2026 Programs
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Radio Stations WHO Radio transmitter site in Des Moines and the popular contest station of Tony Radebaugh, N0NI, in Rippey, Iowa.
Mark Campbell (W0GZR) is mostly from Iowa where he served the Iowa Department of Public Safety for over 31 years, but is now retired and resides in Athens, GA. He holds an FCC Amateur Extra Class license and has been a HAM since 1982.
His presentation will include a tour of the WHO Radio transmitter site in Des Moines and the popular contest station of Tony Radebaugh, N0NI, in Rippey, Iowa.
The WHO Radio transmitter went on the air April 26, 1924 and is still in operation today. WHO (1040 kHz "Newsradio 1040") is a commercial AM radio station in Des Moines. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station broadcasts with 50,000 watts which is the maximum power permitted for AM stations in the United States.
The popular contest station of Tony Radebaugh (N0NI) on his acreage outside of Perry, Iowa. This unique facility has over twenty radio towers and an unknown number of antennas from which to transmit.
Mark’s PowerPoint Slides.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) and the MEMESat-1
Annie Dmitrieff KQ4NJC (B.S. Astrophysics, 2027) is the team lead for the UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) ground station/radio team, COSMO (Center for Orbital Satellite Mission Operations). She holds an FCC Amateur General Class license (KQ4NJC) and is a student pilot.
She will present the current educational/outreach satellite in development, MEMESat-1, which will act as an amateur radio repeater and is specifically designed to spark community engagement in amateur satellite operation. She will share the ideas behind the project and how it incorporates into the broader student-led satellite work. Additionally, she will present the COSMO ground station which operates the satellite tracking and contact workflows, the SDR setups, pass planning, decoding, and share the day-to-day operational challenges that come with running a primarily student-operated station.
If time allows, she will share her experience last summer at MIT Haystack Observatory working with groups focused on satellite tracking, radar, and ionospheric research as it relates to radio astronomy using the EDGES instrument to detect RFI/ionospheric interference (Sporadic E).
Annie’s Presentation Slides in PDF.
Spectral Ocean Color Satellite
A previous student-built small satellite (CubeSat) mission developed by the Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) at the University of Georgia (UGA). The Spectral Ocean Color Satellite is one of many projects by the SSRL students.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
CW Morse Code - The Long Island CW Club (LICW) and The CW Academy (CWops)
Scott Wooten (KW4NJA) has a long and illustrious career as a First Responder. A retired Fire Captain with the Gwinnett County Fire Department, he has served as a Paramedic for 42+ years and currently serves exclusively with the University of Georgia Athletic events and Athens area high school football games.
Scott holds an FCC Amateur General Class license and transitioned to mostly operating CW morse code in 2022. As the current Vice-President of the South East Contest Club, a graduate of the CW Academy (CWops), and a morse code instructor with the Long Island CW Club (LICW), Scott is active in POTA, CW contesting, ragchews, and chasing DX.
His presentation will include a brief history and renaissance of Morse Code celebrating this unique art form. Through CW (Continuous Wave) operation, morse code messages can be simple and/or conversational and are perfect for POTA/SOTA , emergency, and DX operations within Amateur Radio.
As a graduate and current CW Morse Code Instructor, Scott will present the Long Island CW Club (LICW) and the CW Academy (CWops), two of the leading organizations available to the Amateur Radio enthusiast for learning CW Morse Code.
Why should I learn CW Morse Code?
To enhance your communication skills and knowledge.
Develop a unique skill that can be useful in emergencies.
Improve your ability to communicate in low-signal environments.
Gain insight into historical communication methods and their significance.
Enhance your cognitive skills through memorization and practice.
Connect with amateur radio enthusiasts and participate in a vibrant community.
Use Morse code as a fun and challenging hobby.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
You Used Ethernet Cable for WHAT?
Bruce Johnson (KX4AZ) retired in 2016 from a 27-year career as an analytical chemist with Johnson & Johnson. Bruce holds an FCC Amateur Extra Class license and has been immersed in all things related to SDRs, digital modes (FT8, WSPR) and receive-only antennas (loops, dipoles, end-fed, Beverage, etc.). Additionally, his numerous hobbies include pyrotechnics, meteorology, remote monitoring, over-the-air TV signals, cold-hardy palm trees and daily afternoon naps.
Bruce is fascinated with the science of electromagnetic waves and the means of sending and/or detecting them. As an analytical chemist, he appreciates the definite parallel between chemical analysis for trace impurities and digging out weak RF signals from receiving systems. WSPR beacon transmissions, with extremely low RF power levels down to as low as 10 microwatts (-20 dBm), are still receivable from hundreds of miles away.
His presentation, titled “You Used Ethernet Cable for WHAT?”, will highlight the advantages of using ethernet cable as a feedline for HF antennas. The four twisted pairs of wire in ethernet cable can be used for much more than connecting a PC to a router. The characteristics of ethernet cable (impedance, line loss, matching needs, cost) will be discussed, along with real-world examples from his Antenna Farm of using a single cable for multiple receive only antennas.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
RT Systems and DMR programming.
Karin Thompson (KD4DXX) has worked in the amateur radio industry for more than 35 years and has seen many changes in communications and technology. Karin holds an FCC Amateur General Class license and enjoys helping others get on the air and make the most of their radios’ features. On most days, you probably will not hear her on the air, but you may find her investigating radio settings and options to solve unusual behavior or discover ways to get more functionality with fewer button presses.
We have all seen that digital modes involve many more settings than analog simplex or repeater operation. It is no longer just a matter of setting frequencies, repeater offsets, and PL (CTCSS) tones. As a result, on many newer radios, it is difficult to select digital repeaters of choice from the keypad alone. Instead, you usually create a file on your computer containing the radio’s settings, known in the DMR world as a codeplug, and then write that file to the radio.
Since 1995, RT Systems has developed radio programming software and cables tailored to the unique characteristics and configurations of individual radios. The founders of RT Systems, pioneers in amateur radio programming software, continue to be involved in the daily design and development of the company’s programs and cables. Today, RT Systems offers programming solutions for more than 600 different radios.
The company’s goal is to simplify the process of programming hundreds of channels into a radio, eliminating the need for endless button presses and knob turning. RT Systems not only creates programming software, but also designs and manufactures cables that meet the specific needs of each radio. The result is a system intended to be straightforward and user-friendly.
RT Systems is also known for its support. Their technical support team has direct access to a radio just like yours, and the corresponding programming software, ready to assist you with an issue that may just be a setting that has been turned on or off unexpectedly. Their comprehensive knowledge base and instructional videos on their website are available to help you anytime.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
WSPR Mode @ 10mW ... and Below
Bruce Johnson (KX4AZ) retired in 2016 from a 27-year career as an analytical chemist with Johnson & Johnson. He holds an FCC Amateur Extra Class license and has been deeply involved in SDRs, digital modes such as FT8 and WSPR, and receive-only antennas including loops, dipoles, end-fed antennas, and Beverage antennas. His many other hobbies include pyrotechnics, meteorology, remote monitoring, over-the-air TV signals, cold-hardy palm trees, and daily afternoon naps.
Bruce is fascinated by the science of electromagnetic waves and the methods used to send and detect them. As an analytical chemist, he appreciates the clear parallel between chemical analysis for trace impurities and the challenge of pulling weak RF signals out of receiving systems. WSPR beacon transmissions, with extremely low RF power levels as low as 10 microwatts (-20 dBm), can still be received from hundreds of miles away.
His presentation, titled “WSPR Mode @ 10mW ... and Below,” will explain the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) digital beacon signal protocol. Each WSPR transmission sends 50 bits of information using a four-tone modulation scheme with a bandwidth of about 6 Hz at 1.5 baud. Receiving stations upload their decode reports to the wsprnet.org server for propagation reporting and reception mapping. He will also discuss RF power control and measurement in the 0.1 to 10 mW range, along with his experiments, results, and conclusions.