October 16 @ 1:00 am – October 18 @ 7:30 am UTC-8

http://pacificon.org

Note: Registration Closes @ Midnight on October 1st!

• Over $11,000 was given out as prizes.

• Three jumpers made parachute mobile contacts.

• People Got On The Air at the Special Event Station W1AW/6 hosted by paara.org.

• Elecraft released the KH1 radio and we gave one away as a grand prize to an attendee. Wayne Burdick N6KR interview by KK6USY.

• Pete Harris was awarded Volunteer of the Year.

• Our super Hospitality efforts kept vendors and staff going!

• theEpochTimes.com article

Pacificon℠ gives you three great days of activities for one low cost:

* A full slate of outstanding Forum presentations about a wide range of amateur radio topics

* An all-day Antenna Seminar (additional fee required)

* Gordon West, WB6NOA: Author, educator, speaker and irrepressible promoter of all things ham radio

* Large Vendor and Nonprofit expo filled with exciting products and exhibits

* Events including an outdoor Swap Meet

* Youth Activities

* Parachute Mobile contacts

* Electronics kit building and soldering instruction

* A One Day License Prep Class to prepare you to pass the amateur radio Technician license examination and get your first amateur radio license

* A One Day License Prep Class to prepare you to upgrade to the GeneralClass level

* Two days of License Testing

* A Special Events Station W1AW/6 where you can operate and contact other hams worldwide, even if you don’t have a license

* Our annual Wouff Hong Initiation ceremony

* A chance to hear about and discuss important national amateur radio issues with top ARRL leaders

* A chance to win radios and other great prizes throughout the convention

* M17 digital voice mode (patent free) and MMDVM talk and booths. M17 will be supported by our repeater W6CX soon.

And perhaps the best part – a chance to interact and share information with lots of other amateur radio enthusiasts to further (or begin) your own knowledge and to advance the hobby. 

Click here for the flyer: 

The post Pacificon 2026 Ham Radio Convention appeared first on TCARES.

October 10, 2025 @ 1:00 am – October 12, 2025 @ 10:00 am UTC-8

http://pacificon.org

Note: Registration Closes @ Midnight on October 1st!

• acificon awarded radios to the youngest ham and twin 11 year old girls from Napa that passed their Technician exam on Saturday morning, the second and third youngest. With permission, above is their reaction to their exam results with their proud father Nik W6QY.

• Over $11,000 was given out as prizes.

• Three jumpers made parachute mobile contacts.

• People Got On The Air at the Special Event Station W1AW/6 hosted by paara.org.

• Elecraft released the KH1 radio and we gave one away as a grand prize to an attendee. Wayne Burdick N6KR interview by KK6USY.

• Pete Harris was awarded Volunteer of the Year.

• Our super Hospitality efforts kept vendors and staff going!

• theEpochTimes.com article

Pacificon℠ gives you three great days of activities for one low cost:

* A full slate of outstanding Forum presentations about a wide range of amateur radio topics

* An all-day Antenna Seminar (additional fee required)

* Gordon West, WB6NOA: Author, educator, speaker and irrepressible promoter of all things ham radio

* Large Vendor and Nonprofit expo filled with exciting products and exhibits

* Events including an outdoor Swap Meet

* Youth Activities

* Parachute Mobile contacts

* Electronics kit building and soldering instruction

* A One Day License Prep Class to prepare you to pass the amateur radio Technician license examination and get your first amateur radio license

* A One Day License Prep Class to prepare you to upgrade to the GeneralClass level

* Two days of License Testing

* A Special Events Station W1AW/6 where you can operate and contact other hams worldwide, even if you don’t have a license

* Our wonderful Banquet & Keynote (video) Speaker Steve Goodgame K5ATA, ARRL Education and Learning Department  (additional fee required)

* Our annual Wouff Hong Initiation ceremony

* A chance to hear about and discuss important national amateur radio issues with top ARRL leaders

* A chance to win radios and other great prizes throughout the convention

* M17 digital voice mode (patent free) and MMDVM talk and booths. M17 will be supported by our repeater W6CX soon.

And perhaps the best part – a chance to interact and share information with lots of other amateur radio enthusiasts to further (or begin) your own knowledge and to advance the hobby. 

Click here for the flyer: 

The post Pacificon 2025 Ham Radio Convention appeared first on TCARES.

January 19, 2025 – January 25, 2025 PST

QuartzFest is special in part because it comes to life each year, rising from nothing in a remote area of the Sonoran desert in the southwestern USA. Hundreds of Hams and their families and friends choose to unplug from their daily lives, travel to and setup this desert community, and immerse themselves in this week-long one-of-a-kind ham radio, camping, learning and living event.

The educational classes at QuartzFest offer something for everyone including those new to ham radio or even the most seasoned veteran.

QuartzFest is a week-long ham radio, camping, learning and living event.

QuartzFest is an ARRL Specialty Convention held in January  near Quartzsite, Arizona in the United States. No other hamfest in the world brings together in one gathering so much innovation in mobile antenna systems, mobile ham shacks, recreational vehicles, portable and mobile EMCOMM systems, off-the-grid living, alternative energy and radio education.

What? Quartzfest© is an annual HAM Radio RV and tenters Boondocking event which is held in
late January every year with dates coinciding with the Quartzsite Arizona “RV Show”.
When? January 19th thru 25th of 2025 (make sure you add these important dates to your 2025
calendar)

Where? 7 miles south of Quartzsite Arizona – on US 95 at La Paz Valley Road
Who Can Attend? ANYONE! If you don’t have your Amateur Radio Operators License yet, you’ll
be able to take your Amateur Radio Operators License Exams at Quartzfest©
Cost? $5.00 per person for the entire week
Our Annual Amateur Radio “get together” is called “Quartzfest©” and is open to ALL to attend.
Quartzfest© is not a club, no officers and no dues..and only costs $5.00 per person for the entire
week of fun!! During the week of Quartzfest©, RV’s are everywhere across the desert, as far as
you can see..every make and model you can imagine!
There are hundreds of groups that meet in Quartzsite every year in different parts of the desert
who share like interests. Our group, Quartzfest©, started out in 1997 as just a few HAM RV’ers
getting together, camping in their RV’s in the middle of the desert..no power, no running water.
Solar Panels and Generators are in use everywhere (Porta-Potties are available for our tent campers
and day visitors).
Quartzfest© is similar to a Hamfest but lasts an entire week and is packed full of scheduled Seminars
and Activities (no vendors are allowed on BLM land though). Talks range in topics from Genealogy
and Crafts for Non-HAM’s to Solar Power and Battery Information, Technical information for the
seasoned HAM, and introductory information for the new HAM. Also included in the week’s activities
are Amateur Radio License Testing, Antenna Walkabout (touring other HAM’s RV Antenna
installations), Solar Walkabout, 4×4 Off Road Trip in the Desert, Prospecting, Campfires (some with
musical entertainment), Pot Luck dinner, Hootenanny and lot’s more!
We Camp on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land which is FREE, but you can only camp there for
14 days at a time.

The post 2025 Quartzfest Ham Radio Convention appeared first on TCARES.

April 17, 2021 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PDT

Learn how to be a ham radio operator in Tuolumne County.

SIGN UP BELOW, REGISTRATION REQUIRED, LIMITED TO THE FIRST 100 PEOPLE!

In this workshop, you will learn:

1. Emergency Communications
2. How to get your FCC Ham Radio License
3. How to study for the 35 question exam
4. How to get started for little as about $200 in radio gear and fees
5. How TCARES covers the county with 4 repeaters
6. How propagation affects radio signals
7. How to be safe while practicing the radio arts
8. How to participate with local hams and the Red Cross
9. How to listen to local public safety agencies

What is Ham Radio?

Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.

Although Amateur Radio operators get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the “Amateur Bands.” These bands are radio frequencies allocated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by ham radio operators.

Millions of amateur operators in all areas of the world communicate with each other directly or through ad hoc relay systems and amateur-satellites. They exchange messages by voice, data and morse code. The amateur and amateur-satellite services are for qualified persons of any age who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without compensation. These services present an opportunity for self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigations. Twenty-nine small frequency bands throughout the spectrum are allocated to this service internationally.

Special Guest Gordon West WB6NOA will join us!

Gordo will be our main speaker for the workshop. He will talk about how Ham Radio is used in emergencies and share some real audio recordings (short) of emergency communications in action. He will also address recent changes to the FCC filing process.

Gordon West, WB6NOA, has been a ham radio operator for more than 50 years. He holds the top Amateur Extra Class ham license, along with First Class General Radiotelephone Certificate with RADAR endorsement. The leading ham radio educator in America, he was named “Instructor of the Year” by the ARRL, and the “2006 Amateur of the Year” by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association.

APRIL 17, 2021, 11 AM Pacific Time

Register today for this free online workshop!

The post Intro to Ham Radio Online Workshop April 17 2021 appeared first on TCARES.