Radio Happenings Side Notes 4-30-2026

    

As we ramp up for the warmer weather and outdoor activities it is a good thing to mark up the calendar.. My best memory is on paper or in the phone's calendar.. 

      As we had waited on the propagation cycle to get  here, now that it is, it has not lived up to the hype ..  On the other hand, there are a lot of Parks On The Air (POTA) or State  QSO Party calls  most days.. Even though you are not joining into the contest, you can still give them points by contacting them.. good way to check on the antenna directivity ... I seem to get more East Coast  and for some reason Texas stations and enjoy seeing the difference between my vertical and dipole antennas.. 

    Enough about what is going on in my shack.--- How are you doing on getting your show-and-tell Kit or Homebrew ready for the August Club meeting.. I have heard from a couple of operators  that are in the testing stages of their  projects .. 

      Also heard from the Fox Hunt Chairperson, Sarah, AD9FA, that the Hunt on the 19th went well and  KC9HAL, Jeff was the best hunter of the night - .being the first one there.. Now we can start planning on the next one which is already scheduled for Sunday May 17th 5:30PM on 147.555 simplex.  KC9HAL will be the Fox.. 

     I wonder why there are so many endings to the ditty .."Hooray, hooray, the first of May, ****** "           One might be   " Brat Barns begin today"     Remember the 3rd of May is our first one at the DePere Festival.. Come and help out or bring home some brats for lunch or dinner.. .

     Don't forget the combined radio clubs picnic on May 9th at Bay Shore Park.. Starting at 10am til 4pm  It was a good time last year and should be again this year.. The County is planning to do a major overhaul of the park this year.. 

 

      The month begins on a Friday so the Siren Net will be on the Wednesday the 13th and the Club Meeting will be on Thursday the 14th with a Tech Talk before... The information about the Talk will be in the next Radio Happenings Newsletter..... 

       The Champion repeater, as it is becoming to be called, is moving along.  The antenna and hardline has been installed on site.. The repeater is on the bench being checked out before moving to Champion..  With  the new amplifier it should do pretty well.. but may need an additional duplexer .. The bench testing went well last week with the Fusion and a couple of operators trying the different modes..  

       Be sure to check out the attached Newsletter from the M&M ARC.. And here is a fund raiser notice .. 

. https://provenwinnersdirect.com/?bg_ref=YYxIpZ78Y2

         As some may recall, we have been operating at the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse for a couple of years during their open houses.  Besides doing general CQing, we have been providing information to the guests about the radio beaconing system that used to be there.  So besides having the light to indicate where they were, the radio beacon would be able to reach out beyond the light on foggy days.  Of course we would explain Amateur (Ham) Radio as well and perhaps hand them the microphone to talk to an operator elsewhere... or have young folk spell their names with a Code Key.... The dates this year are:  May 30th, July 11th, July 18th, August 8th (National Lighthouse Day / Lighthouses on  the Air/ ) and October 3rd. They are open from  10am to 4pm.. come out and join in... sharing the time with others.. ..                                                   

     If you know of a family that is looking at disposing of a relative's radio gear, please let our Hamfest Chairpersons know so we can add the equipment to be sold at the Fest.... Hope you can help out at the Hamfest.. Set up starts  on Friday the 29th at 4PM ... 

Ham Radio Open House 2026

 

  What: Ham Radio Open House for World Amateur Radio Day 2026

Who: All amateur radio operators worldwide  

When: WARD is Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 0000 UTC until Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 0000 UTC but the Ham Radio Open House can be held any time in April, as works best for your local club.  

Where: A global event covering all regions of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)  

Why: World Amateur Radio Day, held on April 18 each year, is celebrated worldwide by radio amateurs and their national associations which are organized as member-societies of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). It was on this day in 1925 that the IARU was formed in Paris. American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim was its first president.

Here is a link to a map where to find open houses on  that day... https://www.arrl.org/open-house

How:  

Get Ready for "Ham Radio Open House" for World Amateur Radio Day 2026

It’s the Year of the Club and the second annual ARRL Ham Radio Open House event in April offers a chance to show off your club’s hi-tech gear and skills to your community! ARRL is encouraging radio clubs and schools to help promote amateur radio science and technology by opening their stations to the public with an open house during the month of April. In addition, groups are encouraged to set up in public places or conduct outdoor activities, such as a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation or satellite contact. The event is built around World Amateur Radio Day on Saturday, April 18, but your open house may be scheduled at any point in the month.

Ham Radio Open House is intended to highlight the Amateur Radio Service for its development and practice of the latest radio communications and technology, and as a hands-on pathway into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for the next generation. This is a chance to not only shape the conversation about modern ham radio but also to show how it serves as a steppingstone and testbed for many young people pursing STEM education and future high-tech careers. As ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, writes in his March QST editorial, “the notion of hams sitting in Grandpa’s basement listening to tube radios is quickly dispelled when visitors see a modern transceiver and computer being used to work the world!”

  Two side notes: Fox Hunt on Sunday April 19 starting at 5:30pm;

                   

             If you have some input for the upcoming Hamfest or would like to help out in some way, come to the meeting at Festival on University , up on the deck- back above where the flowers and deli are.. 

A note from the Club President ...

 

Greetings,

I hope you have plans to attend our club meeting this Thursday, April 9th.  Our Tech Talk will be on Fox Hunts presented at 6:30 by Sarah, AD9FA.  This will be a good way to get ready for the Fox Hunting "season" that kicks off with our first hunt on Sunday, April 19. 

Other highlights will include a progress report on the move of the 147.360 repeater to Champion.  The plan is to install the antenna and hardline on Monday, April 6 with the repeater to be activated later in the week.

Additional topics will be Hamfest planning and preparation for our Brat Barn fund raisers.  We'll also talk about Ham Crams and how these important training opportunities can continue to be a part of our club's offerings. 

A particularly interesting opportunity will be presented for those of you who would like to share your skills in helping a disabled Ham.  This Amateur has worked through both the Technician and General tests and would like to operate from the confines of his nursing home environment.  Dave, N8KQS will go over the details for us.

I want to thank Sam, W9SJR for chairing the March meeting while I was away. I participated via ZOOM and it looked to me like everything went very well.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions about our club.

See you Thursday...73,

Bill, KB3KYH

(302) 537-4755 

Club HamFest May 30th