SARA Meeting Details

SARA Meeting Details Page ~ last update: 20 Dec 2022

SARA is having 'Live' Meetings starting 08 Nov 2022 -!!
All Visitors are Always Welcome to club meetings!

Regular SARA business meetings are scheduled in advance

- we may have 'extra meetings' when desired with notification by email or posting.

- meetings are on the 2nd Tuesday of each month @ 7:00PM (19:00) local.

Covid-19 - Zoom Virtual Meetings is the new normal! We will be doing a 'Zoom' meeting into our live SARA meetings every month.

Covid-19 has been {pre-Nov 2022} forcing us to 'skip' physical meetings. We use Zoom Meetings (Web App) to hold our virtual/video meetings. See "Video Meeting Setup Hints" ~ for information and links to get you help setting up your Zoom. We are doing this for both the ARES-Skywarn meetings (6:00 PM on 'odd number' months) and the SARA regular meetings (7:00 PM each month except December) until further notice (started April, 2020). We will continue to use the Zoom meeting process going forward to allow attendees to meet without requiring physical travel to the club meeting location.

Physical meetings are back in session, 07 Nov 2022 (considered 'post COVID'). We are meeting at the Capitan Center.

VE testing, fourth Thursday of even numbered months, has it's own link/page (see item in header of each page), is now 'on Hold' (since early 2020) but we always start at 6:30 PM (paperwork) and 7:00 PM for testing. ~ Starting live sessions back up on December 22, 2022!

All new and prospective hams, as well as the general public, are always invited to our meetings! Shiawassee Amateur Radio Association's [SARA] meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM, except the month of December. The December meeting is replaced by a dinner event with spouses/guests attending. COVID has impacted our schedule here, but we are looking for a normal schedule going forward. The December meeting has historically been held at a local restaurant which is decided just before the event. Watch this "Meetings page" for details.

Meeting Information [ARES & SARA]

ARES & Skywarn Meetings

ARES / Skywarn meeting dates are as follows starting at 6:00 PM local on the second Tuesday of the odd numbered months. We will use 'Zoom Meeting' for all meetings until further notice. These are separate from SARA club activities and are for all hams in our local area and any guests.

2023 ARES Meeting Dates ~ Odd numbered months

January 10 July 11
March 14 September 12
May 09 November 14

2023 SARA Meeting Dates ~ Each month with December location TBD till November.

Regular SARA club dates start at 7:00 PM local on the second Tuesday of each month. We will use 'Zoom Meeting' for all meetings during COVID.

January 10 July 11
February 14 August 08
March 14 September 12
April 11 October 10
May 09 November 14
June 13 December 12 - Christmas Special Dinner Meeting
2022 December 13 ~ Christmas Dinner Special was at "Rivals Cafe" SE corner of M-21 and State Rd. in Corunna.

NOTE (1): The April, 2023 meeting (probably) will be scheduled to be at Kevin Middleton's house, 1510 Cook Rd., Owosso, MI 48867 on a Saturday ~ at 10:30 am [bring a dish to pass for lunch after meeting]. We will fire up W8QQQ starting at noon, going until about midnight. Operation is for the Michigan QSO party. Please support if you can. See March SARA Minutes for further information.

The club radio station, W8QQQ, is still in a state of flux. Watch SARA minutes for status reports as we make changes.

We activate the club station, W8QQQ, for many contests and by appointment. Contact us for arrangements if you would like to use the station.

We are currently looking for 'physical' space for club meetings, classes, and radio room operations. Watch for future announcements. The Shiawassee EOC went under 'lock down' for COVID and is not available to support us at this time (Sep-2021 onward). NOVEMBER, 2022 update ~ we 'restarted' live meetings at the Capitan Center and are planning our 2023 activities there!

Zoom Meeting Setup

Thinking all parties may not have experience using this technology, we will try to deliver method details for you to setup a computer system for checking into the Zoom video conference. You will need access to a computer system with sound card and preferably with web camera capabilities and of course an internet connection. Most newer laptops have these 'built in'. Many desktop systems can have these added in. We assume you will be able to work the step out on your own (proper installation of a microphone and web camera can be searched on the internet). You can call in from a smart phone for 'conference call' {phone only} type connection. You could use a 'tablet' but they have their own set of issues (you are on your own here).

We are aware of the potential security risk on the Zoom application, but we do not believe we have sensitive information that we will be discussing. Just, 'Be Aware' that anything said on the call may be picked up by others and meeting conversations should be considered Non-confidential and an open type of conversation.

We suggest you install 'Google Chrome' as your browser for Zoom calls and obtain a Gmail email address for supporting your Zoom activity. Do the following before attempting to connect.

Get/use a Gmail email address. Gmail Site.
Download/Install Google 'Chrome' Web Browser. Google Chrome Page.
Video conference invitation link is in menu on left side when you start Chrome. When you enter the link information you will automatically link to the call. You will need the
Meeting ID 131 210 639 and the Password: 190320 (we put this in the footer page on each W8QQQ.org web page).
You can try to directly join Zoom Meeting with this URL: https://msu.zoom.us/j/131210639 . You will need to enter the password.
You use 'Skype for Business' at: https://msu.zoom.us/skype/131210639 . You will need to enter the password.

That "msu.zoom.us" stuff is due to the help of Dennis Phillips, KC8ETW, and his 'setting us up' on the MSU system. THANK YOU Dennis!