CQ CQ CQ — 91505
Amateur radio, made in Burbank.
BARC is a brand-new amateur radio club for the Burbank media district and surrounding neighborhoods. Free to join, open to all ages and license classes, and friendly to the curious and the unlicensed alike.
About BARC
The Burbank area has long been underserved by amateur radio clubs and local repeaters. Hams in 91501–91506 have great neighbors in Glendale, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley, and the Conejo Valley — but no home club of their own. BARC is here to change that.
We’re organizing around a planned UHF repeater atop the Tower building at 3900 W. Alameda Avenue, in the heart of the media district. The Tower’s line-of-sight across the valley floor should give hams from Toluca Lake to Sun Valley a clear, reliable home frequency for everyday QSOs, commute chats, and emergency practice.
We take our cue from the best clubs in Southern California — groups like the Pasadena Radio Club, South Pasadena Amateur Radio Club, North Hills Radio Club, and Conejo Valley ARC — while keeping things approachable, low-bureaucracy, and genuinely fun.
What we do
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Monthly net
A relaxed directed net on the club repeater the second Tuesday of each month. Check-ins, local traffic, swap & shop, and new-member welcomes.
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Trivia nets
Occasional themed trivia nets — radio history, SoCal geography, famous Burbank studios — with small prizes (QSL cards, stickers, coffee).
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License classes
Technician and General study sessions twice a year, followed by a VE exam session hosted with a local VE team.
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Field activities
Field Day in June, summer POTA outings at Wildwood Canyon and Griffith Park, and the annual simulated-emergency test in October.
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Public service
Volunteer communications support for local parades, the Burbank on Parade, and charity runs when we’re asked.
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Elmering
One-on-one mentoring for new hams — antennas, digital modes, first contacts, and everything in between.
Who we are
BARC is a volunteer-run club. There’s no paid staff, no membership fees, and no barriers to participation. Meetings and nets are family-friendly and open to all ages — including curious neighbors who have never keyed a mic.
Hams in Burbank work in a lot of places — the studios along Olive, the hospitals on Buena Vista, the airport, the warehouses near Vanowen. We want the club to reflect that mix: new licensees, seasoned DXers, maker-scene experimenters, emergency-comms volunteers, and everyone in between.
Like most HAM clubs, we follow the spirit of the Amateur’s Code: considerate, loyal, progressive, friendly, balanced, and patriotic. In practice that means: keep the repeater pleasant, help newcomers, learn something new on purpose, and don’t let radio eat your whole life.
73 de BARC — see you on the air.