The Club meeting for November will be an "in-person" meeting held at the St. George Community Building on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

The Club meeting will be at the usual location, in the St. George Community Building located behind the St. George Active Life Center (Senior Center) which is at 245 N 200 W, St. George, Utah. PLEASE NOTE: The community building is NOT the Senior Center. Drive to the back of the Senior Center property and you will see a smaller building that is about the size of a doublewide manufactured home. It clearly says St. George Community Building.

Club Meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month except in December when an informal social event/dinner is scheduled).

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

Due to the current situation and the vulnerability of our Club membership, effective today and until further notice, the wearing of a face mask will be mandatory at the Dixie Amateur Radio Club monthly meetings. Masks will be available on-site.

Those who choose not to attend in-person, nor to wear a mask, may join the meeting virtually via the following link:

Those who choose not to attend in-person, nor to wear a mask, may join the ZOOM meeting virtually via the following link.:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87652645291?pwd=RjZKdWtGRkd6VVRZN1dTWVhoZllpZz09

Meeting ID: 876 5264 5291

Passcode: nq0QSN

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

73,
Dave Merrill, N7MRL
Club President

Besides our Club members, who are always encouraged to attend our club meetings, anyone in the community who has an interest in learning more about Amateur Radio is invited to attend.  There is no better way to learn about Amateur Radio than coming out to a club meeting, introducing yourself, and asking questions. The only "dumb" questions are ones that are not asked. Please come and ask!  There will be someone there willing to continue the long-standing tradition in ham radio of 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 regular 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.

Exams are held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, except in December:

For those wanting to take the FCC test for a new Amateur Radio license or upgrade to a higher license class, there is a regularly scheduled ARRL Volunteer Examiner-administered exam test session held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month, except in December.  The test session is held prior to the Club's monthly meeting that follows after the V.E. session. 

The monthly V.E. exam is held at the same location as the Club Meeting that follows at 7:00 p.m.: St. George Community Building, located at the southwest corner of Washington County's Gayle M. & Mary Aldred Senior Citizens Center property, which is located at 245 North 200 West, St. George, Utah.  PLEASE NOTE: The community building is NOT the Senior Center. Drive to the back of the Senior Center property and you will see a smaller building that is about the size of a doublewide manufactured home.  It clearly says St. George Community Buidling.  That is where the tests take place.  

Click on this LINK to view the test location on Google Maps.

Upcoming Exam Dates in St. George, Utah in 2021* V.E. Sessions are held at the Club Meeting location at theSt. George Community Building beginning at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time on the 3rd Wednesday of these months: November 17, 2021 (* there is no 3rd Wednesday session in December)

We also have 6 additional exam sessions held on specific Saturdays during the year:

In addition to the eleven monthly 3rd Wednesday test sessions (January through November), we offer V.E. sessions on six Saturdays each year. They are normally scheduled on the 2nd Saturday of each of the even-numbered months during the year. This is so those who cannot participate in the monthly 3rd Wednesday V.E. exam session will have an opportunity to take a test with our V.E. team.

The Saturday sessions will be held at the Hurricane City Branch Library, in the Community Room, and will start at 2:00 p.m.  The address of the Hurricane Library is 36 South 300 West, Hurricane, Utah. 


 RULES REGARDING OUR EXAM SESSIONS - PLEASE READ THIS AND SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE INFO:

The ARRL-VEC Amateur Radio Exam test sessions are open to any candidate who is there to take an Amateur Radio exam element, or elements.  Walk-ins are always permitted.  The only other person who may accompany the candidate into the exam location room are the following:  the parent or gaurdian of a minor;  the driver for those who require another to drive them to the test;  a spouse, or significant other of the candidate.  No other persons will be admitted into the exam location room until all test candidates have completed their exams. This includes ham operators at the St. George session location coming early for the 7:00 p.m. Club Meeting. Only V.E.s who are currently certified with the ARRL-VEC may be in the exam locatuion room, if there to particpate in the test session.  If there are sufficient V.E.s present to grade exams, any certified V.E. may remain in the room to observe the testing for any possible impropriety by a candidate, or an examiner.

Our exam sessions do NOT utilize plastic answer overlay sheets to grade the multiple choice exams.  A V.E. Team can choose whether or not to use the plastic overlays. We have chosen to not use the overlays.  Due to having sufficient Volunteer Examiners, we have chosen to grade each exam element verbally, from an answer key sheet.   Our V.E.s will, in pairs, quietly, but verbally, grade each exam.  At least two grading teams of two persons with a one different person in each team, will grade the exam.  When the candidate's correct answers are quite close to the pass/fail number,  they may be graded a third time to ensure the accuracy of the score.

Our intent is that the only speaking during the exam be done in a quiet, library-like voice.  We will situate the tables that the candidate take their exams at a sufficient distance from the grading tables so that disturbance to candidates during the exam is minimized.  

Important information regarding the NCVEC Quick-Form 605 Application "Basic Qualification Question" : The NCVEC Quick-Form 605 Application for Amateur Operator/Primary Station License that the ARRL-VEC uses, asks a yes or no question as to whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony. The FCC said this revision is “consistent with application forms for other Commission services.” We began using the new NCVEC Quick-Form 605  for all session after September 7, 2017; All previous Form 605s are obsolete and can no longer used. Our V.E. Team will provide the CVEC Quick-Form 605.  It is the applicant's responsibility to answer this question truthfully. We will not ask any follow-up questions, and we will keep the NCVEC Quick-Form 605 you fill out private.  We will, however, refer ALL applicants to the new "Basic Qualification Question" on the front of the NCVEC Quick-Form 605 information on the back of the NCVEC Quick-Form 605 regarding the felony conviction question.   CLICK HERE to view what the new form looks like (a PDF file).  While we, as Volunteer Examiners in the ARRL-VEC system, will send in the completed NCVEC Quick-Form 605 application after you pass an exam element, if you answered "Yes" to the felony question, the FCC will not act on that application right away. They will wait until they receive an exhibit from the applicant which is a written and signed statement "explaining the circumstances and giving the reasons why the applicant believes that grant of the application would be in the public interest notwithstanding the misconduct". (see below on the deadline to submit) Please note that your “Yes” response will be publicly viewable in the Commission’s Universal Licensing System (ULS).  While the "Yes" will be publically visable, the applicant may request that the actual exhibits submitted by the applicant giving the applicant's written and signed statement response described above be treated as confidential.  In order to seek confidential treatment, the applicant must include a separate written and signed request that the material not be made available for public inspection. The request must contain a statement of the reasons for the request, and must identify the portion(s) of the exhibit for which confidential treatment is requested. It is not sufficient to simply mark a document as “Confidential.” If the applicant does not request confidential treatment, the exhibit may be publicly viewable in ULS. The required exhibit cannot be submitted through us a V.E.s or the ARRL-VEC.  The applicant must submit the exhibit to the FCC beither in the boduy of the e-mail itself or as an attachment (Word Document or PDF) sent via e-mail to:  attach605@fcc.gov   or by postal mail to: Federal Communications Commission Application Exhibit 1270 Fairfield Road Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245 Applicants should not submit the exhibit until the batch filing has been received and the application has been assigned a 10-digit file number in ULS, which the applicant can find by conducting an Application Search in ULS:  http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home, using his or her name or FCC Registration Number as the search parameter. Each exhibit should be clearly labeled with the applicant’s name and file number. IMPORTANT!   The application will be subject to dismissal if the exhibit is not received by the FCC within 14 days from their receipt of the application. CLICK HERE to view and/or print out a PDF of the formal FCC Public Notice regarding this. CLICK HERE to view a news article about this on the ARRL web site. CLICK HERE to read an arrticle on the ARRL web site that came out BEFORE the FCC Public Notice. It has additional information on this matter.

Tests are also  given by other ARRL-VEC affiliated groups across the USA:

General Information about our test sessions:

If you intend to take more than one class of license at the exam (such as if you pass the Technician and wish to attempt the General) please inform the V.E. team as soon as you arrive. We will do our best to accomodate you.  Also, if you happen to fail an exam element, you may make a second attempt to do so.  By policy,  we are required to collect an additional $15 fee for the "second" session which is treated just like a seperate session. If you pass the Technician and wish to try the General, you are not required to pay a second fee. We can explain this to you at the session.

"Walk-ins" are always welcome, especially those travelling from outside the area.  Sending the Test Session Liaison an e-mail is greatly appreciated!  This will give advance notice to the our V.E. Team of your intent to take a test and helps us to better prepare for that test session with the correct numbers of necessary exam materials and additional VE's on hand for large numbers of applicants.

We will open the doors to the Community Building at, or slightly before, 5:30 p.m. and we will begin to assist you in filling out the required test session registration paperwork.   We have the session scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. so that test session participants can have as much time as needed to complete their exam before Club members arrive for the general Club Meeting 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 patience and cooperation in all of this.  Remember that we are volunteers!

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 will provide the correct forms for you.
  

• 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 such as smart phones (even if "just" using the calculator function).   You may bring a simple 4-function calculator.  Our V.E. team also has a limited number of 4-function calculators that you may use during the session.
  

• No headphones/earbuds/bluetooth phone headsets may be worn during the exam session.  This is to insure the comfort and integrity of the exam process 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!  Do not count on any change being 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 ARRL-VEC has decided to leave the fee unchanged at $15.00 for exams in 2020.

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, at n7are@arrl.net. If you are interested in becoming a ARRL-VEC Cerified Volunteer Examineer, especially if you are an Extra Class licensee, also 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 your initial ham radio exam, please notify Gary Zabriskie, N7ARE, ARRL VEC-Volunteer Exam Session Liaison, via e-mail:  n7are@arrl.net

Members of the Dixie Amateur Radio Club who are ARRL-VEC certified Volunteer Examiners conduct seventeen (17) scheduled Amateur Radio test sessions each year here in southwestern Utah.

Every single session is available for any "walk-in" applicant. We pride ourselves in not requiring pre-registration to take an examination.

Please thank each of these volunteers when you see them.  They all devote a whole lot of time and effort to help serve the needs of the Amateur Radio community.