Events, Blog Posts

MeshCore Presentation in Nacogdoches | November 3, 2026

What if you could send text messages across town without using a cell tower, Wi-Fi network, or Internet connection?

That is one of the ideas behind MeshCore, and we’ll take a closer look at it at the next meeting of the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club.

The presentation will be held:

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Nacogdoches County Emergency Operations Center
727 FM 3314, Nacogdoches, TX 75964

Need help finding the EOC? Visit our directions page.

What Is MeshCore?

MeshCore is a communications system that uses small LoRa radios to send digital messages over radio.

A personal MeshCore device can connect to a smartphone through Bluetooth. Your phone gives you the screen and keyboard, while the small radio handles the actual radio communication.

Dedicated repeaters can then help those messages travel farther.

In simple terms, it can look something like this:

Phone → Personal Radio → Repeater → Another Radio → Another Phone

The local radio network can continue working without depending on the Internet.

What Will We Demonstrate?

Andy Delgado, KE5EXX, will share some of the MeshCore equipment he has been experimenting with and explain how the pieces work together.

The presentation will include personal Companion nodes that connect to a phone by Bluetooth, along with a solar-powered MeshCore repeater that can operate independently from normal household power.

We will also look at some of the ideas we have been exploring for a local network around Nacogdoches.

That includes placing repeaters at useful locations, extending coverage from one part of the community to another, and eventually exploring things such as Room Servers and optional Internet gateways.

No, we are not building Skynet.

At least not Tuesday night.

Why Is This Interesting to Amateur Radio Operators?

MeshCore is not a replacement for amateur radio, public-safety communications, or cellular service.

It is another technology worth learning about.

For amateur radio operators, it combines several familiar ideas:

  • radio propagation
  • antennas and elevation
  • repeaters
  • solar-powered equipment
  • portable communications
  • network planning
  • experimentation

It also gives us a chance to work with technology that may be useful in places where ordinary Internet or cellular coverage is limited.

And because the equipment is relatively small and low-powered, it opens up some interesting possibilities for portable and remotely powered installations.

Could We Build a Local Network?

That is one of the questions we want to explore.

Imagine several repeaters around Nacogdoches. Personal nodes could communicate through whichever repeater or path was available.

Later, other communities could build their own local networks and experiment with ways to connect them.

We are still very much in the learning and testing stage, which is part of the fun.

Rather than starting with a finished system and a stack of claims about what it can do, we want to build it, test it, measure it, and learn from the results.

Everyone Is Welcome

You do not need to own a MeshCore radio.

You do not need to understand LoRa.

You do not even need to be an amateur radio operator to find the technology interesting.

If you are curious about radio, mesh networking, off-grid communications, solar-powered electronics, or just enjoy seeing new technology in action, we would be glad to have you join us.

Tuesday, November 3 at 7:00 PM.

Come see what we have been experimenting with and help us explore where this might go next.

Ham Radio 101

What Can You Do With a Ham Radio License?

So you pass the test, get your call sign, and officially become a licensed amateur radio operator.

Now what?

Quite a bit, actually.

One of the great things about amateur radio is that getting your license isn’t the finish line. It’s more like getting the keys to a very large playground. You can start simple, explore what interests you, and discover entirely new parts of the hobby as you go.

Talk Around Town

For many new operators, the first experience is talking through a repeater.

A repeater is a radio station that receives your signal and retransmits it, usually from a higher location. That can allow a relatively small handheld radio to reach people much farther away than it could on its own.

Local repeaters are a great way to meet other radio operators, participate in scheduled radio nets, ask questions, and become part of the local amateur radio community.

And sometimes the most interesting contact isn’t halfway around the world. It’s another ham a few miles down the road.

Reach Far Beyond East Texas

Depending on your license privileges, equipment, antenna, frequency, and radio conditions, amateur radio can also let you communicate across Texas, across the country, or around the world.

That’s one of the experiences that keeps many hams interested for years.

There is something different about hearing someone hundreds or thousands of miles away and knowing the connection is being made through radios and antennas at each end.

Sometimes the conditions cooperate beautifully.

Sometimes they don’t.

Figuring out why is part of the hobby.

Try Digital Communication

Modern amateur radio isn’t limited to voice.

Hams use computers and radios together for many types of digital communication. Some modes can exchange short messages or information even when radio signals are extremely weak.

Others combine radio with internet-linked systems, mapping, logging software, and digital voice.

You don’t have to understand all of that on your first day. In fact, most of us are still learning something new.

That’s part of the fun.

Talk Through a Satellite

Yes, satellites.

Amateur radio operators can make contacts using amateur-radio satellites orbiting Earth. With the right equipment and some practice, a radio signal can travel from your station up to a satellite and back down to another operator somewhere else within its coverage area.

It’s a pretty good reminder that “ham radio” can mean a lot more than two people sitting beside large radios in their homes.

Take Radio Outside

Ham radio can also go wherever you go.

Operators set up portable stations at parks, campgrounds, community events, temporary locations, and sometimes just in the backyard.

A portable setup might include a small radio, battery, laptop or tablet, and an antenna supported by a lightweight mast—or perhaps one of those East Texas pine trees that conveniently happens to be standing nearby.

For people who enjoy camping, parks, experimenting with antennas, or simply being outdoors, portable radio can become a hobby within the hobby.

Learn How Things Work

A ham radio license also gives you room to experiment.

You might try building an antenna, learning why one antenna works better than another, connecting a radio to a computer, experimenting with digital modes, or seeing how changing radio conditions affect a signal.

You don’t have to be an engineer.

Many hams learn by asking questions, trying something, making mistakes, and trying again.

Help When Communication Matters

Some amateur radio operators also participate in public-service events, severe-weather activities, emergency exercises, and preparedness efforts.

Ham radio doesn’t replace police, fire, EMS, cellular networks, or professional emergency communication systems.

It can, however, provide another communication option and sometimes help supplement normal systems when appropriate.

For some operators, public service becomes an important part of the hobby. For others, their interests may be satellites, contests, digital modes, portable operating, or simply talking with friends.

That’s the point.

There isn’t just one way to enjoy amateur radio.

Your License Is Really a Starting Point

One person may spend years talking on local repeaters. Another may chase contacts around the world. Someone else may build antennas, experiment with computers, work satellites, operate from parks, or enjoy several of those things at once.

A ham radio license opens the door.

What you do after that is largely up to you.

If any of this sounds interesting, the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club, W5NAC, is a great place to meet people who are already exploring different parts of the hobby—and who remember what it was like to be the person asking, “Okay, I’ve got my license. Now what?”

Ham Radio 101, Blog Posts, Equipment & Technology

Why Ham Radio Still Matters in 2026

Your phone can send a photo across the world before your coffee cools. You can stream a movie, join a video call, or ask artificial intelligence to help plan dinner.

So why would anyone still want a ham radio?

Picture someone at an East Texas picnic table with a compact radio, a battery, and an antenna. A voice answers from hundreds of miles away. Getting that answer took a little planning, some learning, and perhaps a few adjustments.

The connection is part of the fun. Figuring out how to make it happen is another.

A different way to connect

Amateur radio, often called ham radio, lets licensed operators communicate and experiment using radio equipment. Depending on the frequency, equipment, antenna, conditions, and operating method, contacts can reach across town, across the country, or into other countries.

A cellphone normally relies on a network of towers, connections, power, and service providers. Ham radio can provide direct communication between stations without those same commercial networks.

That doesn’t make every ham radio setup independent. Some use repeaters, which receive and retransmit signals to extend coverage. Others use internet links or commercial power. Operators choose different tools for different purposes.

Having another way to communicate is useful. Learning how that connection works can be just as rewarding.

The equipment has kept evolving

If you picture ham radio as a dusty desk covered in glowing tubes, there’s quite a bit to catch up on.

Modern stations can combine radios with computers, digital voice, GPS location information, and mapping software. Software-defined radios use software to handle tasks once performed by dedicated electronic circuits.

Some operators exchange short digital messages using signals too faint for an ordinary voice conversation. Others make contacts through amateur radio satellites passing overhead.

A smartphone usually hides the complicated technology so you can get on with your day. Amateur radio gives you a chance to explore it.

You can adjust an antenna, try different software, or compare two setups and discover why one works better. You don’t need to be an engineer to begin. Learning is part of the hobby.

Sometimes the best radio room has pine trees

A ham radio station doesn’t have to occupy a spare bedroom.

Portable equipment, rechargeable batteries, and temporary antennas let operators take the hobby to parks, campsites, and other outdoor locations. A station can be simple enough to pack up when it’s time to head home.

Here in East Texas, it’s easy to see the appeal of combining time outdoors with a little radio experimenting. There might be a conversation with someone nearby, a distant contact, or an afternoon spent improving the setup.

And if the contacts are slow, you’re still outside among the pines. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

Useful skills, with a practical purpose

Public service is another part of amateur radio. Volunteers help with communications at public events and, with appropriate training and coordination, during severe weather and emergencies.

Ham radio can supplement normal communications when appropriate. Its usefulness depends on prepared operators, working equipment, power, and a suitable path for the signal. It doesn’t replace professional emergency systems or guarantee that a message will get through.

Not every ham focuses on emergency work. Some enjoy contests, collect contacts from different places, build equipment, or catch up with friends. Those are all reasons to turn on a radio, too.

There are people behind the signals

For many operators, the lasting connections are friendships.

A shared interest gives people from different generations and backgrounds something to explore together. Someone helps solve an antenna problem. Someone else explains a new program. Before long, a technical question turns into a good conversation.

That’s why ham radio still matters in 2026. It keeps evolving, giving people new things to try and new reasons to connect.

Curious? Visit w5nac.com to learn about the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club, W5NAC. Bring your questions and consider visiting a meeting. You don’t have to know how it all works to come see what it’s about.

Ham Radio 101

What Is Amateur Radio, Anyway?

Imagine sitting at a picnic table in East Texas, connecting a radio to an antenna, and hearing someone answer from another state. On another day, with the right setup and conditions, that answer might come from another country.

That’s one part of amateur radio, better known as ham radio. But long-distance conversations are only the beginning.

So, what is ham radio?

Amateur radio is a hobby and a communications service in which licensed operators use radio equipment to communicate, learn, and experiment. The people who participate are often called “hams.”

In the United States, amateur radio operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. We’ll cover how to become licensed in a future article. For now, you don’t need an electronics background to understand the appeal.

A radio contact might be a conversation across Nacogdoches, a quick exchange with someone across the country, or a hello from halfway around the world. How far you can reach depends on your equipment, antenna, frequency, conditions, and the way you communicate.

Sometimes the fun is the conversation. Sometimes it’s the surprise of where your signal ends up.

Is it the same as CB radio?

Both let people communicate by radio, but they’re different services.

CB, short for Citizens Band, uses a defined set of channels and doesn’t require an individual FCC license in the United States. Amateur radio requires licensing and offers access to a wider range of frequencies and ways to communicate, along with opportunities to build and experiment with equipment.

There’s room to enjoy both. Someone who likes chatting on CB might also find plenty to enjoy in ham radio.

There’s more than a microphone

Ask several hams what they enjoy, and you may get several different answers. The hobby includes:

  • Voice conversations: Catching up with nearby friends or meeting someone far away.
  • Morse code: Sending messages using patterns of short and long signals.
  • Digital communication: Connecting radios to computers to exchange text, images, or other information.
  • Satellites: Communicating through amateur radio satellites orbiting Earth.
  • Portable operation: Taking a radio and antenna to a park, campsite, or other outdoor spot.
  • Experimenting: Building an antenna, adjusting equipment, and seeing what works.

Some operators enjoy contests, trying to make as many contacts as possible within a set time. Others collect contacts from different places or simply enjoy a relaxed conversation.

You don’t have to enjoy every part of the hobby. You can find the part that makes you want to turn the radio on.

Why bother when we have smartphones?

Because making a connection yourself can be fun.

Sending a message on your phone is convenient. Sending one through a radio system you’ve assembled offers a different kind of satisfaction. It’s a little like the difference between buying vegetables and growing a garden.

Modern ham radio also makes use of computers, digital technology, GPS location information, and internet-linked systems. Some methods use those tools; others can work independently of phone networks and the internet.

Public service is another reason people participate. Trained volunteers can help with communications at community events or supplement normal communications during emergencies. That provides another option when appropriate, rather than replacing police, fire, or professional emergency systems.

For others, the draw is friendship, preparedness, technology, or the chance to try something new.

Start with a little curiosity

Here in East Texas, the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club, W5NAC, gives that curiosity a local starting point. Our website has information about club meetings, getting licensed, and becoming involved in amateur radio around Nacogdoches.

Events, News

NEXT VE TESTING OCTOBER 21, 2026

In person VE testing for all classes of Amateur Radio licenses will be held at the Nacogdoches City/County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on FM 3314 the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Click here for directions to the EOC.   Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

As we strive to begin testing at 7pm we ask candidates to please plan on arriving early (soon after doors open) to allow time for the VE team to gather fees, verify ID’s and fill out preliminary paperwork beforehand.

Please refer to ARRL website for instructions on WHAT TO BRING TO EXAM SESSION, https://www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session .

You will be asked to show ID under the following guidelines:


      1.  One legal photo ID (identification):
           a. State Driver’s License
           b. Government issued Passport
           c. Military or Law Enforcement Officer Photo ID card
           d. Student School Photo ID card
           e. State Photo ID card

      2.  If no photo ID is available, two forms of identification:
           a. Non-photo State ID card (some states still have them)
           b. Birth certificate (must have the appropriate seal)
           c. Social security card
           d. Employer’s wage statement or Minor’s work permit
           e. School ID card
           f. School or Public Library card
           g. Utility bill, bank statement or other business correspondence that
               specifically names the person; or a postmarked envelope addressed
               to the person at his or her current mailing address as it appears on
               the Form 605.

Examinations for all classes of Amateur Radio licenses are conducted under the auspices of ARRL-VEC.

 All Applicants must provide a Federal Registration Number (FRN) and current email address. If you do not have a FRN, you must apply to the FCC to receive one BEFORE you come to the exam. To apply for a FRN, visit the FCC’s log-in page (https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do) and the FCC’s Registration Information Page (https://www.fcc.gov/new-users-guide-getting-started-universal-licensing-system-uls). It really is a quick and easy process.

Applicants for license upgrade already have a Federal Registration Number, which can be found on their current FCC license. Cost of examinations is $15.

If you plan on attending a test session KINDLY send an email to nr5at AT ARRL . NET to let us know you wish test and which license class you plan to test for. This helps us prepare!

Events

NEXT NARC MEETING TUESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2026

The Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club will meet every first Tuesday at the Nacogdoches EOC (Emergency Operating Center) behind McCoy’s Lumber Yard.  Doors open at 18:30 for social time and 19:00 the business meeting will start.  After the business meeting will have a program on various ham related topics.  We try to be finished by 20:00 but no promises.

More details are in the monthly newsletters.

Please come join us.

Equipment & Technology

NARC VHF/UHF REPEATERS

NARC operates 2 VHF and 2 UHF repeaters. All use a CTCSS tone of 141.3 Hz. VHF repeaters include the ARES/RACES repeater on 146.840 and the Deep East Texas Skywarn repeater on 147.320. UHF repeaters include the voice repeater on 444.050 and the DMR repeater on 443.050.

Home of The Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club, W5NAC