Fellow PAARC members,

I want to take a moment to look back on our weekend as the 2026 Pennsylvania QSO Party Bonus Station and to thank everyone who made it happen.

Being chosen as the Bonus Station was an honor, and it came at the perfect time. This year we celebrate 50 years of organized amateur radio in the Pottstown area. It started with a handful of hams meeting in the early 1970s, and the club formally organized around the WR3ACD repeater in 1975. Today we’re 93 members strong. Putting K3ZMC on the air for operators across Pennsylvania and beyond was a fitting way to celebrate how far we’ve come.

The weekend

We set up at Ringing Rocks Fire Company planning on three networked stations, one CW and two SSB. By the time things got rolling, the operation had grown to five stations with seven antennas to choose from, and at times we had two CW operators on the air at once. One standout was Ben’s AI-designed 20-meter antenna, which worked like gangbusters. It’s a perfect example of our members trying something new and having it pay off on the air.

Saturday couldn’t have been nicer. We had beautiful weather for setup and a great first day on the air. Sunday was another story. The rain came down hard, and we spent the day keeping gear dry, checking antennas, and slogging through mud between the stations and the generators. On top of that, a solar storm made the bands do whatever they pleased.

Even so, Sunday’s rain was our only real problem. Everything else ran without a hitch: all five stations, the network, the power, and the teamwork. That doesn’t happen by luck. It happens because people plan ahead, show up, and pitch in wherever they’re needed.

The results

• Total contacts: 579
• Total points: 90,840
• Average rate: 35.2 QSOs per hour
• Running: 260 QSOs, with a best rate of 52.8 per hour over 295 minutes
• Search and Pounce: 319 QSOs

Those numbers would be solid on any weekend. With a solar storm working against us and a soaking Sunday, they’re an accomplishment.

Thank you

To our operators, AC3NO, K0BAK, K3BVQ, KB3SJQ, N2ADD, N3FNC, N3ZRW, W3CJW, W3FRB, W8SLR, and WA8YIH: thank you for staying in the chair and keeping the rate up when it would have been easy to call it a day.

A special thanks to KA3RMM, a former PAARC president and longtime former member of the club. He understood how important this event was to PAARC and came out to make sure we succeeded. He built and ran the network that tied our stations together, and it worked flawlessly all weekend. His commitment to the club hasn’t faded, and we’re grateful for it.

An army runs on its stomach, and so does a radio contest. A big shout-out to Chris for the outstanding chili and the endless supply of fresh, hot coffee, which was especially welcome on a wet Sunday. Thanks also to Bill H. for running for food, placing orders, and making sure every operator was fed. And thank you to everyone who stopped by with something to share. Nobody went hungry, and that kept spirits high all weekend.

I also want to recognize Ron, WA8YIH, who brought along his harmonic. It was great to see the next generation at the operating table, watching, asking questions, and learning what this hobby is all about. We may have a future PAARC member in training, and that’s exactly the kind of thing that keeps a club going for another 50 years.

Thank you to Ringing Rocks Fire Company for hosting us, and to the PA QSO Party committee for trusting us with the Bonus Station.

And thank you to every member who helped in ways that never show up in a log: hauling gear, raising antennas, running power, or stopping by to lend a hand and some encouragement.

Securing our clubs future
Events like this are what keep a club alive. They aren’t only about contacts and points. They give us a reason to get together, teach each other, try new things, and give newer hams a chance to sit down at a busy station and learn. Fifty years in, PAARC is still active because members like you keep saying yes.

If you didn’t get to join us this time, I hope you will next time. There’s a seat at the radio and a job for everyone, no matter your experience.

Fifty years ago, a few local hams put up a repeater and started something. This weekend, a few dozen of us proved it’s still going strong. I’m proud of this club, and I’m proud to serve as its president. I’ll see you on the air.

73,

Walt Skavinsky (KB3SBC)