West Oklahoma Amateur Radio Volunteer Examiner Team

 This annual event is usually held on the middle weekend in October. In this event, the Boy Scouts will gather to learn about radio, talk on the radio, and communicate with other Boy Scouts at similar events across the globe. Here in Norman, they typically meet at a local park, and various SCARS members bring radios, antennas, and other systems for the Scouts to set up and use. A training opportunity will allow the Scouts to obtain their Radio Merit Badge. For more information about the JOTA program, visit this Scouting site. More information from the Boy Scout Troops.  

JOTA-JOTI is the largest digital and radio Scout event. Find more information at JOTA-JOTI 2025 | A World Shaped by Youth  

 Skywarn® storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather. 

Find more information about how to become a spotter for your area at the following link Oklahoma NWS SKYWARN® Program 

The National Weather Museum & Science Center is at 1200B West Rock Creek Road, Norman, OK 73019. This facility houses the historical weather equipment developed or used to promote weather management for the nation. Here you’ll find the world’s first Doppler radar console, a T-28 Trojan Weather Research airplane, a car that survived one of the Moore tornadoes, replicas of the largest hailstones, phased radar systems, and much more.

More information is available at http://NationalWeatherMuseum.com. Make plans to come, and see you there!

Many years ago, amateur radio clubs in the Oklahoma City area started an event known as the “All Ham Dinner.” This dinner allows about 70 hams to get together, eat dinner, and communicate with each other. This dinner is held on the third Thursday of January, May, and September at 6:00 p.m. No RSVP is needed; show up and join the fun. The next January dinner is on January 16, 2025. This dinner will be at Pickles Steakhouse, 1201 S Meridian Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108. Be careful. There are other Pickles locations, but this steakhouse and buffet has 30+ years of experience. It is formerly Western Sizzlin & Mackie McNear’s Steakhouse. No RSVP is needed; show up, get your meal, and join the fun in their banquet room in the back.  The location and more information are available at this link.

To spread the load and fun of hosting these dinners, the member clubs of the Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs (CORA) take turns organizing the event. This means that each club sponsors one of the dinners every two years. The hosting club selects the location and arranges a restaurant to host those who attend. The host club also makes a presentation and then facilitates a round-robin discussion by all clubs. Each club can present its recent activities or request assistance at a future event.

 Winter Field Day is an exciting annual event for amateur radio enthusiasts, taking place on the last full weekend of January. It offers a unique opportunity for radio operators to set up field operations in remote locations, enabling them to connect with other participants worldwide. You may choose to participate solo or get your your friends, family, or whole club involved. Winter Field Day is organized by the Winter Field Day Association. The association strongly believes that ham radio operators should practice portable emergency communications in winter environments. This is because freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and other hazards pose unique operational concerns. 

 The Winter Field Day event aims to help participants improve their preparedness for disasters and enhance their operational abilities in adverse conditions. Amateur radio operators have the freedom to use frequencies on the HF, VHF, or UHF bands while employing voice, CW, and digital transmissions. The event designates specific objectives to encourage a diverse range of activities, including the use of non-commercial power sources, the deployment of multiple antennas, establishing satellite contacts, and more. Click here to read more about the history and purpose of winter field day. 

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was organized to be a Run To Remember for those who died, those who survived, and those whose lives were changed forever, in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building on April 19th, 1995.

Registration is open for volunteering for the communications unit that supports the Oklahoma City Marathon.  Last year we had more than 70 amateur radio operators supporting the nearly 19,000 runners over a two-day period.  Amateurs helped with logistical tasks, such as providing information on locations of the head and rear of the races, supported delivery of ice and water to the various water stops, provided communications at each of the medical stations, gave real-time information to relay team members readying to make their exchanges, and in general provided another set of eyes and ears for the Marathon operations leaders as well as the public safety responders.

The 2025 marathon was a success, keep an eye out for the 2026 event info.

More information about the event can be found at this link Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon – Run to Remember  

 Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 31,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

We welcome the public to come learn more about ham radio! Use our Field Day Locator to search for a Field Day site near you.