What's happening at BCARA
What is Ham Radio? (click here)
What is Ham Radio? Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It's fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need. You can set up a ham radio station anywhere! In a field... ...at a club station.... ...or at home. Although Amateur Radio operators get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles,...
Why should I get licensed? (click here)
Why should I get licensed? Before you can get on the air, you need to be licensed and know the rules to operate legally. US licenses are good for 10 years before renewal and anyone may hold one except a representative of a foreign government. In the US there are three license classes—Technician, General and Extra. Technician License The Technician class license is the entry-level license of choice for most new ham radio operators. To earn the Technician license requires passing one examination totaling 35 questions on radio theory, regulations and operating practices. The license gives access to all Amateur Radio frequencies above...
Ham Radio History (click here)
In 1873, James Clerk Maxwell presented his theory of the electromagnetic field. In 1901 Guglielmo Marconi communicated across the Atlantic with a radio device using high power and giant antennas. To curb interference, Congress approved the Radio Act of 1912, which required amateurs to be licensed and restricted to the single wavelength of 200 meters. In 1914 the American Radio Relay League was founded by Hiram Percy Maxim, who found that messages could be sent more reliably over long distances if relay stations were organized. Transatlantic transmitting and receiving tests began in 1921 and by July 1960 the first two-way contact...
Your First Station (click here)
Your Amateur Radio station may change, but you have to start somewhere, right? Here are some fundamentals that all Amateur Radio stations have in common: Transceiver Power Supply Antenna System The Transceiver Selecting your transceiver will largely depend on how much you want to spend and what you hope to do. If you want to explore long-distance contacts on the HF bands, you’ll need an HF transceiver. If you are interested in chatting with local friends on the VHF or UHF bands, look for a VHF+ FM transceiver. Build Your Own Radio Most hams buy their radios factory assembled,...
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What is Ham Radio? (click here)
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Why should I get licensed? (click here)
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Ham Radio History (click here)
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Your First Station (click here)
Headlines
Educating, Encouraging and Entertaining - Amateur Radio and BCARA
2024 officers : Pres. Richard N8MQO, V.P. David KX8U,
Sec. KB8QKJ Frank, Treas. W8XLV Erik,
Board members: Richard KC8RP, and Matt K8KMB
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APRS for Everyone!
Here is the link to the file presented at the October meeting by David, KX8U
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FIELD DAY 2025
BCARA will be participating in the ARRL Field Day.
Field Day is always the fourth full weekend of June, beginning at 1800 UTC Saturday and running through 2059 UTC Sunday.
We will be at Butler County Sportsmen Rifle & Pistol Club
2131 Millville Ave, Hamilton, OH 45013
This is open to the public Come and learn about amateur radio as we make radio contacts across the county and around the world!
There is another amateur radio license exam coming up. Click the link Test Session link on the left side of this screen for more detaisl
Have you completed an RF exposure assessment
on your amateur radio station?
Click the link below.
RF Exposure Calculation Information
BCARA meetings are the 2nd Monday each month at 7pm. and are held at:
This is located on the corner of Morris Rd and Millikin Rd. Near Butler Tech. Wheelchair accessible.
We strive to provide education topics that the membership wants. Each meeting has a short business section and then into a program or training segment. Topics such as basic electronics, emergency communications, or...
Join us in person or on the air. 146.700 + pl 123 FM or System Fusion digital.
Butler County Health Department
Please come and join us, even if you are not yet...an Amateur Radio Operator, You are welcome to our events and meetings. Our group is fun, helpful and we enjoy fellowship with each other. Our monthly meetings usually include education topics or presentations. If you need assistance getting licensed, BCARA has many members and resources to help you get there. Please visit us soon. 73
BCARA email reflector. To sign-up or make changes to your account click here: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/bcara
Repeater site antennas
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Meetings
Solar Data
ARRL News
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.-
The ARRL Solar Report
Solar activity has been at low levels with mostly weak C-class flares observed from Regions 4172 and 4180. The largest flare of the period was a C6.8/Sf at 15/1037 UTC from Region 4172. There are 12 regions on the disk with most being simple in magnetic complexity. Region 4172 remained the largest region on the disk and continued to decay with its magnetic field decreasing in complexity. All...
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ARRL Serving its Members: NU2W’s Story
By Phil Temples, K9HI, ARRL New England Division Vice DirectorThe New England Division RFI Team assisted Tom Lanieri, NU2W, of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, with a significant RFI problem he’s been suffering with for many years.Tom writes: “I moved from central New Jersey ten years ago and knew from day one that my experiences with HF and amateur radio were doomed because of the noise and th...
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Hams Track Campers’ High-Altitude Balloon, Decode Images
The Kopernik Observatory put out a call last week for hams to receive and decode transmissions from a launch by its High Altitude Balloon Camp. Amateur radio delivered! Social media was abuzz with images decoded from the K2ZRO-9 transmitters. The balloon was launched from Vestal, New York, and ascended over the Catskill Mountains. A crowd gathered at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station...
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Hams Prepare for Forecasted Busy Hurricane Season
The 2025 hurricane season has been underway for almost two months and there has activity on the both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted in June there would be 13 to 18 named storms, 5 to 9 hurricanes, and 2 to 5 major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater) for the 2025 season. This aligns with Colorado State University’s forecast ...
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ARRL Foundation Awards Alexia Snethen, KM6LGG, the 2025 Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship
Alexia Snethen, KM6LGG, of Fremont, California, has been awarded The Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship by the ARRL Foundation. The award, endowed through the generosity of William R. Goldfarb, N2ITP, in memory of his parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb, covers a significant portion of higher education expenses to the awardee. Snethen, who earned many college credits during high school, will be ent...
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The ARRL Solar Report
Solar activity was at low levels on 28 July to 02 August and moderate levels on 03 August. The largest flare of the period was an M2.9/2b event observed from Region 4168 on 03 August. The region also produced numerous C-class events. Numerous C-class activity was observed from Regions 4153, 4155, and 4167. No Earth-directed CME activity was observed. No proton events were observed at geosyn...