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The Nittany Amateur Radio Club, or NARC, is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League, ARRL.
The club is based in State College, Centre County, Pennsylvania, the geographic center of the Commonwealth,
in the middle of the Allegheny Mountains. State College, home of Penn State University, is located in a
mountain valley with an elevation of 1200 feet, surrounded by ridges in excess of 2000 feet.
Two of the peaks at opposite ends of Centre County provide great locations for our two repeaters
which cover central Pennsylvania from near the New York border to the Maryland line. While we have
no affiliation with the University, our name and that of their mascot (the Nittany Lion) are derived
from the Indian legend of Princess Nit-a-nee, and Mount Nittany, which carries her name.
Public Service & Emergency Communications:
The Club is dedicated to assisting the public in general in all aspects of
communication. The members of NARC have provided emergency communications
on numerous occasions and stand ready to assist in time of need through our
close links with the American Red Cross, the National Weather Service's
Skywarn Program, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
For more information, please contact
Carmine W. Prestia Jr.,
ARRL Emergency Coordinator, Centre County, PA
By EMail K3CWP@ARRL.NET or by phone (814) 238-7857.
Mr. Prestia also maintains the Centre County Emergency Communications Blog here:
www.bloglines.com/blog/CarminePrestiaK3CWPARRLEC.
We also provide communication support for many local charitable
organizations.
Amateur License Exams - in State College
- The Nittany Amateur Radio Club offers amateur license exams at all regular
monthly membership meetings in State College. Exams are open to the public,
so you do not need to be a NARC member to take a license exam!
Exams are offered for all classes of amateur licenses.
- License exams are usually offered at the January, February, April, June,
September, October, and November meetings. Exams are not offered at
meetings that are held outdoors or at banquet meetings. Please plan to
arrive by 6:30 PM on the published meeting night (usually the second Tuesday
of the month).
- We request that you give us advance notice when you wish to take the exam,
to insure that proper testing materials are on hand at the appropriate time.
Please contact Woody Brem, K3YV, at (814) 466-7229 or via email at
k3yv@arrl.net if you wish to
take an exam. Special arrangements are available for anyone with
scheduling conflicts, disabilities, or other limitations.
Open Repeaters:
Our club operates two 2-Meter repeaters that are open for public use.
• W3YA - 146.85 MHz, located near Boalsburg,
• K3HKK - 146.76 MHz, located near Philipsburg.
For more information and operating instructions, use this link: Repeaters.
Club Membership:
Membership is open to anyone interested. Associate (for non Centre
County residents) and family memberships are available. This also
includes the monthly NEWSETTE. Dick Thompson, K3BIE, our membership
chairman and newsletter "guru" will be happy to send you a complementary
copy including all details for applying for membership. E-Mail him:
rlt2@psu.edu
Operating Activities:
Our members enjoy all aspects of amateur radio including satellite
communication, DX chasing, rag chewing, packet, and contesting. Field
Day and participation in the club sponsored Pennsylvania
QSO Party are two of the major operating activities.
Monthly Meetings:
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm
usually at the South Hills Business School Campus at 480 Waupelani
Drive, State College. Talk-in on the 146.85 repeater. The Board of
Directors meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month, at the mountaintop
site, or at the home of W3JXP, and all
are welcome at these meetings.
Weekly Net:
An ARES/RACES net is conducted each Sunday Evening, 9:00 PM on the
146.85 repeater with over 60 check-ins each week. Visitors are
welcome.
Coffee Call:
Every other week local and visiting hams gather for the NARC Coffee Call
at Eat 'n' Park Restaurant on North Atherton Street in State College. The
Coffee Calls are usually held on Saturday mornings at 9AM. Call on the
146.85 repeater for the next meeting date, company, or a ride.
To Become A Member:
- Obtain an application
- Complete the application
- Enclose your membership dues
- Mail to address on the application form.
Contact Us:
Nittany Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 614
State College, PA 16804
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