Welcome To The Richardson Wireless Klub

We promote Amateur (Ham) Radio to the public in Richardson TX and the surrounding North Texas area as a useful, life-long hobby. We also serve the Richardson TX community by providing self-supporting special event, severe weather and emergency communication networks and capabilities.

Our club is comprised of over 350 amateur radio operators in Richardson, North Dallas, the surrounding communities, around Texas and even out of state, with a wide range of radio and technology skills and interests. We provide our members with many opportunities to increase knowledge and enjoyment of amateur radio through fun, fellowship and unique learning experiences. Our members include hams ranging from teenagers to radio pioneers in their 80s! The Richardson Wireless Klub has been an ARRL affiliated club since 1957 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

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  RWK High Altitude Balloon Launch Wrapup – August 23rd
  by Chip Coker KD4C
  August 24, 2025
  The August 23rd High Altitude Balloon Launch (#7!) is in the books, and it was a good one. The balloon was launched shortly after 9am on a bright and somewhat hot Saturday morning from Old Celina Park in Celina TX, and ascended to a maximum altitude of 105,528 feet before bursting and (rapidly) descending back to the ground just north of Justin TX. The balloon path is shown below: The balloon payloads (shown in the table below) worked really well this time (with just a couple of problems). The cross-band VHF->UHF repeater once again was the star of the show,…
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Latest RWK General Meeting Announcement & Recording

• General Meeting – September 2025 – APRS What, Why & How

  Please join RWK on Monday September 8th for our General Meeting. 

  This month we will be talking all about APRS (the Automatic Packet Reporting System).  Andy Smolenski KI5YLX from over at Metrocrest (MARS) will be here to tell (remind?) us about APRS, what it is (and has become), why it is still a popular method of ham communications, and how to get started if you’ve never used it before (or even if you have and forgotten how).  APRS has been around for many years, but it’s got some new tricks up its sleeve and is easier than ever to use (no nasty hardware TNCs needed) and there are more radios today with built-in APRS than ever before.  There are even some cheap Chinese radios that are a self-contained solution.  So come reacquaint yourself with an “old” mode.

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  Meeting Recording

  

  Presentation Slides

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• General Meeting – August 2025 – Communications for the July 2025 Kerr County Flood Event

  Please join RWK on Monday August 11th for our General Meeting. 

  You had to be living under a rock for the past month not to know what the biggest story in Texas has been: The Guadelupe River Flood Event on July 4th 2025, where over a hundred people were lost. We have some insight into the multi-agency response to the event. Eric Gildersleeve KD7CAO (RWK Member and President of DCARA) was deployed to Kerr County for 15 days to serve as COMT (communications technician) – responsible for the installation and coordination of the radio systems for the various (I think there were close to 50) responding agencies, each with their own equipment and radios. Eric will share his experiences (and lots of pictures) of those 15 days and helping to organize the chaos.

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  Meeting Recording

  

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For all previous RWK Meetings, see the General Meetings page.

Check out the Presentation Archives. There are tons of presentations from Klub meetings over the years. Scan through them and you will be sure to find something interesting.

RWK Newsletter – The Chawed Rag

The RWK publishes a monthly on-line newsletter, “The Chawed Rag“, for members and others interested in the Klub’s activities.

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  The Chawed Rag – April 2024
  by Chip Coker KD4C
  April 30, 2024
  Here’s The Chawed Rag for April 2024. We’ve got a huge solar storm, what’s to become of MFJ, more on the hackable Quansheng UV-K5(8) HT, RWK Newest Hangout, Tracking the Skies Overhead, an update from W5RLP, the usual upcoming events and news and so much more. Hope you enjoy! – KD4C
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  The Chawed Rag – March 2024
  by Chip Coker KD4C
  March 28, 2024
  Here’s The Chawed Rag for March 2024. We’ve got a potential Baofeng killer, FCC changes, upcoming hamfests, rebuilding the K5UTD antennas, spring antenna maintenance, the usual upcoming events and news and so much more. Hope you enjoy! – KD4C

Previous Chawed Rags can always be found here.