Greetings! March has already arrived. The old saying reminds us that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a bear.” I think this year’s March lion has spent too much time lately on a sunny beach somewhere!
Not that I’m complaining about the beautiful Spring-like weather. No, not me!
Yet.
Anyway, the best way to take your mind off of the weather, good or bad, is to have lots of food. And there’s plenty available for the March meeting of the Decatur Amateur Radio Club. We’re heading up Priceville Mountain for our first 2026 “eatin’ meetin'” at Libby’s Catfish and Diner on Highway 67 in Priceville. We are planning to show up at 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 3rd, so that we can order food, eat, talk, laugh and do all of those other things that accompany a good meeting. Come up the hill and meet with us.
If you’ve never been there (and why not??), take the Beltline (Highway 67) out of Decatur towards I-65. Keep going east past the Interstate and head up the hill towards the large white cross. Libby’s is just past the cross on the right side of the highway. Someone will likely be on the 147.00 repeater if you get misplaced and need to be pointed in the right direction.
Don’t show up in the regular meeting place in the basement auditorium of the Morgan County Courthouse, The building is closed for renovations at the moment. And don’t go to the Aquadome in southwest Decatur like we did for the last two months unless you’d like to go swimming.
The club meeting will obviously not be streamed on Microsoft Teams. But you can log into the meeting on your computer or phone and try to participate anyway! Let us know if you have any success.
It’s as the perfect time to pay your dues for 2026 and beyond. Dues are only $20.00 per year, and additional family members are $5.00 each. See a club officer at the meeting or mail it to DARC, PO Box 9, Decatur, AL 35602-0009.
Please continue spreading the word to fellow hams or those wanting a new or upgraded license that the Decatur club is still giving amateur radio license tests 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 $5 fee (please note the reduced price). And, most importantly, PLEASE send an email to DecaturHamTest@w4atd.org so we can have the testing materials prepared and available for you. March 7th and April 4th are our next scheduled testing dates. PLEASE NOTE: WE ALWAYS NEED VOLUNTEER EXAMINERS TO HELP WITH THE TESTING PROGRAM! If you want to help in some way (an Extra class license is normally required), please let us know! And if you send an email and do not get a timely response, please let the Secretary know.
Check out the roster of current club members 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.
See you on Tuesday evening, March 3rd, 2026, at 6:00 at Libby’s Catfish and Diner in Priceville! Be there, be on time, and be hungry!
And enjoy the onset of Spring and get “radio-active!”
