Join us for the MAAC Foundation – First Responder Appreciation & Demonstration Day!
When?
Saturday, September 14, 2024
9:00AM – 2:00PM CST
Where?
MAAC Foundation First Responder Training Campus
4203 Montdale Park Drive
Valparaiso, Indiana 46383
EVENT INFORMATION:
https://maacfoundation.org/first-responder-appreciation-and-demonstration-day/
MAP:
https://goo.gl/maps/Jb33iWNFjMXfrpi6A
The Porter County Amateur Radio Club will setup at 7:30AM CST, and the radio fun begins at 9:00AM CST. Join us as we get on the air and operate special event station K9M.
Contact us on your way to the event on the K9PC VHF (146.775MHz) and UHF (442.250MHz) repeaters (131.8 CTCSS). Ground simplex frequencies VHF (146.475MHz) and UHF (445.975MHz) for local event communications.
73,
K9PC
HAM CRAM A SUCCESS! WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
As many of you know, we just held the first Ham Cram session in several years this past Saturday at MAAC. We had 19 register originally, and 17 showed up for class.
First, thanks to Joe N9TAX and Matt W9MDM for all of the work that goes into preparing for and running one of these sessions. To take a group of people from zero to “ready to take the tech exam” in 8 hours is pretty intense. Also thanks to Tavas KD9NSC for creating the registration form on the website and for helping with promotions.
We had three students that had to bail before the exams, and they said they’d come to our regular Saturday session to take the test.
Jack N9ITB and myself would also like to thank our team of VE’s that came out – Kurt AK9RT, Allan KA9EFD, James KC9KTV, John KC9AFE, and Carl N9IFD. We worked through a pile of tests in short order.
2 did not pass this time, but promised to keep at it and come back on a Saturday. The others all passed, so welcome to a wonderful hobby. Many of them just joined this list and hopefully will join us for meetings and activities. It’s exciting to see the club grow.
We also bought a Quansheng UV-K6 HT and pre-loaded it with a code plug that Tavas, KD9NSC built. Everyone there got a ticket and when we were done, we had a drawing for it. I will deliver it to the winner tonight on my way home from work.
See everyone on the 5th!
Ham Crams are Back!
Are you interested in ham radio, but having challenges understanding the Technician materials?
We have a solution for you. It’s the Ham Cram!
What is it?
HAM CRAM is an Entry Level Technician Course
March 16th, 2024
MAAC Foundation Center
4203 Montdale Park Dr
Valparaiso, IN 46383
8am – 5pm Guided Study Session with the Exam at 5pm
Cost for exam is $15 cash, and can take it more than once for $15 each try.
Registration form here: https://forms.office.com/r/Ge4KuNJ2ss
***MUST HAVE A VALID STATE OR SCHOOL PHOTO ID WITH YOU TO TAKE THE EXAM***
You will also need to register with the FCC’s CORES and get an FRN number. You will need to have that number to take the exam. Register here: https://apps2.fcc.gov/fccUserReg/pages/login.htm
Students/minors without a photo ID need to bring only one of the items below if a legal guardian presents their photo ID; otherwise two non-photo IDs are required.
a. Non-photo State ID card (some states still have them)
b. Birth certificate (must have the appropriate seal)
c. Social security card
d. Employer’s wage statement or Minor’s work permit
e. School ID card
There will be a working lunch, so either please bring a lunch, order Uber Eats, or bring cash to throw in on pizza.
Please email either Joe Krajacic joe@n9tax.com or Matt Melton w9mdm@outlook.com with any questions.
The FCC Technician License exam covers basic regulations, operating practices and electronics theory, with a focus on VHF and UHF applications. Morse code is not required for this license. With a Technician Class license, you will have all ham radio privileges above 30 MHz. These privileges include the very popular 2-meter band. Many Technician licensees enjoy using small (2 meter) hand-held radios to stay in touch with other hams in their area. Technicians may operate FM voice, digital packet (computers), television, single-sideband voice and several other interesting modes. You can even make international radio contacts via satellites, using relatively simple station equipment. Technician licensees now also have additional privileges on certain HF frequencies. Technicians may also operate on the 80, 40 and 15 meter bands using CW (Morse Code) and on the 10 meter band using CW, voice and digital modes.
You can download the study guide here to get started:
http://pc-arc.net/…/2022-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide…
Practice Exams
Practice Exams and Flashcards
https://hamexam.org/
https://hamstudy.org/
Flash Cards/Practice test
October Meeting Tonight
Just a reminder, there is a club meeting tonight at the MAAC Foundation in Valparaiso, IN.
No presentations are scheduled for tonight, so if you have something to show or discuss, feel free.
As always, the meeting starts at 1900 CT and run until 2100 CT.
See you there!
September Meeting Canceled
The club meeting for September 2023 has been cancelled. Please check back for information on our next club meeting in October.
Special thanks to all the club members that help make MAAC First Responder Appreciation Day a huge success! The K9M special event station made a bunch of contacts on 20m and 40m SSB. K9M will be active on FT8, FT4 and SSB through 9/1/2023 at 00:00UTC.
73’s
K9PC
ARRL Field Day 2023
Ok we need to get the count together for meat for Lunch/Dinner Saturday and Breakfast for Sunday Morning that the club is providing, please bring a side for these meals if you plan on attending and reply to the group with what you are bringing so we don’t have a ton of the same things for sides. As for Friday night /Saturday Morning please bring cash to throw in on whatever we decide to do if you are around for those two meals.
So far we have heard from the following people, please reply if if you plan on attending next weekend and respond with what meals you will be here for so we can get the proper count for meat. Please reply by Thursday so that I can get the shopping done.
Joe and Company
Melton
Matt Lasayko
Jeff Kluff
Field Day Plan
It’s June 23-25 this year.
We have once again been invited to set up and operate at Joe Krajacic N9TAX and Brandie W9BLK’s place, located at 648 S. 300 W in Hebron, IN.
We will be setting up the tents and grills Friday evening after 5PM, and anyone who wants to set up and hang out/camp out is welcome to join.
Officially, the event starts at Noon on Saturday the 24th, so if you want to set up Saturday morning, you are welcome to do that as well. Feel free to bring a radio or any antennas you want to try out.
Past experience has shown that things start to wind down around 2AM on Sunday.
Everyone is invited – non-ham spouses, friends, kids. Come and stay as long as you want.
The food plan that’s been discussed is that everyone brings a side dish or dessert to share, and the club will supply the meat for lunch and Dinner on Saturday and Items for breakfast on Sunday. If you have any specific requirements for grill stuff outside of burgers/dogs/brats or the like, feel free to bring your own and toss it on the grill.
While we will all operate under the club call of K9PC, we’re not really contesters and this is more of a social event and a chance to get out and operate somewhere outside of the house. If you have friends who have shown an interest in ham radio feel free to bring them. Someone will be happy to show them what it’s all about.
Google or Apple maps finds Joe’s house just fine. If you have any issues we will try to be monitoring the PCARC 146.775 – PL131.8 repeater. Please park in the front yard on the right side of the driveway forward of the lilac bush. That’s all for now!
Meeting
Just a reminder that we have a meeting tomorrow evening at 7PM at the MAAC Foundation center, 4203 Montdale Park Dr, Valparaiso, IN 46383.
We will have a business meeting with officer elections. Current candidates are the existing officers — Paul Braun, WD9GCO, President and Brad Garner, KD9IRH, Secy/Treas,
We don’t have any presentations scheduled, so as always, if you have something to show or discuss, feel free.
See you tomorrow.
We have a new home!
Our first in-person meeting since February of 2020 was a success! And
after talking to Gerry Scheff from MAAC, we are welcome to continue to
meet there. We also have access to the field next to the building if we
want to try some special events. This is a huge relief.
We’re going back to the 1st Friday of the month, at 7PM, with exceptions
for a holiday. So, the next meeting is March 3rd. April 7th falls on
Good Friday, and I’m sure a number of us will be in church (I sing in
our choir) so April will be on the 14th. The March meeting will also be
election of officers.
We also briefly discussed Field Day 2023, and Joe offered to host it at
his home again. That seemed to work out just fine last year, so I think
we take him up on it. It’s in June, so we have time to plan.
Let’s keep the momentum going and build our club back up!
Additionally, the LaPorte hamfest is this Saturday from 7AM to 1PM at
the LaPorte Civic Center.
Field Day 2021 Photos!
Yeah, finally. I mean, it’s only the end of October and 6 months after the event… — Paul
