Four years of a pandemic and I haven’t been to a Hamfest in a long time. It was really nice to go to the big one where everybody was spread out in a large venue. Hardly anyone was wearing a mask as we were spread out in a large hall. Unfortunately I did not win a door prize but I did have a great time. More people that I have not seen in a long time and had wonderful conversations catching up with them. Talked to the group that is trying to repair the W4NBR repeater in Grifton, NC. They need members to support the repeater: ENC Repeater Inc. Please join and support our local repeaters (email to enc (at) inner360.com for Grifton) or help John KE4TZN at https://www.pcra.us/. with the other repeaters in the area.
New and old technology on display and for sale… How about a 12v power management system under development by David Arthur K4DBZ.
See https://tapr.org/
How about a portable electronics work bench and electronics on line classes to be able to develop your own projects. Had a wonderful conversation with Barbara and Marty W4MY about this work bench and the educational program, of course I signed up for it.
See https://phasedock.com/
Marty is well known for his work with the yearly NC QSO party usually held in February of each year.
See https://ncqsoparty.org/
Or add a TARPN node and socialize with others on the network independent from the internet via packet radio? Long talks with Tad and other members of the network were interesting and productive. Jason Rausch is making the boards at RPC ELECTRONICS.
See https://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html
See https://ncpacket.net/
See https://www.rpc-electronics.com/
Makers fair was represented by multiple vendors and enthusiasts. Laser cut parts and 3D printed devices were featured.
Ran into my Elmer who ran the Technician classes, for BARC, at the library for years and helped me pass my first test. Murray K4MHM who has moved to Raleigh in the past is involved with teaching an universal language that has been hailed as the language for all people and all countries called “Esperanto”. This might eliminate the misunderstandings and improve communications around the world. This and amateur radio would be a path for better communications.
See https://ttt.esperanto-usa.org/esperanto/
I found an old friend, a Ray Jeff radio direction finder (RDF), my father bought to help us on our sail boat voyages in the 70’s from Miami to the Bahamas that we took each Christmas vacation. My father was in the Navy in the 40’s and learned how to “dead reckon” our position by compass direction, speed and time without electronics. He was looking for a back up system and bought the RDF. On a small sailboat, having a bumpy ride in the middle of the gulf stream, was not the best environment to test the device and we got position fix triangles drawn on the paper chart so big that he stated “we could jump a small dog through the position triangle.” Needless to say, he returned it to the shop. Mom was wondering why we needed anything else as Dad was always spot-on with the dead reckoning. Years later we eventually purchased a Loran C unit when they came out.
Ran into another old friend of BARC and myself, Robert Young NC4RY. He had sold his antenna company years ago but designing and building antennas are in his blood and he cannot get it out. He has started making new antennas with the fantastic engineering with 3D printing and designs that he produces under the new label “Tarheel Designs“. He was featuring a double tarheel antenna in a dipole configuration with tuning control system. Bernie WA4MOK and Robert had done this years ago at one of our field days.
See https://tarheeldesigns.com/
Of course many friends were seen and conversations held. Spotted our illustrious BARC President Beth KN4FZB and her husband Jorge who does not know it yet but has the makings of being an excellent HAM! Many others, too numerous to mention.
Until next year, 73 Peter, N4PVH.
Brightleaf Amateur Radio Club 
Hi Peter,
How did I miss you yesterday?? Because there were 4000 other people there maybe. I would like to know the official attendance number.
I bought a nice radio that I’ve always wanted to try, a Ten Tec Century 22 with power supply and separate CW filter. I bought it from Dave W4EJ for a great price. It hasn’t been on Dave’s test bench so I will see if it works……. I proceeded to set it under the PARC table and a little later a fellow stopped by and commented on it. I said yes, and he proceeded to tell me that he had been the CEO of Ten Tec for 14 years before the company was sold! Kind of like meeting CEO of Ford after you buy an F150 HAHA. But we had a nice conversation and he told me that the Century 22 had really put Ten Tec in business.
I saw Beth and Jorge and I agree that he will be a good ham.
So RARSFEST was a good one this year and I thoroughly enjoyed myself yesterday as well.
73 de NG9T
Gary Faust
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K4DBZ’s battery backup item is being beta-tested by the NCPACKET group and he’s tailoring it to run on TARPN nodes. It was the NCPACKET/TARPN exhibit booth where his demo was running.
See the https://tarpn.net for the TARPN website. We’ll have a page on the K4DBZ system in a few months as we get the unit stable.
TARPN has a groups.io email reflector as does NCPACKET.
TARPN is the technology arm of the project and NCPACKET is the local North Carolina group that is working on a state-wide TARPN.
See ncpacket.net to read about what we’re trying to do in North Carolina.
No Internet required and No Internet desired.
Social media over ham radio.
— de KA2DEW
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Thanks for the great comments about the NCPACKET/TARPN project!
I had huge fun at RARSfest 2024. Thanks for the writeup.
Tadd – KA2DEW Raleigh NC
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