All year long, there are opportunities for you to use your Ham Radio skills in events other than contesting, or rag chewing (chatting mindlessly with other hams about nothing in particular).
Coming up in the next couple of months, the event schedule is a bit lighter than the rest of the year, primarily due to all the holidays, or is it?
Here is a list of known Ham Radio Christmas Parties and Events…
- December 1st – Tuesday: ARES is holding their Christmas Party / Meeting at Martha’s Mexican Restaurant, located at the corner of Babcock Rd & Huebner Rd. Starts at 6:45pm. this takes the place of their normal monthly meeting which would have been held on the other side of the planet, over at the American Red Cross HQ. No RSVP needed. Cost of your own meal & drinks is on you. No meal purchase required. www.bexarcountyares.org is their website.
- December 3rd – Thursday: Kendall Amateur Radio Society (KARS) will hold their Annual Christmas Party at 6pm, at Boerne Vistro. Contact Jim KK5RZ jim_mastro@yahoo.com
- December 4th – Friday: AARO is holding their Christmas Party at Grady’s BBQ Restaurant, located on Bandera Rd, between Mainland and Eckert Rd. Starts at 6pm. Cost is $10/person in advance. RSVP required. Open to any ham operator, whether a member of AARO, SARO, SARC, REACT, etc. Contact Teri Thomas KC5BJI or visit their website, www.aa5ro.org for more info. This takes the place of their normal monthly meeting which would have been held at Martha’s Mexican Restaurant later in the month.
- December 4th – 5th – Friday/Saturday: National Skywarn Recognition Day. Hams will be operating HF, VHF, UHF, IRLP and perhaps even Echolink from the National Weather Service Office in New Braunfels. Limited # of operators allowed at one time due to radios being in same room as the NWS staff. RSVP required. Contact Wade Bolling W5ERX w5erx@arrl.net or Lee Besing info@SanAntonioHams.org . If you just want to visit and not operate, thats okay also.
- December 12th – Saturday: San Antonio Road Runner’s Christmas Run – 10 Miler @ Mission Park. Normally REACT coordinates, but due to schedule change by thge SARR conflicting with the parade in Sattler, Gordon Dial K5SUZ has agreed to coordinate. Contact Gordon at K5SUZ@arrl.net.
- December 12th – Saturday: Christmas Parade in Sattler, TX. Hill Country REACT Team is coordinating the staging area, not the parade route, and ham operators are needed to assist in making sure all the entrants in the parade get in the correct location so the announcer can make heads or tails out of it. Starts 8am for lineup, parade kicks off at 11am, over by 12:30pm. Contact Wade Bolling W5ERX w5erx@arrl.net or Lee Besing info@SanAntonioHams.org .
- December 12th – Saturday 1pm: REACT is holding their annual Christmas Party following the parade, location is Charles Land KC5NKK’s house on Bubbling Brook (off Borgfield Rd & Old Blanco Rd). Open to all REACT & Ham Operators. RSVP preferred but not required. Contact Wade Bolling W5ERX w5erx@arrl.net or Lee Besing info@SanAntonioHams.org .
- December 12th – Saturday 1pm: Medina County ARC Annual Christmas Party in Castroville, TX, Contact Bob K5AUW @ bobrod@flash.net
- December 13th thru 21st – evenings: Travis County REACT is coordinating communications for the Trail of Lights in Austin. Large event with lots of missing kids to be matched up with their missing parents. Can be really busy or slow, never can tell. Weather is always a factor, can get really cold after about 8-9pm due to location near the River by Zilker Park. New location adjacent to the park, shorter trail than before. Contact Lee Besing info@SanAntonioHams.org .
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December 18th – Friday @ 6:30pm: 3rd annual Unusual Suspect Christmas Party. Great Meal, good times, great conversation and just pure and simple the most wonderful people in HAM Radio will be attending. Location: Los Generales Restaurant, 16216 Nacogdoches Rd, San Antonio, Tx Contact Greg N5XO N5XO@satx.rr.com
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December 19th – Saturday 11am: QCWA Christmas Party. For more information contact the club’s officers: Bill Minton AA5HI, Clay Laster W5ZPV or Jim Wright, K5CDT.
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January 9th-10th – Saturday/Sunday: Hill Country REACT is coordinating communications for the Bandera 100k Ultra Marathon. This is a 24 hour event, running cross country on trails thru the Hill Country State Natural Area, near Bandera Texas. Starts at 7am on Saturday, rain shine or snow. Last runner must finish by 7am Sunday. Hams usually done by 5am Sunday. Shifts being scheduled so we don’t have to all work 24 hours or more. Using UHF or VHF communications with portable repeater, fixed repeater and sometimes simplex. Next thing to operating in an emergency zone. Bring your own extra power, ability to recharge radios, a bit of shelter, chairs, food, etc. Very rugged. Contact Louis Upton K1STX k1stx@yahoo.com.
- January 23rd – Saturday: San Antonio Radio Club’s Radio Fiesta (Swapfest) held at the Knights of Columbus Hall (509 Schertz Parkway) in Schertz, TX. Same location as last year. Visit club website (www.w5sc.org) for more details including early bird registration, vendor registration, etc. Doors open at 8am, there is an admission charge per person.
