MARA 2025 HAMFEST

Our date is set for 6 Sept. Setup time is 0900 open from 1000-1600. The location will be the WASI Wasilla Senior Center off KGB. The door prize request letter to give to the vendors and businesses to request door prizes has been published.  Contact Shelia/KL3SRO for a copy. Remember the donations are tax free.  Check with the Treasurer for Tax Receipts to give to the vendors.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/JKyBS4quRXDy8C78A

(click on above map link)

The vice director Michael Sterba KG7HQ  (https://www.qrz.com/db/KG7HQ)  will be representing ARRL at the hamfest with his wife, Shelly KC7NQC. We are currently looking for presentations to put on the schedule. Coordinate with Ken/KL2HF to get on the schedule.

Entry is $5.00 at the gate and 1 door prize tickets, additional door prize tickets will be a $1.00 max of 10, Tables are $10.00 reserve them thru John/KL1XM. The Barbee will be $5.00 ea.

We need volunteers to help on various tasks for the hamfest.   Please contact Shelia/KL3SOR.  We will need VEs to conduct testing at 1300-1400, will need folks at the gate, and the MARA Country Store, setup and tear down crews.  Please turn door prizes into prior to the Hamfest and any programs you would like to put on during the the Hamfest to Ken/KL7HF.

MARA is providing the main barbeque, if you could bring a side dishes it would be appreciated.

2025 Motely Picnic (COMPLETED0

The Motley Group

The Motley Group Picnic

ANNUAL MOTLEY PICNIC / WEEKEND CAMPOUT JULY 31 - AUGUST 3, 2025

It will be held at the TOLSONA WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND. https://tolsonacampground.com MILE 173 GLENN HIGHWAY.

CHECKOUT THEIR WEBSITE WHICH INCLUDES A CAMPGROUND LAYOUT. THIS WILL HELP YOU WITH SELECTING YOUR CAMPSITE…

CAMPGROUND RESERVATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER MARCH 1, 2025.

RESERVATIONS MADE AT THE CONCLUSION OF LAST YEAR’S PICNIC ARE VALID…

THERE ARE 20 SPOTS STILL HELD IN RESERVE FOR OUR GROUP AT THIS TIME…


All Amateur Radio operators / families are welcome to attend and join in the fun…

There will be souvenirs, door prizes, raffles, swap and shop, a mini craft fair, and group meals to name a few…

License testing will be available if there is interest.

There will be two low-power FM Broadcast stations with campground coverage…

Tubing on the river/creek will be available.

Be sure to bring your handy-talkie and listen on 146.520 for announcements, possible changes in programs, etc…


Download PDF Flyer - updated 6/23/2025

Alaska Motley Group Picnic – 2025

July 31st to August 3rd - Tolsona Wilderness Campground
Mile 173 Glenn Hwy · tolsonacampground.com · Ph-822-3900

This will be the 43rd annual Motley Group picnic. There are typically 60 to 80 attendees, most of whom are members of the Motley Group, Snipers Net, or Alaska-Pacific Emergency Preparedness Net, but ALL amateur radio operators and their families are welcome to attend.

Fish, hike, chat with other Hams, and participate in as many of the following scheduled activities as you choose.

Thursday

  • 10 AM – Setup – Put up Motley signs, tarps and tables
  • 1 – 3 PM Motley Makers Market – Featuring homemade/handcrafted items
  • 4 PM – Daily Door Prize Drawing
  • 4:30 PM – Daily Raffle Prize Drawing (ticket sales: 1 – 3 PM)
  • 5 PM – Early Bird Meet and Greet – Soup Supper – Bring snacks to share

Friday

  • 10 AM – 3 PM Motley Swap and Shop
  • 1 – 3 PM Motley Makers Market – Featuring homemade/handcrafted items
  • 12 Noon – Brown Bag Luncheon – Campground pavilion – All are welcome
  • 4 PM – Daily Door Prize Drawing
  • 4:30 PM – Daily Raffle Prize Drawing (ticket sales: 8:30 AM – NOON and 1 – 3 PM)
  • 5 PM – Baked Potato Bar – Spuds are provided – Bring trimmings to share

Saturday

  • 10 AM – 12 PM – Motley Makers Market – Featuring homemade/handcrafted items
  • 10 AM – 1 PM – Motley Swap and Shop
  • 1 – 3 PM – Radio Workshop / Presentation(s)
  • 1 – 3 PM – Card and/or Board Games
  • 4 PM – Daily Door Prize Drawing
  • 4:30 PM – Daily Raffle Prize Drawing (ticket sales: 8:30 – NOON and 1 – 3 PM)
  • 5 PM – Motley Cookout – Hamburgers / hot dogs provided – Bring trimmings to share
  • After cleanup – RED LANTERN & MODERATORS OTHER MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS
  • Group Photo / Chinese Auction / White Elephant Gift Exchange

Sunday

9:00 AM – Farewell Breakfast – Rolls, muffins, and pastries will be provided

Camping fee per night for RV sites includes water and electricity. For the three nights there is a discounted rate for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Showers and laundry available in campground.

If you have not reserved a site, do so NOW. "Tell them you are with the Motley Group".

  • All activities take place at the main camp unless otherwise noted
  • All activities are your choice… there is NOTHING you MUST DO… have a good time
  • Fresh gourmet coffee – 8:00 to 10:00 AM will be available daily thanks to Mac KL2GS
  • MOTLEY PICNIC RADIO – 99.9 FM – KMOT – Tune your FM broadcast radio from 9 AM - 10 PM for music and picnic announcements (also check 92.5 FM for bandit station)
  • Tune 146.52 MHz – Carry your handy talkie for updates
  • Sign in and get door prize tickets and a souvenir

NO COST – One ticket per person issued at sign-in (friends and family included). Sign name on back of ticket and deposit it in bucket. Awarded daily via random drawing – must be present to win. Prizes are a surprise.

  • Courtesy Garbage Pickup – Garbage bags available at check-in. Place roadside at 7 PM for pickup.
  • Daily Raffle – View prize photos and purchase tickets.

LIMIT: 12 TICKETS PER PERSON

Purchase time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM, Friday & Saturday 8:30 AM – NOON

$2.00 each or 3 for $5.00

  • Need to be present to win
  • TICKETS WILL ONLY BE SOLD TO THOSE IN ATTENDANCE — NO PROXY TICKETS
  • PARTICIPANTS CAN ONLY WIN ONE RAFFLE PRIZE DURING THE THREE-DAY EVENT
  • ONCE PRIZE IS WON, IT IS THE PROPERTY OF THE WINNER TO DO WITH AS THEY SEE FIT… TRADING?? GIFTING?
  • Motley Maker’s Markets – Daily, times vary. See the published agenda (page 1).

The market is a mini craft fair featuring homemade/handcrafted items by members of the ham community, for example: jams, jelly, honey, syrup, jewelry, knitted or crocheted articles, carved, scrolled or turned wood pieces, etc.

Cathy Van Krevelen & Dee Bowns are in charge.

  • Motley Swap and Shop – Daily, times vary. See the published agenda.

Mark KL3MRO is in charge.

  • Amateur license testing – If there are candidates.

Time and Location to be announced – Sponsored by Valley MARA Club

  • Thursday – 5:00 PM – Early Bird Soup Supper — Bring supplemental items like bread, crackers, cheese, etc.
  • Friday – 12 PM – Brown Bag Luncheon (Everyone is welcome)

BAGS AVAILABLE AT SIGN-IN TABLE.

Pack your own lunch and keep it, or pack a lunch to trade with someone else.

  • Friday – 5 PM – Baked Potato Bar

Spuds are provided. Please bring trimmings and/or desserts (e.g., butter, sour cream, onions, chili, crumbled bacon, sausage, cooked broccoli, cookies, pie, cake, fruit). Take any leftovers home for another time.

  • Saturday – 5 PM – MOTLEY COOKOUT – Hamburgers and hot dogs provided by the Motley Group, served with our SPECIAL MOTLEY spread. You bring the “add-ons” to share (sliced tomatoes, lettuce leaves, sliced onion, avocados, cooked bacon strips) AND/OR picnic-type items (macaroni salad, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans – need not be homemade – aim for easy to serve and clean up, chips and dip, fruit like strawberries or watermelon, and simple desserts).
  • Saturday – CHINESE AUCTION / WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT EXCHANGE – Bring something from home you no longer want or need (not necessarily radio-related). Ensure it's intact, clean, gently used, and working. Include batteries if needed. If you buy something, spend no more than $10. Wrap it before placing it on the table. Zanna KL7IRE will handle tickets; Jerry KL7EDK will explain the rules and conduct the event. Participation is optional but encouraged!
  • Sunday – 9:00 AM – Farewell Breakfast – No pancake breakfast this year. Rolls, muffins, and pastries will be provided. Bring anything extra you'd like to share.
  • Sunday Evening – Time and place to be announced – For those still around: MOTLEY LEFTOVERS aka WHAT’CHA GOT SUPPER – Clean out your fridge or cooler and share what’s left so you don’t haul it home.

http://www.tolsonacampground.com

 

Pay your Membership Dues On Line

If you haven't paid your 2020 membership dues, please get with John/KL1XM.  Our dues is one of our main incomes to maintain the club equipment and activities.  We are also a 501c3 non-profit club so it is all tax deductible. The web site has an application form for you to fill out under Forms and you can go to the Donate tab and pay by PayPal or Credit Card, if you like.  For any other club donations we will provide you a Tax Receipt.  Also with all the benefits available thru ARRL, you may be interested in joining it also.  You have the choice of 2 magazines now, one for new hams, with your ARRL membership, you also can get good equipment insurance, pod casts on various ham subjects, new equipment evaluations, construction projects, contest, and what ARRL is doing on our behalf with new legislation.

Another item of interest is that we are allowed to use our current meeting venue by donating to the food bank, non-perishable food or paper products.  This helps out our Food Bank for the community.   And thank you for your donation.

POTA, What is this?

Well POTA is Parks On The Air.  Do you want have some fun, well this is it and it good practice for operating away from your home station. A lot of Alaskans like to get into the outdoors, fishing, hunting, hiking, ATVing, boating, or just plain camping.  Now it's possible you just want to get away from the hussle and bussle from the city and others for peace and quite.  But how would you like to help your state to improve getting folks interested to visit and help our small businesses.   Ham operators are always interested in talking up their station, home, and interest you have.  Well go to a park, any type and setup your portable station and call CQ CQ POTA, Denali National Park. This winter we held Winter Field Day at Finger Lake and had a blast.  Below is a link to a video that tells you all about it.  Enjoy.      POTA

SOTA-POTA Saturday (PENDING)

Hello group,

Don't forget that this Saturday Alaska VHF+ is doing another Parks on the Air activation, and this time it will also be a Summits on the Air attempt at the same time.

Weather permitting, I will be hiking up a peak called The Hideout, just north of Skilak Lake. The plan is to be on the air for the 2 M SSB net at 0930 and make a few contacts there. I will have a good antenna but will be running QRP, so keep an ear out for a weak signal in the background.

If you can't hear me on VHF then keep an ear on 20 M FT8 around 1030. I'll be switching to that band and mode to make contacts outside of Alaska, but locals should be able to pick me up too.

For Summits on the Air this peak is "KLA/KM-456". It is within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and counts as K-0149 for that program.

Brandon Clark, KL7BSC

https://brandonclarklabs.com/