About Us

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Helping HAMs Get On The Air and keeping the Amateur Radio community “Radio Active”

ARRL Field Day 2020

The GOTAhams Amateur Radio Club was born based upon the idea of being a “radio active” club. The night of March 19, 2019 a handful of friends came together with a mutual passion for ham radio to talk about what they’d like to see in a ham radio club. From that discussion, the “GOTAhams” radio club came together in three days.  Our club serves the Inland Empire of Southern California and surrounding areas.  We have members from the high deserts to south Orange County and from the coast to Redlands and beyond.  We even have members in Arizona and Ohio.     Our goal is to create hands on environments on a regular basis to get our members familiar with operating an amateur station and to give experienced and continuing members a chance to exercise and share their skills. And to do so in a family friendly social environment that actively welcomes a wide range of members and where our events are fun for both the hams and non-hams in the family. 

If you are just considering becoming involved in Amateur Radio, come visit our events – all are welcome – you’ll get some hands on exposure and have a fun day as well.  If you can’t yet afford that expensive HF dream radio, the club’s is there for you to use. If you are wondering which equipment to set your sights on, you’ll see (and can use) a variety of radios and antennas in use at our park events.  If you are newly licensed and a little apprehensive about pushing that button – join our comfortable and friendly nightly round table net and you’ll be comfortable talking on the radio in no time at all.  Seasoned operators will welcome the opportunity to join with others in a truly ACTIVE Amateur Radio club.

Our club conducts the aforementioned nightly net (see ‘Nets’ in the main menu), a monthly experimental simplex net to help you evaluate your UHF/VHF equipment, monthly Radio-In-The-Park outings at rotating local parks with lots of HF and VHF/UHF activity, an active ARRL Field Day event each year in June, we have monthly club meetings (your choice to join us at a local restaurant OR attend via Zoom video if you can’t make the trip that night) and we participate in various special events through the year including supporting local parades, bicycle events, etc. with radio communications volunteers.  We do active ‘Elmering-At-The-Park’ for hands-on skills training and conduct extensive in person Elmering.  We sponsor monthly in-person ARRL VEC license test sessions in La Verne.

We are not a single interest or special interest club. We have members interested in HF, satellites, CW, digital modes, SSB, antennas, software, mobile operations, propagation, technology, repeaters, etc. etc.  And we have some very good cooks.  We have had licensed members from age 8 to the 90’s.  From the original six or so members in 2019 we’ve had as many as 130 during 2022.

GOTAhams is an A.R.R.L. (Amateur Radio Relay League, the national organization for Amateur Radio) Affiliated Club.  While there is no requirement to be an ARRL member to join the club (nor even to hold an Amateur Radio license), there are many benefits to membership and we encourage members to join the ARRL.

Other events including Fox Hunting and Project Builds are just a start. We welcome everyone and anyone interested in Amateur Radio to join us. Make sure to check out our website for all our latest events coming up.  You’ll find links to contact us and/or join the club on this site.  Your questions are welcome.  A great way to meet us is to come to one of the monthly Radio in the Park events.  

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