The Ak-Sar-Ben Amateur Radio Club, Inc. is a general-interest club that puts special effort into communications support for public service events, including the Nebraska State Track Meet, the Market-to-Market Relay, Omaha's Corporate Cup, and the Omaha Marathon.
The K0USA repeater
The club operates K0USA on 146.940 MHz (−600 kHz, 131.8 Hz tone on output), the primary repeater for public service events and emergency communications in Douglas County. It sits on the KETV broadcast tower, which since 2005 has made K0USA a central SKYWARN reporting frequency for many of the counties served by the National Weather Service office in Valley. Remote receivers in east Council Bluffs and near Ashland extend low-power coverage.
What we do
- Public service. Communications for races, walks, and community events all year.
- Emergency communications. Members are active in ARES, SATERN (Salvation Army), and Red Cross Disaster Services.
- Field Day. Every year since the club began, with the location changing every few years. We've operated from the Red Cross, and even cooked and slept aboard the WWII minesweeper USS Hazard at Freedom Park.
- Museum Ships Weekend. From the deck and radio room of the USS Hazard. In 2011 the club funded an original, still-crated 1940s TBS-6 VHF radio for the ship's radio room restoration.
- Parks on the Air. Activations around the metro and beyond, including Homestead National Monument and the Missouri National Recreational River.
- Licensing and testing. License classes and ARRL VEC exam sessions.
- Flea-Esta. Our annual fall hamfest.
- Outreach. Maker Faires, the Nebraska Science Festival, and science-fiction conventions.
Equipment library
Members in good standing with a current license can borrow club equipment from one meeting to the next. Email equipment-committee@aksarbenarc.org to arrange pickup or return.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Icom V80 2m HT kit #1 | Available |
| Icom V80 2m HT kit #2 | Available |
| MFJ-259B antenna analyzer | Available (ask ahead) |
| MFJ-949C Versa Tuner II | Available (ask ahead) |
| ARRL Intro to Morse Code CD set | Available |
Please review the equipment loan agreement before borrowing.
History and the Ham Hum
The club newsletter, the Ham Hum, goes back to 1981. The archive is still on the old site while it's moved over.