The Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club has completed and submitted its official 2026 ARRL Field Day entry for WB5LVI.
GVARC operated in the South Texas section as a 2E station, with 30 participants taking part in the weekend. The club operated on generator power and earned the full emergency power bonus, along with the web submission bonus.
The preliminary total score for this year’s entry is 1,294 points.
On the air, the club logged a total of 342 contacts across CW, digital, and phone. Digital led the way with 165 QSOs, followed closely by phone with 162 QSOs, and CW added another 15 contacts. After applying the 2x power multiplier, the claimed QSO score came to 1,044 points, with 250 bonus points added to reach the preliminary total.
Some of the strongest activity came on 15 meters digital and 20 meters phone, with additional contacts made on 40 meters and 20 meters in CW and digital modes.
Of course, Field Day was not just about radio contacts. It was also a chance for members to spend time together and enjoy the fellowship that makes events like this special. Members gathered for a potluck dinner, with sides, desserts, drinks, and other items provided by members, while the club provided the meat, including burgers and hot dogs. The fellowship continued the next morning with breakfast tacos.
More than the numbers, Field Day once again gave the club a chance to get together, set up, operate under emergency-power conditions, and enjoy amateur radio as a team. It was a great opportunity for members to learn, help, operate, and spend time with fellow hams.
A big thank-you goes to Michael Pfeuffer, WQ5C, for hosting this year’s Field Day activities and for submitting the club’s official ARRL Field Day entry. Thanks as well to everyone who helped make the weekend happen, from planning and setup to operating, logging, food, support, and teardown.
73, and congratulations to everyone involved!
“It’s time once again to provide notice that the GVARC quarterly meeting will occur on the 11th of July. As always, we’ll convene the meeting as close as practical to 0800, conduct the business meeting in as little time as necessary for the required items and then get back to the normal discussions that occur every Saturday at Granzin’s.”
— Dave, AF5PL
The Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club invites local amateur radio operators, prospective hams, friends and families to join us for ARRL Field Day 2026, Saturday and Sunday, June 27–28.
Field Day is amateur radio’s annual open house and one of the biggest operating events of the year. Radio clubs and individual operators across North America set up stations, make contacts, test their skills and equipment, and demonstrate how amateur radio supports communication, preparedness and community service.
This year, GVARC will once again gather at Mike WQ5C’s QTH on River Road in New Braunfels for a relaxed weekend of operating, learning and socializing. The club plans to operate a home station on emergency power along with a temporary station.
The Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club invites local amateur radio operators, prospective hams, friends and families to join us for ARRL Field Day 2026, Saturday and Sunday, June 27–28.
Field Day is amateur radio’s annual open house and one of the biggest operating events of the year. Radio clubs and individual operators across North America set up stations, make contacts, test their skills and equipment, and demonstrate how amateur radio supports communication, preparedness and community service.
This year, GVARC will once again gather at Mike WQ5C’s QTH on River Road in New Braunfels for a relaxed weekend of operating, learning and socializing. The club plans to operate a home station on emergency power along with a temporary station.
As always, GVARC’s approach is simple:
Licensed operators are encouraged to get on the air, and visitors are welcome to stop by, see amateur radio in action and learn more about the hobby. Whether you are an experienced ham, newly licensed, thinking about getting your license, or simply curious about radio, you are invited to join us.
Operators are welcome to continue through the evening and overnight, although GVARC activity typically winds down around 11:00 p.m.
Mike WQ5C’s QTH
3485 River Road
New Braunfels, TX 78132
One of the highlights of GVARC Field Day will be the Saturday evening cookout and potluck dinner. The club will provide the meat, with plans for hamburgers and hot dogs or sausage at a minimum.
Those attending are encouraged to bring an appetizer, side dish, dessert, drinks or other items to round out the meal. GVARC is planning for approximately 30 to 50 people at dinner, so a wide variety of contributions will be appreciated.
Members may sign up through the GVARC Groups.io Field Day potluck discussion or at the club’s regular Saturday breakfast gathering at Granzin’s BBQ.
One of the highlights of GVARC Field Day will be the Saturday evening cookout and potluck dinner. The club will provide the meat, with plans for hamburgers and hot dogs or sausage at a minimum.
Those attending are encouraged to bring an appetizer, side dish, dessert, drinks or other items to round out the meal. GVARC is planning for approximately 30 to 50 people at dinner, so a wide variety of contributions will be appreciated.
Members may sign up through the GVARC Groups.io Field Day potluck discussion or at the club’s regular Saturday breakfast gathering at Granzin’s BBQ.
And, as tradition requires, any suitable leftovers may become part of Sunday morning’s breakfast tacos!
Field Day is open to all hams, prospective hams and their families — including the youngsters. Come for the radios, stay for the food and fellowship, and enjoy a weekend with the Guadalupe Valley Amateur Radio Club.
No license is required to visit and learn more about amateur radio.
Join GVARC for Field Day June 27–28, 2026!
Information courtesy of Dave Schreier, AF5PL and Mike Pfeuffer, WQ5C.
The GVARC Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026, in conjunction with the normal Saturday morning breakfast gathering at Granzins BBQ on San Antonio Street in New Braunfels. The meeting will begin at approximately 8:00 AM, briefly interrupting breakfast discussions, and will be conducted as efficiently as possible.
In addition to routine club business, all dues-paying GVARC members will be eligible to vote in the election of the Vice President and Secretary at this meeting.
Annual dues are payable in January and are $20 for an individual membership or $30 for a family membership. Dues may be paid by cash or check, and our treasurer, Mike Pfeuffer (WQ5C), will be happy to accept them.
Thank you to all GVARC members for your continued support and participation, and best wishes for a great start to the new year.
Information courtesy of Dave Schreier, AF5PL.
Great progress has been made at the new repeater site. Over the past week, the team has completed the equipment move, secured power and grounding, and begun on-air testing of both repeaters.
Recent adjustements to the initial configuration has resulted in significantly improved system performane on both bands.
The 147.000 MHz repeater is now transmitting with range comparable to the previous site, though receive sensitivity still needs minor adjustment. The likely cause is a shifted tuning stub on the VHF duplexer, which will be corrected soon.
The 443.850 MHz repeater is performing markedly better. Additional signal reports from outlying areas are welcome to help with fine-tuning.
Next steps include final duplexer alignment, adding battery backup, and reestablishing Wires-X and remote access.
Information courtesy of Mike WQ5C and others involved in the project.