The Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC) is made up of people who enjoy the hobby of amateur or “ham” radio. The club’s primary purpose is to exchange information to build knowledge of amateur radio. We conduct regular events for fun and to build our skills in the best operating practices.
Website
The club’s website is a great place to begin exploring all CVARC has to offer. You’ll easily find the information about our next meeting and pre-meeting dinners, along with the latest news about upcoming projects and special events. There is also a comprehensive list of local nets and repeaters, linked repeater groups and open access repeaters, as well as links to many informational websites and technical articles, and photos from past events.
Yahoo Group
The Yahoo Discussion Group allows members to share information about events, projects, or to seek advise from other group members. To join the discussion, you will first need to create a no-cost Yahoo account, if you don’t already have one. After you have a Yahoo account, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CVARCDiscussion/ and follow the prompts.
CVARC has a Facebook page. Be sure to “like” us and feel free to add your comments and photos to the page. https://www.facebook.com/ConejoValleyAmateurRadioClub/
Newbie Net
A weekly Newbie Net is held Sundays at 7:00 p.m. on 147.885 (- 127.3). This is an opportunity for newly licensed amateurs to ask questions and get advice from more experienced hams or “Elmers.” You’ll find a lot of experienced hams are regulars on the Sunday Newbie Net and enjoy sharing their experiences.
Club Meetings
The club meetings are always on the third Thursday of the month, at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the East County Sheriff’s Station at 2101 E. Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks.
Members tend to arrive early, often before 7:00 p.m., so this is a great opportunity to meet club members and to ask questions. The meetings always include a guest speaker. Speakers talk about a wide range of topics of interest to hams of all experience levels.
For those who are interested, there is also a pre-meeting dinner, often with the guest speaker, at a local restaurant starting at 5:00 p.m. Please look under Next Club Meeting for restaurant locations and a list of upcoming programs. And tell your friends; guests are always welcome!
CVARC Newsletter
The club’s monthly newsletter, QUA CVARC, was incorporated into the club website as of August, 2018. The website has complete listings of club programs, projects and events as well as other items of interest.
Field Day
Every year, on the last full weekend in June, CVARC participates in an event known as Field Day. For 24 hours we fine tune our communication skills and operate in the field to practice in emergency-like conditions. It’s ham radio’s biggest event of the year, and lots of fun! We also have several Mini-Field Day & Picnics during the year. These are great opportunities to operate, as well as check out other people’s gear, and ask questions. Check here for photos from previous Field Day and Mini-Field Day events.
Emergency Communication
Some of our members train and are involved in Emergency Communications. We have a weekly check-in net on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm on 147.885 (- 127.3) and, on the first Tuesday of the month, CVARC members staff radio rooms throughout the community to ensure that equipment is operational and ready for situations when other means of communication become unavailable. Members and guests are encouraged to check in on these weekly nets. Club members interested in getting more involved in Emergency Communication should contact Rob Hanson or Zak Cohen.
Projects
CVARC puts on special project events at least a couple of times a year, where we get together and build a project. Club members have constructed antennas of all types, baluns and ununs, battery boxes and test equipment. After a few hours of working together under the guidance of an experienced leader, participants go home with something they can use right away. Information about project builds can be found here.
Education and Training
CVARC conducts training classes for Technician, General and Amateur Extra licenses. Our accredited team of Volunteer Examiners conducts licensing exams six times a year. CVARC also gives Basic Tech Talks as a club instructional series.
CVARC Morse Group
The club has formed small, special interest groups such as the CVARC Morse Group, a group dedicated to Morse code and CW. Members plan activities designed to promote the use of Morse code and CW and work together to build speed and proficiency. Even though code is no longer required for amateur radio licensing, many hams are finding they enjoy CW, especially in times of poor band conditions. The Morse Group Net meets Mondays at 7:00 p.m. on 28.053. The Morse group meets for code practice, guest speakers, and projects relating to Morse code on the first Friday of each month in the Community Room of the East Valley Sheriff’s Station. All are welcome.
Contact CVARC
You can pay dues and buy tickets to club events either at monthly meeting or by mail:
Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club
PO Box 2093
Thousand Oaks, CA 91358-2093
If you have any questions, please email info@cvarc.org