wd6bor
01-28-2005, 02:41 AM
The Valley of the Moon Amateur Radio Club, W6AJF, is holding its annual ARRL Hamfest Saturday, April 23, 2005, from 8 a.m. to noon. The hamfest will be held at the Sonoma Valley Veterans’ Memorial Building, 126 First Street West, Sonoma, California, just one block north of the central Sonoma Plaza. Anyone with a road map can easily find Sonoma by following Highway 12, which passes through the center of town in front of the Plaza. Admission is free for the hamfest, and hams are encouraged to bring the entire family. After the hamfest they can take a short walk to the center of town and visit the historic Sonoma Mission and Barracks, General Vallejo’s Home State Parks and the many shops and restaurants surrounding the Plaza. The event will include a walk-in V.E. exam session with registration starting at 9 a.m. Testing for all license elements begins at 10 am. There will be a radio and electronics swap meet with both indoor and outdoor spaces available. Set up will start at 7 a.m. with spaces renting for $10. Space will be made available at no charge for amateur radio organizations for informational tables and displays. The club will serve a full breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m., including eggs, sausage, all-you-can-eat pancakes, juice and coffee or tea for $5. Demonstrations will include an operating QRP station, AMSAT display, a display of homebuilt equipment, the club swap table and a beginner's D.F., or direction finding, transmitter hunt. VOMARC will also be participating in the QRP To The Field contest, which will run during the hamfest. Guest operators are cordially invited to sit in and take a turn operating the club station. For a map and printed directions to the hamfest, send a business size SASE to VOMARC, 358 Patten St., Sonoma, CA 95476, or visit the club website at vomarc.org and click on the “Hamfest” link. Talk-in will be on 145.35, -600, with a PL of 88.5. For more information call Darrel, WD6BOR at 707-996-4494, or email wd6bor@vom.com.