Tuesday, January 6, 2026

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.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL)

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).

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

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 communica on 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

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/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 ever 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.