The Cascades Amateur Radio Society (CARS);
Amateur radio enthusiasts based in Jackson County Michigan.
CARS Monthly Meeting:
Next Meeting: Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
Time: 1900 Local
Location: 1715 Lansing Ave, Jackson County Health Dept.
Enter building at the lower level parking lot entrance.
Talk in: 146.880 – 100 Hz PL
Amateur Radio License Testing available
The CARS VE Team offers testing for all license levels on alternate months.
Next testing date is:
December 13, 2025 @ 10 a.m.
Testing is held at the Carnegie (downtown) branch of Jackson district library,
244 West Michigan Ave, Jackson MI 49201 – McIntyre room, at 10 a.m.
NDR’s Gruß an Bord, the legendary Christmas-Eve programme
There is one shortwave radio broadcast that is truly global — NDR’s Gruß an Bord, the legendary Christmas-Eve programme that connects sailors at sea with loved ones back home, across all the world’s oceans (except for the Pacific). This may be the biggest SWL event of the year.
Every year, Norddeutscher Rundfunk leases transmitters on two continents to ensure the special Christmas broadcast reaches ships on (almost) every ocean. Gruß an Bord stands out as a truly global event — one of a kind, once a year, and not to be missed.
“Gruß an Bord” — which translates to “Greetings on Board” — is a long-standing Christmas-Eve tradition of NDR. Since 1953, families and friends in Germany record Christmas greetings, wishes, messages for loved ones who spend the holiday season at sea: on cargo ships, cruise liners, research vessels, fishing boats — or naval ships.
📡 Shortwave Transmission Details — 24 December 2025
Shortwave Broadcast Time:
🕕 18:00–21:00 UTC
Frequencies & Target Areas:
6080 kHz — Europe
6030 kHz — North-East Atlantic
15770 kHz — North-West Atlantic
13830 kHz — South Atlantic
11650 kHz — Atlantic / Indian Ocean / South Africa
9635 kHz — Indian Ocean
NDR Radio Broadcast inside Germany (via streaming, FM and DAB+):
🕗 20:00–22:00 CET (19:00–21:00 UTC)
Shortwave listeners around the world tune in each year for this very special, once-a-year shortwave transmission.
Looking for a fun Ham Radio activity?
- 12/01/2025 | W2W Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration
Dec 1-Dec 11, 1300Z-2200Z, W2W, Hunt Valley, MD. Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum (ARCNEM) . 14.241 14.041 7.241 7.041. Certificate & QSL. ARCNEM, 338 Clubhouse Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21031. Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum (ARCNEM) will operate W2W in commemoration of the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day and the role of electronics in WWII. Primary operation will be Dec 1-Dec 7 with additional operation possible during the Dec 8-Dec 11 period as operator availability permits. Operation on 80M (3.541, 3.841) and digital modes possible during event. Frequencies +/- according to QRM. QSL and Certificate available via SASE; details at ww-2.us ww-2.us
- 12/11/2025 | WX3MAS
Dec 11-Dec 14, 1400Z-2200Z, WX3MAS, Nazareth, PA. Christmas City ARC. 14265 7270 3850. QSL. WX3MAS c/o DLARC, 14 Gracedale Ave, Nazareth, PA 18064. DLARC.club
- 12/13/2025 | Ike’s Atoms for Peace Anniversary
Dec 13, 1430Z-2200Z, K3S, Port of Baltimore, MD. Nuclear Ship Savannah Amateur Radio Club. 7,14,18,21,28. Certificate. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113. Check spotting networks for frequency. See QRZ.com info for Savannah Award qrz.com/db/k3s
- 12/13/2025 | Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Dec 13, 1700Z-2359Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship. 14.320 7.250 14.070 PSK31 DSTAR on Papa System Repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship COMEDTRA, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. www.qrz.com/db/ni6iw
Great Lakes Region Hamfest’s – 2025/2026
Dec 7, 2025 LCARC ARC Hamfest, Troy, MI (WB8R)
Club Roster is available here.
Weather Siren Testing for Jackson County
We have been ask to help provide verification that the weather warning sirens located in Jackson County are working as expected. If you would be willing to take an hour or less out of your day once a month to check on a siren please let Tim WD8PMD know and we will add you to the list of watchers. For more information see the SkyWarn page.
Siren testing job aid (how to sign up) is now available – click here for pdf copy
Go direct to Siren Map – click button
CARS Email Reflector:
Have you signed up on to the CARS email reflector? Keep up to date on what’s happening with the club. We won’t spam you with lots of junk and you can unsubscribe at anytime, just let us know.
To sign on, just follow this link. CLICK HERE
LOCAL NETS:
Thursday Night 2 meter net
Time: 8:00 pm (2000 local)
146.880 – 100 Hz PL
Sunday Night 2 meter Net
Time: 9:00 pm (2100 local)
146.880 – 100 Hz PL
Sunday Night CW Net
Time: 8:00 pm (2000 local)
Held on 28.100 MHz +/-
