UPARC

Winter Field Day 2025 Announcement

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on December 9, 2024

Do you like operating in the field but hate dripping in sweat while setting up antennas? Does the idea of enduring another Field Day constantly fighting off every mosquito in Tampa Bay make you wish they held Field Day in January? Well, you’re in luck! Winter Field Day is an event very similar to the June ARRL Field Day except—you guessed it—it’s held in Winter. Specifically January 25 & 26, 2025. This is a joint operation with both the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and the St. Petersburg Amateur Radio Club (SPARC). The event will be held at the Clearwater Fire Training Facility on Belcher Road south of Sunset Point Road in Clearwater. Prior efforts were a great success.

Winter … Read the rest

New 2025 Officers Elected and Bylaws Changed

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on November 3, 2024

At the UPARC annual meeting held at NY4I’s QTH on Saturday November 2, the new slate of officers/directors for 2025 was elected:

President – Ryan Rager AF4O
Vice President – Alan Streitman W4UB
Secretary – Fred Botero W2SUB
Treasurer – Ron Appel W4RFA
Member at Large – Jason Esterline N4BOZ

Having a quorum of 41 members (either in person or by proxy), with the 2/3 majority needed to amend, all six proposed bylaw changes were adopted.

Below are a few pictures of the event. Just UPARC members and guests enjoying each other’s company…

… Read the rest

Club Annual Meeting and Picnic 2024

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on October 16, 2024

Our UPARC annual meeting and picnic is on Saturday November 2, 2024 at Tom Schaefer NY4I’s QTH at 2836 Meadow Hill Dr North in Clearwater. Note this was previously John Chesnut Sr Park in East Lake but due to hurricane damage, the county canceled our reservation as the shelters are damaged. Note there will NOT be a fox hunt.

We start at 10:00 AM with the annual business meeting to take place at 11:00 AM. At the business meeting, we will cast a vote for the slate of officers. We will also vote on proposed bylaw changes.

WE NEED A QUORUM OF AT LEAST 30 VOTING MEMBERS.

If you cannot attend the business meeting, please request a proxy ballot … Read the rest

Proposed Bylaw Changes October 2024

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on October 7, 2024

Please review the proposed bylaw changes to be voted on at our annual meeting on November 2nd, 2024. Read more about it either on Slack or on the linked page.

We need at least 30 members present at the meeting for a quorum so please review that page as well for proxy info.… Read the rest

President’s Award – October 2024

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on October 6, 2024

The latest recipient of the President’s Award is Rob Bird, WD4IFT. Rob is a constant presence at the Get-on-the-Air (GOTA) team events as well as most club activities. UPARC greatly appreciates that Rob is always willing to help out others. He is a valuable member of the club and well-deserving of this recognition. Congratulations to Rob.

Rob WD4IFT receiving the President's Award … Read the rest

Why We Ask Club Members if you are an ARRL Member?

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on September 17, 2024

As you may know, UPARC is an ARRL-affiliated amateur radio club. This means we support the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and its mission to further the interests of Amateur Radio. UPARC was affiliated with the ARRL on August 10, 2012 shortly after our founding as a club.

So why you might be asking why we ask if you are an ARRL member? We ask to know if you are an ARRL member as ARRL-affiliated clubs are asked to maintain 51% of their voting members as current ARRL members. Hence you see on the sign-up sheet (and the club sign-up/renewal form) a question about your ARRL membership status. Please do indicate on the sign-up sheet if you are a member. … Read the rest

ARRL Field Day 2024 Report

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on July 9, 2024

CARS and UPARC have used the Clearwater Fire Training Center for both summer (ARRL) and winter field day for quite a few years now. This year was no different. Members and guests from both clubs set out on Saturday June 22, 2024 bright and early to setup temporary antennas and operating positions at the wonderful Clearwater Fire Training Center off of Belcher Road in Clearwater. A total of 50 people stopped by to setup, operate, enjoy lunch, socialize, and tear-down the site all commencing at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning.

As the clubs have operated from this site several times and know the ins and outs of the site, this year we “mixed it up” a bit by using only … Read the rest

ARRL Field Day 2024

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on May 31, 2024

Last Day to signup to guarantee food is Monday June 17th, 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT.

Sign-up link: https://forms.gle/6K12y76MakHGtDHL7

ARRL Field Day is a combined event to test our ability to setup radio communication under less than ideal conditions–think temporary antennas, generators and radio gear. Our event this year is a combined event with two clubs—the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and the Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club (UPARC). The date is Saturday, June 22ndstarting at 2:00 PM until Sunday, June 23rd at 2:00 PM. Setup generally begins in earnest at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning. The location for all of this is the Clearwater Fire Department Fire Training Center at 1716 N. Belcher Road in Clearwater. Click here… Read the rest

UPARC in the Park Event – April 2024

By Fred Botero on April 30, 2024

On Saturday, April 20th members of UPARC met at Honeymoon Island to host our annual POTA (Parks on the Air) event. We had about 15 members and guests turn out and made over 80 contacts on SSB and FT-8. The team braved very heavy mosquito swarming early on to get setup and was on the air around 8:45 AM.The wind picked up a bit and blew away most of the bugs by 10:00. That and some very compassionate sharing of bug spray by those well prepared individuals helped us get to the task at hand.

This year, thanks to Tom NY4I, we were able to turn in logs which gave credits to both the club callsign W4AFC and each individual … Read the rest

Ryan AF4O Receives the President’s Award for April 2024

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on April 11, 2024

Club president Fred W2SUB bestowed upon Ryan Rager AF4O the April 2024 President’a Award. The President’s award is granted to club members for exemplary service to the club. Ryan as most of you know helps the club and members in so many different areas. No matter if it is serving on the club board, working to raise antennas at member’s houses or the countless other things he does, Ryan is everywhere and UPARC is glad to have him as a member.… Read the rest