Columbia Amateur Radio Society

User Info

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

News & Upcoming Events

Please pay your 2020 dues

The March board meeting and general club meeting have been canceled. Stay healthy.

HELP NEEDED

WEBSITE: We are in need of someone to take over maintaining our web site. If you are interested in helping in this way, please contact one of the officers/directors.

PayPal now available for Dues

Annual Membership Dues – January 1, 2020.

Now accepting cash, check, credit card and online payments.

Now we are able to accept payments and donations anytime - online. PayPal provides
receipts and accurate records. If you prefer, we can email an invoice as a reminder.
As always, cash will be accepted. Annual Dues = $20: Family $25 (2 votes for 2 hams)

Be sure to include your call-sign.

WELCOME GUESTS

Welcome to the Columbia Amateur Radio Society (CARS) website!

Join now to have full access

To join the CARS club or to be a website member and *HELP FIGHT SPAM* please enter one of the following email addresses into the "TO" box of a new email on your computer, DO NOT COPY AND PASTE!

In your email please include your name, phone number, email address, the reason you want to join and if you have them your call sign & license class. In the subject line please state I WANT TO JOIN THE WEBSITE or I WANT TO JOIN THE CLUB. (By joining the CLUB, you automatically join the website)

There are 3 levels of participation in CARS.

1. GUEST - Feel free to browse our website, click on all the links to the ham related info we have on the page. You can also check out our upcoming events by clicking on the CALENDAR link (above), check out our PHOTO gallery and click the FORUMS tab to see what is posted there. , but you can not post, see the shoutbox or member list.

2. WEBSITE MEMBER ONLY - Use this email address to request a logon:

. You will become a CARS website member and will be emailed a user name and password. You can then log on to the website and post in the forums and shout box.

3. CARS MEMBER - Use this email to join the CARS club:

. You will become a CARS website member and be emailed a user name and password. Once you pay your dues you will be granted full status and can vote in the CARS meetings and be granted full access to the site.

*Currently the Dues are only $20.00/yr for a single member or $25.00 for a family membership and cover Jan 1 - Dec 31. If you join on or after July 1st, the dues are $10.00 for single membership and $12.50 for a family membership for the remainder of the year.

If you have any questions you can send an email to

.

NOTE: If you send a request to join the cars website or to become a CARS member and do not get a reply within one day, please email me at

User Info

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

2020 Meat & Eat Locations

Join us at 5:30PM,
April 20, 2020
Let's eat at
Texas Roadhouse
3039 US-90, Lake City, FL 32055

Contact Us

Send email to:

Past How To's

Sept 16 How To Antennas by Mike Meador PowerPole Connectors

Grounding
Youtube Links Grounding a Tower Frequency's Old Band Plan but Informative

2019 Get-Together

Club Links

Club Info
Club Bylaws

CARS Frequencies

Freq (Mhz)	Offset (Mhz)	Tone
Lake City
146.940	-.600	123.0
145.490	-.600	none
147.150	+.600	123.0
53.390	-1.00	141.3
146.420	Local	Simplex
146.520	Nat'l	Simplex
444.900	+5.0	110.9
Live Oak
145.270	-.600	123.0
145.410	-.600	100.0
443.700	+5.0	110.9

Tools

CHIRP file
CARS Brochures
CARS Net Script
ARES Net Script
ARRL band plan
ARRL Tech band plan
Antenna Calculator
FCC Search
License Renewal
QRZ Search
RadioQTH
FLDigi Manual
VE Manual

CARS Sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors.
American Legion Post 57

Band Conditions

Thursday (and Tuesday) night nets

7:00pm	CARS net (Tuesday)	145.490	no PL
7:15pm	Dixie ARES Net	147.390	PL-123.0
7:30pm	Gilchrist ARES Net	147.285	PL-123.0
7:45pm	Columbia ARES Net	146.940	PL-123.0 (Thu)
8:00pm	Alachua ARES Net	146.820	PL-123.0
8:15pm	High Springs Radio Rangers	146.520	Simplex (Tue)
8:30pm	Suwannee ARES Net	145.410	PL-100.0

Recent Topics

	Free Ham Antenna Tower 65' [Antennas]	harry-ki4zey February 04, 2020, 12:20:15 PM
	BTV series antenna setup [Antennas]	gary-ki4hpw January 17, 2020, 05:34:23 PM
	QST Magazines [Lending Library]	mike-km4btw October 29, 2019, 11:33:19 AM
	Antennae base [Antennas]	mike-km4btw August 24, 2019, 12:43:33 PM
	Yagi Antenna [Antennas]	richard-ke4bqi July 25, 2019, 10:54:27 PM

Links

Weather

A great Weather website by ham operator W1APE

Cheap QSL Cards
With 140 different QSL designs, we have a QSL card to please you and within your QSL price budget. We have the USA's lowest priced QSL cards! Secure online shopping.

American Radio Relay Leage (ARRL)

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting to hams around the U.S. with news, information and ...

Emergency Communications

Domestic Preparedness must read!

American Preppers Network

The American Preppers Network (APN) is a non-profit corporation and part of a growing international movement of people who call themselves preppers.

Eham

eHam.net is a Web site dedicated to ham radio (amateur radio).

Ham Universe

Your Ham Radio Universe of fun and information for amateur (ham) radio.

Clubs

Columbia Amateur Radio Society

CARS amateur radio club located in Lake City, FL - Tuesday Net at 7 pm - 145.490 -.600 no PL

Feld Hell Club

Our club is dedicated to Hellschreiber, or Hell, a unique, HF digital mode for sending and receiving text using facsimile technology in which the characters are not decoded, but "painted" graphically on a screen for the operator to interpret.

High Springs Radio Rangers

Dixie Amateur Radio Club - Tuesday Net at 8:15 pm - 146.520 Simplex and 50.135 MHz at 8:30PM Tuesday

Now we are adding a six-meter SSB simplex net on 50.135 MHz at 8:30PM Tuesday, immediately following the two meter FM net. We chose that frequency because almost all six meter SSB activity is concentrated at the low end of the band and existing antennas are cut for the low end. The net uses horizontal polarization because virtually all installed six meter antennas are horizontally polarized, and a 40 meter dipole is also a 7/2 wave dipole on 6. Anyone with a 40 meter dipole and a relatively new HF rig can work this net! Of course, all else being equal, six meter SSB will have much greater coverage than either two meter FM or SSB. Since an increasing fraction of HF rigs offer six meter coverage, we are hoping to encourage hams to use that capability and participate. We are hoping this longer range net will complement the two meter net and enhance our EMCOM capability. Anyone who wants to install a dedicated six meter antenna should contact me, WA4QLA@ARRL.net. I’ve been a six meter operator for almost 60 years, and I can show them some effective and inexpensive home-brew alternatives to buying pricey commercial antennas.

The Knights (and Ladies) of the Kilocycle

The Knights (and Ladies) of the Kilocycle is Ham Radio's oldest continous net, meeting every Sunday at 7:30 A.M Eastern time on 3.910 since 1929. Some of the group also meets daily Monday through Saturday also on 3910 calling themselves the "Old Goats" net.

Suwannee Amateur Radio Club

The Suwannee County ARES/Emergency Preparedness NET is held every Thursday at 8:30pm - 145.410 PL-100.0

Knuckle Draggers Net

Knuckle Draggers Net starts at 8PM on 7.215 MHz every Thursday

Traders Net

0800 Wednesday on 3.910 MHz

0800 Sunday on 3.933 MHz

California - Hawii Net

1200 - 1330 on 14.340 MHz

Navy Net

NAVY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

7.245 MHz pre net at 0700 - 0800 net from 0800 - 0900

The navy amateur radio club has been on the air since 3 March 1979, currently 7 days a week, and has 254 active nembers at this time. To be eligible for membership you must have had honorable service in either the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard or Reserve components. Each new member is assigned a membership number which at the present time is 571.

Learn

QST NFL December 2019; What’s Inside….; Page 2 Ride for MS; Page 3 Five Flags ARS Update; Page 4 New 4:1 Balun; Page 5 TARS/TARC Support Bike Ride; Page 6 2020 Amateur Radio Communiccations Conference; Page 8 LMARS Outings; Page 9 Florida Winlinkers help with GA Exercise; Sun Spots; What the Numbers Mean, and Propagation Predictions--a brief introduction to propagation and the major factors affecting it. From the ARRL; N3UJJ
The N3UJJ Amateur (Ham) Radio Web Site covers many topics, from HF to VHF, Software Defined Radios, Digital Modes and Antenna Design and Building.; SARNET; The Most Effective Ham Radio Statewide Network. I have talked to Eric KJ4YZI on Sarnet, he has several very good video's.; How to fill out QSL Cards; Even if you do not intend on sending out QSLs to stations you work it is a good idea to have them on hand so you can reply to those you receive.; Ham College; AmateurLogic.TV is the first and longest running Internet television program dedicated to Amateur Radio and Technology.; David Casler; I create ham radio training videos as well as videos on other ham radio topics, including technical and operating topics. My goal is to help those new to ham radio progress through the ranks and enjoy the hobby to its fullest.; Wire Gauge Chart; Shows maximum current for wire size; Color Chart
Resistor Color Chart; Q-Signals
Communicating with Other Hams - Contact Basics: Good Amateur Practices; Phonetic Alphabet
Learn the Phonetic Alphabet; ARRL Frequency Band Chart; Do Not Transmit on any frequency that you do not have privilages for!; RST System
The R-S-T system is used by amateur radio operators, shortwave listeners, and other radio hobbyists to exchange information about the quality of a radio signal being received
Satellite: AMSTAT; The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, or AMSAT, is a worldwide group of Amateur Radio Operators (Hams). It was formed in the District of Columbia in 1969 as an educational organization; SATVIEW; How to Track Satellites

Contests

Contest Calendar

This site provides detailed information about amateur radio contests throughout the world, including their scheduled dates/times, rules summaries, log submission information and links to the official rules as published by the contest sponsors.

ARRL Contest Rules

The goal of Amateur Radio contesting is to contact as many stations as possible during the contest period. Every contest has Contest Rules

Parks On The Air

Parks on the Air SM (POTA) site for portable amateur radio operations that promote emergency awareness and communications from national and state/province level parks.

POTA YouTube Video

Short video about Parks On The Air

13 Colonies

For you ham radio operators out there that never participate in amateur radio contests you will want to do this one. The 13 Colonies contest is a fun contest held from 0900 hrs. eastern July 1 through 1159. hrs eastern July 7

Antennas

Towers
The ten most common tower mistakes

Station Grounding

Station Grounding for Amateur Radio

NA4RR Hegagonal Beam

6 Band hexagonal beam antenna covering 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meter bands The NA4RR broadband hexagonal beam is not a "kit". This is a plug-and-play design that not only fits your budget but is easy to assemble.

Ni4L ANTENNAS & ELECTRONICS LLC

1/2 wave dipole, OCF dipole, windom, full wave loop, end fed, inverted L, portable end fed antenna, long wire, SWL antenna, fan dipole, multiband dipole, G5RV

Ham Universe

vertical bazooka antenna

Radio's/Wire/Cable/Coax/etc

Wire/Cable/Coax/etc: The Wireman; Products for Amateur & Professional Radio Since 1976; Davis-Oiron-Wire; DAVIS RF Co., Davis Associates, Inc., and its affiliate, Orion Wire Corporation provide electronic and electrical wire, cable, RF connectors, DSP audio filters, rope, non-conductive guy cables for aerial or tower support; plus sundry aerial related parts. Davis RF also furnishes wire and cable design and end product for almost any form of specialty cable or custom application. Our services are providing high quality products for numerous industries and interests such as the government, military, avionics, oceanographic, robotics, medical, marine, automotive, microwave, and the amateur radio hobby. Our company philosophy supports a high level of quality products and exceptionally attractive pricing.; 9913F Coax
BELDEN 9913F Detailed Specifications & Technical Data; LMR-400 Coax
LMR-400 Detailed Specifications & Technical Data; Palomar Engineers; Palomar Engineers provides ferrite and iron power core products for radio communication and (RFI/EMI) interference suppression from 100 Khz to 1000 Mhz.
Ham Equipment: QRZ Call Sign Lookup; World's leading amateur radio callsign database news, technical articles, QSL routes, online Logbook, discussion forums, practice licence ...; QTH Swap; Buy, sell, trade HF and VHF equipment, towers, antennas ...Free Ham Radio Classified Ads; GigaParts; Radio Gear, Computer Gear, Treasure Hunting, Maker Supplies, Emergency Prep, etc.

Next CARS Meeting

NEXT REGULAR MEETING: Monday, April 20, 2020 7:00 PM Meeting at American Legion Post 57
2602 SW Main Blvd
click for map
MEETING TOPIC: Power Supplies

NEXT SCHEDULED LICENSE TESTING:
Monday, March 23, 7:00 pm
Lake City Baptist Temple
click for map Testing is also available on request.
Click for What you MUST bring.