Rio ARC K5RGV

A Warm (and Slightly Static-Filled) South Texas Welcome!
Howdy from the Rio Amateur Radio Club (Rio ARC)! Whether you're a seasoned Ham with more QSL cards than fridge magnets, just getting started, or simply wondering what all the antenna talk is about—we’re glad you found us. We hope this site becomes your go-to frequency for all things Amateur Radio.

Broadcasting from the Heart of the Rio Grande Valley
Our home base is Harlingen—fondly nicknamed The Tropical Playground of Texas—and we proudly serve the whole Rio Grande Valley (RGV). That includes McAllen, Brownsville, South Padre Island, Port Isabel, San Benito, Raymondville, and even Starbase (yes, that's a real place—just ask Elon). With its rich culture, friendly folks, and year-round sunshine, the RGV is a great place to live—and an even better place to be a Ham.

Not Just a Hobby—It’s a Hamily
At Rio ARC, we welcome anyone with an interest in Ham radio, electronics, computer theory, or just pushing buttons and seeing what happens. But let’s face it—Ham radio is really about people. It’s about community, camaraderie, and the occasional debate over which antenna is “truly the best.” (Spoiler: it depends.)

Come for the Radio—Stay for the Pancakes
Twice a week, we gather for informal breakfast meetups. No membership required, just bring your appetite and a good story (radio-related or not—we’re not picky). There’s coffee, conversation, and usually someone trying to explain how DMR works... again. Details are in the “Future Events” section below or on our calendar page.

So Pull Up a Chair (or Key Up the Mic)
Whether you’re here to learn, tinker, ragchew, or just escape the XYL (of course she is invited) for a couple hours—we’re happy you’re here. Welcome to Rio ARC. We can’t wait to hear your call sign and meet you face-to-face!

Pico Balloon

The first Rio ARC Pico Balloon (Serial #1), sponsored by Tom (WT5TX), was launched southwest of Harlingen, TX, at 0800 local time on March 21, 2025.

Unfortunately, the balloon stopped transmitting on the morning of March 25, 2025. However, before going silent, it covered an impressive distance and provided valuable data:

Total distance traveled: 5,862 miles
Last reported location: Mauritania, Northwest Africa
Average speed: 81 mph
Fastest speed recorded: 127 mph
Slowest speed recorded: 35 mph
Average altitude: 34,826 feet
Highest altitude recorded: 35,630 feet
Coldest temperature recorded: -29°F
A big thanks to Tom (WT5TX) for introducing something new and giving many of us a fresh and exciting experience in ham radio!

Future Events

Breakfast Every Wednesday at 8:00 am

Los Leones in La Feria , 109 N Main St, La Feria, TX 78559-5004

Breakfast Every Saturday  at 8:00 am

Tejano Grill in Harlingen, 803 S 77 Sunshine Strip
Harlingen, TX 78550 

2025 ARRL Field Day is June 28 and 29th. Rio ARC will be at Spotted Sea Trout Park (Formerly known as the Rio Hondo Public Boat Ramp) in Rio Hondo from 1:00pm on 28 June until 29 June until about 1:00pm.  Just look for the Rio ARC Banner.

Spotted Sea Trout Park, Rio Hondo, TX

Monthly Club Meeting, 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm 2nd Tuesday of each month, except December.

Meeting Schedule:
May 13, 2025
June 10, 2025
July 8, 2025
August 12, 2025
September 9, 2025  
October 14, 2025
November 11, 2025
No Meeting for December

Harlingen Irrigation District, 301 E. Pierce Ave., Harlingen, TX   . 78550

Barry's Corner
Barry A. Boothe, W9UCW

"Over the coming months on this venue, I plan to present a variety of technical pieces and stories from nearly 70 years as an active ham."

There are now twelve handwritten (they may have originally been typed) articles by Barry, some even featuring pictures! Just check the menu and click on "Barry's Corner" for some informative and entertaining reading.


__________________
Barry shares his personal thoughts on Field Day in this timely new article.
__________________

 A personal look at Field Day

The generic description of “field day” is widely diverse but it usually mentions these things .

: a day for exercises or maneuvers
: an outdoor meeting or social gathering
: a day of sports and athletic competition
: a time of extraordinary pleasure or opportunity

The ARRL says this about our Ham Radio Field day,“Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 31,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.”

My personal knowledge of Field Day began in Joliet Illinois the year I was licensed WN9UCW. I received the call in August of 1954, seventy one years ago. I was thirteen. That next June I was able to attend the local club’s field day on “Moose Island” in nearby Channahon , Illinois.

The club was the “Joliet Amateur Radio Society” fondly called the “JARS.” They sponsored the ”Code School” that helped me get my novice license,I learned that the JARS was very serious about the competitive aspect of Field Day and that they were usually in the top few of the one hundred or so clubs in the four transmitter class, and sometimes they were number one.

At club meetings that spring I observed the members getting organized for the June event. By April or May they had four members who would be captains of the four stations that would be set up. They worked out the bands and modes to be covered by each station and decided what multipliers they would seek. For instance, if they chose a low power limit like 30 watts, they had a significant multiplier for every contact made compared to the high powered stations. They also plotted the layout of stations and antennas in the allowed 1000 foot circle limit.

The captains of each of the four positions were responsible for having the equipment, some sort of an enclosure and an operator as well as a logger for all twenty four hours beginning midday Saturday. This was before computers were available and everything was recorded on paper and pencil. Loggers were also responsible for identifying duplicates so that no time was lost on contacts that wouldn’t count on the final score.

Other persons were assigned to putting up antennas and attending to the generator. Someone with experience in food was assigned to provide meals for the whole crew. The JARS had an ex Navy cook as a member who filled the bill perfectly.

A good time was had by all and by Sunday evening everyone was as exhausted as could be as they made their way home. Personally, I was involved in JARS field days for about twenty years and have fond memories of them all. Interesting things were tried to improve efficiency like mounting a transmitter in the center of an elevated dipole to reduce losses in coax transmission line. That made quite a difference on the higher frequency bands and certainly contributed to those fond memories.

I hope you all have a great time with friends at Field Day.

73, Barry,W9UCW

PS. The JARS club call was W9OFR (“Old Fat Rascal”)
 

HF, VHF and UHF Antennas

Ham Radio Antennas

Field Day

Every June, amateur radio operators across the United States and Canada participate in one of the hobby’s most anticipated events: Field Day. Sponsored by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League), Field Day is part emergency preparedness exercise, part public demonstration, and part fun-filled contest rolled into one weekend.

What Is Field Day?
Field Day is a 24-hour event held on the fourth full weekend of June. During this time, ham radio operators set up temporary stations—often outdoors and off the power grid—to make as many contacts as possible with other operators across North America and beyond.

Why Does It Matter?
The primary goal of Field Day is to practice emergency communications. In a real disaster, when phones and the internet fail, amateur radio can still get through. By operating with portable antennas, generators, batteries, and solar panels, hams sharpen the skills they may need in a real crisis.

But it’s also a community and educational event. Clubs invite the public, demonstrate equipment, offer licensing exams, and showcase how ham radio serves the community.

How Does It Work?
Stations earn points for each contact made on various frequency bands and modes (voice, CW, digital).
Extra points are awarded for using renewable power, operating in public, involving youth, and running press releases or visitor tables.
Callsigns used during Field Day usually follow a format like “3 A STX,” which means three transmitters, Class A (club station), in South Texas, for example.
Who Can Join?
Everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned operator or just curious, you can participate. Many clubs set up GOTA (Get On The Air) stations, allowing newcomers to try transmitting under the supervision of a licensed operator.

Final Thoughts
Field Day combines the best of ham radio: technical challenge, public service, and fellowship. It’s a chance to learn, practice, and have fun—all while helping ensure that when all else fails, ham radio doesn’t.

73 and see you on Field Day!

Follow Us!

© Copyright 2023 - 2025 Rio Amateur Radio Club (Rio ARC) - All Rights Reserved
Rio ARC Sitemap


 Rio ARC is a 501(C)3 Non-Profit Organization