Back in Business

Posted on August 27, 2022 by w5tcb

Big thanks to Wayne (WA5LUY) and his helpers KG5QYM, W5LVB, and W5TCB for getting the 147.18 repeater back on the air!

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SOTA! SOTA! SOTA!

Posted on August 2, 2022 by w5tcb

The Spa Club will hold its regular monthly meeting, Tuesday, August 9th at 6pm at the Garland County Department of Emergency Management, 401 Mid America Blvd at 18:00 hrs (Local Time). All are welcome regardless of license or club status.

Our guest speaker will be Bruce Plantz – K9OZ from Little Rock.

Bruce is active in the Summits On the Air Program with 215+ activations and over 45 summits activated here in Arkansas.

Bruce has been giving presentations to area clubs on SOTA in Arkansas. His presentation is designed to take the mystery out of SOTA and give people an idea of the summits in their area and what it would take to activate them. He has presented to CAREN in Little Rock, the STARS group in Benton and the Faulkner County club in Conway. We are pleased to welcome him to Hot Springs and the SPA Amateur Radio Association.

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YEP! Still HOT! Step Inside For A Break!

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Robert King

The Spa Club will hold its July meeting TOMORROW NIGHT, July 12 at 6pm.

We will discuss our recent Field Day operations and possible future events/programs/training.

Garland County Department of Emergency Management – 401 Mid America Blvd. – 18:00

All are welcome regardless of license or club status.

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2022 Field Day

Posted on June 22, 2022 by w5tcb

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular Amateur Radio on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.

On the fourth FULL weekend of June of each year, more than 35,000 radio amateurs (HAMS) gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public.

SPA Amateur Radio Association will be participating in Field Day 2022 from the Garland County Department of Emergency Management, 401 Mid America Blvd. If you will be in the Hot Springs area, join us! We’re planning a multi-transmitter setup on HF with opportunities for visitors to Get On The Air.

Operating hours will be Saturday, June 25th from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (approximately).

TALK-IN Frequency will be the W5LVB Repeater, 146.880(-) 114.8 CTCSS.

Setup will begin around 08:00. We will be utilizing the Garland County Emergency Communications Trailer, Inflatable Mast and other provided personal equipment. We will have at least (2) operating HF voice stations, as well as an FT-8 Digital station.

We have invited ALL Local Government officials, as well as the local media. Looking forward to a great event. Hope to see you there!

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The Final Countdown

Posted on June 13, 2022 by w5tcb

The Spa club will hold its June club meeting on June 14 at 6pm. We are in the final countdown to Field Day and will be discussing related information.

June 14, 2022
Garland County Department of Emergency Management
401 Mid America Blvd.
18:00 hrs

All are welcome regardless of license or club status.

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The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Posted on May 17, 2022 by w5tcb

Notice anything unusual about this antenna? The 147.180 repeater will be out of service until further notice due to apparent lightning damage to the antenna, repeater, and controller. Updated information will be provided when available.

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‘Twas the Month Before Field Day

Posted on May 9, 2022 by w5tcb

The Spa club will hold its May club meeting on May 10 at 6pm. It is time to get stirring on our preps for Field Day. With the solar index increasing, some may even be having visions of rare DX. Regardless, it is time to spring into action and get prepared!

May 10, 2022
Garland County Department of Emergency Management
401 Mid America Blvd.
18:00 hrs

All are welcome regardless of license or club status.

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April Showers Bring May Flowers (and Skywarn Nets)

Posted on April 11, 2022 by w5tcb

The Spa club will hold its April club meeting on April 12 at 6pm. Likely topics include:

  • The weather
  • Status of High Peak (Mt. Ida) repeaters
  • Field Day
  • Changes to testing fees
  • Why FT8 is ruining ham radio
  • Various medical ailments

April 12, 2022
Garland County Department of Emergency Management
401 Mid America Blvd.
18:00 hrs

All are welcome regardless of license or club status.

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New Amateur Radio Testing Fee Effective Date is April 19, 2022

Posted on March 28, 2022 by w5tcb

From KB6NU’s Ham Radio Blog:

The $35 licensing fee that’s been talked about for more than a year now will finally be going into effect on April 19, 2022, according to Public Notice A-22-307A1, dated March 23, 2022. It says:

This Public Notice announces that the new application fee rates for the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, codified at 47 CFR § 1.1102, will become effective on April 19, 2022. Wireless application fees can be paid through the Commission’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/universal-licensing-system.

For further guidance regarding Wireless Telecommunications Bureau application fees, please refer to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Fee Filing Guide located at https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fees/application-processing-fees. For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Roland Helvajian, Program Analyst, Financial Operations, Office of the Managing Director, Roland.Helvajian@fcc.gov.

If you are looking for an opportunity to test prior to April 19, check out:

Saline County ARES testing on April 13

Online Testing: Can you take the ham radio license test online?

Also, check for other local test sessions on the ARRL website.

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War and Peace (and Ham Radio)

Posted on March 7, 2022 by w5tcb

In spite of current events, the Spa club will hold its March club meeting on March 8 at 6pm.

March 8, 2022
Garland County Department of Emergency Management
401 Mid America Blvd.
18:00 hrs

All are welcome regardless of license or club status.

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