Greetings! It’s June already! That means the sunshine and heat of summer are upon us. But it means two other things to the Decatur Amateur Radio Club: 1) FOOD; and 2) FIELD DAY!
Our meeting this month is one of our quarterly “eating meetings” on Tuesday evening, June 6th, at 6:00pm at Libby’s Catfish and Diner on Priceville Mountain off of Highway 67. Just leave Decatur and travel past the I-65 interchange, keep motoring through Priceville and go up the mountain. When you reach the big new white cross on top of the mountain, Libby’s is just ahead on the right.
If you’d rather meet in the basement auditorium of the Morgan County Courthouse in Decatur, please arrive early at the lower entrance off of Lee Street and hope that you can convince someone to let you into the empty auditorium. Enjoy!
The meeting will NOT be streamed on Microsoft Teams for obvious reasons.
Once the large quantities of food are consumed and the various subjects of conversation are exhausted, we will be discussing the plans for Field Day, which is scheduled for June 24th and 25th. That’s only 2-1/2 weeks away! Field Day this year will be held at Flint City Park in the south side of Decatur. The park is conveniently located at a busy intersection and a railroad crossing not too far from Highway 31 South. Look it up on Google Maps if you need directions, or call someone on the repeater and we’ll help you find the place. And be sure you come and bring whatever supplies that we discuss on Tuesday! Most importantly, BE THERE!
Speaking of preparations, please participate in the ARES/Skywarn training net on Tuesday evenings on the 147.00 repeater at 7:00. Of course the training net is suspended during the club meetings, but every other Tuesday it’s held so that we can be familiar with and ready for emergency communications. We’ve already seen the need for preparedness this year, and we still have a month of the severe weather season to go. This time.
Please spread the word to fellow hams or those who are wanting to take the test that the Decatur club is now scheduling license testing every month on the first Saturday of each month. The testing sessions will be held in the Decatur Public Library on 6th Avenue NE (Highway 31) at 1:00. Please bring ID (especially your FRN, which is required on the license application) and your $15 fee. And, most importantly, PLEASE send an email to DecaturHamTest@w4atd.org so we can have the testing materials prepared and available for you. July 1st and August 5th are our next scheduled testing dates. And if you are a Volunteer Examiner or want to help in some way, please let us know!
Remember also that the roster of current club members is now online at www.HamClubOnline.com. Set up your free account and if you have paid your dues (and the Secretary has updated the database) you should see that you’re associated with the DARC. If there’s an issue, let us know.
One more IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The first Tuesday of July is the 4th. Every one of us will be busy with other things that day, so the July club meeting has been canceled for this year. The next scheduled business meeting will be on August 1st,
See you on Tuesday evening!
