Digital Operations

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.

Emergency Communications

Voice Operations

Education

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:

  1. Join a Committee: We need leads for Site Selection, Antenna Safety, Food/Logistics, and Public Relations.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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…

(more…)

Field Day 2026: The Year of the Club!

Join W4CAE for Field Day 2026: The Year of the Club!

The Columbia Amateur Radio Club (W4CAE) invites all hams and enthusiasts to join us for ARRL Field Day 2026 at Sesquicentennial State Park! Starting June 27th at 8:00 AM, we’ll be operating through the night until noon on Sunday.

As part of the ARRL Year of the Club, we are celebrating the local groups that serve as the backbone of our hobby. Come out to the primitive camping area for portable stations, person-to-person QSOs, and on-site VE Testing.

Dinner is on us! We’ll be serving up a catered BBQ spread on Saturday evening—because great radio work deserves great food.

Stay Informed: It is crucial to join all planning calls, attend our May and June Club meetings, and join the Hams and Eggs Breakfasts. For the latest updates, keep a close watch on https://www.W4CAE.com and our Facebook page.

We have plenty of room for visiting groups and individual operators. See you there!

More details to come!

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CARC Hamfest Hangout

Get Ready for the CARC Hamfest Hangout!

Calling all ham radio operators, builders, tinkerers, and tech enthusiasts! Join the Columbia Amateur Radio Club for a morning dedicated to all things Amateur Radio. Whether you’ve been on the air for decades or are just curious about the hobby, this event is for you!

When & Where:

** Date:** October 24, 2026

**Time:** 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM

**Location:** Potters Park — Elgin, SC

Why You Can’t Miss It:

**100% FREE:** No admission fees to attend, and **zero cost** to set up and sell!

Buy, Sell & Swap: Score incredible deals on gear, find that missing piece for your shack, or clear out your own ham shack extra inventory.

Live Demos: See cool setups, new digital modes, and gear in action.

Eye-to-Eye QSOs: Put faces to callsigns, catch up with old friends, and talk shop with the local ham community.

Talk-In Info:

Need directions on your way in? Tune into the Columbia Amateur Radio Club repeater:

Frequency: 147.330 MHz (+ offset)

PL Tone: 156.7 Hz

Grab your gear, bring your appetite for radio talk, and come hang out with us!

Potter Community Park – Town of Elgin, South Carolina https://share.google/Rat3oOUp24tlUskhj

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/carc-hamfest-hangout/

W4CAE ARRL Summer Field Day 2026

Thanks to Don Taylor K4KGT for the photos.

Thanks to Mark KN4KRZ for the photos.

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/w4cae-arrl-summer-field-day-2026/

July 2026 W4CAE Club Meeting

Columbia Amateur Radio Club July Meeting: Winlink Demo, Field Day Recap, and More!


Dear CARC Members, Family, and Friends,
Our next monthly club meeting is just around the corner, and we have an action-packed agenda lined up! Whether you are a seasoned operator or brand new to the hobby, this meeting offers a fantastic mix of event recaps, technical training, and community updates.

Meeting Details

  • Date: Monday, July 6, 2026
  • Time: 7:00 PM
  • Location: South Carolina ETV (SCETV) Telecommunications Center

 CRITICAL ROOM ACCESS NOTICE 
PLEASE NOTE: We absolutely cannot access the meeting room before 6:30 PM. Please respect this strict request from ETV staff so we can maintain our excellent relationship with the venue. Thank you for your cooperation!

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89467637228?pwd=V5a40D4GLjkWpPrsCcrATukcT8wzFt.1

Meeting ID: 894 6763 7228
Passcode: 835928

July Meeting Agenda & Highlights

📊 Event Recaps & Reviews

  • June Presenter Follow-Up: A quick look back at last month’s excellent presentation on the Spooltenna. We will review the key takeaways for building and deploying these highly portable antenna designs.
  • Lake Murray Ride of Champions: A huge thank you to everyone who assisted with public service communications for the cycling event. We will give an overview of how the net performed and how our tracking kept riders safe.
  • ARRL Field Day 2026: We survived the heat and made the contacts! We will recap our station setups, highlight notable contacts, and review our preliminary scoring log.
  • Hams and Eggs Breakfast: A brief look back at our recent casual Saturday morning social. Thank you to everyone who came out to share a meal and chat radios.

🛠️ Technical Presentations & Demonstrations

  • Winlink Presentation & Live Demo: Learn how to send global email over radio frequencies. We will host a live demonstration showing how to configure your station, send messages, and utilize Winlink for critical emergency communications.
  • Public DMR Hotspot: Get the details on the club’s public Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) hotspot. We will cover the technical parameters, talk groups, and how you can access it to expand your digital footprint.

📅 Upcoming Activities

  • July 25th Lunch and Learn: Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 25th! We will share a quick reminder about the location, time, and topic for this weekend’s educational session.

📷 Call for Field Day Photos!

Did you snap any great pictures during Field Day weekend? We want to see them! Please bring your photos to the meeting on a flash drive, or email them to our club secretary ahead of time so we can showcase our members in action during the recap.

We look forward to seeing everyone there. Family and friends are always welcome!

73,
Columbia Amateur Radio Club (CARC)

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/july-2026-w4cae-club-meeting/

“UPDATE” May the 4th Be with You! Columbia Amateur Radio Club Monthly meeting

📡 What is Meshtastic? Join us for our May Monthly Meeting!

Get ready to level up your emergency comms! This month, the Columbia Amateur Radio Club is thrilled to host a special guest and a topic that’s been taking the radio world by storm.

Whether you’re a seasoned ham or just curious about off-grid tech, you won’t want to miss this.

🎤 Special Presentation:

“What is Meshtastic? Off-Grid Messaging for Disaster Response” Presented by: Bob Beasley

Bob will be walking us through how Meshtastic uses low-cost LoRa hardware to create a resilient, long-range mesh network—perfect for keeping your community connected when the grid goes down.

There will be 2 drawings for a SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E, must be present to win.

SenseCAP T1000-E is a high-performance tracker designed for Meshtastic. As small as a credit card, effortlessly fitting in your pocket or attaching to your assets. It embeds Semtech’s LR1110, Nordic’s nRF52840, and Mediatek’s AG3335 GPS module, providing Meshtastic users with a high-precision, low-power positioning and communication solution.

🗓️ When & Where:

  • Date: Monday, May 4th
  • Time: 7:00 PM
  • Location: 1101 George Rogers Blvd, Columbia, SC 29201

Why come?

  • Learn: Discover how to set up your own off-grid nodes.
  • Connect: Meet up with fellow enthusiasts and club members.
  • Prepare: See real-world disaster-response applications right here in South Carolina.

This meeting is open to everyone! Bring a friend, bring your questions, and let’s talk tech. We can’t wait to see you there!

#Meshtastic #W4CAE #HamRadio #ColumbiaSC #EmergencyComms #OffGrid #AmateurRadio

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/may-the-4th-be-with-you-columbia-amateur-radio-club-monthly-meeting/

Columbia Amateur Radio Club (W4CAE) June 2026 Monthly Meeting

June 1, 2026 – 7:00 PM

The Columbia Amateur Radio Club (W4CAE) invites all members, guests, and anyone interested in amateur radio to join us for our June Monthly Meeting.

📅 Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: South Carolina ETV Building
1101 George Rogers Blvd
Columbia, SC 29201

Zoom Link-https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89467637228?pwd=V5a40D4GLjkWpPrsCcrATukcT8wzFt.1

Featured Presentations

Spooltenna

Learn about the innovative and portable antenna solutions from Spooltenna. This presentation will cover the design, deployment, and practical applications of these compact antenna systems for portable and emergency communications.

Check out their website here-https://www.spooltenna.com/

David Lauten, KF4HAW – Modern Tools for CW

David Lauten, KF4HAW, will present on modern tools and technology available to today’s CW (Morse Code) operators. Whether you’re a seasoned CW enthusiast or just getting started, you’ll discover software, hardware, training resources, and techniques that can help improve your operating skills and enjoyment of the mode.

Club Business

We will also discuss upcoming club activities, public service events, repeater updates, training opportunities, and other items of interest to the amateur radio community, including:

ARRL Field Day 2026 – Join us at Sesquicentennial State Park on June 27–28, 2026 for one of amateur radio’s largest annual operating events. Volunteers are needed for setup, operating, logging, and teardown.

Ride of Champions Bicycle Ride Support – Volunteer radio operators are needed to provide communications support for this event on June 13, 2026.

July Lunch & Learn – Mark your calendars for our next Lunch & Learn gathering at Little Pigs BBQ on July 25, 2026. Bring your radios, projects, questions, and ideas for a day of fellowship and learning.

Visitors Welcome

Whether you’re a licensed amateur radio operator, studying for your license, or simply curious about the hobby, we encourage you to attend. Bring your questions, ideas, and enthusiasm for amateur radio!

We look forward to seeing everyone on June 1st at the SC ETV Building!

73, CARC

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/columbia-amateur-radio-club-w4cae-june-2026-monthly-meeting/

Field Day 2026: The Year of the Club!

Join W4CAE for Field Day 2026: The Year of the Club!

The Columbia Amateur Radio Club (W4CAE) invites all hams and enthusiasts to join us for ARRL Field Day 2026 at Sesquicentennial State Park! Starting June 27th at 8:00 AM, we’ll be operating through the night until noon on Sunday.

As part of the ARRL Year of the Club, we are celebrating the local groups that serve as the backbone of our hobby. Come out to the primitive camping area for portable stations, person-to-person QSOs, and on-site VE Testing.

Dinner is on us! We’ll be serving up a catered BBQ spread on Saturday evening—because great radio work deserves great food.

Stay Informed: It is crucial to join all planning calls, attend our May and June Club meetings, and join the Hams and Eggs Breakfasts. For the latest updates, keep a close watch on https://www.W4CAE.com and our Facebook page.

We have plenty of room for visiting groups and individual operators. See you there!

More details to come!

Permanent link to this article: https://w4cae.com/field-day-2026-the-year-of-the-club/

📢 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/%f0%9f%93%a2-attention-all-hams-big-news-for-this-friday-night-%f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8f/