CVARC Raffle is in Progress! (Drawing July 4, 2021)

CVARC has initiated its first fundraising raffle, and we have some tremendous prizes. Take a look!

To purchase tickets, ask any CVARC member, email cvarc.idaho@gmail.com, or visit one or our public sales. Next public sale is:

Barney's Harvest Foods
Saturday, January 16, 2021
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

For those who purchase tickets, thank you for your support of amateur radio in the Clearwater Valley, and good luck!

Click here to view/print Raffle Poster.

1st PRIZE

RUGER 556 RIFLE with Nightforce C599 riflescope (.2 Mil-Radian * ILLUM * PTL * FC-MIL) and 200 rounds of .223 ammunition

2nd PRIZE

800 ROUNDS of .223 AMMUNITION

3rd PRIZE

$100 CASH

With the goal of raising enough funds to replace the 76 repeater on Norton Knob, CVARC has initiated its first fundraising raffle. Line up and get your tickets to buy or sell!

The 76 repeater has been hosted on Norton Knob (site owned by Neal Johnson, where numerous emergency response repeaters and antennas are located) has been there for 20-some years. The model repeater is no longer manufactured, and it is difficult to get replacement parts. In addition, only one individual in the region has the knowledge to repair this repeater when it has problems. The time has definitely come to upgrade.

Very Cool Video on Waves

Very cool video on waves. It really helps take the mystery out of impedance. Be sure to watch to the end.

CVARC Meeting - April 2017

Highlights:

• Four club members passed their General exam on March 11. Congratulations!
• Testing on club meeting night requires 48 hours notice to ensure three VEs are available.
• The 76 repeater is experiencing problems receiving low-power signals; it is accepting higher-powered signals and transmitting fine. Not sure yet when it will be inspected for repair.
• The 49 repeater's performance is not predictable. It's suspected the feeder cable needs replaced.
• Morse Code class resumes Thursday, April 13 for those interested.
• The new club website was announced (you've found it!).
• Field Day is Sat/Sun June 24/25. Checking to see if CVARC can have Field Day at Fraser Park this year.
• Presentation: Antenna Basics, Part 2. Presentation will be available on this site soon.

Full Minutes: CVARC Meeting Minutes - April 2017

Welcome!

Clearwater Valley Amateur Radio Club now has a website on the free blog host site Blogger.com. Club Members and other interested parties are encouraged to visit this site to see what's going on with the club in general, as well as to access the club's administrative documents, such as the Constitution and By-laws and meeting minutes.

The admin of this site will intends to add content of interest at approximately every week but will post at least monthly. Member and visitor comments are welcome; note that all comments are moderated to help keep spam posts off of the site, so your will not appear instantly.

CVARC Meeting - March 2017

Highlights:

• Updated Constitution and By-Laws adopted by quorum of club members.
• Membership dues for continuing members are due by March 31, 2017.
• The 76 repeater is not "hearing" signals less than 50W at this time. Low-powere hand-held units are not connecting.
• Problems with the 76 repeater preclude its use for Sunday Night Net. Net will be conduction on the 49 repeater until further notice.
• Presentation: Antennas - Don G
  There is no simple answer to the question, "What type of antenna should I use?" It will depend on each user's available space, funds, and the intended purpose. Some topics discussed were:
• Affect on performance: antennas produces gain but do not “amplify” 
• “Gain” refers to the antenna’s ability to focus energy in one direction over another. Gain in dB is obtained by narrowing the focus of the signal beam 
• A saltwater stream can be used as an antenna (watch video)
• Antenna lengths and the “Antenna Tool” android app for determining need lengths
• Antenna mounts and ground plane 

Full Minutes: CVARC Meeting Minutes - March 2017

CVARC Meeting - February 2017

Highlights:

• Gordon B shared copies of the 2016 CVARC "newsletter in pictures" that he put together for the club. Thank you, Gordon.
• General Class will be held March 4 and 11 with testing on the 11th. There will be no testing at the March club meeting.
• Presentation: Location, Location, Location.
  Milt shared information on the Maidenhead Locator System (also called QTH Locator) which provides a brief, but accurate, location identification for sharing location information with radio contacts. Some additional explanations of the Maidenhead Locator System can be found on the ARRL website and Wikipedia. You can search for your own QTH Locator at QRZ.com or GoogleMaps.

Full Minutes: CVARC Meeting Minutes - February 2017

CVARC Meeting - December 2016

Highlights:

• The club Christmas party is Sunday, December 18
• As of January 1, 2017, annual club dues will be
• Regular Member - $20
• Family Membership - $30
• Associate Member - $10
• Presentation: Ham Radio in Space - Don G
  Communicating with ISS astronauts, tracking satellites for possible message relays

Full Minutes: CVARC Meeting Minutes - December 2016