The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s January meeting is Thursday, January 15th, at 7:30 PM at the Pepperell Community Center (in Pepperell). We start gathering at 7 PM to socialize before the meeting starts.

January is traditionally “Short Subjects Night”. Club members and guests are offered the opportunity to stand up and talk for 15 to 20 minutes about any subject you think club members would find interesting. Feel free to just come and listen, but please come and share your knowledge regarding a subject that you would like to share with others.

I look forward to seeing you there.

NVARC recently completed our first ever General upgrade class, with our first volunteer exam (VE) session at the completion of the classes. We would like to congratulate the following upgrades to General class:

Kartik, K1AKP
Dan, KB1OPO
Ottavio, KC1PFU
Libby, KC1RKH
John, KC1VTD
Patrick, KC1WNU
Matt, KC1YLN
Phil, KC1YNF
John, W1JHK

Additionally, Patrick, KC1WNU, and John, W1JHK, also upgraded to Extra class! And John, KC1YTJ, who participated in our recent Technician license classes, passed the Technician exam at the exam session.

Please congratulate all the participants. And thanks to all those who helped with the license classes and the VE session.

NVARC completed a very successful licensing class in October, with 15 new hams getting their licenses. With the recent government shutdown it took a while for everyone to get their callsigns, but I think everyone now has theirs. Please join me in congratulating the following new hams:

Kartik KC1YHU – Now K1AKP
Tom KC1YJL
Jon KC1YJM
Moe KC1YKN
Dot KC1YKR
Kara KC1YLA
Matt KC1YLN
Kiirja KC1YLO
Janette KC1YLP
Mark KC1YLQ
Paul KC1YMR
Phillip KC1YNF
Wendy KC1YNO
Scott KC1YON
John KC1YTJ

A number of these new hams have checked into the Monday night net, have attended NVARC meetings, and are generally active on the air! Please join me in welcoming them to Amateur Radio and please keep an eye (or ear) out for them!

Thanks to Bruce, K1BG, Les, N1SV, and Bob, N1DVC, for their dedication in helping with the classes.

The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s December meeting is Thursday, December 18th, at 7:30 PM at the Pepperell Community Center (in Pepperell). We start gathering at 7 PM to socialize before the meeting starts.

Traditionally, NVARC’s December meeting has been “Homebrew Night” where members bring the things that they have been building all year. Over the last few years, we broadened the focus to include things like software programs you are working on, antenna projects, equipment restoration and repair, and generally anything being worked on that is not commercial off-the-shelf. In 2023 we added a “Boat Anchor Petting Zoo” category where you can show off any of your tube-based equipment.

It’s a great social night where you can experience what other people are doing, ask questions, and rub shoulders with other members and guests. If you are new or not a tinkerer don’t let that stop you from coming and enjoying yourself.

I look forward to seeing you there.

NVARC’s meetings are held at the Pepperell Community Center, 4 Hollis Street, in Pepperell, near the Pepperell rotary.

Thanks, and 73. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Bruce, K1BG
978-772-2773 or bruce.blain@charter.net

The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club (NVARC) is offering a free amateur radio licensing course beginning on Monday, September 8th. The course will prepare students for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Technician licensing exam that will be offered at the completion of the course. The Technician level radio operator’s license is the first of three amateur licenses offered by the FCC. Each license has increased levels of operator privileges.

The course consists of twice weekly sessions, beginning on September 8th, and meets on Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks. The course will be held at the Grady Research building, 323 West Main St., in Ayer. Sessions will start at 7PM and last for 2 hours. An FCC license exam will be scheduled for the end of the sessions. The course is free, but there will be an FCC required $15 testing fee if you take the exam. The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, 5th edition, will be the study guide used for the class. A limited number of study guides may be purchased from the instructor for $30 or online from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) or Amazon.

This course is open to all; there are no age limits. Pre-registration is required; no walk-ins will be allowed. To register you must contact the instructor, Bruce Blain at (508) 341-5124 or via email at bruce.blain@charter.net.

The FCC Technician license exam covers basic regulations, operating practices and electronic theory, with a focus on VHF and UHF applications. The FCC exam consists of 35 multiple choice questions, chosen from a published list. The FCC no longer requires Morse code proficiency for an amateur radio license. This Technician licensing course is ideal for Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members to quickly get their radio operator’s license.

NVARC has resources available to help new hams with equipment selection, set-up, and getting on the air. There are handheld radios available for as little as $30 that will economically get you on the air and talking to other hams in your area.