President’s Message
Congratulations to the 2025 PAARC Officers, elected at the December 10 Membershipo Meeting:
President: Ben Knapp, KD9RYH
Vice Pesident: Jake Walters, K9LE
Secretary: Scott Tranchitella, K9XJT
Treasurer: Darren Weir, KD9HZZ
1 year Director-At-Large – Rich Schmitz, K9RCS
2 year Director-At-Large – Rob Herrin, KD9DBQ
Trustee: Tom Hunt, W8NWG (appointed)
Midwest Superfest™ Chairperson: Darren Weir, KD9HZZ (appointed)
Repeater Chairperson: Jacob Walters, K9LE (appointed)
______________________________________
Meeting Minutes
Board of Directors – December 3
7:02 Ben calls meeting to order on Zoom
7:04 Ben calls for treasurer’s report.
7:04 Darren gives treasurer’s report.
7:11 Tom moves to accept treasurer’s report. Rob 2nds.
7:12 Ben calls for repeater committee report.
7:12 Tom gives repeater report.
7:17 Ben calls for the Midwest Superfest report.
7:18 Darren gives Midwest SuperFest report.
7:23 Ben asks for old business. None offered.
7:24 Ben confirms details of upcoming Christmas party.
7:49 Ben calls for new business.
7:49 No new business.
7:53 Ben calls for meeting to adjourn. Rich 2nds. Meeting adjourns.
Membership – December 10
The membership met for the annual Holiday Dinner at Avanti’s in East Peoria. The only business item was the election of officers for 2025 (see above).
______________________________________
License Testing changes begin in 2025
The new year is upon us and as if by kismet, PAARC find itself at the start of a brand new transition in our license testing program. For 15 years, we have hosted W9WFT, Bob Bush and the local ARRL testing team as the way that we have provided license testing to our members, and prospective members. Bob has decided to hang up his grading pen and we cannot be more grateful for the time he has put in. He has been instrumental in so many local hams getting and upgrading licenses that his impact is truly immeasurable. A very big thank you goes out to him from us on the board.
Bob retiring from coordinating testing has given us the opportunity to transition our club from one that hosts testing sessions to one that runs testing sessions. So, we have made the decision to transition from the ARRL as our volunteer examination coordinator to Laurel VEC. Laurel is the second largest VEC in America, and has been coordinating testing sessions for over 40 years.
The decision to switch to Laurel VEC was multi-layered, but the biggest factor was that Laurel’s founding principle was to offer license testing entirely free, and over 40 years later, they still have never charged a fee. Moving forward, no fee will be charged for any test taken at a PAARC testing event. Any FCC fees are out of our control, but we are so excited to be able to offer testing at no cost to test takers.
I (K9LE) will be the new testing coordinator, and Rich Schmitz (K9RCS) will be my deputy. We already have eight great volunteer examiners on our team and invite anyone who is interested in becoming a VE to reach out to a board member and we will get the process started. Here’s to hoping that we can make 2025 the most successful year for our club yet. Happy New Year everyone.
Jake Walters, K9LE
______________________________________
Peoria County ARES
Amateur radio operators use their training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies, When All Else Fails®.
January 1, ARES Net @ 7:00 PM CDT on W9UVI (147.075)/K9PEO (146.850)/Echolink
January 8, ARES Net @ 7:00 PM CDT on W9UVI (147.075)/K9PEO (146.850)/Echolink
January 15, ARES Monthly Meeting via Zoom, 7:00 PM
ARES website: http://www.peoriacountyares.org/
Rich Holtman, KD9ANU, Emergency Coordinator for Peoria County ARES
email: kd9anu@arrl.net
Winlink: kd9anu@winlink.org
Cell: 309-256-4272
Hamshack Hotline 6103049
______________________________________
December Net Logs
12/1
KD9RYH KD9ANU W8NWG W9WTF W9JDP K9TNT KD9WVP NM0O WF9E KE9AON K0GSH KD9AER KD9ZKZ K9RCS K9QZ N9ASP W9WAS KD9JXR KD9QQU KD9STL KE9AOJ K9LE N9NDF KC9IH W9WGN KF8CLV W7SNO WW9DLM KE9BMA KB9ATO KD9RJH KE9BSA KD9IBC K9HJZ KC3VJQ N9WFT KE9AOR KD9VAJ N9XJX KC3QWK N9PSU Submitted by KD9DBQ 73
12/8
KD9RYH KD9ANU W8NWG KD9IBC W9WGN KC3VJQ KD9VAN K9XJT K9HJZ KC3QWK N8BDF NP2WJ KC9IH N9NJS N3OSI K9LE W9WAS W9JDP K9TNT W9WTF NM0O N9WFT KD9JXR KE9AOJ KD9IVV KD9ZKZ KD9STL N9PSU KD9PXZ KD9ERS W9GLO KE9BMA KE9AOR KD9NYE KD9AER KD9TEG KD9QQU WF9E KD9YER K9CEW KD9RJH K9RCS WW9DLM KE9BSA Submitted by KD9DBQ 73
12/15
KD9RYH KD9ANU K9LE W8NWG W9WTF W9WGN KC3VJQ KC3QWK K9HJZ NP2WJ KC9IH K9XJT KE9AON W9JDP KD9JXR N9NDF KD9IVV KE9AOJ KB9YYD WW9DLM N9WFT W9GLO KD9AER KE9BPB KD9ZKZ KD9STL KB9SE WF9E KD9QQU N9PSU KC9RDS KC1VQS KC9PQV KT9Y K9RCS KB9ATO N9QFK KD9WVP Submitted by KD9DBQ 73
12/22
KD9RYH W9WTF KD9DBQ KD9XJT W9WGN W8WGN K9HJZ KC3QWK KC9IH KE9ABK KC3UQ KD9WRX W9SEB W9JDP K9TNT KE9BMA N9NDF WF9E KC9TCM KE9AOJ N9WFT K9RCS NM0O K9QZ W9FYR KD9JXR KD9STL KD9AEER KD9VAN N9PSU KD9ANU N9XJX KE9AOR W9ODO KD9YER KC3VJQ KD9NYN Submitted by K9LE 73
12/29
K9LE KD9ANU K0XJT W9WGN KD9IBC KD4YZR W9WAS KE9S K9BSA W9WTF K9TNT N9NDF N9PSU N9WFT KD9PXZ KE9WOJ KC9TCM K9RQZ KD9ZKZ KD9JXR WF9E W9GLO KD9DBQ K9STL K9RCH KD9AME K9SGE W9SE KD9YER KD9OW K9OGS KJFIFR W9YES KE9BPB K9CEW KE9FLK Submitted by KD9RYH 73
______________________________________
January Club Events
January 1 – 7:00 p.m. – ARES Net on the W9UVI (147.075) repeater
January 7 – 7:00 p.m. – Board Meeting – Zoom
January 8 – 7:00 p.m. – ARES Net on the W9UVI (147.075) repeater
January 14 – 7:00 p.m. – Membership Meeting – Bartonville American Legion Hall, 4501 S Airport Rd, Bartonville.
January 15 – 700 p.m. – ARES Meeting – details TBA
January 25-26 – Winter Field Day – Details to be announced as they are finalized – Location: Tazewell County Emergency Management Agency, 21304 IL-9, Tremont, IL
January 28 – Superfest Meeting – Zoom
______________________________________
