Major Events
Christmas Party (13 December) will be in-person
– Location: Golden Corral, 1970 Waynoka Rd, Colorado Springs
The party starts at 6 PM
General Membership meeting (10 January) will be both in-person and virtual
– Location: Golden Corral, 1970 Waynoka Rd, Colorado Springs
The business meeting starts at 7 PM, but get your dinner and beverage of choice and check in any time after 6 PM for a social hour. Club members check your email for info or email to receive the Zoom information.
Winter 2024 Hamfest
– Saturday January 20, 2024 (0800-1300)
– Thomas M. McKee 4H Building at The Ranch
– Loveland, Colorado
– More info here.
Winter Field Day 2024
– January 27-28, 2024
– Setup Friday afternoon
– Operating: Saturday noon to Sunday noon
– PPRAA location: Cheyenne Mountain State Park
– See Winter Field Day Tab
– More info here.
The Swapfest
– Sunday February 18, 2024 (0900-1300)
– Adams County Fairgrounds
– Brighton, Colorado
– More info here.
On Air Events
Southern Miss Powwow
– Nov 13-Nov 18, 0000Z-1259Z
– W0W
– Hattiesburg, MS. Pine Belt Amateur Radio Club. 7.033 14.033 14.270 28.410. QSL. N5CW, P.O. Box 52, Petal, MS 39465.
– Info here.
Hammarlund Radio Hullabaloo
– Nov 16-Nov 17, 1200Z-2359Z
– KE4MH
– Marshall, NC. High Appalachian Mountain Amateur Radio Society. 14.050 14.240 7.050 7.210. Certificate & QSL. HAMARS, c/o Jerry Robinson, N4KJ, P.O. Box 366, Mars Hill, NC 28754-0366. Celebrating the Hammarlund Radio plant that was located in Mars Hill, NC, and the birthday of Oscar Hammarlund.
– Info here.
152nd Birthday of the NRA, Operating from Gunsite Academy
– Nov 17, 1500Z-2359Z,
– K7GST
– Prescott, AZ. Yavapai Amateur Radio Club. 7.040 7.250 14.040 14.250. Certificate. Downloadable PDF, certificate available at, www.w4gkf.com/k7gst/qso.htm.
– Info here.
1st Transatlantic Ham Radio QSO (1923)
– Nov 18, 1400Z-2200Z
– K3S
– Baltimore, MD. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7 14 21 28. QSL. ULIS FLEMING, 980 PATUXENT ROAD, Odenton, MD 21113. Operating from the ship. Please check the spotting networks since we may be operating anywhere on 40, 20, 15, or 10m SSB or CW.
– Info here.
Collins ARC 40th Anniversary
– Nov 18, 1400Z-2000Z
– W0CXX
– Cedar Rapids, IA. Collins Amateur Radio Club. 7.180 MHz 14.263 MHz 21.380 MHz 28.380 MHz. QSL. Collins ARC 40th Anniversary SES, 1110 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233.
– Info here.
Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados 90th Anniversary
– Nov 18-Nov 19, 1700Z-2359Z
– 5J3L*
– Bogota, COLOMBIA. Liga de Radioaficionados de Bogota. 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters; CW, FT8, and SSB. Certificate. See website, for , information, COLOMBIA. *And an additional 10 call signs: 5K0LR, 5K1LR, 5K2LR, 5K3LR, 5K4LR, 5K5LR, 5K6LR, 5K7LR, 5K8LR, and 5K9LR. This is an operating event.
– Info here.
November 2023 Bug Roundup
– Nov 18-Nov 20, 0000Z-0000Z
– W6SFM
– Fair Oaks, CA. Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club. 14.033 7.033 3.533. QSL. John E. Geyer, Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club, 4901 Minnesota Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628. Grab that bug, clean those contacts, and let’er fly! Let’s hear that “Banana Boat/Erie Swing” or that commercial KPH/WCC quality fist. Switch off that keyer! Fill the ionosphere with home grown digital music and have some fun! No exchange for the event, just a relaxed QSO talking about whatever you want.
– Info here.
82nd Anniversary of Civil Air Patrol
– Dec 1-Dec 3, 1500Z-2300Z
– W9CAP
– Saint Charles, IL. Illinois Wing Civil Air Patrol. 7.255 14.250 18.125 28.450. QSL. Lt Col Robert Becker, P.O. Box 4027, Saint Charles, IL 60174. Frequencies used are subject to change based on band conditions and activities. Be sure to hunt for W9CAP station on all active amateur HF bands.
– Info here.
SEC QSO Party
– Dec 1-Dec 2, 2100Z-2100Z
– W5YD
– Starkville, MS. Mississippi State University ARC. 14.250. Certificate. Department of Physics and Astronomy. Attn Torsten Clay, PO Box 5167, Mississippi State, MS 39762. First Inaugural Southeastern Conference QSO Party. Mississippi State University will be participating in this event.
– Info here.
SEC QSO Party
– Dec 1-Dec 2, 2100Z-2100Z
– W4DFU
– Gainesville, FL. Gator Amateur Radio Club. 14.288 7.288. QSL. Dr. Jay Garlitz AA4FL, P.O. Box 100012, Gainesville, FL 32610.
– Info here.
W2W Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration
– Dec 1-Dec 11, 1300Z-2200Z
– W2W
– Hunt Valley, MD. Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum. 14.241 14.041 7.241 7.041. Certificate & QSL. K3NY, 108 Brent, Arnold, MD 21012. Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum (ARCNEM) will operate W2W in commemoration of the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day and the role of electronics in WWII. If the Museum station is not available, operators may operate from their home stations. Primary operation will be Dec 1-Dec 7 with additional operation possible during the Dec 8-Dec 11 period as operator availability permits. Operation on 80M (3.541, 3.841) and digital modes possible during event. Frequencies +/- according to QRM. QSL and Certificate available via SASE
– Info here.
“Christmas in Bethlehem” Clark Co ARC 2023 from Bethlehem Indiana
– Dec 2, 1300Z-2300Z
– W9WWI
– ellersburg, IN. Clark County Amateur radio club. 28.400 7.210 21.3450 18.160. QSL. Clark Co. ARC, po box 201, Sellersburg, IN 47172. Merry Christmas From The Clark County Amateur Radio club of Indiana
– Info here.
Bethlehem Christmas
– Dec 2, 0700Z-1200Z
– WR4BC
– Bethlehem, GA. Barrow County Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.225. QSL. Barrow Amateur Radio Club, PO BOX 411, Bethlehem, GA 30620. We will do our best to be on the listed frequencies, but we may have to move around to find an open spot.
– Info here.
flight 19 the missing avengers
– Dec 2, 1300Z-2100Z
– K4P
– Fort Lauderdale, FL. Parrot Amateur Radio Club Inc. 14.240 7.210 18.150 21.315. QSL. Gerald Deitch, 2621 NW105 Lane, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33322. send SASE for qsl card info@parrotarc.org
2023 Megafest
– A big thanks to all attendees and vendors who turned out to support us this year and make it a great event at a new location. Thanks to PARC for co-sponsoring the event.
Congratulations to this years raffle winners:
- Grand Prize: Yaesu FT-710 HF Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) – Randy Diddel, K5RHD
- Second Prize: Icom IC-52A VHF/UHF Dual Band D-Star Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) (Donated by CMRG) – Eric Jones, K9EAJ
- Third Prize: Xiegu G90 HF Transceiver – Jay Burnham, KB0MPF
- Fourth Prize: Anytone AT-D578UV-PRO Dual Band Mobile Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) – , Harry Tuttle, KE0YIC
- Fifth Prize: Yaesu FT-5DR Handheld Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) – Craig Carnahan, N7LB
- Sixth Prize: Anytone AT-D878UVII-Plus DMR Handheld (with RT Systems programming kit) – Jonathan Cotten, AG5HV
- Seventh Prize: Samlex SEC-1235M Power Supply – Malachi Foster, KD0LEG
- Eighth Prize: LDG AT-PRO-II Automatic Antenna Tuner – Dennis Major, N0ABC
- Ninth Prize: SDRPlay RSP1A SDR Receiver – Daniel Thomson, KB7DRT
- Tenth Prize: ZUM Radio Mini UHF Hotspot – Alexander C Hardy, KB9WYX
- Eleventh Prize: MFJ-849 Digital Wattmeter – William Miller, KC0FHN
- Twelfth Prize: Delta 4B Coax Switch- Michael F Nagel, Sr, W5KME
(7/22/23)
Winter Workshop 2022
– On Thursday, Dec. 29, PPRAA conducted a hands-on workshop to build tape measure yagi antennas.
PPRAA 2022 Field Day
Summary Report
Double Fox Hunt
– On Saturday, Oct. 2, several PPRAA fox hunters used their radio direction-finding skills to track down two fox transmitters nestled in the foothills of northwest Colorado Springs. Kyle, KD0TRD, was the fox, and picked two locations with great views of the city. The weather was warm and sunny, and made this a great fall outdoor activity. Thanks to all participants for making this a fun event!
– Congratulations to Derek, K0ATV (right), for being the first fox hunter to locate both transmitters. He picked an SDRPlay receiver as his first-place prize, and here he receives the PPRAA fox hunt trophy from the previous champion fox hunter, Derek, N0DCW (left).
PPRAA World Amateur Radio Day Fox Hunt”
– In celebration of World Amateur Radio Day on April 18, the PPRAA hosted a fox hunt across the north side of Colorado Springs.
– The “fox,” Jason (K0WTF), was soon found transmitting from Fox Run Park. The first team to find him was Derek (N0DCW) and his friend Jerry (soon-to-be-licensed), who found the fox in 19 minutes.
– Many finishers showed off hand-built Yagi antennas, a variety of attenuators, and triangulation techniques. Participants from Colorado Connections and Rocky Mountain Ham provided a display of their radio direction finding van, complete with a doppler tracking station.
– Thanks to Jason (K0WTF) for his work as the fox and net control, and Cheyenne Mountain Repeater Group for the use of their 147.345 repeater for the socializing net.
Postponed to 2025: 2020 ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention – Hamcon Colorado 2020
– More info here.
Cheyenne Mountain Repeater Group (CMRG) – Annual Meeting
– Saturday, 28 October 2023
– 1100, Zoom meeting
– Email or for meeting link and passcode.
PPRAA Ham Radio Go Kit Show and Competition
– Saturday, October 28, 2022
– 1200-1500 (12:00 PM – 3:00 PM)
– Library 21c, “Venue” room, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr, Colorado Springs CO 80920
– Prizes for:
- Smallest/lightest go-kit with greatest capability
- Least expensive go-kit with greatest capability (please bring a component list with prices listed to compete)
- Fun prize: greatest power draw from your batteries
- Fun prize: heaviest go-kit you can carry at a run
– More info here.
BARCfest
– Sunday, 8 October 2023
– 0900-1300
– Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont, CO
– More info here.
105th Anniversary of the Colorado Peak to Peak Byway
– Saturday, 30 September 2023
– 0800-1600
– On Air
– More info here.
PPRAA Picnic
– Sunday, October 1, 2023.
– Fox Run Regional Park – Pavilion #4
– 1100-1600, food served at 1400.
– Club will provide burgers, brats, chips, drinks.
– Bring a side dish or dessert to share.
– Come early to operate portable from the park.
PPRAA Megafest
– Saturday, 22 July 2023 0800 to 1300
– See Megafest tab above
Field Day
– Saturday, 24 June 2023 1200 to Sunday, 25 June 2023 1200
– See Field Day tab above
Museum Ships Weekend Event
– Friday June 2, 1800hrs to Sunday June 4, 2023, 1800hrs
– On Air
– More info here.
World Amateur Radio Day
– Tuesday, April 18, 2023
– Radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on this day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris
– More info here
LARC Fest
– Saturday, April 1, 2023 (0800-1300)
– Boulder County Fairgrounds
– Longmont, Colorado
– More info here.
The WWV Frequency Celebration
– 2-4 March 2023
– 2 March (1700-1900) – Museum of Discovery Evening Lecture
— Seating is limited. Register here.
– 3 March (0900-1100 and 1500-1700) – Tours of the NIST Boulder Lab as well as WWV and WWVB
— Registration Required. Register here.
– 4 March (1000 – 1500) – Tune In: the WWV Frequency Celebration
– More info here.
PPRAA Winter Workshop
– December 29, 2022
– 1700-1930 hrs
– Library 21C CreateSpace
– Build a tape measure yagi
– materials provided for a fee
– limited seats, sign up info coming soon
PPRAA Fox Hunt
– Sunday, 15 Jan 2023
– Mobile Fox Hunt, Colorado Springs
– 3 foxes will be hidden
– 09:00 net will begin with hunt starting shortly after (147.345 CMRG repeater)
– 13:00 we’ll close up the net and all meet at one of the fox locations to award the prizes – Location will be given over the net
– Please check into the net to register before you start hunting so we can keep track of your time
– Call into the net when you have found a fox. Tell net control you have found fox A, B, or C.
– Prizes:
— Grand prize: fastest to find all 3 foxes
— Second place winner
— “workshop winner” the fastest to find foxes with the tape measure yagi you built in the last PPRAA workshop
— Newest licensed to find the most / fastest
— Youngest to find the most / fastest
– Frequencies:
— Net: GMRG repeater 147.345, + offset, CTCSS 107.2
— Fox A: 147.420
— Fox B: 147.480
— Fox C: 147.540
Fox Hunt Area: click on map for zoom-able version
CMRG Annual Meeting
– 29 October 2022, zoom meeting 1000-1200
– More info here.
Boy Scouts Jamboree on the Air!
– 15 October 2022
– Palmer Park, parking lot 1 and adjacent field
– 0900-1600 (9 am – 4 pm)
– PPRAA is providing an HF/VHF station
– Mentor scouts as they make contacts
– When scouts are not using our local station, reach out to other scouts at other locations
– Mentor other members of the public in getting on the air
ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention
– 7-9 October 2022
– Archer Event Center, Cheyenne, WY
– More info here
Denver Radio Club Ham Fest
– Sunday August 28, 2022 (0900-1300)
– Adams County Fairgrounds
– Brighton, Colorado
– More info here.
Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure
– July 14-19, 2022
– On the Air from Curacao
– Sponsored by PPRAA
– More info here.
Family Science Day
– Saturday, 11 June 2022 1000-1500
– Western Museum of Mining and Industry (Near North Gate and Bass Pro)
– PPRAA table and display
– More info here.
Dayton Hamvention
– 20-22 May 2022
– Greene County Fairgrounds, Xenia, OH
– More info here
Rocky Mountain Ham University
– Course: Applications of Software Defined Radio – 14 May 2022 0830
– More info here
Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test
– 14 May 2022
– Hosted by Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS)
– On the air
– More info here
PPRAA Fox Hunt
– Sunday, 15 May 2022 0900-1300
– Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Colorado Springs
– 3550 W High St, Colorado Springs CO 80904
– Two transmitters — Two levels of hiking difficulty — Prizes awarded for each:
– “The Scenic Stroll” and “The Rocky Ridges”
– Check in at the north parking lot any time between 9 am – 12 pm
– Prizes awarded at 1 pm
– Prizes include a new Yaesu HT, Arrow handheld yagi antennas, and more!
– Email for more details
– Download Flyer here.
PPRAA Work Party
– Sunday, 24 April 2022
– Work party to move building materials from KE0QCC’s home to Ellicott Club Station
New Mexico TechFest
– Saturday March 5, 2022 (0800-1600)
– Virtual Event – Online
– More info here
PPRAA World Amateur Radio Day Fox Hunt
– In celebration of World Amateur Radio Day, the PPRAA is hosting another fox
hunt! On April 18th, starting at 10:00am and running until approximately
1:00pm (though we might wrap up early!)
– There will be a social net on the Cheyenne Mountain Repeater Group repeater
(147.345+ 107.2hz) starting at about 9:45am.
– Lessons learned from the last fox hunt that W0XLD hosted: ATTENUATORS ARE
YOUR FRIEND! Also, switchable attenuators are preferred as they’re much
quicker to manage than the stackable inline style.
– If you don’t currently have a 2 meter yagi, you have plenty of time to
build one! Here are directions to a tape measure antenna that is reported
to work quite well! Tape Measure Antenna
– If you have any questions, please contact Jason Taylor K0WTF
PPRAA Holiday Party
– Wednesday December 11 (normal monthly meeting night)
– 1900-2130
– Traditional Turkey Dinner
– Black Forest Community Center
– 12530 Black Forest Road
– Optional: Bring a Christmas theme dessert to share.
– Optional: BYOB
– $8 per member, family member, guest
RSVP by 1 December to or pay in advance on-line:
Dinner $8.00
JOTA-JOTI – Jamboree-on-the-Air/Internet
– 18-20 October 2019
– More info here.
Colorado QSO Party
– Saturday August 31, 2019
Happy 150! The Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday Celebration!
– Begins 0000 UTC August 31 and runs until 2359 UTC September 8, 2019
– More info here.
PPRAA Annual Picnic
– Saturday, 24 August 2019
– 1000-1500 MDT
– Food served around 1230
– Pot Luck (Bring a salad, side dish, or dessert)
– Club provides burgers, brats, drinks
– Location: Pavilion 2 Black Forest Regional Park
2019 ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention
– Friday August 8 thru Sunday August 10, 2019
– Weber State University Union Building
– West Campus Drive, Ogden, UT 84201
– More info here.
Date and Location Change!
Due to weather the Club Meeting for 10 April 2019 will be held on 17 April at: (not the normal iHop location)
Golden Corral 1970 Waynoka Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
(Powers Blvd and Palmer Park Blvd)
This is currently a one-time location change.
Central States VHF Society Conference
– Thursday – Sunday July 26-29, 2018
– Wichita, Kansas
– More info here.
Two-Day License Class
– Saturday February 24 & March 3, 2015
– Black Forest Fire Station
– More info here.
Montrose ARC Tailgate
– Saturday June 3, 2017 0900
– Confluence Park, Delta, CO
– More info here.
ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention
– Saturday May 27 thru Sunday May 28, 2017
– Buffalo Bill Village Resort, Cody, Wyoming
– Info here.
ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention
– Friday July 31 thru Sunday August 2, 2015
– Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon City
– More info here.
Socorro Hamfest
– Saturday October 15, 2016
– Socorro, New Mexico
– More info here.
WØTLM Amateur Radio Tech Field Day Event
– Saturday June 24, 8am – 5pm, open to the public
– Hands-on ham radio demos, educational forums, emergency communications info, Q&A with radio experts, and more
– Food service on-site 11 – 1.
– Black Forest Fire Station, 11445 Teachout Road
– Sponsored by WØTLM Radio Association
– More info here.
PPRAA 75 years Special Event Station
PPRAA Veterans’ Day Special Event Station
PPRAA Pearl Harbor Day Special Event Station
– QSL to:
PPRAA
PO Box 16521
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-6521
– No need to send a SASE, we will send cards to all confirmed contacts.
2019 Megafest
– A big thanks to all attendees and vendors who turned out to support us this year and make it a great event. Boy Scout Troop 8 sold coffee & donuts, burgers & brats, chips, and sodas. The weather was great and the rains held off until the event had ended. Everyone seemed to have a great time.
Congratulations to this years raffle winners:
- Grand Prize: Complete Ham Radio HF Station (with RT Systems programming kit) – Levi Young, KE0TLO
- Second Prize: Icom IC-2730A VHF/UHF Dual Band Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) – Gerald Nixon, N0AD
- Third Prize: Yaesu FT65R VHF/UHF 2 Meter/70cm Dual Band FM Handheld (with RT Systems programming kit) – Jackie Donnell, W0JED
- Fourth Prize: MFJ-929 200W Auto Tuner – Gerald Nixon, N0AD
- Fifth Prize: MFJ-269C Analyzer – Jason Foster, KB5TPT
- Sixth Prize: LaCrosse C83100 Weather Station – Benjamin Jolly, KE0NRZ
- Seventh Prize: Heil Pro Set Media Pro Headset – Jim Escue, KB0UDV
- Eighth Prize: 2019 ARRL Handbook – David Riese, WB0SDW
- Ninth Prize: Yaesu VX6R Ultra-Rugged Handheld (Donated by CMRG) – James Burnett, WB0GMR
- Tenth Prize: DX Engineering $100 Gift Certificate – Earl R Watkins, II, AE2RW
(7/27/19)
2018 Megafest
Congratulations to last years raffle winners:
- Grand Prize: Icom IC-7300 HF/50MHz Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) – Rob Roller, N7LV (7461)
- Second Prize: Icom ID-4100A VHF/UHF Dual Band D-STAR Transceiver (with RT Systems programming kit) – Sam Witte, KE0QMJ (500)
- Third Prize: Alinco DJ-500T Dual Band Handheld (with RT Systems programming kit) – David Kline, K0IID (5765)
- Fourth Prize: MFJ-226 Graphical Antenna Analyzer – Ryan Eastlake, KE0MIH (5262)
- Fifth Prize: Yaesu FT70DR C4FM FDMA FM Dual Band 5W HT (with RT Systems programming kit) – Brian Wilborn, N0QQQ (764)
- Sixth Prize: Yaesu FT60R 144/430 MHz 5W FM HT (with RT Systems programming kit) – Mike Anderson, WV7T (297)
- Seventh Prize: MFJ-993BRT Remote Antenna Tuner 1.8-30MHz 300W – Brian Wilborn, N0QQQ (5536)
- Eighth Prize: Hy-gain AV-6160 HF Vertical 160-6m 1500W 43ft Antenna – Christopher Schroeder, WX0CAS (3717)
- Ninth Prize: DX Enginering $100 Card – Don Decker, KA0GWS (5964)
- Tenth Prize: 2018 ARRL Handbook – Skip Juhasz, WB2UFV (2530)
(07/07/18)
DRT Says “Thank You!” to PPRAA
– The DRT thank you letter to PPRAA can be read here.
(11/21/05)
