DARA Monthly Membership Meeting
2 Oct 2026 at 7:00PM
Greene County Fairgrounds at 4-H Extension Office
Mark Your Calendars – see you there!
Topic: This month Kevin Thomas, W1DED, will be giving a presentation on:
Parks on the Air: Growth, Challenges, and What Comes Next
Parks on the Air has grown from a relatively small activity into one of the largest and most active communities in amateur radio, with hundreds of thousands of activations and millions of QSOs taking place each year.
As a member of the Parks on the Air Board of Directors, Kevin will offer a look at Parks on the Air from inside the organization: how and why it has grown so quickly, what that growth has meant for amateur radio, and some of the challenges that come with operating an increasingly international program run largely by volunteers.
He’ll also look ahead at what’s next for Parks on the Air, including international growth, technology, park eligibility, communications, and the opportunities and challenges that come with continuing to grow a worldwide amateur radio community.
A little bit about Kevin:
Kevin Thomas, W1DED, is a member of the Board of Directors of Parks on the Air and leads the organization’s newly formed Communications Team. First licensed in 1977, Kevin returned to amateur radio during the pandemic and is an active contester and Parks on the Air participant.
Kevin is also the founder and host of Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio, a media platform built around in-depth conversations, reporting, and storytelling about amateur radio. Q5 was created with an emphasis on professionalism, production quality, and making content available wherever people prefer to consume it, including video, podcasts, social media, and the Q5 Magazine online newsletter.
Q5 has become particularly well known for its Contest Crew series, featuring conversations with many of the world’s most accomplished contesters. The platform has also taken deeper looks at some of the important stories affecting amateur radio, including the extraordinary growth of Parks on the Air and the controversy surrounding WRTC 2026. Q5’s guests and stories span the globe, reflecting Kevin’s belief that some of the most interesting people and ideas in amateur radio can be found well beyond our own backyards
Future planning:
October Harvest Party to be held at the DARA clubhouse 6619 Bellefontaine Rd, Huber Heights, OH 45424, 16 October 2026. Plan to serve food around around 6PM. As part of the Harvest Party we will be conducting a chili cook-off competition with prizes awarded, so start thinking about entering the contest.
In December we plan to hold our annual Holiday Party, 4 December 2026, more to come on that as details are finalized.
ZOOM LINK:
DARA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: DARA Monthy General Membership Meeting
Time: Oct 2, 2026 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Join and take notes
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting chat link
https://us02web.zoom.us/
Meeting ID: 442 469 7230
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