“Did you know your smartphone can double as a powerful handheld transceiver? Whether you’re away from your shack or out of range of a local repeater, the AllStar Link network keeps you connected. This guide walks you through the essential steps to get your mobile device configured for AllStar—from obtaining your mandatory FCC documentation to…
Here is a list of our upcoming events email with expanded details.
Saturday, September 26th – Lunch & Learn: We’re hosting a hands-on technical workshop featuring the new ARRL VE Testing Tablet system, demonstrations of the NanoVNA and TinySA for antenna and radio testing, and radio programming assistance. Multiple stations will be set up so members can rotate through and learn at their own pace. Mentors are encouraged to join us in guiding newer hams and those seeking to expand their technical skills. Lunch will be provided, and the day will be filled with learning, eating, and fellowship.
October 5th – Columbia Amateur Radio Club Meeting: This meeting will focus on planning for our upcoming November Club Elections, Christmas Party, Winter Field Day, and other seasonal activities. We’ll also share updates on club projects, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming training sessions. Members are encouraged to attend to stay informed and help shape the direction of our events.
October 24th – Fall Swap Fest, Held at Potter Community Park in Elgin, SC, is perfect for buying, selling, and trading amateur radio gear. Whether you’re looking for radios, antennas, test equipment, accessories, or unique finds, the Swap Fest is a great opportunity to connect with fellow hams and discover new equipment. Bring your own items to sell or simply come browse and enjoy the day.
December 7th – Columbia Amateur Radio Club Christmas Gathering: We’ll be celebrating the holiday season at Little Pigs BBQ on Alpine Road in Columbia, SC. This annual gathering is a chance to enjoy great food, fellowship, and fun with club members and families. More details on menu options, activities, and gift exchanges will be shared as we get closer.
January 16th, 2027 – Harbison 50K: The club will once again support this major trail running event. Volunteer roles may include radio communications, checkpoint support, and safety monitoring. More details will be shared soon, and we encourage members to participate in this important community service opportunity.
January 23rd, 2027 – Winter Field Day: Plans are well underway for the 2027 event. This year’s event will include expanded operating positions, improved shelter setups, and additional training opportunities. Members who wish to camp with us should make their reservations now, as spots fill quickly. This is one of our most enjoyable operating events of the year, combining radio, camping, and camaraderie.
More details for all events will be posted at w4cae.com, Facebook, Club Calendar and discussed at club meetings and gatherings. Planning meetings will also be added to the club calendar. We encourage all members to join in, stay informed, and get their questions answered.
Greetings all! April meeting will feature Richard KQ4AMK presenting alternative power solutions highlighting Off-Grid Power and Communications for hams, this should be a very informative presentation. Do you have something you like to share/demonstrate, bring it! Let’s see what you are working on.
Topics are but are not limited to:
Types of emergencies.- Examples
Preparedness – List to pass out. ON-GRID / OFF-GRID
Food, water, power, meds, heat, communications, cooking, first aid …etc.
Emergency Solar Generators
Water Purification
Emergency Radio- Weather / News
Security
Emergency Communications: The Internet is out and cell phones do not work. THEN WHAT?
Meeting ID: 827 2154 3512 Passcode: 326310 One tap mobile +13092053325,,82721543512#,,,,*326310# US +13126266799,,82721543512#,,,,*326310# US (Chicago)
Want a program to display tons of Amateur Radio-related information? Many believe the only way to have a Geochron-like display is to install Linux on a dedicated system such as a Raspberry PI or a compatible PC or Laptop. Well, you can do that and have a reliable system displaying this beautiful screen on a large TV monitor. But, what if you don’t have a Raspberry Pi or spare PC? You can run the application in a little-known Linux sub-system environment in Windows.
March Ham and Eggs will feature Parks on the Air (POTA). So, what is POTA? POTA (Parks on The Air) is a part of Ham Radio that is growing in popularity. It starts when a Ham Radio operator travels to a National, State, or County Park listed on the POTA website. The Ham Radio Operator sets up their equipment and tries to make radio contact with other Ham Radio operators. There are many ways to communicate but the most common modes are SSB (talking on the radio), digital modes, i.e. FT8, and CW (like morse code). During this presentation we will cover:
Getting Started with POTA
Getting Started for Hunters
Getting Started for Activators
and Awards
At the conclusion of Ham and Eggs join Micheal KF4W, Tedd K4TLC, and Jim W4JLP at Sesquicentennial State Park for a demonstration of POTA activation using SSB and Digital modes. Did I mention, lunch? We will be grilling hamburgers with baked beans and mac ‘n cheese.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When you arrive at the gate, inform the gate personnel you are visiting the POTA event. Please make sure you give them your name and call sign if you have one. The POTA event is at Picnic table 3 which is near the boat house.
Open picnic table 3 with plenty of parking for those who want to set up their go-box/mobile for POTA.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/march-ham-and-eggs-parks-on-the-air/
Greetings all, this month our main presentation will be Bill, W4FSV, taking us through the history and theories of Tubes in Amateur Radio. This will be a fantastic presentation, join us if you can.
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 the Zoom meeting information for Monday.
Line-of-Sight provides radio path information for mapping long-distance SCADA radio communications by using antenna height and topography. Though this tool is designed for cellular service, it has great potential in the ham community. For example, I live in Lugoff and have sporadic issues reaching the club repeater 147.330. I feel certain that my antenna is the problem, either the coax feeding the antenna or its placement.
After checking the coax and antenna, I found using the Rf Line-of-Sight tool there is possibly an elevation increase in my line-of-sight to the repeater of 5 meters; which could cause issues with reaching the repeater.
Using this finding, my next step is to increase my antenna height to obtain a clear line of sight.
