Why Join CCARA
Lets say you’re interested in ham radio, or have just obtained your license. Either way, at some point you’re bound to have questions. After all, ham radio is a vast hobby with all sorts of topics to navigate. You may have questions about the licensing process, or some aspect of the technical material, or what sort of equipment you may need or not even know that you need, and where do you want to go in this hobby? The Calhoun County Amateur Radio Association (CCARA), WB4GNA Anniston Ham Radio Club can help.
To start off, if you have ever been curious about ham radio, going to a club meeting is a good place to get started. The CCARA meets every month CCARA meets every month. Some people when they get their call sign get nervous about getting on the air due to ‘mic fright’. Meeting area hams can help with that … as you make friends in the relaxed social setting of a club meeting it becomes easier to talk over the radio because you know that person and it really does make a difference.
Many local clubs, CCARA WB4GNA Anniston Ham Club included, have a variety of hams that operate using and are passionate about a particular band or style of operation. It’s one thing to read about operating but it can be totally different actually seeing it in action and you have the chance to ask questions in real-time. Another cool thing is seeing the different brands of gear being used thru various club activities and help determine what is best for how YOU want to operate.
Some radios have a very easy to navigate menu system that is user friendly for newer hams, other radios may be optimized for higher quality audio or for operating in digital modes. Radios can be optimized for portable operation in mind, where others may be much better off just sitting on your desk. Finally, there are all sorts of radios that are designed with special features like making communications with satellites easier, using GPS to transmit your position.
Another way that a club can be helpful is when it comes time to program a radio. Even some of the most basic handheld radios can have fairly complicated programming software, especially for a beginner. Chances are that a club member may have either have the same model radio or be familiar with how to program it. In many cases all that needs to be done is a simple copy into your radio and you’ll be ready to operate. For radios that don’t some with a programming cable or software, having a ham help you with the programming saves that extra expense.
Older radios can be a great way to get into the hobby, but there are some caveats that we can advise on. There are some great deals on old radios that still use vacuum tubes, but the tubes may not be easily available if one goes out replacing it can be problematical and tube radios use higher (and dangerous) voltages.
The Calhoun County Amateur Radio Association (CCARA), WB4GNA Anniston Ham Radio Club, is just one of many certified organizations across the USA that can give you any level of testing that you may be interested in. The test for the entry level license, called the technician class, is a 35 question test that covers basic electronic knowledge and the rules and regulations as set forth by the FCC. This might sound scary, but the questions are not that hard. Hey, the test has been passed pretty much by all age groups. Pre-teens as well as senior citizens routinely pass the test without problems.
