Ask Elmer

• New to Ham Radio?
• Have questions about new modes (what the heck is FT8?)
• Looking for antenna ideas?
• Buying a new radio?
• Need help with a project?
• Need help making that first contact?

TARC started this Elmering program in February 2019 to mentor new hams and to help old hams learn new tricks. A dedicated group of experienced club members have made themselves available to help other hams become better hams. Anyone wanting help with an amateur radio subject should send an email to askelmer@tamiamiarc.org.

You’ve taken the license exam and got your Station Callsign – now what? The books and classes teach you the theory of radio propagation and the FCC rules, but don’t provide much help in the “how” of all this. How do I find people to talk to? What kind of antenna do I need? How do I get a QSL card? So many questions! How do you get some answers? Ask an Elmer!

What or who is an Elmer? An Elmer is the Ham Radio term for a mentor, a helpful Ham that provides advice, encouragement, and assistance to fellow Hams. Most Hams have an Elmer at some point to help them get started and guide them on their first steps into the hobby. As a member of the Tamiami Amateur Radio Club you have tremendous resources available to assist you in the form of fellow Hams with hundreds of years of combined operating experience, literally dozens of potential Elmers!

Other ways to get in touch with an Elmer are easy – here are a few ways to get started:

Come to Breakfast – All TARC members and visiting Hams are welcome to meet for breakfast at Peach’s Restaurant (in the Winn Dixie shopping center at the corner of Jacaranda and Center in Venice) every Tuesday morning. We start gathering at 6 AM, food orders are taken at 7 AM. This is an excellent informal place to meet other Hams and ask questions. Hams love to talk, and really love to talk about Ham Radio so you will have no shortage of helpful advice. This is also the place to ask for help with projects. We frequently organize working parties to install ground rods, put up antennas, and all sorts of other things that might be tough to do by yourself. At breakfast you will find Hams with experience with every kind of radio, and every conceivable mode, willing to provide help and advice. There is also a breakfast meeting on Fridays at 9 AM at the Perkins diner in Venice at the corner of 41 By-Pass and Center Rd. with a similar bunch of guys.

Come to a Field Event – TARC operates at several field events every year. Field Day, Winter Field Day, Shark Tooth 10K Run, Shark Tooth Festival as well as Lighthouse on the Air, Parks on the Air, Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air and others. At many of these events we set up multiple HF stations (setting up is half the fun!) and operate for extended periods of time.

Club members get to take turns working in a “contest” environment. Since we operate using the TARC club call or Special Event call with Extra Class Control Operators present, Technician Class licensees can operate at these events as well. At public Service events such as the Shark Tooth 10K Run, you can gain experience working in a directed communications network “net”. Loaner radios are usually available if you don’t have one and you can be paired with an experienced operator to learn the ropes. Dates and time for all these events are posted in the TARC Communicator and on the web site.