West Georgia Amateur Radio Society

June 10, 2017, Foxhunt Recap

The WGARS June Foxhunt was the most successful to date, with roughly 25% of members coming out for the festivities. The group once again met at Courthouse Café in downtown Carrollton to enjoy breakfast before the pre-hunt briefing. It was here that the frequency on which the fox was transmitting was given, as well as the boundary of the Carrollton Greenbelt.

As soon as the hunt began, it was a race to the top of the nearby parking deck in order to get the first reading on where the fox may be hiding. Some groups were able to pick up a very faint signal, but others were unable to hear it. The teams then went their separate ways to try to narrow down the location, with everyone ending up at a park on the lake at Southwire. The fox was located off of a path in a wooded area of the park.

March 2017 Foxhunt - A Great Saturday

The March 2017 Foxhunt was a great success, with a great turnout and wonderful weather for the hunters.  The group met at the Courthouse Cafe in Carrollton for breakfast before stepping out into the parking lot for a pre-hunt briefing and then taking to the streets.

The only information provided was the frequency the fox was tuned to and that the fox was hidden somewhere within or very close to the perimeter of the Greenbelt loop around the city. 

All participants immediately made way to the top of the nearby parking garage to get an initial bearing on the signal.  However, unlike previous hunts, the signal could not be received there, leaving the hunters to begin a search around the loop. 

Field Day 2017 Preparation Underway

Field Day is a national (US) amateur radio exercise where amateur radio operators work to make as many contact over 24-27 hours on the last full weekend of June and will take place June 24th-25th in 2017. The West Georgia Amateur Radio Society will hold its activities at Little Tallapoosa Park, utilizing the Carroll County EMA mobile command center vehicle. 

Amateur radio operators and the general public are invited to participate.  Non-amateur radio operators will have the opportunity to attempt an amateur radio contact.

WGARS operations will take place at the Equestrian Campground at Little Tallapoosa Park, just look for the gravel road to your left almost immediately after entering the park.  If you need directions, click here. Coordinates of the entrance are 33.6452835, -85.0513928.

SKYWARN Training 2017 - Join the SKYWARN Team!

WGARS members turned out in force for the 2017 SKYWARN training program put together by the Carroll County Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Not only did members have the chance to take the SKYWARN training, but county EMA Director Tim Padgett arranged, and participated in, a tour of the 911 center and new EOC facility. Those who didn't attend missed an educational and interesting evening.

SKYWARN is the National Weather Service's (NWS) citizen spotter training program, open to broad participation.