Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society
News
September 1, 2026
ARES Activation
On Thursday, August 27, a gas leak at Blalock Middle School in Carrollton prompted the evacuation of students and staff to Standridge Stadium.
City of Carrollton Office of Emergency Management requested the activation of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch-Addison ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) group. As it turned out, our comms support wasn’t required but ARES radio operators were on the scene “just in case.”
All students were safely returned to their parents or guardians and classes resumed on Friday. Many thanks to all public safety and school officials and to our local ARES hams.
MARS to Raffle Geochron®
MARS will raffle a new Geochron Atlas 3 digital display system during this year’s Christmas Party December 10, 2026. The Atlas 3 is a commercial-grade mini computer that features live global data layers across multiple map styles, including weather, earth science, and amateur radio.
Geochron recommends a 4K display, so the prize includes a $150 gift card from Best Buy. Yes, they actually sell a 4K display for $150, but you can apply the card to whatever size you want.
Tickets are available now online, $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. Go now to https://www.kb5a.org/raffle to place your order. For more information about Geochron, visit https://www.geochron.com/.
A Night to Remember
Joe Wigner, K5MGY, has been fascinated by the tragic events surrounding the RMS Titanic for a long time. The aftermath brought about significant changes to maritime safety and to radio. At the August 13, 2026, meeting he explained what happened that April night in 1912, the role radio operators played in rescuing the survivors, and how radio was forever changed.
Support MARS When You Shop
A percentage of your purchases can be donated when you visit Tom Thumb, or Kroger at no extra cost to you. Please go to the SUPPORT page to learn how.
Next Regular Meeting
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 7:00 PM
Rob Steenburgh, AD0IU, with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center will talk about the solar-terrestrial environment and how it affects communications as well as our everyday lives.
You’ll find more details on the EVENTS page
Carrollton
Farmers Branch
Addison
ARES/RACES
Next scheduled nets
ARES® Training
September 13, 2026, 8:00 PM CT
​145.210 Tone 110.9
​​RACES Training
September 20, 2026, 7:45 PM CT
145.210 Tone 110.9
License Testing
Allan Batteiger, WB5QNG, will have an in-person test session on the third
Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Check the EVENTS page for details. Allan continues to offer remote testing sessions as well. Please visit https://wb5qng.org/ to learn how to sign up.
Born in 1845, this engineer grew up, invented a coding scheme and we remember his name to this day.
“ARES®” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service®” are registered service marks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.