New Memberships:

By Online Submission: Complete the form below and then click on the “Apply for Membership” at the bottom of the page. Your call sign, name and address information will be verified with the FCC license registry. Your membership application will then be placed in a “pending” status until we have received your annual dues payment.

You can use the private access link that will be sent to the secure email address you list below in your online membership application to make an online credit card dues payment via PayPal. Or, attend the next meeting to pay your dues to the club treasurer.

By Mail or at a Club Meeting: Fill out the information requested in the form below and, instead of clicking on the “Apply for Membership” button at the bottom of this page, use your browser’s print function to print a copy of your completed form. Either mail the application form & payment to “Orange County Radio Amateurs, P.O. Box 294, Carrboro, NC 27510, or give the completed application, payment and show your FCC License to the club treasurer at the next monthly membership meeting.

New member application forms received by online submission, by mail or at a club meeting, but whose 1st year’s dues have not yet been received will show on the membership listing with a “Pending” status.

FCC Registered Callsign, Verification of Identity This is the same information as required in the FCC database for your ham radio license
Call Sign *	Your Current Amateur Radio Call Sign registered in the FCC database
First Name *	Enter First name you prefer to be called
Last Name *	Enter Last Name
Address *	Street Address
City *	City
State *	State
Zip Code *	Zip Code
Phone	Profile Access & Identify Verification
Shared Email *	For sharing with others for discussion of similar interests
Secure Email *	Email address for Profile Access Link & Identity Verification
I'm not a robot *	6 − 4 = ? THIS QUESTION MUST BE ANSWERED TO CONTINUE
Participant Info
Dues Call Sign *	Your Callsign (or callsign of licensed family member paying dues for your membership).
1st Year Free	Newly licensed ham at OCRA VE Session AND have attended an OCRA meeting.
Personal Info
Assistance Needed	Ham Radio Areas you need Assistance BuildDecisionFixInstallOperateHT UnitHF StationMobile UnitRemote StationBeam AntennaWire AntennaStealth AntennaVehicle AntennaConnectorsFeedlineGroundingMultibandNoiseTowerTuner160m80m40m30m20m17m15m12m10m6m2m1.25m70cm other: Use above words to identify areas needing assistance. Choose Action [Build, Decision (help me decide), Fix, Install, Operate] then applicable areas [HT..... Tuners] [Frequencies]. Use "Other", a free form text field if needed to describe your needs.
Interests	Ham Radio Interest Areas AntennasAPRSARESAuxcommCERTContestingCWDigitalDMRDXField DayFoxhuntingMobile OpsNets/Net ControlPublic ServiceQRP (Low Power)Remote Station OpsRepeatersRepeater CrewSatellite OpsSDRSOTASSBVintage Radio160m80m40m30m20m17m15m12m10m6m2m1.25m70cmAttended Meeting to Learn about Ham Radio other: Select the above words that best reflect your interest areas. List your bands of interest (as opposed to listing all the bands your station can operate on. The club will use this information to better plan presentations, club work sessions and web site articles.

RARSfest – The Raleigh Hamfest 8AM-3:00PM Saturday April 20, 2019

Posted on Apr.2019 by Dan, KR4UB

More Information Available Here – Order Tickets and Tables Online – http://www.rarsfest.org

OCRA Membership Meeting – March 11, 2019

Posted on Mar.2019 by W1KES

Introductions:

Treasurer Report:

Dan (KR4UB)

We have 68 paid membership current and 33 requiring renewal. You can renew membership easily and securely on the website under the heading of “Members.”

Chatham county continues moving forward with establishing new radio towers. Currently they are writing specifications to publicly bid the work. They plan to establish additional towers beyond current need for anticipated growth, with the understanding it is more cost-effective to erect the additional towers now than re-bid the work at a future date.

WordPress is the most common blog and website platform in use around the globe. OCRA uses WordPress as our primary club communication channel. WordPress has many additional features and functionality that we can leverage for multiple uses. One such use is capturing interest and availability for Field Day.

With just under four months to go, Field Day 2019 is quickly approaching. However, we can more easily start planning now. Dan has created an on-line sign-up form to capture availability to volunteer for food, station, and field site preparation, staffing, and dismantling.

You can easily complete the sign up form on your computer or even phone! The steps for expressing your interest and availability follow:

1. On the site, navigate to the “Member” tab and click “Receive Access Link”.

2. Enter your call sign, answer the math question, and click “Submit”. An email will be sent to your registered public email address.

3. You will receive a confirmation screen notifying you the link has been sent to your email.

4. Login to your registered email address and click the link. If you bookmark this link, it can be used to update your profile…be sure to bookmark!

5. Complete the Field Day sign-up sheet. Be sure to click the “Save” button located at the end of the form. If there are any data corrections, they will be highlighted in red. Band captains will reach out to you regarding the specifics. We look forward to seeing you during Field Day!

Program: Connectors

As many Hams know, it is important when making decisions about getting the right coax for your Ham Station to understand that there are trade-offs that have to be considered between transmitter power, antenna gain, coax loss, and your total Ham Station system performance. Your bank account may also enter into the equation like most Hams.

Cables and connectors are no exception to the above as they make up the lifeline of your entire station, allowing all of the components to work together. Steve (KZ1X) shared that oxygen is the enemy of every connector, as oxidation due to poor connections will limit the performance and life of the connector. Dan (KR4UB) and Steve (KZ1X) further explain the importance of having the right connectors, wires, and crimpers to produce a gas tight crimp. As Dan shared, in his experience most poor transmissions are the result of bad connectors. However, with quality material and practice you can build connectors that provide decades worth of radio fun and enjoyment.

Dan (KR4UB) explaining contact spring tension Steve (KZ1X) explaining Power pole connectors