About the OARC
The Ottawa Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (OARC) is an association of radio amateurs devoted to the promotion of interest in amateur radio communications in Canada's National Capital Region and to the advancement and achievement of club members.
Regular meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm, (except July and August) at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa. View Map
Or catch us on Mondays at 20:00 Eastern Time on the Capital City FM Net using the club repeater VE2CRA (146.940- 100hz CTCSS).
The OARC can trace its origins to the early 1930's when the Ottawa Radio Transmitting Association was spun off from a radio listening club. During the war the club met at the Royal Canadian Air Force Base - Rockliffe, then during the '50s it moved to St. Patrick's College and later to the National Research Council building at 100 Sussex Drive. The OARC was incorporated in 1979 and in 1990 it began holding its meetings in what was then the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC) Headquarters building, 111 Lisgar St., at Elgin, in downtown Ottawa. Our meetings continue in this building, however the building was named as Ottawa City Hall in 2000.
The club holds Amateur call sign VE3RC. This call is used at many community events and on field day.
On the second Saturday in September, the OARC sponsors its annual Hamfest. The location of the OARC Hamfest is at the:
Carp Agricultural Fairgrounds,
3832 Carp Road (at Falldown Lane),
Ottawa (Carp), Ontario
Check the location on Google Maps:
The OARC Hamfest is located in the arena, so follow the signs on the site. Doors open at 9 am. Admission is $6, tables are $12 each plus admission.
The club runs a 10 metre beacon just south of the city, VE3TEN on 28.175 Mhz
The club also operates the VE2CRA repeater
2 m: 146.940 - MHz (100hz CTCSS), IRLP Node 2040
70 cm: 443.300 + MHz (100hz CTCSS)
This repeater is set up at Camp Fortune, a site used by other comercial radio stations. We also have satellite receivers set up downtown and east of the city for the 2m repeater. This gives us good coverage dowtown as well as east and west of the city.
We sponsor both the Joe Norton award and the National Capital award.
The OARC publishes the Groundwave, our monthly newsletter. Past editions are available from our web site.
If you are ever in Ottawa, why not come down and see for yourself what we are all about? Guests are always welcome at our meetings.
