Welcome to the October edition of the CLARA Current. Our swap fest is next week. Note that there will NOT be a Zoom component to this meeting, as the swap fest is not conducive to any sort of Zoom presentation.
From Bob KØNR
RADIO TREK!
We are going to do another “get out and operate” activity for the Oct 11th Ham Help Workshop, which we call the Radio Trek event. Teams of 2 (or more) people drive to 3 Checkpoints and perform tasks that demonstrate basic radio skills and knowledge.
Oh, and teams are required to have a lot of fun along the way.
Everyone starts at the same location (Buena Vista River Park, near the Midland Hill Trailhead), where teams will be given instructions to drive the course. At each Checkpoint, teams use basic radio skills on the 2m and 70 cm bands. We will also test your knowledge of Technician level exam questions, and maybe a few more difficult ones.
The Net Control Station will be at the start/stop location to interact with the teams on 2m FM simplex. This is a friendly competition with scoring based on Checkpoints visited and the successful completion of tasks.
The Radio Trek will start at 1 PM and probably go for 2 hours or so.
Frequencies Used
The main frequency will be 146.58 MHz simplex
Other 2m or 70 cm frequencies may be used but will not be pre-announced.
The W0LSD repeater will also be monitored as a backup.
(146.745 MHz, – offset, 100 Hz tone).
Net Control Station (NCS)
The NCS (WØCLA club callsign) will be at the Start/Finish Point.
The NCS will generally operate on 146.58 MHz.
The NCS will also monitor the W0LSD repeater as a backup only.
Skills Required
Operate a 2m/70 cm FM transceiver
Setup a 2m/70cm FM transceiver on a specified simplex frequency (not preprogrammed into the radio)
Use a GPS receiver or smartphone app to find a location
Use Standard ITU phonetics
Have knowledge of FCC exam content (mainly Technician level)
Ability to look up 2m/70cm repeater information on the internet
Participant Preparation
To complete the event, your team must visit all three Checkpoints in the order assigned and return to the Start/Finish Location. Along the way, you will earn points by completing tasks.
We recommend that a team consist of two or more people, and one of them must have a ham radio license. However, if you want to be a Team of 1, that is also allowed.
A team must have a vehicle that can drive on highways and improved forest service roads, roughly 40 miles total.
Bring a radio (or two) that can operate on 2m and 70 cm FM
Bring a manual if you are unfamiliar with the radio
A mobile radio is preferred but a handheld transceiver is OK
Consider bringing an external mag mount antenna for a handheld radio
A bigger signal is better
Bring a GPS receiver OR a smartphone app capable of navigating to a specific latitude/longitude.
Bring maps, printed or electronic, for the Arkansas Valley, roughly 25 miles in any direction from BV. Something like Google maps will be sufficient
You may use a smartphone app or other device to look up information during the Radio Trek
At least one team member must be able to walk a short distance (a few hundred feet)
How Does this Work?
Each Team will be given unique instructions and a worksheet to write down their responses. These responses will be answers to questions, information captured at a Checkpoint, etc.
Bring a pen or pencil.
Do not say your answer over the air, to avoid having another team benefit from it.
All tasks (answering questions, etc.) must be completed while stopped at a Checkpoint, not while driving.
Some of the questions asked will be from the FCC exam question pool but they will be modified somewhat to confuse the participant.
You can always ask the Net Control Station (NCS) for help and advice, but the NCS may or may not provide it.
Take your time and be safe. Time is not a factor in this event.
All teams return to the Start/Finish point at the end of the course, where we will score the competition and have lots of fun!
Please let Bob K0NR know if you plan to participate and who else is on your team no later than Oct 10th bob@k0nr.com 719 659-3727.
From Rick WA6NUT
October Swapfest!
Tuesday, October 14th, 2025
Social: 6 pm, Meeting: 7 pm
Casa del Rio Clubhouse
27665 CR 313 #24 in BV
You won’t want to miss the CLARA Swapfest October 14th! You’ll have the opportunity to:
Upgrade your station – you’re sure to find affordable gear – whether you’re looking for an HF transceiver, HF linear amplifier, antenna tuner – or other gear – you’ll find it at a budget price!
Sell equipment you no longer need – and provide another member with gear they need
We’ll have a free drawing for several pieces of great ham gear, as well as a table with free gear for the taking. Donated gear will be available to CLARA members at a special discount. Certain donated items will be sold by silent auction, with bids subject to a minimum amount.
Even if you aren’t buying or selling, please stop by! You never know when a piece of gear will spark a memory !
Tables will be set up in the clubhouse. Access to AC power in the clubhouse is limited. Only gear for amateur radio use will be offered for sale. Gear capable of transmitting will be sold only to licensed radio amateurs, or to those currently enrolled in a licensing course. Sellers must remove unsold items from the clubhouse immediately after the Swapfest. CLARA assumes no responsibility for the operating condition of gear offered for sale.
Don’t miss the CLARA Swapfest! Social hour and setup starts at 6:00 PM, Swapfest begins at 7:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served.
NO ZOOM MEETING THIS MONTH.
From Doug KØILO
Secretary Report
Brian called the Zoom meeting to order at 7:00 pm. All members of the board were present. Our first item of discussion was about a survey of club members. Various items to be included were discussed and Bob shared the results of a much larger club survey.
After a lengthy discussion, Doug and Bob volunteered to work on a survey and bring it back to the board. This will help us focus on the type of content and activities that the membership wants. We then discussed the October club meeting which will be a swap meet. The discussion included how to price the items that have been donated to the club. Board members agreed that we want club members to purchase and use the equipment. The goal is to sell most of the donated equipment, with some of the donated equipment being used in the Go-Box and for other club activities.
The next item discussed was purchasing club insurance through the ARRL. At the conclusion of the discussion the Board voted to purchase the insurance. The discussion then moved to the Monarch repeater. Brian is taking it to Norm who will tune/align it and it will be reinstalled as soon as possible.
Our last item was the report from the Ecomm Committee. Bob shared the report and asked for input. After a discussion the board voted to accept the report as submitted and thanks Mike and the committee for their hard work and to continue on the plan they submitted. More to come on that in the new year.
The meeting adjourned at 8:26 pm.
From Jim KDØMRC
Fianace Report
We have $738.50 in checking and $378.71 in PayPal for a total of $1117.21. We had no expenses and no income this month.
If you haven’t paid dues, please consider it! You can pay dues on our website, or you can bring them to a meeting or other activity and give them to a board member. Paying dues allows you to vote on CLARA business and also allows you access to any equipment that the club owns. Need to borrow an HF rig for a POTA activation? Just ask!
Thanks to everyone for being a part of CLARA and for supporting amateur radio here in the valley. See you at the swap fest next week! -KF5WCW