VVARC's Community Service History

VVARC has a long history of community service. Most important is the accomplishments of our members. More than once we have provided communications in times of disaster and for search and rescue.

Other services we have provided over the years:

FCC amateur radio license testing
Adopt-a-Highway
Amateur radio demonstrations
Communications for parades, races, and other events

VVARC Ongoing Community Services

Annual Field Day

(Normally the 4th full weekend in June)

Field Day is a worldwide HF radio event. Supported by the ARRL, VVARC sponsors a local event normally held normally at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds.

Field Day is an annual amateur radio exercise, widely sponsored by IARU regions and member organizations, encouraging emergency communications preparedness among amateur radio operators. In the United States, it is typically the largest single emergency preparedness exercise in the country, with over 30,000 operators participating each year.

Field Day stresses emergency preparedness. Frequently, entire radio clubs get involved and assemble a portable radio station in a field or park. Some might use quickly deployable portable antennas while other might erect more elaborate radio masts and towers supporting several antennas. Generators or solar power provide electricity to amateur radio transceivers, which may be located in tents, cars, recreational vehicles, or other portable shelters.

The contest aspect of a Field Day operating event is to contact as many stations as possible in the given time period (twenty-four hours, during a weekend, if setup commences before the contest starts, or 27 hours if setup commences at contest start time) using the portable station. Each station will exchange information with other participating stations. For the North American Field Day, the exchange consists of the station call sign, the name of the ARRL-recognized section from which the station is operating, and a class designator which indicates the number of transmitters concurrently used at the station and information about the type of electrical power source being used.

The contest portion of Field Day has two purposes. The primary purpose is to demonstrate the group's ability to plan operations that can be effective for an entire twenty-four-hour period, including operator endurance and adequate numbers of operators for a shift operation. The secondary portion is to demonstrate the technical proficiency of the station that has been hastily constructed for the purpose; in theory a better station will be capable of emergency operations in more dire conditions. Such a station will also be capable of making more contacts during the contest portion of Field Day.

The rules governing this activity are published by the sponsor of the particular Field Day exercise.

If you have any questions or wish to volunteer to help, contact any one of the VVARC Officers listed on the Contact Page

View field day in a larger map

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Route 66 On-The-Air Special Event

0001Z 10 SEP 2011 - 2400Z 18 SEP 2011.

Route 66 stretches from Illinois to California and radio groups from all the states along the route participate. Our club operates with the special event call sign W6D.

Participation is easy. All Hams are invited to help. You operate out of your home using the special event call (Please ID yourself with your own call occasionally). People are trying to contact as many of the participating groups as they can, so you are the hunted. There are recommended frequencies in QST and we'll add some here as we approach the event.

You do have to keep a log of your contacts, in Zulu time. You do NOT have to do any QSL cards; the club handles any requests that come to the club mailbox.

VVARC
PO Box 869
Victorville, CA 92393-0869

We need to have operators on the air every day of the event. On weekends it's harder to get out through all the traffic; there are usually other special events going on the weekends, too. The participating clubs in the central part of the country get more contacts than we do out here in the far west, but we need to be on the air to represent our stretch of Route 66.

If you have any questions or wish to volunteer to help, you can contact any one of the VVARC Officers listed on the Contact Page

Or visit the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club - www.w6jbt.org

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What is JOTA?

When Scouts want to meet young people from another country, they usually think of attending a World Jamboree. But few people realize that each year more than 400,000 Scouts and Guides "get together” over the airwaves for the annual Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA). Modern technology offers Scouts the exciting opportunity to make friends in other countries without leaving home.

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JOTA is an annual event in which Boy and Girl Scouts and Guides from all over the world speak to each other by means of Amateur (ham) Radio. Scouting experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared via radio waves. Since 1958 when the first Jamboree-on-the-Air was held, millions of Scouts have met each other through this event. Many contacts made during JOTA have resulted in pen pals and links between Scout troops that have lasted many years.
With no restrictions on age or on the number of participants, and at little or no expense, JOTA allows Scouts to contact each other by ham radio. The radio stations are operated by licensed amateur radio operators. Many Scouts and leaders hold licenses and have their own stations, but the majority participate in JOTA through stations operated by local radio clubs and individual radio amateurs.

TECHNICIAN Level HAM Radio Classes

The VVARC sponsors this class four times a year. The purpose of these classes is not to simply 'pass' the exam but rather to learn how to use HAM radios after you PASS the exam. Instruction includes both powerpoint presentations and hands on familiarization with various HAM radio equipment.

The classes run for three consecutive Saturdays with testing offered following the last class. The classes are normally offered on the first three Saturdays of February, May, August and November. The classes start at 0800 hrs and run through 1600 hrs for the first two sessions. The third class starts at 0800 hrs and run through 1200 hrs.

Test sesions are on the third Saturday of each month at 1230 hrs.

Scheduled dates, pre-registration cutoff and classes, pricing and location information will be found in the EVENT Page on the applicable dates. Pre-registration, at least one week prior to the first class is strongly recommended. There is an additional $10 charge if you just show up at the door.

If you have any questions or wish to register for a class simply download the latest flyer with the necessary contact and class information or go to our classes page.

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Victor Valley

Amateur Radio Club

K6QWR

Apple Valley, California U.S.A.

Members of ARRL since 1957

VVARC's Community Service History