Please join the 2m simplex net the first and third Wednesday at 7:30p on 146.400 Click for more info
Experimentation
W4FSV
Breadboard Radio – Ham Radio Kits that are easy to build and fun to use!
KM4ACK
Build-a-Pi will allow you to get up and running fast with a Raspberry Pi for ham radio.
ARRL Special Service Club Award
Congratulations! The SSC status has been approved for the Columbia Amateur Radio Club, W4CAE.
Thank you for being so supportive of amateur radio.
Sincerely,
Mike Walters, W8ZY
Field Services Manager
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®
Get Ready for the Big One: ARRL Field Day 2026!
Mark your calendars! The most anticipated event in amateur radio is just around the corner. ARRL Field Day 2026 is officially set for the fourth full weekend in June: June 27–28, 2026.
Whether you are a seasoned contester, a digital mode enthusiast, or a brand-new ham looking to make your first contact, Field Day is the ultimate “open house” for our hobby. It’s part emergency exercise, part contest, and 100% community.
The 2026 Message: “Resilience Through Connection”
Every year, Field Day reminds us why we do what we do. In an era where communication is often taken for granted, the 2026 focus remains clear: Science, Skill, and Service.
The goal isn’t just to rack up points; it’s to prove that when the grid goes down, and the “normal” world goes quiet, amateur radio operators are ready. This year, we are placing a special emphasis on:
- Emergency Preparedness: Testing our gear in “less-than-optimal” conditions.
- Technical Growth: Experimenting with new antennas, solar power, and portable deployments.
- Public Outreach: Showing our neighbors that ham radio is a modern, vital resource for the community.
Call to Action: Start Planning NOW!
A successful Field Day doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of teamwork and early preparation. We are calling on all club members to step up and help make 2026 our best year yet.
Here is how you can jump in right now:
- Join a Committee: We need leads for Site Selection, Antenna Safety, Food/Logistics, and Public Relations.
- Inventory Your Gear: Dust off those portable rigs, check your battery health, and inspect your coax. Don’t wait until June 26th to find a blown fuse!
- The GOTA Station: We need “coaches” for our Get On The Air station. If you enjoy mentoring new hams or curious visitors, this is your time to shine.
- Bonus Point Hunting: From satellite contacts to copying the W1AW bulletin, there are dozens of ways to boost our club score. Who wants to take the lead on the Section Manager message this year?
Event Details at a Glance:
- When: June 27 (1800 UTC) to June 28 (2059 UTC)
- Where: TBD – will update as soon as possible
- Objective: To contact as many stations as possible and learn to operate in abnormal situations.
Let’s show the world what we can do! Check your email for the next planning meeting date, or reach out to the Club President to volunteer for a specific role.
CARC Hams Hangout- 3/21/26, 10:30 am at Sesqi State Park
Calling all Hams, Preppers, Techies, and Radio-Curious!
The Columbia Amateur Radio Club is heading to the pines for a Ham Hangout at beautiful Sesquicentennial State Park! Whether you’ve been licensed for 40 years or have never even touched a radio, this event is for YOU.
What’s the vibe?
Think “Science Lab meets Backyard BBQ.” We’re setting up portable stations, firing up the grill, and showing off what modern radio can really do.
What to expect:
GOTA Station (Get On The Air): Want to try making a contact? Our mentors will walk you through it—no license required to try it out!
Off-Grid Messaging: See Meshtastic (mesh texting), Winlink (email over radio), and FT8 in action.
Emergency Power: Check out solar panels, LiFePO4 battery setups, and field-ready gear.
Family Comms: Demos of GMRS, FRS, and Zello for staying connected when cell towers fail.
Food & Fellowship
We’ll have the grill hot and the antennas high. Bring a lawn chair, your family, and all your “how does that work?” questions.
When: March 21, 2026, 10:30 am to 8 PM
Where: Sesquicentennial State Park
Who: Licensed Hams, FRS/GMRS/MURS users, makers and tech enthusiasts, families, and friends!
Let’s build community, share some “Elmering” (mentoring), and enjoy the great outdoors together.
#HamRadio #W4CAE #ColumbiaSC #POTA #Meshtastic #EmergencyPrep #AmateurRadio #SesquiStatePark
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W4CAE in Your Pocket: Setting Up AllStar on Your Smartphone
“Did you know your smartphone can double as a powerful handheld transceiver? Whether you’re away from your shack or out of range of a local repeater, the AllStar Link network keeps you connected. This guide walks you through the essential steps to get your mobile device configured for AllStar—from obtaining your mandatory FCC documentation to…
📢 Attention All Hams! Big News for this Friday Night! 🎙️
Looking to kick off your weekend with some great conversation? The Friday Night TGIF Net is happening tomorrow, April 3rd, 2026, at 8:30 PM, and we’re making it easier than ever to join the fun!
🌍 How to Connect
Whether you’re a DMR pro or strictly an analog operator, we’ve got you covered:
- DMR Users: Tune in to the TGIF Network on Talk Group 31665.
- Analog/2M Users: For this week only, the Columbia Amateur Radio Club is linking the 147.330 repeater directly to the net via Allstar!
🚀 No DMR? No Problem!
Thanks to the Allstar link, you can participate in the TGIF Net using your standard 2M radio. You get the reach of digital with the simplicity of analog—no codeplugs or hotspots required. Just tune your radio to 147.330 and join the conversation.
Net Start: Friday, April 3rd @ 8:30 PM Analog Access: 147.330 Repeater Digital Access: TGIF Talk Group 31665
Dust off the mic, grab a cold drink, and help us make some noise on the airwaves! 📻✨
#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #TGIFNet #CARC #W4CAE #DMR #Allstar #FridayNightNet #ColumbiaSC
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/simplex-net/
When to self ID
Riley Hollingsworth is the ARRL guy managing the Volunteer Monitor program and he has cleared up a few things about when you must self ID.
You must self ID once every 10 minutes if:
- You are using your own callsign
- You are using a club callsign, like W4CAE or K4EMD
- You are using a special event tactical callsign, like the ones we use for Harbison 50K or Tour De Cure
- You are using an ARES/Auxcomm tactical callsign, Like LEX EOC or State EOC
Of course you will self ID sooner if the event coordinator directs you to. In some events you might be asked to self ID on every transmission you make. An example would be “Net Control LEX EOC message body goes here K4LLE“
You must self ID every 60 minutes if:
1 You are using an FCC issued 1×1 special event callsign. An Example is K2L. It is also suggested that you instead of every 60 minutes you self ID every 30 minutes just to be on the safe side. You should always follow the direction of the event coordinator.
FCC article on FCC issued 1×1 callsign, CLICK
There is no need to say “for ID” just say your callsign
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Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/when-to-self-id/
New FCC RF safety rules for ham radio – May 3 2021
N2RJ does a great job of explaining this for us.
Highlights:
- Before May 3 2021 anything transmitting less then 100 watts was exempt from doing an RF Exposure checklist.
- After May 3 2021 everything, even QRP transmitters needs to have an RF Exposure checklist done and kept on file at your QTH.
- RF exposure is about safety more then RF interference (RFI). If you are running an amplifier and the antenna is on a tripod next to your chair, you really need to think about what all that RF energy is doing to your eyeballs… No kidding.
- For stations already in place, that evaluation must be completed by May 3, 2023. After May 3 of this year, any new station, or any existing station modified in a way that’s likely to change its RFE profile — such as different antenna or placement or greater power — will need to conduct an evaluation by the date of activation or change.
- The CARC has operators with plenty of experience on doing an RF Exposure checklist so don’t get concerned if some of this looks difficult. Attend our Sunday night net at 8:30p and ask net control for help, someone will contact you and take you through it. All you really need is a tape measure.
- ARRL RF safety page, just click here.
Click on the video for the full story.
ARRL video on RF Exposure Rules..
http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm
Shows compliance at a given distance
Lake Washington Ham Club and Wayne N6NB
http://www.lakewashingtonhamclub.org/resources/rf-exposure-calculator/
Shows distance to compliance
Ham Radio School Excel Sheet (save XLS file)
https://hamradioschool.com/rf-exposure-calculator/
Show MPE and compliance for a given distance
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/new-fcc-rf-safety-rules-for-ham-radio-may-3-2021/
AREDN-MESH Networking by Wayne N1CLV
New presentation added from our April 2021 club meeting.
Located on the presentation menu tab or click the pic
This video is on Google Drive and as such will NOT play if you have cookies blocked on your web browser. You can download it or allow all cookies and play the video, just remember to block cookies again if that is what you want to do.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/aredn-mesh-networking-by-wayne-n1clv/
Bomb Island Special Event, Huge Success
CLICK the patch for the slide show.
Majority of the pictures are from Amanda K4ASM
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/bomb-island-special-event-huge-success/
Our QSO Party Team @ EmComm Trailer
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/our-qso-party-team-emcomm-trailer/
FCC crackdown on Baofeng HT ?
Watch this youtube video and learn about why this is an issue in the first place and what the FCC is doing about it.
Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/fcc-crackdown-on-baofeng-ht/