News & Blog

Whether you are a newly licensed amateur, returning to the hobby, or considering your first HF setup, this presentation will provide practical guidance on selecting equipment and planning a station that fits your interests and budget. Drawing on his experience as an active HF operator, Mike Luongo, K2NNN, discussed equipment choices, station planning considerations, and practical tips to help new operators get on the air successfully.

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On Saturday, September 5, 2026, from 9 AM to 1:30 PM ET, local amateur radio operators returned to Bramhall Terrace in South Mountain Reservation, Maplewood, New Jersey, for another morning of portable operating, experimentation, and time together outdoors. The September meetup drew a solid turnout, with approximately 8 to 10 licensed amateur radio operators participating throughout the morning. Two HF stations and one VHF station were set up, giving the group several opportunities to operate, compare equipment, and experiment…

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Join Mike Luongo, K2NNN, as he presents on the topic of setting up your first HF station. WEARC members and guests are invited to join the presentation, either in-person at the American Red Cross facility in Fairfield NJ, or, on Zoom. The presentation will take place on Wednesday September 16th at 7:30PM EST. For WEARC members, join on the regular “social” zoom link or in-person at the American Red Cross in Fairfield. If you are not currently a WEARC…

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Participants in the W2NJR 10 AM Friendly Chat Net took the conversation from the airwaves to Eagle Rock Reservation in Essex County on Monday morning, August 24. The informal gathering ran from about 9:30 AM until noon and brought together regular net participants along with net host Bill, K3CBI, for a morning of radio, conversation, and a chance to put some faces to familiar voices. Conditions at Eagle Rock were excellent for the gathering, with pleasant late-summer weather and…

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On Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 9 AM to 12:30 PM ET, members of the West Essex Amateur Radio Club (WEARC), Roseland Amateur Radio Club, NPARC, Tri-County Radio Association, and other local amateur radio operators gathered at Bramhall Terrace in South Mountain Reservation, Maplewood, New Jersey, for another morning of portable radio operating and technical experimentation. The August meetup drew an excellent turnout, with approximately 15 licensed amateur radio operators participating. A significant amount of equipment was brought to…

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Special Event – Roseland and other Local Clubs On-The-Air, Saturday, August 1st – South Mountain Reservation 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Portable HF/VHF/UHF operations from Bramhall Terrace in South Mountain Reservation — Maplewood, NJ Event questions or talk-in: KC2TXA Repeater, 146.595 +1 MHz, 100.0 Hz PL | EchoLink: KC2TXA-R Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cpQqpdH1YsPKEe7x6

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DL2MAN is working on a major firmware update for the popular (tr)uSDX HF transceiver. The new firmware adds a significant calibration process, which helps remove the guesswork for setting the PA bias, frequency adjustment, and other settings. In addition, some help of AI tools are being used to help make some of these enhancements possible. Lastly, a true fix for the notably poor SSB phone quality (on transmit) might be addressed as a hardware fix. Effectively, there is no…

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The annual Sussex Hamfest is a longstanding New Jersey amateur radio tradition. Hosted by the Sussex County Amateur Radio Club at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, it brings together radio amateurs from across the region for a day of equipment sales, club activity and conversation. For WEARC members and friends, the hamfest is also a chance to spend time together away from regular meetings and on-air activity. Some attend to look for radios, antennas, parts or test equipment.…

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The West Essex Amateur Radio Club gathered at the Fairfield NJ American Red Cross site for Field Day 2026. We operated SSB (phone) and FT8 (digital mode) on 20M and 40M throughout the weekend.  Antennas were raised and feedline was run a few days prior to the start of Field Day. The HF rigs used were IC 7300’s. Power was commercial, operating in an EOC as 2F.  We had some scouts visit us as well, and we hope we…

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Preparation for ARRL Field Day 2026 have commenced! Antennas are being raised, feedlines routed, and other preparations for this year’s summer field day. Join WEARC and ARC² at the American Red Cross grounds at 209 Fairfield Rd, Fairfield NJ, Saturday June 27th – Sunday June 28th.

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