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!
Category: Testing Page 1 of 2
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.
⚠️ 📢 🚨 ⚠️ Interested in learning about Ham Radio and getting your license to operate with other operators all around the world?
Playground Amateur Radio Club is hosting a FREE (yes, I said FREE) Technician Licensing course beginning Wednesday, October 29, 2025 @ 1830 local!
Classes will be held on Wednesday evenings until the first testing session of 2026 on January 10th.
This course is “come as you are, where you are” in that all students of all levels of knowledge are welcome to join! Information will be available on www.w4zbb.org, Facebook, Instagram and, as always, you can email instructors at parcfwb@gmail.com
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!
Are you or anyone you know looking for an opportunity to obtain or upgrade your Amateur Radio Liscense?
Seek no more and register for the upcoming exam session on May 10th at the Playground Amateur Radio Club!
Go to https://w4zbb.org/exams/ for all of the information you need!
A very heartfelt recognition goes out to all! Vendors, Patrons, Guests, Visitors, Support Staff, Members, Volunteers, and all who made the Playground Hamfest successful! We cannot engage with the community the way we do without your support and dedication!
Do you need to test?! We got you!
Are you hungry?! We got you!
Do you want to buy, swap, trade, sell, or barter Ham gear and more?! We got You!
Come one, come all to the 55th Annual Playground ARC Hamfest!
1958 Lewis Turner Blvd Fort Walton Beach Florida
Friday 3pm to 6pm
Saturday 8am to 1pm
Saturday 8am to 1pm
Vendors set up Friday starting 8am. No public show until 3pm.
Vendors set up Saturday 6am. No public show until 8am.
The show closes at 1pm.
We offer:
Testing, must pre-register must have FRN (Federal Registration Number)
Testing, must pre-register must have FRN (Federal Registration Number)
PARCFWB@GMAIL.COM
Testing will be at 10:00 AM CST
Indoor Booths
Food Concessions
National Vendors
Local Ham Radio Dealers
Area Club Tables
ARRL Representatives
Food Concessions
National Vendors
Local Ham Radio Dealers
Area Club Tables
ARRL Representatives
Camping
Rv’s Welcome
Reserve your tables and spots: PARCFWB@GMAIL.COM
$8.00 admission
$15.00 per table/spot
$15.00 per table/spot
Boy Scouts in Uniform Free
12 and Under Free
90 and Above Free
12 and Under Free
90 and Above Free
Contact Information: PARCFWB@GMAIL.COM,
or the NWFL Hamfest Hotline at 850-359-9186.
All voicemails will be returned if no answer.
Get YOUR Spot, while it’s hot! The PARC 55th Hamfest is a foot on March 14/15 2025! We are ready to host and serve YOU!
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/playground-arc-55th-annual-hamfest
Join us for the 55th Annual Playground Amateur Radio Club Hamfest!
1958 Lewis Turner Blvd Fort Walton Beach Florida
Friday 3pm to 6pm
Saturday 8am to 1pm
Saturday 8am to 1pm
Vendors set up Friday starting 8am. No public show until 3pm.
Vendors set up Saturday 6am. No public show until 8am.
The show closes at 1pm.
We offer:
Testing, must pre-register must have FRN (Federal Registration Number)
Testing, must pre-register must have FRN (Federal Registration Number)
PARCFWB@GMAIL.COM
Testing will be at 10:00 AM CST
Indoor Booths
Food Concessions
National Vendors
Local Ham Radio Dealers
Area Club Tables
ARRL Representatives
Food Concessions
National Vendors
Local Ham Radio Dealers
Area Club Tables
ARRL Representatives
Camping
Rv’s Welcome
Reserve your tables and spots: PARCFWB@GMAIL.COM
$8.00 admission
$15.00 per table/spot
$15.00 per table/spot
Boy Scouts in Uniform Free
12 and Under Free
90 and Above Free
12 and Under Free
90 and Above Free
Contact Information: PARCFWB@GMAIL.COM,
or the NWFL Hamfest Hotline at 850-359-9186.
Team PARC gathered on Saturday 11 Jan 2025 at 0900 for another awesome testing session! The results are in and the team was able to license 1 new ham going through his tech exam and also passed the general exam while aiding the upgrade of 4 others to general!
Amateur Radio is alive and well and we sure are happy to be a regularly scheduled testing location to provide the community with the capacity to test and hon their skills! Everyone is welcome to test and upgrade while we also encourage membership! This is truly a hobby where you get out what you put in and all are welcomed at the Playground Amateur Radio Club here in Fort Walton Beach Florida!
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