*New Hams - A guide to getting started in amateur radio* Getting started with your 2-meter handheld. You have your new handheld radio. Now it's time to get your radio programmed and get on the air. Randy Hall, K7AGE, has a few short videos to help you get started. *How to get started on Ham Radio 2 Meter FM, Part 1 - Repeater basics ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmOfkdhJL1U ) * *How to get started on Ham Radio 2 Meter FM, Part 2 - Operating your handheld ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrRLBPhwaus ) How to get started on Ham Radio 2 Meter FM, Part 3 - Programming your handheld ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1PtDM3lI3Q ) * -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

Please find the listing of our local area nets. There are more than 100 ways to get on the radio. There is a pdf file as well as a sortable spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can be sorted by date and time, band, mode, and more. Thank you to everyone who helped put this listing together. Enjoy! The Net Listings were updated to reflect a couple of recent changes as of 04/28/2020. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

Please find the link to the CARS Membership Application for 2021 to join or to renew your membership. Thank you for your support! *Link to the Membership Application is here ( http://carsfl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-CARS-dues-for-calendar-year-2021-.pdf )*. -- Doug KM4LKC

I participate in the Lee county winklink training session run by Steve, W9GPI. Steve does a great job encouraging us to learn the many facets of the winlink program. Are you wondering just what is winlink? Winlink is...a worldwide radio email service that uses radio pathways where the internet is not present and is capable of operating completely without the internet--automatically--using smart-network radio relays. Winlink provides its user's email with attachments, position reporting, weather, and information bulletins, and is well-known for its role in interoperable emergency and disaster relief communications. To begin with, there is no need to get the radio involved. We'll save that for another time. First, let's get the program up and running and get comfortable with sending and receiving messages using the internet function of the program. Take these three simple steps to get started. 1) Watch the following short video -- *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO730gfzYko* 2) Download the winlink express software -- *https://downloads.winlink.org/User%20Programs/Winlink_Express_install_1-5-25-0.zip ( https://downloads.winlink.org/User%20Programs/Winlink_Express_install_1-5-34-0.zip )* 3) Setup your winlink account. - Using Winlink Express, follow the account creation instructions presented by the program. Winlink Express makes the process easy. For more information (and there is a lot of it), see *https://winlink.org/ Doug KM4LKC*

Lawrence, K4ETD, has offered to help our club organize a workgroup to develop a satellite communications system. The club hopes to develop a microcontroller-based radio system to track and communicate with the International Space Station and other low-earth orbit satellites. We are in the very early stages of organizing the project and our first goal is to see who is interested in participating. Let us know if you would like to help. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 15th - We need your participation. We are holding a Special Event contest training session on this 6-meter net night. Doug, KM4LKC will hold a training session on phone contesting. We have a few operators who have volunteered to "Run a Frequency". But we need YOU to make it a pile-up! This will give the operators a taste of the contest atmosphere during a phone event like the Florida QSO party or Field Day. After a few operators have experienced the pileup, we will stop and get their feedback. Others participating in the pileup can also give their impressions. So, for this net only, we will not start with check-ins. Instead, we will review a few ideas, discuss this contest exchange and let the pile-up begin! The exchange will be the call sign, the last two digits of the year you were licensed, and your six-digit grid square. For example, my information will be KM4LKC 15 EL96bx. Some may ask..."How do I find my grid square?" Here is an easy link - http://carsfl.org/links/. Scroll down until you find : MAIDENHEAD GRID SQUARE LOCATOR MAP Be sure to join us for a different spin on the 6-meter net. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

Have you thought about antenna modeling software? You've seen the 3-D plots and elevation graphs of various antennas. If you want to learn more about the basics of antenna modeling and why you should model, be sure to join us for our April Workshop - An introduction to Antenna Modeling with Bob Kiessel, WA8MZX. We will meet on Wednesday, April 28th at 8:00 pm ET via ZOOM In order to get the most out of the program, you should read the four very good articles from L.B. Cebik. The articles are attached and will give you a big head start on antenna modeling. You may also want to download the free version of EZNEC 6.0 DEMO to play around with the program. You can find the DEMO here - https://www.eznec.com/demoinfo.htm. CARS WX4E is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: CARS Workgroup - Antenna Modeling 101 Time: Apr 28, 2021 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88185445001?pwd=ZDdzcWdXRlRqYmh0YlM0ak1ORmhSdz09 Meeting ID: 881 8544 5001 Passcode: 843438 One tap mobile +13126266799,,88185445001#,,,,*843438# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,88185445001#,,,,*843438# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 881 8544 5001 Passcode: 843438 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keWZiqPIH -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

We are getting ready for our second emergency communications exercise. As we develop our plans, we need your help. Please let us know if you can assist us with the exercise either by providing equipment or by operating the portable stations. This exercise will involve four (4) portable stations spread across the county. These stations will need two radio systems - an HF station to work 40 meters and 6 meters and a VHF/UHF one radio system to work both VHF and UHF. The HF station will need to work voice, JS8 Call, and Winlink RF only (no internet). Each portable station will need at least two operators. Each station will need to include the antenna systems, emergency power systems, radio systems including the computers to run JS8 and Winlink. Antenna systems are limited to a height between 20 and 25 feet to the base of the antenna. This is designed to simulate a "painter's pole " type of antenna deployment. It would be great if we can test Angelo's 6-meter coax antenna as part of our 6-meter operations. Ideally, we would like to have one unit in the Engelwood area located close to the Myakka but just west of the river. A second unit could be located in the Murdock area. We will have one unit located in Punta Gorda near US 17 and Bermont Road. And finally, if we would love to get a fourth unit located in the Babcock Ranch Community located in the southeastern part of the county. That's the hard part. The easy part is that many operators will be able to assist us in testing systems from their own location using hand-held units and mobile units. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology

UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS: Join us at Perkins Restaurant in Port Charlotte for lunch every Friday at 11:00 am. Directions to Perkins located here. ( https://goo.gl/maps/UjTRAZpmUnyDHquM7 ) * CARS Club Meeting on Thursday, April 8th at 7:00 pm. * SPECIAL EVENT - Contest Training on the CARS 6-Meter Net - Thursday, April 15th at 7:00 pm on 50.200 USB. * Emergency Communications Exercise on Saturday, April 24th. ( https://cars-fl.groups.io/g/main/message/1254 ) * Work Group - Antenna Modeling 101 on Wednesday, April 28th at 8:00 pm via ZOOM. ( https://cars-fl.groups.io/g/main/message/1259 ) * CARS 6-Meter Net - Thursday, May 6th at 7:00 pm on 50.200 USB. -- Doug KM4LKC Having fun promoting amateur radio technology