Our Purpose
The Charlotte Amateur Radio Society, located in Charlotte County, Florida, is an ARRL-affiliated amateur radio organization supporting ARES emergency auxiliary communications, radio and electronics experimentation, education and science.
Our Story
The Charlotte Amateur Radio Society (CARS) was organized in 1974 making CARS the oldest operating amateur radio club in Charlotte County. We are the southernmost county in the 10-county West Central Florida Section of the Florida ARRL.
Club membership is open to all ham radio operators and to those who want to become ham radio operators. Please visit us at one of our monthly club meetings held at the New Life Church, Lenox Hall, 507 West Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. We look forward to seeing you there and to meeting you on the air!
Meet the Leaders
These are the amateur radio operators who spend endless hours guiding the club and planning all of the wonderful activities for our members.
Ariele
Merone,
N1AMM
President
Ariele, licensed in February 2024 and earning her General license by June, enjoys HF, contesting, and SSB. A native Floridian, she moved to Charlotte County in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew. Following college at USF and service in the Army, she returned to Port Charlotte to be near family.
Position
Open
Vice-President
Steve
Carey,
KO4SPC
Treasurer
Steve is a retired Banker who received his General License in 2020. He and his wife, Lena, were Snowbirds for 5 years before moving to Punta Gorda from Pennsylvania full time in 2018. Steve enjoys participating in club activities especially POTA and Field Days.
Steve is also a long-time collector of Antique cars. He currently has three cars that he shows at the local shows.
Douglas
Young,
KM4LKC
Secretary
Doug earned his Extra Class license in 2015 and has spent the years since building and operating just about every way a ham can. He enjoys designing his own radio projects, taking his station out for portable field operations, and chasing contacts in phone contests. A retired financial professional, Doug serves as CARS Secretary, helping keep the club’s records and programs running smoothly.
Contact us at info@carsfl.org.
Volunteer to help us grow!
Next Steps…
If you would like to join the Charlotte Amateur Radio Society, simply click on the button to the right. This will allow you to complete an application and make payment online or mail a check to us.