EVARC Events/Announcements
January 25, 2026
Vol. 26, No. 04
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EVARC Upcoming Events/Announcements
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Next meeting of the Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio ClubDate: Saturday,
February 14, 2026 Enter the North doors at the main entrance and follow the signs to
the 5/6th grade class rooms The January 10 meeting minutes are available Visitors and guests are always welcome to the meeting. |
Next Northeast Nebraska Hamfest - November 21, 2026The Northeast Nebraska Hamfest date was a success. Thanks t, everyone that attended this years event, D & L Antennas for supporting our Hamfest, to everyone that rented tables and to our sponsors that provided many of the door prizes.. And thanks to EVARC members for supporting the event and all the hard work that went into making everything work smoothly. Even the testing went well. We had 5 individuals take tests with the results being 1 new Tech, 3 new Generals, and 1 new Extra class license. Mark your calendars for next year, Saturday, November 21, 2026. For more information contact Aaron, KT0Q Hope to see you next year! |
Club Dues are due in JanuaryClub dues are due in January. Please send your dues to our club Secretary/Treasurer, Aaron, KT0Q. You can send them via mail or bring them to the next club meeting (January 10). It helps the club establish the annual budget if we get the dues early in the new year. The club address is: EVARC Dues are:
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Pass The Bill - Have You Sent Your Letter Yet?
AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ACT GETS CRITICAL HEARING On Tuesday, December 16, the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act (HR 1094) was one of seven bills heard before the Communications & Technology subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce. While there was no direct testimony related to this bill, its inclusion by subcommittee chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC-9th district) was an important step toward moving the bill to a hearing be- fore the full Energy & Commerce committee. HR1094 now has 22 sponsors. ARRL urges all currently li- censed Hams—whether ARRL members or not—to send letters to their two U.S. senators and their U.S. House representative using ARRL’s Grassroots Campaign by logging into the website: https://send-a-letter.org/hoa. Simply insert your callsign, and everything will be handled for you from there. Over 100,000 letters of support have been generated, but that represents a small fraction of all U.S. Hams. More are needed! Please encourage club members, other Hams and even GMRS licensees to send letters. |
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Other Information
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Midwest and Nebraska Section NewsThe Midwest Division news can be found on the ARRL Midwest Division web site. .The Division has held a series of town hall meeting on Zoom. Recordings of these sessions can be found on the website also. The latest Nebraska Sections news can be found on the Nebraska Section Facebook page or the ARRL Nebraska Section news web page. |
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Special Operating Events
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Test Sessions within 200 miles of
Norfolk, NE
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02/05/2026 - Lincoln NE 68506 Sponsor: Lincoln ARC
Date: Feb 05 2026
Time: 6:30 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Christopher W. Evens
(402) 613-3484
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: College View SDA Church
4801 Prescott Ave
Heartland Hall B
Enter E Ent #1 Handicap main
Lincoln NE 68506-5428
Website: https://k0kkv.org/get-your-license/
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02/14/2026 - Boone IA 50036 Sponsor: Boone Amateur Radio Klub
Date: Feb 14 2026
Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Steven C. Huffman
(515) 230-0459
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Boone Pioneer Senior Center
1112 Story St
Boone IA 50036-2222
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02/14/2026 - Omaha NE 68114 Sponsor: AkSarBen Amateur Radio Club
Date: Feb 14 2026
Time: 1:00 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Michael J. Gallagher
(402) 661-9859
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Building
10629 Burt Cir
Omaha NE 68114-2059
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02/21/2026 - Huron SD Sponsor: Huron ARA, Inc.
Date: Feb 21 2026
Time: 9:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Lloyd V. Timperley
(605) 352-7896
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Huron City Hall (Boardroom)
239 Wisconsin Ave SW
Use South Door
Huron SD 57350-1915
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02/21/2026 - Kearney NE 68847 Sponsor: Midway ARC
Date: Feb 21 2026
Time: 8:00 AM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead)
Contact: Michael J. Osterberg
(308) 293-0636
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Buffalo County EOC
1512 Central Ave
Kearney NE 68847-6020
Website: https://w0ky.org/
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02/21/2026 - Norfolk, NE Sponsor: Elkhorn Valley ARC
Date: Feb 21 2026
Time: 1:30 PM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: John L 'Monty'. Wilson
(402) 750-0771
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Norfolk Public Library
308 W Prospect Ave Rm B
Norfolk NE 68701-4138
Website: https://qsl.net/evarc/
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02/28/2026 - Perry IA Sponsor: Winter RF Fest
Date: Feb 28 2026
Time: 9:30 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Richard J. Allen
(515) 451-4148
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Perry National Guard Armory
2930 Willis Ave
Pre-reg @ 9AM
Handicapped Accessible
Perry IA 50220-9709
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For more testing locations see the ARRL Testing Web page and the W5YI-VEC page Interested in an Online Exams Session? See the Online Exam Session web page -... -.- |
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Hamfests/Conventions/Conferences
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As of: 01/25/2026 |
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02/28/2026 - HARC Winter RF Fest, Perry, IA 50220 Start Date: 02/28/2026
End Date: 02/28/2026
Location: National Guard Armory
2930 Willis Avenue
Perry, IA 50220
Website: http://harciowa.org
Sponsor: Hiawatha Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 145.190 (-) 114.8 tone
Public Contact: Robert Colling , KE0STT
707 Prairie St.
Guthrie Center, IA 50115
Phone: 641-740-7526
Email: [email protected]
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03/07/2026 - Southwest Iowa ARC Hamfest Start Date: 03/07/2026
End Date: 03/07/2026
Location: McClelland Town Hall
117 Main Street
McClelland, IA
Website: https://swiradio.org
Sponsor: Southwest Iowa ARC
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 442.225 136.5
Public Contact: Derek Roberts , W0TYG
PO Box 327
Minden, IA 51553
Phone: 402-431-2377
Email: [email protected]
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04/25/2026 - Des Moines IA 50301 - Radio Amateurs Association Hamfest Start Date: 04/25/2026
End Date: 04/25/2026
Location: Iowa State Fairgrounds Elwell Family Food Center
3000 E. Grand
Des Moines, IA 50301
Website: https://dmraa.com/hamfest
Sponsor: Des Moines Radio Amateurs Association
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.940- 114.8
Public Contact: Dean Madsen , N0XR
2013 E. 23rd St.
Des Moines, IA 50317
Phone: 515-770-7437
Email: [email protected]
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05/09/2026 - Lincoln Hamfest/ARRL Nebraska Hamfest Start Date: 05/09/2026
End Date: 05/09/2026
Location: Lincoln NE
Sponsor: Lincoln Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
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05/15/2026 - Dayton Hamvention 2026 Start Date: 05/15/2026
End Date: 05/17/2026
Location: Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
210 Fairground Road
Xenia, Ohio 45385
Website: https://hamvention.org/
Sponsor: Dayton Amateur Radio Association
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.94 - PL 123.0
Public Contact: https://hamvention.org/contact-us/
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07/11/2026 - 28th Annual Pioneer ARC Flea Market Start Date: 07/11/2026
End Date: 07/11/2026
Location: North Bend City Auditorium
741 North Main Street
North Bend, NE 68649
Website: http://k0sw.org
Sponsor: Pioneer Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 443.900 +5 MHz
Public Contact: Richard Mehaffey , KB0ARZ
230 West 11th Street
North Bend, NE 68649
Phone: 492-719-7342
Email: [email protected]
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10/10/2026 - North Star Radio Convention, ARRL Dakota Division Convention Start Date: 10/10/2026
End Date: 10/10/2026
Location: Hennepin Technical College
9000 Brooklyn Blvd.
Brooklyn Park, MN
Website: http://northstarradio.org
Sponsor: Minnesota Amateur Radio Consortium
Type: ARRL Convention
Talk-In: 146.76 114.8 tone
Public Contact: Dale Henninger , W0DHZ
8579 Brewster Ave
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076-3518
Phone: 612-747-7587
Email: [email protected]
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11/21/2026 - Northeast Nebraska Hamfest, Norfolk, NE 68701 Start Date: 11/21/2025
End Date: 11/21/2025
Location: CHC Hall
105 West Elm Avenue
Norfolk, NE 68701
Website: https://www.qsl.net/evarc
Sponsor: Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.73 (-) 131.8
Public Contact: Aaron Mathis , KT0Q
84282 566th Ave.
Stanton, NE 68779
Phone: 802-989-9246
Email: mailto:[email protected]
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For a complete listing of Hamfests go to the ARRL Hamfest Search page -... -.- |
News From the ARRL Letters |
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From EMT to Amateur Radio and Back
It was not unfamiliar territory. In 1985, Brad was first certified as an EMT and began working for a private ambulance company. But the long hours and low pay eventually gave way to earning a doctorate in engineering management...and an amateur radio license. He has been active in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) for many years and now sits on the board of directors of the Central Ohio Severe Weather Network. But why the change now back to EMT? “For ARES, I have worked many events from marathons to meetings over the years, working alongside EMTs and paramedics. It’s hard work and sometimes, for a long race, I’m alone in the field,” he said. “I’ve noticed that there are times when medical care is critically needed and needed fast. Now, as a certified EMT, I can help until more medical personnel and equipment arrive at the scene.” Being ready to help when needed also applies to amateur radio. It was a connection and a good reason to do both. Today, Howard is still supporting ARES events, helping with severe weather situations, and volunteering for FAST, the Red Cross First Aid Services Team. As he nears retirement, amateur radio will always be an integral part of his life. For other hams who may be considering making changes, Howard says keep moving forward. “Retirement or life changes don’t mean you’re done. Make it a whole life experience, make it count and be ready when needed.” -... -.- |
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ARRL Board Approves Funding for Federal Advocacy; Creates New DXCC Single-Band Honor Roll; Elects OfficersA Member Bulletin emailed to all ARRL members included highlights from the Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors, held in Windsor, Connecticut, January 16 - 17, 2026. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, led the meeting and welcomed new Division Vice Directors including Carol Milazzo, KP4MD – Pacific; Marty Newingham, AG3I – Atlantic; Mel Parkes, NM7P – Rocky Mountain, and John Kitchens, NS6X – Southwestern. The Board re-elected President Roderick; First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, and International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD. ARRL Foundation Treasurer Rick Niswander, K7GM, was elected as ARRL Second Vice President, succeeding Mike Ritz, W7VO, who held the position since 2024 and resigned on December 31, 2025. The Board also re-elected David Minster, NA2AA, as Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, and Diane Middleton, W2DLM, as Chief Financial Officer.
Board committees met the day before. The Administration & Finance Committee approved the 2026 plan, later approved unanimously by the Board, amending it to include additional funding for advocacy efforts in Washington, DC. These efforts include continuing work to advance the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act (bills H.R.1094 and S.459) through committee and toward final passage. ARRL launched a nationwide grassroots campaign last September aimed at securing passage of the bipartisan federal legislation that would grant Amateur Radio Operators the same rights to install antennas on their property as those enjoyed by users of TV antennas, wireless internet, and flagpoles. Board members discussed the final report from the Election Review Committee that was formed at the Board’s Second Meeting in July 2022. They also heard a report from ARRL Foundation President David Norris, K5UZ, highlighting the Foundation’s philanthropic support of amateur radio. In 2025, the Foundation awarded 171 scholarships totaling approximately $800,000, made possible through the generosity of the private foundation Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), individuals, and radio clubs. The Foundation also awarded 35 grants totaling $60,580 and two Division Convention Grants totaling $13,264. Several other actions advanced by committees included the creation of a new single-band DXCC (DX Century Club) Honor Roll Award for qualifying operators. Commitments were also made to evaluate standardized reporting processes to streamline Section Traffic Manager and Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) monthly reporting, including broader adoption of the new Form 4 to improve the accuracy of reported volunteer hours. The complete minutes of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors will be available soon on the ARRL website. The next meeting is scheduled for July 17 - 18, 2026. Read the complete Member Bulletin. -... -.- |
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Converting Retired Construction Light Tower Trailers for Radio UseIn Minnesota and elsewhere, used construction light tower trailers have been adapted by hams to support radio antennas. These are often sold with a 12 horsepower three-cylinder diesel engine, a 30-foot steel crank-up tower, and 6 kilowatt AC 120/240V single phase generator. They are around $12,000 new, but used they can be down in the $1000 range in running condition, or $250 and up if not running. They are most commonly found at construction equipment auction sites such as Iron Planet or Equipment Facts. These units are not without hazards, as they were not designed or tested for consumer use. Diesel fuel can spill; used diesel oil is hazardous, as an example. The tower cables can snap and you can strike overhead power lines. But, 30 feet is a lot of tower and with the included outriggers and removal of two of the usual four lights, they can accommodate a small antenna or two and can be guyed. They usually have four metal halide lights and can illuminate 3-5 acres. The newest “vertical” units tend to have short vertical masts (24’) and may include LED lights. We like the fast setup time these towers offer – a few minutes. We have added more batteries and solar panels, mesh radios, and video cameras to ours. They are common in rental fleets and in government/emergency applications. Repairs are often simple. The tires, wheels and other running gear are usually industry standard. The same is true for axles and wheel bearings. The stabilizer jacks are also standard. The retracting square tubes can be obtained locally (often 2’x2’x1/8”). (Metal Supermarket is one supplier). Clamp-on jacks can be purchased to replace missing or rusted ones. Lift cables should be inspected and replaced if frayed. Winches are standard equipment. Some trailers have electric hoists. (I dislike those, however--you need power to operate them, and if you don’t stop them in time you can snap the lift cable and the tower crashes down). Forklift pockets are standard for loading them on flatbed trucks or trailers. It is common for these trailers to be equipped with 2-inch ball hitches or pintle hitches. Pintle hitch adapters to a standard 2x2 inch receiver are common. We have removed pintle hitches from all of our 16-plus purchased units. Trailer brake lights (usually 4 wire-flat) are not universal, and are often broken. We bring a magnetic light kit to all trailer auction purchases. Tower trailer licensing varies widely by state. In our state, Minnesota, trailers are defined as “construction support equipment” and do not require titles or license plates. In our experience, insurance is inexpensive, in the $30/year range.
The generators are usually 6 kW, single phase. They run at 1800 RPM; the engine speed governs the voltage and frequency. Most older gensets have two 120V 60Hz windings and are 5% capacitor regulated – a 20 uF “motor run” electrolytic. We have seen several generator failure modes: 1. Bad bearings--the generator attaches on one side to the engine flywheel; the other side has a bearing that should be relaced regularly. If it fails it can spew metal bits into the windings and/or make a horrible noise. 2. Bad windings--one or both windings can burn out. This can easily be measured with a common VOM. Low impedance: an ohm or two and you are still good to go. They can be rewound for $1500 or so. If you have one bad winding–the good one is still 3 kW. 3. Bad capacitor on regulator board – these are eBay/Amazon items. 4. Off voltage--There is usually a screw adjustment to regulate motor speed. The idea is maybe you are a little high unloaded but you’re right on at 1800 RPM, 60 Hz, loaded. 5. Need to be reflashed--the coil can lose charge and the windings can be intact but field less. Follow the manual--ours needed a bit of 12V DC applied. Once in a while there are stator diode issues. The mercury/halide lights need 400V AC +/- to start, draw 1000-plus watts each, are reactive and use large ballast transformers that take 115V input. Do not overload the generator coils--you can burn out the windings. We use a big transformer to put both 115V windings in parallel for more current and use the circuit breaker to help protect the windings. Prolonged operation at minimal load will tend to “wet stack” the diesels. This gunks up the valves with carbon. 1500 watt electric “milkhouse” heaters are a good load bank. The diesels are reliable and consume in the range of .5 gallons/hour. The oil/filter change interval is around 240 hours. Check the air, fuel and oil filters. 240V AC outlets @30 amps are semi-common – on older units (2014) they are three wire 120V/120V/ground which are harder to break out to 120V outlets as there is no neutral. Often, neutral is tied to ground but we use a 6 kW transformer here. Do not forget to ground the trailer. -... -.- |
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In Brief...ARRL Solar Report January 22, 2026
The first flares occurred on January 21 in regions 4345 and 4349. Region 4345 continued to show development, as well as region 4342 . Region 4341 was a main contributor to the C-level activity of the day, including a larger C-class flare on January 21. A new active region is rotating into the visible disk from the southeast limb and produced a C5.2 flare on January 21. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in the available coronagraph imagery. Solar activity is likely to be at moderate (R1/R2, minor/moderate) levels, with a slight chance for X-class flares (R3-strong) on January 22-24, primarily due to the magnetic potential of Regions 4341, 4342 and 4345. Solar wind parameters reflected coronal mass ejection (CME) influence transitioning into a high-speed stream paradigm, with the interplanetary magnetic field returned to largely enhanced background levels. Solar wind speeds gradually decreased from about 800 km/s to 575 km/s at the end of the day. Phi angle remained in the positive solar sector (away from the Sun), indicating the coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS ) dominant influence over the period. Solar wind parameters near Earth are expected to be dominated by the CH HSS conditions in the next three days. The 10.7-centimeter flux: January 22, 175; January 23 - 24, 180; January 25, 175; January 26, 170; January 27, 165; January 28, 160; January 29, 165. Predicted sunspots: January 22, 122; January 23, 117; January 24, 128; January 25, 113; January 26, 113; January 27, 110; January 28, 138. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read A Quick Guide to HF Propagation Using Solar Indices, and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.. Other Items
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Education and Training
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CLOSING ITEMSThe EVARC weekly net meets every Monday evening at 7:30 PM on the club 2 meter repeater (146.73 - ). Check-in to the net to hear an update on activities of other club members, announcements of local interest, and any late breaking information. Everyone is welcome to check in. The DMR net meets every Thursday evening at 8:00 PM on the club DMR repeater (446.200 +) Nebraska Talk Group 3131 . Check-in for general discussion and a weekly trivia question. Want to try your hand as Net Control? Contact Andy, KF0CSI. ... -.- |
The purpose of this
newsletter is to provide information to local hams with items of interest.
It is compiled from local, regional, and national sources. Created by Monty Wilson, NRØA.
Contact the Webmaster with
comments or questions..
Amateur
radio has taken ARRL Member Brad Howard, Ph.D., KE8SVT, in many
different directions. But last year, he stepped back a little to
navigate a new direction...Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). 
Solar
activity reached moderate levels with two M-class flares earlier
this week. 