Welcome to the Yadkin Valley Amateur Radio Club in Yadkinville, North Carolina. We are in Yadkin County in the foothills of North Carolina in Grid Square EM 96.
Amateur Radio or "Ham" Radio as it is often referred to is a hobby which includes a wide variety of things to choose from. You can talk to many "Hams" on the VHF or UHF Bands using a walkie-talkie which is often referred to as "Handie-Talkies" and on mobile / fixed radios with an external antenna and a higher power output directly or through a local repeater to talk to your friends or family members. You can use that same Handie-Talkie to talk to the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) or chat to other hams using OSCAR (Oribiting Satellite Carrying
Amateur Radio).
Many Amateur Radio operators enjoy talking across town or around the world on the shortwave bands also known as "High Frequency or HF" Bands using: voice, Morse Code (CW), or a variety of digital modes.
Hams enjoy using 100 watts of power or more while others prefer using low power of 5 watts or less.
Some Hams like to collect and restore older vintage
radio equipment while others enjoy building their
own radios either from scratch or radio kits which
are available. Of course, commercially built radios
are also readily available.
Amateur Radio operators are also valuable in emergencies because of their knowledge of setting up
radio stations to talk to other Amateur Radio
Operators. We assisted the Red Cross, FEMA, and other
agencies during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for several weeks while the landline telephones, cellular
telephone repeaters, and the internet were being
repaired. Hams have been assisting people during
natural disasters which disrupted normal communications for one hundred years.
Some Amateur Radio Operators are also members of other organizations such as MARS or Military Affilate Radio System, CAP or Civil Air Patrol, as well as many other organizations.
Amateur Radio Operators are separated from other radio operators because they have an individual
radio license issued to them personally from the
Federal Communications Commission or FCC.
There are three types of Amateur Radio Licenses:
Technician, General, and Extra Class.
The Technician License allows access to the Six
Meter Band, VHF and UHF Bands mentioned above.
The General Class License allows access to the
Six Meter Band, VHF and UHF Bands plus the use of
the High Frequency (HF) Bands which allow us to talk
to other Hams around the world or across town.
The Extra Class License allows you to use everything
that the General Class License does but with unlimited frequency access.
Amateur Radio Licenses are earned by passing tests
set forth by the Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC)
in cooperation with the FCC.
The study material for Technician, General, and Extra Class License are multiple choice questions.
Amateur Radio Exams are given by three or more Volunteer Examiners (VEs) at a test session set up by a team liason. Most tests are given by Amateur Radio Clubs. Check for listings in your area.
Current Events:
The Yadkin Valley ARC will be giving tests for the Technician, General, and Extra Class Licenses on Saturday, November 29 from 1 until 4p.m. at Center UMC Church west of Yadkinville. If you are interested in taking the test you will need to bring:
A photo ID
A copy of your Amateur Radio License (if you have one)
Any CSCE you have to upgrade
$14.00 for each test or retest- please bring correct change.
Contact Lee Groce for more information at n4aad@arrl.net.
Please come back and visit again!
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Links
Hams around the World
The ARRL: American Radio Relay League
The QRZ Callbook Database
HandiHam Organization
