Edmond Tower Project Update: Antennas Installed!
We have exciting news to share about the new Edmond tower project — the EARS antennas are officially installed!
After a few schedule adjustments due to weather, the tower climbers successfully installed both antennas for the EARS repeaters late last week. This marks a major milestone for the project.
The next step is installation of the feed line. That work is expected to take place any day now and may already be complete by the time you read this update.
Additional work remains, including completion of power and the installation of public safety antennas and equipment. However, with the antennas now in place, we are clearly moving into the final phases of the project.
While there are still a few items to finish, we are getting closer every day. Below are a few photos from the EARS antenna installation — thanks to everyone who has helped make this project a reality!
Ben, KJ5IEB
Happy Membership Renewal Season!
We truly appreciate your continued support of the amateur radio community! Your nominal contribution of $25 for an individual membership or $35 for a family membership helps fund services that benefit the local ham community and supports other amateur radio clubs in the area.
We also sincerely recognize and thank you for the time and effort you invest in community service events—it makes a real difference.
To renew your membership, please visit: https://k5eok.org/membership-form/
If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to email me anytime at membership@k5eok.org.
Jhansi, KJ5FVK
Net Control Operators Needed for Weekly EARS Nets
We are currently looking for volunteers to serve as Net Control Operators (NCOs) for all three of our weekly nets:
- Monday Night Information Net
- Monday Route 66 10m Net
- Saturday Morning Breakfast Net
No prior net control experience is required. We provide scripts, guidance, and training, and this is a great opportunity to build confidence, operating skills, and help support the club’s on-the-air activities.
If you’ve ever been curious about running a net—or just want to give back to EARS—this is an excellent way to get involved.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact me at netmanager@k5eok.org.
We’d love to have you on the mic!
Anthony, K5AJT
Net Manager
Winter Field Day 2026: Logan County ARES Takes to the Air
Winter Field Day 2026 is just around the corner, and the Logan County ARES group is gearing up for another great opportunity to train, operate, and demonstrate the capabilities of amateur radio under real-world conditions. Winter Field Day is an annual event designed to test emergency communications readiness while encouraging hams to operate in challenging winter environments. It’s a perfect blend of preparedness, public service, and hands-on operating fun.
This year, the Logan County ARES group will be operating on Saturday, January 24, 2026, from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office training facility, located at 219 S. Broad Street in Guthrie. Setup will begin between 9:00 and 9:30 AM, with the goal of being on the air shortly after the event officially starts at 10:00 AM. Operating from the Sheriff’s Office training facility highlights the close working relationship between ARES and local public safety agencies and reinforces the role amateur radio plays in emergency communications.
All interested amateurs are encouraged to stop by, observe, and participate if possible. Winter Field Day is an excellent chance to practice emergency operations, try out equipment, sharpen operating skills, and enjoy some fellowship with fellow hams—all while staying warm indoors. Whether you’re an experienced operator or new to emergency communications, Winter Field Day 2026 promises to be a valuable and enjoyable event for the entire amateur radio community.
Steven, N5ZQ
Severe Weather Spotter Training – 2026
This year’s severe weather spotter training will be held at the National Weather Service in Norman on Thursday, March 26, at 6:30 PM. We rotate the location every other year between Edmond and Norman.
National Weather Service Office
120 David L Boren Blvd
Norman, OK 73072
Room #1313
If you are unable to attend this session, there are several other trainings offered around the state. This training is free and open to the public.
All ARES members are strongly encouraged to attend one of these NWS spotter training sessions.
Severe weather spotting and accurate reporting are critical components of our mission during weather events. This training helps ensure we remain qualified, informed, and ready to support emergency management and the National Weather Service when activated.
If you plan to participate in severe weather operations this season, please make every effort to attend at least one session.
Additional 2026 NWS Norman Spotter Training Opportunities
- Stillwater – Thursday, February 5, 6:30 PM
- Wichita Falls, TX – Saturday, February 7, 9:00 AM
- Seminole – Monday, February 9, 6:30 PM
- Holdenville – Tuesday, February 10, 6:30 PM
- Madill – Monday, February 23, 6:30 PM
- Hollis – Thursday, February 26, 6:30 PM
- Vernon, TX – Monday, March 2, 6:30 PM
- Watonga – Monday, March 9, 6:30 PM
- Fairview – Tuesday, March 10, 6:00 PM
- Arnett – Monday, March 23, 6:30 PM
- Blackwell – Tuesday, March 24, 6:30 PM
- Norman – Thursday, March 26, 6:30 PM
- Pauls Valley – Thursday, March 28, 10:00 AM
- Duncan – Monday, March 30, 6:30 PM
- Cheyenne – Tuesday, March 31, 6:30 PM
A complete and up-to-date schedule is available at: https://www.weather.gov/oun/spottertalk
Training Resources
- Basic Spotter Guide (PDF): https://www.weather.gov/media/oun/spottertraining/basicspotterguide.pdf
Editor’s Note:
Clay, WA6LBU, and Steven, N5ZQ, are planning to attend the training in Stillwater on Thursday, February 5. We each have a few seats available in our county vehicles. If you would like to attend that training and would like a ride to save gas, please reach out.
Ben, KJ5IEB
Community Preparedness Fair – February 21, 2026
Community members are invited to attend a Preparedness Fair on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 15700 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Edmond, OK 73013.
This free, educational event will feature hands-on exhibits, emergency vehicles, and expert speakers focused on building community readiness and resilience before emergencies occur.
Attendees can explore booths and displays from the American Red Cross, Edmond Emergency Management, food storage specialists, and amateur radio operators, along with fire, EMSA, and police emergency vehicles.
Featured presentations include:
- Water Purification and Private Well Safety – Dr. Jeff Sadler, Oklahoma State University
- Emergency Preparedness and Communications – Ben Curry, Director of Emergency Communications and Emergency Management, City of Edmond
- Public Health Preparedness and Community Resiliency – Julia Reynolds, Oklahoma City–County Health Department
- Gardening for Resilience and Sustainability – David Hillock, OSU Extension Specialist and Consumer Horticulturist
- Disaster Response and Volunteer Coordination – Fred Morice, VOAD
This event is open to the public, with no product sales or commercial promotion of any kind. The Preparedness Fair is designed to help individuals and families gain practical knowledge, build confidence, and take proactive steps toward being ready for emergencies.
Volunteers Needed: Stockyards City St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 14, 2026
The Stockyards City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is coming up on Saturday, March 14, 2026, and we’re looking for volunteers to help with event communications.
All volunteers should plan to arrive by 7:45 AM, and we expect to wrap up around 11:00 AM.
This is a fun parade and a great opportunity to get involved with a community event. No experience is necessary—if you’re new, we’ll pair you with a more experienced volunteer who can help guide you.
If you’re able to participate, please sign up using the form at: https://k5eok.org/st-patricks-day-parade/
If you have any questions, feel free to email us at parades@k5eok.org.
Thank you for supporting the Stockyards City St. Patrick’s Day Parade—we hope to see you there!
Andrew, KF5YEP
EARS Club Dinners
EARS has a long-standing tradition of holding a club dinner on the third Thursday of even-numbered months. The June dinner is held on the Saturday of Field Day, and our December gathering is our annual Christmas Dinner.
Our next EARS dinner is scheduled for Thursday, February 19th at 6:30 PM. The location has not yet been selected. If you have a suggestion for a restaurant that can accommodate 20–30 people, please let us know.
We are also looking for 2–3 volunteers to form a committee to help with scheduling and planning these dinners throughout the year. If you’re willing to assist, please contact Clay (WA6LBU) or Steven (N5ZQ). Your help would be greatly appreciated and will help keep this fun club tradition going.
We hope to see many of you at the February dinner!
Steven, N5ZQ
Edmond Siren Test – Saturday, February 7th
The next monthly Edmond Outdoor Warning Siren Test is scheduled for Saturday, February 7th.
If you’ve been assigned a siren but are unavailable in February, please let Clay (WA6LBU) know as soon as possible.
We are also looking for a few more volunteers to adopt a siren. If you’re able to help or would like to be added to the siren monitoring list, please reach out!
📧 Contact Clay at: sirens@k5eok.org
Thank you for supporting this important community service!
Next EARS VE Test Session – Saturday, February 7th at 9:00 AM
The Edmond Amateur Radio Society will hold its next VE Test Session on Saturday, February 7th at 9:00 AM.
If you—or someone you know—plans to test, please visit the License Testing page and complete the sign-up form. This helps the VE team prepare to accommodate all participants efficiently.
Questions?
Contact Ralph Turner, N5AMR
📧 Email: Raltur47@gmail.com
📞 Phone: (573) 999-4748
We look forward to seeing new and upgrading hams there!
Why Space Weather Matters for Radio Operators
Space (solar) weather plays a significant role in radio communication. While its most noticeable effects are often seen on HF bands, solar activity can also impact VHF, UHF, and even higher frequencies under certain conditions.
Understanding space weather helps us better predict band conditions, plan operations, and troubleshoot unusual signal behavior.
Below is a recommended video from a trusted YouTube channel that shares updates on solar activity and space weather about every two weeks. The presenter breaks down complex topics in a way that’s easy to follow and incredibly informative.
📺 Watch the latest space weather report
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to follow her channel. It’s a valuable resource for amateur radio operators at all levels!
Upcoming Contests
Here are a few upcoming HF contests to keep an ear out for! These events offer a great opportunity to sharpen your operating skills, test your equipment, and connect with hams across the country—and the world.
For a more comprehensive list, check out the ARRL Contest Corral in QST Magazine, available as a downloadable PDF from the ARRL website.
You can also find up-to-date contest schedules and detailed information at:
🌐 contestcalendar.com
| CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW | 2200Z, Jan 23 to 2200Z, Jan 25 |
| Winter Field Day | 1600Z, Jan 24 to 2159Z, Jan 25 |
| North American SSB Sprint Contest | 0000Z-0400Z, Feb 1 |
| Marconi Club ARI Loano Slow CW QSO Party | 1300Z-2300Z, Feb 1 |
| Vermont QSO Party | 0000Z, Feb 7 to 2400Z, Feb 8 |
| Minnesota QSO Party | 1400Z-2400Z, Feb 7 |
| British Columbia QSO Party | 1600Z, Feb 7 to 0359Z, Feb 8 and 1600Z-2359Z, Feb 8 |
| North American Sprint, CW | 0000Z-0359Z, Feb 8 |
| ARRL School Club Roundup | 1300Z, Feb 9 to 2359Z, Feb 13 |
| ARRL Inter. DX Contest, CW | 0000Z, Feb 21 to 2400Z, Feb 22 |
Web Links
Here are a few links to other websites that may be of interest.
- ARRL (American Radio Relay League) – https://arrl.org
- CORA (Central Oklahoma Radio Amateurs) – https://coraok.org
- Ham Holiday (OKC Hamfest) – https://hamholiday.com
- ARRL Oklahoma Section – https://ok.arrl.org
- South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS)
- DMR Info – https://w5nor.org/okdmr/
- They have lots of other good info on their website such as modes of operation, weather/emergency info etc.
- ARES
- ARRL ARES – https://www.arrl.org/ares
- OK ARES – https://aresok.org
- Winlink – https://winlink.org
- AREDN – arednmesh.org
- POTA (Parks on the Air) – https://pota.app
Upcoming Events
- EARS Information Net – Every Monday at 8pm
- Route 66 10m Net on 28.390 – Every Monday Following the Information Net
- EARS Breakfast – Every Saturday at approximately 6:30am at Around The Corner, 11 S. Broadway, Edmond
- EARS Breakfast Net – Every Saturday at 7am on 147.135 and 443.425
- Winter Field Day – Saturday, January 24th – See announcement above for details
- Skywarn Training in Stillwater – Thursday, February 5th at 6:30pm
- EARS Licensing Testing – Saturday, February 7th – Sign Up on License Testing page
- Edmond Siren Test – Saturday, February 7th at 11:30am – Send email to sirens@k5eok.org
- February Mentoring Session and Training – Tuesday, February 10th at 6pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
- February Membership and Board Meeting – Tuesday, February 10th at 7pm at Edmond Fire Station 5, 5300 E Covell
- February EARS Dinner – Thursday, February 19th at 6:30pm – Location TBD
- Community Preparedness Fair – Saturday, February 21st from 10am to 1pm – See announcement above for details
- Stockyard’s City St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Saturday, March 14th – Sign up on the Parade Page
- Skywarn Training in Norman – Thursday, March 26th at 6:30pm
We’d love to feature your original content! If you’ve written—or would like to write—an article, we’d be happy to include it in an upcoming issue of the EARS newsletter.
Steven Christy, N5ZQ
n5zq@n5zq.us
