Clark County Amateur Radio Association, Springfield, OH

CLARA members working with a local cub scout troup

Enjoying our hobby

The Clark County Amateur Radio Association (CLARA) is an amateur (ham) radio club in the Springfield, Ohio area. We have repeaters on 146.73 MHz (77.0 Hz PL), 145.31 MHz (82.5 Hz PL), 443.300 MHz (146.2 Hz PL), 444.6375 (77 Hz PL), 442.4375 (77.0 Hz PL) and APRS on 144.39 MHz.

We provide communications support for bicycle rides and we provide weather spotter support to the National Weather Service during severe weather.

Our club is more than just communications support, however. We have our annual club dinner in January, annual club picnic in June, Saturday morning breakfast gatherings, and social nights out in lieu of a club meeting. CLARA supports the a local Cub Scout troop, as well.

Except for July and August, CLARA meets the third Monday of each month at 7:15 PM at the new AG Building at the Clark County Fairgrounds or the Clark County EMA Conference Room, Springfield, OH. K8KVN will announce meeting location before each meeting. Click here for PDF of where the new AG Building is located at the Fairgrounds.

While we list the K8KVN, W8BUZ and WX8U repeaters on our website, as a courtesy to our members, they remain under control of their respective owners.

From DX contesting to satellites to APRS to fox hunts and EME moon bounce, amateur radio offers lots of options for the amateur radio enthusiast.

Clark County License Exam Schedule

Amateur radio license exams will be held on the following dates:

February 10, 2024 (10 AM Start Time)
April 13, 2024 (10 AM Start Time)
June 8, 2024 (10 AM Start Time)
August 10, 2024 (10 AM Start Time)

All exams are being held at the Clark County EMA, 3130 East Main St, Springfield, OH 45503. (Map to testing location)

Registration begins at 10:00 AM (new time). Walk-ins welcome; however, we prefer that you pre-register. Download the VE 605 interactive PDF here. Complete Section 1 and bring the completed form to the exam session.

Please bring your original license, a copy of your license (if a licensed ham), a valid photo ID and $15.00.

Effective April 19, 2022, the FCC will charge a $35.00 application fee for amateur radio licenses. The fee will apply to new, renewal, rule waiver, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. License upgrades will not have a fee applied. The fee will be per application. VE's will not collect the fees at exam sessions. Click to learn more.

NOTE: It is now an FCC requirement to have an FCC FRN and a valid email address before taking any exam.

To locate other ARRL exams, click here.

CLARA President Kevin Kampman sat down with Kris Kolbinskie, the granddaughter of Don Ream, W80G, whose Ham Radio call sign was the namesake for the radio club. She shares about Don and ham radio in general. Click the image above to view the video.

Of Interest

Short Vertical Antennas

CLARA member, Glenn McConkey, W8BVI, has written an article on short vertical HF antennas and how to make them into a phased array.

Severe Weather Reporting

When severe weather threatens Clark County ARES will initiate a severe weather net. Please check into the net on the 146.73 repeater to report any severe weather in your area. All severe weather reports are forwarded to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio.

PC Component Recycling

Looking to recycle your computer components? Goodwill locations typically take PC's and most component assemblies (ask about TV's and monitors).

Clark County, Ohio also has its own recycling center. Click to visit The Solid Waste District Website to find out all The Clark County Waste Management District offers residents.

ARRL Recognizes CLARA

On December 4, 2023 ARRL Great Lakes Director, Scott Yonally, N8SY, presented a plaque to CLARA President Kevin Kampman, K8KVN, to recognize CLARA being an affiliated club for 75 years.