Rogue Valley Manor Amateur Radio Club (RVMARC)
located at: 1200 Mira Mar Ave., Medford, Oregon 97504

Amateur Radio is definitely unique when made available for resident use at most retirement communities across the nation.

Amateur Radio at the Rogue Valley Manor goes back to the mid 80's when the first resident ham operated with a rig mounted on a cart brought up to the roof level by elevator. A long wire antenna was connected; the transceiver was plugged into a wall socket and the station was on the air. The Administration decided to provide a modern facility so that licensed Amateur Radio operators could enjoy their hobby in a comfortable environment nice enough to please the most discriminating ham radio operator.

The present club station was established in 1997 after an extensive retrofit of a large storage area on the 9th floor of the Manor, which is the main hilltop building of this retirement community. The Administration provided the space and the necessary electrical and phone/data wiring and suspended acoustical ceiling. This major remodeling resulted in a modern facility providing 6 station positions for resident hams enabling them to install and operate their own equipment using any of the installed antennas available. Maintenance of the antenna systems is directed by the resident hams and generously supported by the Administration and by donations to the RVM Amateur Radio Club through the RVM Foundation.

The resident members of the Rogue Valley Manor Amateur Radio Club constructed and installed the furniture for the operating positions, included a test/work area, library shelving, bulletin board, black board, a countertop sink and a refrigerator. Each operating position has four 110-volt outlets, an individual phone/data outlet, and four coax transmission cables available that are routed to the antenna patch panel. Donated computers and monitors are provided and maintained by the Administration. The air-conditioned room has a carpeted floor and swivel chairs. The two windows have a westerly view of the Siskiyou and Cascade mountains, which ring the beautiful Rogue Valley.

All of the antennas are on the roof of this ten-story building and consist of two tri-band Yagi beams (a KLM KT34A & a Mosley), two all band GAP verticals, a 40/80 meter Inverted V antenna, several 2 meter/70 cm & 6-meter verticals, and a 2 meter/70 cm beam. The antenna coax transmission cabling is fed in two large conduits to the room where they are patched to the individual operator positions as desired. The Radio Communications Center is the ideal location since all rooftop antennas are about 1800 ft above sea- level. Available operations include APRS, IRLP and RMS Gateway services for amateur use in the Rogue Valley.

The basic intent of the RVM Amateur Radio Club operations is to be able to provide emergency communications to the community, to the RVM campus residents and employees, and to encourage residents to enjoy their hobby of Ham Radio in a comfortable and convenient facility.