Using the BARC Website

Finding Your Way Around

A few things about the site's navigation that are worth knowing:

  • The top menu has dropdowns. Hover over (or tap, on mobile) "Home," "Events & Programs," or "Resources" to see a list of sub-pages open underneath.
  • "Events & Programs" has a wider menu with two columns — "On the Air" activities (Repeaters, POTA, Digital Radio, Contesting, etc.) on one side, "Club Programs" (Field Day, Tech Night, Presentations, etc.) on the other.
  • Most content pages have their own left-hand sidebar with related pages grouped together. If you're looking for something related to the page you're on, check the sidebar first.
  • Breadcrumbs (the small "Home › Section › Page" trail at the top of most pages) show you where you are and let you jump back up a level.
  • On mobile, the top menu collapses into a hamburger icon (☰) in the upper right — tap it to open the full navigation.

Downloading Documents

Club Presentations

The Presentations & Documents page (under Events & Programs → Club Programs) has a searchable library of past club presentations, organized into categories like Field Day, Antennas, Digital Modes, and more.

  • Use the search box at the top to find something by title or presenter name.
  • Click any category heading to expand or collapse that group.
  • Each document has a PDF button — click it to open the file in a new tab.
Newsletter (Full Quieting)

The Newsletter page always shows the current issue front and center, plus the 5 most recent issues below it. Each issue has two options:

  • Read Online — opens the PDF in a new browser tab
  • Download — saves the PDF directly to your device

There's also a highlighted Article Index link in the sidebar — a spreadsheet listing every article that's ever run in Full Quieting.

Club Documents

Bylaws, officer info, and other official club documents live under Home → About BARC in the top menu, with their own sidebar to move between them.

Submitting a Presentation

Have an idea for a Tech Night topic or a monthly meeting presentation? On the Presentations & Documents page, look for "Submit a Topic" in the sidebar. Clicking it opens a short form right on the page — fill in your name, callsign, presentation title, and a bit about what you'd like to cover, and it goes straight to the Programs Coordinator.

Logging In & Passwords

🔧 Coming soon. A full member login area — with password management, an online member directory, and profile settings — is planned as the next phase of the website project. It isn't live yet. We'll announce it once it's ready.

For Officers: Creating a Post

If you've been given an account with posting access, here's how to publish something to the site:

  1. Go to bellbrookarc.org/wp/wp-admin and log in with your username and password.
  2. In the left-hand menu, click Posts → Add New.
  3. Give your post a title, then write your content in the main box below it.
  4. To add a photo, click the + button in the content area and choose Image.
  5. On the right-hand side, assign a Category and set a Featured Image.
  6. Click Publish when ready — or Preview first to check how it looks.
  7. To edit later, go to Posts → All Posts and click Edit.

Not sure if you have posting access, or need an account set up? Contact the webmaster below.

Something not working? Let us know — no detail is too small.
Doug Hayward, K8DRH — dhayward@systemspoint.com

Home › Events & Programs › Contesting

Contesting

ARRL contests, CQ WW, State QSO parties · Club participation at BARC W8DGN

Contesting at BARC

Ham radio contests let you work as many stations as possible in a fixed time window — testing your operating skills, station efficiency, and propagation knowledge. BARC members participate both individually and as a club.

Whether you're chasing your first 100-QSO score or serious about a plaque, BARC has members across all experience levels. Field Day (the largest ham radio event in North America) counts as a contest — so if you've done Field Day, you've already contested.

2026 Contest Calendar

ContestDate(s)Mode(s)Exchange
ARRL January VHF
arrl.org →		 Jan 18–19 CW/SSB/Digital Grid square
CQ WPX RTTY
cqwpx.com →		 Feb 8–9 RTTY Serial number
ARRL DX CW
arrl.org →		 Feb 15–16 CW RST + state/power
ARRL DX Phone Mar 1–2 SSB RST + state/power
CQ WPX SSB Mar 28–29 SSB Serial number
Ohio QSO Party
ohqp.org →		 Aug 23 CW/SSB/Digital RST + county
ARRL Field Day
Club event →		 4th weekend June All modes Class + section
CQ WW DX SSB Oct 25–26 SSB RST + CQ zone
CQ WW DX CW Nov 29–30 CW RST + CQ zone
ARRL 10-Meter Dec 13–14 CW/SSB RST + state/serial

Dates approximate — always verify at arrl.org/contest-calendar or contestcalendar.com

Getting Started in Contesting

The best way to start contesting is to jump in during a large event like ARRL Sweepstakes or the Ohio QSO Party. You don't need a perfect station — many top contesters run 100 watts and a dipole.

Popular logging software: N1MM+ (free, most popular), Log4OM, or DXLab Suite. Most contests accept Cabrillo log format for submission.

BARC members are glad to answer questions at meetings or Tech Night. Look for contest announcements on the club reflector email list.