All University of Florida students, faculty, staff, and their spouses can Join the Gator Amateur Radio Club, GARC Those who become members and are licensed to operate an Amateur Radio Station are granted credentials to the electronic door lock and combination code to the radio station lock within, if they meet membership and licensure criteria and agree to terms of use.  The terms of us (agreement form) must be followed to use the club radio station as not doing so will lead to immediate loss of access to D11-27 (station location).

To join fill out the Club Membership Application.  If you are licensed and desire club radio station use you must print and agree to the terms of use, and sign the agreement form. Mail forms to Faculty Advisor Dr. Jay Garlitz, AA4FL, PO Box 1333, Hawthorne, FL 32640. Dr. Garlitz will contact you regarding getting your Gator1 card credentialed for club radio station entry and being trained on the equipment.

Licensed club members get keyless entry and combination access to the radio station's enclosure. Members must sign-in, and sign-out.  All radio contacts must be logged and signed noting your personal call sign.  Logs are available at each radio within (HF1, HF2, Satellite).  Members can only operate using the privileges granted by their license and must use the call sign W4DFU (not your personal call).

W4DFU has been our campus amateur radio club station since 1934, and located in room D11-27 of the dental tower since 1981.  This excellent location helps us to serve the UF community through volunteerism and makes us available from a major hospital complex for emergency communication, part of a disaster response network. Our club is a guest of the UF Physical Plant, Health Science Center and the College of Dentistry.  Using the club is an esteemed privilege. All members must follow all terms of use and treat the area with the utmost of respect.

Members must realize that we are located in a Health Center where treatment occurs.  Members are allowed access to room D11-27 but membership does not provide access to any other Health Science Center Areas beyond what the public can use. 

Computer use on the radio station computers are for using club programs pertinent to the operation of the radio station.  Members cannot add software of their choosing and if they want to have a new ham radio program installed need to speak with club leadership, leaders@gatorradio.org. Personal laptop Internet access is available in D11-27 by logging on to the wireless Health Center network using your Gator1 ID and password.  Members must follow the Acceptable use policy for computers of the University, see  http://www.it.ufl.edu/policies/aupolicy.html.  Peer-to-peer services such as music downloads are a serious violation and should never be installed.

Members should become familiar with HIPAA rules that protect the privacy of patients. The Health Center's privacy training site for visitors is http://privacy.health.ufl.edu/training/visitors/instructions.shtml