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About TLARC
The
Tellico Lake Amateur Radio Club (TLARC) was founded in
December 2015 by Allan Tarbell (K1AT). The club promotes amateur
radio activities throughout the areas of Loudon, Blount, Monroe, and
Knox counties. A core group of club members participate in the
Loudon County [Tennessee] Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) to
support local races, community events, and the Loudon County EC and
Emergency Management Agency as requested with amateur radio
communications.
Our mailing address is:
Tellico Lake Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 902
Lenoir City, TN
37771
TLARC General Meeting on 3rd Wednesday of each month:
The TLARC membership currently meets "in-person"
at the Recreation Center in Tellico Village. Alternatively, meetings
may be held at local venues and restaurants. If health conditions
necessitate, meetings are held virtually using Zoom videoconferencing
on the third Wednesday of each month, per the
schedule at the top of our home
page.
TLARC
Radio Net & Open Zoom Meetings on the 1st, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays:
7:00
pm on the 442.100 MHz repeater (PL 100.0, +5 offset): "TLARC
Radio Net"
TLARC Activities:
Our membership enjoys pursuing myriad ham-related activities: radio contesting, QRP operation, homebrewing & kit building, operating from portable gear outside in Tennessee's beautiful parks & forests, antenna design and experimentation, 'boatanchor' radio restoration, community and emergency service, fox hunting, and more! We'll be soon posting a useful 'matrix' relating members to specific interests & skills to help you plug into any activity you wish ... or even be a focal point for a new one!
TLARC Club Repeater: WB4BIC
Our 70cm repeater (442.100 MHz, PL: 100 Hz, +5 kHz offset) is located at EM75uq right in the heart of Tellico Village.
TLARC Articles of Incorporation [PDF]
(Updated - 19 Aug 2020)
TLARC By-Laws [PDF]
(Updated - 21 Jul 2021)
Information & How to Join:
Membership Application: [PDF] Contact: Chuck Ferguson, N4CSF 
Annual Dues:
TLARC dues are $20 per year, payable on January 1. Make checks
payable to TLARC and
send to:
George Sifnotis, TLARC Treasurer
100 Skiatook Way
Loudon, Tennessee 37774-2132
Officers for 2022:
President: Richard Meyer, W8CNY
I am Richard Meyer, your new President of TLARC for 2022, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. After 40 some years in the Dallas, Texas, area I retired to Tellico Village in December of 2020. I am a member of the Tellico Village Volunteer Fire Department; trained as a Fire Ground Technician and as a Medical First Responder. I immediately joined TLARC and was impressed by the people I have met.
I am not the type of person that makes rapid changes to an organization. TLARC is your organization and can only be as great as its individual parts. I will need your input, suggestions, and expertise for the coming year. Most of my Ham Radio exposure has been with the equipment side, not so much the operating part of the hobby. I will need your help as I try to get more involved in on-the-air activities and the various contests.
Okay, a little bit about me. I have been involved in Ham Radio since I was a teenager almost 60 years ago. My mentor (Elmer) was a retired TV Repairman and a Ham Radio operator, W8CNY (SK). As a tribute to him I changed my call sign to W8CNY last year when it became available, I have my Extra Class license. My mentor had a basement full of electronic parts, an experimenter’s delight. While in High School during the mid-1960’s I built several Heathkit projects. My first major DIY project was a fast scan black & white TV camera that contained 8 vacuum tubes. The TV camera was soon on the air operating at 420 MHz. I entered the TV camera into my High School Science Fair, received awards at several Regional Science Fairs and the US Air Force. After graduation I joined the US Air Force and was trained in secure Crypto Communications as an Electronic Technician, this was during the Vietnam War. I was stationed at a remote Radar site on a mountain top in Germany; this was the Air Traffic Control Center for Berlin. During the day, along with my other duties, I ran the MARS Radio Station and made Ham contacts at night. Back then we used a state-of-the-art Collins KWM-2A transceiver with a 1kW Linear Amplifier feeding a 3 element beam antenna. The entire world was at my doorstep.
After the Military I received my Electrical Engineering degree from The Ohio State University. Over my career I have; developed Radar Missile Guidance Systems for the US Navy, developed Bar Code Readers for the US Post Office, designed 50/60/400 Hz High Power Inverter Systems, been a Research Professor at the University of Arkansas, a Chief Engineer at two firms, and an Electrical Safety Engineer for Underwriters Laboratory (UL). While working at Texas Instruments I was on the team that developed the technology behind the new digital televisions. I have 10 US Patents and over 40 International Patents, all in Television and Optical Systems. My claim to fame is my Patent 5,526,051 entitled “Digital Television System”, as it was the beginning of High Definition Television (HDTV) as we know it. The next time you see a DLP Conference Room video projector or go to the Movie Theater and watch their new Digital Projectors…those are mine also.
So, what is in my Ham Shack? It is currently under construction as I am adding a rather large Man-Cave above the garage and attic. My house backs up to the 16th Fairway of the Toqua Golf Course, the lot is too small for a typical antenna farm, not even enough room for a decent dipole antenna. My HF rig is a Kenwood TS-480SAT, currently no transmitting antenna for it at this time. My 2m/70cm UHF/VHF rig is a Yaesu FT-7900R/E with a mag mounted Comet CA-2X4SR antenna, good enough for the time being. At this time my vehicle has no Ham radio mounted in it, so I use a Yaesu FT2D HT for mobile operations.
What are my other hobbies? I enjoy the restoration of vintage Vacuum Tube radio equipment. I have a Collins 51S-1 HF Receiver (0.2-30 MHz range) and a Military R-390A/URR Receiver (0.5-32 MHz range). I enjoy rebuilding, calibrating, and selling old Vacuum Tube Testers; the Military TV-7 is the most popular model. My electrical workbench consists of; a Tektronix DPO3034 4-channel Oscilloscope (300 MHz BW, 2.5 GS/s), an IFR A-7550 Spectrum Analyzer (10 kHz-1 GHz range), an IFR-1500 AM/FM Transmitter/Receiver Calibrator (100 kHz-1 GHz range), an EIP-545A Frequency Counter (10 Hz-18 GHz range), plus a multitude of other test equipment. In short, I have a complete RF Test Lab. I enjoy metal working with a mechanical workbench consisting of; a Sherline CNC Metal Lathe, a Sherline CNC Metal Milling Machine, plus other power and hand tools. Over the years I have acquired a unique 250+ piece collection of vintage Simpson analog test equipment, including the Simpson 260 Volt/Ohmmeter series
So, what can I offer you? I maintain a complete set of resistors, capacitors, inductors, vacuum tubes, and other electronic components. If you need some parts for your own Ham Radio DIY project, just ask me. I am just returning the favor of what my mentor (Elmer) did for me many years ago…tell me about the project and these electronic parts are yours for the asking.
Happy New Year and 73’s to All.
Richard Meyer – W8CNY
TLARC President
richard@krmeyerdotcom
Vice President: Ben Poff
My wife (Trisha) and I currently live in Foothills Pointe in Greenback with 7 of our 9 children … known collectively as the “Poff Clan”. Other hobbies and interests include fishing (especially catfishing and fly fishing), hiking, backpacking, shooting, and emergency preparedness. Spent 9 ½ years in Uncle Sam’s Canoe Club as a “navy nuke” with sea duty on “Ike” (CVN-69) and shore duty at SUBASE Pearl. I retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2015, and currently work as a DOE support contractor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I also have my own business (side hustle) as an Environmental Consultant and certified Lead Auditor for ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.
Greetings and welcome to the TLARC web site! I’ve pretty much had a life-long interest in radio communications, owning numerous walkie-talkies and CB radios over the years, but finally bit down and bought my first HAM radio in the spring of 2019. Living in Tellico Village at the time, I found the club and inquired about membership since I figured that being around other Hams would incentivize me to study and take the Technician test, which I did at Field Day 2019.
Shack equipped with a Yaesu FT-991A, Diamond GZV4000 power supply, LDG Z-100A tuner, with Heil ProSet 7 headset, and running through a Chameleon 6-band LEFS (Lightweight End Fed Sloper). I have a Yaesu FT-70D HT with an Abbree 18" antenna for UHF/VHF and mobile operations. Current DIY projects include building a 2m/70cm Vertical Dipole for installation in the attic, and building a LiFePO4 battery system for my QRP rig (Yaesu FT-817) that will include solar power input for off-grid/power down operations.
Although I find all aspects of the ham radio world fascinating, my focus is really on off-grid/power down operations, QRP, POTA, and EmComm. I also believe that community outreach, especially to the younger generation, is important as we consider the future of our club and its mission.
Currently studying for the General license exam.
I’m looking forward to serving the club as Vice President in 2022 and continuing to absorb and learn from the wealth of knowledge and experience from this incredible group of people.
73
Ben-KN4VIF
Secretary: Chuck Ferguson, N4CSF
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the TLARC website! My wife, Dianne, and I are recent arrivals to Tellico Village. Originally from Memphis, we married in the mid 1980's and moved to the Hampton Roads area of SE Virginia for the next 35+ years to work and raise our family. We retired back to "God's Country" in late 2020 and are really enjoying life!
As a career Engineer, technology has always interested me. With a growing desire to serve our community, I began looking into ham radio several years ago. I passed my Tech exam in late 2017 and followed with my General license in early 2018. I'm now starting the introductory training process to join Loudon County ARES. I use a dual-band Baofeng HT for mobile/portable ops and Kenwood base rigs for FM and HF.
As a brand new member of TLARC, I can assure you you'll not find a more knowledgeable and friendly group with a heart for improvement and a willingness to serve surrounding communities. Don't hesitate to enjoy the benefits of our members' wisdom and availability to mentor and "Elmer" even those newest to ham radio. You'll never regret it.
Treasurer: George Sifnotis, WB9TFR
Like many I had my first exposure to world of radio when I was in Cub Scouts. A local ham showed the group of us and I was hooked. Summer of '65 my dad drove me to the Allied Radio showroom in Chicago and I brought the Knight Kit Star Roamer. I started sending out SWL QSL cards to everyone I heard.
My first QSL card came with quite a surprise. One Saturday morning three men showed up at our front door. My first card came in a white envelope that had been torn apart by the post office. This card was from Radio Havana and back then they used to send out stuffed envelopes of propaganda with the QSL. Thought we got everything straight but two weeks later my Radio Moscow card came in ... and another visit.
I got my Novice ticket in 1969. Since then my interests have been DX and certificates, collecting over fifty 10-10 certificates in the early 80s. I retired after twenty years at Siemens as a project manager in the power distribution division. When we looked at moving to Tellico, one of my first questions was about ham radio. The day I asked the question an article appeared in the local paper about an amateur radio club being started by Allan K1AT and Joyce K1LAT. The announcement of the club put me over the edge and we bought.
===========================
Officers from Previous Years .... Thank You Guys!
Hi all and thanks for checking out the TLARC web site. I'm Mike aka...Harley Mike, The Unicorn, OKU and so on...Currently with a General Ticket, I received my Tech Ticket in 2014. The amateur interest aspired from 11 meters ago (lol) in my young days and emergency response during my career with the State of California. Thus the membership with ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service). Retired from the State of California, now back in Tennessee, I joined TLARC in 2017. Hobbies include: Metal Detecting, Animals, Bass Guitar, HAM, RC Aircraft, Hot Rods and Motorcycle Riding Repair and Service, not necessarily in that order.The QTH includes my loving wife and are not limited to (well maybe by her): A Kenwood TS450, a Kenwood TS480, MFJ 464 keyer / reader, Versa Tuner III 962C, Ameritron AL-811H, Yeasu FTM 400 in the QTH, FTM 100 in the Mobil, 35’ Tilt Crank Up Tower-south yard - not in the mobile, Alliance Rotor and Controller, a Yagi 3 element beam serving 10,15 and 20 meters for me and in the north yard is the Folded Dipole and HF6V +1 Butternut…Well its a 6V with a 6 meter trap now.Catch me on the TLARC Repeater at 442.100 most anytime. The radio is always on I just have to be within ear shot!Michael J. Foley K4MJF
I've always been interested in radio, and took electronics in high school. Like many, I bought myself an CB SSB radio and talked to many people in the area in the early to mid 70's. Life goes on; work and raising a family takes a priority. In the early 80s I was introduced to Amateur Radio by a co-worker, now an SK, but the thought of learning Morse code was the roadblock that prevented me from pursuing the idea. Around 2015 I decided to "bite the bullet" and get my license but couldn't find anyone to point me in the right direction. After searching the internet for local clubs, I got a little information, bought a single band VHF radio, listened to some of the local repeaters and studied. I passed the Technician exam in January, 2016. My callsign was KM4QFN. After I bought my second radio, a dual band mobile, I heard traffic on 442.100 and asked where the repeater was. It turned out I was talking to Allen, K1AT, and he invited me to a TLARC club meeting. Since then I have upgraded to General Class in September 2017 and I changed my callsign to K4MJF.
I am currently very active on HF and have a good working knowledge of Yaesu Fusion Digital. I have also been appointed the position of ARRL Technical Specialist by the Tennessee Section Manager. I want to "Elmer" newcomers and share my knowledge with other hams. My motto is "Hams helping Hams".
I am a native of Wisconsin and have lived here about two years after retiring from law enforcement. I served 8 years in the Army as a radar repairman. My other interests are volunteering at the community theater, Tellico Lions and Tellico Village Fire Dept..
After being a shortwave listener for many years I finally passed my tests for Technician, General and Extra Class last year. I look forward learning from the experience other members bring to the club.
I had an early interest in amateur radio. My brother (Rob, WW4WTF) and I were given Ch.14 walkie-talkies by an uncle at too young an age. We later received a shoebox of CW code cassette tapes when we were around 11 and 12 years old. However we lacked the self-discipline and attention span to spend the time and focus on learning the code. We soon developed other interests (guitars, girls, later cars, and yes CB). Both he and I completed Electronics from Virginia Peninsula Vo-Tech. Strangely, amateur radio was not part of the school curriculum. I completed Nuclear Reactor Operator training at Memphis State University (1982). From Memphis State (after being an Unlicensed RO, Surry Nuclear Power Station), I completed a BS in Nuclear Science (1986) and a MS in Environmental Engineering (1988) both from Virginia Tech. Upon graduation, I went to work at Y-12 in Oak Ridge, TN. In early 2014 while carpooling to ORNL, my brother opens and starts reading Ham Radio for Dummies. “Why?” I asked. He replied “They dropped the code requirement. We can finally get our licenses.” So in March 2014, I earned my General as KK4YZX, and May 2014 the Extra as KV4XY.
I’ve been active in local clubs since earning my ticket. I enjoy building kits and antenna. Learning and sharing knowledge are priorities.
My early interest in radio began as a youngin’ living in Cleveland, Ohio. My dad bought a Midland SSB CB base station, mounted an antenna on the side of the house and we started talking to folks. On special nights we could even talk to Canada via SSB. We would attend breakfasts which were nice for meeting whom you have been conversing with. Eventually, all of my friends and I had mobiles and it was a lot of fun chewing the fat while cruising around. Soon after, a friend got me interested in ham radio and I got my Novice (WN8ATO) in the early ‘70s. Though never having my own rig or doing much with the license, I was seriously into radio communications. I went on to enroll in a FCC Radiotelephone License class at the Ohio School of Broadcasting and eventually received my First Class Radiotelephone credentials. This landed me a job with Motorola (a whole story in itself) in 1978 and I lived out of a suitcase installing microwave communications for 3 years. Later I moved into sales with them calling on utility companies in the Midwest for 23 more years. After Motorola I worked 7 years for RCC Consultants as a Program Manager specializing in 800 MHz rebanding for public safety entities. Upon moving to Tellico Village in 2014, TLARC began soon after and my interest in amateur radio caught fire again. I am now an Extra Class licensee (KM4OJK) and trying to learn the “tricks of the trade.” I’m also a member of the Loudon County ARES group. For me the camaraderie amongst hams and their families is the best part of the hobby.
David Andrews is a 12th generation Yankee, born and raised in southeastern Connecticut. He caught the radio bug after listening on his older brother's HF radio. First licensed as a Novice in 1987, he promptly upgraded to Technician, and finally upgraded to Extra in 2016. After college, he worked in the CATV industry for a few years then spent 30 years in the nuclear industry. David served for many years as a firefighter and EMT in Old Saybrook, CT and Vernon, VT, retiring as Vernon's Chief in 2012. He retired to Tellico Village in the fall of 2018. He comes from a family of hams, including his father KB1DRJ, two brothers, WB1EWS and KB1GKP, his wife N1REB, son KB1NWU, and daughter KB1NXN.
David is a life member of the Shoreline Amateur Radio Club (SARC) of Westbrook CT, and a past technical advisor of the West River Radio Club in Townshend, VT.
My station:
Rig: Kenwood TS-590SG & TS-590
SO2R: microHAM 2R
Tuner: Palstar AT2K
Amp: Alpha 86 & Ameritron AL-80B
Antennas: Hustler 6BTV w/radials, Carolina Windom (6-80 Mtrs), and CushCraft A50-5s (6 mtrs)
Microphones: Heil Mic (HM-12) & Heil Proset (HC-6) & Astatic D-104
CW Keyer: Begali (Stradivarius)
HF Digital: Rigblaster Advantage running FLDigi and WSJT-X with JT-Alert
VHF Digital: AEA PK-232MBX
Logging SW: Amateur Contact Log (General Logger) & N1MM+ (Contest logger)
Webmaster: George Heron, N2APB
