Becoming an Amateur Radio Operator
So… you said I have to study. Does that mean I can’t just buy a radio and start talking? That is correct. To transmit as a Ham Radio Operator, you need to be licensed by the FCC. There are three levels of licensing: Technician / General / Amateur Extra
Here is a good article by the ARRL on the three levels: Why Should I Get Licensed
How hard is the test? With a little study using some great tools available online, you will have no problem passing your Technician Exam. The exam consists of 35 multiple choice questions. You need to answer 26 questions correctly (74%) to pass. Easy!
Here are some links to phone apps that many use to study. The apps make sure you have seen all the questions, and are answering them correctly. Then you can take as many practice tests as you want. Once you are consistently passing the practice tests with scores of 80% or higher, you will have no problem passing the exam.
Study Apps
If you prefer to read, there are books available from the ARRL or Amazon
Technician Class: Pass Your Amateur Radio Technician Class Test - Craig Buck
Gordon West Technician Class - Gordon West
Everyone learns differently, so choose the method that works for you. When I was licensed in 2022, I did all my studying using the Study Apps on my phone. I did this for all three levels.
YCARS also has an Open House every Wednesday night from 6-8 PM. We don’t have a formal class, but you can come and chat with other Hams who can offer good advice on the process!
The EXAM
Once you are ready to take the exam, you can do that with us also! YCARS holds testing sessions every other month. See the schedule here. The cost to take the exam is $14. Once you pass, the FCC will have a fee of $35 to get your license - which is good for 10 years.
Once you are licensed, then the real fun begins! Radios, antenna’s, making contacts, learning operating skills, and more.
And remember, when all else fails, ham radio still works.
If you have questions, come to an Open House, or email us at ycars@ycars.org.
The York County Amateur Radio Society receives $100,000 grant from the Amateur Radio Digital Communications Foundation
Rock Hill, SC - 10/10/2023
The York County Amateur Radio Society (YCARS) announced that their Project Target grant proposal was successfully funded by the private foundation Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC). YCARS’ Project Target encompasses several initiatives to help serve York County through education and public service.
“This grant will be a game-changer for the entire York County Community as it will help in three specific areas. First, it will provide funding to help educators and students in local educational institutions with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. The grant will fund equipment, study materials and training to introduce students to the principles of wireless and radio communications, as well as their application in the real world. Secondly, the grant also funds new communication assets that will allow YCARS to expand its auxiliary communication services to local and state Emergency Management and local first responders and provide radio communications to local charities for public service events. Finally, the grant will help fund the construction of a remotely operated radio station at the YCARS facility. This station can be used by local school amateur radio clubs and scouting troops, as well as licensed amateur radio operators who are now in assisted living facilities, or other situations where they can longer install and outdoor antenna.” said Scott Putnam, KG9V, YCARS Secretary and manager for Project Target.
During the last two years YCARS provided radio communications for a variety of community service events in York County including Emergency Communication Exercises, the Mike Doty Memorial 5K, the Rock Hill Christmas Parade, and the No room for Racism Basketball Tournament. YCARS members volunteered 1,255 hours of time while providing all of the radio equipment used totaling over $45,000 in radio communication services to the community.
In addition, YCARS has engaged with schools in Mecklenburg County NC, Union and York counties in SC helping educators develop STEM curriculum and providing in class and out of classroom education for students. We were instrumental in helping Pleasant Knoll Middle School in Fort Mill, submit a successful application to ARISS (Amateur Radio on the Internation Space Station) for a direct RF contact with the ISS. This is an opportunity for the students to talk with the astronauts aboard the ISS via amateur radio, which will take place in April 2024.
Founded in 1948, York County Amateur Radio Society is the oldest continually operating radio club in the state of South Carolina. For 75 years YCARS’ mission has been to promote advancement of the art, science, public service, and fellowship of Amateur Radio. We accomplish our mission through education, mentorship and public service.
Founded in 2011, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a private foundation that exists to support amateur radio and digital communication science and technologies. They accomplish this by providing grant funding to scholarship programs, research & development projects and managing 44net. https://www.ardc.net
Jamboree on the Air
Jamboree on the Air provides the opportunity for millions of Scouts around the world to meet on the air via Amateur Radio.
Jamboree on the air POTA picnic flyer
Hamfest New Date (Updated)
YCARS 70th Hamfest has been POSTPONED due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian impacting our area this weekend.
The make-up date will be is Saturday November 12, 2022.
The location will still be Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1830 Celenese Road Rock Hill SC 29732.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email:
Theo - K4TTM@ycars.org
John - NJ4Z@ycars.org
Open House Night - Antenna Build Series
YCARS has an Open House Night every Wednesday from 6pm - 8pm. If you are interested in learning more about amateur radio and YCARS, this is the best night to come out and visit! We encourage everyone to stop by and meet our members!
We are constantly listening to our members and some of the feedback we received is that everyone wants to do more hands-on projects!
Starting next week, we are going to start an antenna build series. We have chosen the 2m Extreme Dream Beam that claims to get 14.5dbd. All supplies have been provided. We just need people to help us build it!
Build nights will be:
Wednesday September 28, 2022 6pm - 8pm (build night)
Wednesday October 5, 2022 6pm - 8pm (build night)
Wednesday Ocotber 12, 2022 6pm - 8pm (build and test night)
The antenna we are building can be found here: Extreme Dream Beam Official Website
Club Participation Day
On Saturday September 17th 2022 we had about twenty YCARS members come out to the Club House to do some fall cleaning and organizing.
Everyone put in some hard work and elbow grease and now the Club House looks fantastic!
Thank you to everyone who came out!
Girl Scouts Love State Parks Video
Here is the video K4HEF took of the Girl Scouts Love State Parks event where YCARS assisted in helping the Girl Scouts achieve their ARRL Ham Radio Badge.
YCARS is featured in the inaugural “Club Station”column in QST Magazine
The story of the rebirth of the oldest operating radio club in the state of South Carolina is detailed in the first “Club Station” column. The online version of the September Issue of QST is live online and expect to see the mailed copies in the next week or so. Please see the link to view the article on page 78 of the magazine. QST (pagesuite-professional.co.uk)
QRZ Jumpstart Program
QRZ and GigaParts team up for the NEW HAM JUMPSTART PROGRAM
Frank Lloyd of QRZ.com and GigaParts,com have teamed up to get newly licensed Hams on the air. They have worked with TYT on a new dual band (2M/70cm) handheld, with new firmware and a easy to understand manual. These radios will be given away free of change to newly licensed Hams through October 31, 2022 or until supplies run out. The NEW HAM JUMPSTART PROGRAM is funded by QRZ, Gigaparts and private contributions. It is the hope of Mr. Lloyd that others will see value to helping new hams get on air quickly and contribute to the program to keep it sustainable past the October 31 expiration date. All the rules regarding qualifications and how to apply for this program can be found at New Ham Jumpstart Program - QRZ.com.
Girl Scouts Love State Parks
YCARS is partnering with South Carolina State Parks and the Girl Scouts to help these wonderful young ladies obtain their ARRL - Amateur Radio patch. The event will be held on Saturday September 10th 2022 at Andrew Jackson State Park.
South Carolina State Parks is hosting the Girl Scouts Love State Parks event across the state. Locally, this event will be held at Andrew Jackson State Park where YCARS is going to help the Girl Scouts obtain their ARRL Amateur Radio patch.
YCARS will have a presentation on amateur radio and how radio works, as well as hands on demonstrations and activities to teach the fundamentals of radio.
We will also have YCARS members out at Lee State Park giving a presentation on amateur radio and Parks On the Air.
We will be activating both Andrew Jackson and Lee State Parks for Parks on the Air with special event call sign N4P. This will allow the girls to get on the air and experience amateur radio hands on. We ask for everyone’s support and patience with us as we get these future hams on the air.
We have several members already signed up to help, if you are interested in helping, please let Vicki (AD3I@ycars.org) know.
If you are in the Girl Scouts and interested in joining, you can sign up through South Carolina State Parks
Girl Scouts Love State Parks | South Carolina Parks Official Site
You can find out more about the ARRL Girl Scout patch here: Girl Scouts Radio Patch (arrl.org)
We are excited for this opportunity and look forward to Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend on Saturday September 10th, 2022.
Team K4YTZ does it again!!! The York County Amateur Radio Society wins the 2022 Parks on the Air “Support Your Parks” Plaque Event for Club Activation.
Team K4YTZ goes back to back with the Club Activation Plaque for Parks on the Air - Support Your Parks. YCARS operators activated 6 parks across 2 states for the Event. The club ran 2 callsigns to help differentiate the parks on the spotting clusters.
Team K4YTZ was led by club members Vicki Carnes, AD3I and Theo Moore, K4TTM from K-2889 Chester State Park. Club members Andy Moran, AA0AM, Harry Miller, KZ1H, Jack Armstrong, KJ4BKI, Bill Yoos, KW4DN, Sherry Parker, KO4IVQ, Wade Parker KO4IVS all worked shifts at Chester State Park and logged at total of 1,351 Q’s. The operators at the Chester Park location ran a Yaesu FT-891 transceiver with a DX Commander and a Xiegu G-90 transceiver with a DX Commander.
Sherri, KO4IVQ and Wade Parker, KO4IVS helped new activator Johnathan Panzica, KF7BBU complete his first activation as K4YTZ at Draper Wildlife logging 25 contacts. Wade, Sherry and Jonathan ran a Yeasu FT-991A and an Alpha Antenna FMJ portable.
Vicki AD3I and Jason Faulhefer, K4HEF closed out the event by logging 185 contacts in a last minute monster pile-up from K-2904 Landsford Canal running a Yaesu FT-891 and a DX Commander.
Meanwhile Team N4YTZ was busy at 3 parks in NC. Jim Warren, KY4JG logged 33 Q’s under some very difficult conditions atop Crowders Mtn. at K-3894. Jim climbed to the top of the mountain and operated until the extreme heat sent him back down. Jim Ran a Yaesu Ft-891.
Up at 5,000ft in the mountains of North Carolina, club members Steve Czaikowski, W3SPC, Darcy Pach, K4DQP and John Gendron, NJ4Z logged a total of 3,674 contacts from K-3378 Blue Ridge Parkway and K-4510 Pisgah National Forest. The mountain team ran a Yaesu FT-DX 10 with a N9SAB 10-80 OCF dipole.
The Club logged an astounding 5,286 QSO’s for the weekend. The top three teams for the event were K4YTZ The York County Amateur Radio Society, W3GH - Skyview Radio Society (New Kensington, PA), and W5VSSV - Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club (Nederland, TX). Congratulations to all the participants.
YCARS - Parks On The Air Support Your Parks Summer Plaque Event Watch Party
The Clubhouse will be open Sunday August 14th, 2022 at 19:00 for a watch party. Come out and join TEAM K4YTZ and the rest of the club to watch the Support Your Parks Plaque Event Livestream. The livestream begins at 20:00 and there will be snacks and drinks provided by the club.
YCARS put up some great numbers for the event and is the running for the Contacts Most Club Activator Award. YCARS also sponsored the plaque for the Hunter Most Contacts Award.
Giving Back to Our Community - YCARS Donates Books to York County Library
16 books donated by YCARS to York County Library to promote amateur radio
We are excited to have the opportunity to give back to our community and promote the growth of amateur radio!
The mission at YCARS is to promote the advancement of the art, science, public service, and fellowship of amateur radio. To achieve this, we believe we must get involved in our community. It was brought to our attention, that our local library only had two books about amateur radio available.
We had an anonymous donor give YCARS $500.00 to purchase educational materials. With this donation we decided to purchase amateur radio books and donate them to the York County Library. We purchased sixteen books that cover how to get licensed as a technician, general and extra, antenna physics, antenna set up, basic electronics, how to solder, portable operations, and contesting.
The books were dropped off at the York County Library on August 9th 2022 and will be available to check out in September 2022. We encourage everyone to check out the York County Library and the services they offer. Library cards are free to York County residents. More information can be found at York County Library (yclibrary.org)
If you have any like-new or gently used books on amateur radio (or any book in general), you can donate them to York County Library at any of their five locations. Books will either go into circulation or be sold through their Friends of the Library 501(c)(3) to support the York County Library.
Books Donated:
ARRL Handbook 2022 by ARRL
Antenna Physics: An Introduction 2nd Edition by ARRL
Portable Operating for Amateur Radio by Stuart Thomas
ARRL’s Small Antennas for Small Spaces by ARRL
The Basic Soldering Guide Handbook: Learn to solder electronics successfully by Alan Winstanley
The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual – Easy Amateur Technician Operators Study Guide by ARRL
The ARRL General Class License Manual for Ham Radio – Quick Study Guide to Operating on HF Bands and Digital Modes with sample questions by ARRL
The ARRL Extra Class License Manual 12th Edition for Ham Radio by ARRL
Basic Radio by ARRL
How to Get on HF – The Easy Way by Craig Buck K4IA
Pass Your Amateur Radio Technician Class – The Easy Way by Craig Buck K4IA
Pass Your Amateur Radio General Class – The Easy Way by Craig Buck K4IA
Pass Your Amateur Radio Extra Class – The Easy Way by Craig Buck K4IA
The ARRL Antenna Book for Radio Communications by ARRL
Understanding Basic Electronics by ARRL
Contact Sport: A story of champions, airwaves, and one-day race around the world by J.K. George
Questions or comments? Please email Hillary at AB1CD@ycars.org
YCARS Representing POTA Plaque Weekend Event.
This weekend’s ham radio bandwidth was full of POTA activators and hunters alike. Pile-ups galore as each operator tried to get as many QSOs as possible. I’m sort of a newbie when it comes to Ham Radio, first licensed in 2019 and got my Extra ticket about 6 months ago. Being part of a club, and specifically YCARS has been a healing moment of my life. A prior Cryptologic Technician in the Navy where I used modified HAM Radio equipment to collect and break HF codes and such. This hobby has helped me bring that comfortable feeling I had with my job in the Navy to the present. That said. Ham Radio is a great hobby for anyone into STEAM, (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts and Math). Ham Radio really encompasses all of it.
73 and 88,
K4HEF - Hef as I’m called. Cheers.
Support Your Parks POTA Chasing Party at YCARS
On Saturday July 16th 2022, YCARS will be hosting an informal Summer Support Your Parks POTA Chasing Party at the Clubhouse from 12pm - 4pm.
Parks on the Air hosts its annual Summer Support Your Parks plaque event where thousands of operators go out and activate parks across the world. There will be thousands of operators on the air!
For this event we will be chasing / hunting those operators and supporting them by contacting them.
Everyone is welcome! If you want to learn how to chase POTA or just want to add some cool new parks to your log, this event is for you!
Come chase some POTA and hang out with us! There will be light snacks and lots of fun.
If you have any questions, email Hillary @ AB1CD@ycars.org
13 Colonies Event
13 stations will be on the air, one from each of the former British colonies in what became the United States of America, for the 12th annual running of this on-air event, the “13 Colonies Special Event.” This is 13Z July 1 to 04Z July 8, and with the special 1X1 callsigns. Here is the list of the stations to look for this year:
K2A, New York
K2B, Virginia
K2C, Rhode Island
K2D, Connecticut
K2E, Delaware
K2F, Maryland
K2G, Georgia
K2H, Massachusetts
K2I, New Jersey
K2J, North Carolina
K2K, New Hampshire
K2L, South Carolina,
K2M, Pennsylvania.
To this day, the State of Delaware has the motto, “The First State,” as the first ones to sign the Declaration of Independence document. A bonus station will be WM3PEN from Philadelphia, where American “founding fathers” met to discuss revolution, independence, and the form of the new American government. The State of Pennsylvania is named for William Penn, the founder of the colony with a charter from the King, thus the WM3PEN callsign. “WM” is a common abbreviation for the name William. An award is available: 13colonies.us/. July 4, “The Fourth of July,” aka “Independence Day,” is one of the biggest holidays in the USA.
Theme.
Each year the 13 Colonies Event selects a theme. This year's theme is "Battlefields of the American Revolution". From this, each state selects something from history that has relevance to the state that corresponds with the theme. This is meaningful for South Carolina as there were many revolutionary war battles on our soil. We selected the Battle of Cowpens, which occurred less than 100 miles west of Rock Hill. Here is a quick summary of the battle:
At the Cowpens, a frontier pastureland, on January 17, 1781, American Brigadier General Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals and backwoods militia to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton's battle-hardened force of British regulars.
Click here for the Facebook Page.
YCARS (K4YTZ) Will have over 10 members representing South Carolina (K2L), this year.
POTA Fun with Theo K4TTM
We, K4HEF and K4TTM had a great time activating K-8154, Worth Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Here’s a short video. It was a great day!
Mike Doty Memorial 5K race
A run, A Rainbow and Radio great morning at the Mike Doty Memorial 5K race!!! YCARS public service team and YC ARES providing communications!!!
