A recap of the July 19, 2025 W8H Special Event Station at the HINCKLEY 200 YEAR BICENTENNIAL
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What a BLAST we had at the July 19th Special Event Station! The air was buzzing with excitement, and we’re still grinning from ear to ear!
A massive shout-out to the mastermind behind it all, Tom Bedocs, K8DMM, whose brilliant idea and tireless planning made this event a smashing success.
Every detail was spot-on, and Tom deserves a thunderous round of applause for pulling it off without a hitch!
Big thanks also go to our rockstar crew:
Joe Mizik, N8QXC
Fred Heyse, N8AHS
Dale Powell, KL7V
Dave Ream, N8QAS
Tom Ford, W8WIN
We’re also tipping our hats to the awesome folks who jumped on the air to connect with first-timers, like Rick Wells, K8SCI, and Mark Kundrath, KB8FKM. (If we missed anyone, my apologies—you’re all stars!) Those first contacts lit up faces, with newbies clutching their shiny “First Contact Certificates” and sprinting to share the news with their loved ones. Pure magic!
The pavilion was hopping with energy all day. Tom’s Morse code station was a total hit—kids and adults alike were gleefully tapping out their names, giggling with every dit and dah.
The brochures flew off the table, sparking curiosity and some serious “Wait, ham radio is still a thing?!” moments.
One encounter stole my heart: a woman and her daughter stopped by, gazing at our HF radios. When I asked if she had questions, her eyes welled up. “This reminds me of my late husband,” she said softly. “He’d spend hours on his radios in the basement.” We shared a warm chat, and her smile said it all—a beautiful, bittersweet moment.
We also met folks who’d drifted from the hobby but were itching to dive back in, and others eager to get their kids started on this radio adventure.
The pavilion was a whirlwind of stories—each unique yet woven with that universal love for radio that binds us all. It was the perfect chance to share our passion with the public and ignite some new sparks!
On the airwaves, we rocked it with about 90 HF contacts, including a thrilling QSO with Vlado, OM3TWM, all the way from the Slovak Republic!
We pinged signals across the U.S.—from Vermont to Florida, Pennsylvania to Minnesota, and even snagged a contact from Curaçao, just off Venezuela’s coast. Band conditions got a bit cranky in the afternoon, but we powered through. (Pro tip: we’ll nail those bands next time!) The live band onstage didn’t make it easy to hear, but Tom’s genius move of bringing headphones saved the day.
The weather? Glorious! The sun shone, the heat was kind, and Tom’s savvy planning kept us cool in the shaded pavilion.
Even the rain played nice, holding off until we’d packed up. Speaking of which, huge thanks to everyone who stuck around to help tear down—you’re the real MVPs!
All in all, this event was an absolute home run. The vibes were electric, the connections were real, and I'm already pumped for the next one. Here’s to more radio adventures and sharing the love of Radio!
So, a big thank you to everyone. This was a huge success and is exactly the sort of thing we need to do more of as a club.
I could not be more proud of the club.
Wayne A. Harris, NC8F
President, North Coast Amateur Radio Club
email: nc8f@outlook.com
More might be coming soon - Check back later
Does anyone have anything that can be added ??
Send it via Email to me at: k8sci624@gmail.com
NCARC Signage / Entrance
NCARC Operations Center
DALE KL7V - JOE N8QXC - DAVE N8QAS - FRED N8AHS
TOM - K8DMM
FRED N8AHS - DAVE N8QAS
Here is the information on the W8H special Event Station certificates.
http://cert.elemcoshopfloor.com/
(Front) FRED N8AHS - WAYNE NC8F - (Rear) TOM W8WIN - TRAVIS SWL/GUEST
