Excitement! – Page 3 – PARC

POTA Hootenanny!

On March 30, 2026

In Community, Events, Excitement!, POTA, Technical

Parks on the Air (POTA) is an international radio sport award program that encourages licensed amateur radio operators to visit, enjoy, and operate portable equipment in parks and public lands worldwide. Founded as a nonprofit in January 2018 to continue the legacy of the ARRL’s National Parks on the Air event, it promotes emergency awareness and communication skills while operators respect park regulations and other users.

The program involves two main roles: activators, who set up temporary stations in designated locations, and hunters, who search for and contact these stations from home or other locations. To count as a valid activation, an operator must make a minimum of 10 contacts (QSOs) from a specific park within a single UTC day, logging them on the official website to earn awards based on bands, modes (voice, Morse code, or FT8), and total contacts!

Our Teammate KR4FWK continues to experiment, hunt and activate! Here is an example of him attempting to perform the above at Fred Gannon Park in Niceville Florida! Thank you for sharing and keep the key down!

Meet Pebble HF!

By DJ Stewart

On March 24, 2026

In Community, Excitement!, Field Day, POTA, Technical

The newest ham radio thing to geek out about right now is the Pebble HF, a community-driven, ultra-affordable QRP (low-power) HF radio kit developed by the Ham Radio Duo (Becky N4BKY and Mike N4FFF) in collaboration with Barb WB2CBA and Guido PE1NNZ. Priced at a target of $50 USD (with early backers paying slightly more), it’s designed to be accessible even for first-time builders, featuring only 14 through-hole components and pre-populated surface-mount parts. Its standout features include USB-C power input (allowing operation directly from a phone), a built-in straight key and microphone, and a compact, portable design ideal for Parks On The Air (POTA) activations. This device is coming to the market soon. Get in line now!

Thank You for Attending!

By DJ Stewart

On March 21, 2026

In Community, Events, Excitement!, Hamfest/Tailgate!

From our Group to yours, thank you for a wonderful event! The 56th Annual Playground Amateur Radio Club Hamfest is proud to have sponsored another great adventure in Amateur Radio!

Florida State POTA!

By DJ Stewart

On March 19, 2026

In Announcement, Community, Events, Excitement!, POTA

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Florida State Parks on the Air contest! Usually held over the first weekend in April (adjusted for Easter Sunday). Whether you are a casual operator, contester, in Florida, out of Florida, or even outside the United States, this contest is for you. We urge, but do not require, contestants to also be members of the national Parks on the Air (POTA) organization.

https://fspota.org/

Free Technician Class!

By DJ Stewart

On March 15, 2026

In Announcement, Classes, Community, Events, Excitement!, Technical, Testing

What?! Again! YES, AGAIN! The team at the Playground Amateur Radio Club Fort Walton Beach Florida is proud to offer yet another FREE Technician Class starting 1 Apr 2026! Sign up at parcfwb@gmail.com!

Its Hamfest week!

By DJ Stewart

On March 15, 2026

In Announcement, Community, Events, Excitement!, Hamfest/Tailgate!, Technical, Testing, Uncategorized

Its hamfest week! And the Playground Amateur Radio Club is ready for another fabulous event! 56th Annual PARC Hamfest: Systems Operational

The Playground Amateur Radio Club (PARC) 56th Annual Hamfest is officially commencing. Data indicates high activity levels at the Rigdon Center (formerly Northwest Florida Fairgrounds) for this weekend’s events.

Event Logistics

Location: Rigdon Center, 1958 Lewis Turner Blvd, Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Dates:

Friday, March 20: Pre-show from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Setup 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM).

Saturday, March 21: Main event from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Setup 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM).

Admission: $10.00 (Free for Scouts in uniform, ages 12 and under, and seniors over 85).

Talk-In Frequency: 146.790 MHz (100Hz tone).

Key Programming

License Testing: VE testing begins at 9:00 AM on Saturday, March 21. Pre-registration via PARCFWB@gmail.com is recommended.

Swapfest & Tables: Indoor tables are $15.00 each, featuring a wide array of radio gear, electronics, and specialized equipment.

Grand Prizes: Saturday drawings are scheduled for 12:00 PM (3rd), 12:30 PM (2nd), and 1:00 PM (Main Prize). Presence is not required for the main prize.

Skate your way into the Beach Bash!

By DJ Stewart

On March 12, 2026

In Announcement, Community, Events, Excitement!

Being a part of the community means partnerships and sharing resources. Build your community strengths by showing up and offering assistance. That’s 90 percent of getting things done! Be sure to check out the Panhandle United Roller Derby!

WIN WIN WIN @ the PARC Hamfest!

By DJ Stewart

On March 4, 2026

In Announcement, Events, Excitement!, Hamfest/Tailgate!

Tailgate Followed by POTA?!

By DJ Stewart

On March 3, 2026

In Announcement, Community, Events, Excitement!, Hamfest/Tailgate!, POTA

You read that right! Join us to support a tailgater in Defuniak Springs and then mosey on out to activate a park! See the information below!

https://www.floridastateparks.org/shoalriverheadwaters

A few pics from the Pile-Up!

By DJ Stewart

On March 1, 2026

In Announcement, Events, Excitement!, Pile-Up

Our members are having a great time working on enhancements to each other’s skill sets! From teaching how to program and operate radios to operating WIRESX, and from preparation for hamfests to building all-star nodes. We even have team members working the club digital station and updating our QRZ page! We even had members making the famed PARC hamfest buttons! More projects that that occur on any given Sunday and if you’re not at the Pile-Up, you’re missing out!