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Join Us for the 2026 ARRL Field Day (and Check Out Our Recent Press!)

ARRL Field Day 2026

We are excited to announce that we are teaming up with LEFROG (Local Emergency Field Radio Operations Group) for a Joint ARRL Field Day operation this weekend!

Field Day is amateur radio’s open house. It is our chance to highlight the science, skill, and service we provide to our communities, while testing our ability to operate in off-the-grid, emergency conditions. Whether you are a seasoned operator, a newly licensed ham, or a community member curious about what we do, we invite you to come out and experience the action firsthand.

📍 Event Details

  • Location: Ozaukee County Justice Center
  • Address: 1201 S Spring St, Port Washington, WI 53074
  • Setup Begins: Friday, June 26, around 1:00 PM
  • Operations: Running continuously through the weekend

🗞️ In the News

Just in time for our setup, WTMJ published a fantastic feature on the local amateur radio community. The article highlights the crucial role operators play in southeastern Wisconsin—from severe weather spotting to keeping critical communications open during emergencies.

It is a great read that perfectly captures why we do what we do. Read the full story here: The Voices in the Static: Inside Milwaukee’s Lifeline of Amateur Radio Volunteers

What to Expect

Stop by the Ozaukee County Justice Center this weekend to see our portable setups, antenna deployments, and off-grid power systems in action. We will be making contacts across the country (and the world) using voice, digital modes, and CW.

It is a great opportunity to ask questions, see the gear in person, and even get on the air yourself. Families and young future operators are highly encouraged to visit.

We look forward to seeing you in Port Washington!

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This Day in MAARS History

Honoring Our History and Engineering Our Future: The 23rd Anniversary of the 2003 Repeater Rebuild

Hello MAARS Members,

Today marks a very special milestone for the Milwaukee Area Amateur Radio Society. Exactly 23 years ago, our dedicated technical team completed the massive 2003 rebuild of our repeater system. That project laid a foundation of reliability that has kept our community connected through severe weather, special events, and countless nightly nets.

At the heart of that 2003 rebuild—and faithfully serving us ever since—has been our workhorse ACC RC-850 controller. It is a legendary piece of equipment that has defined the “feel” of the MAARS repeater for over two decades. However, as we take a moment today to celebrate our club’s rich history, the board and the technical committee are also incredibly excited to announce the next era of our system’s evolution.

The Next Generation: A 45-Year Leap in Technology

While the RC-850 has been phenomenal, the time has come to modernize. We are officially kicking off a project to replace our aging ACC RC-850 controller with a cutting-edge setup: a Raspberry Pi 5 running Allstar Link 3 (ASL3).

This is not just a minor update; it is a 45-year leap in technology! By moving to an ASL3-based system, we are opening the door to a world of modern capabilities, including crystal-clear digital audio processing, robust network linking, and immense remote-management flexibility.

What does this mean for everyday users? If you love the classic functionality of our current setup, don’t worry! We are carefully programming the new ASL3 system to retain many of the familiar functions, courtesy tones, and operational feels of the RC-850. Our goal is to provide you with the absolute best of both worlds: next-generation technology operating with the classic MAARS character you know and love.

Boosting Our Footprint: Antenna System Upgrades

Upgrading the repeater’s “brain” is only half the equation. We are also deeply committed to improving the “voice” and “ears” of our system.

The technical committee is actively researching and designing system antenna upgrades to significantly improve our transmit coverage. Our goal is to punch a stronger, more reliable signal out across the greater Milwaukee area, ensuring that whether you are hitting the system from a base station in the suburbs or a handheld downtown, you have solid, dependable coverage.

Join Us in the Next Chapter

The 2003 rebuild was a monumental task achieved by volunteers who wanted to leave the club better than they found it. Today, as we embark on this exciting Pi 5 and ASL3 upgrade, we carry on that same spirit.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the MAARS repeater over the years. We will be sharing regular progress reports on the controller build and antenna projects at our upcoming club meetings and on the nets.

Here is to 23 years of excellent operation, and to the exciting modern future of the MAARS repeater system!

73,

Dave KA9WXN President, Milwaukee Area Amateur Radio Society (MAARS)

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2026 MRAC Simplex Contest

Headline: 📻 Think you can out-simplex Mike AA9RK? Prove it on February 22nd!

Whether you’re a seasoned contester or just want to see how far your home station can reach without a repeater, the 2026 MRAC FM Simplex Contest is for you!

This is a fast-paced “Sprint” event. No complicated setups—just FM Simplex, your call sign, and your grid square. It’s like a club meeting on the air, but with a scoreboard!

📅 WHEN: Sunday, February 22, 2026 🕐 TIME: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM CST ⚡ FORMAT: A 3-hour sprint rotating through 2m, 70cm, 6m, 1.25m, and Digital.

Why Join?

  • Technician Bonus: Get a 1.5x multiplier on your final score!
  • Club Pride: Mention your club affiliation to help your team win the Club Trophy.
  • The Big Challenge: Mike AA9RK has been the defending champ for 2 years. Who’s going to take him down in 2026?
  • Bonus Points: Work club station W9RH for an instant 100-point boost.

📍 New to Contesting? Check out the Milwaukee “Four-Corners” (Beloit & 70th) to easily jump between grid squares EN52, EN53, EN62, and EN63!

🔗 Full Rules & Log Submission: http://tinyurl.com/mracsimplex Let’s fill the airwaves! 73!

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ARRL Field Day 2026

We encourage all amateurs to participate in the various Field Day setups happening across our area. If you’re looking for a group to join, the following link may be helpful: [Field Day Locator](http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator). If you don’t have a group and would like to explore a site without traveling far, please check out our organization below. This year, the Local Emergency Field Radio Operators Group (LEFROG) and the Milwaukee Area Amateur Radio Society (MAARS) are joining forces for a combined Field Day effort on the weekend of June 27-28.  We will be setting up our operation at the Ozaukee County Justice Center in Port Washington. The address is 1201 S Spring St, Port Washington, WI 53074, and we will be located on the south side of the main parking lot. Setup will begin at noon on Friday. This year, we will operate five HF stations with both digital and SSB capabilities, as well as a six-meter station for SSB and digital communications. This is a great opportunity to experience radio operation under real-world conditions. We invite everyone to attend and check out the setup. Our goal is to establish working stations for people to operate. Don’t worry if you’re not a contester; this event is for fun! We want to encourage participation and get people on the air. There will also be plenty of opportunities for socializing. Additionally, we aim to demonstrate to the general public what amateur radio is all about. Join us this year to help make this a fantastic event. You can also follow the fun on the MAARS Facebook page [here](https://www.facebook.com/513Repeater) or visit the LEFROG website at [lefrog.club](https://lefrog.club/). We will monitor two frequencies for talk-in this year:- LEFROG: 442.775 MHz +5 MHz CTCSS 127.3- MAARS: 145.130 MHz – 600 kHz CTCSS 127.3 Here’s the schedule for the weekend:- **Friday, June 26:** Setup – Meet onsite at noon (Towers, antennas, coax, tents, power, and tables)- **Saturday, June 27:**   – Morning: Final setup (Radios, computers, and equipment checks)   – Afternoon: Operating shift – Phone/Digital/CW (starting at 1:00 PM)   – Evening: Operating shift – Phone/Digital/CW- **Sunday, June 28:**   – Overnight: Operating shift – Phone/Digital/CW   – Morning: Operating shift – Phone/Digital/CW   – 1:00 PM CDT: Tear down begins We look forward to seeing you there! Dave Schank  KA9WXN  LEFROG & MAARS Field Day Team

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13th Annual Santa Watch Net

This year MAARS is trying something new on Christmas Eve. We are going to participate in the Santa Watch Net from 5pm to 8pm. The Happy Hour net will move to 4pm to make room for this.

Well BOYS and GIRLS of ALL ages, for the 13th year in a row, the DoDropIn Radio Network is pleased to host the Santa Watch Net. As in years past, David N3NTV in Mobridge will be tracking Santa’s flight around the world. And Santa call sign ” N1S ” aka Number One Santa will have his radio with him. Santa LOVES talking to children, so third party traffic is always welcome during the Santa Watch Net. THe Santa Watch Net will begin at 1800 hours ET and run for about 3 hours. We want to thank Darryl for the use of his RF link for Santa to connect to the DoDropIn. Have the little ones around so they can chat with Santa on his flight. So once again, Christmas eve starting at 1800 hours ET on the DoDropIn Radio Network.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from everyone at the DoDropIn Radio Network!

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MAARS August 23 Update

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer.  I know this is turning out to be a busy summer for me.  Most of it has to do with the our repeater system.  On May 30th UWM notified us that they hired Higgins Tower Service to remove the Tower at Sandburg hall.  We had to coordinate with Higgins to remove our antenna from the tower and lower it to the roof. On July 5th we switched to our temporary antenna located on the roof at 260 feet so our antenna on the tower could be removed. The N9LKH UHF repeater on 443.550MHz has limited coverage because it’s antenna was moved to a temporary location on the roof.  

The tower was scheduled to be removed on July 29th by helicopter. Higgins used most of the month to prepare the tower to be dismantled. They removed all excess antennas and feedlines first. Then they replaced the leg bolts between tower sections to make sure they would come apart quickly while the helicopter was waiting to lift up a tower section. When the day came to dismantle the tower it went very efficiently and was done within 3 hours. I am working on some pictures and a video to for a future meeting program. 

Our plan is to stay at UWM and transmit from the roof of Sandburg hall. The first project is to replace the temporary antenna with the one removed from the tower. In the future we hope to move the transmitter to another higher location while we keep UWM as the main site for the repeater. The move to another tower has some significant installation costs and we need to raise some funds to be able to pay for the project. As you travel around please take note of the repeater coverage and let us know if it is the same or worse. 

I was talking with Randy KB9JMH on the way to work one June morning. I noticed he was really noisy into the repeater. After some investigation it was determined that our South remote receive site wasn’t working. I took a trip to the site to and found our link antenna was snapped off the tower and laying on the ground. All we can figure is it was snapped off by a tower crew doing work on the tower. We are coordinating to have the antenna replaced sometime in August. The good news is the radio equipment is fine.

On August 12th we will again hold our annual picnic at Greenfield Park Area 2. This year we will again do this as a joint picnic with our friends at MRAC. The clubs provide burger, brats, and  water. We also provide the plates and condiments. The picnic starts at noon and we ask you bring a food item to share. We will again have the HT toss contest. This have been a very popular event. MRAC is planning on doing a foxhunt in the park as another activity. If you plan on attending the picnic please email picnic@513repeater.org. 

July 1st starts the new membership year for the club. Your dues help us fund the operation and maintenance of the repeater system. We know that we will have some future costs coming up with a move to another tower location for transmitting.  You can visit the club website and renew by PayPal or print out a form and  mail it to the P.O. Box. https://www.513repeater.org/about/membership-applications/