What if you could send text messages with zero cell service, no internet, and no infrastructure at all? In this new club video, Mike Cohen dives into Meshtastic — a license-free, off-grid radio texting system with a typical range of up to 50 miles. But here’s where it gets really interesting for us hams: when Meshtastic teams up with amateur radio, it becomes a serious emergency communications powerhouse — capable of carrying health & welfare messaging, disaster response traffic, and public service support well beyond the local area. If you’re into EmComm, mesh networking, or just love cutting-edge radio tech, […]

Hey NFARL! 👋 Mark your calendars and charge your radios — our next club meeting is right around the corner, and we’ve got a fantastic lineup you won’t want to miss! 📅 Date: Tuesday, March 17th, 2026 📍 Location: Preston Ridge Community Center 3655 Preston Ridge Road, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30005 🚪 Doors Open: 7:00 PM 💻 Joining Virtually? Click here to join the video call Whether you’re joining us in the shack — er, the meeting room — or tuning in from home, all are welcome. Bring a friend, bring a newcomer, bring your enthusiasm! 🏆 Presentation #1: […]

While numerous articles on the internet cover cleaning the aluminum case of an MFJ dummy load to improve grounding, Ted K4MPM adds a few extra considerations from his recent reconditioning of an MFJ-260C. What He Found Going In At the outset, the MFJ’s load looked alarming on the Smith Chart — the trace resembled a fender washer, and the SWR was a wavy line spanning the HF bands. A DMM reading came in at approximately 70 ohms, well off spec. A Few Things to Watch For The covers are directional. In Ted’s case, particularly with the heat shield, one orientation […]

Hello NFARL members! Lee, N4WYE, here. As many of you know, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of rescuing a piece of gear and getting it back into top shape. I recently had a little adventure with a pair of Monoprice Pro Audio Series Model 605300 powered speakers that I picked up. They’re excellent speakers, and they truly made my home computer setup sound professional, even making my Hermes Lite SDR transceiver sing. The Fryer, Not the Amplifier The only snag? One channel was completely inoperative. Since I’ve shed my bench full of test equipment over the years, I called […]

For those who couldn’t make it to our October meeting, or if you just want to rewatch one of our most captivating presentations of the year, we have great news! The video of Jack McElroy, KM4ZIA’s, talk on “High Flying Ham Radio” is now available for viewing! Get ready to witness how amateur radio is truly reaching the edge of space! Jack, a talented high school senior, dove into the exciting world of high-altitude flight, covering the fundamentals of using both super-pressure pico-balloons and latex balloons in conjunction with ham radio beacons. He also connected this technical work to his […]

Act NOW to Pass H.R. 1094/S. 459 and Restore Antenna Rights! Fellow NFARL Members and Hams across the U.S., For far too long, restrictive Homeowners Associations (HOAs) have stripped licensed Amateur Radio Operators of their basic property rights, blocking the installation of antennas crucial for both our hobby and, more importantly, our vital role in emergency preparedness. When the grid is down and cell service fails, Amateur Radio is the last mile of communication. But how can we serve our communities if we are silenced on our own land? The Fight is Here. The Time is NOW! The ARRL has […]