Mission

The Vicksburg Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (VARC) is an organization of amateur radio (commonly known as “ham”) operators whose purpose is to further the hobby of amateur radio, and to benefit the community with communications expertise in times of need. The VARC is affiliated with the National Weather Service (NWS), providing crucial information on local weather conditions to NWS and local media outlets. These weather observations provide data to support weather modeling and enable timely and accurate alerts, informing the public of potentially hazardous, weather-related conditions. Since 1979, the VARC has provided annual Skywarn training, which is open to the public.

The VARC is an American Radio Relay League (ARRL) affiliated club and is recognized by ARRL as a Special Service Club. We provide classes for both Technician and General class amateur radio licenses. Our ARRL-accredited examiner team also provides examinations for all license classes.

The VARC also provides communications support for numerous community events, such as the Run Through History, Over the River Run, and Chill in the Hills, plus more! We sponsor periodic radio direction finding events (“fox hunts”) and many other fun activities.

Meetings

NOTE in response to emergency measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Vicksburg Amateur Radio Club will hold its meetings over-the-air on its K5ZRO 2-meter repeater (147.27 MHz).  This current challenge is an opportunity for our club’s members to get on the air, as well as maintaining the continuity of our monthly meetings.  The club will return to in-person meetings and events as soon as the current situation allows.  Please be patient with us as we do our part to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The VARC meets the third Monday of each month at 6:30 PM, at Goldie’s Trail Bar-B-Que, 2430 South Frontage Road, Vicksburg, Mississippi. Guests are welcome! Come early to eat and get acquainted.

Join Us!

You don’t need to wait for the monthly meeting to get involved. Contact us to get started right away, and be sure to subscribe to be notified when new information is posted to the site, including technical resources and upcoming activities!