July 11 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am PDT

THIS IS A FREE CLASS, Limited to the first 25 people. REGISTER BELOW.

Learn basic radio communications skills with a focus on the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), Family Radio Service and Ham Radio (GMRS/FRS/HAM). A NO TEST LICENSE is required to transmit on the GMRS frequencies. However, you can transmit without a license on the FRS frequencies that are used by some of our GMRS groups within Tuolumne County. Explore and learn all the details at this class.

Hands on skills training will get you up and transmitting right away, with instructions on emergency communication.

STAY INFORMED when cellphones are down and power outages occur.

RADIO CLASS AGENDA

• Types of Radio Services
• Pro and Cons of FRS/GMRS/HAM
• Radio Etiquette
• How to talk on the Radio
• How to listen to public safety channels (Fire/Sheriff/AirTankers, etc)
• What is a Repeater?
• How to join a Network
• Common Radio Features
• Use Radio as a Scanner
• Practice Net Roster with Radio

OPTIONAL: Tuolumne County has five GMRS repeaters on hill tops that allow wide communications across the county and the valley. A GMRS license is required for repeater usage. Apply for your GMRS license today. One GMRS license will cover your entire extended family, even if they don’t live in the same home. There is NO TEST, only a FCC $35. application fee. Follow these step by step instructions to get your NO TEST GMRS License. FCC processing time usually takes one to three days and has a $35.00 fee. START NOW.

You do not need to own a radio to attend this class, reserve a seat with a free ticket and learn the basic skills of radio communication. There is no fee for the skills training.

• July 11th – 9:00 AM (about 2 hours) Please check in by 8:45, thanks!
• Limited to the first 25 people
• Pinecrest Academy School: 30433 Old Strawberry Rd., Cold Springs, CA 95335
• REGISTER NOW AND SAVE YOUR SEAT!

This is the meeting location:

Pinecrest Academy School is at 30433 Old Strawberry Rd, Cold Springs, CA 95335

The post Introduction to Radio Class: Pinecrest Academy School in Cold Springs, CA appeared first on TCARES.

July 18 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am PDT

All are welcome, JOIN US! Come to the back room around or just before 9 AM to order your breakfast…or just a cup of coffee. At 9:30 we will begin our formal agenda.

The post TCARES Monthly Breakfast and Club Meeting appeared first on TCARES.

July 18 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm PDT

There will be a TCARES Board Meeting following the monthly club breakfast meeting. Feel free to attend!

The post TCARES Board Meeting appeared first on TCARES.

Join us for the 50th annual Pinecrest Run! The five-mile winds through the roads of Pinecrest and along the shores of Pinecrest Lake. The one mile is a quick race on pavement. This is a fundraiser event for Pinecrest Expedition Academy, our local private school. Sorry, pets are not allowed in the race. Get registered today!

TCARES GMRS licensees are being asked to provide volunteer radio support for the 1 mile, and 5 mile races. This is Tuolumne County’s oldest, continually running foot race. We can use 5 or 6 volunteers. As we learned last year a couple of places have a hard time reaching the Pinecrest repeater, so we will be operating on simplex, and also using GMRS. This will be a good chance to work the Strawberry GMRS repeater.

Contact Rich Combs, KK6RIC/WRMM317, at combsrichard@sbcglobal.net if you have questions.

The post 50th Annual PINECREST RUN! appeared first on TCARES.

August 15 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am PDT

All are welcome, JOIN US! Come to the back room around or just before 9 AM to order your breakfast…or just a cup of coffee. At 9:30 we will begin our formal agenda.

The post TCARES Monthly Breakfast and Club Meeting appeared first on TCARES.

September 19 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am PDT

All are welcome, JOIN US! Come to the back room around or just before 9 AM to order your breakfast…or just a cup of coffee. At 9:30 we will begin our formal agenda.

The post TCARES Monthly Breakfast and Club Meeting appeared first on TCARES.

September 19 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm PDT

There will be a TCARES Board Meeting following the monthly club breakfast meeting. Feel free to attend!

The post TCARES Board Meeting appeared first on TCARES.

Calaveras Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and the Tuolumne County Amateur Radio and Electronics Society (TCARES) are having a joint picnic & BBQ on September 19, 2026 at Utica Park, Angels Camp, California, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

CARS will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, condiments, plasticware, as well as the BBQs. TCARES will provide waters, sodas, ice, sliced tomatoes and onions. Both CARES and TCARES members should bring side dishes and desserts.

Utica Park has a beautiful covered seating area and the event will happen RAIN or SHINE. A table will be provided for the swap meet, too, so bring something to sell!

If you have any questions, call Steven Airola, W6RXK, President of CARS, at 209.770.3263.

The post Tri-County Ham Picnic & BBQ! appeared first on TCARES.

October 3 @ 8:30 am – 11:00 am PDT

THIS IS A FREE CLASS, limited to the first 25 people. REGISTER BELOW.

Learn how to use your handheld radio during a simulated emergency. This class will give you hands-on radio experience by simulating 2 different emergency situations: 1) your own family; and 2) your neighborhood/community. By the end of the class you will also learn more about how to get the best performance out of your handheld radio. Finally, you will develop a plan to take home with you, on how to use a handheld radio during an emergency, for your situation.

If you have a handheld radio (FRS/GMRS/Amateur (Ham)), bring it to the class. If not, we will have extra radios for use. 

Hands-on skills training will get you up and transmitting right away, with instructions on emergency communication.

STAY INFORMED when cell phones are down and power outages occur.

RADIO CLASS AGENDA

• Introduction to Planning for an Emergency – Developing a Personal/Family Plan
• How to Get the Best Performance Out of Your Handheld Radio
• Simulation of an Emergency Using Handheld Radios on Simplex (Radio to Radio)
• Simulation of an Emergency Using Handheld Radios and a Local Repeater (Directed Net)
• Discussion & Lessons Learned
• Turn in a Copy of Your Personal/Family Plan

OPTIONAL: Tuolumne County has 6 GMRS, and 5 ham radio repeaters on hill tops that allow wide communications across the county and parts of the Central Valley. A GMRS and/or Amateur Radio license is required for repeater usage. Apply for your GMRS license today. One GMRS license will cover your entire extended family, even if they don’t live in the same home. There is NO TEST, only a FCC $35. application fee. Follow these step by step instructions to get your NO TEST GMRS License. FCC processing time usually takes one to three days and has a $35.00 fee. START NOW.

• OCT 3, 8:30 AM (about 2.5 hours) Please check in by 8:15, thanks!
• Limited to the first 25 people
• TBA

REGISTER NOW AND SAVE YOUR SEAT! (Link forthcoming…)

October 3, 2026 is the TENTATIVE date for the class. Once confirmed, this will be updated.

The post Training on How to Use Your Handheld Radio During an Emergency appeared first on TCARES.

October 17 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am PDT

All are welcome, JOIN US! Come to the back room around or just before 9 AM to order your breakfast…or just a cup of coffee. At 9:30 we will begin our formal agenda.

The post TCARES Monthly Breakfast and Club Meeting appeared first on TCARES.