Archives

  • The OBRA Calendar has been updated and In-Person meetings have been scheduled and posted monthly through May, 2024. All meetings will be held at the Black Pelican at 5:30 PM.
  • This is a reminder for the monthly meeting of the Outer Banks Repeater Association.   The meeting will be held on Thursday, February 20 at 5:30 PM at the Jolly Roger Restaurant’s private room.  Please let Chick Raffa know if you plan to attend. See the OBRA Calendar OBRA Events Calendar for additional meetings.
  • Winter Field Day will run from Saturday 01/25/2025 at 1600 UTC (11:00 AM EST) and runs through 2159 UTC (4:59 PM EST) on Sunday 01/26/2025.
    WFD site:
    https://winterfieldday.org/index.php#hero. Contact Dwayne Tuberville for additional details.
  • Ham Training will be held February 12 at the SS Voluntary Fire Department, 7:00 – 9:00 PM, and testing will follow on February 19. Contact Malcom Green for additional details.
  • There will be a HAM License training session on December 3 and 4 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Southern Shores VFD.  On December 18 at 7:00pm there will be a testing Session also at the Southern Shores VFD. Course materials are under the menu Training and Licensing on this website.
  • The OBRA Holiday Party will be held at Duck Woods Country Club at 5:00 PM on December 19. Please notify Chick Raffa of your menu choices no later than December 4. Payment can be made by PayPal.
  • The November monthly meeting will be held 5:30PM, Thursday, November 21, 2024 at the Black Pelican. If you pan to attend, please notify Chick Raffa. See the OBRA Calendar OBRA Events Calendar for additional meetings.
  • National Lighthouse/Lightship this weekend, August 3, 4, at Bodie Island Light. https://arlhs.com/events/national-lighthouse-lightship-week-nllw/
  • International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend August 17 – 18. https://illw.net/
  • Aviation Day August 19 at Wright Memorial.
  • On Thursday, May 16, the Outer Banks Repeater Association will hold its last meeting before the summer break.  The meeting will be at 5:30 PM at the Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk.  Please let Chick Raffa know by Tuesday if you will be attending so she can be sure to have a place for you at the Pelican.  All hams and their guests are welcome to attend.  Potential hams are also invited if you want to meet some of our local hams.
  • OUTER BANKS DMR NET – 2024 SCRIPT
  • At 7:55pm:  This is (your call sign phonetically, your call sign) The Outer Banks DMR Net on Brandmeister Talk group 31377 will begin at 8:00 PM. (your call sign phonetically, your call sign) monitoring.
  • At 8:00pm:  
  • Calling all stations. This is the Outer Banks DMR Net.  (Pause)
  • Good evening. This is (your call sign phonetically, your call sign) my name is (your name) and I will be your Net Control this evening. I am located in (your city, state) and I am accessing the Brandmeister 31377 talk group from (your access).
  • This net is conducted every Tuesday at 8:00 PM. Check-ins can be made locally using the Mamie or Nags Head DMR repeaters, a hot spot or any other repeater access to the Brandmeister network.
  • Is there any emergency or priority traffic for the net?  If so, please call Net Control, (your call sign) .(Acknowledge or hearing none, continue)
  • Are there any announcements for the net?  If so, please call Net Control, (your call sign). (Acknowledge or hearing none, continue)
  • I will now ask for check-ins by the first letter of your call sign suffix. For example KW4ZL would be Z. Please speak slowly and respond with your amateur call sign, phonetically, and your name. I will acknowledge you and ask you to reply with any comments, questions or just listening.
  • (Begin to ask for check-ins by suffix.)
  • Stations with Suffix starting with A through D please call (your call sign).
  • A,B,C,D
  • E,F,G,H
  • I,J,K,LL
  • M,N,O,P
  • Q,R,S,T
  • U,V,W,X,Y,Z
  • (Acknowledge with their call sign, name and ask for comments questions or just listening.)
  • (Repeat for next Alpha group)
  • Are there any check-ins from anywhere or any additional traffic for the DMR net tonight?  Please call (your call sign).  (Acknowledge or hearing none, continue)
  • Thank you to everyone for checking in this evening and I hope that you will join us again next time. This is (your call sign phonetically, your call sign) now closing the Outer Banks DMR Net at (state the time in military time) and returning the talk group and repeaters back to normal amateur use. Have a good evening everyone. (your call sign) clear.  

  • The Senior Games Bicycle Race will be 0held on April 23, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
  • There are two Flying Pirate events scheduled for mid April. On April 20, there will be a 5K at the Wright Brothers Memorial and on April 21 a Half Marathon will start at the First Flight Middle School and will end at the Wright Brothers Memorial. 
  • Congratulations to Paul Lamb, KQ4BOU, and Jim Borst, KO4OBX.  Both took tests at our testing session and upgraded to General Class hams.  It is official as both have already been upgraded on the FCC site. If you hear Paul or Jim on the air, please congratulate them.
  • An OBRA in person meeting will be held Thursday, March 21at 5:30 PM at the Black Pelican. Contact Chick Raffa by Tuesday if you plan to attend.
  • Joe Raffa will be conducting a training session at the Southern Shores Fire Department on March 19, at 7:00 PM. He plans to discuss programming the Anytone 878 and answer DMR questions. If you plan to attend, e-mail Joe at raffaim@verizon .net.
  • Today, February 24, 2024, Duane Tuberville N1PLV, Carl Hacker WC5WM, Jim Kranda N4WYO, Chick Raffa KM4ZBF, Joe Raffa KW4Z under the auspices of N1PLVN (along with his equipment)  activated Freedman’s Point.  It is a small site at the Eastern end of the Umstead Memorial Bridge Rt 64 in Manteo and part of Ft Raleigh National Historic Site.  It was a rather short event 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and we made about 30 contacts, but we all had a good time and look forward to the next get together. 
  • Presentations from previous QSO Today Virtual Ham Expos are also available. Go to this link: https://vimeo.com/showcase/qsotodayhamexpomar2021
  • Recent summary of 2022 HF activities as well as the Schedule of 2023 HF events.
  • There will be a HAM Testing Session on February 21, 2024 at the SSVFD classroom at 7:00 PM.
  • Last night, Thursday, February 1, the OBRA Net had 19 participants that called in.
  • Winter Field Day January 27-28, 11:00 AM ’til at Salvo day use area. See details at https://obraobx.com/?page_id=1586
  • Outer Banks Running Club 5K, January 27, 7:30 AM-10:00 AM at KDH skate park.
  • The first meeting of OBRA of 2024 will be held January 18 at 5:30 PM at the Black Pelican. Contact Chick Raffa by Tuesday if you plan to attend.
  • Joe Raffa will be conducting a training session at the Southern Shores Fire Department on January 17, at 7:00 PM. He plans to discuss the Anytone 878 and answer DMR questions. If you plan to attend, e-mail Joe at raffaim@verizon .net.

The 120th Celebration of First Powered Flight (Wright Brothers Day) will be held Sunday 12/17/2023 at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. For more details and participation by OBRA and other HAMS, see https://obraobx.com/?page_id=721.

Reminder: The OBRA Pot Luck Christmas Party will be held on December 7, 2023 at 5:00 P.M. at Jack and Sally Meagher’s home. Please call Chick Raffa for details.

  • The next OBRA in person meeting will be held at the Black Pelican on October 19, 2023 at 5:30 PM. We will be seated in the open area and will order individually from the menu. Our November in person meeting will also be at the Black Pelican at 5:30 PM on November 16, 2023.
  • DMR Class, October 18, 2023, 7:00 PM, at Southern Shores Fire House. Parking is across the street in the Kitty Hawk Elementary School parking lot. Click here for class slides.

The first OBRA Fall meeting will be held at the Black Pelican on September 21, 2023 at 5:30 PM. We will be seated in the open area and will order individually from the menu.

  • Congratulations to New Hams: Stephanie Hall, KQ4GGL, John Lynn, KQ4GGM, and Nicole Tipton, KQ4GDW. All passed their Technician’s test.
  • Congratulations to upgraded Hams: John Doerr, KO4VZY, and Chris Watts, KQ4BOV. Both were upgraded to General.

A test session for all classes of Ham Radio Licenses is scheduled on Tuesday, May 16, at 7:00 PM at the Southern Shores Fire Department.  The exams are free and upgrades are free.  New licenses will require a fee of $35 paid to the FCC upon passing the test. Pre-registration required.

  • OBRA will have an In-Person Meeting on March 23, 2023 at the First Flight Lions Club, at 2706 N. Croatan Hwy., Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948.
  • There will be a class, “Introduction to Ham Radio and the OBRA”, which will be held March 8, 7 PM, at the Southern Shores Fire Department. Following is the link to the class presentation: Introduction to Ham Radio and OBRA.
  • The recent selection of a new OBRA logo resulted in a tie between No.1 and No. 3. To break the tie, OBRA members should select their choice of No. 1 or No. 3 for a new OBRA logo no later than March 15, 2023.

Updated March 21, 2024