FDL Amateur Radio Club Meeting

The Fond du lac Amateur Radio Club will hold its monthly meeting on Monday at 7:00 PM at Moraine Park Technical College in room A-102. Ham radio enthusiasts and the general public are invited to attend.

Speaking at this month’s meeting will be Stanley Cram. Stan was past president of the Mahaska Amateur Radio Club (MARC) in Oskaloosa, IA.  And past vice president of the Rochester Amateur Radio Club Rochester, MN. First Licensed in 1978 in California as KA6BYT,  he now holds an Amateur Extra class license as AI0M, and has worked 229 countries.

Probably the most popular ham band in use today is the 2 meter band. Virtually every ham, young and old, has this band in his or her shack. The primary focus of ham radio operation on this band is using FM (frequency modulation). In addition, most who use this band do it in the area of the band set aside for repeater operations and it is very popular with new hams holding a Technician license. 2 meter radios have vastly improved over the years and have become more complicated to use.

Stan uncovers the complexities of these new radios such as the new Wouxun, Powerwerx, and Baofeng radios coming out of China and will demonstrate how these radios can be used to their full advantage. Stan also has computer programs and operational programs that he will share with anyone who owns one of these radios. If you would like copies of these programs, please bring a laptop computer to the meeting.

Many Fond du Lac ham radio operators volunteer their services and equipment to provide emergency communication and help when needed. “Hams” Regularly assist during fires, floods, storms and other emergencies. Public service events, such as marathons, triathlons or bicycle races provide an opportunity for hams to support the event and practice skills they will need in a disaster response. If you would like to become a member of the Fond du Lac Amateur Radio Club, contact Joe Scheibinger at 920-237-1450. Meeting is open to the public.