The Owen County Health Department has confirmed a Coronavirus incident in Owen County. The Owen County Amateur Radio Association meeting March 21 has been CANCELED

Amateur Radio is a challenging high-tech hobby offering service to the community, life-long opportunities for learning and the excitement of communicating with other Amateur Radio operators around the world. Amateur radio operators today can explore many different communications modes, including all the more familiar methods of voice, computer and Morse communication as well as more exotic techniques involving Amateur Radio television, earth-satellite and moonbounce communications.

The Owen County Amateur Radio Association, founded in 1992, is a general interest radio club having over 20 members. Although membership is concentrated in the Owen County area, the club's members also come from many other areas in and around Owen County. While an Amateur Radio license is required for full voting membership in the club, unlicensed individuals are invited to join as associate members. The Owen County Amateur Radio Association is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association of Amateur Radio operators.

MEETINGS are held on the third Saturday of every month at 9 AM at the Spencer Christian Church 157 Montgomery Street. Regular programs of interest to Amateur Radio operators follow short business meetings. Anyone with an interest in Amateur Radio is welcome to attend.

SERVICE ACTIVITIES include public safety communications for the annual Applebutter Festival Parade, the Friend's of McCormick's Creek 5K Run/Walk and other public activities.

The club also supports the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) for the county's Emergency Management Service, American Red Cross and the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).

WEEKLY NET Although this is the Owen County ARES net, and is conducted to drill members to prepare for providing emergency communications in natural disasters, any items of interest to radio amateurs whether contesting, dxing, rag chewing, digital communications, HF, VHF, UHF and satellite communications could be discussed. The two meter nets meet at 7:00PM local time on 146.895 MHz the first Wednesday of each month and on 146.985 on all other Wednesdays.

OTHER ACTIVITIES include an annual Field Day emergency communications exercise, annual training in Severe Weather Spotting, a hamfest (an Amateur Radio flea market), maintaining a repeater station serving amateurs in Owen and surrounding counties and conducting Amateur Radio licensing examinations.

For further information, contact any club officer listed below. To email, copy and past the e-mail address in your message. This is to prevent spam generators from grabbing the addresses.