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.`

And let’s not forget the amazing food made the day even better!

Check out the photos!

Thanks to Sarah (K4EMT) for sharing the pictures!

We also had a rare signing of our two Thursday night Net Control operators in the same place at the same time. Bob (NC8I), who does the Fusion Net (6:30pm) and Dan (WZ1P) who does the Trader’s Net (8:30pm).

Big thanks to George (KJ4UW) and Howard (K4THC) for sharing these pics!

The LARC Spring Picnic is ON!

Get ready for a fun Saturday (March 15th)! Our club picnics are always a blast—and educational too. We’ll have antennas set up with multiple operating locations, so you can sit down and make some contacts. HF propagation has been great this week, so expect some good QSOs!

Where:

 Colt Creek State Park
16000 State Rte 471, Lakeland, FL 33809

 Entry Fee:

• $3 if you’re alone
• $4 for a carload

Schedule:

• Park Opens: 8:00 AM (Come early if you’d like—coffee & donuts will be available!)
• Lunch: ~11:30 AM (BBQ provided—bring a side dish and drinks)
• Location: We have the Blue Heron Pavilion reserved all day, so feel free to stay until the park closes!

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Ahhh! Portable Operations! A tropical beach, a comfy chair, a tropical drink in one hand, and a logbook in the other. Sounds like paradise, right? Well, maybe. But hold on–do you have everything you need for a successful operation? Is your setup lightweight enough to carry?

Meet Dan Gagnon, WZ1P. You may know him as our regular net control for the Thursday night “Trader’s Net” on the club’s K4LKL repeater. Dan’s also well-versed in portable operations. He is a member of “Buddies in the Caribbean” DXpedition team. If you want to see what he keeps in his portable backpack, come to the March LARC Club meeting. Dan will speak to us about his trips and why he carries what he has in his backpack.

Next Club Meeting
When: Monday, March 10th. Ham exams at 5:30pm. Meeting starts at 7:00pm.
Where: Parkview Baptist Church across from Lakeland Regional Health hospital.

Don’t forget to check-in at the entrance table.

Spring Club Picnic
We have our annual spring picnic coming up very soon. It’s set for Saturday, March 15th at Colt Creek State Park’s Blue Heron Pavilion. The park opens at 8:00am and that’s when the fun starts. Bring a dish to share and drinks, too. Lunch is around 11:00am. Several radios will be set up if you want to try your hand at POTA or just have some fun on the HF bands. This picnic is a LOT of fun. It’s also a good opportunity to learn more about radios of different types, working HF, or to introduce Ham radio to a friend.

To assist her, LARC members Bob (NC8I) and Fred (K1DU) carefully went through all of Lee’s equipment, verified that it was in good working order, and cleaned everything up. Many items have already been sold, but there is still plenty of great gear available. It is priced to sell! Offers are also welcome.

100% of the proceeds from this sale go directly to Terrie. This is our way of supporting her and honoring Lee’s legacy in the ham radio community.

Here’s we need to sell

Kenwood TS-590S – $600. This is a 160m-6m transceiver with a built-in sound card for digital modes. This would make a great backup radio or something for a new-to-HF operator that wants to try FT8 or RTTY. The radio supports CAT Control as well asUSB, LSB, AM, CW, and FM.

Kenwood MC-60A Desk Microphone – $100

Kenwood SP-31 Speaker Cabinat – $100

Heil IC-BM Icom microphone – $90

Ameritron AL-811H – 800 watt amplifier. The four 811A tubes are in great shape and rated for full power. 10 meter operation is enabled. $600

If you’re interested in purchasing any of this equipment or would like more details, please contact Bob (NC8I) or Fred (K1DU). Both are good on QRZ. Make an offer!

Let’s help find good homes for Lee’s gear while supporting his family in the process.

Thanks to George, KJ4UW

Thanks to Ed, N2TE

Our next meeting will be on Monday, February 10th, at 7:00 PM at Parkview Baptist Church in Lakeland. It’s right across the street from Lakeland Regional Hospital.

We’ve got an exciting update for those interested in digital radio! The Fusion repeater in Bartow (145.27 MHz)–a joint effort between the Lakeland and Lake Wales clubs–now has Wires-X enabled! If you have a Yaesu radio that supports C4FM and Wires-X, you can take advantage of this new functionality.

To help us all understand how to use it properly, Russ Delany, N4RTD, will be joining us right after ham testing to give an overview of Wires-X, including basic instructions and best practices for operating on the system. He’s also provided a helpful guide on his website: https://delaney.rocks/wires-x/. Check it out before the meeting!

When you arrive, be sure to check in at the table inside the entrance. There will be a QR code that links to a website for easy check-in. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to ask.

Looking Ahead: LARC Spring Picnic!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 15th–it’s time for the annual LARC Spring Picnic! We’ll be gathering at Colt Creek State Park’s Blue Heron Pavilion starting around 9 AM. More details will be shared at the February meeting, but one highlight you won’t want to miss: Fred, K1DU, will be setting up antennas. You can use them for a POTA activation!

See you all at the meeting!

January is a time for looking back and looking forward. That’s what we intend to do at our next club meeting this coming Monday, January 13th. We’ll discuss the big events we did back in 2024 such as Field Day, The Warrior Walk. Then we’ll talk about what we have planned for 2025 including our Spring Picnic coming up on March 15th at Colt Creek State Park.

See you at the next LARC Club Meeting!
Monday, January 13th at 7:00pm at the Parkview Baptist Church which is located right across the street from Lakeland Regional Hospital on Lakeland Hills Blvd in Lakeland, FL. We also have Ham Testing starting at 5:30pm. If you need to upgrade your license, come early for the meeting and give it a try. As always, there is no charge for taking a ham exam with us.

All of us, even Santa, needs to put down the mike/keyer every so often and enjoy the holidays! Mark your calendar now for our next LARC club meeting. It’s this coming Monday, December 9th and will be our special Christmas party. This is going to be a special treat, so we have a special time. Instead of meeting at our usual 7pm, the fun starts at 6:00pm. No change in location. It will be at the Parkview Baptist Church across the street from Lakeland Regional Hospital. Here’s what we will be enjoying.

• Beef Brisket
• BBQ Chicken
• Mac & Cheese
• Potato salad
• Cole slaw
• Baked beans
• Cakes and other deserts
• Also! Door Prizes. There are some really cool ones too including a dual-band HT.

Cost: $10/adult $5/children.

Everyone is welcome! Bring your family & friends. This will be a great time to include someone interested in ham radio.

Reminder: No VE session for this month only. However, if you want to try a ham exam, here’s a website showing where & when you can find one near you. https://tinyurl.com/radioexams.

See you Monday! Come Hungry!

Stationed at the start/finish line was Fred Delaney, KIDU (Net Control) and Eric Clark, W4EMT.

Stationed around Lake Hollingsworth to support the walkers and runners were:

Russ Delaney, N4RTD
Steve Shultz, N7HUQ
Ken Evers, W9KBE
Karl Thorton, KQ4BIV
Josiah Thorton, KQ4BIW
Ringo Bretton, N4SI
Bill Bustin, KF4Q
Grant Burhans, W2BF
Mary Burhans, KQ4HWU
Ed Marchese, N2TE
Howard Pierce, K4THC

Performing support and rover positions were:
Jim Stewart, W4XDS
Mike Shreve, N6MRS

And bringing up the rear, walking behind the group, was Kenny Kozla, KM4UYX. Kenny was the only LARC member supporting the Warrior Walk that actually walked all the way around the lake. Kenny is seen here getting some lifesaving assistance at one of the sponsor’s stations.

Apologies if anyone was left out. Everyone had a great time! And, it was an opportunity to support the public.

Quick Note: Keep on eye on your inbox for an email from Jim Stewart. He will be sending out ballots for the 2025 LARC Directors and Board members upcoming elections. Jim will also have instructions on how to send your completed ballots back in for counting. You have a say in the leadership of the club for next year. The results will be announced at the November meeting.