International Lighthouse/Lightship event - Sat/Sun 8/15-16

 (from the August 2026 RARA Rag)

ILLW AT THE CHARLOTTE-GENESEE LIGHTHOUSE

GEORGE ADAMS, K4GWA

 Here's a combination that never gets old: Ham Radio and Lighthouses! RARA is once again taking part in International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW), and we'd love for you to join us at the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse. This year's event runs Saturday and Sunday, August 15th and 16th, 11 AM to 3 PM, at the same spot as always. We'll set up antennas the Friday before, August 14th, starting at 3pm — extra hands are always welcome if you want to help raise a mast or just watch us figure out where the flagpole and the lighthouse tower will hold a dipole. ILLW isn't a contest — it's a friendly, worldwide event that started back in 1998 with a small radio club in Ayr, Scotland, and has since grown to include hundreds of lighthouses and lightships in dozens of countries every August. The point is simple: get on the air, make contacts, and help spread the word about these historic beacons and why they're worth preserving. 

Speaking of historic — the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is a great one to operate from. Built in 1822 for a grand total of $3,301 and finished in just seven months, it's the oldest surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario. It was nearly torn down in 1965, but local high school students wrote letters and saved it. Decades later, in 1984, students from Edison Tech built the replica lantern room that let tours begin again. And after sitting dark for over a century, the light itself was relit in 2014 and is once again an official Coast Guard aid to navigation. RARA will have radios, antennas, and operators on hand, and you're welcome to operate on any authorized band or mode. If you've never made a contact from a lighthouse before, this is your chance. Tours of the lighthouse are also available if you'd like to climb up and take in the view of the lake and the mouth of the Genesee River. 

Come out, meet old friends, make new ones, and chew the rag. Hope to see you there! 

St. Albans Vt. Hamfest - Sat. 8/8/26

 

More info at: https://www.starc.org/STARC%20Hamfest/

KLARA Hamfest - Sat. 8/15/26

 

More info at: https://www.klara.us/events

ADK Hamfest - Fonda NY - Sat.8/8/26

 

More info at: https://www.adkhamfest.org/

Ithaca Hamfest - Sat. August 1, 2026

 

More info at: https://www.tcara-ny.org/hamfest

W2JWW's 83rd birthday! Send him some B-day well wishes!

 

W2JWW put on several nice Hamfests in Moravia for a few years. He coincided those hamfests with his birthday. Mike has been working through some health issues recently, but is on a path to improved health. So unfortuneately, no hamfest this year, but we wanted to see if folks could send some birthday card well wishes Mike's way for his 83rd birthday on July 21st.

Please consider sending a card to Mike D Agostino; W2JWW at: 2553 Jugg St. Moravia NY 13118.

Batavia Hamfest - Saturday July 18, 2026

 

More info at: https://w2so.org/index.php/hamfest/

RAGS- Field Day - Syracuse

 

More info at: https://ragsclub.org/

Volunteers needed - Boilmaker Race - Utica NY

 

Urgently Needed Assistance....Volunteers needed in Utica NY on Sunday July 12th, 2026

I'm forwarding you the information below on volunteering for the Boilermaker Road Race Ham Radio net. I don't know how familiar you may be with this activity so I'll give you a summary and invite your questions.

The Race Date is Sunday July 12th, 2026 with Volunteers Party on Monday, July 13th, 2026.

Basically, we run a directed net to support the health and safety of the runners during the race. Ham operators (licensed hams only) are stationed along the course, usually at water stations or with first aid personnel, but occasionally at other points to observe as well. If an operator sees a runner that seems to be in distress, he/she can alert the medical people at or near their location and work with them to communicate their needs to the net control (e.g. ambulance), golf cart/ 4 wheeler for transport if needed, and relay information. Net control is at the command center, so the communications goes to the necessary folks from there and will get relayed back to you. If the net control has an inquiry that an observer at a particular location may be able to answer, the operator may get a request. Often, those are questions about personnel at a location, where the end of the race is, etc. We don't use names on the air and refer to runners by "bib number" for privacy. This is an early morning activity and operators need to be at their assigned location along the course before 6:00 AM. All operators get credentials that identify them by name and a volunteer t-shirt to wear on race day. The race allows 2 1/2 hours for completion, and with a start time around 8:00AM, the activity will take a good part of the morning. Operators are released from their assignments when the last runner passes their post, so the actual amount of time required varies, but won't go any later than that.

You'll need a reliable dual band HT with sufficient batteries to cover the morning, note paper and a pen, sunscreen, water, and whatever snacks you need for the morning so that you can stay at your location. We cannot park vehicles on the course, so you'll need to be able to stand or sit along the course in a position that you can observe from. Full instructions on net operations, frequencies, times, locations, etc. will be provided before the race and we typically do a "practice net" prior to the race as well so you can check out your radio and get familiar with things.

The race also has a volunteer party on the Monday following the race at the Utica Memorial Auditorium that you'll get an invitation to. If you're interested in signing up, it volunteers for all aspects of the race must register electronically through the site RunSignup . Our group is Ham Radios, and when you sign up, the process will ask you to provide an e-mail and create a password as well as sign a waiver form. If you have any difficulties with the site, let me know. I can provide you with specific instructions.

We need to have signups as soon as possible, as t-shirt orders and credentials processing is going on now. If you are interested, please let me know of any questions you may have this week if you can.

We are still in need of more volunteers for the Boilermaker this year.

If you can assist - please contact Bob Decker ASAP.

Bob Decker tbd2626@yahoo.com

Bob Decker, Coordinator

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Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Association, Inc info: https://www.fhara.net/

Race info: https://www.boilermaker.com/

RAGS Syracuse Hamfest

 

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

Rochester Hamfest - 6/20/26

 

More info at: https://www.rochesterham.org/hamfest.htm

MFJ sells Ameritron and Mirage RF Amplifier Brands

 The rumored aquisition has finally been confirmed. ITU Corporation is acquiring Ameritron and Mirage RF Amplifier Brands from MFJ Enterprises. ITU also
aquired Hy-Gain and Cushcraft antenna brands from MFJ earlier this year.

Manufacturing of Hy-Gain, Cushcraft, Ameritron, and Mirage are being relocated from Starkville, Mississippi, to ITU Corporation’s 15-acre facility in Linton, Indiana. The transfer is expected to be completed later this year.

Read the full story here:https://www.lintonnews.com/itu-corporation-acquires-ameritron-and-mirage-rf-amplifier-brands-from-mfj-enterprises-free-article/

Link to our earler ITU acquisition story: https://www.upstateham.com/2026/04/mfj-sells-hy-gain-and-cushcraft-product.html

Field Day 2026 - June 27-28

 Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 31,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

The object of Field Day is to work as many stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 Meter HF bands, as well as all bands 50 MHz and above, and in doing so to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. A premium is placed on developing skills to meet the challenges of emergency preparedness as well as to acquaint the general public with the capabilities of Amateur Radio

Field Day locator map: https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

Is your club or group doing something special? Let us know, so we can share it here.

Interesting website for Coax Cable info

 

They says it is "The Ham Radio Operator's Complete Guide to Coax Cable". 

(We will let you be the judge of that. All kidding aside, lots of information here and they build and sell lots of Coax cable configurations.)

"Everything you need to know about coax for ham radio — from choosing between RG-58 and LMR-400 to connectors, weatherproofing, and checking SWR after install."

Check it out: https://www.coaxrf.com/blog/ham-radio-coax-cable-guide

CHU time standard transmissions to end on 6/22/26

 

The National Research Council (NRC) of Canada announced that the station's transmissions will cease. The NRC's official shortwave time signal is scheduled to permanently stop broadcasting on June 22, 2026.

National Research Council Canada station CHU was one of the world’s best-known shortwave time signal stations. Operating continuously from near Ottawa, Ontario, CHU transmitted official Canadian time signals on three frequencies: 3330 kHz, 7850 kHz and 14670 kHz. The station broadcast 24 hours a day using atomic-clock-derived timing signals. Listeners would hear precise one-second ticks, minute markers, bilingual voice announcements, and digital time codes. Unlike ordinary broadcast stations, CHU served a technical purpose. Engineers, researchers, surveyors, broadcasters, radio operators, and hobbyists used it to synchronize clocks and calibrate equipment with remarkable precision.

More info at: https://nrc.canada.ca/en/chu-short-wave-station/

Good article: https://swling.com/blog/2026/05/canadas-chu-will-go-silent-on-shortwave-on-june-22-2026/