Our goal as an amateur radio club is to foster friendship among hams in this area. Please join us at regular club meetings held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Trinity United Methodist Church located on 2ND Ave in Opelika AL.

Exam License Study Classes Available

Need help studying and preparing for the exam to obtain your license or upgrade? Visit our Amateur Radio Testing and License Exam Study Sessions Page for information on these study sessions.

2/21/13 Meeting Highlights

Glynn (WB4PHG) and Richard (WB4BYQ) demonstrated and discussed the use of antenna analyzers. Dan (KK4ICE) in turn gave a practical example of using an antenna analyzer to tune a G5RV antenna (or essentially build one from scratch) so that it actually performs on par -- or better -- than the manufacturers' claims.

Lee County's new D-Star Repeater is on the air!  Frequency: 147.375+
We will have the gateway operational sometime next week. We have some network issues to work out but we will get it done!

73,
Mike (WX4AL)

Update (1/20/2013)

As of this afternoon, The W4LEE D-Star Repeater is fully operational
with the Gateway connected to Reflector 058B. Reflector 58B connects
the following Repeaters in
Alabama full time:

K4DSO (Birmingham)
K4RBC (Gadsden)
KI4SAY (Mentone)
KI4SAZ (Magnolia Springs)
KI4SBB (Birmingham)
W4AEC (Clanton - State EMA)
W4AP (Montgomery)
W4LEE (Auburn-Opelika)
W4WBC (Huntsville)

In a test tonight, Ken, WB4FAY traveled from Opelika to Montgomery
down I85 and then up I65 and had coverage most of the way to
Birmingham. I haven't mapped coverage on I85 up in Valley, AL
and further into Georgia to Atlanta.

Many Many thanks to El Erby, K4DJL and Ken Adkisson, WB4FAY,
for their tremendous efforts to get the repeater and gateway operational.

On Sunday at 8PM, the gateway connects the repeater to the
Southeastern Weather Net. There is an Alabama D-Star Net on
Tuesday nights, and the Alabama Emergency net on Sundays
around 2130-2145Z.

Enjoy!

Respectfully,
Mike
WX4AL

 

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HEADLINES: HAMS IN LEE AND RUSSELL COUNTY JOINT SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST (SET) SCORES!

Greetings Everyone,

Lee and Russell County conducted their SET Operations in a combined effort for our 2012 Simulated Emergency Test in conjunction with Lee County Be Ready Day. A total of 22 Agencies showed up and participated in Be Ready Day activities along with Amateur Radio Operations.

Here are the Stats:

34 Hams participated, 17 of which were licensed since 2007. An incredible 86 messages handled, 42 for just the 6 EMCOMM operators stationed at 7 Volunteer Fire Departments delivering messages and sending back replies.

The remaining messages resulted from communications activity with the other 21 served agencies with operators passing messages between the Lee EMA and the served agencies via 2 Meters.

Total ARES Activity: 527
Total NET Activity : 262

Total Points: 789

Note: This is the PRELIMINARY Score. More checking and rechecking for accuracy will happen over the next two week by other eyes, then a FINAL Score will be published. I have already checked it twice.

Mike Watkins
WX4AL
Alabama Section EC
29-September-2012

A future Amateur Radio Operator gets on the air and logs her first QSO with the help of a member of the East Alabama Amateur Radio Club. Not only did she log her first QSO, but she did so in the heat of airwave battle on 2012 ARRL Field Day.

2012 Alabama QSO Party Video Clip:
Debra (KI4YZY) logs contact with the
Battleship USS Alabama and the Drum...

If you haven't done so already, be sure to join the East Alabama Amateur Radio Club group on Facebook. You'll find all kinds of stuff there, from weather discussions to humor, photos, who knows what. So join the group and jump into the discussions and fun.