The South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS) holds a number of annual events. Use this page to watch for your favorite activity.
January: Field Day – Winter
Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) is a dedicated group of Amateur Radio Operators who believe that emergency communications in a winter environment is just as important as the preparations and practice that is done each summer but with some additional unique operational concerns. This years event will be held on January 26/27, 2019, and the SCARS group will attempt to build our second Winter Field Day.
If you are serious about emergency communications as we are; we welcome you to join us for our yearly event. We are sure you will find this event a pleasant change and challenge to that of a normal summer time field day.
February: 2018 Technician / General License Class
SCARS will offer a combined Tech / General class that started on February 6th, 2018. This class will be held at Fire Station #7 near Westheimer Airport / Field at 2207 Goddard Avenue, Norman, OK 73069. We use the ARRL Technician and General study guides. These books will be available for about $22.50. The class syllabus is the same as the 2016 version, and is available on the class page.
March: Elk City Hamfest
This annual event started in 1989. This years event will be Saturday, March 3, 2018, from 8:00 am to ??:?? pm. This will be held at the Elk City Community Civic Center, 1016 E Airport Industrial Rd., Elk City, Oklahoma. It’s a great little hamfest, and neat to see some new and old friends.
ARRL VE testing will be 1:00 pm and a Hamburger Supper will be held on Friday night at 6:30 pm. Set up times are available on Friday Afternoon, from 1:30 pm until 9:00 pm. $5.00 registration fee, and $5.00 tables.
March: NWS Offers Storm Spotter Training
Each year the National Weather Service (NWS) offers storm spotter training for our area. There are a number of opportunities to obtain this training, including online webinar presentations, available on the spotter talk web page.
ARES storm spotters need this training either this year or last year to be a part of the storm spotter program for the upcoming season.
April: SCARS Spring Picnic
Each spring, after the Technician / General class, SCARS holds a picnic. This year the spring picnic will be April 28th and will be at the WA6DKD ranch. Details are available on the w5nor.org homepage.
April: Green Country Hamfest
This annual event is again billed as the BIGGEST and the BEST in Oklahoma! This year, this event will be on April 13th and 14th, 2018. Doors will be open from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday, and from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday
There will be ARRL VE testing, keynote speakers, vendors, and flea markets tables. Tons more information is available on the Green Country Hamfest website.
April: OKC Memorial Marathon
Each year the Oklahoma City Amateur Radio community provides communication assistance to the annual OKC Memorial Marathon. This year is no exception, and the Public Service Committee chair, Mike Rockey KE5EQC, is providing an opportunity for about 100 hams again this year. This year’s event is scheduled for April 29th, 2018, and typically the hams work the whole day, from about 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. Registration and more information is available on the SCARS Memorial Marathon page.
May: Xenia (Dayton), OH – Hamvention
This annual event started in 1952, and brings tens of thousands of hams together with vendors, classes, and a giant flea market. This is generally the second weekend in May. This year, that will be May 18, 2018 – May 20, 2018. More information is available at club meetings, and on the web at http://www.hamvention.org/
June: Dallas, TX – Ham-Com
This annual event started in 1977 and brings thousands of hams together with vendors, classes, and a giant flea market. This is generally the second weekend in June. This year, that will be June 8, 2017 – June 9, 2018. More information is available at club meetings, and on the web at http://www.hamcom.org/
June: Field Day – Summer
The American Radio Relay League, (ARRL) sponsors an Annual Field Day competition. Each year, SCARS participates in these activities and operates emergency radios for 24 hours straight. Each year this is on the fourth full weekend in June. This year, that will be June 23, 2018, through June 24, 2018. Contact any SCARS officer if you’d like to be a part of the fun. More information is available at club meetings, and on the web at http://w5nor.org/fd
July: Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs’ Ham Holiday
This annual event started in 1974 and brings thousands of hams together with vendors, classes, and a giant flea market. This is generally the fourth weekend in July. This year, that will be July 27, 2018 – July 28, 2018. More information is available at club meetings, and on the web at HamHoliday.com or on Facebook at Facebook.com/HamHoliday
September: Bike MS Event Communications
In 2018, this will be held September 15th & 16th. About a dozen amateur radio operators provide communication between the race leadership, and the vehicles on the 160 mile course. This is a two-day event that will run from Norman to Guthrie on day 1, and from Guthrie to back to Norman on day 2. For more information about the Bike MS program, visit this SCARS Bike MS site.
October: Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)
This annual event is usually held in the middle weekend in October. In this event, the Boy Scouts will meet to learn about radio, talk on the radio, communicate with other Boy Scouts at similar events across the globe. Here in Norman, they typically meet at a local park, and various SCARS members bring radios, antennas, and other systems for the scouts to set up, and use. There’s also a training opportunity that will allow scouts to obtain their radio merit badge. For more information about the JOTA program, visit this Scouting site. More information is available at club meetings, and from the Boy Scout Troops.
October: SCARS Fall Picnic
Each fall, typically in October, after the Technician / General class, SCARS holds a picnic. This year the Fall picnic will be September 15th and will be at the WA6DKD ranch. Details will be available on the w5nor.org homepage.
October: National Weather Festival
The annual National Weather Festival highlights the many weather related organizations and activities in central Oklahoma. Visitors can view the National Weather Center’s premier facilities at 120 David L Boren Blvd, in South Norman, including National Weather Service forecast operation areas. The 2017 Festival was held on October 21st, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
In 2017 SCARS operated W5F Special Event Station from the National Weather Museum’s display, the Norman Emergency Management area, and the Moore Emergency Management trailer. We had operating demonstrations of HF, VHF, UHF, D-STAR, and DMR radios. About 30 hams came out to help celebrate the weather festival.
This unique event features hourly weather balloon launches with local TV meteorologists, emergency response vehicle and equipment displays, children’s activities, weather superheroes the “Weather Friends”, and weather-related information and products. For more information, contact the National Weather Festival web site.
October: Texoma Hamarama
This year’s event will be held Saturday, October 27 & 28, 2018. Friday from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. This was held at the Ardmore Convention Center, in Ardmore, OK. More information is available on the Texoma Hamarama website.
ARRL VE testing is available, and there’s lunch available on site. $8.00 registration fee, and $15.00 tables.
November: Enid Hamfest
This year’s event is Saturday, November 3, 2018, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. This is at the Hoover Building on the Garfield County Fairgrounds, at 305 E Oxford Ave., Enid, OK. More information on the Enid club website.
ARRL VE testing is at 1:00 pm, and there’s a free hot dog lunch from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Set up times are available on Friday evening, from 6:30 pm until 9:00 pm, and on Saturday morning from 6:30 am to 8:00 am. $3.00 registration fee, and $3.00 tables.
December: SCARS Annual Christmas Party
This annual event started in 1978 and brings tens of hams together with for a great meal, and a ‘White Elephant’ Christmas gift exchange. Last year there was a maximum $10 spend on each gift, and “No Free Harbor Freight items were allowed”. This is generally the first Tuesday in December. Bring your wrapped gift labeled as from/for either a “male”, or “female”. This year this will be December 5, 2017, at 6:00 pm, at the Golden Corral, in Norman, OK. More information is available at club meetings, or on the SCARS Facebook Group.
2018 SCARS Past Meeting Topics
- 2018 – January – SATERN – Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network.
- 2018 – February – Mark Kleine N5HZR – Grounding and Bonding – Presentation here – Motorola Grounding here – Polyphaser here
2017 SCARS Past Meeting Topics
- 2017 – January – Meeting canceled due to potential Ice Storm.
- 2017 – February – DXKeeper. By Peter Laws N5UWY presented information on the DX Labs Software Suite. Peter has provided his presentation slides for your later review, and they are available here. Here are two additional links to presentations from DX Lab Suite that may also be of some assistance to your pursuit of this software. http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Presentations/DXLab%20Suite%202012-03-19.pdf and http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Presentations/DXing%20with%20DXLab%202016-05-05.pdf
- 2017 – March – PSK31 and ARRL Membership. This month our own Bill Baker WG5T presented information about the digital mode of operating PSK31. That Powerpoint presentation is available here on the W5NOR website. More info on PSK31 is available on the W5NOR PSK31 page.
And, our own ARES Technical Specialist Gary Skaggs WB5ULK presented the ARRL, and the benefits of membership. More info on the ARRL is available on the ARRL web page. - 2017 – April – Denny WA6DKD presented a great presentation about building your own antennas with whatever you have around the shack. For more information, please see the W5NOR Antenna page, or search the web to build your own antennas.
- 2017 – May – Field Day 2017 Setup By Chris Pape KE5JZN
- 2017 – June –
- 2017 – July –
- 2017 – August –
- 2017 – September – Gordon Hudson talked about designing antennas.
- 2017 – October – Aubrey Washington KF5DJH talked about his deployment to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma, and his upcoming deployment back to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
- 2017 – November –
- 2017 – December –
2016 SCARS Past Meeting Topics
- 2016 – January – Drones, drones, drones. By PDC Productions
- 2016 – February – ARES Oklahoma. By Gayland Kitch WX5MOR
- 2016 – March – How Far Can Your Talkie Talk? By Harold Black W5IFN
- 2016 – April – DMR, D-STAR, and System Fusion By Mark Kleine N5NZR – Presentation slides are available here: – More info on DMR, on D-STAR…
- 2016 – May – Field Day 2016 Setup By Chris Pape KE5JZN
- 2016 – June – Collector & Emitter Online Archives and Q.R. Zedd Archives By Mark Kleine N5HZR and Gary Skaggs WB5ULK.
- 2016 – July – Planning Your Tower Work By Phil Sinnett KD5UGO Also auction of spare club goodies.
- 2016 – August – Logbook of the World By Peter Laws N5UWY
- 2016 – September – Cheap Handhelds and Their Effect on Amateur Radio Gordon Hudson WX5GOR
- 2016 – October – Homebrewing From Scratch Presentation – Kenn Goodson KA5KXW
- 2016 – November – Young Ladies Radio League – Michelle Carey W5MQC District 5 Representative and Learn Morse Code – Mark Kleine N5HZR
- 2016 – December – James Tittle, AR-OK Regional Disaster Director for the American Red Cross. James talked the with the members of SCARS and talked about the role of the contemporary Red Cross, and how Amateur Radio can be involved in getting the message through “when all else fails”. A number of volunteer opportunities were discussed and will be posted on the CC ARES page.