Ed Wheeler, K4ADD (SK)Ed was first licensed while in high school on Cape Cod in 1950 and upgraded to General while serving in the U.S. Air Force at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, in 1954. Amateur radio remained part of his life for more than 75 years. Ed went on to a remarkable career in aviation, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Field Day 2026The 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 […]
GCARA May Meeting Recap and June 23 Field Day Preparations What a wonderful evening! Thank you to everyone who attended our May meeting. The turnout was outstanding, resulting in one of the best-attended meetings we have had in recent memory. Seeing a packed room filled with members, guests, and new faces made for a truly […]
Short answer: No — Amateur Radio is not in a broad decline. Current FCC license data shows more than 734,000 active amateur radio licenses in the United States, which remains a very large and active community. While participation styles have changed over the years, there is no evidence of a collapse in the hobby. The […]
