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-- Our Next Events --
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, ALL PUBLIC EVENTS AND MOST ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN CANCELED OR WILL BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC!!! Our next meeting will be held on Thursday evening February 18, 2021 and will "probably" be via Zoom. If you are not ready and want to attend via Zoom, please send an Email to George/K2DM, for an invitation. Click here to send him a message. TVARC club meetings are normally held on the third Thursday of every month (except for the month of December) at the Eisenhower Regional Recreation Center, 3560 Buena Vista Blvd., in The Villages, Florida. (Pre- and Post-COVID) Anyone interested in Amateur Radio is invited to attend our club meetings. You need not be licensed to attend or join. You do NOT need a Villages ID. 
President's Message January 2021
Happy New Year to all TVARC members! 2020 was quite a year, and I fear that 2021 is going to be more of the same for at least a few months. But TVARC members have managed to stay active during the Coronavirus pandemic. I can’t believe that it was over six months ago that a number of us participated in a unique form of Field Day. We had quite a turnout for that event. We also were able to generate some excitement by holding two on-line silent auctions, which generated funds for the club treasury. And thanks to Zoom, we have been able to continue to have meetings, even having a Holiday Zoom get together in December. I know we are all itching to get back to having face-to-face meetings, and we will do that as soon as it is safe to do so. For now, however, we will continue to hold our monthly meetings via Zoom through March. Which brings me to our January meeting. As I mentioned, it will be held via Zoom. The January meeting is an important one for TVARC, because it is the meeting at which nominations for club officers are made. Nominations will be accepted for all five offices: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Board Member at Large. We are fortunate in that Bob Schwer, Bruce Cusanelli and John Ellis will run for their current offices of Secretary, Treasurer and Board Member at Large. Additional candidates are certainly allowed to be nominated for these three offices. At this point, no candidates have stepped forward for the offices of President or Vice President. Mark Graybill (Vice President) and I will not be running, so TVARC needs at least two other club members to step up and serve the club. Many club members have served as an officer at one time or another over the years, and I would like to invite or even urge, some of our newer members to volunteer. You can count on advice and assistance from just about everyone, but especially from your predecessors on the board. There is even a manual that Tony (K4QR) wrote that explains what the Board of Directors needs to do. It’s really not hard or time-consuming. I would estimate that I spent 5-6 hours per month as President, including time at the Board of Directors meetings and at the Club meetings. At the February meeting club members will vote, and the new officers will take over at the end of the meeting. I am looking forward to seeing who will be on the Board of Directors for 2021. 73, George, K2DM Events & Activities (Upcoming/Ongoing) ...
Time to pay your dues for 2021. Click here.
For Sale or Trade area is available, click HERE. We now allow pictures with the item for sale/trade. Keep photos small to minimize load times. TVARC WAS Standings are calling for your submissions. For information, click HERE. To view standings, click HERE. TVARC DXCC Standings are calling for your submissions. For information, click HERE. To view standings, click HERE. License Classes: Classes are ongoing now for Technician, and General Class. Classes through February 2021. Click here for details. The NEW Extra Class Study Guide now available. Click Here. Licensing Exams: Exams will be held as necessary usually following the ending of the Amateur license classes. All license level exams are offered. No pre-registration required (walk-ins welcome). For more information, contact Rich Erlichman/ND4G - ARRL/VE Team Liaison. For more details, click here, and then scroll to the bottom of the page. 
Volunteers Needed for ...
Emergency Communications (ECT) or EmComm. The club is looking for volunteers for our Emergency Communications Team. Sign up here.
TVARC Contest Group: To sign up for the Contest Group, please click here. 
TVARC QSL Cards are now available
For ordering information select WHO WE ARE above, then select Logo Items & TVARC QSLs. Or, just click HERE. 
Solar Update
FEATURE: Dr. Tamitha Skov/WX6SWW, the "Space Weather Woman" is on YouTube with weekly videos explaining Space Weather and propagation conditions: I will try to post these links when available.
Space Weather News: January 10, 2021: Click Here Solar Storm Forecast: December 24, 2020: Click Here For everything you want to learn (and more) about HF Propagation, Click Here. |
New Feature: For Desktop computers, see bottom left corner for Space Weather/Solar Storm Forecast.
If you are on a mobile device and reading this, scroll back up. You just missed it, or click here to go straight to it. 
Events & Activities (Past) ...
Holiday/Christmas Party - was held on Thursday December 19, 2019 at the Eisenhower Rec Center.
For pictures click here. Radio on the Square - Radio on the Square was held on Saturday November 30, 2019 at Lake Sumter Landing.
Pictures and a wrap-up report will appear here (soon). Camp Villages - Congrats to our volunteers for Camp Villages. July 5, 2019, at Colony Cottage, was a wonderful time had by all, especially the kids. I only received one picture for the "Ham Radio Experience". Sorry.
TVARC's Field Day 2019 was held the weekend of June 22nd-23rd, 2019 at the Sherriff's Annex on CR466. Field Day was well attended. For the wrap-up presentation by Mike/KM4ZTE, please see the page with our minutes and stored presentations, or click here.
For pictures of the event click here. 21ST ANNUAL SHERIFF BILL FARMER'S CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT - was held June 1, 2019. Click here for a Thank You Letter of Appreciation. Hurricane Expo 2019 was held on Friday, May 3rd, 2019 at the Savannah Center. The Expo was well attended. For pictures and who manned the booth, click here. Radio Rodeo 2019 - The TVARC Radio Rodeo was held in Brownwood on April 6, 2019. Click here tor view pictures. 
Emergency Communications Team
The ECT has been established to maintain information on members who are willing to be called upon during an emergency for communications assistance within The Villages. No training, no paperwork. Just give us your contact information and pertinent equipment. We have 43 volunteers and growing. . . To sign up Click HERE To Read about this Program, Click HERE. Emergency Communications Team Lead George Rutkoskie (W4GOR) is the volunteer activity lead for TVARC's Emergency Communications Teams (ECT). TVARC Reflector - Communicate with TVARC
Membership in TVARC is required to join this club reflector. For general information or to join this reflector, click HERE. Contact George Briggs (K2DM), the Reflector's moderator, for more details. Our Nets… • TVARC Ragchew – Net meets 7 PM Monday – 443.225 MHz (+5) PL 103.5 & Echolink at K4VRC-R • QCWA Ragchew – Net meets 10 AM Friday – 443.150 MHz (+5) PL 103.5 (NO Echolink at K4LFK-R) • SKYWARN – Net meets 8:30 PM Sunday – 147.030 (+600) PL 123.0 • Sumter EMCOMM NET – Net meets 8:30 PM Monday – 146.925 (-600) PL 123.0 
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