Welcome to the

Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association

Web Site 

The Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association (MVARA) is a small, but active, group of ham operators in the La Crosse, Wisconsin area.  We meet once per month, usually at the QTH of Craig N9ETD.  We also try to get together for breakfast once per month.  Please see our Event Calendar for upcoming meeting dates as well as other MVARA activities.

Field Day 2010 the MVARA Way  

The MVARA participated in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsored Field Day.

We operated from the upper floors of the Onalaska Parking Ramp located between Stoney Creek and Gundersen Lutheran Clinic on Gundersen Drive just off of South Kinney Coulee Road in Onalaska.

The Field Day equipment included UHF, VHF and HF beam antennas along with dipoles for the HF bands. We also had tracking satellite programs as well as antennas to work the "birds”. There were two portable antenna towers each sporting tri-band beam antennas complete with their own rotors and controls as well as many dipole antennas. Photographs and story will be forthcoming.

Mobile High Frequency Radio Shootout!

Updated 5/8/10

The results are in for the MVARA Shootout.

Shootout Story (LINK)

Thank you for your participation in the MVARA shootout and 73!

1Ø GHz Demonstration Conducted In La Crosse

Updated 4/26/10

Monday April 12th Past MVARA member Scott, NØEDV provided a 1Ø GHz radio demonstration from Granddad Bluff. See the full story and view a short video.

1Ø GHz Demo Story

La Crosse Area VHF-FM Net

Launched by MVARA Member Dave, WV9E

146.46 Mhz Simplex Thursdays 8:30 PM (CST) 

The main purpose of this informal net is to activate 2 meters, to create interest in Amateur Radio in general and VHF Operation in particular. To give new operators a place where they can find friendly and/or experienced amateurs to ask questions or just get some mic time and learn operating procedures. Discover that using only a limited outlay in money and/or materials it is pretty easy to be successful on VHF w/out a repeater. Ultimately increasing VHF and above operation in our area and perhaps some will find that WEAK SIGNAL WORK is really fun. Visit the La Crosse Area FM Net Page or Visit Dave's, WV9E Home Page  

So you finally earned that long awaited Technician License. You have that new H.T.  Here is your big chance. That is right your new H.T. is a VHF FM radio! You can join the VHF FM net!  Grab that thing set it to 146.46 Mhz HIGH POWER; it may take 5 watts to be heard. Give a call. Join the La Crosse Area FM Net and have some fun with that new ticket! Wait, you don't know how to program frequencies and tones into your new radio?  We won't tell.  Contact Us and we can help you out!  73

The MVARA now offers V.E. Testing!

Volunteer Examiner Testing for that new ham ticket or for that long awaited upgrade will take place at the monthly MVARA meetings. Check our Event Calendar for dates and times.  

To schedule an appointment for VE testing or for more information about the MVARA, drop us a short note on the Contact Us page.

73! From your friends at MVARA.