First Parks On The Air (POTA) Activation

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So this past week we camped at Jacques Cartier State park along the St. Lawrence River in New York State. I had recently been invigorated to get back on HF and knowing about the program I saw this as an opportunity to play radio while enjoying camping with the family. So I packed up some radio gear and decided to do an activation.

Our campsite was right along the St. Lawrence river with a nice view clear across the river. After getting setup (we camp in a travel trailer so setup is not too hard) and spending some time with the family, I get my station up and running. My station consisted of the following:

  • FT-450D transceiver
  • 12V power supply
  • Signalink USB
  • S9 31′ vertical antenna
  • LDG 9:1 UnUn
  • 25′ wire for a radial
  • 25′ RG-8x
The only photo I have of the setup. Next time I will have to take more.

For the first day I only operated FT8 and I was able get 11 contacts in the books with about 30 minutes of operating. I ran with 25-watts on 20m during this time.

Map of from qsomap.com of contacts made on Day 1.

Day two was pretty similar to day one. I worked two separate times first working SSB at 100w for about 30 minutes again, then a few hours later back to FT8 @ 25w. SSB I netted 14 total with 5 on 15m and 9 on 20m. On FT8 netted 9 contacts with 7 on 20m and 2 on 10m in about 20 minutes of operating.

Map from qsomap.com showing contacts on day 2. Red are SSB and Blue are FT8.

Overall a fun experience and will likely do this more often. Maybe it will finally get me to master morse code so I can operate CW.

Virtual Meeting Attendance

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We are now able to have a limited number of virtual attendees for each of our monthly meetings. Please register here on the Meeting Information page. Please note that we would like you to register prior to each meeting you plan on attending virtually. The attendee list will be reset after each meeting.

Hello world!

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Welcome to my little spot on the web. Not really sure where this will go, but initially my thought is to put up information on my current projects, ideas, and most likely random thoughts along the way. What type of projects? Well most likely they will be electronics related, but who knows!

PREREGISTRATION for VE Sessions

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We will now require preregistration (Click to Register) for exam sessions so we can prepare your exam paperwork and ensure we have enough Volunteer Examiners to administer your exam.
The taking of more than one exam per session is at our discretion if time permits.

We encourage everyone to attend our club meetings which often have informative presentations, as well as experienced licensed operators to answer your questions. Our meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

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2024 Membership Dues

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2024 Membership dues are now being collected.

Membership application is located here.

Please pay in person or via Mail to:

Treasurer
Rome Radio Club, Inc.
7652 New Floyd Rd.
Rome, NY 13440

Monthly Meeting/VE Session Change

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Hello,

To better fit member schedules, all Rome Radio Club Monthly meetings will now be held on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month at 7pm.

VE Test session will now be held on the SECOND WEDNESDAY of each month at 7pm.

First-Time Exam Applicants Must Obtain FCC Registration Number before Taking Exam

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First-Time Exam Applicants Must Obtain FCC Registration Number before Taking Exam

Beginning May 20, 2021, all amateur examination applicants will be required to provide an FCC Registration Number (FRN) to the Volunteer Examiners (VEs) before taking an amateur exam. This is necessary due to changes the FCC has made to its licensing system.

Amateur candidates who already have an FCC license, whether for amateur radio or in another service, already have an FRN and can use the same number. All prospective new FCC licensees, however, will be required to obtain an FRN before the examination and provide that number to the volunteer examiners on the Form 605 license application. An FCC instructional video provides step-by-step instructions on how to obtain an FRN through the FCC’s COmmission REgistration System (CORES).

The FRN is required for all new applicants to take an amateur exam and is used afterward by the applicant to download the license document from the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS), upgrade the license, apply for a vanity call sign, and to submit administrative updates (such as address and email changes) and renewal applications.

In addition, after June 29, all applications will be required to contain an email address for FCC correspondence. Applicants will receive an email direct from the FCC with a link to the official electronic copy of their license whenever a license is issued or changed. ARRL VEC suggests that those without access to email to use the email address of a family member or friend. Licensees will be able to log in to the ULS using their FRN and password to download the latest version of their license at any time. The FCC no longer provides paper license documents.

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