Severe weather watches are very important in Indiana, and Bloomington Amateur Radio Club BARC sponsors a yearly National Weather Service training session for Hams, local emergency workers, and the community. NWS trains and signs up Skywarn volunteers. Training information, radar maps, and storm spotter information can also be found at Central Indiana Skywarn Association.

BARC provides support for 5,000 riders on the yearly fall "Hilly Hundred" bicycle ride and for another 5,000 students, teachers and parents during the Indiana State Science Olympiad competitions in the spring. Recent activities by BARC include demonstrations at WonderLab, introducing Ham Radio to school-age children.

QRP is new interest: It's what Ham radio was like when first introduced but never licensed while in high school in the 50's and 60's -- low power (<5 w for CW contacts, <10 w for phone) DX-ing, homebrew transceivers, lightweight antennas, portable fun. Joined The Flying Pigs QRP Club International as member #365. Just getting started in QRP with local group building Kanga's FOXX-3 <1 watt CW transceiver, and looking at all the extras -- antennas, tuners.

Technician
Passed Element 2 of the FCC Amateur Radio examination at a VE session in Spencer, IN, and was assigned the callsign KB9RVB on 17 December 1997.

Technician w/HF
Passed Element 1, the 5wpm Morse code test (after three months of a Bloomington Amateur Radio Club [BARC]-sponsored class), on 17 April 2000.

General
Passed Element 3 at Bloomington, IN, VE session on 3 March 2001 (with the CSCE Element 1 code credit about to expire for upgrade purposes) but never operated HF using the coveted "KB9RVB/AG" identification.