Severe thunderstorms on the night of our last LARC meeting brought street flooding and power outages that kept many members away. If you missed it, here’s a quick recap of what happened:

1. Field Day Success!

Fred (K1DU) brought fantastic news–this year’s Field Day wasn’t just good, it was our best ever with a whopping 5734 points! That puts us in a great position when results are published in the December issue of QST. If you helped with planning, setup, operations, or teardown, give yourself a big pat on the back!

Sadly, this was likely our last year at the Kathleen Area Historical Society due to a significant rent increase–but we ended on a very high note!

2. Working the Birds

Matt (NJ4Y) gave a hands-on presentation about making ham radio contacts via satellite. It was a great session, and we’ve included a few pictures below.

Thanks, Matt!

3. VISTE Food Drive Continues

We collected some canned goods for VISTE (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly), but the turnout was light. So we’ll be doing it again at the August meeting–don’t forget to bring something to donate!

Coming Up: Table Gate — Monday, August 11th

Mark your calendar! Our next meeting is Monday, August 11th, and it’s time for the annual Table Gate. Bring cash and hm gear –whether you’re buying, selling, or swapping, this is the night to score great deals on ham radio equipment.

Here’s the 2025 broadcast radio PSA that aired on several local radio stations.

We have a lot to look forward to at the July LARC meeting on Monday, July 14th. Fred (K1DU) will give us a full rundown on how we did during Field Day–but the early buzz says this may have been our BEST year EVER! Here’s how it actually looked.

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🌤️ Things are Looking UP

When you come to the meeting, don’t forget to bring some canned food. LARC is helping to restock the pantry at VISTE of Polk County, supporting their mission to assist local seniors.

Then, get ready to reach for the stars! Former LARC President Matt Stevens (NJ4Y) will show us just how easy (and fun) it is to make satellite contacts. If you’ve never tried it, this is a presentation you don’t want to miss.

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📅 LARC July Meeting Details
Date: Monday, July 14, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Parkview Baptist Church (across from LRH)
📡 Ham testing starts at 5:30 p.m.****

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⚠️ In Case You Missed It:

We still have a real opportunity to serve our community through Skywarn training. Check out the previous blog post for details on the in-person session later this month!

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As radio amateurs, we serve our community–and one of the most important ways we do that is through the Skywarn program.

Skywarn spotters are the eyes and ears of the National Weather Service (NWS) and NOAA, providing real-time, ground-level reports during severe weather. These reports save lives.

Becoming a Skywarn spotter is easy, but training is required so you’ll know what to look for and how to report it properly. And now’s your chance to get trained–in person!

📍 Location:
1890 Jim Keene Blvd
Winter Haven, FL

📅 Date:
Thursday, July 24, 2025

🕓 Session Times:

• 4:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.
• 6:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.

✅ No sign-up required — just pick a session and show up.

This is a fantastic opportunity to support our community, hone your skills, and demonstrate the value of amateur radio in emergency communication.

Let’s show up, get trained, and stay ready!

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Did you miss the Field Day sign-up sheet at the last meeting? No problem–Fred (K1DU) is giving you another shot!

We still need volunteers for:

🔧 Setup
🎙️ Operations (operating or logging)
🧹 Take-down and Cleanup

📞 Call Fred at 781-854-1150

If he doesn’t answer, leave a voicemail with your name and number–he’ll get back to you.

Let’s make Field Day a success–your help makes it happen!

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Field Day is one of the biggest events in amateur radio–and once again, LARC is all in!

We’ll kick things off on Friday, June 27, when we gain access to the Kathleen Area Historical Society facility. Setup begins at 3:00 p.m., starting with antennas. If you’re interested in learning more about antennas or just want to lend a hand, this is a great opportunity to get involved.

On Saturday, June 28, we’ll be back on-site by 6:00 a.m. to complete antenna setup and finalize the power generator that will run our stations. We aim to complete station checkout by noon, just in time for the official start of Field Day at 2:00 p.m.

The operating event runs continuously until 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 29. To stay ahead of the inevitable Florida thunderstorms, we’ll begin antenna takedown around noon on Sunday. We’ll also need help cleaning up and restoring the facility–please plan to stick around if you can.

Need a job? Check in with Fred (K1DU) for setup, operations, or cleanup assignments. We need all hams on deck–whether you’re an experienced operator or just want to pitch in. If you have no experience at all, that’s OK! The best way to learn is to jump in!

📍 Location:
Kathleen Area Historical Society
8950 North Campbell Road
Lakeland, FL

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Help Earn 100 Points for LARC!

One of the easiest ways to score points for the club is to copy the ARRL Field Day Bulletin from W1AW. It’s worth 100 points!

Even if you only get part of it, every bit helps–we can piece it together as a team. Here’s the full schedule, including modes, frequencies, and times:

Day	Mode	Eastern Time
Friday (6/27)	CW Digital Phone CW	8:00 pm 9:00 pm 9:45 pm 11:00 pm
Saturday (6/28)	CW Phone CW Digital Phone	10:00 am 111:00 am 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 9:45 pm
Sunday (6/29)	CW Phone Digital	10:00 am 11:00 am 12:00 Noon

W1AW will operate on the regularly published frequencies.

CW frequencies are 1.8025, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0775, 21.0675, 28.0675, 50.350 and 147.555 MHz.

Digital frequencies are 3.5975, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095, 28.095, 50.350 and 147.555 MHz.

During Field Day weekend, W1AW will transmit the Field Day Bulletin using 45.45 baud Baudot, PSK31 (BPSK Mode), and MFSK16 in this mode order. NOTE: On Friday local, the digital version of the Field Day bulletin sent from W1AW at 9 PM EDT will be transmitted using BPSK31, Baudot, and MFSK16 in this order.

Phone frequencies are 1.855, 3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160, 21.390, 28.590, 50.350 and 147.555 MHz.

The Lakeland Amateur Radio Club was proud to assist with communications support for this year’s March for Babies event on Saturday, May 31st. Despite the earlier rain, spirits were high as about 175 walkers made their way around Lake Hollingsworth.

Here’s the team that helped keep everything running smoothly:

Net Control: Bill — KK4LYQ

Station #1: Bill — K4JZ

Station #2: Kenny — KM4UYX & Howard — K4THC

Station #3: Ringo — N4SI & Stacy — N4SDB

Station #4: Bob — NC8I

Rover: Jim — W4XDS

Tail-End Charlie: Eric — W4EMT

Big thanks to everyone who turned out and represented amateur radio in action! Here are some photos from the event:

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Next LARC Club Meeting

🗓 Monday, June 9th
📍 Parkview Baptist Church (across from Lakeland Regional Health)
🕠 Ham Testing: 5:30 p.m.
🕖 Meeting Begins: 7:00 p.m.

This will be our final meeting before Field Day, so Fred — K1DU will be giving us an update and collecting any last-minute signups. We’ll also hear from VISTE (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly)–a community organization LARC supports.

And don’t forget: our annual Tablegate meeting is coming up in August. Now’s a good time to go through your gear and see if you have anything to sell or trade!

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📍 Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland

📅 This Saturday, May 31

🕖 Meet at 7:45 AM | Done by ~11:30 AM

The Lakeland Amateur Radio Club has once again been invited to provide communications support for the March for Babies walk around Lake Hollingsworth. This is a great public service opportunity and a fun way to show the power of ham radio in action and assist in this fun-raising event.

We’ll meet at First Presbyterian Church parking lot at 7:45 AM this Saturday, May 31. Walkers begin check-in at 8:00 AM, and we’ll be setting up stations around the lake with Net Control operating from the church parking lot. We expect to wrap up between 11:00 and 11:30 AM–so you’ll still have most of your Saturday free.

💬 If you’re available to help, please reach out to Jim Stewart (W4XDS) at w4xds@outlook.com.

This is a great way to give back and help demonstrate how amateur radio supports our community. We hope to see you there!

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Hurricane Season officially kicks off June 1st!

Also, recent afternoon thunderstorms have already brought down trees and sparked fires from lightning strikes. That’s why emergency communication matters–and that’s where you come in!

Groups like Skywarn and ARES are always in need of trained radio operators. All you really need to get started is a handheld radio (HT). At the May LARC meeting, Mike Shreve, N6MRS, will be presenting on EMCOMM and CERT–how to get trained, what’s involved, and how you can help protect lives and property during disasters.

We’ll also hear from Fred Delaney, K1DU, with a Field Day 2025 update. This year’s event is June 28–29 at the Kathleen Area Historical Society on North Campbell Road. If you haven’t signed up yet–now’s the time! We need operators and support crew!

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📅 May LARC Meeting****

📍 Parkview Baptist Church (across from LRH)__

🕖 Monday, May 12th at 7:00 PM__

📝 Ham Testing begins at 5:30 PM, same location

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The 2025 Sun-N-Fun banner.

The week of April 1 through 6 marked the annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland Linder Airport. This year, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels were a featured part of the airshow, drawing large crowds and putting on an incredible display.

Geoff (WA4MMO) secured the special event callsign W4S and organized a great group of LARC members to operate the station. ICOM America generously provided a brand-new IC-7300 for the event. Dan (WZ1P) and the team set up a 40-meter vertical, a multi-band Hex Beam covering 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters, and a 2-meter/70-centimeter J-Pole.

This year, W4S made over 1,000 contacts — a new record! Geoff might need to ice his hands after writing and mailing all those QSL cards!

Thanks to Grant (W2BF) and Ringo (N4SI) for the pictures and video.

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April LARC Meeting

The monthly LARC meeting will be held this Monday night, April 14, at Parkview Baptist Church, located across from Lakeland Regional Health hospital. Ham exams begin at 5:30 p.m., and the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.

This month, club president Jim Stewart (W4XDS) will demonstrate two of his 3D printers and share some fantastic ideas for items we all need in our shacks — including how to reproduce hard-to-find (and no longer manufactured) parts.

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This past weekend, Geoff (WA4MMO) took Eric (W4EMT) and Sarah (K4EMT) up in his Cessna airplane for a little sightseeing over Lakeland.

Flying north out of Lakeland Regional, at 2,000 feet and cruising at 125 MPH, we quickly reached the Green Swamp, one of Florida’s most important wetlands. This area plays a crucial role in recharging the Floridan Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to much of the state.

Below us, a small cypress strand came into view, with some bald cypress trees standing out on the right. These trees, known for their distinctive “knees,” thrive in wetland areas and are a staple of Florida’s swamp ecosystems.

Soon, we arrived at Colt Creek State Park, a 5,067-acre preserve known for its pine forests, open pastures, and freshwater lakes. Geoff didn’t hesitate to “fly” right past the stop sign at the ranger station–probably the only time you can get away with that!

Next, we got a great view of the RV campground. Several of us used this location for ARRL Field Day in 2020 and 2021 during the Pandemic.

Flying further into the park, we spotted Mac Lake and Little Mac Lake, two of Colt Creek’s three main bodies of water. These lakes are popular for fishing, and wildlife viewing.

Circling Mac Lake, we captured a great shot of the Blue Heron Pavilion–where we recently gathered for the LARC Spring Picnic! The picnic area, with its scenic views and shaded seating, is a favorite spot for both visitors and local wildlife.

Uh-oh! It looks like we’ve been spotted from the ground! Maybe we really should have stopped at that stop sign after all…

Thanks, Geoff, for an unforgettable flight! That’s a sharp-looking airplane, and we appreciate the chance to see our favorite local spots from a whole new perspective.`