This past weekend, July 20th & 21st, was the 35th annual Bike MS Cactus & Crude Ride. Since 2015 the ride has gone from Midland to Lamesa on Saturday and from Lamesa to Lubbock on Sunday. Saturday there were 130 riders on the course and on Sunday there were 109 riders.

This year we had 21 ham radio operators supporting the ride. There were seventeen Midland Amateur Radio Club / Big Spring hams and one each from Lubbock, Boerne, Houston, and San Antonio.

We used the PermNet for communications (Tnx NF5T!) and a program called Traccar to keep up with the locations of the hams, SAGS, and mechanics.

Overall the ride went well with no reports of any incidents or accidents.

Those participating were AD5D, AD5U, K1TAZ, K5AFR, KB5KNF, KE5EUR, KE5KFD, KE5MLP, KF5FTY, KG2SAG, KG5KUQ, KG5OZI, KG5PHX, N5MXE, N5NA, N5PSP, N5QGL, N9JOE, W5DTB, W5JDO, and W5LND. Thanks to everyone for helping make this a successful ride!

MARC is putting together an order for club polo shirts with the club logo and name/call embroidered on the shirt. The shirts will be forest green. The club logo will be on the left and your name and call will be on the right.

The shirts will be available with and without a pocket. Shirts without the pocket are available in sizes S – 5XL. Shirts with a pocket are available in sizes S – 3XL. Note – There is a small upcharge for sizes 2XL and larger.

Note: Shirts will NOT be shipped. You must pick up at the clubhouse.

You may place your order below.

Club Polo Shirt - No Pocket

Price: $25.00

MARC is putting together a group order for 2024 Field Day shirts, caps, and pins. The order is expected to be placed on June 3rd May 20th so don’t delay! Items WILL NOT BE SHIPPED to you. You can pick them up at the clubhouse at a Saturday morning coffee meeting, or during Field Day. Place your order below.

2024 Field Day Shirt

Price: $26.00

2024 Field Day Cap

Gray cap with ARRL Field Day logo embroidered on the front.

Price: $16.00

2024 Field Day Pin

ARRL Field Day Pin.

Price: $6.50

Congratulations to George Robertson, KG5KUQ, on winning the Midland Amateur Radio Club Elecraft K4 raffle. The raffle drawing was held on March 16, 2024, at the conclusion of the 68th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Hamfest in Midland, Texas. Enjoy the new rig!

The St. Patrick’s Day Hamfest and ARRL West Texas Section Convention is less than two weeks away on March 16th!

You can pre-register for the hamfest and have a shot at winning the pre-registration prize, which is a RigExpert AA-230 Zoom Antenna Analyzer.  You also may win one of the Grand Prizes.  This year the Grand Prizes are a Yaesu FT-710 AESS HF/50 MHz Base/Portable Transceiver, an ICOM IC-2730A VHF/UHF FM Transceiver, and a Alinco DM-330MVT Power Supply.  But you can’t win if you don’t register!

There are tables still available to rent.  Look around your shack and find what you don’t use or need anymore. Bring that stuff to the hamfest and turn it into cash!

There is a morning of interesting programs lined up starting at 8:00 am concluding with the ARRL WTX Section Convention Meeting at 11:00 am.  VE Testing will start at 1:00 pm.  Check out the programs at <https://hamfest.w5qgg.org/forums/>.

All the information about the hamfest as well as online pre-registration and table rental is available at <https://hamfest.w5qgg.org/>.  Pre-registration and online table rental will end on Thursday, March 14th, at 6:00 pm so don’t delay!

We hope to see you there!