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 Lacrosse, Wisconsin area.  We meet once per month in the Basement Auditorium Room B-190 at the Lacrosse County Administration Building 400 N. 4th St. Lacrosse. Use the south doors. 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. Also if you are interested in VE testing, we give tests at every MVARA monthly meeting. If your interested in a testing session make sure to Contact Us and make sure to indicate that you want a test. We can make it happen for you.

Something COOL, From Radio City

An Actual Pass of the ISS flying over their building.

The MVARA Field Day results are in!!

That's right folks, the results are in and yes I can now say the the MVARA set and broke all records with our scores. This all came together with a dedicated crew and lot of fun to boot!! The MVARA places 2nd in the 3A class, one of the most competitive classes in the event. We scored 14,962 points and were just behind the first place team from Chicago, who is a legend in the 3A class. Of course our goal for next year will be to knock them off the top spot and planning is already underway to try for that goal!!! So, please check out the Top 10 Results, As well, Check out the other really cool thing on the Top 20 Over All results as we were 16th Over all in the whole Nation!!!! 

A big big thanks to all involved to make this our best Field Day Ever!!

2011 Field Day Photos

   The 2011 MVARA HF Mobile Antenna Shootout

First off we at the MVARA would like to thank everyone that participated and

helped with the 2011 HF Mobile Antenna Shootout. The event was great fun and we all are looking forward to the next time we can host such a great event as this.

The MVARA Shootout Line up

Shootout Results

Again thanks to all that made it a great day in Ham Radio

73, From your Friends at the MVARA.

Lon KØWJ accepting his 1st place from Craig N9ETD

Letter of Thanks from the Winner Lon KØWJ

Shootout Photos

NEW MVARA MEETING LOCATION!

The MVARA meetings and VE testing will be held at the La Crosse County Administration Building 400 N. 4th St. Use south doors. Basement Auditorium Room B-190. 7:00 PM as always!

Parking on Pine between 4th & 6th Streets.   Building Parking plot Layout

                      Remember the MVARA monthly Breakfast

Once a month the MVARA and friends meet for Breakfast, it's always a great time and of  cource always good food. If your interested just check the Event Calendar for the time and place for the month. Hope to see you there.

La Crosse County 

ARES/RACES

Monthly Meetings

La Crosse County ARES/RACES meets the forth Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. In the La Crosse County Admin building Basement Conference room B190.

Weekly FM ARES/RACES      NET Tuesday 8:30 PM  

Check-ins are welcome from the ham radio community. You need not be a member of ARES or RACES to participate in the La Crosse ARES Net. Stop by and say “HI”. For more info check the link below.

LINK http://www.lacrosseares.net/

WXOW News 19 School Weather Academy

 The Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association (MVARA) was invited to participate in the News 19 School Weather Academy demonstrating amateur radio. Our first appearance with the News 19 Weather Academy team was at the La Crescent-Hokah Elementary School.

Weather Academy is a program created by the News 19 Forecast Team in an effort to educate elementary students about the basics of weather and instruct them to “be safe, not scared” in severe weather situations.

We had many energetic young people and their parents visit our Ham Radio display asking questions and looking over or operating display. Along with an operating H.F. radio station we operated APRS and displayed satellite passes. As we talked to our visitors we fielded many questions from the crowed and dazzled our visitors with our amateur radio display.

The Sparta Weather Academy was great fun. While the attendance was a little smaller than the  La Crescent event the participants were very interested in the MVARA Ham Radio display. 

Field Day 2011 the MVARA Way

FIELD DAY PHOTOS

                   Just click on the link above and follow the tabs to Field Day

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.

Mobile HF Antenna Shootout!

The results for the MVARA Shootout.

Shootout Stories

The 2011 Shootout is in the books, Check here for results.

1Ø GHz Demonstration Conducted In La Crosse

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

The MVARA now offers Monthly 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 the MVARA