EVARC Events/Announcements
December 21, 2025
Vol. 25, No. 47
EVARC Upcoming Events/Announcements
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Next meeting of the Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio ClubDate: Saturday,
January 10, 2026 Enter the North doors at the main entrance and follow the signs to
the 5/6th grade class rooms The December 13 meeting minutes are available Visitors and guests are always welcome to the meeting. |
Northeast Nebraska Hamfest - November 15 a successThe 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! |
Election ResultsThe annual Election of Officers and board members was held during the December meeting. The results are as follows:
Two board members Terry Lich, W0TDL, and John L. "Monty" Wilson, NR0A, were reelected as board members (3 year term) |
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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 |
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Winter Field Day
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Pass The Bill - Have You Sent Your Letter Yet?
Ask anyone who has done it – it takes just a few seconds to click on the website, enter your call sign, and click the submit button. Every licensed radio amateur in the United States is encouraged to follow the link from www.arrl.org/hoa and take part in ARRL’s grassroots effort to pass the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. It will stop restrictive homeowners associations (HOAs) from preventing ham radio operators from installing antennas — enabling them to support community service efforts and avoid creating emergency communications deserts in neighborhoods where millions of Americans live. You can do your part in less time than it takes to have a QSO. Follow the link and send your letter today! |
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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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01/08/2026 - Lincoln, NE 68506 Sponsor: Lincoln ARC
Date: Jan 08 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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01/10/2026 - Boone IA 50036 Sponsor: Boone Amateur Radio Klub
Date: Jan 10 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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01/17/2026 - Kearney NE 68847 Sponsor: Midway ARC
Date: Jan 17 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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01/24/2026 - Ames IA 50010 Sponsor: Story County ARC VE Team
Date: Jan 24 2026
Time: 10:00 AM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead)
Contact: Claus H. Niesen
Email: [email protected]
VEC: LAUREL VEC
Location: Ames Public Library (Danfoss Room)
Register at Website
515 Douglas Ave
Ames IA 50010-6215
Website: https://hamstudy.org/sessions/amesia
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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 - 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: 12/20/2025 |
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02/13/2026 - Orlando HamCation, ARRO Southeastern Division convention Start Date: 02/13/2026
End Date: 02/15/2026
Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
4603 E. Colonial Dr.
Orlando, FL 32801
Website: http://www.hamcation.com
Sponsor: Orlando Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Convention
Talk-In: 146.76 -.600 103.5 tone
Public Contact: John Knott , N4JTK
3208 E. Colonial Dr.
PMB 168
Orlando, FL 32803
Phone: 407-841-0874
Email: [email protected]
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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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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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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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A Great After-Holiday Gift ... ARRL Kids Day!Twice a year, ARRL offers an event designed to promote amateur radio to our youth ... Kids Day! Kids Day number one takes place on the first Saturday of the year and for 2026, that’s January 3. The event runs from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC. You can operate as much or as little as you like. It’s all designed to give on-the-air experience to young people and hopefully foster interest in getting licenses of their own. It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their station and love for amateur radio with their children. Here's how it works: You can invite your kids or grandkids to your station, explain how it works, and then take turns talking on the radio. You could also share the excitement with your neighbors, a Scout troop, a church group, or the general public at a library or a shopping mall. You can use most any frequency from 10 - 80 meters. You can also use one of your favorite repeaters... with permission from the repeater’s owners. Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX QSOs. Then the real fun starts...take pictures, write your story, and send them to ARRL. With a signed release form, your story can appear in ARRL publications like QST, as part of the Kids Day and Youth write-ups, Strays, Up Front, and more. Send stories to [email protected]. Then, the part that will light up the kids’ eyes even more...a Kids Day Certificate of Participation (PDF). It’s downloadable, and every kid who has participated gets to take one home to hang on their wall! Signup is easy at Kids Day on the ARRL website. You’ll get all of the information you’ll need to make this after-holiday gift a yearly event! And remember....there is another ARRL Kids Day on the third Saturday in June! -... -.- |
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Get Your Keys and Bugs Ready for ARRL Straight Key Night
This 24-hour event is not a contest; rather it is a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on the air and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW QSOs. The use of straight keys or bugs to send CW is preferred. There are no points scored and all who participate are winners. All authorized amateur frequencies may be used, but activity has traditionally been centered on the HF bands. Logbook entries for Straight Key Night must be received by January 31, 2026. Votes for “Best Fist” and “Most Interesting QSO” will be tabulated and included in the results. The 2025 SKN results indicated that 144 participants reported 945 contacts. While many were seasoned CW operators, some participants noted that they made their first CW contacts in many years during the 2025 event. All you need is your favorite straight key or bug. Many participants dust off vintage radios and keys and put them back into service each year just for this event! So get your fist ready, grab your key, and enjoy a fun New Year’s Day on the air. For more information, visit Straight Key Night. -... -.- |
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Obsolete Part 97 Rules to be Deleted February 10, 2026The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in October 2025 adopted a Report and Order to delete almost 400 obsolete rules pertaining to its wireless services. As previously reported by ARRL, among the deletions were four in Part 97 that govern the Amateur Radio Service. ARRL reports that the notice of the Report and Order has now been published in the Federal Register. Unless an objection is raised by January 2 that the Commission finds to deserve its consideration, the following four Part 97 provisions will be deleted as of February 10, 2026: 1. § 97.27. This provision is duplicative of a statutory provision related to the FCC’s right to modify station licenses. 2. § 97.29. This provision specified an obsolete procedure to replace paper licenses. ARRL proposed deleting this section in comments filed earlier this year. 3. § 97.315 (b)(2). This obsolete provision grandfathered HF amplifiers purchased before April 28, 1978 by an amateur radio operator for use at that operator's station, and grandfathered those manufactured before April 28, 1978, for which a marketing waiver was issued. 4. § 97.521(b) and Appendix 2. This rule and appendix relate to obsolete VEC regions. -... -.- |
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New Technician Class Question Pool Released -- Effective July 1, 2026
This updated question pool incorporates significant changes compared to the prior pool. The questions were checked for technical accuracy and relevance to current amateur radio practices, as well as for grammar, syntax, format, clarity, and for redundancy within and between the pools. VECs and Volunteer Examiners must use test designs based on the new pool starting on July 1, 2026. Current ARRL VEC Technician Class exam booklets (2022 series) and computer-generated Technician Class exams created from the 2022 question pool are valid until June 30. After that, old versions should be destroyed. ARRL will have new editions of Technician Class study materials, including The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, Gordon West Technician Class License Prep book, and ARRL’s Tech Q&A, by May 2026. View all question pools on the NCVEC website. -... -.- |
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Up to $25,000 at Stake in New ARRL Student Coding Competition
Pre-registration is now open for the ARRL Student Coding Competition, a new national challenge designed to engage young radio amateurs in shaping the future of amateur radio through software development. Open to ARRL-member amateur radio operators aged 21 and younger, the competition will invite students to design a mobile app that supports ARRL and the amateur radio community. Cash awards totaling up to $25,000 will be presented to one or more winning entries. The competition officially begins on January 1, 2026, when complete rules and application specifications will be released at coding.arrl.org. Participants are reminded not to start coding yet — entries must follow the published requirements. Project submissions will be due by March 31, 2026. Entries will be judged on how well they meet the specifications, user interface design and usability, code quality and stability, and the inclusion of extra features. Adult ARRL members are encouraged to help spread the word and support the next generation of amateur radio innovators. ARRL Student Membership is free for full-time students aged 21 and younger, removing a key barrier to participation. Young hams, educators, and mentors are encouraged to pre-register now at coding.arrl.org to receive updates as additional details become available and to prepare for this exciting opportunity to contribute lasting tools to amateur radio. -... -.- |
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In Brief...ARRL Solar Report December 18, 2025
Solar wind parameters continued to be under the influence of a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). Solar wind speed was mostly in the 550 - 650 km/s range. Solar wind parameters are expected to continue to be enhanced through December 18 under negative polarity CH HSS influence. HSS influences are expected to gradually diminish December 19 – 20. The 10.7-centimeter flux: December 18, 120; December 19 - 21, 115; December 22, 125; December 23, 125, December 24, 145, December 25, 155. 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..
ARRL
Straight Key Night (SKN) is just 2 weeks away! Every year on January
1, Straight Key Night is on the air from 0000 UTC through 2359 UTC.
On
December 18, 2025, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner
Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released the
revised 2026-2030 Technician Class (Element 2) question pool. It
will be required for all exam sessions beginning July 1, 2026. The
new pool includes 409 questions (27 new, 30 removed, and about 155
modified), compared to 412 in the prior pool. The pool also includes
three diagrams used for some of the questions. 
Solar
activity has been at low levels with only a few C1 flares from
Region 4307. Slight growth and consolidation were observed in that
region as it neared the SW limb. Slight decay and separation were
observed in Region 4311. The rest of the spotted regions were either
stable or in decay. Beginning on December 17, an approximately
13-degree filament eruption, centered near N37E12, was observed in
SUVI 304 imagery. CME analysis will be conducted as imagery becomes
available. Solar activity is expected to be low with a slight chance
for M-class flares (R1-R2, minor-moderate) December 18 -20. 