Category: Technical

Repeater Site Visit

On the day of the First Pile Up, Team PARC took a new to us server rack to the repeater site! While there we tested and inspected the W4ZBB and K4FWB Repeaters and even paused to take a couple of pictures! You’ll note that the PARC Activities Director is taking an active interest in the repeater site post being awarded her General ticket and got a full tour of the site today from WA4BOZ and KI4ZER!

We hope your 2025 is going well and don’t forget to join us on our weekly net on Sunday’s at 730pm!

7 November 2025 @ 730pm CST, Tech Night! How To Dx! 

Are you on the air?! How do you do it?! How do we do it?! What are the different styles and methods?! Are you a fixed or portable station?! Are you both?! Do you like to use Club equipment or do you prefer your own?!

 

Attend the Tech Night at the Playground Amateur Radio Club located at 17 First St SE in Beautiful Downtown Fort Walton Beach and this energetic and inclusive topic will be discussed! See you soon at W4ZBB/K4FWB!

 

Amateur Radio Satellite Communications Special Event Station

Playground Amateur radio Club member KC5RFU showcased his capability with Amateur Radio Satellites and demonstrated to multiple guests at the North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club’s Annual Hamfest in Crestview Florida!

AMSAT is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering Amateur Radio’s participation in space research and communication. As a Special Event Station, AMSAT designs, builds, and manages communication satellites to operate in space, ensuring they are available for public use. Their mission promotes space education, brings space-based STEM initiatives to life, and provides opportunities for students to communicate with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Key Activities:

  1. Satellite Design and Development: AMSAT designs and builds communication satellites to operate in the harsh environment of space, utilizing volunteer effort and donated resources.
  2. Satellite Operations: Once in orbit, AMSAT manages the satellites, ensuring they are available for public use.
  3. Space Education and STEM Initiatives: AMSAT promotes space education and brings space-based STEM initiatives to life, providing opportunities for students to engage with space-related activities.
  4. International Collaboration: AMSAT works in partnership with government, industry, educational institutions, and fellow amateur radio societies to advance Amateur Radio’s participation in space research and communication.

Summary: AMSAT’s Amateur Radio Satellite Communications Special Event Station is a unique platform for amateur radio operators to engage with space-based communication, while promoting space education and STEM initiatives.

 

Snowbirds at POTA!

It may be a little lower in temperature, but the excitement is heating up! Members of PARC who routinely snowbird in our QTH partake in a Wisconsin style POTA! At Voyageur Park in Green Bay, member Mike, W9MWP, activates the session!  Thanks for sharing and we hope everyone tries hunting him!

The New Age of Ham Radio

The ham radio community is experiencing a resurgence, driven by innovative technologies, changing demographics, and a renewed interest in amateur radio. Here are key aspects of this new era:

  • Youth Engagement: Ham radio is attracting a younger generation, with many newcomers entering the hobby in their teens and twenties. This influx of fresh perspectives and skills is revitalizing the community.
  • Digital Modes and Software Defined Radios (SDRs): The adoption of digital modes, such as FT8 and WSJT-X, has made it easier for hams to communicate and experiment with new technologies. SDRs, in particular, have democratized access to advanced radio capabilities, allowing operators to customize and upgrade their equipment.
  • Global Connectivity: The internet and social media have enabled hams to connect with each other worldwide, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Online forums, social media groups, and digital modes have bridged geographical distances, making it easier for operators to find and communicate with each other.
  • Experimentation and Innovation: The ham radio community is known for its DIY ethos and experimental spirit. Today, hams are pushing the boundaries of radio technology, developing new modes, and creating innovative projects, such as satellite communications and IoT applications.
  • Interoperability and Standards: Efforts to standardize digital modes and protocols are ensuring greater interoperability between different radio systems and software platforms. This facilitates communication and collaboration among hams, regardless of their equipment or location.
  • Focus on Skills and Knowledge: Amidst the technological advancements, there is a renewed emphasis on traditional ham radio skills, such as operating techniques, antenna design, and electronics knowledge. This focus on fundamentals is helping to ensure that new operators are well-equipped to participate in the hobby.

Key Takeaways

  • Ham radio is experiencing a renaissance, driven by technological innovation, demographic shifts, and a renewed interest in the hobby.
  • Youth engagement and digital modes are revitalizing the community, while SDRs and online platforms are democratizing access to advanced radio capabilities.
  • Experimentation, innovation, and a focus on skills and knowledge are defining characteristics of this new era in ham radio.

Can Gravitational Waves Impact RF? 

From the desk of KI4ZER

A gravitational wave affecting the radio spectrum you say? What? Is that possible? Put your seat belts on and anchor down as we lift your understanding deeper into radio signal propagation!

Did you know about fluctuations in the earth’s gravity and the constant changes in its magnetic field? More than likely, that answer is a resounding yes. But have you dove deeper and considered that the changes affect the gravitational waves and cause underlying issues with the transmission and reception of all modes of signals?

We begin this short brief with discussion on How Gravitational Waves Could Generate Radio Signals inspired from an article from MIT in 2009. In this article, the study and research divulges that [even though potentially weak signals] the amplitude and frequency of change in gravitational waves does and can emit transmission detectable on many communication radio types.

Have you ever been listening to a radio and the station goes quiet but there is some underlying, indiscriminate noise other than the normal buzz of static? Have you ever watched a television set that loses its signal and the same occurs underneath the white screen peppered with black and grey dots? It is like something is there but you cannot identify just exactly what.

You have just hear what has been perplexing signal enthusiast for decades [if not longer] and it may be leftovers from a period long passed. Are we indeed hearing the change of gravitational waves as a reaction to the changes in magnetic fields when impacted from the sun? The short answer, is yes.

The motion of Gravitational waves are transient displacements in a gravitational field—generated by the motion or acceleration of gravitating masses—that radiate outward from their source at the speed of light. With that, we can deduce that the suns solar conditions can affect the gravitational fields. Thus, the same can be said for the altering of those fields in the presence or absence of a an impactful K-index.

Leaving the rabbit trail behind, [trust me, you can get lost down there] it is proposed that you can listen for, hear, and identify the noise of space time events in action. The undertones generated from these events may not overtly impact your transmission and reception, but they could if you are say working a distant faint station during a contest or experiment to determine signal path and distance on the HF bands and your intended QSO cannot be heard above the noise.

So fathom the possibilities for a minute, read deeper into the plausibility, and gain better insight on what might need to be done to detect signal anomalies while constructing a station capable of getting through the noise!

Check out pulsar timing arrays. Your imagination, inventiveness, and creativity will not be disappointed.

Photo below from Historic RF Milestones

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén