Big Rapids Area Amateur Radio Club

Your Source for Amateur Radio Fun

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Membership Activities

Hello, Fellow Hams.

Please take time to update your membership information.  The membership renewal form is available to update your information.  The club is accepting 2024 membership renewals by mail or at monthly meetings.  Your membership dues are the sole source of revenue for the club to accomplish our activities.  Dues fund the following items.

  • Club repeater maintenance
  • Club website
  • Member email forwarding service
  • Club mailbox
  • Club library
  • Club equipment
  • Club operating fees

Join us at the next meeting!

Happy Hamming!

Website Backroom Updates

Hello, Friends.

The technical committee is working on an upgrade to the backend of the club website. You may notice some small changes and we may need to discontinue some services. We are working to replace website code and some hardware to bring everything back so you don’t miss out. If you notice something not working, it’s probably on our punch list to correct. If everything goes well you will not notice any changes and everything will work the same way. However, the back of the house will be the most modern platform for security and operation.

Happy Hamming!

KC8BAR Silent Key

KC8BAR 2008 Field Day

KC8BAR 2008 Field Day

We have lost a dear friend.  John McDowell KC8BAR born March 13, 1947 passed away on November 13, 2019 in Grand Rapids.  John was an ever active BRAARC member that attend many club breakfasts, meetings and events.  You could always count on John to make many Field Day contacts and to share his love of amateur radio, movie theaters, and antique electronics.  John made many club endeavors possible, including the club repeater sites.   We will miss his cheerful greetings and sage advice on all things club related.  Obituary  Silent Key

 

BRAARC Members Support Project Starburst

It’s time again for the N8PUG Food Drive because there is never a time for hunger. We need your help to collect food items. Your donation of non-perishable food items will be accepted at the December club holiday extravaganza – dinner.

There are families that need our help to keep food on their tables. The N8PUG Food Drive can help fill a small part of this need but only with your help. Check your emergency food stocks for items that are nearing their expiration dates. This way you can refresh your food stocks and donate still usable items. Rotation of food stocks is an important aspect of household emergency planning. Please only bring as much as you can spare.

The club food drive was originally organized by late club member James Orlowski, N8PUG (1960 – 2009). Known to every club member as Jim, he was a man of action in preventing hunger in our community. Jim, a man of little means, always donated more food than any other club member. We lost a dear friend in his passing but we honor his memory by helping feed those around us that are in need.

The N8PUG Food Drive benefits Project Starburst through the collection of non-perishable food items. Annually, BRAARC member collect and donate many food items during the club’s annual holiday celebration.

Happy Hamming!

Repeater Coordination Renewal

The BRAARC repeater trustee KD8GGD submitted MARC Technical Data Sheet update information for the three club KB8QOI repeaters.  See the Mecosta County repeater directory by clicking here.  The Michigan Area Repeater Council coordinates frequency pair assignments for Michigan area repeaters and requires periodic updates to the repeater information by the trustees.

Simply put, coordination is a process used as part of Spectrum Management. Spectrum management is the real, behind-the-scenes job of all coordination organizations. Spectrum management is the act of attempting to achieve the most efficient and effective use of available frequencies allocated for a specific usage. The monetary value of Amateur Radio Service frequency allocations is in the billions of dollars. The importance of maximizing effective usage of our allowed spectrum is becoming more important every year. Powerful commercial interests seek to take more and more of our allocations all the time, and if we do not use our spectrum effectively and efficiently, we will lose it.  -R. Bruce Winchell – N8UT, MARC Coordinator, June, 2003

Happy Hamming!