Hiawatha Valley Amateur Radio Club (HVARC) holds its monthly meetings on the 1st Saturday of each month, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Our monthly meetings are beginning to return to in-person gatherings at the Environmental Learning Center in Red Wing, MN, located at 442 Guernsey Lane, just off of Highway 58 leading into the SE corner of Red Wing, MN (see map). Both members and non-members are welcome to attend our monthly meetings, whether you are, or are not licensed as a HAM.
At 8:00 P.M. on Sunday evenings, all Hams licensed by the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® are invited to join an ARES Net that uses the AA0RW repeater, the same as HVARC uses, at a frequency of 147.300 +0.6 MHz and a tone of 136.5 Hz. Please check-in when requested to do so by the ARES Net control operator. All Hams within range of the KCUE tower, located near the E.L.C. in Red Wing, Minnesota, are welcome to check-in to the Club's weekly Sunday evening Nets, which goes on the air immediately after the ARES Net ends. For more details about these Nets, see the Events page.
Although you do not need to be a licensed Ham Operator to participate in HVARC activities, you do need to be licensed to operate a Ham Radio. A Technician License is the entry-level to the world of ham radio. From there, a Ham can advance to the General License, and then to an Amateur Extra License. Information about classes that will teach you how to earn a license and obtain learning resources, such as books, can be obtained here.
There is a great resource available on the web that assists with helping folks get started with ham radio. What are the club websites? What nets are available and on what nights? Find a repeater for a specific area of Minnesota. The website is called Minnesota Ham Radio. It can be found here.
If you would like more information about our club, or getting started in amateur radio, email the club by filling out the form at Contact Us
