HAMFEST INFORMATION
W5MAG Hamfest
HAMFEST/CONVENTION
04/04/2026
Start Date: 04/04/2026
End Date: 04/04/2026
Location: Union Bank Community Center
11 E. Main
Paris, AR 72855
Sponsor: Mt. Magazine ARC
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 147.090 151.4
Public Contact: Jim Kiefer , KD5NDJ
1406 E. Wood Paris, AR 72855
Phone: 479-438-4654
Email:
Radio Active Mid-South Expo
HAMFEST/CONVENTION
04/11/2026
Start Date: 04/11/2026
End Date: 04/11/2026
Location: Agricenter International
7777 Walnut Grove Rd.
Memphis, TN 37501
Website: DeltaClub.org/Expo
Sponsor: Delta Amateur Radio Club
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Talk-In: 146.82 Tone 107.2
Public Contact: Steve Frazier , KK4VPT
2168 Clarke Landing Cv S Cordova, TN 38016
Phone: 901-218-6385
Email:
Shreveport-Bossier Hamfest, ARRL Delta Division Convention
HAMFEST/CONVENTION
08/07/2026
Start Date: 08/07/2026
End Date: 08/08/2026
Location: State Fairgrounds of Louisiana Agricultural Building
3206 Pershing Blvd.
Shreveport, LA 71101
Website: http://k5sar.com
Sponsor: Shreveport Amateur Radio Association
Type: ARRL Convention
Talk-In: 146.820 (No Tone)
Public Contact: Ronnie Hull , W5SUM
1855 Shady Lane Drive Shreveport, LA 71118
Phone: 318-550-8269
Email:
License Examination
Amateur Radio Testing Information
If you're interested in testing to earn or upgrade an amateur radio license please join us at our monthly meetings.
Test sessions begin at 1:30PM.
Advance registration at Hamstudy.org is highly encouraged.
For questions: Loma Westmoreland (KU5J) at
For information about what to bring to the exam session, click here.
For fully remote online exam sessions try PARC
The FCC released a Public Notice on March 23, 2022, stating that the amateur radio application fees, including those associated with Form 605 application filings, would become effective on April 19, 2022. The Federal Communications Commission's authority to impose and collect fees is mandated by Congress.
The $35 application fee, when it becomes effective on April 19, will apply to new, renewal, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee will be per application.
Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, and modification applications to upgrade an amateur radio licensee’s operator class*, will be exempt from fees.
The $15 VEC exam fee will be paid to the Volunteer Examiner Team at the time of testing. The $35 FCC fee will be paid directly to the FCC. After the license application is received, the FCC will send a link to pay the application fee within 10 days.
Emergency Communications
The S.T.A.R.S. Club has been discussing the possibility of helping state and local Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to incorporate amateur radio into their emergency plan. This will be a long-term project for the club. Part of being responsible and helpful volunteers is being properly trained.
In order to participate in emergency communications, we will need to get ourselves trained to work within the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This training entails taking courses online and passing online examinations and completeing the in-person AUXCOMM course and position task book. You can find out more about NIMS training courses at the following links.
The AUXCOMM class requires the following prerequisite online courses.
First register for a FEMA Student ID at https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid then complete the following courses:
IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command
IS-700 National Incident Management System: An Introduction
IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Actions Incidents
IS-800 National Response Framework, An Introduction
Then complete the AUXCOMM training course and complete the position task book.
View the training schedule HERE and click on the REGISTER button to request a spot in the class.
If you decide to take the courses, make sure to save and/or print the certificates. Be sure to never lose them! The better we know how to fit within the system, the more likely it is we will be able to be helpful participants when the community is in need.




