What an incredible July meeting we had at NFARL! It was fantastic to see so many of you there, sharing in the camaraderie and diving deep into the exciting world of amateur radio. For those who joined us, thank you for making it such a vibrant and engaging evening! Your presence truly makes these meetings special.
For anyone who couldn't make it, don't worry – we've got you covered! We're thrilled to share the recordings of both the essential club updates and an absolutely fascinating presentation. So grab a coffee, settle in, and catch up on everything you missed!
First up, hear directly from our President, Mike Riley, KN4OAK, as he brings you all the latest club news and important updates from the July meeting.
In this update, Mike covers a flurry of exciting upcoming events, including:
- The fast-approaching deadline for the 2025 Field Day results submission on July 29, 2025.
- The NFARL eNEWS content submission deadline by August 1, 2025.
- An upcoming VE Test Session on August 9, 2025.
- The August NFARES Meeting on August 12, 2025.
- The highly anticipated Huntsville Hamfest on August 16-17, 2025.
- The next NFARL Club Meeting on August 19, 2025.
- Mark your calendars for the special NFARL Mini-Hamfest at the club meeting on September 16, 2025.
- Get ready to cast your votes in the officer elections at the October Club Meeting on October 21, 2025.
We also celebrated some fantastic achievements and welcomed new faces into our NFARL family! A huge shout-out to Justin Jenkins (KQ4BFY) and Logan Jenkins (KQ4BGL) for upgrading to their General licenses – congratulations! And a warm welcome to our new Technicians, Tyler Caldwell (KR4EVF) and Patrick Floyd (KR4EVM). We're also delighted to welcome new members Patrick Floyd (KR4EVM, Technician), Dallas Miller, Jeffrey Pettitt (KO4MMZ, Extra), Deborah Julian-Pettitt (N4BT, Extra), Ryan Miller (KN4SRG, Technician/General), Virginia Lord, Keith Watson (N4XRY, Extra), and John Shaeffer (KZ4TS, Extra). Please help us make them feel welcome at our next gathering!
And now for the main event – prepare to unleash your creativity with "3D Printing for the Modern Ham Shack" presented by Roy Barbosa, KQ4OYM! This presentation is a game-changer, showing you how 3D printing empowers you to build, customize, repair, and innovate in ways traditional tools simply can't match.
In this captivating talk, Roy dives into:
- Why 3D printing is incredibly useful for hams, with fantastic examples like custom antenna parts, mobile radio mounts, and go-box frames.
- A quick primer on how 3D printing works, focusing on FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) – the most common and accessible type for hobbyists.
- A guide to the various "inks" or filaments like PLA, PETG, TPU, and ASA/ABS, and their best uses for different ham radio applications (think durable outdoor parts, flexible strain reliefs, and more!).
- What to look for when buying your first printer in 2025, including must-have features like auto bed leveling, direct drive extruders, and high print speeds.
- Where to download existing 3D models (Printables.com, Thingiverse.com, Thangs.com) or design your own using user-friendly software like Tinkercad, Fusion 360, and OpenSCAD.
It's clear that 3D printing is a problem-solving powerhouse for hams, and it's easier to start than you think!
We can't wait to see you at our next meeting on August 19, 2025! Until then, enjoy the videos and 73!
