Fellow NFARL members — mark your calendars and dust off your portable rigs! We’re inviting you to participate in the 4th Annual Georgia State Parks on the Air — a fantastic opportunity to combine the great outdoors with the joy of ham radio. 🗓️ When 2026 Contest Period: Start: Saturday, April 18, 2026 @ 8:00 AM EDT (1200 UTC) End: Sunday, April 19, 2026 @ 7:59 PM EDT (2359 UTC) (Operating hours are subject to individual park rules and schedules.) 🏕️ What Is It? Georgia State Parks on the Air is a statewide ham radio event with a simple but ambitious […]

April 11-12, 2026 The Georgia QSO Party (GQP) is fast approaching, and NFARL members are gearing up for another exciting contest! Whether you’re a seasoned contester or new to radio competition, this is a great opportunity to get on the air, make contacts, and have fun with fellow club members. The NFARL Challenge As part of the Georgia QSO Party, we’re hosting the NFARL Challenge, a friendly club event that tracks member participation and recognizes achievements with certificates in various categories. By signing up in advance, you help us: Keep everyone informed about the Challenge’s progress Identify familiar calls on the air during […]

Are you interested in the future of digital voice on the amateur radio bands? Whether you are a long-time club member or someone brand new to the world of ham radio, we invite you to join the North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL) for our upcoming monthly meeting. This is an open meeting—everyone is welcome to attend! Presented by: Roy, KQ4OYM While VHF/UHF digital modes like DMR and D-STAR are common, digital voice on HF has often been limited by proprietary technology. Enter FreeDV. Roy will take us through the story of FreeDV and its flagship mode, RADE (Radio Autoencoder). […]

Are you ready to join the world of amateur radio? NFARL is hosting a special “Ham Cram” session designed to take you from zero to licensed in a single day! Why Join the Ham Cram? Accelerated Learning: Spend 6 hours in a classroom environment where we teach you the answers to the FCC Technician pool. Immediate Testing: Take your VE exam right after the class while the information is fresh. Awesome Bonuses: If you pass the test, you’ll receive: A FREE 1-year NFARL Membership. A programmed Handheld Radio (HT) with “NFARL Metro Atlanta” channels already set up, if you’re under […]

NEW DATE– TechFest 2026 has been postponed due to the high possibility of winter weather impact to roads   NEW DATE: Feb 21, 2026   Mark your calendars! NFARL is excited to announce our participation in the GARS TechFest 2026, the premier FREE amateur radio event in Gwinnett County. This annual celebration brings together ham radio enthusiasts of all experience levels to learn, share, and explore the latest in amateur radio technology. About GARS TechFest GARS TechFest is an excellent opportunity for individuals to learn about the latest developments in amateur radio technology, share knowledge and experience, and network with […]

“Performance Numbers – What Do They Mean?” by Rob Sherwood NC0B We were privileged to host Rob Sherwood, the renowned expert behind Sherwood Engineering’s comprehensive receiver performance testing, for an eye-opening presentation on interpreting radio specifications and lab measurements. For over 50 years, ham radio operators have relied on performance numbers to evaluate transceivers, but as Rob explained, many of us have been misinterpreting the data. The famous “Sherwood Table” – which ranks over 150 HF transceivers by their 2-kHz dynamic range – is often misunderstood. That ranking applies only to close-in dynamic range, not to every performance metric! Rob’s […]

It was the morning of December 24th when NFARL Lee Johnson, N4WYE, heard an unusual call on 40 meters. “CQ CQ CQ, this is S4NTA calling any station. I have an emergency traffic regarding gift delivery in the Atlanta area. Come back please!” Lee quickly grabbed his mic. After a brief exchange, the situation became clear: Santa’s sleigh was overbooked, his reindeer were overworked, and he desperately needed a local operator to handle a special delivery to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “I’ve got you covered, Santa,” Lee replied. “The NFARL and SEDXC families came through with four large bags of […]

At our holiday party, we had the honor of recognizing two outstanding members whose contributions have made a tremendous impact on our club! Roy has transformed NFARL’s digital presence and capabilities through his visionary work and countless hours of dedication. His accomplishments include: Leading a complete redesign of our website to attract new members and enhance collaboration Implementing Google Workspace, achieving significant long-term cost savings Developing custom applications including our Event Registration system and HamJam Point of Sale software Designing our new audio-visual system and launching our YouTube channel Roy didn’t just build better technology—he created a unified, service-oriented digital […]

What an absolutely AMAZING evening! Our holiday celebration at the Roswell Brookwood Grille was a smashing success, with nearly 80 members, guests from the Southeastern DX Club, and friends and family filling their largest party room to capacity! The atmosphere was electric, the new venue was perfect, and the food? Outstanding! Everyone had such a fantastic time that we’ve already locked in December 19th, 2026 for next year’s celebration—that’s how good it was! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the season with great food, great company, and that special camaraderie that makes our amateur radio community so […]