Come one, come all, to see what Ham Helpers has received in donated radio equipment. The Free Flea will take place at 2725 NE 14 Ave. Wilton Manors, 33334 from 8 am to 2 pm on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
It is open to all hams, family and friends. Free tailgating.
There will be an ICOM IC-7610 for auction with a starting bid of $750.00. The winning bid will be announced Saturday at 2 pm. Contact information : kennyh4600@gmail.com (ke4nc).
You must come and see what Kenny has scooped up in his trips around Florida. We will see you there!
Submitted by Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT
Many of you do not know what goes on in planning a Field Day so I thought I would review some of the processes of this past Winter Field Day.
When someone volunteers to head up the committee, in this case Joe McGee NX4T, they map out what they would like to see happen. Joe wanted to see as many different hams as well as club members attend the Field Day and have a good experience. He first thought of how to bring that about and came up with an idea to reach out by Post Cards to hams all over the Broward County area. Normally we had only used the emails we have in our database in the past. The Board agreed to support the project and Joe went to work designing the post cards with the help of Tom Savoca K9TJS, our PIO and webmaster over the December break period. After the design was complete it was sent off to the printer and when they were received by Joe, he went busily to work hand addressing the Post cards using the info from the FCC database for all the general and extra license holders in Broward County. He addressed some 400 cards and since he had not included call signs on them and the general thought was that it would be a better way to bring attention to the cards, a great friend to the club and most gregarious member, Aurora Figueiredo WD4AGF, then took the cards and added all of the call signs to them and sorted them by zip code for easy mailing. I then took all to the post office and put them in the mail.
Of course, although the hopes were that people would RSVP for food prep purposes, we did not get any and thought perhaps the Post cards may not yield any results. On WFD, we found that we got a 3% response in attendees and the visiting hams were delighted to be invited and meet our worker bees for the club. Some had issues with their antennas and other things in their shack but they were introduced to Jeff Stahl K4BH, Ricky Eaton KD4HGR, Tom McClain N3HPR, and Joe McGee NX4T to discuss the issues and get better ideas and the promise of future help with the problems.
It was wonderful to have satisfied people in our midst and we felt the Post Card effort was not in vain.
Joe McGee NX4T also felt that it was of the utmost importance for all visiting hams get a chance on the air during a Field Day so Joe again enlisted the able aid of Tom Savoca K9TJS to write a program where people could register for a time slot on the air of their choosing in half hour increments. This would, one, insure everyone got a chance to get on the air when convenient for them and two, the radio would be busy all day and night long. Thanks to these two gentlemen, who worked all through the Christmas holidays on the program project, its objective was met. Someone was on the radio at all times supporting the club by operating. We had over 15 different operators as opposed to the usual 3 or 5 we normally had on the radio. Some were first time operators and were given a chance to get their feet wet on the air. The GCARA Board were all happy with the result of the efforts of Joe and Tom and the support staff at the WFD. It was a first and it won’t be the last!
Now, if this intrigues you, we would like to invite your participation in the summer ARRL FIELD DAY. With the new ideas Joe spawned for inviting and operating, we managed to gather 54 visitors, all of whom were treated to a good time. The opportunities to shine are endless and Joe has more fun up his sleeve for the summer, as a consultant, to the contest. I admire his enthusiasm and genuine desire to mentor hams. He works with many newbies or shut ins who need help with equipment or whatever. He is one of the most socially active hams among us and I am so pleased he serves as a director in the club. I am also pleased with the hard work and creative designs of Tom Savoca KJ9TJS who saw these 2 involved projects through all of the time constraints and effort it took with such positive feedback and energy. Gentlemen, GCARA thanks you.
……….and that’s the rest of the story!
Submitted by Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT
Saturday morning ” ham” breakfast.
From 7 to 9 AM interested Hams meet since 1994 at JJs Cafe for breakfast.
Everyone is welcome to join.
JJs Cafe
6051 NW 31st Ave,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
http://jjcafefood.com/
Click BELOW to download and print the PDF version NOTE: Meeting minutes are posted online as a draft for review until approved at the following meeting. Corrections can be sent to the Secretary@w4bug.org
Great news for GCARA – our new Motorola SLR5700 DMR repeater has been installed and is now on the air!
A very special THANK YOU to Ricky Eaton, KD4HGR, for his work on the project, and to Eric Rodriguez, KF4LZA, for providing the new repeater to GCARA at a very favorable discounted price and for his assistance with the installation.
Their support helped make this important upgrade possible. Our new repeater gives GCARA a modern and reliable DMR system that will serve our members and the South Florida amateur radio community for years to come.
443.350 MHz | +5 MHz Offset | Color Code 11
In memory of our longtime friend and fellow amateur radio operator Marty Falk, KI4IQZ SK, GCARA has ordered a commemorative brick through the ARRL for $280
The brick will provide a lasting tribute to Marty and his contribution to amateur radio and our community.
Donations are welcome to help support the acquisition of this memorial brick.
Thank you to everyone who helps us honor Marty’s memory.
Jerry Felski, Jr. WB4LGR passed away December 31, 2025 but the news of his passing was just made known to me this week. A GCARA member of several years, he was instrumental in helping the club cover John Knox Village, Cassels Towers during hurricane season. The club has long helped perform this duty as a thank you to JKV for allowing us to place our antennas on top of their building.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/pompano-beach-fl/jerry-felski-12688452
Abe Betesh, W4FTL, passed away from natural causes on July 24, 2026.
Abe frequently attended our club meetings and dinners at Wings Plus and other events. He was also a dedicated caregiver to Hope Smith, WB3ANE, at her assisted living facility, where he regularly brought meals and played flute music for her and her roommate, Betty. Abe stepped up to help me when Mike Wolf moved away to Lakeland and I will be forever grateful to his generous care of Hope. He was a very talented musician and had several different hobbies that included amateur radio, electronics, computers and animal sitting.
I had the honor of carpooling with him, Hope and Rhonda Pitone KJ4FSJ, SK on several occasions to club functions.
Many of us remember your gentleness, compassion and good works of which you did not speak. RIP Abe.
From Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT
Click BELOW to download and print the PDF version NOTE: Meeting minutes are posted online as a draft for review until approved at the following meeting. Corrections can be sent to the Secretary@w4bug.org
Are you ready to earn your Amateur Radio Extra Class license and gain access to every amateur radio frequency privilege available in the United States? There has never been a better opportunity.
The Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association (GCARA) is proud to offer an 8-week Amateur Radio Extra Class being held on Zoom beginning Friday, September 18, from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM each week. The class will be taught by one of South Florida’s most respected amateur radio educators:
Jeff Stahl, K4BH
Jeff has been a licensed amateur radio operator for more than 50 years and has held an Amateur Radio Extra Class license for over 40 years. Throughout those decades, he has mentored countless operators, taught licensing classes at every level, and shared an incredible depth of technical and practical operating experience.
Whether you’re preparing for your Extra Class exam or simply want to deepen your understanding of amateur radio, you’ll benefit from Jeff’s extensive knowledge, engaging teaching style, and real-world experience.
Can’t Attend Every Class?
Life happens—we understand.
Every class session will be professionally recorded, and all registered students will receive access to the recordings. If you miss a class, or simply want to review a difficult topic before taking your exam, you can watch the lessons again at your convenience.
Why Upgrade to Extra?
Earning your Amateur Radio Extra license provides:
- Full operating privileges on all amateur HF bands
- Expanded DX opportunities
- Additional contest frequencies
- Greater operating flexibility
- A deeper understanding of radio theory and operating practices
Whether you’re an active operator looking for more privileges or someone who simply enjoys learning, this class is an investment in your amateur radio future.
Reserve Your Seat Today!
Pre-registration is required.
Visit www.w4bug.org to register and secure your place in the class.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the area’s most experienced instructors and take the next step in your amateur radio journey.
We look forward to seeing you in class this September!
Registration for Classes
Field Day 2026
The Board reviewed the highly successful 2026 ARRL Field Day event. Dan, AI4WW, reported that the official Field Day entry has been submitted to the ARRL with a final score of 3,621 points. The Board also reviewed the successful deployment of the club’s trailer during Field Day. The trailer, made available to the Association by Dirk, proved to be an excellent asset for display, storage, and support. Kenny KE4NC commented that, with minor modifications, the trailer could accommodate an operating station for future Field Day
events.
Dirk presented the Field Day statistics and financial summary, including attendance, membership growth, food service, donations, operating results, and event finances. The Field Day Statistics and Treasurer’s Financial Report are attached to these minutes and incorporated by reference.
Click BELOW to download and print the PDF version NOTE: Meeting minutes are posted online as a draft for review until approved at the following meeting. Corrections can be sent to the Secretary, currently rickiwitte4@gmail.com.
