We can help you get more out of your Ham Radio experience.
Being a part of a radio club is the best thing you can do to learn more and enjoy your ham radio journey. The hobby is so broad and has so many different ways to go and things to do that it’s virtually impossible to know where to start. That’s where having a group of other hams that have more experience in all the various parts of ham radio can be a big benefit. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s bound to be another group of members that share that interest and likely are willing to share their knowledge.
Want to learn CW? We have many proficient CW operators that love to operate and promote this classic mode. Want to build and experiment with radios and computers? We’ve got members that are doing that too. No matter what part of ham radio that interests you – now or in the future – being a member of an active club can help.
What Does the Richardson Wireless Klub Do?
We’re a group of around 350 ham radio operators, centered in Richardson TX and surrounding communities, but with several members in other states as well. We get together – in person, online, and on the radio – to learn and share our love for the ham radio hobby. We offer the following activities and benefits to our members and the North Texas ham community:
- Six of the best VHF/UHF Repeater systems in the North Texas area. Our flagship 147.12MHz analog FM repeater has a very wide coverage area and a number of helpful features, such as a “parrot” that will tell you your signal strength and let you hear your signal. We also have other repeater systems that support several popular digital voice modes (System Fusion, DMR, D-STAR, NXDN). Many of our repeaters are linkable to other systems in other parts of the state or country. Our 900MHz repeater is linked to over 50 different systems across the country. We also host and maintain a repeater on the UTD Campus for the UTD Amateur Radio Club (K5UTD). As a member of RWK, you are able to use these systems with pride.
- Active and Well-attended Monthly General Meetings. Most radio clubs have a monthly “general” meeting for all members. We like to think that our general meetings are pretty good. Meetings are partially social occasions, where members get a chance to have “eyeball QSOs” with other members over coffee and cookies, before a more formal meeting presentation begins. The presentation is usually announcement, upcoming ham radio event reminders, followed by a presentation on a ham radio related subject. We usually average over 50 people for our meetings, which is high for the area. In addition, we usually have an operating radio at our meetings to demonstrate various features or modes that might be of interest.
- Free VE License Testing. Our Volunteer Examiner team conducts weekly testing sessions (online) and a monthly in-person session before our monthly general meeting. You can get your first license, or upgrade to a higher class, and the test is free if you are a member of RWK.
- Weekly Social Lunch and Breakfast Events. Hams like to eat and talk, so what better than a weekly gathering where you can talk about your latest DX or ask a question about the antenna you were thinking about putting up. We meet every Wednesday at 12 noon for Barbecue, and there’s a monthly Breakfast on the third Saturday for those that can’t get away for lunch.
- Hidden Transmitter “Foxhunts” every weekend. We started weekly foxhunts in July 2019 and have only missed a few weekends since (usually due to weather). We hide radios (Foxes) somewhere in the City of Richardson every Saturday, and the goal is to find them and get in the log before Sunday afternoon. Foxhunting is fun, you will develop valuable skills, and it’s a good excuse to get out of the house for an hour or so.
- Monthly Educational Sessions. In addition to our General Meeting, we hold monthly QRV Tech educational sessions. These are usually online (Zoom) which allows us to cover details and you can see screens and visuals clearly. Our subjects are usually more technical, such as how to use new ham radio modes or build something that decodes radio using new technology. Subjects are usually too detailed or specialized for a general meeting presentation and are targeted to smaller interest groups. These sessions are usually recorded and available to view later on our website.
- Active POTA Events and Field Day – Any good radio club should encourage “getting on the air”. Many people however have restrictions that limit what they can do at home. But it’s easy to go set up in a park and operate for a few hours, which is the basis for Parks on the Air (POTA), a worldwide program that encourages operating and contacting park-based stations. RWK does periodic POTA outings (usually in our closest POTA Park in Garland) that allow and encourage hams that don’t have a home station to get on the air. We also participate in the once a year nationwide “Field Day” activity – the largest single yearly on-the-air activity that occurs on the fourth full weekend in June.
- High-Altitude Radio Balloon Launches. We have an active high-altitude balloon program, where we launch a fly balloons with radios up to the edge of space. Imagine being able to talk to another state on a low-power handheld radio, or seeing HD images from 100,000 feet. Yet another way to enjoy radio.
- Popular Discord message board, email reflector
and engaging and helpful RWK website. In addition to radio, we offer several different ways for you to communicate with other RWK members. We have a very active Discord server where members post things daily that are of interest, including the latest DX spots and other timely information that is too short to warrant an email. For longer group email, we offer a RWK groups.io email list. Finally, we have a very full and (hopefully) helpful website, with tons of information, past presentations, and articles on recent ham radio items. Want to know how to do POTA or the best POTA antenna? Just search for POTA on the RWK website!
Join the RWK!
Joining the Richardson Wireless Klub is easy. Membership dues are $15/year for individual members, $20 for families and $5 for full time students.
We use HamClubOnline, a service that allows us to manage our club membership and provide services and notifications to club members. Registering with HamClubOnline is free for members and makes managing and renewing your club membership very easy!
We highly encourage you to join or renew online. There are many benefits to using HamClubOnline as a member.
If you would like detailed instructions on how to join using HamClubOnline, please go to the Join RWK Page
If you choose not to use HamClubOnline, you may download our application form and mail it along with your personal check for $15 to:
The Richardson Wireless Klub
PO Box 830232
Richardson, TX 75083-0232
You will receive email confirmation when your application has been processed into HamClubOnline (please allow 2-4 weeks).