Blog Articles

The FCARC VE Team will hold Ham Exams at the FCARC Swapfest November 2, 2025. Registration will be from 9 to 10 am.

You will need a government issued ID, an email address, and a Federal Registration Number (FRN). Younger people without an ID must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Special Notice about FRNs. The FCC is closed during the Government shutdown and will not be issuing FRNs or accepting registrations and renewals during the shutdown. Ham Exams will still be given. Successful candidates will be issued a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE).  Our VEC, the ARRL, will hold the applications until the FCC opens and begins issuing FRNs. 

Exams are $15, under age 18 is $5. If you wish to retake a failed exam you will be charged another $15 /$5. If you are successful, you may take the next element at no extra charge. Bring a pen or pencil and a calculator. Cell phone calculators are not allowed and should be silenced or off and put away.

If you are upgrading, you will need proof of your current license.        

The FCC charges $35 for new license applications. We do not collect that fee. The FCC will email you payment instructions when they receive your application from the ARRL. You have 10 days to respond from the issuance of that email. If you miss that 10-day period, your application may be dismissed.  New call signs will be emailed after your payment is processed. 

If you have questions about the exams or wish to preregister, please call Rick at (920) 809-1010 or email at wj9k.mail@gmail.com.

FCARC Ham Exams will be held Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Fox Valley Technical College, 1825 N. Bluemound Dr. Appleton, WI 54914, Room A160. Enter Door 15 from the north parking lot.

Registration is from 8 to 9 am only. You must have a valid email address and a FCC Registration number (FRN) to register. You can obtain a FRN from the FCC.gov website free of charge. Cost of the exam is $15, Checks can be made out to the FCARC. Retakes are allowed, time permitting. Each exam retake is an additional $15. Non cellphone calculators are allowed, and cell phones must be off during exams. Preregistration is helpful be not required.

If you have exam related questions or wish to preregister contact Rick Kosiorek at (920)809-1010 and leave a message or email at wj9k.mail@gmail.com.

FCARC Ham Exams will be Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Fox Valley Technical College, 1825 N. Bluemound Dr. Appleton, WI 54914, Room A160. Enter Door 15 from the North parking lot.

Registration is from 8 to 9 am only. You must have a valid email address and a FCC Registration Number  (FRN) to register for an exam. A FRN is obtained from the FCC.gov website free of charge.  Cost of the exam is $15.  Retakes are allowed, time permitting. Each retake is charged $15. Non cell phone calculators can be used. Cell phones must be off during exams.

Pre-registration is helpful but not required. If you have exam related questions or wish to pre-resister contact Rick at (920) 809-1010 (leave a message please) or email at wj9k.mail@gmail.com .

Yes, we are participating in ARRL Field Day again this year.  We are grateful to the Bay-Lakes Council of Scouting America for allowing us to use their campus again this year.  This years event will be less structured than previous years, so flexibility should rule the day.  After all... it's still radio.  More details to follow as we make them up. :-)

That's right - and right in time for Field Day.  Come to the General Membership meeting and try your luck.  The odds are pretty good and someone is going home with a cool new antenna analyzer.  It could be you.

The Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club has a new home!! Future meetings will be at Fox Valley Technical College! Next General Membership meeting will be this coming Monday at 7pm in room HS114A/B. We look forward to seeing you there!

FCARC Ham Exams will be Saturday, May 31 at Fox Valley Technical College, 1825 N. Bluemound Dr. Appleton, WI 54914, Room A160. Enter at door 15 from the North parking lot. 

Registration is from 8 to 9 am. You must have a valid email address and a FCC Registration Number (FRN) to register for an exam. The FRN is obtained from the FCC website free of charge.  Cost of the exam is $15. Retakes are allowed, time permitting. Each retake costs $15. Cell phones must be off during the exam.

Pre-registration is helpful but not required. If you have questions or wish to pre-register call Rick, WJ9K, at (920)809-1010 or email at wj9k.mail@gmail.com.

Saturday, May 3rd. 0730 - 1630 - or until the batteries run out.

147.555MHz Somewhere in the Fox Cities. See Map.

The fox can be heard from the 41/441 loop with a handheld radio - confirmed.

Since Fox Hunting is a receive only activity, all future and current Hams are welcome to participate.

PLEASE DO NOT post where it is when you find it. A simple "Found it!" on our Facebook page is enough. Allow others the thrill of the hunt.

There are NO prizes.

Use your best judgement on what information you share. After noon... hints can be blatant.

The sign-up for this year's EAA Special Event Station is now open to
all FCARC members. Sign up will be opening to all ARRL members
later in April 2025. Sign up will be drawing to a close on
May 28 2025. This has to be done so the EAA can finalize their
planning to accommodate us during the event.

This year we will operate on 7 days -- Monday through Saturday,
during the show (July 21 thru July 26,2025. This operating event
is open to all license classes. We will operate 2 HF stations, one
on 20m, one on 40m, 6-meter SSB, plus local communications on
2-meters. The club call, W9ZL, will be used throughout the event.

We are looking for both "AM" and "PM" operators covering each of the 7
days. You can sign up for one shift or more if you so desire. The event
is open to all of the amateur community. If operators sign up for a 4
hour shift, they will be given a daily wristband that will allow them
to go and wander around the Fly-in.

For further information and to sign up to operate the event go to:
http://fcarc.club
The sign up form is available at the Event Sign-ups tab on the W9ZL website
home page.

Or you may contact Jon Oldenburg AB9AH at:
AB9AH@arrl.net

Hope to see you all soon!

Jon Oldenburg AB9AH
W9ZL Special Event Coordinator
EAA AirVenture 2025

The Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club runs a few different monthly nets.  One of those nets happens on the 145.33mhz YSF Digital repeater at 8:00pm on the first Tuesday of every month.  

We're looking for a few intrepid souls to act as net control operators.    

The only requirement is that you have a radio capable of accessing and communicating via the Yaesu System Fusion (aka: C4FM) digital mode.  Acting as net control is as simple as reading off a script and writing down some callsigns.  If I can do it (and I did for the April net!), anyone can!

If you're interested, please click the button below (or this link) and fill out the form.  I know some of you fly south for the winter, so I put an "availability" section there, as I'd like to schedule this out at least 6 months in advance (or more, if enough people sign up).

Thanks for your interest, and please let me (Mike, KD9QHQ) know if you have any questions.

Walk MS: Appleton 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 10 at the Fox Cities Stadium. Looking for 8-10 operations to help with radio operations for this event. This is a great event for the new ham to try out the new HT or a seasoned ham to knock the dust of their favorite HT.

The event will last about 3 hours.

Agenda:

9:00 AM Meet at the Neuroscience Group Field at the Fox Cities Stadium. 2400 N Casaloma Dr, Appleton WI

9:30 AM Deploy to positions

9:45 AM Net Starts and radio checks

10:00 AM Walk Starts.

There will be a 1 and 3 route.

Questions: dsprangers@pm.me
Sign up here: https://fcarc.club/event-sign-up/3/ms-walk-2025
General event information: https://events.nationalmssociety.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=2111

Congratulations to Jon Oldenburg (AB9AH) for being selected as the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club's Ham Of The Year (HOTY) for 2024.

Jon is probably best known for his tireless support of EAA's Airventure.  Jon has been supporting this event for over 20 years and has been running the event for the last 14 of those years.

Thank you, Jon, for all your hard work in promoting Amateur Radio.  We especially appreciate what you do for Kidventure and all the other Hams that participate at EAA.

Mark your calendars!  Buy your tickets!  It's time for the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club's Annual Banquet.
Click on the Holiday Party link just under the FCARC banner on the homepage to purchase.

Saturday, February 22nd at Holidays Pub & Grill in Appleton.  Socialization starts at 5:30pm (cash bar).
Buffet style dining.  Beef tips and grilled chicken.  Mashed potatoes.  Corn.  Traditional fare.
Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchase through the club website.

I MUST HAVE A FINAL COUNT BY FEBRUARY 13TH!!!

The raffle prize?  Just a 55" TCL 4K UHD HDR LED Smart TV with Fire TV built in.
https://www.tcl.com/us/en/products/home-theater/s5-class/55-class-4k-uhd-hdr-led-smart-fire-tv-55f35

• 4K Ultra HD Resolution
• Motion Rate 240
• Dolby Atmos Audio
• HDR PRO (Dolby Vision, HDR10, &amp HLG)
• Fire TV Smart OS with Voice Remote
• Auto Game Mode (ALLM)
• FullView Metal Bezel-less Design
• Bluetooth Personal Audio
• 3 HDMI Inputs (One with eARC)
• Apple AirPlay 2
• Works with Amazon Alexa

It's always a good time!!!
If you have questions, reach out to us using the Contact Us link on our webpage - www.fcarc.club

The FCARC will hold in-person Ham Radio exams January 25, 2025 at the Maplewood Middle School, 1600 Midway Road, Menasha. Registration is from 8 am to 9 am.  

A government issued pictured ID is required. Minors without an ID must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Applications require a FCC Registration Number (FRN). A FRN can be obtained from the FCC.gov website free of charge. Applications without a FRN will not be accepted. Apply for the FRN as soon as possible. The application also requires an email address. If you pass your exam the FCC will contact you via email with information about a $35 application fee. You will have 10 days to respond or your application will be dismissed. License upgrades are not charged the FCC fee. We do not collect any FCC fees.

Our VEC, the ARRL, charges a $15 fee ($5 under the age of 18) for the exam. If you pass your exam, you may take the next element at the same session at no extra charge.  If you fail an exam, you may take another version, but you will be charged another $15.

If you have questions about the exams call or email Rick Kosiorek, WJ9K.  wj9k.mail@gmail.com or call and leave voice mail at (920) 809-1010. 

Holiday party tickets make a great present for the Ham in your life!

Join us on Saturday February 22, 2025!  Get details and buy tickets here!

Saturday, November 2nd. 0730 - 1630 - or until the batteries run out.

147.555MHz Somewhere in the Fox Cities. See Map.

The fox can be heard from the 41/441 loop with a handheld radio - confirmed.

Since Fox Hunting is a receive only activity, all future and current Hams are welcome to participate.

PLEASE DO NOT post where it is when you find it. A simple "Found it!" on our Facebook page is enough. Allow others the thrill of the hunt.

There are NO prizes.

Use your best judgement on what information you share. After noon... hints can be blatant.

Since I will be participating in the St. Joe's Food Pantry 5k on Saturday, October 5th, the fox hunt will be moved to the following Saturday.
We could still use more volunteers for the St Joe's event.
If the weather holds, we will do one more hunt in November.  That is To Be Determined and is up to Mother Nature.

We have two opportunities in the next month to support our communities and raise awareness about our hobby.
The Otto Grunski Runski, September 28th, to benefit the Menasha Parks and Recreation Family Assistance Fund.
St. Joe's 5K/10K, October 5th, to benefit the St Joseph Food Pantry.

Otto Grunski is a new event for us. They estimate needing our help from 7:45am to 9:45am.
St Joe's has been from 7:30am to 9:30-ish. They did add "10K" - so the runners may wind up doing two laps. I expect that they will still finish before many of the walkers.

The FCARC VEs will be conducting Ham Exams Sunday, November 3, at The FCARC Swapfest located at Lucky Dog'z / Labor Temple 157 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah, WI 54956.

Registration starts at 9 am. Walk-ins are welcomed. If you don't plan on attending the Swapfest and are only there to test let the people at the entrance know. You will be escorted to and from the exam room.

A government issued picture ID is required. Please see the ARRL.org website, license information, for other forms of acceptable ID.

The FCC application form requires an FCC registration number and will not be accepted without one. You can obtain a FRN free of charge on the FCC.gov website. Apply for it as soon as possible so you have it available for the exam.

After a successful exam the FCC will contact you through email. Make sure your email address is legible on the forms

Cost of the exams are set by our VEC, the ARRL, at $15. If you fail an exam, you may take a different version, time permitting, but you will be charged another $15. If you are successful, you may take the next element during the session at no extra charge.

If you have any questions concerning FCARC Exams or to preregister contact Rick Kosiorek

at (920) 809-1010 or WJ9K.mail@gmail.com

Saturday, September 7th. 0730 - 1630 - or until the batteries run out.

147.555MHz Somewhere in the Fox Cities. See Map.

The fox can be heard from the 41/441 loop with a handheld radio - confirmed.

Since Fox Hunting is a receive only activity, all future and current Hams are welcome to participate.

PLEASE DO NOT post where it is when you find it. A simple "Found it!" on our Facebook page is enough. Allow others the thrill of the hunt.

There are NO prizes.

Use your best judgement on what information you share. After noon... hints can be blatant.

This year's annual picnic is Saturday, August 17th, starting at 11am.

This is a family event so bring the folks you hold dear.

It's a potluck so please bring a dish to pass. The club will provide brats, burgers, hot dogs and soda/water. We'll have corn if I can find it.

Sunset Park, Kimberly, Pavilion #1.

We should have a fox hunt and you are encouraged to bring some radio gear to show off. Sorry, no raffle.

If you have questions, please use the Contact Us page and we'll try to get them answered.

We will be doing the monthly fox hunt at the annual picnic this month instead of on Social Saturday. See everyone at the picnic.

It's that time of year already!

The 146.760 repeater will be used by those supporting Race the Lake again this year. The repeater will be used for RtL support between 5:30am and 3pm on August 18th.

Please consider using another club or member repeater for non-event traffic, leaving the 146.760 repeater for the event support during this time:

145.330 (-0.6MHz) located in Neenah - Yaesu digital only

443.650 (+5MHz, 100Hz) located in Appleton - Analog and Yaesu digital

Member repeaters:

224.500 (-1.6Mhz, 100Hz) WJ9K repeater

442.175 (+5MHz, 100Hz) WJ9K repeater

442.475 (+5MHz, 146.2Hz)AJ9L repeater