|
|
|
EVARC Upcoming Events/Announcements
|
|
Next meeting of the Elkhorn Valley Amateur Radio ClubDate: Saturday,
May 16, 2026 Enter the North doors at the main entrance and follow the signs to
the 5/6th grade class rooms NOTE: Meeting date is one week later than normal so members can attend the ARRL Nebraska State Convention on May 9 in Lincoln The April 11th 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 to everyone that attended the 2025 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 the next Northeast Nebraska Hamfest, Saturday, November 21, 2026. For more information contact Aaron, KT0Q Hope to see you in November! |
Fox Hunt PlannedWith May comes spring flowers and an EVARC Fox Hunt. The date is set for May 23, 2026. We will meet at the First Christian Church at 9:00 AM and depart from there. Bring your Fox Hunt equipment and your best technique to this first event of t he season. The Fox has honed his transmission capability and has been trained to stay in one place this time around. Hope to see you all there |
|
EVARC Test Session - May 23The club will be hosting a test session on May 23, at the Norfolk Public Library, Room B. Testing will start at 1:30 PM. Here is a chance to upgrade your license or to obtain your first ham radio license. Please read the items you will need to bring to take a test |
|
Meeting date changeAt the March meeting the club voted to change the meeting dates for the May and July meetings May 9th moved to May 16 so members can attend the Nebraska
state hamfest on May 9 Please update your calendars! |
|
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 before the full Energy & Commerce committee. HR1094 now has 22 sponsors. ARRL urges all currently licensed 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. |
|
Other Information
|
|
Special Operating Events
-... -.- | |
Test Sessions within 200 miles of
Norfolk, NE
|
|
05/12/2026 - Sioux Falls 57104 Sponsor: Sioux Empire ARC
Date: May 12 2026
Time: 7:00 PM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead)
Contact: Willis L. Gravning
(605) 961-8466
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Minnehaha County Emergency Mngt Bldg
608 N Sigler Ave
Sioux Falls SD 57104
Website: https://w0zwy.org/
|
|
05/16/2026 - Kearney NE 68847 Sponsor: Midway ARC
Date: May 16 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/
|
|
05/23/2026 - Norfolk, NE 68701 Sponsor: Elkhorn Valley ARC
Date: May 23 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/
|
|
05/23/2026 - Sioux City IA 51101 Sponsor: Sooland Amt Radio Assoc
Date: May 23 2026
Time: 10:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Contact: Tim T. Jarman
(712) 223-4033
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Downtown Public Library
529 Pierce St
Conference Room
Sioux City IA 51101
Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/591123127614974
|
|
05/26/2026 - Sheldon IA 51201 Sponsor: NIARC
Date: May 26 2026
Time: 6:00 PM (No Walk-ins / Register or Call ahead)
Contact: Delmar E. Spronk
(712) 348-0804
Email: [email protected]
VEC: ARRL/VEC
Location: Northwest Iowa Comm college (NCC)
603 W Park St
Bldg C Rm 305
Sheldon IA 51201-1060
|
|
06/04/2026 - Lincoln NE 68506 Sponsor: Lincoln ARC
Date: Jun 04 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/
|
|
|
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 -... -.- |
|
Hamfests/Conventions/Conferences
|
|
|
As of: 05/10/2026 |
|
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/
|
|
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]
|
|
07/18/2026 - Southwest Iowa ARA Ham Fest, Prescott, IA 50859
Start Date: 07/18/2026 |
|
07/25/2026 - ARRL South Dakota State Convention Start Date: 07/25/2026
End Date: 07/25/2026
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church
3801 E. 26th St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57101
Website: http://w0zwy.org
Sponsor: Sioux Empire ARC
Type: ARRL Convention
Talk-In: 146.895 MHz PL 146.2 Hz
Public Contact: Willis Gravning , KE0Z
4321 S. Arden Cir.
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
Phone: 605-310-5276
Email: [email protected]
Flier: https://w0zwy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-HamFest-flyer-Rev-2.pdf
|
|
09/26/2026 - Sioux City Hamfest Start Date: 09/26/2026
End Date: 09/26/2026
Location: Morningside Lutheran Church (lower gym)
700 So. Martha St.
Sioux City, IA 51101
Website: http://sc97net.net/SARA.html
Sponsor: Sooland Amateur Radio Association
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.970 tone: 110.9
Public Contact: TIM JARMAN , K0UX
1420 Hiawatha Trail
Sioux City, IA 51104
Phone: 712-223-4033
Email: [email protected]
|
|
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]
|
|
11/21/2026 - Northeast Nebraska Hamfest, Norfolk, NE 68701 Start Date: 11/21/2026
End Date: 11/21/2026
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]
|
|
|
For a complete listing of Hamfests go to the ARRL Hamfest Search page -... -.- |
News From the ARRL Letters |
|
Learn More About SDRThe Boston Software Defined Radio User Group, SDR-Boston, is hosting the New England Workshop for Software Defined Radio 2026 (NEWSDR), June 4 - 5, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The primary goal of this workshop is to provide a forum that enables software defined radio (SDR) enthusiasts to get together, collaborate, and introduce SDR concepts to those interested in furthering their knowledge of SDR capabilities and available resources. NEWSDR 2026 welcomes experienced SDR enthusiasts as well as individuals who are interested in getting started with SDR. John Swoboda, Ph.D., Geospace Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory, said the two-day event is open to all amateur radio operators who want to learn more about SDR. “This an opportunity...to explore more opportunities...using SDR, how it works, and the advantages of SDR technology,” said Swoboda. “You don’t have to quit using the tactile touch of tuning a transceiver or give up tubes. SDR still has all of those familiar functions.” The keynote speaker this year is ARRL Member Gregory Charvat, N8ZRY. A radar expert in his professional life, he operates SSB equipment that he has designed/built from scratch and vintage gear that he has restored. His work has been featured in QST magazine, on Hackaday, and many other publications. Charvat is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). His YouTube channel is Gregory Charvat - YouTube. NEWSDR 2026 will be held at WPI, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts. The main event is scheduled for Friday June 5, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Eastern). Tutorials are scheduled Thursday June 4, 5:00 – 9:00 PM (Eastern). Attendance is free, but advance registration is required. Visit newsdr.org/workshops/newsdr-2026/. -... -.- |
|
STEM On and Off the Air
Currently the ARRL Affiliated Club has 13 members ranging from 4th graders to 12th graders. Well, last week they got a big surprise...they were on television...in Chicago!! CBS News in Chicago aired a short feature that showed the students using amateur radio to make contacts and then transmitting weather reports on the air to a SKYWARN training net! You can watch the video at www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/students-learn-how-use-ham-radio. Their reaction to seeing the video, “They loved it!” said their teacher, John Hale, KD2LPM. Hale said students are learning more than just how to push buttons...they are learning how to talk on and off the air! One student said he really did not know how to speak correctly but amateur radio was helping him improve his speaking, reading the station IDs and reading those weather reports. The group may participate in ARRL Field Day later this year. Hale has been selected for the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI) for an upcoming session on Long Island this summer. TI is a donor-funded professional development program designed to help classroom teachers elevate their STEM programs through the use of wireless technology. Garden School was founded in 1923 to meet the need for a high-quality, independent school in Queens. -... -.- |
|
Salty Walt Goes “Next Level” with New Portable Antenna Sketchbook
Now Walt is back with a second collection of antenna projects, Salty Walt’s Next Level Portable Antenna Sketchbook, expanding on the easygoing, field-tested style that made his first book a favorite among radio amateurs. Where Salty Walt's Portable Antenna Sketchbook focused on beachside builds and creative wire antennas, the new volume ventures into even more concepts while keeping the designs approachable. Readers will still find practical, deployable antennas designed for parks, beaches, and backyard operating, but this time Walt explores ideas like phased arrays, beam-forming, and higher-gain directional arrays — all presented in his familiar notebook-sketch style. “Designing, building, improving, and learning about antennas never ends — it evolves,” says Walt. “This book is meant to take antenna building to the NEXT LEVEL.” The 17 projects range from relatively simple builds, such as a three-element vertical Yagi-Uda and half-square antenna, to more sophisticated designs including portable rhombics, bobtail curtains, and co-phased vertical arrays. Throughout the book, Walt keeps the emphasis on learning-by-doing, with the same entertaining teaching style and relaxed voice that fans have come to expect. “I referred to my first book as the Jimmy Buffett of antenna books,” Walt says. “Well, this is the second album, where the songs are only getting better.”
Alongside the antenna projects, Walt shares radios from his personal collection, and operating tips to help amateurs get the most from their stations, whether running QRP or operating at 100 watts. The book also explores military-inspired antenna systems and streamlined wire antenna designs that can be deployed with minimal equipment. The result feels less like a technical manual and more like riding along on another operating adventure. Salty Walt’s Next Level Portable Antenna Sketchbook is published by ARRL. Find it now through the ARRL online store and ARRL publication dealers. ARRL Item No. 2370, ISBN: 978-1-62595-237-0, $27.95 retail, $24.95 ARRL member price. For builders looking for a quick weekend project to start out, ARRL offers an End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna Kit as an accessible introduction to portable wire antennas. To order by phone call 1-888-277-5289 (toll-free in the US), Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 7 PM, and Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. Outside the US, call (860) 594-0200. ARRL will host Salty Walt at the 2026 Dayton Hamvention®, May 15 – 17. Walt will lead a portable antenna forum on Friday, and sign books throughout the weekend. -... -.- |
|
In Brief...ARRL Solar Report May 7, 2026 There are currently six numbered regions on the visible disk as Region 4434 decayed to plage and Region 4428 rotated beyond the western limb as an E-type group. The remaining regions mostly showed signs of decay. Region 4425 appeared stable, though full characterization is difficult due to extreme limb proximity. Region 4429 showed continued submergence and decay, decreasing in both area and length along with a total loss of penumbra. Region 4431 showed some minor new development, with a few small spots emerging in both polarities following recent decay. Region 4432 had minor emergence in its intermediate spots, despite an overall gradual decrease in extent. The remaining regions were mostly stable. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery. Solar activity is expected to be at low levels on May 7 with a slight chance for isolated M-class (R1-R2/minor-moderate) flares. Flare probabilities increase beginning May 8 as up to two active regions near L=330 rotate into view from beyond the eastern limb. Considering the size of these regions and recent far-side eruptions seen in coronagraph imagery, solar activity is expected to increase May 8 – 9 with a chance for M-class (R1-R2/minor-moderate) flares and a slight chance for X-class (R3/strong or greater) flares. Solar wind parameters returned to near background levels as transient coronal mass ejection (CME) influences waned. Solar wind speeds averaged around 375 km/s. The phi angle was predominantly in a positive (away) orientation for the majority of the period with a few short-lived oscillations into a negative (toward) orientation during the period. Solar wind parameters are expected to reflect a slow wind regime into early May 7. By mid-to-late May 7, the onset of a coronal high speed stream (+CH HSS) is expected with CH HSS influences persisting through May 8 before beginning to subside on May 9. The 10.7-centimeter flux: May 8, 135; May 9, 130; May 10, 130; May 11 - 12, 125; May 13, 120. Predicted sunspots: May 7, 104; May 8, 98; May 9, 110; May 10, 93; May 11, 114; May 13, 88; May 14, 118. For more information concerning radio propagation, visitt 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
-... -.- |
|
Education and Training
| |
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..
The Garden School Amateur Radio Club in Jackson Heights, New
York, K2GSG, was started in September 2016 as a way to implement the
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) standard at
the school. 
For
many hams, portable operating starts simply: a wire in a tree, a folding
chair, and the lure of making memorable contacts from a favorite spot.
For Walt Hudson, K4OGO — better known to many as “Salty Walt” from
YouTube’s
Solar activity was at low levels this past week with
occasional B-class and isolated low-level C-class flares. The
largest event of the period was a C1.4/Sf flare from Region 4429 on
May 5. 