Welcome

arrlAn ARRL Affiliated Special Service Club

The Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club is a general-purpose club with the goal of promoting and supporting the educational and operational aspects of ham radio through ham radio classes, on-the-air events, and hands-on activity. THE SATURDAY BREAKFAST MEETINGS ARE HELD  AT PERKINS IN GARDNER EACH SATURDAY. YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US 6:30 AM TO ~8:30AM.  The monthly business meeting is the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is a hybrid meeting in which you can attend in person at Perkins in Gardner or you can attend via a Zoom connection. Additionally, the club holds a Tech Night presentation via Zoom the last Thursday evening of each month at 7:30 pm. Log in to the web site and select the "Links/Zoom Links" menu to find meeting links or contact a club officer. 

The October Business Meeting date has been changed to Saturday, October 17, 2026 so it does not conflict with the ARRL MIDWEST DIVISION CONVENTION & SPARKCON BEING HELD IN SEDALIA, MO ON OCT. 10TH. 

Upcoming Events

03 Oct 2026;
08:00AM - 05:00PM
Wichita Area Hamfest & KS ARRL Convention Oct. 3rd, Wichita, KS.
06 Oct 2026;
08:00PM -
SFTARC Net
09 Oct 2026;
12:00PM - 05:00PM
SPARK-CON 2026
10 Oct 2026;
08:00AM - 03:00PM
SPARK-CON 2026
13 Oct 2026;
08:00PM -
SFTARC Net
17 Oct 2026;
08:00AM -
SFTARC business meeting
20 Oct 2026;
08:00PM -
SFTARC Net
wb0cnk

     Our club had another very successful Field Day 2026, with a great turnout of members and a surprising number of visitors that joined in on the fun this year. Be sure to read the articles in this newsletter to learn how our Field Day was even bigger and better this year.  A group of members attended the NAUTICOS presentation with ties to ham radio on July 17th https://nauticos.com/ocean-discovery/amelia/  held at the Amelia Earhart Museum in Atchison, KS.   https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/events/  Just around the corner is our Tech Night on July 30th, where Pat, KFØOUS will present on the foxhole crystal radio and perhaps other Military Radios.  

     I encourage all members to  stay up-to-date and informed on all club activities by attending our breakfasts (every Saturday morning), and meetings at Perkins in Gardner, as well as using our website,  https://sftarc.org/index.php . Most of the content does not require logging in. Our web calendar for instance, https://sftarc.org/index.php/calendar-jevent. Each listing provides an opportunity to sign up and join in or travel along, or simply use our contact list: https://sftarc.org/index.php/about-us-main-menu/contact-us-main-menu  

     Some upcoming travel events include a group of members headed to the Warrenburg, MO. Hamfest July 18th, and then they are off to the Huntsville, AL Hamfest Aug 22nd-23rd.  At the end of August are other club operating events: The Pony Express Festival at Hollensberg, KS, August 30th, includes a historical telegraph demonstration put together by member Jim, KØNK. To join in the celebration, contact Jim at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://www.nps.gov/places/hollenberg-pony-express-station.htm. Members are already preparing for the on-the-air Kansas QSO Party held Saturday & Sunday, Aug 30th & 31st.  https://www.ksqsoparty.org/  To join in on this air-conditioned event, contact Jeff, KSØJD, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., who has volunteered to coordinate our club site operations, including individuals operating for the club at their QTH's .

Trail Bytes

B-25 Project and Miltary Radios
29 Aug 2026

Mike Laney (KEØGHU) presented a talk on the B-25 Project and the radios used in the WW II bomber. Mike included several stories about the B-25 in WW II and the airmen who...

Field Day at Lake Olathe (Mid 1990s)
26 Aug 2026

This newspaper article about Field Day at Lake Olathe is from the mid 1990's. I found it in some of my old storage boxes. Some interesting old memories. The following...

Military Radio - Pat, KFØOYS
13 Aug 2026

Pat, KFØOYS presented a talk on Military Radios for the SFTARC July 2026 Tech Night.He presented details for a simple radio made from readily available parts.

Kansas QSO Party Signup
08 Aug 2026

       Good Day to the Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club.  It is that time of year again for the Kansas QSO party.  I am Jeff...

FD in Clolorado - Ex Honeywell-Olathe Hams
12 Jul 2026

Several retired Honeywell-Olathe employees now live in Colorado and belong to their local Chaffee Lake Amateur Radio Association.  The local paper wrote up this very...

Field Day at a Ham Radio Landmark
03 Jul 2026

Brian, WQØA, presented a video on his YouTube channel titled "Field Day at a Ham Radio Landmark | Ensor Museum, Santa Fe Trail ARC & More". The video started with an...

Introduction to Grounding for Ham Radio
02 May 2026

At our April 30th, 2026, tech night, George McCarville, WB0CNK, covered essential grounding techniques for ham radio, focusing on safety, lightning, and RF grounding. Key...

Understanding 12V DC Power for Radio Amateurs
30 Apr 2026

     In the March 2026 tech night discussion, Tom Apalenek WA2IVD, highlighted that the commonly referenced "12V" is actually 13.8V, accounting for a ±15%...