NARC Construction Group - first project

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Published: 23 February 2023

Last Updated: 08 March 2023

We have a formed a new NARC construction group and their first project is a Loop antenna amplifier as featured in Radcom. Estimated cost for the loop amplifier is around £30 including a case, possibly make a loop for around £20 and junk box bits.

This is going ahead and the group will be having its first meeting to discuss the project with Mark G0TMT who suggested and will lead this project on Wednesday March 29th at CNS. The idea is for anyone interested in construction to feel free to join this group and collaborate and share/learn the great art of construction

I will shortly be setting up a new IO Group for those involved in the project to correspond, share and collaborate, so if you wish to be included and have not already told me please drop me an email asap - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thanks, David G7URP

NARC Construction Group as at 23.2.23:

Mark G0TMT

David G7URP

Jim G4BDW

Jay M6JPK

Tim M1MIT

Nick 2E0IBP

Martin G3ZQU

Keith M7KKO

Nigel M7EPK

Martijn M0XKM

NARC Programme ... update

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Published: 23 February 2023

Last Updated: 18 March 2023

Below is an updated programme of NARC Wednesday meetings and other events

Always check the clubs website and latest newsletter for details nearer the time.

March 2023

1st: 19.00-21.30 Meeting at CNS : Presentation on Brickworks scheme by the RSGB

8th:  19.30 NARC Live : Club news, What on Earth Competition and 'Propagation update' with K9LA

15th:  19.00-21.30 Meeting at CNS : Social, Bright Sparks and informal RPi Jam comparing monitors... (cc)

22nd: 19.30 NARC Live : Club news, What on Earth Competition and 'Making Sense of Space Weather' G0KYA

29th:  19.00-21.30 Meeting at CNS : Social and NARC Raspberry Pi Jam and Construction Group sessions

April 2023

5th:   19.00-21.30 Meeting at CNS : Annual General Meeting

12th: 19.30 NARC Live : Club news, What on Earth Competition and 'Operating from Market Reef', KO8SCA

19th:  19.00-21.30 Meeting at CNS : Social, Bright Sparks and informal demo / workshop n the Nano VNA... (cc)

26th: 19.30 NARC Live : Meeting at CNS

May 2023

3rd: 19.00-21.30 Meeting at CNS : Social and NARC Raspberry Pi Jam

• CNS meetings are between 19.00-21.30 in the 6th form common room at City of Norwich School, Eaton Road, Norwich, NR4 6PP.

• Bright Sparks: We also include a Bright Sparks session for our younger members once a month.

• NARC Live is an online meeting open to all which starts at 19.30 and is available to watch on either of the following online platforms:

Watch live on BATC:

https://batc.org.uk/live/NARC

or Facebook Live:

https://www.facebook.com/norfolkamateurradioclub  

Recordings are made of most NARC Live and they can be watched here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/norfolkamateurradio/videos 

If you enjoy what NARC brings you, please join! Its only £10 for the whole year of 50 Wednesday meetings as well as other events and features. Details on how to join are on our website.

NARC Raspberry Pi Jam is GO!

Details

Published: 07 February 2023

Last Updated: 17 February 2023

We are pleased to confirm that we have had a very high amount of interest in the Raspberry Pi Jam workshops and can confirm they start this week with an introductory session. All workshops will be at CNS School and start after notices at 19.45 and will be led by Jeff G7PLF - our sincere thanks to him. The informal course is free to all current paid by members of NARC - note that regretfully the list now closed as course is full unless someone drops out.

Join Us 2023

Details

Published: 27 October 2022

Last Updated: 14 November 2022

We have managed to reduce our previous precovid full NARC membership from £20 - £30 per year to just £10 per member for the year.  This is principally because we have more members than we used to have, plus we meet less often than we used to and although school hire costs to us have risen by more than 30% we do not have any costs incurred in producing NARC Live online.

We appreciate the cost of living pressures which will be on us all, so we are taking a leap of faith in reducing our full membership price to the lowest since the 1980's, in the hope and belief that everyone will continue their membership for this very modest outlay - less than 20p per week. 

Club Contesters Note that if you are a contester please remember you need to be an up to date paid member to enter valid scores into the club championship contests.

So we invite you to rejoin (or join) NARC now for 2023 and pay us ideally by direct bank transfer (be sure to use your callsign/surname as reference) - please also complete and email the membership form if you are not already current member.

(NB - As Mark asks please pay by BACS bank transfer if you possibly can because even though we are a voluntary organisation Paypal still take a significant commission along with the bank which also charges for each Cheque payment as we are classed as a business)

Ways to pay:

Pay directly to our Bank Preferred

Bank: HSBC
Name: Norfolk Amateur Radio Club
Sort Code: 402008
Account: 31432222 (this is classed as a business account - some banks ask)

IMPORTANT - please use your callsign as the reference or if you are not licensed your initial and surname and email the treasurer as below

OR

Paypal 2 options

1) Use our online shop to pay via Paypal, you will need to login to website to complete.
http://norfolkamateurradio.org/index.php/on-line/shop/category-listing/product/687-online-membership
An additional charge incurred to cover Paypal costs. Totals £10.61

2) If you wish to pay direct using Paypal please pay £10.61 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - if you  Use Friends and Family option please pay £10.00 be sure to use your callsign as a reference. Example below highlighted with yellow box.

Cheque Payable to "Norfolk Amateur Radio Club"
Please use BANK Transfer if possible as banks charge us for each cheque

Posted to address below with a note of your name and callsign:

Mark Taylor G0LGJ
c/o NARC
6 Welden Road
Scarning
Dereham
Norfolk
NR19 2UB

If you pay via bank transfer please inform the Membership Secretary via email and give the reference you used in your online transaction as banks do not always pass on references.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Conditions that qualify a member for concessionary membership can be found in the constitution or shown on the form

Download and print Membership Form 2023

Membership 2023 ?

Details

Published: 10 January 2023

Last Updated: 03 February 2023

Hi just a quick update re membership for 2023 thanks to all those who have renewed.

Full NARC membership for 2023 is just £10 per person which we hope to maintain, but this depends on most people renewing. 

You can check if you are on the membership list by clicking here.

If you are not on the list you can renew by bank transfer (preferred please), or at club meeting paying cash, or paypal or by post with cheque if no other options open - full details available here.

Regards Mark G0LGJ - Membership Secretary & Treasurer

NARC Club news and views...

Details

Published: 18 November 2022

Last Updated: 22 February 2023

Your news and views go here - have your say...  (you just have to email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Do you have a new FLUKE Multimeter type 8x V ?

Thanks to Steve M7CNI for important safety news on these popular multimeters:

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/support/safety-notices/8x-v-safety-notice 

Interesting news from Colin G0OOR...

https://hackaday.com/2023/02/18/the-usaf-almost-declares-war-on-illinois-radio-amateurs/ 

NanoVNA...

A couple of people have asked me for an informal demo and workshop on the NanoVNA. Do you have one of these and would be willing to demonstrate how to set up and use it?

Please email me if you can and then we can set up an informal round table on it at CNS.

Club project IS going ahead - LAST CHANCE TO TAKE PART

Mark G0TMT has suggested the club get a few members together to make a Loop antenna amplifier as featured in Radcom. Estimated cost for amplifier around £30 including a case, possibly make a loop for around £20 and junk box bits. Estimate only - we will need to know numbers before we know final costs, but allowing £50 plus some bits you hopefully have around the workshop seems reasonable.

UPDATE - We now have eight people who are interested so the project will be going ahead and soon start buying in parts, after which time it will be too late to join in. So if this interests you then please email me without delay.

So what do you think? I am happy to organise these things but we need to know who is interested, so please get in touch with me with your thoughts and ideas!

David G7URP

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Are you sure you still have your lifetime license...?

Although amateur radio licenses are now for life they MUST be revalidated at least once every 5 years with Ofcom. Its quick and easy - I do mine every year near my birthday. Just sign into your Ofcom account and confirm all the details remain the same...    

73, David

NARC membership 2023

NARC membership is just £10 for full membership for 2023.... we want to maintain this going forwards too but we need everyone to rejoin to make the numbers add up, so please rejoin. Details are on the website under 'Join us'.

NARC Live!

NARC Live is always broadcast live so that viewers can ask questions etc, but it is recorded and uploaded to Youtube within a few days of it being live-streamed.

And to watch any of these recordings of NARC Live or other video events please go to https://www.youtube.com/c/norfolkamateurradio/videos

Something to say, show or sell?

This section is open for any NARC member to share news, ideas or tips with anyone who reads the newsletter (around 300 people subscribe), so if you have anything like this please send it to David G7URP via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The most effective way to sell or buy something through NARC is to list it on the Club website on the For Sale Forum as non members look there too - it is free but you just need to register for the website first.

  Please let me have any club news to put here and/or NARC Live:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    Thanks  David G7URP