FREE On-Line Amateur Radio Operating Class

A free, weekly, 3-hour Amateur Radio Operating Class on Zoom will begin on Thursday April 4 and run through June 20 at 6:30 PM Eastern time.  The presenters will be various experienced folks in the various subjects.

A detailed syllabus will be published before the classes begin.  Attend them all, or any that you like, but you must register for the classes.  To receive registration information, contact Rol Anders, K3RA, at roland.anders@comcast.net. 

Picture of Rol Anders K3RA
Rol Anders K3RA

Subjects will include:

All About Operating–A general Introduction
Amateur Radio Organizations—Local to International
Ham Radio Awards 
DXing-History and Tips from the Experts
QSLing-How to get that needed card for DXCC or WAS
VHF/UHF Weak Signal Work and “Roving”
Image Operating—Slow Scan and Fast Scan TV
Remote Station control over internet
Learning CW in the no-code era
Digital Modes—From RTTY to FT8 and beyond
Contesting—How to get started, tips for the beginner and intermediated contester 
Logging Software—What’s available, how to use
Propagation—HF and 6 Meter Propagation during the next three years near solar maximum
Amateur Satellites—How to get started 
Portable (backpacking) operation—Tips from an expert
Setting Up a Modern (or not so modern) HF Station
Lightning Protection and Grounding
Traffic Handling
Public Service, Emergency Communication

group shot of recent class by Rol K3RA
Zoom screen of recent class by K3RA
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BARC Adopts HamClubOnline

Ham Club Online Logo

We are pleased to announce adoption of HamClubOnline for our club administrative activities. This innovative web-based software from K6VEC Amateur Radio Group Inc., provides most all functions necessary to relieve club officers of various tasks, enabling them to get back to the fun stuff of ham radio like operating and tinkering! Security authorizations enable layered access to various data objects. The mobile-aware GUI (graphical user interface) is even effective on smart phones.

Members gain greatly too. Features include detailed roster information (updated by the individual members), information sharing by a group roster, skills matrix, an on-line membership application, on-line dues payment support (coming to our implementation), elections support, and more. Monthly meeting minutes (restored to full proceedings) have been moved from the BARC web page to this facility.

.Various screen shots follow. Look for caption below each graphic:

HCOL Basic Menu
Roster header which reports fields such as Name, Address, Callsign, E-mail Address, Club rank, and Last Logon.
HCOL Roster Header
HCOL Skills List
HCOL Calendar
Panel one of a HCOL ballot
HCOL Ballot (Panel 1)
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Robert Heil K9EID (SK)

Audio and amateur radio pioneer Bob Heil K9EID passed away on February 28, 2024. Bob was a great visionary in audio high fidelity and made numerous contributions into the electronics and amateur radio industries. Heil microphones are among the highest international acclaim. His obituary includes a number of delightful memories. Heil Sound webpage.

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Chesapeake Amateur Television Society (CATS) weekly net on W3FT repeater 146.67-

W3BAB CATS ATV repeater logo
W3BAB CATS ATV repeater logo

Our wide-area 2-meter FM repeater W3FT is the meeting place for the weekly CATS ATV Net, each Wednesday evening at 9:00 pm. and frequently at other hours for informal contacts. Amateur Television (ATV) began in use by radio amateurs even before actual network television broadcasts. While much of ATV is NTSC analog video signals with FM audio sub-carriers, digital television is taking over. In the United States, both the ATSC and European-based DVB-T formats are in use by hams. ATSC is handy since that is the current US digital standard while the DVB-T format captures weaker signals and is less impacted by interference caused by structures.

ATV activity is essentially ham-to-ham communications with the benefit of video. That old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” remains true. Typical viewed signals include still pictures, motion video, and video clips. Some ATV repeaters carry NASA television feeds such as space launches. Analog signals are rated by the P-scale where P0 is the weakest , showing just sync bars and P5 represents a perfectly clear picture. Digital signals are either there are they aren’t; can’t be simpler than that. As seen with home television, ATV has benefited greatly from digital formats. Further, area tests have shown increased range using digital ATV over analog ATV.

All are welcome to check into (or just listen) the weekly CATS nets with voice on 146.67-. Video capability is not required. Of course, ATV activity is not on all the time, just like 2-meter activity. If one lives in the general Towson area, a cable-ready analog television set tuned to cable channel 57, but with an external antenna used in place, can receive the CATS Towson ATV repeater directly. In addition, the British Amateur Television Club website features streaming of various world-wide Amateur Television repeaters. CATS is streamed at https://batc.org.uk/live/w3bab?forcehtml5=true . CATS https://www.qsl.net/w3bab/index.html

Neil W3ZQI

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Jim WB3DJU Honored By Collins Collectors Association

Long time BARC member Jim Green WB3DJU (standing in photograph) was honored at the 2022 Dayton Hamvention with Lifetime Membership bestowed upon him by the Collins Collectors Association. Click on “Read More” to see full article and photograph. Jim is a decorated Navy veteran commander with one of the most impressive fully-operating Collins radio collections in this area. BARC is proud to have Jim as a member of our club. We also thank him for his significant contributions to the club and amateur radio over the years.

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Robert (Bob) A. Rampolla W3RAR, SK

With deep sadness we announce the passing of fellow Baltimore area radio amateur Robert (Bob) A. Rampolla W3RAR on Saturday April 30, 2022. Bob was a contester and also loved working digital modes. Most recent activities were in POTA (Parks On The Air). First licensed in 2002 as KB3IVR, he accomplished much over his years in the hobby. He will be missed. Bob’s viewing and funeral service will be on Friday May 6, 2022–see link below for details. 

Haight Funeral Home & Chapel P.A.

  • Address
    6416 Sykesville Road
    P.O. Box 195
    Sykesville, MD 21784
  • Telephone
    (410) 795-1400

Here is a link to Bob’s funeral arrangements, on the Haight Funeral Home web site:

https://www.haightfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Robert-Rampolla/

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Chuck Nemec K3VPZ, Silent Key

With deep sadness we announce the recent passing of fellow Baltimore area radio amateur Chuck Nemec K3VPZ. He died from congestive heart failure. Chuck was a CW guy and loved working DX. First licensed in 1962, he accomplished much over his years in the hobby. He will be missed. Chuck Nemec’s viewing and funeral will be this coming Friday September 3rd. 

Haight Funeral Home & Chapel P.A.

  • Address
    6416 Sykesville Road
    P.O. Box 195
    Sykesville, MD 21784
  • Telephone
    (410) 795-1400

Here is a link to Chuck Nemec’s funeral arrangements, on the Haight Funeral Home web site:
https://www.haightfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Chuck-Nemec/

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Joseph Cotton W3TTT, SK 07/31/2021

With deep sadness we announce the passing of fellow radio amateur Joe Cotton W3TTT on July 31, 2021. An avid project builder, amateur radio enthusiast and mentor, he leaves behind many friends. We thank him for service to our club and the amateur radio community at large.

Joseph Cotton Obituary – Pikesville, MD | Sol Levinson & Bros.

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John Chitwood, K3RGB, SK

K3RGB John S. Chitwood
St Petersburg, FL 

QCWA # 32728
Chapter |32|20|222|

First Call: KN3RGB issued in 1961

Got interested in shortwave radio when my grandfather brought a 17 tube Zenith radio (broadcast band to 18 MHz) to my parents. home in the mid-1950s. While I really I enjoyed listening to shortwave broadcasts, I enjoyed listening to ham stations on 40 and 75 meters AM even more. In the summer of 1960, I saw an ARRL novice license manual for sale at Ship.N.Shore radio in Ocean City, MD, so I bought it. Joined the radio club in high school (Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Radio Club/W3CDI), and learned Morse code. Studied the license manual, took the test, and received my Novice license, KN3RGB, in 1961.

I got right on the Novice bands (80 and 40) using a Hallicrafters S-38E and a one tube (117L7) crystal controlled transmitter that I built in a steel index card box. I also immediately began preparing for the General Class exam. It took me 4 visits to the FCC field office in Baltimore until I passed my 13 wpm receiving test. On that same 4th visit, I passed the written test and received my General Class license, K3RGB. This was followed by my Advanced Class license, and, some years later, after studying for the written test, and listening to W1AW code practice broadcasts, I earned my Extra Class license.

I was a frequent operator at W3CDI, taught code classes and license classes and served as Secretary and then President of the club. Joined the Baltimore Amateur Radio Club in which I served as Secretary for a couple of years. I was named as Club.s trustee for the Foundation for Amateur Radio. I was then elected to serve as the Secretary of the Foundation for Amateur Radio for a term or two.

Became the EC of the Baltimore Area AREC (now ARES), and was a member of the Baltimore City Civil Defense radio team in the 1960s.

Although not ham radio related, between April and September 1964, I was employed at Radio Baltimore WCAO where I served as a control room engineer, production studio engineer, and a maintenance engineer. While attending college, I was hired by NASA.s Goddard Space Flight Center as a student trainee and then after graduation, as an electronics engineer at NASA, from which I retired in 2001.

Joined QCWA in 2004 as a member of chapter 20. Later, also became a member of chapter 222 and 32.

Served as a member of the Foundation for Amateur Radio.s Scholarship Committee from 1972 to 2018. Assumed the responsibility of managing the Committee.s funds in the early 2000s, and was then elected Treasurer of the Foundation for Amateur Radio, a position in which I served until November 2018.

After moving to Saint Petersburg, FL in late 2015, I am still in the process of getting my station set up, but I have been continuously active on 80 . 10 meters mobile, VHF and UHF, and APRS. Now, residing in the Tampa Bay area, I am a member of chapter 32 where I am doing my small part in revitalizing the chapter as interim secretary.

73,
John/K3RGB

November 25, 2019

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