If you would like to be put in touch with a mentor then click here.
Experimentation
W4FSV
Breadboard Radio – Ham Radio Kits that are easy to build and fun to use!
KM4ACK
Build-a-Pi will allow you to get up and running fast with a Raspberry Pi for ham radio.
ARRL Special Service Club Award
Congratulations! The SSC status has been approved for the Columbia Amateur Radio Club, W4CAE.
Thank you for being so supportive of amateur radio.
Sincerely,
Mike Walters, W8ZY
Field Services Manager
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®
Columbia Amateur Radio Club is now a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador!
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.
Announcement: Columbia Amateur Radio Club Swapfest – April 26, 2025
$10 per Seller / Vendor
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.
- Event Type: Regular Hamfest
- ARRL Section: SC
- ARRL Division: RK
- Talk-In Frequency: 147.330 + PL 156.7Hz
- Website: www.w4cae.com
Get Ready for the ARRL Digital Contest: A Celebration of Digital Communication in Amateur Radio
ARRL Digital Contest
June 7-8 2025
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.
(more…)Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/digital-messaging-for-technicians/
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/november-operating-day/
Net Control Manager program
The Sunday night net was logged into a program called Net Control Manager and here is the “mapping” feature. A logging program like this could be used for ARES exercises or special events.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/net-control-manager-program/
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/simplex-net/
When to self ID
Riley Hollingsworth is the ARRL guy managing the Volunteer Monitor program and he has cleared up a few things about when you must self ID.
You must self ID once every 10 minutes if:
- You are using your own callsign
- You are using a club callsign, like W4CAE or K4EMD
- You are using a special event tactical callsign, like the ones we use for Harbison 50K or Tour De Cure
- You are using an ARES/Auxcomm tactical callsign, Like LEX EOC or State EOC
Of course you will self ID sooner if the event coordinator directs you to. In some events you might be asked to self ID on every transmission you make. An example would be “Net Control LEX EOC message body goes here K4LLE“
You must self ID every 60 minutes if:
1 You are using an FCC issued 1×1 special event callsign. An Example is K2L. It is also suggested that you instead of every 60 minutes you self ID every 30 minutes just to be on the safe side. You should always follow the direction of the event coordinator.
FCC article on FCC issued 1×1 callsign, CLICK
There is no need to say “for ID” just say your callsign
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Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/when-to-self-id/
New FCC RF safety rules for ham radio – May 3 2021
N2RJ does a great job of explaining this for us.
Highlights:
- Before May 3 2021 anything transmitting less then 100 watts was exempt from doing an RF Exposure checklist.
- After May 3 2021 everything, even QRP transmitters needs to have an RF Exposure checklist done and kept on file at your QTH.
- RF exposure is about safety more then RF interference (RFI). If you are running an amplifier and the antenna is on a tripod next to your chair, you really need to think about what all that RF energy is doing to your eyeballs… No kidding.
- For stations already in place, that evaluation must be completed by May 3, 2023. After May 3 of this year, any new station, or any existing station modified in a way that’s likely to change its RFE profile — such as different antenna or placement or greater power — will need to conduct an evaluation by the date of activation or change.
- The CARC has operators with plenty of experience on doing an RF Exposure checklist so don’t get concerned if some of this looks difficult. Attend our Sunday night net at 8:30p and ask net control for help, someone will contact you and take you through it. All you really need is a tape measure.
- ARRL RF safety page, just click here.
Click on the video for the full story.
ARRL video on RF Exposure Rules..
http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm
Shows compliance at a given distance
Lake Washington Ham Club and Wayne N6NB
http://www.lakewashingtonhamclub.org/resources/rf-exposure-calculator/
Shows distance to compliance
Ham Radio School Excel Sheet (save XLS file)
https://hamradioschool.com/rf-exposure-calculator/
Show MPE and compliance for a given distance
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/new-fcc-rf-safety-rules-for-ham-radio-may-3-2021/
AREDN-MESH Networking by Wayne N1CLV
New presentation added from our April 2021 club meeting.
Located on the presentation menu tab or click the pic
This video is on Google Drive and as such will NOT play if you have cookies blocked on your web browser. You can download it or allow all cookies and play the video, just remember to block cookies again if that is what you want to do.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/aredn-mesh-networking-by-wayne-n1clv/