KLARA Hamfest - Sat. 2/7/26

 

WHEN: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2026@ 8AM

Join the Keuka Lake Amateur Radio Association (KLARA) for a fun, FREE hamfest in Almond, NY! Don’t miss this chance to trade gear, meet fellow hams, get your ham radio license, and celebrate amateur radio!

LOCATION:

Almond, NY Municipal Building – 1 Marvin Lane

Take Exit 33 off I-86, follow signs toward Alfred (1 mile from exit).

VENDORS

FREE flee market for vendors

Open for vendors at 7AM

Tables, chairs and power (as available)

FCC LICENSE TESTING

VE Testing at 10 AM ~ get your license or upgrade 

For reservations please email:   ve_testing@klara.us 

More info at: https://klara.us/

Winter Field Day 2026 - Jan. 24-25, 2026

Winter Field Day is an exciting annual event for amateur radio enthusiasts, taking place on the last full weekend of January. It offers a unique opportunity for radio operators to set up field operations in remote locations, enabling them to connect with other participants worldwide. You may choose to participate solo or get your your friends, family, or whole club involved. Winter Field Day is organized by the Winter Field Day Association. The association strongly believes that ham radio operators should practice portable emergency communications in winter environments. This is because freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and other hazards pose unique operational concerns.

The 30-hour operational period starts at 1600 UTC on Saturday (11 am EST), the 24th, and ends at 21:59 UTC on Sunday, the 25th (4:59 pm EST). Stations may begin setting up no earlier than 16:00 UTC (11 pm EST) on the Friday before.

The Winter Field Day event aims to help participants improve their preparedness for disasters and enhance their operational abilities in adverse conditions. Amateur radio operators have the freedom to use frequencies on the HF, VHF, or UHF bands while employing voice, CW, and digital transmissions. The event designates specific objectives to encourage a diverse range of activities, including the use of non-commercial power sources, the deployment of multiple antennas, establishing satellite contacts, and more.

More info at: https://winterfieldday.org/

Links to some WFD activity plans/examples:

https://www.n1fd.org/2025/12/11/winter-field-day-2026-6-band-multiplier-prep/

https://www.n4pow.com/parcwfd2026

Rochester Winter Field Day with RARA (from Jan.2026 RARA Rag):

Happy New Year!

Another year has come and gone! We wanted to reach out to say Thank You to the many individuals and clubs that send us information and corrections for the UpstateHam web site! Also thanks to our viewers for visiting and supporting our site.

Wishing you all health and Happiness in the new year!

73- From the folks at UpstateHam.com

John Bartscherer, N1GNV - SK ("John Bee" of Quicksilver Radio)

We were sad to recently hear that John Bartscherer, N1GNV, better known in the amateur radio community as John Bee, owner of Quicksilver Radio Products, passed away on October 23rd, 2025. 

John was a familiar face at hamfests around Upstate NY as well as up and down the East Coast. His store, Quicksilver Radio Products had an online presense as well for over twenty years. John sold parts, accessories and cables for radio equipment, many of which John made himself. Online memorials to John mention that prior to starting Quicksilver Radio Products, John was the QST Advertising Manager for many years.

We bought a lot of "stuff" from John over the years. I remember him encouraging me to adopt Power pole connectors early in my "hammy carreer". I went on to buy crimpers, connectors and cable fom him at shows and online. He was always a very pleasant guy to talk to!

John is survived by his children, Elizabeth and Jay, and his brother Michael. According to the QSR website they are NOT closing and have re-organized. They are open for business as of this writing and planning on being at Hamfests in 2026.

https://www.qsradio.com/index.html

Marathon Hamfest - 1/10/26 - Let the Hamfest season begin!

 First Upstate NY Hamfest of the year!

The Marathon Hamfest will be held on January 10 2026 at the Marathon NY Civic Center, Brink St in Marathon NY from 7 AM until Noon. Admission is $6.00 each, under 12 free. 

For hamfest (not VE) information check out skylinehamradioclub.org or e-mail Pat at pdunn5@gmail.com

 

Tables are available at $10.00 per 8' space. To reserve tables contact Pat at pdunn5@gmail.com.

 

VE tests will be given beginning at 9 AM. Pre-registration is recommended and may be done by clicking this link: https://hamstudy.org/sessions/689138b2503f62a1cfd8e393/1 You will receive a reply with basic information. The testing location is off-site, and requires a two minute walk. VE tests are provided by the TCARA VE team. For information on what to bring to the test click here: https://www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session

 

Food will be provided by the Marathon Area Historical Society.

 

Travel Directions:

 

From Syracuse, Cortland and the North: Use I-81 South to Exit 39. Turn Left on to Route 11 South. At the light, turn right on to Route 221 West (East Main St). Immediately before the steel deck bridge, turn left on to Peck St. In one block the Civic Center is on your left. Parking for the Civic Center is in the rear of the maplefest buildings. Note: Parking next to the building is handicapped only.

 

From Binghamton, Whitney Point and points South: I-81 to Exit 38. Turn Left on to route Route 221 West (East Main St), go straight through the light. Immediately before the steel deck bridge, turn left on to Peck St. In one block the Civic Center is on your left. Parking for the Civic Center is in the rear of the maplefest buildings. Note: Parking next to the building is handicapped only.

 

From Ithaca: Route 13 North to Dryden. Take Route 38 South to Harford, then Route 221 East to Marathon. Turn right immediately after the steel deck bridge on to Peck St., the Civic Center is on your left. Parking for the Civic Center is in the rear of the maplefest buildings. Note:  Parking next to the building is handicapped only.

 

-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Andrew Slaugh KB2LUV

Secretary, Skyline Amateur Radio Club

Owner of the 145.490 PL 71.9 Repeater in Cortland, NY

Christmas Shortwave Listening 2025

 ( misc. notes from the SWLing.com Post; www.SWLing.com) 

Marion’s Attic will be spinning upbeat, “Christmas Light”, 78 rpm Christmas records.  That will be show number 1,022, airs Sunday, December 14th, at 2200 UTC, on WBCQ 7.490 MHz.  

The following Sunday, December 21st, we will be airing show number 980, featuring “Traditional” Christmas music, from the collection of phonograph expert, Baron von Knight.

Show 980 did not air last year, due to transmitter difficulties, and a web server glitch.  We are pleased to air this fine program this Christmas season.

Lovingly,

Marion Webster

Marion’s Attic

WBCQ, the Planet

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Allan Roe's holiday shortwave list:

https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Holiday-Broadcasts-2025-v1.0-Issued-18-December-2025.pdf

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Radio Igloo's Christmas programme

Sunday, December 14, Radio Igloo will be on air with our brand new Christmas programme. Tune in to 1620 kHz (or a nearby free frequency) at 20:00 CET  (19:00 UTC).

Radio Igloo´s Christmas Show will  also  be transmitted on December 21 at 17.00 UTC on 6195 kHz with the help of Real Mix Radio in Finland

We will be playing Christmas songs that you don't hear every day on other radio stations or in large supermarkets. We will also talk a bit about special (strange?) Swedish Christmas traditions.

As always, correct reports, preferably with an audio clip of your reception, will be rewarded with our brand new e-QSL.

Contact: radioigloo@gmail.com

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Could we possibly hear Christmas Carols broadcasting from Antarctica on Christmas Eve this year?. The transmissions on 7995 kHz USB usually begin on Christmas eve, coordinated by McMurdo Communications Operations, also known as “The Voice of Antarctica.”

Each year, the station’s residents celebrate the holiday by singing Christmas Carols to those at remote Antarctic field camps. Participation will be from stations scattered throughout the Antarctic continent. Stay tuned!

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Greetings all SWLing Post community, here’s what the Imaginary Stations crew have for you next week. We’ve two shows celebrating the forth coming holiday period with a series of shows called WNTR, the first via shortwaveradio.de on Saturday 13th December 2025 at 1200 hrs UTC and then again on Sunday 14th December 2025 at 1000/1400 hrs UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz and 2200 UTC on 3975 kHz. Tune in and listen to the more eclectic side of yuletide/winter solstice programming featuring festive delights including holiday tunes, an eggnog recipe without using any eggs, a load of singing Santa’s in the studio, and we’ll be turning on the Plummet Mall Christmas lights live on shortwave (* All subject to availability of course).

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Any suggestions of SWL during the holidays? email us: UpstateHam@gmail.com

Meteor Scatter QSO Party on December 12 and 13

 

Operators/Monitors Wanted for Meteor Scatter QSO Party December 12-13

12/05/2025

HamSCI — the Ham Radio Citizen Science Investigation program — is looking for “ping jockeys,” or ham radio operators who enjoy making contacts via meteor scatter (MS), to take part in its Meteor Scatter QSO Party during the Geminids meteor shower on December 12 and 13, 2025. Operation will take place on the 10-meter and 6-meter bands only (28.145 and 50.260 MHz), using the MSK144 digital protocol. The event is a combination on-air contest and data collection for what HamSCI describes as an experiment “to analyze the feasibility of HF meteor scatter for future scientific research.”

HamSCI pointed out that little research has been done on 10-meter meteor scatter, due to past symbol rate limits imposed by the FCC. Those limits were removed in early 2024. 

The group is looking for both active operators (seeking and making contacts) and passive monitors, recording .WAV files of MS contacts and uploading them to PSK Reporter. Researchers will collect contact data from both 10 and 6 meters and will analyze that data offline, using PSK Reporter raw data, operator contact logs and .WAV files.

HamSCI says the best operating times will be between 8 PM and 8 AM local time, and suggests announcing CQs on “Ping Jockey Central” (especially for 10 meters) and the groups.io page of the Front Range Six Meter Group (especially for 6 meters).

For more information, including suggested operating procedures, visit www.hamsci.org/msqp.

Interesting new Ham publication

 

SWR magazine is a fairly new FREE online Amateur Radio publication that we recently stumbled across. Looks interesting. Check it out at the link below.

SWR Magazine - Our Mission:

 Our mission at SWR Magazine is to connect, educate, and inspire the global amateur radio community by showcasing stories, projects, technological advancements, and experiences that reflect the true passion for ham radio. We aim to be an open, inclusive, and collaborative platform where both seasoned operators and newcomers can share knowledge, promote experimentation, and keep the spirit of borderless communication alive. 

Check it out, link:  https://online.fliphtml5.com/kqkyd/amkj/

Santa Net 2025

 

Share the magic of Ham Radio and Santa Claus with your children, grandchildren, and neighborhood kids.Youngsters can talk to "Santa at The North Pole" via strategically placed operators who relay the voice of Santa. 

The Santa Net is held every evening between Thanksgiving and Christmas on 3.916 MHz at 7:00PM Central Time (check-ins open 1/2 hour before).

more info at: https://www.cqsanta.com/

Need help identifying a connector?

We recently stumbled across this very interesting Connector reference guide web site and book. Do you need help identifying a connector? If so, then you really should check out this resource. 

link to on-line utility: https://connectorbook.com/identification.html?Q=

If you like a hard copy reference, you can also buy their over 600 page exhasutive book. 

link to the book: https://connectorbook.com/

Skywarn Training - Fall 2025

 Scheduling of NWS Binghamton Fall-Winter Skywarn Trainings are currently on hold due to a lapse in appropriations.  Sessions (virtual and/or in person) will get scheduled when and if possible. (11/2/25)

All-Season Skywarn Training - Cayuga County 

NWS Binghamton office is conducting an All-Season Skywarn training hosted by the Owasco Fire Dept., 7174 Owasco Rd, Auburn, NY, from 6-8 PM on Wednesday November 19th, 6-8 PM.

UPDATE: 11/20/25: With the ending of the Lapse of Appropriations, we will still be able to offer a few NWS Binghamton Winter Skywarn Trainings - virtual and/or in-person - though less than prior seasons. As they are scheduled, they will be placed here - check back for additional registrations.

Tuesday 12/9/25  6:30-8:00 PM:  Virtual Winter Skywarn - online

Thursday 12/11/25  6:30-8:00 PM: Tompkins Co Winter Skywarn, Airport Administration/CFR Building, 72 Brown Road, Ithaca NY   **registration limited to the first 30 due to space constraints**

Tue 12/16 630-800 PM: Virtual Winter Skywarn - online

Mon 12/22 630-800 PM: Bradford Co Winter Skywarn, 29 VanKuren Drive, Towanda PA

Sat 1/3 10-11:30AM: Virtual Winter Skywarn - online

Sign-up for the classes here: https://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining

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Fall training Buffalo:

https://www.weather.gov/buf/Skywarn

What is SKYWARN?

The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

Learn more at the National SKYWARN web site: https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN

Airforce MARS Special Event - Nov. 8-11, 2025

 Details at: https://afmars.com/

NY QSO Party 2025 - October 18th

 

NY QSO Party Objective :

● New York stations: Work as many stations inside and outside New York as possible during the contest period. 

● Stations outside of New York State: Work as many New York stations and as many New York counties as possible during the contest period. 

● Stations may be contacted on multiple bands and modes, subject to entry class. 

● 12-hour Contest Period: October 18, 2025, from 14:00:00 UTC through 01:59:59 UTC. (10:00 AM Eastern Time through 9:59:59 PM Eastern Time). 

More info at: https://nyqp.org/wordpress/

W2LB; Larry Brightenfield Sr. - Silent Key.

 

We lost another great one! Larry Brightenfield Sr; W2LB passed away this week. We were shocked and saddened to hear of Larry's passing! Larry was one of the nicest/helpful hams around! He was known across the Western and Central NY ham communities. Larry could be regularly found on the 145.11 Rochester repeater as well as many HF nets. 

We are glad we got to chat with him in person for a few minutes at the Roc City fest back in August. Sending our sincere condolences to all of Larry's friends and family!

RIP Larry.

Services will be Wednesday October 15th in Victor NY.

link to Larry's obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/laurence-brightenfield-obituary?id=59764277#guestbook

Pumpkin Patrol 2025

 The 2025 Pumpkin Patrol will take place on Thursday and Friday October 30-31st

 for Bridges on the New York State Thruway.

This event contributes to the safety of travelers on the New York State Thruway. It is a statewide event and is held in cooperation with the New York State Troopers and Amateur radio groups.

The Pumpkin Patrol was initiated as a volunteer effort in 1976 by Katherine St. Jacques in Fort Johnson, Montgomery County.  Ms. St. Jacques was talking to a truck driver on her citizens band radio when the windshield of his vehicle was struck by an object thrown from an overpass.  The driver sustained injuries from the broken glass of his windshield.  St. Jacques and two companions decided to stand watch on the three over passes that crossed the Thruway in the Fort Johnson area. The State Police assumed control of the Pumpkin Patrol in 1990 as part of the State Police crime prevention effort.  More than 300 volunteers will participate in this year’s safety efforts.

PLEASE SEND US YOUR GROUPS PLANS FOR 2025 to: UpstateHam@gmail.com

Some Upstate NY Counties participating:

Chautaqua County (Dunkirk):

NCARC and Chautauqua County Amateur Radio Club (CCAFMA)  Pumpkin Patrol : http://users.netsync.net/~ncarc/index.htm

Cortland County (Cortland)

Skyline Amateur Radio Club of Cortland will be participating in Cortland County to watch overpasses on I-81 on October 31st.  We generally watch from 7pm until 9pmish

Erie County (Buffalo area): 

Erie County ARES/RACES Pumpkin Patrol info: https://ecarham.org/announcements/

Monroe County (Rochester area): The RARA Pumpkin Patrol event captain, Ed Wilkonski, K1EM is preparing for this year's event. Please see his article elsewhere in this month’s Rag. For more information or to register for this month's events, see our Public Service page at https://rochesterham.org/public_service.htm for more information and to volunteer.

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdr-KssQziuUPpDSEgn5SzqNZPIxgbGd9VmAmA-78UDttsTkg/viewform

Oneida & Madison County Counties:

MOARC Pumpkin Patrol event;Thursday, October 30th & Friday, October 31st, 6PM until 10PM (ish).

Please email Andy W2ZXN (w2zxn@arrl.net) with your name, address & callsign if interested. Looking to cover all bridges in Oneida & Madison Counties!!! If you have a preference, please include your preferred bridge/location.

Orange County (Goshen):

ARES / RACES in Goshen NY will be participating in Pumpkin Patrol 2025 Oct 31 from 18:00 until 22:00

Ontario County (Canandaigua):

 SIARC; Dave KB2KBY is still in need of operators for the Pumpkin Patrol on October 30 and 31. If

you can volunteer, contact Dave at kb2kby@rochester.rr.com. 

Nice article: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/community/pumpkin-patrol-ham-radio-operators-hit-the-airwaves-to-keep-the-thruway-safe/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNppS9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhLZpvr_sgJPuvD4Z1kXtZmQSb0uiaW3hppwqtELd7nKbiipatroP_e5NccL_aem_5O_vtV9J5AKLA-0UlpRaSQ

Onondaga County (Syracuse area): https://www.w2cm.com/public-service/

from RAGS Review 10/25 (Syracuse):