Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club

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Welcome to All Hams !!
Welcome to the Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club (VBARC).
We are an active club, with over 100 members.
Join our many radio nets each week (it's easy).
ARES uses radio email (Winlink) weekly.
We have in-person weekly breakfast.
We use our radios every Saturday in a local park.
You don't need to be a member to join us. 

Ham Club Officers 2026
Congrats to the New 2026 Ham Club Officers: Chris - President, Rick - Vice President, Bob - Secretary, Mark - Treasurer, and Richard - Trustee.  

Pay your Club Dues - It's a New Year !! 
The New Year has started, don't forgot to pay your club dues for 2026.
You can do it on-line, please use this link: <link>
Reminder, if you are a new member, please complete and send in the a new member application form. Note the application has a broken field for entering your email address, so when you send it in, we'll use the email address you send it in from. If you deliver by hand, you'll be able to write it in. 

Winter Field Day 2026
The big event was Saturday, 24 Jan from 11 to 5 pm at the ELC. 
Folks, if you didn't get to visit, check out Eric's YouTube Video: <link> 
See Facebook for pictures from Saturday and Sunday (at the airstrip):  <link> 

News/Info:
1. Robert's Rules: See the post at the bottom of the 'About Us' page for a Robert's Rules summary.
2. ARES Winlink Training, Special Event Test (SET), Sat 21 Feb. Please see the ARES Group page, Rick has updated each document. 
3. There will be a FREE SKYWARN training presentation at Orlando HamCation, see HamCation 13-15 Feb below.
4. There is a new 2 page Club Photo Directory. Log-in, go to Member Documents, find the Profile folder (very bottom), click Club Photo Directory - 8 Feb 2026 (PDF). See Bob L, K2BBL for help.       

What's going on this week (and more)
1. Tuesday: Clubhouse, John Davis CHL is the POC.
2. Thursday: Breakfast, 12 Feb, 8:15 AM at Netties. Kat had her baby, Jesse James !! All is good !!
3. Thursday: 12 Feb, Load the trailer for HamCation, be at John's sister's Air-Strip at 4pm. 
4. Thursday: Club Meeting, 12 Feb, 7:30 PM, at  VB Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave, Dinner Menu 6-7pm: Bacon Swiss, BBQ, Cheese and regular Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chilli Cheese Dog all dinners come with Fries 
5. Friday Noon: SO-50 Satellite pass ... will be a good one!!
6. Friday: Kit Night, 13 Feb - TBD because of HamCation, 7-9 PM at the Red Cross, 2506 17th ave.  
7. Friday: Kit Night, 13 Feb - TBD because of HamCation, 7-9 PM at the Clubhouse, POC is John Davis CHL. 
8. Saturday: QRP, 14 Feb - TBD because of HamCation, 8 AM - 12 PM, lunch (also TBD) at American Legion.  
9. Orlando HamCation, THIS Fri, Sat & Sun, 13-15 Feb, see <Website> 
Free SKYWARN Spotter Training - Sunday, 15 Feb, 10am-12pm <See Flyer>
10. QRP Sat 21 Feb, A.W. Young's Park is closed, due to Royal Cupcake 3K run (Thank you Rick B). We are working an alternative QRP location, do you have a request? Jim K and Bob L.
11. Winlink SET, Sat 21 Feb. See ARES Group Page for the details.  
12. Sheriff's BBQ - Wednesday, 4 Mar, 2-7 PM. We'll have the trailer there. 
13. Pelican Island Special Event: Saturday, 7 Mar, are you interested? POTA activations too. Let Eric L, UJO know.  

Become A Ham with Amateur Radio Exam Opportunities
A license is required to be an amateur radio user, we can help you. 
There is also a general Testing and Training page on this website.
Attend any club event to find out more about becoming a ham. 

The Club Meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of the Month
Our next club meeting is Thursday, 12 Feb. It will start at 7:30 PM.
The Veterans club meal is listed above (schedule section).
Location is the VB Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave, Vero Beach.
Here's a Google Map link for you: <link>

License Testing is on the 3rd Wednesday of the Month
License Testing is the 3rd Wed of the month, 18 Feb at 7 PM.
Location is Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2555 58th Ave, VB, 32966.
Here is the Google Map link: <link> 
See the Testing and Training page for more information.

ARES Meetings are on the 4th Wednesday of the Month
The ARES meeting is the 4th Wed of the month, on Wed 25 Feb 7 pm.
Location is Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2555 58th Ave, VB, 32966.
Here is the Google Map link: <link> 
See the ARES Group page for more information.

Flex Radio Group
We have a Flex 6500 radio at a remote site, but internet there was too expensive. At the November club meeting, John F/MCK's motion to sell the Flex 6500 radio was approved.
We are planning to video the Flex radio in operation, and then sell the it via various on-line avenues.

Clubhouse
John D./CHL introduced draft Clubhouse Rules for review at the November meeting.
We will post here when we get a copy. 
Remember, you need both an outside and inside combo to access the clubhouse. 
If you need a combo and you have paid your dues, please contact John D./CHL. 
Please remember to use the shack log-in sheet. 

VBARC Groups.io Email exchange is here, join to stay current.
VBARC has a Groups.io email exchange, it's public, so anyone can view the messages, click this <link>.
Sending email is limited to Groups.io members, click above link to join. Jim K/K2JJK is lead, Bob L/K2BBL is assisting. 
Are you interested in becoming the moderator/lead? 

Monthly Club Meetings
Our club has it's main meeting on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm. Location is: Vero Beach Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave.
You do not need to be a member to attend. Find out more about our club and ham radio. 
Our normal monthly schedule is: 1st Friday - no activity, 2nd Thur - Club Mtg (7:30 PM), 3rd Wednesday - License Testing (7 PM), 4th Wednesday - ARES Mtg (7 PM), 5th week - no activity.

Weekly Ham Radio Nets
1. Monday: Emergency Net: 7:30 PM, using the 146.640 K4JC Repeater. Echolink: K4CPJ-R (echolink node is only on during the net). Repeater details: FM RX 146.64, TX 146.04 (ie 0.6 mhz negative offset), tone 107.2.
2. Monday: Net About Nothing ... Much: 8 PM, using the 6 meter 53.33 Repeater, Echolink: KG4ORQ-R. Repeater details: FM RX 53.33, TX 52.33, (ie 1.0 mhz negative offset), tone 100.
3. Tuesday: IRC ARES Net: 7:30 PM, using the 145.130 Repeater, Echolink: KM4MCK-R. Repeater details: FM RX 145.13, TX 144.53 (ie 0.6 mhz negative offset), tone 107.2
4. Tuesday: IRC ARES Winlink emails: All week ending Tuesday at 5 PM. To participate see the ARES Group page (open the public menu).
5. Tuesday: D-Star net: Tuesday, 8:30pm to 9:00pm on Reflector 078C
6. Tuesday: DMR net: Tuesday, 9:00pm in talk group 31123
7. Wednesday: Out of Towner Net: 8 PM, using the 6 meter, 53.33 Repeater and Echolink: KQ4ORQ-R. Repeater details: FM RX 53.33, TX 52.33 (ie 1 mhz negative offset), tone 100
8. Sunday: Skywarn Training and Practice Net: 9 PM, using 146.775 repeater. Echolink: AF4CN-R. Repeater details, FM RX 146.775, TX 146.175 (ie negative 0.6 mhz offset), tone 107.2
9. Daily: Treasure Coasters 7.153 prenet 6.45 AM (run by Gary W, N1PZB), net 7:45-8:45 AM. NOTE the frequency, this net is for Extra class licensed operators only.
10. Daily: South Florida ARES net 3.940 7:45-8:00 AM check in by county.  Logging at: Logger.PlumTX.com

Thursday Club Breakfast
Every Thursday morning, 8:15 am.
Where: Nettie's Roadside Restaurant
Address: 2555 27th Ave, Suite G-6, VB, FL 32960.
All are welcome. If you don't know us, ask for the Ham club. We're in the back room.
Kat took a VBARC group picture in Aug 2024. Nettie hung it up on the wall in the back room.                Click here to see a bigger picture

Facebook Page
Visit our Facebook Page to find out more about the club; it includes pictures and other events. You don't need a Facebook account to visit our Facebook (FB) page, it's open to everyone. But, to scroll through and leave comments requires a FB account. We posted the Lagoonapalooza and Winter Field Day on FB today - 20 Jan, check it out !

VBARC Mailing Address
Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club
c/o IRC EOC
4225 43rd Avenue
Vero Beach, FL 32967

Membership and Member Dues
The W4OT.com Member's Area of the website is for members only.
Join us using Pay on-line with paypal or Credit card payment; use link below.
New members, please complete the membership application: use the link below.
Cost: VBARC membership is $20 per year, VBARC Family membership is $30 per year. 
We also collect for the Treasure Coasters Repeaters Association.
Cost: $20 ($21 when done on-line).  Pay Dues or Become a Member

About our Club
Want more info about our club, see and click the "About Us" menu link on the left side or the top of this webpage. The Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club thanks the Indian River County (IRC) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for their support of our club and Amateur Radio.

Club Shirts and Logo Pins
T-shirts can be viewed and purchased at the following 2 websites:
1) https://www.legendaryvero.com/apparel Tel 772-257-6109, Polo $22, T-shirt $18, Hat $16. More details and pictures are coming. 
2) www.zazzle.com/store/w4ot_vbarc.
VBARC pins can be purchased by VBARC members for $2 or $4 for non members. They are nice pins and have proven to be popular. Pins are available at club meetings or Contact the Club.
Pictures of the shirts from LegendaryVero.com are below.
  

HAM SOFTWARE FOR YOU...
The Virtual Ticketing Progam is useful at hamfests for attendee ticketing, awarding prizes and marketing. Other HAM software is also available. Contact John at KK4SHF @ PlumTX.com