On CCRC Elections

An open letter to Coos Radio Club members.

Dear CCRC,

A mentor of mine once counseled a team on “kicking it into a higher gear.” She was talking about a product line.

“If things get stale the line will fail.”

The same applies to the Coos Radio Club. But! We are not stale. We do, however, need to keep moving forward and kick it into gear for this election.

Summer Field Day 2026

Since joining the club in 2024, we’ve made enormous progress. We’ve invested in Field Days with remarkable success, and supported notable community events. We own and have fitted-up a club trailer at considerable expense. We have Social Media blasting our message all over the place.

Thank you Gary N6BLU for your leadership, energy and hard work during your term as our President. Coos County Radio Club is in a solid position to move forward.

My first involvement with NPO management goes back to 1986. I’ve been a steady volunteer, often an officer and occasionally an executive with community organizations. I currently serve on three non-profit boards. I will stay on this year with CCRC as a Director. (It’s the easiest gig I ever agreed to take.)

In the interest of a very fruitful Club Election season, I’ll share what I’ve learned in 40 years of success and failure.

First, a few of the qualifications volunteers do not need to bring into the mix.
  • No new vision required. What the club does, its purpose and what comes next are almost statutorily fixed.
  • Knowing everything is impossible. There are people in the club who know things. Pave the way, get them involved.
  • Doing everything is impossible. Delegate. There are people in the club who can manage projects and programs. Pave the way for them also.
  • Doing everything “the same as always” is boring. Change is good, mix things up. But do it a little at a time. Make if fun.
  • Controlling everything stifles creativity. Let folks run with the tasks they enjoy.
  • No previous experience is required.
    • An expert understanding of non-profit operations and club-community relationships is not required. There are benevolent past Presidents, Officers and Directors available who can walk and talk through any situation — who will break their necks to help.
  • There are no problems, only opportunities. Full stop.
Second. The most important gifts leadership can give to their community boils down to three attitudes.
  1. If you care enough to invest some of your time.
  2. If you can be available, listen and respond. Be thoughtful.
  3. If you can accommodate and respect messy people. (I’m just saying it out loud. We’re all messy and weird. Especially Ham radio nerds!)

Coos County Radio Club is an important community asset. For me, it centers around emergency communications. For others it will be something else. The point is our community will need our skills someday. Let’s be ready to respond “when all else fails.”

Please think seriously about serving in one of the seats we need to fill.

I appreciate everyone in the club. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

David KK7WXV

Tuesday VHF ‘Nets

All licensed Ham’s are welcome to join our weekly Club VHF Nets.

Topics include: Current local and national Amateur Radio news, upcoming events, gear to trade and entertaining, often funny discussion.

  • S. Oregon Coast EYEWARN 6:30PM – Beaver Hill Repeater*. SOCEYEWARN.com
  • Coos ARES/R.A.C.E.S 7:00 PM – Bennett Butte Repeater*. CoosARES.com
  • Coos Radio Club 7:30PM – Beaver Hill Repeater*. CoosRadioClub.com
  • YL Net 8:00PM — Beaver Hill Repeater*

*Repeater frequency and setup details: https://coosradioclub.com/repeaters

Questions welcome! Contact Coos Radio Club for more details.

Get all the news on our feed “Currents”:

W7Q – “Shakeout” Call

Special Event Call Sign “W7Q” is ready to use from October 14 – 18.

Website for the Great ShakeOut, promoting earthquake drills on International ShakeOut Day, October 15, with options to register, spread the word, and hold drills.

In conjunction with the Great Shakeout preparedness event on October 15th, the Coos County Radio Club sponsored the special event call sign – W7Q for Earth Quake Preparedness and Awareness.

See also https://www.laxnortheast.org/exercises/shakeout

Licensed Ham Radio operators – especially those in Western Oregon – are welcome to use the call during the period to make QSO’s of any type. But remember! Transmit only within your license privileges.

W7Q is NOT a contest. No Certificates.

Objective is to: Send and receive “Preparedness Reports.”

W7Q is for Hams anywhere – but especially along the US west coast — Operators are encouraged to use the call discuss earthquake disaster preparedness at the individual, community and regional levels. What’s happening (or not) in your neck of the woods?

Operators should keep logs, but they won’t be collected. QSL cards are up to the operator as are bands & modes.There is no signup sheet. Listen first, ask if the frequency is in use and play well with others. Find an empty slot, have fun.

Your logs are your logs, but we’d love to hear how you used the event to spread info on Amateur Radio emergency preparedness.

FCC:

When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special significance, an amateur station (“special event station”) may transmit the identification announcement using a special event call sign in accord with the procedures detailed below. Substituting a special event call sign for its assigned call sign may help a special event station call attention “on-air” to its participation in the special event and to the unique opportunity for the amateur service community to exchange greetings with the station. Use of these provisions, however, must not detract from the station making the source of its transmissions known to those receiving them.

The special event station must also transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour during such operation.

Rules: https://www.arrl.org/special-event-call-signs

W7Q is available for use Wednesday 14th through Sunday the 18th.

Nominations for 2027 Officers coming soon!

Nominations of Officers for 2027 will be accepted starting at the Club Meeting on October 8th and continue until elections at the November Club Meeting.

Please consider running for one of the Board of Director Seats as we need to have at minimum, a President, Secretary, and Treasurer, per 65.371 of the Oregon Revised Statutes for Oregon Non-Profit Organizations.

As of the time of this writing, we need nominations or volunteers for President, Vice President, Secretary, and up to 3 board members. Jim Gilbert has shown his intent to stay as Treasurer.

Please review our BY-LAWS below that show the structure and duties of the board.

I was asked at the last meeting to give a description of what I actually do as President. This is where I feel I may be scaring some of you away as I have a problem with not delegating tasks to others. Besides creating an agenda and leading the meetings, I file the required yearly club report with the ARRL. I also act as the liaison between the club and the ARRL and the general public. This takes minimal time, mostly emails and a few zoom meetings a year. I also act as the voice of the club at events and functions and try to promote the club. Those are the main requirements as President.

Most of the other things I do can be delegated to others in the club that are willing. I have repeatedly asked for others to step up and, yes, I have had some people step up and take things on but it’s also the same people over and over. This is a large club of over 40 people, and we have a very small group that reliably contributes.

We need more involvement from all the membership, and I hope to see this club continue to grow as it has been in the last few years.  Please consider running for one of the positions and if you have any questions, please ask.

Thank you,

Gary McElroy N6BLU, CCRC President

CCRC BY-LAWSDownload

More Trailer progress!

Forgive the mess but wanted take some photos before I forgot.
The 120volt electrical is complete. There are 8 total plugs inside, four on the operating side, three on the door side, and one on the converter box on the front wall. I was also able to put a receptical on the outside of the trailer next to the antenna pass through.
The 19 inch rack mount has also been mounted on the wall near the rear if the trailer.
I was also able to get the TV/Monitor put back on the wall with its swing arm so it can be viewed from the outside when the lift up window is up.
The rack and tv mounts are mounted directly to the metal wall studs so they should be very sturdy.
I’ll be bringing it to the next meeting to show off the progress.

Sent from my Galaxy

Pink Ribbon Run & Walk

Pink Ribbon Run & Walk for Cancer

October 3rd. 9:00AM.

Volunteers needed. CCRC & ARES will be providing radio communications.

The Pink Ribbon 5K, a fun run to support breast cancer awareness and research.

John Topits Park / Empire Lakes
298-284 Hull Street Coos Bay, OR 97420

For race participants must Register. EventBright 2026 PinkRibon

A collage of images from the Pink Ribbon 5K event, featuring participants wearing pink shirts and accessories, engaged in activities, and supporting breast cancer awareness.
2026 FLYER -Pink Ribbon Run – with QR CDEDownload
Walk for life Map version 2Download