Club Station

YARC Club Station – W7YRC

Our club station is located at the Jeep Posse building at 1200 Commerce Drive in Prescott.  See the directions listed below.

Club Station Shack

In July 2017, Randy Dashiell W6TYV and Curt Freeman KI7OWL built counter tops and shelves for us at the YARC Club Station shack.  Art Protas KG6AY, Jim Zimmerman N6KZ, Mike Reid N7IEP, Tim Norton K7PVY, and Frank Bender K8FB then re-assembeled the station in our new shack at the Jeep Posse building.  Tim K7PVY finally painted the club station shack the final color.  Art and Jim did the bulk of the extensive work required to get the station set up.

Art Protas KG6AY and Jim Zimmerman N6KZ assembling the club station:

Panoramic shot of the club station by Mike Belanger W1DGL

Jim N6KZ at the Omni VI – Station B

The station consists of three operating positions.  The main station position is a Kenwood TS-570D, using antennas for 160 through 10 meters on all bands except 60 Meters.  This station is set up to work SSB, CW, FM (on 10 Meters), and most digital modes, including the new FT8 digital mode.

TS570D – Station A

The second position is a TenTec Omni VI, operating SSB/CW, also using antennas from 160 through 10 meters on all bands except 60 Meters.

Omni VI – Station B

The third position is an ICOM IC-706 Mk IIG, which will primarily be used on 6 meters.  This station currently doesn’t have a 6 meter antenna.

We also have a dual band VHF/UHF FM rig, with a TinyTrac4 TNC that can be used with RMS Express WinLink.

Club station antennas include a dual band VHF/UHF Comet X-50, an HF tri-band  Yagi (10, 15, and 20 meters) with a 40 meter rotatable dipole extension, a WARC (30, 17, and 12 meters) rotatable dipole, and a 160/80 meter dipole.  The antennas are on or supported by our 55 foot crank up tower.

YARC has a truly awesome club station.  It is really something to be proud of.

Club Station:

Frank Bender K8FB is the Station Manager.

Pete Morrison, K6VVR is the W7YRC license trustee.

Doug Freeman KV8TD is the N7GMH license trustee.

Directions to the Jeep Posse Building, 1200 Commerce Drive, Prescott (GPS will not direct you there)

From Willow Creek Road:

• Turn onto Commerce Drive (north)
• Proceed through the 4-way stop
• At the second street, turn Right (just before the Pioneer Park sign)
• Immediately turn Left into the parking lot
• Proceed all the way back of the parking lot to the Jeep Posse building.
• The club station is behind the skating rink at Pioneer Park

The Club Station is now operational

Phase II installation of the club station is complete.  We are in the process of scheduling periodic operating open houses and also beginning ham open houses where we can demonstrate the station for new hams, as well as demonstrate proper operating procedures and answer questions.  Beginning ham radio topics will also be addressed.  Members can even bring their HF or VHF rigs to get their questions answered regarding how they operate.

If you want to operate the club station at a non-scheduled time, you can contact someone on the Access List (See Club Station Documents List below) to have them open up the station for you.

• Please be respectful of the time of day that you call.
• First try to contact someone on the Access List who has Access Code = “D” before contacting other members on the list.
• Only contact those members on the Access List with “Contact for Access” = “YES”
• The start up and shut down procedures are posted on the bulletin board and in the Club Station Operating Manual
• Radio user manuals and the Club Station Operating Manual are stored in a marked desk drawer
• Be aware, with individual operating access, there could be another event going on when you arrive.  In this case, you may not be able to operate at that time.

Club Station

The first phase of the club station is now complete.  The station consists of a Kenwood TS-450S HF transceiver, with antennas on the 30 foot tower for 40M, 20M, 15M, and 10M.  An Icom VHF/UHF transceiver is installed, using a Diamond X-50 dual band vertical mounted on top of the tower.  The Icom VHF/UHF will be swapped out this coming week with a Yaesu FT-8100R VHF/UHF transceiver which has a data port so that we can install a TNC to utilize Winlink to be able to send email messages via VHF internet gateways in the area.  We are planning on having the HF and VHF digital modes operational by the September 19 open house.

Club Station Background

Our club has entered into a partnership with the Yavapai County Jeep Posse (YCJP) to create a YARC club station at the Jeep Posse building at 1200 Commerce Drive in Prescott.  YCJP has allowed us to maintain our club station in the Jeep Posse building into 2022.

To operate the station on an individual basis, you will have to contact someone on the station access list to open up the building and station for your use.  Once the station is in operation, the club plans on having regularly scheduled open houses where any licensed amateur can visit and operate the station.

Club Station Documents:

The Building and Club Station Access and Usage Rules.  Click the link here.

The building and station access list.  These members have the ability to open up the building and club station. To access this list, select “Members” on the menu and then select “Club Station Access List”.

Click any of the pictures below to enlarge them.

Club Station Aerial Shot provide by Bob Thompson, KC8BOB

The tower and antennas are at the upper left of the picture at the corner of the building.

55 Foot Crank Up Tower Being Raised

Cushcraft A3 Tri-band Beam with 40 Meter Add-on Dipole, 30/17/12 Meter Rotatable Dipole,  and Diamond X-50 VHF/UHF Vertical