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Weekly net every Monday 8:30pm on N6NFI 145.230 MHz (-) 100Hz

Pacificon 2026

Pacificon runs in San Ramon from Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18. See their website for the venue, hotels, and talk schedule.

What is PAARA doing at Pacificon?

PAARA sets up and runs the W1AW/6 Special Event Station (SES) for Pacificon. If you can help set up, operate, or tear down, read on.

Scouts are welcome and have priority on 20m Saturday from morning till late afternoon!

Day Time What
Thursday Noon Setting up
Friday 12:00 - 23:59 Station operating - operators needed!
Saturday 00:00 - 23:59 Station operating - operators needed!
Sunday 00:00 - 11:59 Station operating - operators needed!
Sunday Noon Teardown


We are always short overnight. The station runs without a break from Friday noon to Sunday noon. The small hours are the hardest shifts to fill and often the best DX. If you can take a night shift, say so on the form.

If you can help with the Special Event Station, please fill in this form !

pacificon2026-logo.jpg

What is W1AW/6

PAARA has run the Pacificon Special Event Station for many years. For the last seven, Mikko (AB6RF) has managed it.

The setup resembles PAARA’s ARRL Field Day operation:

  • Each station has an HF rig, logging computer, headsets, CW paddle, and an antenna for its band.
  • On 10m, 15m, and 20m we use the PAARA tower trailer and the KT-34A 4-element tri-band beam.
  • On the lower bands we use wire antennas.
  • The CW and SSB stations usually run a linear amplifier.

Station lineup

The lineup is not settled yet, but expect five or six stations, most locked to a single band. As we did last time, we plan a dedicated FT8 station, and we will probably run WSPR as well.

We also expect to experiment with a mode new to us this year: FreeDV, open-source digital voice for HF.

ARRL Station Manager

The ARRL Station Manager makes the W1AW/6 call sign available to us. We apply well in advance and receive written authorization for those specific days. They also handle the QSL cards and LoTW confirmations once we send them a composite log of every contact made.

Running the station

From Friday noon to Sunday noon, Pacificon visitors can make HF contacts on W1AW/6 under our supervision.

A control operator must be present the whole weekend. Mikko (AB6RF), Christopher (AI6KG), and other designees take that duty. The control operator on watch:

  • Answers for the station’s transmissions
  • Guides the visiting operators
  • Keeps an eye on the equipment

You need not be a control operator to help. Anyone may get on the air under the supervision of whoever has the watch.

PAARA owns a couple of HF rigs and the logging computers. Members lend the rest.

Volunteers needed

Here is where we need PAARA members:

  1. Setting up antennas and tents Thursday, starting around noon.
  2. Setting up tents, tables, and stations Friday at 9am. The schedule is shorter than usual, so we need extra hands.
  3. Staffing the stations through the weekend. Someone must be there for all 48 hours. Overnight is the hardest to fill, and we come up short every year — a night shift is the most useful thing you can sign up for.
  4. Tearing it down and packing it away, starting Sunday at noon.

If you can help, please fill in this form.

Contact us

To reach us:

  1. Email Mikko, AB6RF (email address at QRZ)
  2. Email Christopher, AI6KG (email address at QRZ)
  3. Find us on Discord in the #pacificon channel.

Past events