AARC History 1979-1980

Clubhouse Ham Shack
During 1979, under the able leadership of Derek/AA3A (the master carpenter) the clubhouse was completely paneled, a radio room was constructed and the lights, speaker system and ceiling were installed.  Much work still remained to be done. To raise the necessary funds, the Club members did a lot of public service work for which the Club received donations.  Club members have furnished communications during Chesapeake Appreciation Days at Sandy Point since 1967.  Likewise for a number of Fire Department parades and events and for American Legion Post 40 parades in Glen Burnie. They have also supplied the PA system for the Little League ball games in South Baltimore.

220 MHz Repeater Proposed
At the March 1, 1979, meeting Club members voted permission to a group headed by Vice-President Roger/WB3HZC and Larry/K3SZN to experiment with a 220 Mhz repeater network based on the Club premises.  Provision was also made for possible future negotiations with the "220 group" to buy the repeater equipment and operate it as a Club service.

Club Networks Put Into Operation
In April of 1979 George/WB3GQR presented to the Club a plan for a Chesapeake Bay Weather and Traffic Net to be monitored by the Weather Bureau in Suitland, MD.  This operation has proven to be a big success and is growing more popular every year among the boaters on the bay.In August of 1979 the Club tried running nets on all bands.  Because of poor member participation, it was decided to run only two nets a week: one on 28.710 Mhz each Tuesday at 8:30 PM and one on the repeater frequency at 8:30 each Thursday that the Club did not meet.  The "on-the-air" meetings have worked out quite well. The members who check in keep better informed on Club activities.

Novice & General Classes Provided
DFor a number of years the AARC has conducted novice classes to help would-be hams get their Novice Tickets and get started in Amateur Radio. General Classes have also been held. Since the Club is 34 years old, some of its members have joined the ranks of the Silent Keys.Their names and calls are inscribed on a special plaque which hangs on the wall of the clubhouse. 

Field Day
DThe Club has always had a Field Day in June of each year. It is now held on the Club premises.  For its 1980 Field Day Exercise the Club used low power provided by solar cells. The affair waswell attended and the operation proved to be a great success.  In March of 1980 the 220-machine was switched to solar power. 

The Bluegrass Festivals
DFor the past several years the DFRC has held an annual bluegrass festival on the grounds near the AARC clubhouse. Club members have been major contributors to the success of these affairs. A kitchen was set up in the Clubhouse and volunteer Club members served hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and soft drinks. The Club received all the money from this concession, as well as a share of the gate receipts for helping out with the communications and the PA system.

Club Logo Adopted
DA Club logo was adopted in December of 1979. To help advertise the Club, nylon jackets with the Club name and logo printed on them were made available to Club members. That Fall a very successful Novice Class was held by the Club. Twenty-three of the twenty-six students obtained their licenses.

AARC & the Yachts Desiderata and Astral
The Club's Maritime Net provided daily communications to the Yacht Desiderata on her trip across the Atlantic in June of 1978 and on her return trip in October of 1979. Larry/WB3KDR (now KO3W) was the radio operator on the yacht. Operators here were Bill/K3CN, Joe/K3KJZ and Gordon/WB3CLG. These were the mainstays; several others checked in from time to time.  Many phone patches were handled. These same operators provided the same service to the Naval Academy Yacht Astral when she made a trip across the North Atlantic and back in 1980.

New Newsletter Editor & New 2 Meter Repeater
Holly Bevan/N3BMB took over as editor of The Ham Arundel News in September of 1980. Bill Cooke/K3CN was President.  In December of 1980 the Club received a new 100-watt, continuous duty, all transistor Motorola 2-meter repeater. It was delivered to the home of Harry Suit/N3DE to be outfitted with the necessary controls before being installed at the Club site.