Duke City Hamfest Early Registration is Ending Soon

Early registration for the Duke City Hamfest will end on September 5th. If you haven’t registered yet, you need to do so as well as make reservations for Friday and Saturday lunches and the Saturday evening banquet. Our Caravan Master, John Mocho, KC5QOC, has registered, as have a number of other members. John has purchased meals in support of the Duke City Hamfest. This is an event for all of us and we need to support it even if it takes buying fancy meals when tuna sandwiches would do. This is one time when being cheap or frugal just won't cut it. Supporting the Duke City Hamfest in this way will help ensure the event can continue to be held at an upscale venue like the Embassy Suites by Hilton in the future.

The presentation lineup for this year’s September 19-21 Hamfest, consists of four concurrent tracks on Saturday and Sunday as well as all day and half day topics on Friday. Talks were selected from submissions received earlier this year. New this year, presentations will be either 60 or 90 minutes in length. Details about each presentation track are now live on the Duke City Hamfest website. A one-page flyer is available to help advertise the Hamfest.

Scouts - You can earn your Radio Merit Badge. Check out how, when and where here.

Caravan Club Corn Feed - The Amateur Radio Caravan Club Annual Corn Feed for 2025 was held at Sister Cities Park Saturday, August 23rd following that morning’s Radio Fun In The Park under the trees on the Harper St. (north) side of the park. Thanks to our Special Events Director, John Gleason, K5JVG, for making arrangements, and to out Secretary, John Tribou, N5UVQ, for bringing the tables and chairs and for cooking the corn. Come join us! For directions to Sister Cities Park Click Here. – The Amateur Radio Caravan Club will continue to hold Radio Fun In The Park on the second and fourth Saturday mornings of each month through the summer.  

Catching Up on the News –

• New Bosque ARC Repeater - The Bosque ARC recently purchased the 442.750 MHz repeater on Sandia Crest. (+5.000) PL 162.2 - the club call is N5BRC. Effective immediately, they will no longer be using the Upper Rio System beginning this Saturday at 10 AM.  Their 10 AM Saturday club nets (except for the first Saturday when they meet) will be on their new repeater.  Our thanks to Gerry Jurrens N2GJ for the info.

• ABQBBS Packet BBS is ALIVE on 145.010!!!  A note from Gerry Jurrens N2GJ, NM Section Traffic Manager, regarding the ABQBBS Packet BBS:

“As you may know, Peter Brisbine NM5PB owned and operated the packet bulletin board system ABQBBS for years on the Crest. He and his wife moved to Iowa recently and he took the system down. 

 I reached out to John KC5QOC to see if he might be willing to resurrect it on 145.010 since he's already very active in providing packet services to our community. He said he'd look into it and get back to me. This weekend he texted me to say that it was back on the air again!  I've been playing with it this morning and put together some helpful information. 

 Attached in PDF format are some notes, including a session on the bbs, HELP command results, and a Google AI description of how to send an NTS radiogram message on a packet bbs”.(Click Here)

2025 ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention – The HamCon Colorado board of directors has announced that it will be conducting HamCon Colorado in Grand Junction, CO during October 24 -26, 2025.  It will meet at the Double Tree by Hilton Grand Junction at 743 Horizon Drive in Grand Junction. This is only a 7- hour drive from Albuquerque.  Early Bird registration ends on June 30th.  For more information, Click Here.

General Licensing Class Summary Update - Larry Goga AE5CZ, lead instructor of the Frank Warren Instructor Group, has announced that its next General licensing class summary to be over two weekends in November. They are November 15-16 and November 22-23, 2025. Classes will be held in the clubhouse of the Vineyard 55 Plus Community, 6118 Edith Blvd NE (between Montano Blvd and Osuna Rd). Larry calls the class a summary as in preparation to the class(es), students are expected to have read the manual (10th edition), study guide and taken several online practice exams. There is no charge for the class other than the cost of the two books. If you are interested in taking the class, please contact Larry now at AE5CZ@arrl.com and ask to be placed on his list. For more details, Click Here.

Getting Started in Ham Radio - A page has been added to the Become a Ham tab titled Getting Started in Ham Radio.  Thanks to Pete Stine for this write up to help those interested in becoming a licensed Amateur Radio Operator.

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Website Committee:  Pete KE5WTM; Larry K5LRY, Mark W5MHG Site Last Updated:   September 4, 2025 Copyright © 2025, Caravan Radio Club.  All rights reserved.