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 OOn Saturday, August 13, 2011, members of the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club set up an Amateur Radio Demonstration station on the grounds of the Super 322 Drive-In in Woodland, PA. The station used a typical mobile antenna system, but was still able to work stations all along the East Coast, and DX stations in the Caribbean as well!
Additionally, our members fielded questions from over 20 visitors, and offered the opportunity for members of the public to say hello to a distant Amateur Radio operator over the air. Many of the guests took us up on the offer, including the reigning Clearfield County Fair Queen Ms. Melanie Swartz and her Court. Each of the YLs made contact with a station in Florida, who encouraged them to consider getting their licenses.
The owners of the Drive-In were very happy with our operation, and enthusiastically invited us to return next year. Club members who participated included Lars Kvant KB3WBT/SM7FYW, Ed Neeper KB3VWX, Herb Murray W3TM and Joe Shupienis W3BC. Hopefully, by next year we will be able to mention those who visited and their new callsigns!
Photos:
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- Our Station
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- On the air, and doing a good job!
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- the Crew
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- Wherever you go, there we are!
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- Nice weather, classic cars, ham radio -- what more could you ask for?
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- The next best thing to top billing
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- And we're proud of it!
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- All signs point to a good time
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- One of our visitors gives a shout out to the US Virgin Islands.
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- Bev and her daughter stopped by to say hello!
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- Amy and her Mom take turns on the air
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- Send us a SASE for the QSL Card!
TTHE BIG DAY is here! All the planning and preparation comes together today at the Old Town Sportsmen’s Pavilion on the Clearfield County Fairgrounds. This morning, we are setting up antennas and radios and computers, and the grill… and everything else!
The contest portion begins at 2:00 pm and ends Sunday at 2:00 pm. Help will be needed to tear down as well, so please stop by. Many hands make light work, you know!
The Public and media are invited, and this year we’re trying something new – a GOTA station. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a “Get On The Air” station to allow unlicensed people, new hams and old-timers who haven’t been active lately to make some contacts at a more leisurely pace.
We are there now, come on over!!!
Update Saturday 10:00 pm
Channel 6 News visited our Field Day site and depending on the other stories (of course) plans on airing their coverage of us tonight on the 11:00 news. Catch us tonight, and stop by in person Sunday after 10 am. The contest period ends for us at 2 pm, but we’ll be cleaning up and enjoying a hotdog and conversing with old friends for hours after that!
 WWhat else could possibly be the main topic of the June meeting except Field Day? After getting the meeting started, things settled into a businesslike pace as minutes were read, and reports were given. W3BC reported the club’s ARRL Special Service Club status was renewed after many years of inactivity. He further commented that the Field Day Press Release had been picked up and published by several local news outlets, and that a television news camera crew is expected. The subject turned to Field Day, and visitors Lee and Mary Lewis (N3NWL and N3UDN) shared with us some very useful Field Day pointers from their years of experience at putting on a really great Field Day operation in Ridgway.
Hams from four counties gathered at the Clearfield County EMA Center for their June Meeting. Guests helped finalize Field Day plans, newcomers introduced themselves and guest Steve Waltman KB3FPN presented an engaging technology program to round out yet another good old QCARC meeting! Mike WB3EQW raised the question of why the club covers four counties, and Club Founder Joe W3BC related the history of the Club’s creation and the rationale behind the large geographic area.
Under new business, W3BC suggested a new program for members wishing to do more for the club — the Dime-A-Day Donor Program. Club members may voluntarily contribute an additional $36.50 each year to go toward the Club’s Educational and Outreach programs. In recognition of these voluntary contributions, they will receive the status of “Sustaining Member” and a certificate bearing witness to that fact. Several contributions were given to the Treasurer. 15 members and guests were in attendance.
After the meeting, Coffee and Donuts were enjoyed, and a 50-50 drawing was held. 
The program was then presented by Steve Waltman KB3FPN from Brookville, with help from Tom W3KWT. The program was a demonstration of the capabilities of a Communications Monitor, and how amateur transmitters could be tested easily to be sure they measured up to specs.
Photo Gallery
(Click any image to begin slideshow, press [ESC] to stop)
GGET YOUR LICENSE! The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club invites you to attend free classes that will help you prepare for the FCC Technician exams and get your license! Classes are every Thursday begining Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 pm, and will be held at the Clearfield County 911 Center, 911 Leonard Street, Clearfield. The class will be taught under the supervision of an ARRL Certified Instructorby a team of qualified, active hams who will be on hand to help every student over the rough spots. Additionally, our local mentors will be available between classes to answer any questions which may come up while students are studying at home.
 These classes will continue for four weeks, and will end with a Volunteer Exam session at the 911 Center on Thursday, August 11 at 6:30 pm. The material is appropriate for all ages from 10 to 110, however parents of those under 13 are especially encouraged to sit in with their children to provide any needed support. The course consists of the material you will need to know in order to take and pass the FCC license exams, and will follow the material in the ARRL License Manual Second Edition, which although not required is available from the ARRL or other vendors for the list price of $29.95 or through the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club at a substantial discount.
It's easier than you think to get your license. Our instructors guide you past the hurdles and lead you to the finish line!
Topics to be covered include every group of questions on the FCC Technician Exam Element 2:
SUBELEMENT T1 – FCC Rules, descriptions and definitions for the amateur radio service, operator and station license responsibilities
SUBELEMENT T2 – Operating Procedure
SUBELEMENT T3 – Radio wave characteristics, radio and electromagnetic properties, propagation modes
SUBELEMENT T4 – Amateur radio practices and station set up
SUBELEMENT T5 – Electrical principles, math for electronics, electronic principles, Ohm’s Law
SUBELEMENT T6 – Electrical components, semiconductors, circuit diagrams, component functions
SUBELEMENT T7 – Station equipment; common transmitter and receiver problems, antenna measurements and troubleshooting, basic repair and testing
SUBELEMENT T8 – Modulation modes; amateur satellite operation, operating activities, non-voice communication
SUBELEMENT T9 – Antennas, feedlines
SUBELEMENT T0 – AC power circuits, antenna installation, RF hazards
Course materials:
Lesson Plan: 
 OON MAY 24, the ARRL renewed the Special Service Club status for the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club. QCARC has been an ARRL Affiliated Club since 1978, and became a Special Service Club in 1985. This renewal indicates the Club’s continuing commitment to providing additional services to its members and the communities it serves.
Is it a big deal? Yeah, it kind of is. Of the 43 ARRL Affiliated Amateur Radio Clubs in the Western Pennsylvania Section, the Quad-County Club is one of only three Special Service Clubs currently listed in the ARRL online Club Directory. Nationwide, only 137 SSC clubs are so designated from 2,000 ARRL Affiliated clubs. The national average is under 7% of all ARRL Affiliates are SSCs.
A Special Service Club is not “bigger and better” than other clubs; the designation is conferred upon those clubs that in addition to the usual ham radio activities have made an extensive effort to reach out to their members and communities, provide education and technological expertise to their members and the public, encourage and assist their members in keeping their operating skills sharp for emergency communications should the need arise, and present Amateur Radio to the public in a positive light, attracting new members and new hams by their activities rather than promoting with empty words.
The following description of Special Service Clubs is from the ARRL:
"TRULY SPECIAL Amateur Radio clubs are well balanced in their programs for serving the community, developing club members’ Amateur Radio skills and social activities, striving each year to build on their successes to improve their effectiveness. The objective of the ARRL’s Special Service Club program is to help good clubs organize and focus their efforts on those things that really count. Being an SSC should mean that members have certain skills, that the club as a group has the ability to improve service inside and outside the Amateur Radio community, and that it does so when needed.
To be accepted under the ARRL SSC program, a club must be actively involved in each of the following areas:
- New Ham Development and Training
Purpose: Develop an effective, coordinated program of public relations, recruiting, training and ongoing assistance targeted to prospective hams in your community to foster needed growth in Amateur Radio.
- Public Relations
Purpose: Establish an effective Amateur Radio presence in your community, including contact with local media and coverage of your activities; Public Information Officer appointment.
- Emergency Communications
Purpose: Club members should become skilled in communicating effectively during communications emergencies and be prepared to assist when needed; Official Emergency Station appointment and participation in ARES.
- Technical Advancement
Purpose: Continuing education in the technical aspects of Amateur Radio to ensure that your club members are technically competent, familiar and comfortable with modern radio-electronics technology; Technical Specialist appointment.
- Operating Activities
Purpose: Active participation as a club in one or more major operating or operating support activities to ensure that your club maintains a high level of operating skill.
- Miscellaneous Activities
Purpose: Every active club has its special interests and activities that make it unique, that give it special personality. At least three such activities are required to become a Special Service Club.”
Breaking News
(From ARRL WPA SM John Rodgers N3MSE)
RECENTLY SOME misinformation was obtained regarding the passge of a Senate Bill and sent to the House. This bill was mistakenly identified as SB583. This is incorrect. The bill that passed was Senate Bill 314 printer number 1295. This Bill specificially exempts amateur radio.
Please do not at this time write letters etc. except in support of this exemption. We do not want to upset the current situation.
73
John Rodgers, N3MSE
W. Pa. Section Manager
FIELD DAY IS many things to many people, but among amateur radio operators, it is popular! In the words of Francis E. Handy W1BDI (SK) the “Father” of Field Day, it offers “a great opportunity to get out in the open in this fine spring weather…”
All radio amateurs and people interested in personal communications in our entire Quad-County area are invited to participate in this year’s Quad-County Amateur Radio Club Field Day operation at the Old Town Sportsmen’s Booth on the Clearfield County Fairgrounds. This is a location open to the public, and there is plenty of free parking. Above and beyond that, there is a shelter where we will be setting up shop, and this will protect us from the inevitable showers and Mother Nature’s many otherinconveniences.
 Quad-County Field Day historically has been a family affair, and we continue that tradition this year. There are facilities for a cookout, so we will have one, and a place to sit and eat in comfort! We emphasize again that we intend to make this a family affair and everyone is invited.
Activities begin on Saturday morning, June 25th, and continue around the clock until 5 pm on Sunday. Field day is the largest event in Amateur Radio. Participate with your local club this year and get in on the fun! W3BC is bringing a couple contest-grade radios which he has used to achieve numerous contest awards, and is fine-tuning the networked computer logging system. There are several recently licensed hams locally, and we are setting up a “GOTA” (Get On The Air) station for recently licensed amateurs, those without licenses yet, and long time hams who have not been active lately.  The GOTA station is the ideal way for amateur radio newcomers and unlicensed family members to enjoy a meaningful part in the festivities by making actual contacts with other Field Day stations that will contribute to the Club’s overall score!
We also plan on having a VHF station on hand so if 6 meters and 2 meters open up we will be ready to go! Four transmitters, food, a public information area, shelter from the elements… It sounds like a large order, but we’ve done it before and we will do it again this year! There is a lot to be finalized at the meeting on Friday, June 17th, so plan on attending that important meeting!
We all remember the “Good Ole Days” with fondness. I remember—and I’m sure you do too—the fun and good times we all shared participating in Quad-County ARC activities: Building a repeater, the good food and great times at Field Day, especially at Ed Golla’s picnic grove, the chance to visit our many friends at each meeting… The list is almost endless and the happy memories warm my heart every time I think about them. How about you?
You may be visiting this website after reading the card we sent you. Some of us are still very active hams, while some of us are taking a smaller part in ham radio activities. If I had to point out one thing which made ham radio more fun for me and for many other hams I know, I’d have to say that the most fun we had was when we gathered together as a club and did interesting and exciting things. The Halloween patrols, traveling as a group to hamfests, teaching classes, giving exams, “BUX burgers,” K3BFO’s “special” weather reports… We may not have known it then, but those are the things we remember best about those days.
The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club turns 36 on April 17th. Sadly, many of us have gone to the “antenna farm” in the years since. The reins have been passed several times, and fewer and fewer of our members have been coming back. This is sad, because a healthy, active ham radio club makes our favorite hobby so much more fun. I think we can recapture some of that youthful enthusiasm, give the club a shot in the arm and reap the benefits—all we have to do is start showing up and doing things together.
As I prepared those postcards and put the stamps on them, I couldn’t help but experience deja-vu, and remember how I did the same thing almost a lifetime ago. The results back then were nothing short of amazing! All of us joined together and raised up a very successful club. For its part, the club provided us with enjoyable activities for many years.
I believe  the same can happen today. All it will take is the same as it took all those years ago: You.
We have a nice place to meet at the Clearfield County Emerency Operations Center just behind the old County Home, and we have an interesting meeting planned for Friday April 15th at 7:30 pm. If you have trouble driving that far at night, let me know and I’ll try to line up someone to give you a ride. Every Sunday evening, the Quad-County FM Net meets at 7:00 like it always has, now on the 147.315 repeater. Our Spring Banquet is coming up on May 14th at the Fort Worth Restaurant in Du Bois. We are sponsoring a VE testing session on Friday, April 8th at the Du Bois Diner at 6:00 pm. I’m still publishing The Parasitic Emission, now as a full-color, PDF electronic magazine. Click here to download the latest issue, or click here to see many of our back issues.
Won’t you please join with us again for these and all the other activities we are planning? Having you take part will make a much better club, which in turn will make your Amateur Radio experience more fun than it is when you try to do it all alone. So how about it? Will you give us a little of your time to check us out and see what we can do for you? We will be happy to welcome you home, and your participation will add to everyone’s enjoyment of our favorite hobby!
73!
Joe Shupienis W3BC (ex WA3IHK)
Founder, Quad-County Amateur Radio Club
 The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club is pleased to host a multi-club Spring Banquet on Saturday, May 14 from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at the Fort Worth Restaurant, downtown DuBois. All radio amateurs and guests in the Quad-County area are invited, regardless of club affiliation.
There will be a multi-club awards ceremony, and valuable door prizes awarded after the dinner. The featured speaker of the evening is the ARRL Atlantic Division Director, Bill Edgar, N3LLR.
The Menu
Dinner Buffet, Including:
Stuffed Chicken Breast or Pot Roast of Beef
With Carrots, Celery and Onions in Gravy
Butter and Parsley Potatoes
Spring Vegetable Medley
Rigatoni with Alfredo Sauce
Soup or Salad
Fresh-Baked Bread or Dinner Roll with Butter
Choice of Beverage: coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, punch or Coca-Cola brand soft drink
(Legal beverages available at cash bar)
$13.95 + tax/gratuity at door
$17.30 per person
Reservations Required by May 7
Reservation email to: banquet@qcarc.org
Guest Speaker:
Mr. Bill Edgar N3LLR
Atlantic Division Director
American Radio Relay League
Awards Ceremony
Door Prize Drawings:
ARRL Publications (Courtesy N3LLR)
Handheld Transceiver (Sponsor: Parasitic Emission)
Drawing Tickets will be sold at door
It is said that engineers never know when to stop “improving” things. I certainly share that malady!
I think the website is close to its final, working form, and is almost ready for production. It already has plenty of new and useful functionality. There is one new and very exciting feature I’ve added… If you’re a registered user, YOU CAN ENTER YOUR OWN ARTICLES!!! As everyone uses this feature more and more, the website becomes a place you will have to visit often. It’s safe to say the website is never the same twice!
I’ve added lots of eye-candy. I think I may have missed my calling as a Graphic Designer. Or maybe it’s brain damage from my reckless youth!
You’re probably wondering what the “QRM” box is all about. Well, each item submitted to the website can be “tagged” with several keywords describing what it’s about. The QRM is a 3-D beehive of those keywords. The bigger they are, the more articles are related to those keywords. Clicking on a green one loads all articles with that keyword. Slide your mouse on over to the QRM box and watch all those pretty colors, man… (oops, another flashback!)… You know you want to!
This is YOUR website. Please feel welcome to reply to any post, vote in the polls, browse the Classified Ads, read all the “stuff”, and write your own posts to share with others. If you have photos of your shack, upload them! Let’s all make this thing grow!
On our “Welcome to Amateur Radio” page, we hope to list at least one Elmer for each community we have selected. By volunteering, you will become your community’s “go to” person for new hams and those looking to become hams. This is a very important part of the hobby that has given you so much. Please do your part and give back to your community and to your hobby.
If you are ready, willing and able to serve responsibly, please take a moment to register as your community’s Amateur Radio Ambassador.
Continue reading Calling All Elmers!
Hello everyone!
I’d like to open this discussion as a place for you to leave your comments and suggestions for the new website. Is there a feature you’d like to see? is there something that could be better. Is something missing?
These and many other concerns are just what we will discuss here!
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OOn Saturday, August 13, 2011, members of the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club set up an Amateur Radio Demonstration station on the grounds of the Super 322 Drive-In in Woodland, PA. The station used a typical mobile antenna system, but was still able to work stations all along the East Coast, and DX stations in the Caribbean as well!
