Team PARC,
Road trip again! This time we headed East and stopped in Panama City with the invaluable team from the Panama City ARC as they hosted their Tailgate! What a great event and fun day in the sun as we all came across deals to be had and partook in cool refreshments! If you haven’t visited the PCARC, YOU are missing out on some great Hams and wonderful hospitality! If you are ever in their neck of the woods, take a moment and visit with them! You will not be disappointed!
What the What What?!!! You read that tagline correct!
Listen, we all love the routine events that we do with meetings, tech nights, Club improvement schedules, local and area events aiding the public, but WHAT, is one thing we love more than all the rest besides the DX?! Hamfests, Tailgates, & Swapmeets!
Hamfests, Tailgates, & Swapmeets offer us a chance to travel to areas not normally visited and meet people from all walks of life that enjoy the love of radio communications! They may be developed around the chance to buy, sell, swap or trade the day away, but the events are more geared toward the social aspect and interaction. Besides, you can’t sell a pancake to a steakhouse (ok yes you can and I have done it! (True story. The year was 1998 and I was in New Orleans [rabbit trail, saved for a later date])). Anyhow, Relaxed atmospheres bring people in! A warm cup of joe or a cool lemonade and sometimes a good ‘ol fashioned BBQ keeps them around. Not that all Hamfests and Tailgates have food but don’t base it on that! I have met some of the most ingenious Hams at events such as Hamfests and Tailgates!
Ideas of how to do things are vastly different depending upon the area you are in or go to! Be open to people that do something you do in a different way! The experiments others are performing can and will inspire you and your way of transmitting and receiving! Inspiration can come in all forms and why not go visit an area outside of your spectrum! Events come and go and we sure like to make the ones we can! Coming up this weekend on April the 12th is the Panama City Florida Tailgate at 130 N Church Ave in Panama City Florida! Some of us have attended this event in years past and we are always impressed with their welcoming nature and innovation! If you have a list of gear your are looking for will you find it here? Maybe, maybe not, and that’s just the chance you take when making things work! You will also gain knowledge and learn! ~ Plus you might make a few new contacts or put the face to a callsign! This event runs from 0900 – 1300 with lunch served around 1200! Click the “this Event link above to read the PCARC’s webpage with all of the information! Talk-in Frequency: W4RYZ Repeater, 145.210MHz PL 100Hz
So load up fellow operators and radio enthusiasts! Because we are hitting the road and heading East to visit those that have in turn visited us and paid us just as much homage as we are dishing out! Support in the Amateur Radio Community is paramount for the hobby’s longevity! Be a part of it, promote it, encourage development, and foster a positive relationship over the air, and in person! We will see you there!
Want to know where and when PARC plans to have it’s members? Check out the Playground Amateur Radio Club Calendar!
Not in our immediate area (or maybe you are) but want to know how to find a Hamfest, Tailgate, or Swapmeet?! Click this and search your area or search nationally! Be sure to check it regularly as additions are constantly published!
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Today’s Sunday Funday brough the PARC Team together inside the clubhouse! While there were multiple projects going on to advance the capabilities of the Playground amateur Radio Club, more space was renovated and repurposed to allow for a more professional look in the operators shack and in the meeting room!
The team added new computer desks supplied from donations of members who want to see more upgrades take place and increase the clubs functionality! This includes 3 of four computer stations upgraded! A radio programming center for all of the great things we do to teach users of various types of radios how to program them with the computer and manually! Another station was added to allow the exceptionally busy Activities Director dedicated space to work, plan, organize, and distribute information of events and efforts the Playground has, is, and will be taking on! They also added space for station 3! Station 3 is special because it is the future spot of another full time operating station to DX, CQ, and QSL the day and night away! What an improvement! Be sure to see it when you visit the Playground Amateur Radio Club!
P.S. – Looks like we wore out KM4DYA!
The sign is back! Thanks to Flamingo Graphics on Hollywood Blvd in Fort Walton Beach for redoing this! Hanging the sign is Mike, Bill, Shane and others! It sure brings us great joy to have it back in full color!
Did you know the Playground Amateur Radio Club has WIRES-X, LOG#4OM, WSJTX with JS8 Call? Mark has been busy each weekend and during certain weeks enhancing out digital status on station 2 in the Clubhouse!
WIRES-X freq is 146.400 under the call AA0EU, room 091172 node 01172.
The rest is call W4ZBB!
Multiple other projects were going on with wire trouble shooting with Tony and radio programming with DJ and Steve! Guess what else, a tour of the attic to see about removing old RG8 to allow for more room through the connection point to enhance the signal coverage of WIRES-X!
Queenie started planning for our Annual Swampfest on Nov 15 2025! You are not going to want to miss that!
All this and more at the best Amateur Radio Club in Florida!
We are in the last days of the grace period for your dues! If you are not a member, YOU want to be! Join PARC today and you will not be disappointed in your choice!
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!
A PROCLAMATION TO DESIGNATE MARCH 6, 2025, AS “FRANK M. BUTLER, JR. DAY”
At the Okaloosa County Regular Board Meeting today, a proclamation was approved to designate March 6, 2025 as Frank M Butler Jr. day. Frank will celebrate his 100th birthday, March 6, 2025
Frank obtained his commercial and amateur federal radio licenses in the early 1940’s and became a broadcast engineer at several radio stations and he during his career at Eglin Air Force Base he was involved in field testing major weapon systems, including Hound Dog, BOMARC and the Air Launched Ballistic Missiles; his career included design and testing multiple communication, radar and electronic warfare systems.
He enjoys time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, David, Nellie, Steve, Jacki, Ryan, Stephanie, Michael, Kate, Lisa, Jake, Claire, Katie, Thomas and Valarie, his close friend, Joy Bates, and the many loving members of his church congregation.
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
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