The Lawrence County Amateur Radio Club in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, has announced on their website (www.w5wra.org) the date of Winterfest 2022.
Typically the first hamfest in Arkansas each year, the 2021 event was canceled due to COVID-19. However, as of now, they're planning to hold
the 2022 Winterfest the second weekend of February.
Setup will be after 3pm on Friday, February 11, and the doors will
open at 8am on Saturday, February 12. All tables will be $10 each. The
event will be at the Hoxie Convention Center, where it has been the last several years. There will also likely be an ARRL Forum and VE Testing,
as both of these have been done in years past. Details on those will be
posted as soon as possible.
US 67 is a straight shot northeast from the Little Rock Metropolitan
Area, at its junction with Interstate 40 at Exit 155...2 miles east of
the junction of Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 at Exit 153. Look for
the Hoxie exit...it's around a 90 minute to 2 hour drive from central
Arkansas. There are plans to build a 40 mile segment in northeastern
Arkansas and southeastern Missouri...eventually linking to, and then
becoming Interstate 57, which currently runs through portions of
Illinois and Missouri. How long that will take to complete is anyone's guess...but US 67 is "interstate grade" all the way to Highway 412 in
northeast Arkansas. This highway runs east to west across northern
Arkansas, and further west, it also goes through the communities of
Harrison and Eureka Springs.
For reservations, or more information on the Lawrence County Winterfest,
call or contact Dale, K5ZXH, at (870) 759-2067, or via email to
stratton_dale at yahoo.com -- from their website, it appears that
talk-in will be on the 147.045 repeater, which is also available
on Echolink on node 593943 with the callsign W5WRA. The repeater
itself is located in Imboden, Arkansas.
Note that this is the same weekend as Orlando Hamcation in Florida.
So, for those in the MidSouth wanting a hamfest, but not the expense
and distance of Orlando Hamcation, the Hoxie hamfest is a nice compact
hamfest to go to.
Also, I understand from Rick, KA2BSM, that the MidSouth Amateur
Radio Association (MARA) is planning to hold its 2022 Freefest on
Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Bartlett, Tennessee.
Like with the Lawrence County Winterfest, the 2021 Freefest was
canceled due to COVID-19 issues. For more information on Freefest,
send an email to Art Barnett at memphis.freefest at gmail dot com
Bartlett is located on the east side of Memphis, Tennessee, off
of Interstate 40. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from central Arkansas.
From their website, here are directions to Freefest:
Bartlett Station Municipal Center (behind the library)
5868 Stage Road, Bartlett, TN
North side of Stage Road just west of Bartlett Boulevard
Talk-in on the 147.03 repeater, +600 KHz offset, PL Tone 107.2
From Arkansas:
I-40 east to Covington Pike, Exit 10 - turn left on Covington Pike -
turn left on highway 64 (Stage Road) - cross RR Tracks - FreeFest
on left
From Mississippi:
I-240 North - 40 East - first exit Sycamore View Rd - left on
Sycamore View Road (becomes Bartlett Boulevard) - left on highway
64 (Stage Road) - FreeFest on right just before RR track
From Millington, Tennessee:
51 South - 40 east - Covington Pike Exit 10 - left on Covington Pike -
right on 64 Stage Road - Cross RR Tracks - FreeFest on left
From highway 385:
Highway 385 - Highway 14 Austin Peay Highway South - 64 Stage Road
exit - left on 64 Stage Road - Cross RR Tracks - FreeFest on left
From East of Memphis, Tennessee:
I-40 west to Sycamore View Road exit - Stay right onto Sycamore View
Road which becomes Bartlett Boulevard - left onto highway 64
(Stage Road) - FreeFest on right just before RR tracks
From highway 64:
Exit highway 64 East - cross Bartlett Boulevard - FreeFest on right
just before RR tracks
Note that the tracks are an active line with CSX transportation,
so at times, you may have to wait for a freight train to clear the
railroad crossing.
Lastly, for road conditions and construction information, visit the
website of IDriveArkansas at
https://www.idrivearkansas.com -- you
can click on adjacent states (Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri) for related websites.
The IDrive Arkansas website indicates the following items:
Traffic Patterns:
Normal, Slow, Very Slow, and Stopped. In the case of the latter two,
you may wish to consider an alternate route. Exit Numbers and Mile
Markers are available. Traffic Cameras are available at selected
locations.
Construction Zones:
It's said that "the two seasons on the road are winter, and road construction". This option shows construction zones, gives details,
along with current and future lane closures.
In Arkansas, traffic fines DOUBLE in WORK ZONES when workers are present...and if you are stopped by law enforcement. Personally, I
feel it should be much more than that, along with impoundment of
one's vehicle, and revocation of one's drivers license.
On some maps, available detour options are shown.
Highway Closures:
If the highway is closed for construction or flooding...or if there
is an incident (i.e. a vehicle wreck/accident), it will be so noted.
Weather:
This option notes weather radar, warnings, and current conditions.
Obviously if there are visibility restrictions (fog, smoke, blowing
dust, haze), precipitation (rain, snow, or ice), or severe weather
(tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds, flooding), you will need to
consider either alternate routes, detours, or even postponing your
trip until the weather clears.
For more details on weather warnings for Arkansas, you can go to
https://www.weather.gov/lzk -- the website for the National Weather
Service in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can click on the arrows for
adjacent weather sites...including those located in Memphis, Tennessee... Jackson, Mississippi...Shreveport, Louisiana...Fort Worth, Texas...
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma...Springfield, Missouri...and Paducah, Kentucky.
With visibility restrictions, you'll need to slow down, use low beam headlights, leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front
of you, and allow extra time to reach your destination. Deadly chain
reaction accidents in areas of fog, smoke, blowing dust, etc. have
occurred, because people were driving too fast for conditions...and
many are injured or killed as a result.
With wet, or snowy/icy roads, it takes a far greater distance to stop
safely than on dry pavement. You can easily lose control of your motor
vehicle, and become involved in a huge traffic accident...and may be
seriously injured if not killed.
As a side note, the speed limits are NOT suggestions. Many feel that
it's with "the flow of traffic", even if they are driving above the
speed limit. On many multi-lane roads and interstates, the left lane
should be used for passing...slower traffic (doing the speed limit)
should stay in the right lane instead.
For more hamfest information, go to www.arrl.org -- click on the
Hamfests And Conventions link, enter the desired criteria, and click
SEARCH.
As a side note, I have NOT heard ANY information on hamfests either
in Russellville (normally the first Saturday in March), or Fort Smith
(normally the first Saturday in April). The Russellville Hamfest
website is at www.arvarf.com -- and the Fort Smth Hamfest website
is at hangingjudgehamfest.com
As of Nov. 25, 2021, there is NO MENTION of a hamfest on the
Russellville website, and there is still data from the 2020 hamfest
on the Fort Smith website. Both of these hamfests in 2021 were
canceled due to COVID-19 issues.
However, Mena is planning to do their 2022 Hamfest on Sept. 9-10,
2022 -- it's always the weekend after Labor Day, and it's the oldest
hamfest west of the Mississippi River. Their website is located at www.menahamfest.net
Also, the K5BOC Memorial Hamfest is set for Oct. 8, 2022 -- it's a
small hamfest on Petit Jean Mountain. Their website is located at
www.k5boc.net
At this time, I'm not sure which of these I'll be able to attend.
Health and financial issues, not to mention long drives or rides,
are very hard on me physically.
Daryl Stout, WX4QZ
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)