LWRA Ham Bytes – Week of 4/13/26

I hope you are starting a great week! Last week was a good time for the Ham radio community. First, our own Russ N4RTD gave LWRA members and guests very important information regarding maintaining your access to the FCC. Routine access to your Cores account will be essential when it comes to upgrading, renewing or adding information to your license. Thanks to all who came out or attended via Google Meets.

Secondly, thanks to John for encouraging our Flavor and Topping. Last week was our DMR week and oh my, what a great time with the Polk Schools Talk Group! Opportunities to have QSO’s with our friends and members in surrounding counties and out of state made for a good radio week. I know Jim in Ohio and the other Jim in Orlando made several contacts. And it’s funny as I typed the last sentence John SIGNALED about this week’s flavor!

As many are aware, Sun N Fun will commence this week. We have folks gearing up to man the special event Station at SNF again this year. W4S will be operating most of the week. If have the opportunity, check them out. At times the LARC repeater will be monitored by the folks at SNF so let them know you’re supporting the operation.

The ‘flavor’ will be the Bartow Fusion repeater 145.270MHz. This repeater is C4FM only and is WIRES accessible. You can access this from outside of the area using WIRES X. The Topping will be the Great wide area WC4PEM network. This also has accessibility via the Echo link.

As spring springs let’s hop on those repeaters and that HF rig and MAKE SOME CONTACTS!

And you say how does Wires X work, well…

QRP- End of the month we will have our April QRP at Mary Holland Park in Bartow with a of WIRES X We will have an announcement on the lunch next week as well. So, if you have a C4FM radio or just want to check out how it works, come join us. We will have Top Cat Café’ cooking at the end of the morning. As always, bring a drink and stay hydrated. As usual, LWRA encourages those to attend, set up a station and operate on HF, or whatever you want to talk on. Last Saturday of the month Mary Holland Park in Bartow!

NET The Masterful NC John KU8Q will be our host. Join us on Tuesday at 730PM for the LWRA network on 442.425MHz 127.3 CTCSS TX and RX.

I WILL BE OUT NEXT WEEK AND I’M UNABLE TO DO BOTH OF MY NETS!

Tuesday GMRS 7PM on the Bartow repeater. If you want to substitute for Net Control, send me an email or message.

My LWRA next Tuesday will need coverage of 730 send me an email if you can cover this net.

You can Signal me on LWRA Chat or send an email to jml610@comcast.net

We still net a few net controllers for our GMRS associated nets. Third or fourth week on Bartow and W5DBH’s repeater in Haines City.

Dan’s W5DBH Haines City Net on Fridays 462.55 127.3 he needs subs and controllers for his 7 PM Friday net.

Meeting at Lake Wales Fire Station #1 253 West Central Ave Lake Wales at 7:00PM look for the link later this week.

I need a third- or fourth-week controller for the Polk GMRS net for Tuesday at 7PM each week. 462.725 141.3. Also, standby subs for all three nets would be great. Let me know about any 863-412-2467

Thanks, Russ, for the celestial updates. Great net reminders on SIGNAL each day… a wonderful tool!
Net information on the next page
If you are NOT on SIGNAL and want info, email me jml610@comcast.net

One last thing.

Check out WINLINK Monday with Gary today, you can find more information on the Polk ARES web site.
Also, Winlink WED is another opportunity.

73 and I hope to ‘see ya on the air.’

Mike
KB4FHP jml610@comcast.net call 863-412-2467