The Columbia Amateur Radio Club is now a Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) Ambassador.
The Columbia Amateur Radio Club is excited to collaborate with NOAA/NWS to help strengthen our nation’s readiness against extreme weather, water, and climate events. If you would like more information, please visit the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Frequently Asked Questions. And if you need any additional information, email WRN anytime at [email protected]. You can also find WRN on X (previously Twitter) @WRNAmbassadors.
The Columbia Amateur Radio Club (CARC) is thrilled to invite amateur radio enthusiasts, hobbyists, and collectors to our Annual Swapfest in beautiful Columbia, South Carolina! This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, offering a fantastic opportunity to buy, sell, and trade amateur radio gear, meet fellow hams, and participate in the vibrant community of amateur radio operators. Please note the traffic pattern in the image above, and note that the parking lot is divided into two sections: visitors and sellers/vendors. The event will open to the public at 8:00 am, and the club set up is from 7:00 am to 8:00 am. THIS IS A GUIDED EVENT. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PARKING LOT.
Event Details:
Event Name: Columbia Amateur Radio Club Swapfest
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: North Trenholm Baptist Church, 6515 N. Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC
Admission: FREE. See the Important Information section for vendor/seller details.
Amateur radio operators, enthusiasts, and tech lovers, it’s time to mark your calendars for the ARRL Digital Contest, an exciting event hosted by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). Whether you’re a seasoned digital mode operator or a newcomer eager to dive into digital communications, this contest offers a unique opportunity to showcase your skills, connect with operators worldwide, and earn recognition in the ham radio community.
What Is the ARRL Digital Contest?
The ARRL Digital Contest is an annual competition designed to encourage the use of digital modes in amateur radio. Digital communication methods, including popular modes like FT8, PSK31, RTTY, and more, have become vital in ham radio. They allow operators to make contacts with minimal power, even under challenging propagation conditions, and the contest provides a platform for enthusiasts to challenge themselves and improve their digital mode proficiency.
Participants in the contest are tasked with making as many valid contacts as possible with other operators using digital modes, which can include short-range local exchanges and long-distance contacts across continents. The event is a great way to engage with a global community, exchange QSO information, and compete for awards and recognition.
Happy weekend everybody! Monday night Club meeting topic will be QRP radios and testing antennas with WSPR. Also, other club business includes nominations for November board elections, October 8th Swap Fest, and more!
Below is Zoom information if you cant make the meeting in person!
We wanted to send a quick update on the Spotter Program at our office!
For those of you who have not taken the spotter training in a while and feel you may have forgotten some of the aspects of the training, we have uploaded a video to our YouTube page which serves as a shorter refresher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVF3_8nRkP4&t=7s
We have created a new private Facebook Group (NWS Columbia SKYWARN) for NWS Columbia Spotters to submit reports! In the coming days, we will send out invites to the email list that we have so be on the lookout for it! We hope that this will enable us to quickly receive trustworthy reports from the NWS Columbia Spotter community.
Thank you for all that you do! If there are any questions, please reach out to me, Chris Landolfi ([email protected])
-Chris
NOAA – National Weather Service
Columbia, SC Weather Forecast Office 2909 Aviation Way
West Columbia, SC 29170-2102 Phone: (803) 822-8135 Web: weather.gov/cae
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/nws-columbia-spotter-program-update%ef%bf%bc/
The September monthly meeting will be held on September 12th (Not the 5th) due to the 5th falling on Labor Day. We will meet at ETV at the usual time and will provide Zoom information the weekend prior to the meeting.
Also, don’t forget about Dinner before Meeting, where those who would like to have dinner prior to the club meeting will meet at California Dreaming at 5: pm.
Meeting topic: QRP Radios and testing antennas with WSPR.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/columbia-amateur-radio-club-september-meeting/
September training and testing are now being planned and organized. If you are interested in becoming a licensed HAM, upgrading your current license, or even would like to assist with the class training sessions, send an email to [email protected] to place your name on the class schedule.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/carc-september-training-and-testing/
Greetings everyone! We will meet in person at the ETV building and encourage all to join us there. In case you can’t make the meeting below is Zoom meeting information for Monday.
