Heads Up for ARRL Field Day at the Bay County, FL EOC

Thanks to Jim Nelson, KO4YZI, for organizing the Panama City ARC/Bay County ARES Field Day at the Bay County EOC June 28/29, 2025. Jim updated our Beginner's Academy Zoom on June 2, 2025.

ARRL Field Day Beginner's Guide 2025

The June 28/29, 2025 ARRL Field Day will be the largest amateur radio on-the-air event of the year. Don't miss it. Find a local club doing Field Day, go out on your own, or operate from home. If you are new to Field Day, watch our Beginner's Guide. This was the topic of our May 19th, 2025, Beginner's Academy Zoom.

Bay County ARES and Panama City ARC Field Day June 28/29, 2025

Bay County ARES and Panama City Amateur Radio Club will be setting up at the Bay County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), 700 Highway 2300, Panama City, FL 32409-5090 

•  28 June Noon – ARRL Field Day 2025 Kick Off 
•  28 June 1400-1600 Ham Radio License Exams: Upgrades and Initial $14.00 Exam Fee - Make sure you have your FCC FRN before taking the exam.
•  29 June Noon ARRL Field Day 2025 ENDEX 

 Email Jim Nelson KO4YZI for more information if needed ko4yzi@arrl.net   

What is ARRL Field Day? You’re Invited!

ARRL Field Day is a radio communications event that bringstogether amateur radio operators (also called “hams”) within your community. The theme for 2025 Field Day is “Radio Connects” – highlighting the many ways that wireless technology connects people across distances near and
far. The event is part picnic, campout, practice for emergencies, informal contest, and most of all, fun!

ARRL Field Day is the most popular ham radio activity held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend in June each year, more than 31,000 hams get together with their radio clubs, schools, or friends to operate from remote locations.

For many radio clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights on their annual calendar. A typical Field Day site will showo many aspects of amateur radio and its many roles. Some groups use Field Day as an opportunity to practice their emergency communications readiness. ARRL Field Day is an annual
demonstration and invites the general public and organizations to see how amateur radio can serve in
an emergency, When All Else Fails®.

Hams are well-known for their communications support in real disaster and post-disaster situations. Despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they are so complex — ham radio has been called into action, again and again, to provide communications in crises when it really matters.

Amateur radio also inspires the next generation of technical leaders by providing a hands-on sandbox
where students gain experience in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

For those with a competitive spirit, Field Day stations compete to make radio contacts with as many
other stations as possible while learning to operate radio equipment in challenging situations and
less-than-optimal conditions. These same skills are used by hams who volunteer to help with large,
preplanned, non-emergency events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fundraisers such as
walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades, and exhibits at fairs, malls, and museums.

Who is ARRL?

With more than 137,000 members, ARRL is The National Association for Amateur Radio in the US. Our mission is to promote and protect the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs. ARRL and our affiliated radio clubs provide benefits to members to discover radio, to develop new skills, and to serve your local community.

What is Amateur Radio?

Often called “ham radio,” the Amateur Radio Service is a worldwide community of licensed operators
using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. It is made up of people who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data, and pictures through the airwaves to places near and far without depending on commercial systems. The amateur radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Not only can hams build and modify their equipment, but they can also create new ways to communicate via the airwaves — and do it as a globally connected community. Many people in the hobby form lifelong friendships with people they wouldn’t have otherwise met. Many rock stars, Hollywood actors, and heads of state (and even your neighbor down the street) are ham radio operators. You can be, too! Get started at ARRL Field Day!

Getting Started with Amateur Satellites

First, we cover FM Satellites, then linear ones with Chris VA3ECO. This was the April 5th, 2025, Beginner's Academy Zoom topic. 73, Greg N4KGL

Geocaching Intro by Roy KM4ROF

Roy Burkett, callsign KM4ROF, enlightened our Beginners' Academy Zoom on a fun activity, Geocaching. Roy has set up some caches in Panama City to promote the Panama City Amateur Radio Club.

Operate the Florida QSO Party, April 26 & 27, 2025

 Dear Fellow FQP Fans,

Hello again and thanks to so many of you for your participation in the 2024 Florida QSO Party (FQP).

 

The 2025 Florida QSO Party will be held April 26 & 27, and we sure hope you'll join us. 

All 67 counties will be active.   

Please check out the rules and further details at our Web Site: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/

 

Rules Changes:

-        Expanded Suggested Frequencies

-        Log submissions required within 10 days after the end of FQP

 

The Florida QSO Party

Object: Everyone works Florida, Florida works Everyone
Activate and work ALL Florida counties
Have as much FUN as possible!

When: April 26 & 27, 2025
Two ten-hour operating periods, with a ten hour break:
Saturday, April 26 1600Z (Noon EDT) – April 27 0159Z (9:59 PM EDT)
Sunday, April 27 1200Z (8 AM EDT) - 2159Z (5:59 PM EDT)
20 Hours total

Exchange: RST and County (Florida stations)
RST and QTH (State, Province or Country for non-FL)

Where: 10, 15, 20 and 40 Meters

SUGGESTED OPERATING FREQUENCIES:

CW:      7.025-7.055, 14.025-14.055, 21.025-21.055, 28.025-28.055 MHz

Phone:  7.185-7.285, 14.225-14.325, 21.300-21.400, 28.400-28.500 MHz

Contacts outside these frequency ranges are still valid; see rules for details.

MOBILE WINDOW:
We expect several Mobile stations will be on and most can be found here:
CW:  7.025-7.035, 14.040-14.050, 21.040-21.050, 28.040-28.050 MHz
If you are not mobile, *please* refrain from calling CQ in these windows.

Categories:
Single Op, Multi Op, Multi-Multi, Mobile, Expedition, Technician and School.
Three power levels: QRP, Low, and High Power.
Use CW, SSB or both.

 

Special Event Award- 2025 FQP Spelling Bee! 

We will have a total of 14 special 1x1 stations whose suffixes spell PIRATES.  There will be two stations per suffix.  Contact at least one station of each suffix letter spelling PIRATES to earn this award. These stations will be on both modes and should be very accessible. QSL these 1x1 calls active in FQP via KU9C direct or via Logbook of The World (LoTW).                  

The call signs and hosts are: 

CALL    HOST    CTY      

K4P       W4GAC  PIN

N4P       K4NMR  GIL

K4I         AI4WW  BRO

N4I         WF4DX  CIT

K4R       N4WW   ORA

N4R       N6AR     ORA

K4A       WO4O    LAK

N4A       NF4A     BAY

K4T       N4OX     ESC

N4T       N4UU     ALC

K4E       K4EJ      PAS

N4E       NN7CW  LAK

K4S       K2SG     HER

N4S       N4SVC   SUW

 

PRIZES: Printable color Certificates for top participants
Plaques for top finishing entrants.

Web Site: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/
Detailed rules, mobile routes, past results, plaques, county maps and much more! 

Be sure to check out the links under the Counties tab to two terrific county-tracking tools by Bob K0RC and Chuck NO5W (thanks guys!).

In addition, Chip N3IW runs a FQP spotting website at http://qsopartyhub.com/fqp-spots.php. Please remember that self-spotting or requesting to be spotted is not allowed (exception for spelling bee 1x1 stations only).

 

ACTION REQUIRED!!!

Florida Stations of all types – please go to the FQP website and register your fixed, mobile, expedition and 1x1 Spelling Bee operations; just click on the “Counties" link and then the Activation Forms to get started – thanks!

Saturday Registration Form:  https://floridaqsoparty.org/counties/saturday-route/

Sunday Registration Form:  https://floridaqsoparty.org/counties/sunday-route/

*PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW YOUR ENTRY FOR ACCURACY BEFORE SUBMITTING*

Logs in Cabrillo format can be uploaded (preferred) at: https://fqp.contesting.com/fqpsubmitlog.php

or emailed to logs@floridaqsoparty.org; Paper logs via US mail to: Florida QSO Party, c/o Dan Street, K1TO, 9933 289th St E., Myakka City, FL 34251
Any questions or feedback? Please feel free to reply to me via email:

cqdenx4n@gmail.com

We highly encourage you to sign up to the FQP email Group fqp@groups.io. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the FQP email reflector may go to this link to sign up:  https://groups.io/g/FQP - Just click on the blue "Join this group" button below and follow the directions.

Thank you in advance for making the 2025 FQP another terrific event – see you then!
FQP - So Bright, you gotta wear Shades! 

73,
Chris, NX4N, on behalf of:

Chris, W4WF and Dan, K1TO – President and Past President
Florida Contest Group, proud sponsors of the FQP since 1998

Panama City ARC Spring Tailgate, April 12th, 2025

Panama City ARC Spring Tailgate, April 12th

                                

Attention Ham Radio Operators:         

I'd like to remind you about the Panama City Amateur Radio Club's Spring Tailgate coming up on Saturday, April 12th from 9am till 1pm. Ham's are invited to setup their rigs to showcase to the public what amateur radio is all about. The Bay County ARES group will be participating in a statewide emergency test (S.E.T.) on site.

There's old and semi-new electronic equipment for sale inside the club house. Plus, if you have equipment you'd like to sell or trade, bring it on down and display it on your vehicles tailgate or set up a table. We've notified all the radio clubs in the panhandle and expecting many buyers. You may just go home with money in your pocket or that piece of radio gear for your ham shack.

Lunch will be served around noon. So come on out, meet some new ham friends and share some radio stories with the newbies.

Talk-in Frequency: W4RYZ Repeater, 145.210MHz PL 100Hz

130 N. Church Ave.

Panama City, Florida 32401

73's

Roy Burkett KM4ROF