Dekalb ARES members are invited to participate in the following events:
Upcoming in-person meeting: Sat 2/21/2026 from 1:00pm-3:00pm at the Dekalb Fire Rescue Headquarters located at 1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker, GA 30084. You are cordially invited to attend join us to learn, first-hand, about DeKalb ARES. Please check our Events Calendar and our Dekalb ARES Groups.IO for specifics about the next meeting.
GARS Techfest **
** NEW DATE ** Sat 02/21/2026 8:30am - 3:15pm
at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds Expo Center Building
2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy Lawrenceville, GA 30045
(original date of 1/31/2026 was cancelled and postponed to new date due to forecast of inclement winter weather)
To sign up:
1. Go to https://atlantatrackclub.
2. Enter the password "PAMHAM2026" and click "Submit"
3. Register for the "Communications - HAM operator" slot
If you do not receive an automated confirmation, then your registration did not go through -- please try again. Save your automated receipt since that allows you to modify your registration status should something happen between now and then.
As usual, details will start to flow out about a month before the event.
New to special events? Take a look at these excellent videos prepared by HamRadioPrep:
https://youtu.be/hDlfKRHq7Cc?s
https://www.youtube.com/shorts
https://www.youtube.com/shorts
Please share this message. You do not need to be an ARES member to participate. We need about 50 radio operators!
Thank you and we look forward to working with you!
Elliott Fried KJ4CQJ
Elliot Dennis KK4LUK
Michael Gaertner KJ4GUY
GA ARES Statewide Meeting- Sat 3/14/2026, 7:30am-4:30pm at Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) located at 1000 Indian Springs Dr, Forsyth, GA 31029
Monthly in-person meetings If you are interested in emergency communications, feel free to attend any meeting. No advance registration is needed.
Our
next in-person meeting will be on Sat 2/21/2026 from 1:00pm-3:00pm
at our new location at the Dekalb Fire Rescue Headquarters located at
1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker, GA 30084. You are
cordially invited to attend join us to learn, first-hand, about DeKalb
ARES. Please check our Events Calendar and our Dekalb ARES Groups.IO for specifics about the next meeting.
Some of our previous meetings topics and events Dekalb ARES particpated in:
9/16/2023- Discussion/Planning of upcoming SET on 10/7/2023
10/20/2024-Recap of recent SET
11/18/2023- W4PSV (Steve Vogel) discussed a recent Skywarn class he took and how to sign up for future Skywarn classes.
1/27/2024- APRS presentation by N4MPC (Pat De Loe)
3/16/2024- Practice of VHF Winlink with go-kits
4/20/2024- Presentation on the National Traffic System (NTS) by N4RAR (Jim Penland) and practice of HF Winlink with go-kits
5/18/2024-Discussion of Dekalb ARES and demo of how to install PL-259 and other cable connectors.
6/15/2024-Discussion of Dekalb ARES participation in June's Field Day event.
6/22/2024-6/23/2024-Dekalb ARES particpated in the Annual Field Day with the Alford Memorial Radio Club, Dekalb EMA, Dekalb CERT, Dekalb FIre-Rescue and Dekalb Co. Parks and Recreation Dept at Pleasantdale Park in Doraville, GA
Article on Field Day: https://thechampionnewspaper.com/ham-radio-operators-play-crucial-role-at-big-events-and-emergencies/
Article on Field Day: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/06/23/metro-atlanta-amateur-radio-operators-practice-emergency-communications/7/20/2024- We discussed our recent participation in Field Day. Barry Kanne, W4TGA gave a presentation on DMR and we learned about how to program codeplugs for DMR radios.
8/17/2024-We discussed FEMA ICS forms.
9/21/2024-Our program was on a battery project by Pat DeLoe, N4MPC and we visited the Dekalb EOC building.
9/26/2024-9/27/2024-Dekalb ARES was activated by Dekalb EMA to provide severe weather and damage reports during Hurricane Helene to the Dekalb EOC.
10/19/2024-We visited the Dekalb EOC and discussed our Hurricane Helene after action report.
1/18/2025- We discussed an after action report on Winter Storm Cora.
2/15/2025-We discussed to plan a simulation exercise to be held 3/15/2025 (simulation exercise was cancelled on 3/15/2025 due to forecast of severe weather)
3/2/2025- Some Dekalb ARES members volunteered to help with communications for the Publix Atlanta Marathon.
3/15/2025-We viewed a special severe weather briefing for the forecasted storm.
4/19/2025-We discussed installing an experimental VARA FM Winlink station for Dekalb ARES and Pat De Loe, N4MPC gave a presentation on 'db' signal strength.
5/17/2025-Our program was on DigiPi-what it is and basic setup by Pat De Loe, N4MPC. Also, Barry Kanne, W4TGA did a demo of connecting to our new VARA-FM Winlink VHF station on top of Stone Mountain.
6/21/2025-Our program was on reviewing an ICS Form 201 form to plan for the upcoming Alford Memorial Radio Club Field Day. Dekalb ARES members will be assisting with Field Day operations again this year with setup, radio operations and teardown/cleanup.
06/28/2025-06/29/2025-Dekalb ARES participated in Field Day with
the Alford Memorial Radio Club (AMRC) at Pleasantdale Park in
Atlanta/Dekalb county, GA.
07/19/2025-Demo of VARAC/VARA HF by Facundo, KK4ODA. Demo of Dekalb ARES appl (work in progress by James, W4JES). Practice exercise using VARAC and VARA FM.
08/16/2025-Demo of VARAC by Facundo, KK4ODA. Brief overview of TARPN/SPROING (new packet radio network in Metro Atlanta/North Georgia) by Tom, KE4QCM, Demo of new features added to Dekalb ARES appl (work in progress by James, W4JES).
Sat 9/19/2025-Discussed upcoming SET for Sat 10/4/2025 and setup/troubleshooting of different digital modes for upcoming SET.
Sat 10/4/2025-Dekalb ARES members participated in our annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET).
Sat 10/18/2025-We reviewed an After Action Report (AAR) regarding our recent Dekalb ARES SET.
Sat 11/15/2025-We had an exercise drill testing simplex comunications, APRS and Winlink.
Sat 12/20/2025-We did an after action review of our drill that was held on 11/15/2025 and we planned for Dekalb ARES particpation in Winter Field Day in Jan 2026.
Sat 1/3/2026- Some Dekalb ARES members volunteered to help with communications for the Polar Opposite race.
Sat 1/17/2026- Scott Sheppard, KJ4ZZB gave a presentation on APRS.
Sat 1/24/2026 Dekalb ARES members participated in Winter Field day
operating as WD5EMA and exchange of '2 O' at the Briarlake Forest Park
in Decatur, GA.
Every week we have a different operator running the net. You can find a schedule showing who is scheduled to operate the net in the "Net Operations" page of this website.