Force 12 NEWS CLUBS 031802

Amateur Radio Clubs are an important backbone of our favorite interest. My first exposure to amateur radio was through the Bandjammers Radio Club (WA6DVV) at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California. The teacher who took the time to show us about radio is now silent key "Doc", W6ZRJ. Many of us obtained our licenses through his efforts. How about your club? We have two local clubs here, the Paso Robles Amateur radio Club (PRARC), which meets the first Monday of the month and is very active in the community. The club President is Bill, WA5VGI and will probably be the first club news posted here. Another club is the Paso Robles High School Radio Club, which now has several members and is directed by Rob, AG6RT.

As more people have access to the Internet and e-mail, it is now possible to share club information with more people across the country and world. Many clubs already send their newsletters by e-mail and some have web sites. For those who would like to share their club news on this website, Force 12 will now be carrying club news letters and other news relating to amateur radio clubs.

There are many activities and programs we can do to increase interest in amateur radio at club meetings. One of them that has proven effective is to bring old radio equipment to each meeting. Have someone explain about the equipment, with a short history, if possible. Tube type equipment is particularly effective when it is turned on and the aroma of the the radio fills the room. For new amateurs, this will be something they have not experienced. Another suggestion is to make a live comparison between old and new equipment. The one we did with a Collins receiver and a solid-state rig was dramatic. Besides the audio, other features were also compared.

This is not intended to be commercial in nature and all input is welcome. To add your club newsletter and other information, please e-mail it to force12@fix.net. We will add a section for your club, posting your news promptly.

California	Paso Robles Amateur Radio Club (PRARC); Paso Robles, CA, U.S.A.
Florida	South Florida DX Club (SFDXA); Ft. Lauderdale, FL, U.S.A.
Georgia	Atlanta Radio Club; Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.
Massachusetts	Hampden County Radio Association; Feeding Hills, MA, U.S.A.
North Carolina	Forsyth Amateur Radio Club - W4NC; Winston-Salem, NC, U.S.A.
North Carolina	Winston-Salem Contest Crew - W4WS; Winston-Salem, NC, U.S.A.
Pennsylvaina	Mercer County Amateur Radio Club, W3LIF; Sharon, PA, U.S.A.
Pennsylvaina	Wireless Association of South Hills, Inc.; Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.