K4OIL

VP: Gary Webster K4GMW

Treasurer: Dick Langbert K4MMZ

Secretary: Amy Laakkonen KI4RHM

Board of Directors:

Joe Sawyer KI4OXP,

Eric Boyd W4ELB,

Arnie Dykes KH7GZ,

Lee Pennington II K4LJP,

Bob Kagel KM4DS

We wish to thank our outgoing 2014 staff for their service to the club- Thank You All. Meeting minutes for the Feb 2015 meeting are available in the Members Area under "Meeting Minutes".

Dues and Renewals Changes

Also taken under motion and approved was a call to raise annual dues from 15 dollars to 20 for Regular membership, and 22.50 to 30 dollars for Family Membership levels. This modest increase is our first ever dues increase since 1974. Thanks to all our members for your continued support.

Please be aware if your membership is in renewal status, you may renew at the old rate listed on your invoice. If your membership is now expired, you must renew at the new rates. All new members are using the new rates, this change, along with the change to anniversary renewals for memberships approved in 2014, should make it easier for folks to join us during the busiest parts of the year.

We look forward to seeing you all at the Stuart Hamfest on 21 March, 2015. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Hamfest Chairman, Doug Shields - you do not need to be a member to volunteer to help with the event. We appreciate all our friends pitching in to support our event and keep it free of cost to attendees.

2014 Airshow Photos and Short Videos

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 19:34:48 GMT

K4ZK 2-14 Oct 30 Stuart Airshow
https://plus.google.com/photos/109062455654311685610/albums/6080152628975494385?authkey=CJbWsNiP4JWSygE

K4ZK 10-31 2014

https://plus.google.com/photos/109062455654311685610/albums/6080155971489101905

K4ZK Sunday Nov -02 2014 Stuart Airshow

https://plus.google.com/photos/109062455654311685610/albums/6080157799357692977

From Kevin Jackson W4JKJ

Thanks for putting up the special event station!
Had a great time as always with you guys.
I uploaded my pics to shutterfly. There are a few pics of some of the folks working the radio that you may want to grab.

Best of 73,
de Kevin-W4JKJ

https://2014airshow.shutterfly.com/

2014 Stuart Airshow Video

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 18:19:45 GMT

2014 Airshow Video

2014 Airshow Stuart Florida from MCARA on Vimeo.

Find the video to share on Facebook

Post by Martin County Amateur Radio Association, Stuart, Florida.

Find the video to share on YouTube - 1280 HD

40th Anniversary of the Martin County Anniversary Association at the 2014 Stuart Airshow

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:50:39 GMT

Please Join us as our club celebrates a 40 year anniversary at the 2014 Stuart Air Show in Stuart Florida - you may join us on air with our special event station operating on 10, 15 and 20 meters or come out to the Airshow and join the fun!

Post by Martin County Amateur Radio Association, Stuart, Florida.

Fritzing - Schematic to Breadboard to PCB design- Open Source

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 13:28:51 GMT

So on occasion we are asked "Where is the best place to start learning how to build electronic projects?"

Fritzing - from University of Potsdam, is a nice representation of the real-world process from schematic to breadboard to PCB. Would you be interested in learning the Fritzing way? Have a look and let us know: http://fritzing.org/home/

Amazing Demonstration of Beam Refraction

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 12:17:18 GMT

Explaining how radio beams bend around the Earth for HF communications has always been a bit of a task to convey for me. Radio waves, which are in the same domain as light waves, don't "reflect" - they actually refract, or bend.

One way to see the bending is to place a pencil in a clear measure cup-- you will notice it appear to bend at the water line. Rays of light, and indeed radio waves-- do the same.

What you see is not always what actually happens. The arrow appears to reverse direction- and radio waves can do the same when traversing a medium such as the ether.

This video shows an even more dramatic demonstration of refraction:
)

These visual cues may help you to understand how our ionosphere shapes and bends signals around the globe. Here is some more info on the effect including a better explanation. So the next time you hear a person stating signals reflect off the ionosphere- you have a couple quick and easy ways to show that they refract-- not reflect. The ionosphere is not a mirror. If you would like to learn more about ham radio and how we communicate around the world-- and how you can get a license to do the same. Please feel free to contact our club to find out about a ham radio license class near you.

Severe Weather Week and Statewide Tornado Drill

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 18:18:28 GMT

Monday 2/24 thru Friday 2/28/2014 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Florida. Included will be a statewide tornado drill on Thursday starting at 10:10 and ending at 10:30.

See the NOAA weather site in Melbourne for information. Here is the Tornado Drill Document (PDF).

Post by Martin County Skywarn.

After our local SKYWARN activation on 22 February due to the tornado warning; this comes at a very good time.

73
Ron Tagg KD4PQQ

Pete Lynch, W1MNY Silent Key

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 16:41:56 GMT

Pete Lynch W1MNY- photo courtesy Gus, NU4L

It is with sadness that we announce the death of former MCARA President and member Pete Lynch, W1MNY. Pete was 73 years at the time of his passing on Valentine's day, 2014.

You may read the Obituary and Funeral Arrangements here.

73 OM Pete.

I just uploaded a album of older club photos from Gus, NU4L to the MCARA Facebook page. Can you help ID some faces we may not have seen in awhile? Thanks.

US Postal Service First Day Issue Stamps at Jupiter Lighthouse 17 August

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:00:09 GMT

We just received word that officials from the US Postal Service will have a first day issue stamp available with a special cancellation featuring a Radio Tower and the ILLW initials at the Jupiter Lighthouse International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.

The stamp issuance with special cancellations is scheduled for 1PM local time. A limited number of special Florida Lighthouse Station QSL (post) cards will be available as souvenirs for affixing the stamps if desired. The Jupiter Lighthouse gift shop also has postal cards available.

Best regards or "73"
We hope to see you all there again this year!

Our thanks to the Loxahatchee Historical Society and JTRG

Islands on the Air starts Saturday Evening 27 July at Stuart Beach.

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:49:02 GMT

Details updated July 25th 7:00 AM.

Operating July 27, 8:00 AM - July 28, 08:00 AM
Setup begins at 7:00 AM 27 July.

The IOTA (Islands on the Air) events are a Contest held every last full weekend in July, organized by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). This year is a special event as it marks the RSGB centenary.

The basic objective of the event is to promote public awareness of amateur radio by activating Islands On The Air worldwide. As this is a contest type of event, we will operate in accordance with the event rules as stated on the RSGB web site here.

We plan to set up at the newest pavilion area on Stuart Beach at Pavilion 11 to operate during the contest. We will operate overnight as Stuart Beach is open 24 hours. Stuart Beach is located next to the Elliot Museum on Hutchinson Island. The pavilion 11 is next to the Fire Station.

Pavilion 11 is new- it is not on any map- but if you get to the Stuart Beach, you will find it. Map to Stuart Beach is here: http://www.martin.fl.us/portal/page?_pageid=354,1238847&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL It is listed as "Stuart Beach"

As this is a relatively easy contest- it is a great starting point for newcomers to the art. Please check out the Contesting Newcomers Help Guide.

Classes start this Saturday!

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:09:45 GMT

Classes to get your Technician class FCC license begin July 27, 2013.

Download the Full Info Sheet or look in EVENTS to register now.
Learn how you can assist your community during hurricanes and other disasters as a volunteer Emergency Communicator. This Class can be the gateway to the exciting world of Amateur Radio. Students of all ages are welcome.

On 27 July the Martin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (MC-ARES) and Martin County Amateur Radio Association (MCARA) jointly sponsor free Amateur Radio Licensing classes for the entry level Technician Class FCC License.While the classes are free, it is highly recommend to have a License Study Guide, which is available at the class on a cost donation basis of $25.00, the testing sitting fee, including FCC required costs is $15.00

Introductory Session; explanation of how course will proceed; and schedule of events session is on 27 July from 10am-1pm at 800 SE Monterey Road at the Martin County Public Safety Complex Room 225B, in Stuart Florida.

Also after class, come out and visit us at Stuart Beach where we will be on the air from Hutchinson Island for the Islands On The Air (IOTA) weekend contest- the event starts at 8:00AM - and we operate "contest style" through the night to Sunday morning.

Best regards or "73"

Has Storm Chasing gone too far?

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:37:42 GMT

With so much activity from Tornadoes and the recent deaths of researchers who actually moved into storms- the question arises: Have Storm Chasers gone too far? Many of these "chasers" are not trained- and none of the professional chasers report their observations to the National Weather Service. Often these folks clog the highways and can be an added nuisance in the path of a storm. This is diametrically opposed to NWS trained SKYWARN Spotters, who are trained to observe and report phenomena directly to NWS to help warn and save lives. There is a big difference between watching and reporting to the NWS, versus moving into harm's way. What are your thoughts?

This report from Arkansas explores the question.

Communications Support at March of Dimes March for Babies 27 April

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:57:45 GMT

For many years we have supported the March of Dimes "March for Babies" and are invited again this year to provide support for the event. Due to delays of personnel changes at the March of Dimes, we just received the invitation this morning- short notice- but we would like to help. Members may register to help here.

Renewed interest in our participation comes in the wake of the events at the Boston Marathon- and the role of support played by Amateur Radio. We hope to *never* be needed in an urgent way, but cell phones are generally not in operation immediately after a major event.

If you would like to know more about what happened in Boston and learn how ham radio affected this- have a look at Gary Pearce's interviews with hams who were there- and if you enjoy the videos- please consider supporting Gary's effort to bring HamRadioNow to the world by making a donation.

Also see W3ATB's blog post here

Part 1

Part 2

Hamfest Photo Album

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 02:23:03 GMT

Hey There- Here is a link to the hamfest photo album on Facebook (you don't need a FB account to view them)

Also you should find a slide show from Picasaweb below.

Stuart Hamfest Video- Walkabout, Activities, and Prize Drawing

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:15:32 GMT

We had a blast at the hamfest this year and hope you did too. If you were there or not, we thought you might enjoy this overview walkabout, some friends remembered, Kits for Kids (of all ages), and an angel or two...

Please Like and Share- look for the "Thumbs up" and "Share" icons in the top right corner of the video player- got comments? Click on the "comments" link below. Thanks to all who participated!

2013 Stuart Hamfest Prizes Winners

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 01:28:06 GMT

We are pleased to announce the major prize winners for the 2013 Stuart FREE hamfest. The grand prize ticket was drawn by Carl Hererra of WC4H.com- Thanks to all who came out to the hamfest- we still have Gigabytes of photos and video to sort through- and should post some video and photos of the event soon. Right now we all need REST. :-)

Our Grand Prize Winner seems to be a little shocked that he won this great radio! Congratulations John! John was kind enough to include his phone number on his tickets- he came back to the Fairgrounds to pick up his prize. We won't tell you what he said on the phone when we called... but we suspect he thought we were fooling him. Enjoy that new radio John.

Grand prize: John Leonard, N1JCL, of Hobe Sound, Florida
Second prize: Bill Carrigan, K3DC, of Palm Bay, Florida
Third prize: Lu Vencl, KA4EPS, of Deerfield Beach, Florida

Our thanks to all of you who support our hamfest to make this free event possible! We hope to see you all again next year.

Martin County Amateur Radio Assocation

Electronics Kits building LIVE at the hamfest

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:16:44 GMT

This year at the Stuart Hamfest we have some simple Electronics Kits for Kids of all ages to put together to have a souvenir of the hamfest. The kits are a donation from Nightfire Kits. A three dollar donation to the club is appreciated. Ben, KK4FNW has volunteered to help with the assembly.

Here is the assembly manual in PDF.

Below is the assembly video:

Want to know about the Hamfest? Ask Grumpy!

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:11:36 GMT

Want to know about the Hamfest? Ask Grumpy!

Grumpy Ham says "In My day hamfests were..."

Grumpy Ham Stuart Hamfest On Vimeo

Grumpy on Stuart Hamfest's FaceBook Page- Like and Share please forward this to your friends.

Grumpy on youtube.com (or watch below)

And don't forget to SHARE and post your comments answering... "In my day, hamfests were..."

Check out the video below:

Grumpy Ham tells it like it is! Stuart Hamfest from MCARA on Vimeo.

FREE Stuart Florida Hamfest is coming March 16th 2013!

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 21:55:53 GMT

Here is the Video promoting the Stuart Hamfest. More details on the hamfest at http://www.stuarthamfest.com/ - March 16th starts at 8AM- Tailgaters get in a 7AM. Did I mention it's FREE?

I have the video URL embedded here as it seems that YouTube links in our email system are getting clobbered. We apologize for any email you may have received without a link.

SKYWARN Spotters help weather service anticipate bad storms

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:24:51 GMT

from Sun Sentinel

Note: Martin County has a FREE SKYWARN training class in Indiantown, May 04 2013. You may register online for the free class now.

To predict severe weather, forecasters rely on radar, satellites and computer models. But they also receive help from people gazing out their windows.

Maurice Dake has frequently called the National Weather Service to report strong storms, hail and flooding. Once he relayed a report of a tornado blowing a truck off Interstate 95 in northern Palm Beach County.

"That's a problem in Florida," said Dake, of Lake Worth, a retired electrical engineer. "Tornadoes can occur so quickly and move so quickly that you only have a short period of time to report them."

Dake is one of about 3,000 weather spotters in South Florida, trained to be on the lookout for tornadoes, strong storms and other severe weather. Read story

NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory Video

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:12:21 GMT

This is some amazing video of a solar event from last July. If you were visiting our table at the Hamcation, the fellows at the table to our right were passing out a card with a time lapse image of this and it has a spot of the earth drawn to scale. I can see smudges where several people tried to remove the little dot of earth. This is a "medium" sized flair.

SKYWARN FREE Classes May 04, 2013

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:53:38 GMT

Want to join SKYWARN? Here is your chance to get training for free- you do not need to have a ham radio license to join or help- but it helps.

SKYWARN members, please check your SKYWARN spotter card- are you due for a renewal of your skills? Are you registered in the correct county? Just want to brush up on your skills?

Here is the FREE Class Registration URL http://goo.gl/4q9y0 registration is free to all (members or not), allows us to have proper staffing, and also provides reminders so you remember to join us. See you there!

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEEDS YOU
Weather Watching and MARTIN COUNTY SKYWARN

Free Class

Saturday May 4th

9:45 am-12:00 noon

Family Worship Center, 15285 S.W. Indianmound Drive
Indiantown, FL, 34956 off State Route 710/Beeline Hwy/Warfield Blvd, north on SW Citrus Blvd, left on SW Indianmound Dr., ½ mile on right.

The class is open to the public

Please register for the free class using the "Register" button here http://goo.gl/4q9y0 . Questions? Contact Ron Tagg, kd4pqq@arrl.net, 772-631-5846 (Church Office, 772-597-2423)

This SKYWARN Spotter Training class, taught by a National Weather Service meteorologist, will give you all the info needed to become a registered spotter for the NWS Center-Melbourne.

NWS Website:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/?n=skywarn

See also, Martin County SKYWARN

Family Worship Center Location Map URL:
http://goo.gl/maps/hrAUp or
http://mapq.st/XMTSqq

Why SKYWARN is needed

The National Weather Service uses sophisticated radar and other equipment to provide emergency information to those in the path of severe weather.

But sometimes, nothing beats the information that comes from someone in the middle of it.

Often the NWS centers need trained observers to be their eyes and ears in the field

Typical reports include 

Tornadoes, waterspouts, funnel clouds
Winds that blow down trees, power lines and/or damage buildings
Dime-size hail or larger
Flooding of homes, buildings or major roadways, including direction and distance from a town
Time event occurred
SKYWARN spotters give their spotter number to provide authenticity.

Why spotters?

Radar equipment has limitations:

Curvature of the earth means the radar beam is high above the earth’s surface- at 100 miles details below two thousand feet are limited.
The beam is cone shaped widening as it travels which means it offers less detail at the limits of around 100 miles.

Quick facts

Lightning is the top cause of weather related deaths in Florida with 10 fatalities and 40 injuries on average per year, the highest in the U.S.
Lightning and rainfall are not included in severe thunderstorm criteria, which are winds of 58 mph or greater and/or hail 3/4 inch or larger.
The 10,000 square-mile area that includes Florida has the most tornadoes per year in the nation at a rate of 8.4, most are small but they can still cause damage.
Flooding becomes dangerous due to stranded or flooded autos.

Bob Calvert, K4NBC Memorial 09 March, 2013

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:58:37 GMT

Via JTRG:

"Robert J. Calvert, 59, of Indiantown, Florida who was a legend to those that knew him as “BOB”, died December 14, 2012 in a Highway 710 accident a mile from home.

Bob was born on April 8, 1953 in Cincinnati Ohio. He is survived by his sister Karen Alessio and her husband Joe, niece Amanda Alessio Sauve, and nephew Eric Alessio, all from West Nyack, NY. Bob was the stepson and best friend of Florence Bowen, affectionately known as Micki, of Sunrise, Florida. They, like anyone who was close to Bob, will miss him dearly. After High School he continued his education through various technical training programs and was most proud of his FAA Airframe & Engine Power Plant Certification, giving him the authority to get his Bell (Jet ranger) OH-58-C, purchased from the Charleston County Sheriffs Office airborne.

Bob moved to Florida in 1972 and lived with his father Ronald Calvert and wife Micki at the Sunrise home before relocating to the remote area of Indiantown Florida, where he built a Stilt home and remained until his passing. He loved nature and could be found feeding his favorite pigeons, raccoons, turkeys, deer and bobcats. Bob was known for his enthusiasm for life and addiction to Ham Radio and K4NBC call sign. On the 11 acre homestead Bob built an assortment of dwellings and was most proud of his 300 foot Ham Radio Tower that permitted him to communicate all over the world. Fluent in Spanish, Bob had many followers throughout South and Central America. Bob was full of stories from his time as a freelance Investigative Journalist and professional photographer, developing stories for Hard Copy, Inside Edition, A Current Affair, The National Inquirer and national Broadcasting companies that include ABC, CNN, CBS and NBC. His visual media was shown on Prime Time in the William Kennedy Smith and O.J. Simpson cases. He was an insider with celebrities that include the Kennedy Clan, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds. The list of stories is as long as his trove of film clips is deep, because Bob was at the center of nationally syndicated news events. Bob was always looking for action and found one such opportunity during Desert Storm by covering in-country war events for broadcasters for months.

An expert at electronics, communication systems and photography, Bob was quick to respond to neighbors in times of need. As neighbor Buck puts it, Bob was quick to call for “back up” at the first sign of suspicious activity. He enjoyed his trips to New York, where he spent quality time with family. In September he used his photographic genius to take photos and videos at niece Amanda’s wedding. After touring his childhood neighborhood, taking pictures and videos he could be found climbing a tower for friends and colleagues for one more favorite picture. When it was time to return to Florida he collected an assortment of NY goodies, Pizza, Italian food, bread, and sweets to bring back to his friends.

He was simple Bob to us, with his own peculiarities, and those that knew him realize they broke the mold when our Bob Calvert was born. He was a unique friend that led an amazing and interesting life. Bob documented historical and high profile events that were titillating to the average viewer and we all have our favorites to share at Bob’s Lifetime Memorial Service on property at 23701 SW Cardamine Street in Indiantown, FL 34956-4020 on Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, hosted by his family and friends. Please extend the invite to Bob’s friends and make an RSVP for food and beverage purposes.

RSVP – Gary J. Mc Daniel aka “Bob’s private investigator” at 1-888-579-3639 / 561-845-1414 for directions. To those afar and ca not make the visit – forward your best Bob’s story and condolences, by Email:www.pretext@bellsouth.net/ or to Gary J. Mc Daniel, P.O. Box 14613, North Palm Beach, Florida 33408 and once on your way, call Gary for directions at Mobile 561-718-3830."

Note from Bill, N4BKT: Bob was a MCARA member and though not active with the group in recent years, he was always a friendly and helpful fellow to all- the Amateur Radio fraternity is poorer for his passing. 73 OM- we miss you.

MCARA Activities Survey

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:26:51 GMT

Hi All,

This is a open survey for all interested in our Amateur Radio Club. There are only ten questions so it should be a quick task and should help us better serve the wants and needs of our membership as well as those who may wish to join us moving forward.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

SKYWARN provides crucial storm updates

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 19:04:26 GMT

As the Northeast finishes cleanup from last weekend's blizzard, ham radio volunteers are credited with providing crucial real-time weather updates.

SKYWARN, a cooperative venture of ham operators and the National Weather Service, was activated for the February 8th and 9th storm that left up to three feet of snow across Connecticut and brought the state to a standstill.

While media outlets were broadcasting blizzard warnings, SKYWARN hams were reporting local snowfall, temperature and wind conditions in all eight Connecticut counties, says Steve Williams, district emergency coordinator for SKYWARN.

"All information received was passed on to the three National Weather Service offices that cover Connecticut. At least two of the forecast offices had amateur radio stations operational," he said.

Find out about Martin County SKYWARN here.

NS40 Kit, Hamfest, Ham Radio Deluxe, and more on Amateur Logic TV Episode 50

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:19:34 GMT

Episode 50 of AmateurLogic TV with Tommy, Peter, and George. Peter builds the NS-40 40-Meter QRP Transmitter Kit. George and Tommy visit friends and find new toys at the 2013 Capital City Hamfest. Emile talks about Ham Radio Deluxe and Automating routine tasks. We run into someone you may remember and much more.

Today is World Radio Day

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:07:08 GMT

13 February is World Radio Day -- a day to celebrate radio as a medium; to improve international cooperation between broadcasters; and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to information and freedom of expression over the airwaves.

As radio continues to evolve in the digital age, it remains the medium that reaches the widest audience worldwide. This multi-purpose medium can help people, including youth, to engage in discussions on topics that affect them. It can save lives during natural or human-made disasters; and it provides journalists with a platform to report facts and tell their stories.

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/world-radio-day/

Orlando Hamfest 2013 Photos

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 01:57:37 GMT

Photos report from 2013 "Hamcation" the largest Florida Hamfest- Saturday only

Thanks to Amy KI4RHM for shooting many of these photos for us. Got photo's to share? Let us know please!

Orlando Hamcation 2013 Saturday

1930 QSL card finds home after 83 years

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:57:30 GMT

A QSL card from 1930 finds it's call holder after 83 years at Orlando Hamcation today thanks to MCARA and Stuart Hamfest

Can you "Like" us on Facebook too?

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.563796056972858.132231.458024030883395&type=1&l=4ba0bdc7e8

The Secret Life of William Hopkins AA2YV

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 03:36:12 GMT

William Hopkins AA2YV of Nazareth College talks about his "Secret Life" and the History of Amateur Radio- thanks to Rochester Amateur Radio Association for the heads up on this- and many thanks to Bill Hopkins for all he does for the hobby of Amateur Radio- people like Bill are a big part of what makes the hobby so enjoyable. Become a Ham- you'll be in good company.

Ham Radio mentioned in Television Ad- funny.

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:51:42 GMT

Funny ad from VELVEETA talks about that guy with a ham radio in his basement who talks to China... etc. Not exactly Flattering, but I guess as long as they are talking- it's all good. What do you think of it?

That Ham Radio Guy from eric baldwin on Vimeo.

Eric W4ELB, Ben N4BG, and Bill N4BKT visit the K4ZK repeater site for a check and a quick survey for improvements

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:19:48 GMT

Some forgotten video found- sorry about the wind noise. Eric W4ELB, Ben N4BG, and Bill N4BKT visit the K4ZK repeater site for a check and a quick survey for improvements on 14 December, 2012

K4ZK-Site-Visit from MCARA on Vimeo.

Miami Hamfest 2013 Video

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 04:54:53 GMT

Excited to report we just got back from the Miami Hamfest. Great weather and a beautiful day. Worked some DX from the mobile both ways on HF and Amy (KI4RHL) and I had a fun day.

We got a chance to walk around on Friday and chat with some of the vendors in anticipation of the Hamcation and of course our upcoming hamfest on 16 March. A hamfest on Superbowl weekend is always a tough competition- I suspect that might explain the decision to not be open on Sunday.

So if you have the time- go visit on Saturday and support the hamfest- admission tickets are $12 each.

PSK31 Demo Recording from July 2012 Meeting

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:03:50 GMT

Hi All,

PSK31 Demo- To complement the Digital Resources Page, here is the July 2012 presentation by Joe Burnham WD4KAV posted to YouTube. The July meeting had a simultaneous demo of PSK by Joe and a on-air demo of JT65 by Doug Shields W4DAS.

Many thanks to Joe for his "Introduction to PSK31 and Digipan 2.0" video below.

How to renew membership- Video

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:23:30 GMT

How to renew online - even if you already paid dues in person or by check- you will need to do this to create a membership renewal invoice for us to mark "paid". If you wish to pay using PayPal or credit/debit card- you may choose to do so after the invoice is created. Please change the Quality to 720 (click on the gear) and watch full screen to see detail.

I hope you find this much easier than expected. I look forward to your feedback.

Fort Myers Hamfest 2013 Photos

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:31:13 GMT

Here are a few photos shot at the Fort Myers Hamfest. The venue was a new one for the Fort Myers Club and they did a GREAT job with a very good turnout. I hope to see them at this venue next year. I won a prize at the hamfest- an Audio amplifier kit from NightFire Electronics.

It was good to see so many friends at the hamfest in Fort Myers, Florida. Don't forget the Stuart Hamfest is coming soon on 16 March, 2013. First Prize at our hamfest is the Kenwood TS-480SAT and the hamfest is still FREE admission, FREE, tailgating, FREE parking. See you there!

Here is the album on Google Plus Tip: if you want to see the album in Full Screen mode (like we had on Picasaweb), press F11 to toggle Fullscreen- press it again to return to normal mode.

January Meeting

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:04:58 GMT

Our next meeting is January 24th, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00 PM at our regular meeting place, 1895 SE Flying Fortress Lane, Stuart, FL 34996. Map here

Got Questions? Call us at 772-324-3078

Among the topics will be the new combined MCARA/ARES net, the coming Stuarthamfest.com event and of course, this new web site.

Dec 24 and Dec 31 2012 MCARA Nets cancelled- new schedule for January

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:45:21 GMT

Hi All,

It is decided to cancel the regular Monday Night MCARA nets for Monday 24, December and 31 December 2012 as both are major holidays. While there is not an official net going on at those dates and times, you are more than welcome to give a call on the 147.060 MHz repeater and have a rag chew. Tone is 107.2 Hz

After the first of the year, we will be switching to an experimental format for the Monday nets- combined with the ARES net with all Mondays of January on the 145.150 ARES repeater except the last Monday will be held the MCARA repeater.

Jan 07, 14, and 21 will be on the 145.150 MHz ARES repeater- Jan 28 will be on the MCARA repeater on 147.060 MHz.

Our next meeting is 24 Jan so we will not have had a full rotation by then. We should all have some feedback on this by the February 2013 meeting.

Christmas Holiday Party

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 23:40:48 GMT

Hi All,

The Christmas Holiday party was a great success- we had 24 members present and a great time was had by all. I forgot to bring my camera, but snapped a few shots with the phone. Thanks to all who came and to Pirate's Loft for the venue. Click the "login" link above to log in as a member. This is a link to the photo album available after login to members only. As a side note, each member may post his or her own photos in album linked to their profile- at the moment all member albums are visible only among our web site members.

Bill

Meeting Minutes for November Posted in Members only area.

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 17:30:00 GMT

Meeting Minutes for November 2012 Posted in Members only area.

Tower is moved to Ron's house now.

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 16:36:07 GMT

Thanks to all who helped move the tower onto the trailer to transport the tower to Ron Tagg's house on Saturday 17 November. We're now ready to start the refurbishing of the tower and consider details on mounting it to the trailer.

June 2012 Meeting Minutes Uploaded

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:21:31 GMT

June 2012 Meeting Minutes Uploaded to members only area

2012 Field Day Video

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:25:54 GMT

2012 Stuart, FL Field Day Video

Here is a short video of our 2012 Ham Radio Field Day in Stuart Florida. Clips from Saturday and Sunday Morning.

Stuart Florida ARRL Field-Day 2012 from MCARA, K4ZK on Vimeo.

May 2012 Meeting Minutes Uploaded

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:19:44 GMT

May 2012 Meeting Minutes Uploaded to members only area.

Report on Signal Corps 150th Special Event Station

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:15:24 GMT

Based on what I could read from the sign-in sheet we had about 22 folks visit our Club's Special Event Station "K4ZK Camp Murphy" last weekend at Hobe Mountain, J. Dickinson State Park, Hobe Sound FL. (Members list subscribers should receive a copy of the list). Here is a slide show below.

It really was a great time despite the summer weather challenges and at least 22 folks dropped in with about another 20 passing by our field station on the way to the observation tower. The set up and take down crew did an awesome job despite the heat and terrain. A tally of actual radio contacts is being pulled together and the bands did finally open up on Sunday.

A special"Thanks" go out to Bill N4BKT for the idea, pulling everything together equipment wise, for the use of his motor home and gear, and especially for the press releases and PR promotions. His hard work and dedication to your club was noticed and appreciated.>> Nice Job Bill!

MCARA Newcomer Eric (KJ4TPZ) is now "certified" and passed the "How to launch a tree top dipole" course and John (KE4JB)gets a big "Bravo" for his Buddy Pole efforts. Thanks guys.

Regards,
73 KI4RHL

Ray Jaworski

PS. See you all at Field Day, at Sandsprit Park, Stuart on the 26th and 27th. of June. Please "Be Prepared" for some fun, get on the air, and bring a friend. Visit the ARRL or the MCARA website for details.