Hello EPA Section! Lets see what has been happening in EPA, or what will affect Amateur Radio in EPA:
Hamfests
There was one Hamfest in September, the EPARA Hamfest on the 20th in East Stroudsburg, PA. I was not able attend unfortunately. I was able to attend the first October Hamfest in the Section, the Red Rose Repeater Hamfest in on the 3rd in New Holland PA. This was in my home county, so I got to meet some old and new friends, including one who passed his General 2 weeks after getting his Technician! Congrats to KD3DWG! They had a good setup, with indoor and outdoor tables, which was right next to an old school RadioShack. I picked up a new HT for myself as well. Thanks to the Red Rose Repeater Association for a great hamfest.
There are two more left in October: the RF Hill ARC Hamfest on October 18th by the RF Hill Amateur Radio Club, and the Oktoberfest Hamfest on October 24th by the Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Club. I will attend the RF Hill one but not the Harrisburg one. That is the last Hamfest in 2026, but note the next one is the Winterfest Hamfest on January 9th, 2027 by HRAC too.
Club Anniversaries
Speaking of clubs, I wanted to call out a couple of Club Anniversaries! The Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Club is celebrating their 80th anniversary this year, and both the Pottstown Area Amateur Radio & the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Radio Club are both celebrating their 50th anniversaries! Congrats to all three. If your club is celebrating a relevant anniversary, please reach to me.
Club Presentations
Continuing with the club theme, I have been attending some club meetings, including MARC and the Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club so far. I have a couple more on the schedule, PAARC and RRRA, in the next few months. If you are interested in having me attend your club meeting, in person or via remote, please let me know. I will bring updates from ARRL HQ as well as share my vision for the EPA Section. (I will also share a recording of my vision soon.) If I can’t make it, I will see if I can get my Club Coordinator – Ralph Brandt K3HQI – or one of my Assistant Section Managers – Robert Montgomery W3ZR or Charles Schmell KS3 – to attend instead.
ARDC Volunteers
The Amateur Radio Digital Communications organization is looking for new volunteers. They are a private foundation that exists to support amateur radio and digital communication science and technology. They run the 44Net system, which I use to get public IPs to my home for Amateur radio use. Check out their page for more: https://www.ardc.net/volunteer-with-ardc-in-2027/
RATPAC Presentations
I just discovered a cool organization offering trainings and presentations on various Amateur Radio topics. The Radio Amateur Training Planning and Activities Committee (RATPAC) comprises Amateur Radio Operators of a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. They host nationwide Amateur Radio Zoom presentations weekly on Amateur Radio and emergency communications topics. Some examples of upcoming topics are Winlink Basics, EME for Every Ham, 44Net Connect, and Buying a Radio That Fits Your Deeds. Check them and the upcoming sessions here: https://www.ratpac.us
Visit to HQ
Last month I was invited up to ARRL HQ in Connecticut to attend the annual Section Manager Training. This was a great experience. I met with all the leadership of ARRL, including our CEO. I learned a lot about what ARRL is doing and what they want to do. There are a lot of great people working at HQ that truly care about Amateur Radio. I also met and had many discussions with Section Managers from across the country (Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia, New Hampshire, Maine, and California). A good group and a good mix of people all passionate about Amateur Radio.
Open Positions
Lastly, we can still really use some volunteers to help Amateur Radio and its operators in the section. It does not have to involve a large time commitment immediately – we understand every one has busy lives. But we sure use your help. There are small local positions and wider section positions. If any of these titles sound interesting to you, please reach out to me at and we can discuss!
- Assistant Section Managers
- Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
- Public Information Coordinator
- Section Traffic Manager
- Assistant Section Traffic Managers
- Net Manager
- Technical Specialists
- Public Information Officers
- Official Emergency Stations
- Official Relay Stations
Matt | KV3JGB | kv3jgb@arrl.org