W5AW ~ BSARC


Welcome to the W5AW website for the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club. You will usually find us on 146.820, tone 100, offset -600. The repeater uses squelch tone, so set it for RX and TX.

Announcements etc:
GMRS Radio is coming to Big Spring! The Big Spring Amateur Radio Club will be installing a GMRS repeater on our tower ~ hopefully before the end of 2023. This will give general purpose radio support for a larger area than GMRS radios are capable of unit-to-unit. You do NOT have to be HAM radio operator or take a difficult test to get a GMRS Radio License. You just need to follow a few steps and pay the FCC $35 to get 10 years of paid license time. For help getting your GMRS License, please click on the Downloads, How-To and Projects link in the main menu.

End of Announcements section.

Member Informs

Our club encourages anyone showing an interest in Amateur Radio to participate in our regular activities. You don't have to be a licensed radio operator to attend meetings or to join the club. Official times are listed in the Club Meetings section. We usually come early for something to eat...

* PLEASE NOTE: Published 7/1//23 only current paying members will be listed. This list has always just maintained the past members as well, but from now on it will only show active members. These changes are not official but the next update to this list will without a doubt show only active members. If you don't see a name or call sign that should be listed, please let a club member know so it can be added! 
Paid members:
Bruce Jaeger		KE7TDR	
Bruce Love		WB5NOQ	
Daren Bishop		W5DTB	
Henry Hunter		KN3RD	
John Key		KD5DRK	
Lloyd Duck		W5LND	
Thomas Tafuro		KG5TWI	
Sonny Tant		N5BCM	
Leland Pechacek		W5LMP	
Mathew Grayson		W5KER	
Justin Jaeger		KI5ICJ	
Kyle Grissom		KI5ICI	
Frank Alvarado		AD5D	
Sherri Key		KE5BKY	
Jim Feszchak		WB2PTG	
Laurie Peterson		KG5CYS	

** Please note: BSARC has non-paid members 
as well. You don't have to pay to be a member
of the club, but those members do not have
voting privileges.

Lifetime members:
Brad Hyde 		W5BK
J.L. Stevens 		N5JLS
Ralph Matteson 		KD5RTW
Pepper Sullivan 	WF1RE
Ray Alexander 		W5RBA
* See contacts menu for additional information.
President        Lloyd Duck        W5LND
Vice President 	 Tom Tafuro        KG5TWI
Secretary 	 Kyle Grissam      KI5ICI
Treasurer        Henry Hunter      KN3RD

Member at Large  Ray Alexander     W5RBA

	Appointed positions:

DStar Administrator     Lloyd Duck          W5LND
Web Administrator       Matthew Grayson     W5KER
Email Distro Admin      Henry Hunter        KN3RD
Henry Hunter handles the BSARC email distribution. Keep up to date by getting on his email list. He sends out pertinent information about club events, updates, and general news about HAM radio in the Permian Basin for West Texas. You can email henry at: [email protected]
You don't have to be a club member to get on the email distribution list. Just send Henry a quick email and let him know who your are and your interest in getting on the distribution. He will gladly add you to the list of folks he emails.

* Memberships are as follows in USD: 
Full membership			$31.20
Student Membership		$16.20
Family Membership		$16.20
Half year (after July 1st)	$16.20
You can sign up for membership to the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club several different ways. You can attend a meeting and pay in person, you can print out an application and mail it in, and you can also pay online. All of these options are detailed in our membership sign-up page.

Click HERE to take a look and sign up.

Testing and Classes

Our club makes an effort to provide testing opportunities for anyone interested in getting their amateur radio license. To that end we also have classes for the introduction of new operators into the Technician Class of HAM radio.
ATTENTION - new testing guidelines begin for 2021. You must have an FRN number to take the Amateur Radio Technician Class exam. The FCC Registration Number is something that used to be issued after taking the test. You now have to register with the FCC first. It's easy and simple to do. Click HERE to watch a quick video that explains how.
* What Do You need to Bring with you to Test? Click HERE for ARRL guidelines.

* To ask for a class to be scheduled check with Henry Hunter on the contacts page.

New for 2023 Henry Hunter has 2 classes scheduled:

        Classes start at 9:00 am
        Saturday 14th October 2023
        Saturday 21st October 2023
        More to come...
Email Henry for times (see Contact link in the menu).
*With a possibility of a follow up class if necessary (to be scheduled) The classes are FREE - with the exception of materials = bring pen and pad.

If you have any questions please email Henry Hunter [KN3RD] [email protected]

* Where to go and what you need to be prepared.

Testing and classes Location :
W5AW Clubhouse
3707 S. Highway 87
Big Spring, Texas 79720
Where is the clubhouse? SHOW ME ON GOOGLE MAPS
Questions on classes or testing, or to request a test session?
Email Henry Hunter [KN3RD] here: [email protected]
You can also contact any club officer; Or send queries to [email protected]

* There are numerous testing tools out there. Here are two we recommend.

Click HERE to take at look at HamExam.org
HamExam does not require you to create an account to use any of the features it offers. And that includes testing for all Amateur Radio Class levels [Technician, General, and Extra]. You are able to look at the entire question pool for each Classification, take practice tests, and use flashcards. Creating a free account will also allow you to track your progress with metics being recoded as you proceed. This will help you narrow down weak areas for more intense study.

Of course, you can access this wesbite from most mobile devices. But if you want a dedicated mobile app for studying, take a look at Ham Test Prep in the Google Play store or App Store. Here's what it looks like:

Club Meetings & Breakfast

Well, except for right now we usually meet the second Monday of every month at the clubhouse. Otherwise, we have regular club meetings. But we also have other activities like breakfast, hamfests, tailgates, and fox hunting to name a few.

* For more information please see our contacts listing.

The Big Spring Amateur Radio Club meets the second Monday of every month at 7:00 pm. This is usually at the clubhouse. Due to the COVID-19 issue sometimes we change gears and use a zoom meeting. But that's seldom since 2022.

Where is the clubhouse? SHOW ME ON GOOGLE MAPS

Click the image below to see a larger view of what the clubhouse looks like:


This is a good event to attend if you want to complete and submit a PART D membership application for the BSARC. You may also attend any other gathering if you like, or contact a member outside normal meeting times. Click HERE for our membership page. **NOTE: 7:00 pm is when the meeting officially starts. But if you get there around 6:00 pm you might find yourself treated to a meal! So get to the clubhouse eary. To see who is bringing food for the month you are attending, click below. It is up to the person that volunteered for the month in question, but the food is always good, and theres usually some kind of dessert to go along.
* Breakfast is every Saturday morning at 7:30 am - either at a local dive or at the clubhouse. Give us a holler to find out what we are up to... see Contact link in the main menu.
* Fellowship meetings any month that has 5 Mondays, usually at a local resturant in Big Spring at 6:00 pm (See COVID guidelines)

Cowboys Steakhouse & Restaurant
Address: 404 E Marcy Dr, Big Spring, TX 79720
Phone: (432) 263-0181

Where's the resturant?
Show me on GOOGLE MAPS

* Volunteers welcome - contact a club officer.

This is the place to be if you are wondering if it's your turn to bring something to the meeting for everyone to eat. Or, if you are a visiting guest - just so you can be nosey. We don't care...

Food Schedule:
Since Covid we stopped doing this. And we haven't stated again. Maybe one day we will. 
No data at this time...
* If we have any special events scheduled they will be listed here.

Fox Hunting is a game that Amateur Radio Operators play using radio signals to track down a "fox." The actual name of the event is called Radio Direction Finding (RDF). Directional antennas are used to locate a "hidden" transmitter called the fox. Every club has their own set of rules and guidelines for playing.

We have our rules posted for you to read HERE.

This is ALSO where you will see a scheduled fox hunt if we have one coming up.

Tailgates: none scheduled
Hamfests: none scheduled
Fox hunts: none scheduled

Jamboree On The Air ~ Well, we don't know about this for sure yet. Click HERE for the Boy Scouts informs page. Click HERE for the ARRL informs page.

Nets and Repeaters

This is where you will find a listing of the local repeaters, scheduled area Nets, and the folks we have assigned for net control.

* Want to add a repeater to this list? Contact us.

Please read this on the ARES net.
×

A note about ARES nets: The Amateur Radio Emergency Service is often activated during severe weather conditions in the West Texas and Permian Basin area. This net is typically coordinated by David Overton [KF5WDJ] and uses the WTC (West Texas Connection) series of linked repeaters. However, at this time the WTC has been suffering maintenance issues and has difficulty maintaining link cohesion. Although a true emergency situation strongly relies on the reliability of true RF communication, it may be necessary to use an alternative. The PermNet series of linked repeaters relies on an IP connection over the internet to maintain communication. So if internet connectivity were lost so would communications. However in the face of intermittent or otherwise failed RF coms over the WTC, this alternative is better than nothing. It has also been suggested, for the sake of practicing the ARES methodology and protocols, that the PermNet be used instead of the WTC until which time the WTC is repaired. This has not been adopted as a standard practice yet.


West Texas / Permian Basin Area Repeaters:

Big Spring Repeaters
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
146.820 MHz Minus 100.0 Hz Big Spring ARC - W5AW
147.240 MHz Plus DSTAR Big Spring ARC - W5AW
440.6875 Mhz Plus DSTAR Big Spring ARC - W5AW
443.225 MHz Plus CC 1 DMR - W5LND
147.040 MHz Minus 88.5 Hz West Texas Connection - W5LND
442.100 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz West Texas Connection - W5LND
147.180 MHz Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - KE5PL
443.150 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz PermNet - KD5VOU

Midland Repeaters
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
147.300 MHz Plus 88.5 Hz MARC - W5QGG
146.760 MHz Minus 88.5 Hz MARC - W5QGG
147.380 MHz Plus N/A MARC - W5CAF (Located at MAF)
444.200 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz MARC - W5QGG
441.700 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz KF5ZPM - W5QGG
443.300 MHz Plus 146.2 Hz W5WRL - 52.525 Link Attached
53.110 MHz Minus N/A WTX 220 Association - WB5RCD
146.900 Mhz Minus 88.5 Hz West Texas Connection - N5XXO
443.275 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz N5XXO
147.220 MHz Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - K5MSO
443.125 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz PermNet - K5MSO
443.3625 MHz Plus CC14 MOTOTRBO KE5PL DMR-Motorola ARC

Odessa Repeaters
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
145.410 MHz Minus 88.5 Hz W5CDM
145.390 MHz Minus 88.5 Hz WTX Amateur Radio Club ? WT5ARC
147.100 MHz Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - WT5ARC
441.550 Mhz PLUS DSTAR WTARC - ON REF055A/ QTH SHORTY HALL YD
441.900 Mhz Plus DSTAR KI5DN- ON REF004B & DCS689H/ QTH N5MI
443.100 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz PermNet - WT5ARC
444.100 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz W5CDM
444.425 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz WTX Amateur Radio Club - WT5ARC

Notrees Repeaters
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
146.7000 MhzDVC Minus DSTAR K5PSA BC
147.120 MHz CANCELLED
by N5RGH replaced
with 147.160 		Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - N5RGH
147.160 Mhz Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - N5RGH
442.3500 MhzDVB Plus DSTAR K5PSA BC
443.175 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz PermNet - N5RGH

Stearling City Reapeaters		On the Air +- 06/6,7/2020
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
147.200 MHz Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - N5FTL

Glass Mountian Reapeaters		On the Air 04/10/2021
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
147.120 MHz Plus 88.5 Hz PermNet - N5RGH
443.100 MHz Plus 162.2 Hz PermNet - N5RGH

Kent Reapeater
frequencyoffsettoneowner/callsign
443.325 Mhz Plus 162.2 Hz PermNet - N5RGH
* Want to add a regular scheduled net to this list? Contact us.

All net weekly schedules:

_____________________________________________________________________________
Sunday
	8 pm       Southeastern DStar Weather Net REF002A - W5AW C
_____________________________________________________________________________
Monday
	8:15 pm    El Paso DStar Net REF055A - W5AW C
	9 pm       Raspberry Pi Net REF038C - W5AW C
_____________________________________________________________________________
Tuesday
	7 pm       Big Spring DStar Net XRF989C - W5AW C ~ See preamble below
	8 pm       Texas DStar Net REF004B - W5AW C 
	8:30 pm    Alabama DStar Net REF058C - W5AW B
	9 pm       PAPA System DStar Net REF012A - W5AW C 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday 
	9 pm       WTC permian basin ARES Net - WTC/146.820 repeaters 
	9 pm       Ham Nation After Show Net REF014C - W5AW C 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Thursday 
	8 pm       Howard Co Traffic Net - 146.820 ~ See preamble below
	9 pm       New Mexico DStar Net REF055A - W5AW C
_____________________________________________________________________________
Friday
	9 pm       Can-Net Canada's Dstar Net XRF021B - W5AW C 

* 7.290 HF Net Monday thru Saturday 10 am till Noon. 
Click HERE for the official site information on a new tab/window.
* This is a list of the net control operators scheduled by month.

Refer to the 'Members List' to find your operator's call sign.

Net control operators for the Howard County Traffic Net:
monthcontrol monthcontrol
JanuaryVolunteerJulyMatthew
FebruaryJustinAugustJustin
MarchBruceSeptemberMatthew
AprilMatthewOctoberHenry
MayJustinNovemberMatthew
JuneLelandDecemberTBA
*Until further notice, net controllers above will also handle D-Star relative to hardware dependencies.

Net control operators for the W5AW D-Star Net:
Please note at this time we have no internet capabilities at the repeater site for the D-Star system to function at 100% - right now the D-Star repeaters can only handle local RF tx/rx.
monthcontrol monthcontrol
JanuaryTBAJulyTBA
FebruaryTBAAugustTBA
MarchTBASeptemberTBA
AprilTBAOctoberTBA
MayTBANovemberTBA
JuneTBADecemberTBA

Looking for D-Star Nets information? We have that listed in it's own section. Click HERE to see it.

Looking for the preambles?

* The preamble is the dialogue a net control operator uses to start, conduct, and conclude a radio net. It is essentially what to say over the radio and how to guide radio traffic from other operators.

* Here is the preamble to use if you are net control for the W5AW Howard County Traffic Net held on Thursday nights at 8:00 pm Central Time.

This is (your name and call sign) acting net control operator for the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club Howard County Traffic Net on the W5AW Andy Jones Memorial Station.

This net is held every Thursday evening at 8:00 pm. This is an open net and all licensed amateur radio operators in the range of this repeater are invited to participate. This is a directed net and stations are asked not to transmit until requested to do so by the net control operator.

At this time the net will pause for any emergency or priority traffic. (Pause) None heard at this time.

The net will now take any mobile or portable check-ins. Please come now with your call sign only. (List check-ins � mobiles and portables) I have listed (give mobile and portable calls received) (Work these stations at this time)

This is (your name and call sign) acting net control for W5AW.

The net will now open to all other check-ins. Please come now with your call sign only. (list all other check-ins at this time) I have listed (give call signs received)

Are there any others, if so, please come now. (List if there are more call signs received)

We will now start at the top of the list with (call sign) Hello, your comments for the net this evening.

This is the end of the list of check-ins. At this time I will call for others who wish to check-in or rechecks. Please come now with your call sign only. (List call signs received) (Give received stations call sign) Hello (ask for their comments)

This will be our last call for check-ins. Please come with your call sign only at this time. (Pause)

This completes all check-ins I have on my list. Have I missed anyone? (Pause)

At this time I will close the net and return the repeater of the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club, W5AW back to its normal operation until next Thursday evening�s net, unless needed for weather or other emergency situations.

73 YOUR CALLSIGN

* Here is the preamble to use if you are net control for the W5AW D-Star Net held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm Central Time.

This is "YOUR CALLSIGN", "Your Name" acting Net Control for the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club D-STAR Net ~ On the JC Stevens Memorial Net.

This Net is held every Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm.

This is an open Net and all amateur radio operators are invited to participate. This is a directed net and stations are asked not to transmit until requested to do so by the net control operator.
At this time the Net will pause for any emergency or priority traffic. (PAUSE)

None Heard. This is "YOUR CALLSIGN" acting as Net Control for W5AW. The Net will now take check-ins. Please come now with your call sign only. (List check-ins at this time) I have listed. (Give call sign in order received) Are there any others, if so please come now? (List check-ins at this time)

We will now start at the top of the list with (Call sign / Hello) your comments for the Net this evening.

This is the end of the list of check-ins. At this time, I will call for all others who wish to check-in or recheck. Please come now with your call sign only. (List call sign received) (Give call sign) Hello / ask for their comments.

This will now be a 73 round for any comments. Start at the top of the list. This will be our last call for check-ins. Please come now with your call sign only.
At this time "YOUR CALLSIGN" will close the Net and return the repeater of the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club W5AW back to its normal operation until next Tuesday evening's Net, unless needed for weather or other emergency situation.

73 YOUR CALLSIGN

* Here is the preamble to use if you are net control for the West Texas Connection ARES Net. This net is usually controlled out of Midland, TX by David Overton [KF5WDJ]. This preamble is posted here, in the event of an emergency and someone from that area is not available to activate SkyWarn or run the ARES network.

The WTC ARES practice Net is normally held on Wednesday nights at 9:00 pm Central time. This net is used to keep in practice in the event of a real emergency situation. The ARES net will be activated when those conditions arise. Licensed amateur radio operators withing the range of the net are encouraged to participate and report into the net as directed by the net control operator.

Preamble to be posted soon.

Skywarn Training

Our Skywarn training consists of two YouTube videos presented by Mark Strobin at the W5AW Clubhouse. you will also find a couple of mobile device weather app reviews and a few other pertinent links to explore.

Click HERE to enter the Skywarn training page. Be advised, this content may be difficult to navigate well on mobile devices with smaller resolution screens.

Downloads, Documents, and How-To stuff

Of course, you will want a link the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).
And actually, Wikipedia has a fast explanation of what the ARRL is. Click HERE to take a glance.

* Here is a YouTube video and some links that will help you get your GMRS License. It cost $35.00 and is good for 10 years.

Click HERE for the video link that shows the step by step process for GMRS licensing.
Click HERE to get your FCC account set up, and then a FRN number. FRN means FCC Registrantion Number. You need one. Start with this link if you don't have one already as a HAM radio operator.
Click HERE for a direct link to the FCC FRN Login Page (you will also notice a link to get the FRN # on this page which takes you to the same page as the link above). But this link takes you to the license manager where you can APPLY FOR NEW LICENSE. You have to have the FRN # first to apply. From there you can select GMRS at the bottom of a long drop-down list to begin the remainder of the registration process.

Although BSARC doesn't endorse any particular brand of radio, a list of tested radios for GMRS are as follows: So far we have tested two models.
1) 5 watt ~ Retevis RB17P. You can see the technical specs by clicking HERE. You can find these on Amazon in two pack kits or individually.
2) 50 watt ~ Wouxon KG-1000G vehicle/mobile rig. Check out the technical specs by clicking HERE.
3) PENDING test, 5 watt ~ Wouxun KG-805G. Check out the technical specs by clicking HERE.
4) PENDING purchase, The Baofeng 15-Pro. Read a review and see what it looks like HERE.
If you know of another brand that also works, please let us know so we can add it to this list. See the Contacts link in the main menu for email addresses.

If you need help, please contact anyone from the Big Spring Amateur Radio Club for assistance. See our contact link in the menu.

* This is just a list of links that may be useful.

Click HERE for the direct download page to Echolink.
Click HERE for information on AllStar.
Click HERE to read an explanation of ARES and what it's for.

Do you need programming software for your radio? Click HERE for the CHIRP website.
There's a pseudo underground source for Baofeng-like radios that you can see by clicking HERE.

If you are looking for our FOX HUNT rules and guidelines, click HERE.
To open the D-Rats overview page click HERE.

Click HERE to open the Amateur Radio In Sapce (AMSAT) page.

* All the material we publish on D-Star will be in this menu.

Need help setting up a new D-Star account and radio? Click HERE for the D-Star "Two-Step" tutorial.
D-Star PowerPoint Presentations:
Click HERE to download the D-Star Basics presentation.
Click HERE to download Putting D-Star to use presentation.
Click HERE to download "More with D-Star" presentation.

You can access the D-Star Dashboard by clicking HERE.
You can click HERE for help using a DV Dongle.

* Find someone on the contacts list if you want to add a net to this listing.

If you see information that is out of date or otherwise need changes made, please let someone know from the contacts list. It is our intention to make sure everything is up to date so there isn't any confusion - however, it happens that we miss something from time to time. Thanks for the help!
______________________________________________________________________
Sunday
	1955 to 2100 REF002A for the Southeastern Weather Net

______________________________________________________________________
Monday 
        2010 to 2055 REF055A for the El Paso Net
        2058 to 2300 REF038C for the Raspberry Pi Net

______________________________________________________________________
Tuesday 
        1955 to 2100 REF004B for the Texas Dstar Net
 
______________________________________________________________________
Wednesday 
        2055 to 2200 REF014C for the Ham Nation Dstar Net

______________________________________________________________________
Thursday 
        2055 to 2155 REF055A for the New Mexico Dstar Net
        2158 to 0100 REF012A for the PAPA System Net.
* This is a link into our projects page. These are both club projects and personal projects.

Click HERE to visit the project page.

Our club Bylaws:

Boring legal stuff...

Click HERE to view the BSARC bylaws as a web page.
Click HERE to download a Word document if you want a printer-friedly version.

Contact

The Big Spring Amateur Radio Club [W5AW] is dedicated to helping folks interested in Amateur Radio getting started, having fun, and participating in the HAM Radio hobby. If you have any questions on classes, training, or testing please give Henry Hunter [KN3RD] an email. He will be glad to help you out. If you need help with D-Star or Digital Radio, please send an email to Lloyd Duck [W5LND] for guidance on getting registered or using those modes. Please report website errors, suggestions, or link recommendations to Matthew Grayson [W5KER] and he will address those issues. And of course, if you want to get on our weekly update email distribution, please contact Daren Bishop [W5DTB] and he will be sure to add you. Don't forget to ask about getting on the Midland Amateur Radio Club's list as well. That is where the ARES net operates out of for the West Texas Connection (WTC). 

  Henry Hunter     [KN3RD]     [email protected]
  Matthew Grayson  [W5KER]     [email protected]
  Lloyd Duck       [W5LND]     [email protected]
  Daren Bishop     [W5DTB]     [email protected]
Henry Hunter handles the BSARC email distribution list. Send him an email if you want to get the weekly updates.

What is the West Texas Connection (WTC)?

This is a series of linked repeaters that covers the western most part of the state. It is a open system intended for emergency purposes and primarily used for reporting to the National Weather Service (NWS). It is also used by storm chasers in the Permian Basin and outlying territory. The WTC can also be activated for emergencies or disasters of any other nature. There is a regularly scheduled ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) net that is held every Wednesday night at 9:00 pm Central Time. The purpose of the net is for training and practice in the formal use of the linked repeaters as an emergency system. It is followed by an additional round-table net for general discussion.

For more information on how to participate in the WTC ARES net, see the Nets & Repeaters menu option.

Click HERE to visit the West Texas Connection website.

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