CQ, CQ, CQ Calling all hams!
GCARA is entering a troublesome period at this time. While many hams are still enthusiastic and happy to join in on activities, we are experiencing a lack of participation from many hams in the club. This begs the question: are we still a viable club with a useful purpose and are we still interested?
I invite every GCARA member to respond to the questions. Please feel free to give me the reason I do not see you at club meetings or dinners or the picnics. This is merely to accurately understand the problem and to find some ways to bridge the gap. As I have spent less time communicating with you directly, I seem to have lost sight of the difficulties, desires, and concerns. For my part, I apologize. 😭
Two years ago, once the threat of COVID was gone and it was safe to venture out into public again with common sense precautions, many of you ( over 50% ) stated they wanted in person meetings again. It was said, people enjoyed meeting and talking to their fellow club members as well as feeling closer to others. Yet, although we have had several meetings thus far, there is a very low turnout to the hospital auditorium for the meetings. I am wondering why? 😳
The Board and I try very hard to get us interesting and useful speakers so that we can learn more in a casual setting while enjoying coffee and donuts with our fellow hams. We advertise well in advance and offer a split opportunity with in person and ZOOM availability for those who are homebound or ill so that we all may share the experience. Are we doing something wrong? Could we do things better? Is your absence from either venue a statement we are not anticipating? 🤷🤷🤷
Furthermore, while most of the younger hams are okay with volunteering and that is understandable, we are not seeing our older hams participate or attend to support us. We love everyone and want us all to enjoy our times together while learning, socializing and supporting our fellow hams.😀
I am finding that it is difficult to get people to pay their dues on time, too. Is that a personal reason or are you confused as to when they are due? Please help me understand how we can help to make this a more successful undertaking.🙏
While I am talking about volunteering, let me take this opportunity to advise everyone that I am helping out this year as President and Ricki Witte is helping out as Secretary as well. Neither of us anticipated being a fixture and would enjoy the flexibility in our schedules to attend to other interests and home life duties now. Is there any way anyone can look into their skillset and volunteer for a Board position? It is rewarding and if everyone will volunteer to help us out, it is really not that much work. 👍
Well, what do you think? Can we all take a look at our situations and make an effort to support the club a little better? I need a Sunshine committee. You will just need to send cards out to the indisposed people or people who have lost a relative. A couple of phone calls to people in need is also a boon to keeping the group in the loop with everyone’s status. I have enjoyed being the point person for many jobs in the club as I always have fun, however, I can no longer do it all. Please consider helping us out!❤️
Because we are running out of volunteers to help with the Hospitality Committee, we are scaling back our efforts this year at FIELD DAY. We will offer less food and it will primarily be prepared off site and brought in. We will not have a grill available to use this time. Kenny needs space in his van to bring his free flea equipment and we have no one willing to man the grill anyway.😒
I do not want anyone to think of this note to the membership in a negative manner. I am just trying to understand the situation so I can facilitate a better solution for everyone concerned. Your comments will be greatly appreciated and I promise to consider all reasons with a hope of finding palatable solutions. I look forward to hearing from you either by phone (954)560-3706 or by email earthymel1950@gmail.com, at your earliest convenience. Thank you and God Bless! 👌
-Melanie KJ4VCT.
REPLY to Your CQ CQ CQ
From: Jesse Shannon
Date: May 1, 2025,Hello Melanie, I wanted to take this opportunity to reply to your plea to our members asking each one of us to explain what we thought about the apparent lack of interest and lack of active participation in club activities and affairs.
When I was interested in HAM radio communication started when I was nine or ten years old. This was just as World War II was coming to an end. My dad built a shortwave receiver and he and I would listen to overseas broadcasts from England and other English speaking stations from that war torn area of the world. As I grew up I read about Morse Code and how the HAMS of those days needed to be able to use the code and it was a requirement to get a license.
During the fifties one of my assignments was in Panama and then a temporary duty in Costa Rica. My Job in Costa Rica was to be the Army’s Contracting Officer’s Representative in San Jose, Costa Rica where I had to communicate with the supply base in The Panama Canal Zone to coordinate the shipment of repair parts for my aircraft in Costa Rica undergoing refit and repairs. This communication was done through HF radio. AH6AA and AH5AX were our call signs back then. I used them so frequently that I remember them after seventy years.
Later, while still in the Army in the seventies I had a second posting in the Panama Canal Zone and the CB craze was going strong and I bought a J.C. Penny SSB CB. An Air Force Sergeant was my Elmer then in 1974 and we built a three element beam and with that antenna and my CB I was able to talk to other CB stations in the United States and ships at sea. It was all illegal of course, but we all did it. To make a long story shorter, I was hooked. But, and it was a big but, I did not know Morse Code. The radio activity for me cooled down for me for many years. After my Army career and several other careers I finally retired here in Hollywood in 2003.
Guess what…the code requirement was dropped and as soon as I could I looked for a HAM radio club somewhere and found the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association with their meetings being held at the Imperial Point venue. I applied, took my Tech. test. I met up with Mike’s Electronics and bought all of my initial radio gear from him with the exception of my HF antenna, this I bought on line from GAP. When the antenna arrived I assembled it next to my house and started to talk on 10meters. The thrill was there and I loved it. When I passed the General exam I settled down and did a lot of SSB work. During that time I attended all of the meetings, bought my shirt and because I was so new at the HAM game I just sat back and listened but never participated except for the 50-50 which I won once and donated all back to the Club.
Fast forward quite a number of years to now. While I still am active with my KJ4FKK station I find that age and home personal responsibilities have caused my interest to be lost. During these last years Joe McGee and Ricky have been out to my place many times to help me with antennas and three years ago, I dug trenches for thirty or so radial wires in my yard to support my vertical antenna. Thanks again to Joe, I learned to build dipole antennas and now my backyard looks like a real antenna farm. I put up the vertical 14 ft with the radials, cut and installed two sets of fan dipoles and ran all of the antenna leads under ground to a three way switch outside. One main lead goes into my shack and I have two complete sets of HF transceivers.
Before COVID I was a regular attendee at our meetings but never raised my hand to volunteer however I tried to give the Club back something and all that I could do was to buy and donate a small, quiet generator for our Field Days and contribute $800 to the Club.
When you asked for volunteers I sat on my hands and felt very sorry that others did not offer their time and help you. It was always the same people who, over the last ten years, have carried the burden, always the same ones. You and they are tired. Since my activity building up my station I have grown tired personally. I will turn 90 in September and I have become painfully aware of my physical limitations and no longer can do many things. My wife of 67 years needs help now and I find myself running the house, and planning and preparing all meals. I am tired and no longer feel the need or want to do much of anything except a day to day life.
So Melanie, if you have read to this point, I just have no energy or desire to participate. The Club has given me the opportunity to join the HAM community but I will enjoy it from home now. Maybe the world situation and the present economy is a cause for a lack of interest in Club activities. Since Mike’s Electronics is no longer in existence maybe this has caused less informal companionship between members.
Could you possibly check with the other Clubs in the area and see whether or not they are experiencing the same lack of participation? I admire you for your leadership and give a special thanks to Joe for being my friend and for helping me along.
Sincerely, Jesse
KJ4FKK
73
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.
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.
The Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association will sponsor its ARRL Field Day event on June 28-29, 2025 at Quiet Waters Park (401 S Powerline Rd, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442)
Note from Joe NX4T:
Planning has begun for Summer Field Day / Ham Helpers Free Flea Market to be held at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach on June 28/29.
We have decided to have a joint event (again) with Ham helpers, due to a number of expressions of interest and our desire to draw as many participants (and possible future club members) as possible. Kenny H. asks that we use this opportunity to bring any equipment we have to offer to supplement his inventory
We are scheduled and all set to meet again at the Bald Eagle Pavilion, with setup beginning at 8 AM.
Click here to view the ARRL Rules
If you are in a position to help in any of the areas specified in the rules, or in other areas such as food, equipment/personnel transportation, outreach (invitations, publicity), etc, please call or text me at 965-782-3543. Do keep in mind that one or two cannot do it all. Pitch in and help us !).
Regards, 73,
Joe, NX4T
GCARA Field Day Co-Chairman
Quiet Waters Park is a 430-acre Broward County Park in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Quiet Waters Park is known locally for its annual Renaissance Festival, mountain bike trails, and it’s Ski Rixen cable water-skiing system.
Get Ready for ARRL Field Day 2025: “Radio Connects”
The annual ARRL Field Day, a popular on-air event for amateur radio enthusiasts across North America, is set for Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29, 2025. This year’s theme, “Radio Connects,” highlights the multifaceted ways wireless technology fosters connections across distances, generations, and during times of need.
ARRL Field Day serves as a unique blend of a public service demonstration, emergency preparedness exercise, and an exciting operating event. For 24 hours, participants aim to contact as many other stations as possible using a variety of frequency bands and operating modes. The event officially kicks off at 18:00 UTC on Saturday and concludes at 20:59 UTC on Sunday.
Key Objectives and Activities:
- Emergency Preparedness: A core tenet of Field Day is to practice operating in less-than-optimal conditions, often utilizing temporary antennas and emergency power sources like generators or batteries. This simulates how amateur radio can provide vital communication links when traditional infrastructure fails.
- Public Awareness: Many local amateur radio clubs set up their Field Day sites in public locations, offering a chance for the community to witness ham radio in action and learn about its capabilities and importance in public service.
- Operating Skills: Participants hone their on-air operating skills, experimenting with different modes (voice, Morse code, digital) and bands (HF, VHF, and above).
- Community and Fun: Beyond the technical aspects, Field Day is a social event. It’s an opportunity for camaraderie, often involving picnics, campouts, and a chance for seasoned hams to mentor newcomers. Many sites will feature a “Get On The Air” (GOTA) station, allowing unlicensed individuals or newly licensed hams to experience operating with the guidance of an experienced operator.
How to Participate:
Amateur radio operators can participate in various ways:
- Join a Local Club: Many clubs organize group efforts, often setting up elaborate multi-transmitter stations.
- Form a Group: Friends or like-minded individuals can team up to operate from a portable location.
- Operate Individually: Hams can also participate from their home stations, especially if they are operating under emergency power.
Rules and Reporting:
The ARRL provides detailed rules and guidelines for Field Day, covering aspects like station classifications, power limits, and bonus points for various achievements (e.g., using emergency power, youth participation, public outreach). Participants are encouraged to submit their logs and summaries to the ARRL for scoring and recognition. The deadline for submitting entries for the 2025 event is Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Whether you’re a seasoned amateur radio operator or simply curious about the hobby, ARRL Field Day 2025 offers a fantastic opportunity to get involved, learn, and celebrate the power of radio to connect us all. More information, including the complete rules, can typically be found on the ARRL website (arrl.org/field-day) as the event approaches.
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.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FOR MARCH 2025
CQ, CQ, CQ CALLING ALL HAMS…………..
Luck of the Irish to you in the month of March!!
May the wind be at your back and the sun on your path as you travel through your lives.
I hope that this note finds everyone doing well and what they want to do. The GCARA club is healthy and growing at a continual pace. Our testing program will be stepped up and we will offer testees twelve months free membership in our club so they can get a taste of what we offer them. There are so many wonderful clubs around, each offering a different HAM flavor.
Our club offers interpersonal relationships with mentors, and we serve to point to areas of interest that may be savored by the hobbyist. We engage in education, service opportunities to the community and we practice in the ARRL Field Day in June and WFD in January. We love to maintain the original practices of our predecessors. There is little more rewarding in life than to pave the way for someone’s edification, education and proficiency in a chosen hobby or field. We strive to keep our eyes looking forward while remembering how we got here. Welcome everyone to our vastly unique community of hams.
This month we had our March 29, 2025 Spring Picnic at Vista View park in Davie. We featured RICKI’S Chili and Dogs with our show and tell this picnic to rave reviews.
There were 22 attendees and a lot of gabbing between everyone as they examined Kenny’s Russian radios and other equipment, he is so often able to bring. Ben Echavarria N7BBE brought his go kit to the delight of a youngster in attendance. It was so neat to see the child twirl the knobs through the frequencies and being fascinated by hearing conversation at some spots. We think we may have a ham in training soon.
Our March meeting was absolutely fascinating and we will have speaker Patrick Bolan, owner of Geochron back early next year to show the further development of his Ham Package for the Geochron clock. He has the manual version, and a digital one now and will be enhancing the programs you can run on the clock. There are so many options one can choose from, whether the weather or maritime shipping or aircraft fights or satellites positions etc. There are interactive features which make this item worth obtaining.
We auctioned off a Geochron device worth $450.00 to our attendees and Marty Falk’s wife, Edna, bought it for her husband. Now, they can be tuned in to many different programs on their HD Smart TV. Patrick is offering the kit at a show special of $75.00 off the kit for members of GCARA. The talk was well worth it.
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.
A slightly used Geochron device is being auctioned off on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at our General Meeting.
It will be described by Geochron owner Patrick Bolan, our speaker, which should make it interesting.
Bids by Zoom or in person.
BIDS START AT $200.00
PLEASE JOIN US. MEETING STARTS AT 7:30 PM.
GCARA MEETING @IMPERIAL POINT HOSPITAL
6401 N FEDERAL HWY.
FT LAUDERDALE FL 33308
If in person, come into Main Entrance by 7 PM. After 7 PM, must enter through the Emergency entrance with security check in.
Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us
Meeting ID: 823 3968 9781
Passcode: 565513
GCARA SPRING PICNIC
at VISTA VIEW PARK
10 AM TO 4 PM
4001 SW 142 Ave
Davie, FL 33330
Join us for a HAM Spring FLING
FOX HUNT, TO GO KITS
And your friends
CHILI and Hot Dogs
SUGGESTED DONATION FOR FOOD $10.00
PLEASE RSVP!
