Free online Technician License radio class.
Sat/Sun of Labor Day weekend.
(August 30-31, 2025)
REGISTER VIA EMAIL ONLY (ars.n7ji@gmail.com).
Thanks!
Category: Community Page 8 of 16
Experience the World of Ham Radio at our Open House!
Join the Playground Amateur Radio Club for an exciting Amateur Radio Open House and explore the captivating world of ham radio!
What is Amateur Radio?
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is a unique hobby and service that allows individuals to communicate across town or around the globe using radio waves. It’s a fantastic way to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology, and other scientific disciplines.
What to Expect at the Open House
Whether you’re curious about getting involved or already licensed, our Open House is the perfect opportunity to:
- See live demonstrations: Witness hams in action making contacts locally and potentially internationally.
- Learn about the technology: Explore the different types of equipment, antennas, and modes used in amateur radio.
- Connect with local hams: Meet experienced operators who are eager to share their knowledge and experiences.
- Discover emergency communications: Learn about the vital role ham radio plays in disaster relief when other communication systems fail.
- Get started with licensing: Find out how to obtain your ham radio license and explore the different license classes.
- Hands-on activities: Depending on the club, you might be able to try your hand at operating a radio or building a simple antenna.
Why Join the Amateur Radio Community?
- Lifelong learning: Continuously expand your knowledge of radio technology, operating practices, and more.
- Community and camaraderie: Connect with a supportive and welcoming community of enthusiasts worldwide.
- Emergency preparedness: Be ready to provide vital communication support in times of need.
- Experimentation and innovation: Amateur radio is a platform for exploring new technologies and building your own equipment.
Don’t miss out on this chance to embark on an exciting and rewarding journey!
SURPRISE!!! There will be a FOX hunt from 1000 – 1200 starting from the clubhouse and hunting in the City Limits of Fort Walton Beach!
All,
Please respect the families right to privacy.
I have been asked to inform you that long time Amateur Radio Operator Frank Butler is now a Silent Key at the age of 100.
W4RH was and remains a staple in the community. He was a benefactor of many organizations, institutions, and community partners. Franks legacy, honored as Ham of the Century last year, stands to showcase that being a club member, an ARRL Official, participating in the community, serving in official organizations, and being a sound voice of reason embodies the mission of Amateur Radio and beyond.
Please take a moment to reflect on your interactions with Frank. He will surely be missed.
73’s Frank, from your entire Amateur Radio Family.
We had a great Pile-Up today at the Playground Amateur Radio Club! Visitors and members showed up and let me tell you what! We completed the connection to the Frankantenna R7 / R9 build! We made contacts on multiple bands and its back!
But wait, there’s more! We also helped out our fellow members with a flat tire and fixed a tangled web of coax on an antenna system!
If that is not enough, we learned more about the W4ZBB FT8 Station! WHAT?! PARC does FT8?! Yuppers! You better believe it!
We also had others at the Club benefiting discussion on upcoming events and Radio work! Here’s a teaser for two such events,…watch in and upcoming release for the PARC B Q Open House! Also, be on the lookout for more details concerning this year’s Ham for the Holidays dinner in partnership and sponsored by North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club – NOARC!
Oh the joy of radio and fellowship!
One last thing, if you’re reading this, Thursday at 730pm is Tech Night at the Playground Amateur Radio Club! This week we bring you the CSFL! The subject of the August Technical Night will be “Integration of Amateur Radio and Other Community Networks”. That means we’ll be talking about GMRS, MURS, and other radio types and how we can work with them for the benefit of us all!
See you all soon!
Downtown Fort Walton Beach Florida 1960’s ish. Zoom in and follow the arrow to see the Clubhouse when it was the City Hall, Water and Sewer, Police, and Fire Station.
Playground Amateur Radio Club, Inc has a Wires-X!
| 91172 | 01172 | AA0EU | Fort Walton Beach | Florida | USA |
WIRES-X (Wide-coverage Internet Repeater Enhancement System) is a revolutionary technology developed by Yaesu to significantly expand the reach and possibilities of amateur radio communication. By leveraging the Internet, WIRES-X connects conventional amateur radio stations worldwide, supporting both analog and advanced digital modes.
How WIRES-X Works
• Local Nodes: At the heart of the WIRES-X system are local nodes—radio stations (transceivers or repeaters) connected to the Internet via a PC. These act as access points, relaying traditional RF (radio frequency) signals into data packets for Internet transmission and vice versa.
• Rooms: The WIRES-X network introduces the concept of Rooms, communal digital spaces where multiple nodes can connect, enabling group conversations similar to a conference call.
• Repeater Linking: Multiple repeaters can be linked over vast distances, allowing seamless communication between amateur stations far outside normal radio range.
Key Features
• Support for C4FM Digital Voice: WIRES-X is notably built to work with Yaesu’s C4FM (Continuous 4 Level FM) digital voice system, providing clear, reliable audio and supporting simultaneous transmission of text, images, and other data.
• Analog and Digital Flexibility: While optimized for digital communication, WIRES-X also maintains compatibility with traditional analog FM, allowing operators with older equipment to participate (through analog nodes).
• Personal Digital Nodes: Users can set up their own personal or portable digital node with a compatible radio and PC, enabling access to the global WIRES-X network even from temporary or mobile locations.
Proprietary Network Structure
• Yaesu Infrastructure: Unlike open-source alternatives, WIRES-X is built on proprietary technology, with servers managed by Yaesu, primarily in Japan. Node and repeater connections require specific hardware, notably the HRI-200 Internet interface.
• Room Creation and Management: Licensed amateur operators can create and manage their own rooms, controlling who can access and participate, which is useful for clubs, emergencies, or special events.
Typical Applications
• Global Communication: Operators can connect from one side of the world to the other using modest radio equipment and a local node, bypassing the natural limits of VHF/UHF propagation.
• Data Exchange: Besides voice, users can exchange GPS location data, pictures, and short messages, leveraging the digital backbone of the system.
• Portable Operation: With the Portable Digital Node function, hams can quickly deploy mobile nodes at events, in emergencies, or during DXpeditions, using only their radio and a computer.
Comparison with Other Digital Linking Systems
While WIRES-X is similar in its aim to other systems such as Echolink, DMR, or BrandMeister, it is tightly coupled to Yaesu’s hardware ecosystem and the C4FM digital standard. Access to the WIRES-X system generally requires compatible Yaesu radios and the HRI-200 for node operation, which some hams view as a trade-off for the system’s stability and feature set.
Limitations and Etiquette
• Shorter operating sessions and adherence to established protocols (e.g., leaving several seconds between transmissions) are encouraged to prevent congestion and enhance accessibility on popular nodes and rooms.
• Use of the system may be restricted by local regulations, hardware requirements, and the need for Internet connectivity.
WIRES-X has made a profound impact on the amateur radio community by bridging the gap between traditional RF operation and modern digital, internet-based communication. By providing an accessible, robust, global platform for both voice and data, it continues to shape the future of amateur radio.
What do you do on a Sunday following a road trip?! Show up at the Pile-Up [during a heatwave] and erect an HF Vertical! This just goes to show that there is a safe way to eat a banana! In any light, other than massively long hotdogs, this weekend, members from PARC gathered to finish the raising of the HF Vertical! “IT’S BAAAAACCCK!
The Playground Team still has some work to do to connect it, but it’s one run of coax away from operational use! Then onto the next antenna project to enhance the Club’s already astounding communications capabilities! Curious?! Look at the Club Calendar and stop in to see for yourself!
Did you travel to the Milton ARC Hamfest?! Okaloosa County sure participated! Members from PARC, NOARC, EARS, Twin Cities, and other Hams not affiliated with clubs or Orgs sure did! While we were not able to get a photo opportunity with all of them, we did manage to get a couple!
It was great to see friends, Hams, and others that we call call family while expanding our joyous hobby! If you find the time, take part, and interact with your fellow hams, and friends! Keep sharing the joy and be sure to be inclusive of all!
Is NOAA Weather Radio down in your area?!
That’s a question that our Green Bay Mike and Key Club Memeber W9MWP asked us. The long and short of it is no, the area NOAA Alerter is operating. But wait, that doesn’t mean it will not be at some point as the NOAA performs upgrades to the system nationally.
NOAA is doing updates to their VHF weather broadcast system. The station in Green Bay 162.55 MHz. is currently still on the air, but if you notice some day it is off this may be why. I found this on the publication Amateur Radio Newsline.
After checking the NOAA website a list of stations can be seen on a nationwide map that are off the air temporarily. A link to that web page can be found here:
NOAA Weather Stations Off Air https://www.weather.gov/nwr/outages. I realize not everyone cares or even knows about the stations but I believe many hams monitor our local outlet. The article explains the update plan well.
To my friends in Fort Walton Beach your station is KEC86 in Pensacola, on 162.4 MHz.
Michael W Pickett W9MWP
PARC met at Fred Gannon State Park in Niceville Florida and utilized back pack radio kits to communicate in multi-mode operations while teaching young and old hams the tricks to making the most of their time and mentoring others as to how to set-up, tune, and troubleshoot any issues that would prevent a barrier to communications!
Mayor Daniel Henkel even stopped in and was very inquisitive on our capabilities and how we can provide communications for the community with limited operations for emergency situations! But mostly we explained that Field Day is about “FUN” and teaching others how to communicate away from brick and mortar facilities operating in a remote capability to ensure message handling and specialized traffic information is reported and recorded!
Did you make Field Day?! Did you miss Field Day? What was your impression? We want to hear from you as the Amateur Radio Community is always willing to hear feedback and evolve with your interests in mind! Be a part of the conversations and radio operations by joining us at the Playground Amateur Radio Club!
