Let Us Tell You About The Amateur Radio Caravan Club

The Amateur Radio Caravan Club is one of the oldest amateur radio clubs in New Mexico. It was established in the 1950s by ham radio operators who shared a passion for the challenges of installing huge, tube type, separate receivers and transmitters in vehicles and then enjoying mobile QSOs as they caravaned to various locations as a club. While installing a modern mobile rig  is not quite the challenge, today's Caravan Club members still enjoy QSOs from the road using the Club's repeater on Sandia Crest.

The Amateur Radio Caravan Club meets monthly year around at the Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8600 Academy Road NE (corner of Academy & Moon NE) from 7 to 9 PM.  Actually we start gathering around 6:30 PM to watch the coffee brew and to do a little ragchewing.  We encourage you to park at the rear of the church and enter through the single door in the back, walk down the hallway to our meeting room.  Our meetings offer an interesting program on some facet of amateur radio each month followed by an intermission and then a short business meeting.  We are always finished by 9 PM.

During the summer, we focus on outdoor activities.  From May thru August, the club hosts its Summer Fun in the Park program for one evening per month where hams meet at Sister Cities Park in northeast Albuquerque, set up their rigs and get on the air.  Others are welcome to stop by to observe, ask questions or to just visit.  In June, we co-host our ARRL-sponsored Field Day activity where hams worldwide, limited only to emergency power, try to contact one another.  In July we meet for our "Summerfest" dinner at a local restaurant to share delicious food with old and new friends.  September brings the Duke City Hamfest, New Mexico's largest hamfest, in which the Caravan Club is fully involved.  In September we host our annual Corn Feed, a potluck luncheon in a local park where the club provides freshly-cooked sweet corn.  Yum!

In October we conduct our election of club officers.  In January we also host our annual "Winterfest" dinner at a local restaurant in lieu of competing with all the Christmas parties held during December.  April is a busy month with the New Mexico QSO Party contest where hams worldwide are trying to contact us hams in New Mexico.  This is followed by the Caravan Club hosting its annual Spring Tailgate at the end of April where hams meet to buy or sell radio equipment and maybe swap a few lies.

Ongoing Caravan Club Services

The ARRL Audio News is broadcast on Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Amateur Radio News Line on Sundays at 8:10 PM on the club's 145.33 and 444.000 repeaters.  Please tune in and listen to what's going on in Amateur Radio.  Our sincere thanks to club member Mark W5MHG for recording and retransmitting these interesting broadcasts for many year now as a public service.  Thanks, Mark !

Don't forget the Caravan Club Net on Sunday nights starting at 9 PM on the club's two repeaters.  Our officers conduct any club business followed by hams checking-in from throughout the western U.S.  This net is hosted by Roy KD5GBY, our long-time net controller.  Thanks, Roy!

Amateur radio clubs are a good support for Hams and we would welcome the opportunity to help you in any way that we can. We invite you to come to a meeting, talk to us on our Sunday night Net, and join the Amateur Radio Caravan Club!