Welcome to the Highland LAKES Amateur Radio Club
Our goal is to help our members and the public learn more about the hobby through the educational and scientific aspects of Amateur Radio.
Next Monthly Meeting: March 31st
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Please donate to our non-profit club. Your donation is important and appreciated.
Announcement: Monthly Club Meeting 3/31/23, Regular Meeting Agenda. We had 1 new member join this month and 1 new guests! Location: Marble Falls EMS, 609 Industrial Blvd, Marble Falls
Discount Code: HamRadioDeluxe.com Just provided the club with a 20% exclusive discount code. Go to the About Ham Radios page to get it.
Club News
At the montly meeting in February the meeting had announcments that include the kick off of a monthly News Letter, our own Discord server, a few tallies of the member survey, (with more info to come), great numbers with participation of the Elmer Net, the new workbench installed at the repeater site, and a good financial report. The demonstration of building a J-pole using copper tubing.
We’ll also be hosting a Parks on the Air in March. We hope to get permission from the Long Horn Caverns to activate from under ground. Cross your fingers.
Upcoming Events
Weekly Breakfast Meeting
Monday Morning Rag Chew Breakfast club. 0730hr …Details
Thursday Net
Elmer Net 1930hr …Details
Sunday Net
Weekly Wrap-up Net 2030hr …Details
Email us at:
About HLARC
We have been in existence as a club since 1981.
Our club exists to help bring folks together with a common interest, HAM radio. There are so many different facets of the hobby, making it fun and relevant for everyone. From kids to parents to grandparents, all ages can enjoy the hobby.
We have fun informative NETS (On the air interactive radio programs) weekly. Your welcome to listen to the nets or, with a minimum of your Technician license, actually interact over the air with fellow HAM’ers.
To contact us for more info, email us at: info@HLARC.org
Marble Falls, TX 78654
HLARC is a 501(c)(3) Corporation
At a glance info
Our Repeater can be found on VHF 2m frequency of 147.020 with a tone of 88.5hz.
As of 2023 our repeater is a new Yaesu model DX-2R transmitting at 50 watts.
The repeater, tower and antenna are located off of Park Rd. near Inks Lake State Park in Burnet County, at an elevation of about 1,500 feet.
The repeater has great reach. The coverage area includes all of Burnet County, north into Llano, south in Blanco, west into Gillespie and east into Hays and Travis counties.
Backup Repeater: We have a backup repeater in the event our primary repeater is unavailable. It can be located at 145.390. The tone 103.5Hz.
Winlink Repeater, also known as a Digipeater. Winlink is a program you install on your computer and by tethering your computer to your radio, you can send and receive digital emails over the air! Our member, Riley W5RLY, has a RMS/Winlink Station operating on 145.030 MHz as W5RLY-10, with “via” connect info of K5HLA-1.
You’ll need to first download the Winlink Software and install it on your Laptop or Workstation. To connect to an HF or VHF digipeater it’s best to use the Vara Software that incorporates into Winlink. Once these two pieces are on your laptop, you can config your com/port/USB to your radio and if your radio has a built in sound card, you’re good to do some quick configuration and you’re up and checking actual email using your radio as the connectivity portion. There are club Elmers more than happy to help you set this up, just email and ask us.
The Winlink website has more detailed information about what they do and what they provide. You’ll also need the VARA add in to be able to connect with VHF/UHF Digipeaters to retrieve and send emails. This can bit complicated but rest assured with a little bit of help from our members, we can help you get it setup on your radio and laptop.
Al Chitwood – KG5BF (President) President@HLARC.org
Chris Dietz – KI5UYD (Vice President) chris@KI5UYD.com
Lee Kinard – N5AVY (Treasurer) Treasurer@HLARC.org
Toni Hauer – W5CRX (Secretary)
Our club is part of an interactive forum that you’re welcome to read and join. Here you can interact with other HLARC members about HAM radio, weather events, announcements and virtually all topics of relevant interest to our members and guests.
Other important links
- Get to know virtually everything in detail about HAM radio, it’s history, what’s out there now, what to expect in the future,,, as well as GREAT resources for all your testing and license info. They have a bunch of cool gear to buy as well. ARRL (American Radio Relay League)…
- QRZ… IS a fantastic site for visiting if you wish to access the database of HAM call signs. Enter a call sign in the search window and it will tell you all about the HAM. If that HAM has input info about themselves as well as photos of their HAM equipment or shack it’s even more interesting!
- Our Documents Download Folder
Club Programs
Activities/Programs
Monday Morning Rag Chew, POTA (Parks on the Air), Field Day, Ham Fest, Fox Hunts, Monthly Meeting, etc
What are Options
There is more than just “talking” on a HAM radio. You can now email, morse code, chat, FT8, text, GPS, and more. Talking and communicating with folks all around the world using these technologies, WITHOUT the aid of the internet.
Nets
A “Net” is an on the air gathering of licensed and unlicensed HAM’ers who share a common interest in the topic at hand and of the Net’s theme.
ARES info
Amateur radio operators use their training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®
Parks on the Air
POTA (Parks On The Air) – This originally was a creation of the ARRL in 2016 with the intent of having an Activator (person with their equipment brought to a park) making contacts with Hunters (Folks at home with their HF equipment) responding and establishing an official exchange of information over the air.
Hunters attempt to get as many contacts as they can from their officially designated park.
It can be great fun and of course you get out into a city, county, state or national park!
As with the other upcoming new and exciting events, stay tuned for our first date and time.
Here’s a GREAT pdf …from ARRL that explains it very well.
Fox Hunts
A Fox Hunt is a scheduled event where licensed or unlicensed HAM take special (not expensive) track equipment out into the world, so to speak, to lock on and find a signal beacon. It’s almost like a game of hide and seek. There can be small teams or just individuals. Prizes or awards can be won!
Plus,,, there can be an awesome meetup afterwards for talk, lunch, coffee, or dinner!
This is new for 2023 so watch the calendar of events for the first one.
Certification Classes and Training
So, you’ve thought about getting a HAM license every since you were a kid with a CB or recently with a couple of FRS radios on a cruise ship or in Disney World. It really is quite easy and you can learn and get licensed in stages. Also they DON’T require morse code any longer.
The testing is multiple choice, study guides have all the questions AND all the answers, what could be easier. A great part of the fun is studying with a friend, a kid or grandkid, and in the end testing together.
We as a club have testing sessions but if your anxious about in person testing or your schedule doesn’t match up with ours, there are plenty of ZOOM testing sites. Test pricing varies but is about 15 bucks-ish.
Let us know if you wish to get your license and we can hook you up with classes we sponsor and/or an Elmer (Mentor) to volunteer their time to help you.
OK, now you have no excuse!
Watch for training sessions and testing on our calendar.
Be Sure to email us with questions at Info@HLARC.org