Radio is a hobby you do.
There are dozens of ways to enjoy amateur radio, and the club dabbles in most of them. Here's a taste of what you can get into with W4KST — pick what excites you and we'll help you dive in.
Making contacts (QSOs)
The heart of the hobby: reaching another operator across town or across an ocean. Voice, Morse, or digital — every contact is a small thrill.
Contesting & awards
Compete to log the most contacts in a weekend, or chase awards like Worked All States and DXCC. Friendly competition that sharpens your skills.
Field Day
Ham radio's biggest annual event: set up portable stations and operate around the clock on emergency power. The ultimate team weekend on the air.
Parks on the Air (POTA)
Pack a radio into a Georgia state park and put it "on the air." A perfect excuse to get outside, hike, and operate portable.
Satellites & the ISS
Yes, you can talk through satellites with a handheld and a homemade antenna — and sometimes hear astronauts aboard the Space Station.
Fox hunts
Radio direction-finding turned into a game: track down a hidden transmitter using your antenna and your wits. Great fun and genuinely useful skill.
Building & kits
Solder your own antenna, assemble a QRP transceiver kit, or experiment with software-defined radio. Learn electronics by building things that work.
Digital modes
Modes like FT8 and packet let tiny signals span the globe and pass text and data — radio meets computers in the most modern corner of the hobby.
Public service & ARES
Provide communications for community events and train for emergencies, where amateur operators are a real lifeline when infrastructure fails.
Regular on-air get-togethers
A "net" is a scheduled on-air meeting where operators check in, swap news, and practice. They're one of the easiest ways for new hams to get comfortable on the radio in a friendly, structured setting.
Our current net schedule and local repeater information are coordinated through the club — check Discord for the latest times and frequencies, and see the Resources page for nearby repeaters and clubs.
Get the net scheduleNew here? Try these first
- Listen to a local repeater and a net
- Make your first VHF/UHF contact with a handheld
- Come to Field Day — no license needed to watch & learn
- Join a POTA outing for a relaxed day on the air
- Try a fox hunt to learn direction finding