Rio ARC K5RGV

Rio Amateur Radio Club (Rio ARC) K5RGV

A Warm Welcome from Deep South Texas!

Greetings from the Rio Amateur Radio Club (Rio ARC)! Whether you're a seasoned Ham, just getting started, or simply curious about Amateur Radio, we hope this website becomes a valuable resource for you!

Our Home in the Rio Grande Valley

Based in Harlingen—affectionately known as “The Tropical Playground of Texas”—we proudly serve the entire Rio Grande Valley (RGV), including McAllen, Brownsville, South Padre Island, Port Isabel, San Benito, Raymondville, and the soon to be newest city in Texas, Starbase. Our vibrant community, rich in culture and warmth, makes this one of the best places to live, not just in Texas, but in the entire United States!

More Than Just a Hobby—A Community

At Rio ARC, we welcome anyone with an interest in Ham radio, electronics, and computer theory, but we know that Amateur Radio is about so much more than technology. It’s about friendship, camaraderie, and shared experiences. Our club is a place where you can connect with like-minded individuals, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships with fellow Hams.

Join Us for Good Food & Great Conversations!

We’d love to meet you! Join us for our informal breakfast meetups, held twice a week, where we enjoy delicious food, lively discussions about radio and beyond, and most importantly—each other’s company. You’ll find the details for our meetups in the Future Events section below or on our calendar page.

Whether you're here to explore, learn, or connect—welcome to Rio ARC! We can’t wait to hear your voice on the airwaves and see you at one of our gatherings.

The first Rio ARC Pico Balloon, 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!

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. Rio ARC will be at Dixieland Park from 1:00pm until about 5:00pm. Just look for the Rio ARC Banner.

Dixieland Park, Harlingen, TX 78550

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

Meeting Schedule:
March 11, 2025
April 8, 2025
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.

Rio ARC Website Updates – March 2025

Q-signals

Q-signals are standardized three-letter codes used in amateur radio to convey common messages quickly and efficiently, especially in CW (Morse code) and voice communication.

General Q-Signals

QRM – Is my transmission being interfered with? (Man-made interference)

QRN – Are you troubled by static? (Natural interference)

QRP – Shall I reduce power? (Low power operation)

QRQ – Shall I send faster?

QRS – Shall I send more slowly?

QRT – Shall I stop sending? (Shutting down the station)

QRV – Are you ready? (I am ready)

QRX – When will you call me again? (Stand by)

QRZ – Who is calling me?

QSB – Are my signals fading? (Signal fading)

QSL – Can you acknowledge receipt? (Confirmation)

QSO – Can you communicate with...? (Contact, conversation)

QSY – Shall I change frequency?

QTH – What is your location?

Upcoming Event: 2025 Field Day

Mark your calendars! Rio ARC’s next major event is Field Day 2025, happening on June 26, 2025. Stay tuned for more details!