SCHEDULED MEETING HIGHLIGHTS:

EVERYONE IS WELCOME AT OUR CLUB MEETINGS!

Besides our Club members, who are always encouraged to attend our club meetings, anyone in the community with an interest in learning more about Amateur Radio is certainly encouraged and invited to attend.  There is no better way to learn about Amateur Radio than coming out to a club meeting and introducing yourself and ask questions.  The only "dumb" questions are ones that are not asked.  Please come and ask!  There will be someone there willing to continue the longstanding tradition in ham radioof taking a prospective Amateur under their wing and tutoring you (known in ham radio parlance as "Elmering"- the tutor being your "Elmer").

Please see the DARC Board page (see "DARC Board" link at bottom of any page on this site) for information on the Club Board meetings. All members of the Club and the public are invited to attend and observe Board Meetings.

Click on this LINK to view the Club Meeting location on Google Maps.   If the location is changed for a particular meeting it will be announced above and on the Club's web site home page and in the current Club Newsletter.

For those wanting to take the FCC test for a new Amateur Radio license or upgrade to a higher license class, there will be a ARRL-VEC Volunteer Examiner administered exam test session held at 5:30 p.m. prior to the club meeting on the same date and same location as each month's Dixie Amateur Radio Club meeting (see above).   We provide a test session on the third Thursday of every month of the year.

"Walk-ins" are welcome and contacting the Exam Liaison in advance is not required, but advance notice to the V.E. Team of your intent to take a test will help us to better prepare for that test session with the correct numbers of necessary exam materials and additional VE's on hand for larger numbers of applicants.

We will open the doors to the Community Building at 5:30 p.m. and will begin to assist you in filling out the required test session registration paperwork.   We have moved the opening time to 5:30 p.m. so that test session participants can have as much time as needed to complete their exam without the potential interruption and distraction from Club members arriving early for the general Club Meeting which follows at 7:00 p.m.   Those taking their tests should consider staying for the Club meeting after the exam session.  Everyone is welcome at our Club meetings!    As soon as we have 3 Volunteer Examiners in attendance, and your paperwork is complete,  you will be able to begin taking your exam.    Thanks for your cooperation in all of this.

Please see the information below so that you can come well prepared for the exam session:

• Any pens and/or pencils. These will be provided for you, as well as any necessary scratch paper.

• Any FCC application forms. Please do not print one out in advance.

• We have all the forms and paperwork used for ARRL-VEC sponsored sessions and those will be provided for you to fill out at the beginning of the session.
  

• Any electronic devices (PDA's (even if "just" using the calculator. That includes smart phones, I-Pods, MP3 players, etc.) 
  

• No headphones/earbuds/bluetooth phone headsets may be worn during the exam session.  This is to insure the integrity of the exam for all involved.
  

• PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONE RINGERS!!!

You must bring a personal check or a money order in the amount of $15.00 payable to "ARRL-VEC", or alternatively,  you may bring $15.00 cash to the test session.

If paying by cash, you must bring the exact amount only!  Absolutely no change will be available!  We are not a bank or ATM - debit/credit cards cannot be used.

This required fee is set annually by the Volunteer Exam Coordinator (in our case the ARRL-VEC). This required fee is not set by the Dixie Amateur Radio Club, Inc.   It should be noted that the ARR-VEC has decided to leave the fee unchanged at $15.00 for exams in 2010.

If you do not have your fee at the beginning of the session, you will not be able to take a test. This is a program requirement. You must bring the required fee with you.

If you are already a ARRL-VEC certified Volunteer Examiner who would like to help out at an upcoming session, please contact Gary Zabriskie, N7ARE.  If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Examineer, especially if you are an Extra Class licensee, please contact Gary.

From time to time larger groups and oganizations take part in organized classroom instruction in anticipation of testing to obtain an Amateur Radio license.  There is the opportunity to have the Club's Volunteer Examiner team schedule additional testing opportunities besides the monthly scheduled exam date that cooincides with the Club meeting. Please contact Gary Zabriskie (see above) if you would like to discuss this option.  If such a test session is scheduled it will be advertised on the home page of the Club's web site.

You are not required need to.  As mentioned above, "walk-ins" are always accepted and welcomed. However, as a courtesy, if you are planning to upgrade or take a new Ham Radio test,  please notify Gary Zabriskie, N7ARE, ARRL VEC-Volunteer Exam Liaison, preferably via e-mail:  n7are@arrl.net,  or by telephone (435) 674-2678.

Note:  If you call by telephone to 435-674-2678 you will NOT reach me in person.  You will always get an answering machine message on that line.  Please leave me  a message on that answering machine. Do NOT repeatedly leave messages. One notification of your intent to test is enough. Your message should give me your name, your intention to test and what class of license you are planning on testing for.  Also, PLEASE leave a phone number and/or an e-mail address so I can contact you, if necessary. This page should provide ALL the information you need prior to coming in for your exam.

 ***PLEASE!!!***  Do NOT use the above listed phone number for any general inquiries about Amateur Radio or the Dixie Amateur Radio Club.  For those types of inquirees, please contact the Club President at the contact information at the bottom of the Club website's home page, or see the contact information on the "DARC Board" page (see web site navigation links at bottom of any page).  Also we have a very dedicated group of Amateur Radio mentors who can be contacted for general information.  A list of these individuals is  found on the "Contact Us" page (please use the "Contact Us" link  at the bottom of each page or use this LINK).