Beginner's Guide to Fox Hunting

Fox Hunting is a popular activity among amateur radio operators. We cover the basic equipment and techniques involved. This was recorded during our Dec 4, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting.

Ham Radio On-Line Vendors

A list for your shopping convenience. This was the topic of the Nov 20, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom Meeting.

• Ham Radio Outlet HRO https://www.hamradio.com/ (Everything)
• Gigaparts https://www.gigaparts.com/ (Everything)
• DX Engineering https://www.dxengineering.com/ (Everything)
• MFJ https://mfjenterprises.com/ (Accessories, Antennas)
• Amazon (many items, but check vendors above before ordering)
• eBay (new and vintage radios and everything else, be careful)
• Elecraft https://elecraft.com/ Rigs like KH1, KX2, KX3 and K4
• Flex Radio https://www.flexradio.com/ (Flex 6400 and up, tuners and amps)
• Radioddity https://www.radioddity.com/ (X-6100, G90)
• Bridgecom https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/ (Anytone DMR Radios)
• ARRL https://www.arrl.org/ (handbooks and other publications)
• N3FJP Software https://www.n3fjp.com/ (Logging Software)
• QRP-Labs https://qrp-labs.com/ (QCX and similar)
• QRPme https://www.qrpme.com/ (all kinds of interesting kits)
• Vibroplex https://vibroplex.com/ (keys and more)
• QTH.COM Ham Radio Classified Ads https://swap.qth.com/index.php (Ham to Ham)

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Panama City ARC Members Participate in the RaDAR Rally

 The following Panama ARC members participated in the Nov 4th, 2023 RaDAR Rally

• Scott W7DIA at Lynn Haven Bayou Reserve Park
• Chris VA3ECO at Lake of the Woods, Ontario
• Bob KK4DIV at Pine Log State Forrest
• Greg N4KGL at St Andrew's State Park

The goal was to make five contacts, move one kilometer by foot or canoe, redeploy, and repeat for four hours. All enjoyed the challenge and had fun. Find out more about the RaDAR Rally at www.radarrally.com. Here are some photos and videos.

Chris VA3ECO operates RaDAR from his canoe on the Lake of the Woods, Ontario.

 

Is the Saltwater Effect advantageous for the RaDAR Rally?

I discuss a study I did to quantify the saltwater effect for vertical antennas on the saltwater shore. The results motivated me to choose St. Andrews State Park overlooking the Grand Lagoon for my RaDAR Rally venue. I likely will use the Alexloop magnetic loop, which is vertically polarized for my portable antenna. This was the topic for our October 23rd, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting. Checkout the RaDAR Rally info at www.radarrally.info

Beginner's Guide for Parks On The Air POTA

Join the many hams enjoying ham radio outdoors. Parks On The Air or POTA makes it interesting. This video was recorded during our October 9, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting.

The PCARC Fall Tailgate is Saturday, October 14th

 The Panama City Amateur Radio Club Fall Tailgate is coming on October 14th. Mark your calendars and come out to the club. The start time will be 9 am and should go through lunchtime. Bring that old radio gear sitting around collecting dust to sell, or look for that item that will fill out your ham shack. 

The PCARC clubhouse is located at:
130 N Church Ave
Panama City, FL 32404

Intro to QRZ.COM Amateur Radio Website

We discuss some features of QRZ.COM, and there are many. This video was recorded from our Sept 25th, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting.

 

Beginner's Guide to Logbook of The World LoTW

LoTW is the easiest way to confirm contacts with other Ham Radio operators. The video was recorded during our September 11th, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom Meeting.

Chipola ARC Labor Day Tailgate Sat Sep 2nd, 2023

 

Skeeter Hunt QRP with the FX-4CR Transceiver

Greg N4KGL recently purchased an FX-4CR transceiver from BG2FX in China. The NJQRP Club Skeeter Hunt was an opportunity to try it out. This was our presentation for the August 28th Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting.

Beginner's Guide to J Pole and SlimJIM Antennas

The antennas are handy for 2M/70CM. They also can be built for other bands. Consider them for HOA and emergency use. This was our Beginner's Academy presentation for the Aug 14th, 2023 Zoom meeting.

Introduction to the Icom Remote Software RS-BA1 V2

An introduction to Icom software for remotely operating your amateur radio station. This presentation was recorded during the July 31st, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom Meeting.

Beginner's Guide for the GridTracker Tool for Amateur Radio

Bob Albers AB4OB covers the setup and features of Gridtracker. It is particularly helpful for WSJT-X users. This was recorded during the July 17th, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom.

W4RYZ 2023 ARRL Field Day Results

The Panama City Amateur Radio Club participated in the 2023 ARRL Field Day at the Bay County, Florida Emergency Operations Center. Four hundred twenty-three contacts were made with amateurs in the USA, Canada, and beyond. 

Our Amateur Radio Field Day at the Bay County EOC was covered by WJHG-TV News

The Panama City ARC and Bay County ARES members participated in the nationwide ARRL Field Day on June 24/25, 2023, from the Bay County Emergency Operations Center. The event was covered by WJHG-TV News and aired an interview with our Field Day Coordinator Scott Burnett, W7DIA.

 

WSJT-X ARRL Field Day Setup by Chris VA3ECO

Chris VA3ECO covers the WSJT-X FT8/FT4 configuration for ARRL Field Day. including an on-the-air demo. This was recorded during the June 5th, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting.

N4KGL ARRL Field Day Plans and N1MM+ Networked Logging

Greg N4KGL and Rick NZ2I plan a Class B Battery Field Day at Eastbank Campground in Georgia. Two transmitters are planned so Networked logging with N1MM+ is easier than we thought. This was recorded at the June 5th, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom Meeting.

Panama City ARC will be On-The-Air for ARRL Field Day.

The Panama City Amateur Radio Club is participating in the 2023 ARRL Field Day on June 24/25. This year the club will set up radios and antennas at the Bay County EOC on the North Gulf Coast State College campus. 

Field Day demonstrates an emergency communications capability but is also lots of fun. The club will contact as many other Field Day stations as possible in 24 hours starting at 1 PM CDT on Saturday.

The public and media are invited. A good time to visit is on Saturday between 2 and 5 PM. All local amateur radio operators are welcome to get involved. Scott Burnett W7DIA is the club Field Day coordinator. Questions can be sent to panamacityarc@gmail.com.

2023 ARRL Field Day Planning Talk for the Panama City ARC

Panama City ARC will have a club Field Day Event at the Bay County, Florida EOC. Scott W7DIA is coordinating the effort. Scott covers the general plan and how members can participate. Please contact Scott on how you support the event. There will be more meetings leading up to the event, which is June 24/25. This video was recorded at the May 22nd Beginner's Academy. Zoom meeting.

ARRL Field Day is coming June 24/25, 2023

Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill, and service to our communities and nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

. It is time to consider your opportunities for ARRL Field Day as a solo effort or with a group. The video below was made last year but is still a good introduction to ARRL Field Day. The rules are other resources are on the ARRL website. Also, check the Field Day Locator. For Panama City ARC contact Scott W7DIA for the club's plans.

Check your Radio Calibration with WWV and FreqCal mode on WSJT.

Chris VA3ECO gives a brief talk and demo on using WWV for checking the frequency calibration of your radio, both by audio and using FreqCal mode on WSJT. This Beginner's Academy talk was recorded on April 17th, 2023.

The Spring Tailgate was a Success

A good time was had by all. Thanks to Roy KM4ROF and Bob KK4DIV for the food. Photos by Jim K4LIX.

Panama City ARC Spring Tailgate is on April 8th, 2023

The Panama City Amateur Radio Club Spring Tailgate is coming on April 8th. Mark your calendars and come out to the club. The start time will be 9 am and should go through lunchtime. Bring that old radio gear sitting around collecting dust to sell, or look for that item that will fill out your ham shack. Food will be provided for a nominal fee.

The PCARC clubhouse is located at:
130 N Church Ave
Panama City, FL 32404

Introducing RaDAR Rally (Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio)

Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio, or RaDAR, was conceived by Eddie Leighton ZS6BNE in South Africa. Eddie has promoted RaDAR for many years. Eddie still sees value in RaDAR but has terminated the RaDAR Challenge rules as of 2023. I am introducing the RaDAR Rally event on the first Saturday of April and November. Please see https://radarrally.blogspot.com/ for the rules. The first RaDAR Rally will be on April 1st, 2023

The following video was recorded during our March 20, 2023, Beginner's Academy Zoom meeting.

Upcoming Gulf Coast Hamfests

Mark your calendars!  There are two upcoming HamFests along the Gulf Coast, and you're invited!  More info is below.  

The Playground Amateur Radio Club's 53rd Annual Hamfest is March 17th & 18th, 2023 at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds at 1958 Lewis Turner Blvd., Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547.  Friday 4 - 7 p.m, and Saturday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.  www.W4ZBB.org

The Milton Amateur Radio Club's 25th Annual HamFest is July 7th & 8th, 2023 at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium at 4530 Spikes Way, Milton, FL 32583.  Friday 3 - 8 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.  www.MiltonARC.org

Also, note the Panama City ARC Tailgate is on April 8th at the PCARC Clubhouse at 130 N. Church Ave Panama City, FL.

Beginner's Guide to Aircraft Scatter by VA3ECO

Chris VA3ECO gives the basics of Aircraft Scatter, including a demo. This was recorded from our Feb 13th, 2023 Beginner's Academy Zoom.

 

Are You a New or Returning Ham?

Welcome new and returning hams. Here are some resources for your ham journey.

In-person meetings at the PCARC Clubhouse: Wednesdays at 7 pm 130 North Church Ave. Panama City, FL

Testing for Technician Class and Upgrades: The third Wednesday at PCARC Clubhouse at 6 pm. Please contact Gary Bills at aj4ky@arrl.net

Panama City ARC Monday Two-Meter Net: 7 pm on the W4RYZ two-meter Repeater 145.210 - offset 100 Hz tone.

Panama City ARC Website: www.w4ryz.org See all the tab pages.

Panama City ARC YouTube Channel: Link

Beginner's Academy Zoom Meetings: Mondays at 7:30 CST. In the desktop view, see the invite link request form on the right side of the home page. You also will need a free Zoom account.

Bay County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Group: link

Have fun with Ham Radio!

Greg N4KGL

Beginner's Guide for Remote Antenna Tuners

Amateur Radio Operators may want to use a Remote Antenna Tuner for their home or portable station. We discuss why and also some popular remote tuner models, including the Icom AH-4. This is a recording of our Jan 16th, 2023 Beginner's Academy Zoom Meeting.

Heads Up for Winter Field Day 2023

Consider participating in the Winter Field Day for amateur radio. It is the weekend of Jan 28/29, 2023. I covered highlights of the rules for our Beginner's Academy Zoom on 1/3/2023. See the WFD rules at https://winterfieldday.com/rules.php

Join us for Pizza at the Jan 4th PCARC Business Meeting

Please join us at the clubhouse to kick off the new year. Several varieties of pizza will be available at 6 pm before the business meeting starts at 7 pm. 

The clubhouse is at 130 N. Church Ave Panama City, Florida.