Date: November 2023
Amount: $3,500

The Yavapai Amateur Radio Club (YARC) is a volunteer organization, incorporated in 1991, by a small group of amateur radio operators in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona. YARC is not only a social club; it also serves its community by promoting amateur radio via increasing communication knowledge, improving operating efficiency, facilitating information exchange, and serving the community during public service events and emergencies. Specifically, they offer free licensing classes for both people wanting to enter the hobby and those who want to upgrade their license, provide classes to groups who want to establish a team for emergency communications, offer FCC testing sessions to obtain or upgrade licenses, participate in Field Day, and sponsor hamfests. Most recently, they have established an adult training program to make amateur radio more accessible to their local community, as the initial cost for a prospective ham to obtain their license, including exam prep materials, is about $70-80 USD.

This grant will provide funding for YARC to reduce the cost of prospective hams to get licensed by offering their study guide at a reduced cost of $10 and by implementing a new testing program for their classes that prepare attendees for the free of charge Laurel FCC exams. In addition to aiding their transition to the Laurel testing program for their education program, this funding will also allow YARC to offer electronic testing in addition to paper tests. As a result of this funding, YARC will be able to reach more members of their community and show them the benefits of ham radio while enjoying many of the outdoor activities offered in rural Arizona, where cell service is spotty to non-existent.

Learn more at https://www.w7yrc.org/.