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The
Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio Club (EVARC) was started in 1977
originally under the sponsorship of Northeast Community College. The
focus was on Amateur Radio general interest, much as it is today.
Monthly meetings were held. Other activities included tours, repeater
feasibility studies, and volunteer communications. A " Talk to
Santa" program was conducted for kids hospitalized at Christmas
time. Over the next few years the club grew in numbers and its
activities increased.
In 1978
EVARC sponsored a demonstration at the Home Show and began conducting license
classes.
February
1978: WBØPGT Larry Anderson and WBØUPJ Doug Zastrow put a repeater on the
air at Carrol, Nebraska on the KXNE Tower. Privately owned at this time, it
was open to everyone and used for emergency communications.
In 1979
volunteer activities included working with the American Red Cross (ARC) and
local Civil Defense (CD) office.
1984 saw
the repeater being moved to the WOWT tower sited east of Norfolk. Norfolk
Area Repeater Association (NARA) was formed to take over ownership of the
repeater from WBØPGT and WBØUPJ.
In 1987
EVARC and NARA merged into one organization. Many predicted it would
fail but despite a rocky start it flourished. EVARC now has control
of the 146.73 - repeater (nicknamed the 73 machine).
A RC-85
controller was purchased for the repeater in 1991 adding linking capability
to the repeater.
1993 saw
the first Amateur Radio Convention in Norfolk, which was quite well
received. One has been held every year since. In 1995 we received an award
from the Madison County Tourism and Convention Bureau for the
convention.
In 1986 the
club made several improvement to the repeater site including replacing the
Antenna and coax. The decision was made to move the antenna from 350 ft to
the top of the tower. Permission was obtained from WOWT and the antenna
moved to the top of the tower at 400 ft.
Summer of
1999: the club is informed of the sale of WOWT's tower and given
short notice to remove our equipment from it. Another tower site was
quickly located and arrangements made for us to have space on it. The
repeater and antennas are relocated to the new site and are put into
operation with the repeater antenna at 310ft.
Today the
club continues on with its tradition of providing volunteer communications,
license classes, emergency communications and severe weather spotting. The
Northeast Community College continues to be involved with the club,
especially by allowing us to use their campus for our conventions. Our
membership is around 45 members and the club now owns the repeater.
Meetings are still held monthly and weekly nets are conducted.
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